The LAZ-697 “Tourist” was a Soviet two-axle, middle-class coach, which was produced in the Western Ukrainian city Lviv from 1959 to 1985.

[12] During the early development stage of the urban bus model LAZ-695 seven different prototypes were created, four of which were the predecessors of the future 697-line.

[13] The first prototype had a lot of weaknesses, like a narrow inner space design and small entry doors.

The rear entry door was removed and paired soften seats, based on spongy rubber and sheathed with semisynthetic textile, were installed.

[15] When in summer 1957 the serial production of the first LAZ-695 “Festival” begun, the constructors of LAZ continued to improve the suburban modification and created the sixth LAZ-695 prototype.

The glass pane construction of the roof was strengthened and a one segment front window, instead of two-segment like in older prototypes, was installed.

[18] In September 1958 the first prototype with the designation LAZ-697 was created by the LAZ constructors, in cooperation with the NAMI institute.

The inner space had 34 soft seats with integrated individual lights, ashtrays and little luggage grids, in which the passengers could store papers or journals.

A cooling system with a humidifier as well as an air heater and radio with a microphone were also installed in the bus.

The prototype was presented in Moscow and afterwards, a group of tourists from the LAZ factory used the bus for a tour to Czechoslovakia and Poland.

Only after the production stop of the first modification, the LAZ-697 became round wheel arches and the lateral mouldings disappeared.

The M-modification also got a rear axle, from the Hungarian vehicle spare parts producer Raba, and a power steering.

[20] The first time, the new bus modification was shown to the public, was at a car show in Moscow, in 1969.

In 2005, the former and last owner of the LAZ factory, Igor Churkin, restored a LAZ-697M, which can be seen on the left picture.

[6] The first time the new LAZ-695N was presented to the public, was at the Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy, in Moscow, in 1971.

Later they were replaced by the cheaper, round lights, which were typical for all soviet trucks and buses.

But after the Dissolution of the Soviet Union and the rise of the fuel prices, a lot of bus owners re-equipped their LAZ-697 into diesel or gas-powered vehicles.

ZIL-158L was a special modification of the ZIL-164, a truck engine and tailored for buses, as the name suggests, firstly for the ZIL-158 city bus and then for the LAZ-695 and LAZ-697, respectively (The letter L stands for LAZ).