--- title: "The End of the Aurus Era: The Tatarstan Plant Closes as the 'Symbol of Independence' Fades into History" description: "πŸš— The Aurus project is deemed a failure: the plant in Tatarstan will close by the end of 2026, and the Moscow office in September. Instead of 5,000 cars a year, fewer than 250 were assembled. Even Putin's armored car cannot save the situation. πŸ‡·πŸ‡ΊπŸ’Έ" date: 2026-06-16T04:50:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/end-of-the-aurus-era-tatarstan-plant-closes-symbol-of-independence-fades tags: [] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # The End of the Aurus Era: The Tatarstan Plant Closes as the 'Symbol of Independence' Fades into History ![Vladimir Putin against the backdrop of the closure of the Aurus plant in Tatarstan, symbolizing the end of the era of Russian premium car manufacturing](https://xab.info/media/2026/06/16/konec-ery-aurus-zavod-v-tatarstane-zakryvaetsya/konec-ery-aurus-zavod-v-tatarstane-zakryvaetsya-1.webp) The project for the Russian flagship car Aurus, conceived as a technological response to Western giants like Rolls-Royce and Mercedes-Maybach, has proven to be a failure. The plant in Yelabuga (Tatarstan) will cease operations by the end of 2026, while the company's Moscow office will begin liquidation procedures as early as September. This is reported by RBK-Ukraine citing the Polish publication Rzeczpospolita. ### From Ambitious Plans to Real Numbers Production launched in 2018. Initially, the plan was to produce up to 5,000 vehicles annually to meet the needs of top officials and create an image of the country's technological independence. However, reality turned out to be far from expectations: in 2024, fewer than 150 cars were assembled in Yelabuga, and another 100 at another plant. The attempt to revitalize the project with a more budget-friendly Aurus 900 model, presented at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, also failed to bring success. The new version is based on the Chinese Hongqi H9 platform. Even at a price of 12 million rubles for the base version β€” compared to 50 million for the top-tier Senat model β€” demand remains minimal. For comparison: the Hongqi H9 itself sold only about 500 units in Russia by 2025. ### Armored Cars and the Crisis of Demand The most famous version β€” Putin's armored car in the Senat configuration β€” costs 117 million rubles. With additional protection, the price could be even higher. But even such exclusivity does not save the project from collapse. ### Relocation to St. Petersburg and New Hopes Some employees of the Yelabuga plant will be transferred to St. Petersburg β€” to the former Toyota plant in Shushary, where the production of Aurus 900 is planned. However, this step is also highly questionable: no permanent major partner has been found, there are staffing issues, and demand at such prices is extremely doubtful. Currently, 'Gazprom Tech' β€” a subsidiary of Gazprom that became a co-owner in 2025 β€” is trying to save Aurus. But even the power of the energy giant does not guarantee success amidst the general crisis in the automotive industry. ### Context: Equipment Shortages and Sanctions Parallel to the collapse of Aurus, the country is experiencing a shortage of specialized equipment. As early as 2025, the rare 'Ladoga' combat vehicle, designed for use in zones of radiological, chemical, or biological contamination, was spotted on the front lines. This indicates a lack of standard equipment and the forced use of highly specialized models. At the same time, the EU is increasing pressure on the Russian economy. On June 15, the European Union adopted a new package of sanctions against Russia's military-industrial complex, shadow fleet, and hybrid networks. Recently, the 21st package of sanctions also came into force, affecting energy, financial services, trade, cryptocurrency, and fishing. Thus, the collapse of Aurus is not just the failure of a single brand, but a symptom of deeper problems: the lack of real demand, dependence on foreign platforms, and isolation from global markets.