Olimpik

Olimpik was a Soviet series and trademark of compact portable superheterodyne radio receivers. The first receiver was designed in 1977 by Mykola Lebid, a Ukrainian artist, and the timing of the product’s development and production was associated with the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. Although the name could also be rendered as “Olympic” in English, Olimpik is the form commonly used for the Soviet product series. The receivers were manufactured at the Olymp plant in Svitlovodsk, Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. Some versions were also produced by the Alatau production association in Kazakhstan. The series belonged to the mass-market portable-radio category and was designed for practical domestic and personal listening rather than high-fidelity audio. Its vertical cabinet layout, carrying strap, compact controls, and battery operation made it suitable for use outside the home. Across the range, Olimpik receivers generally supported the medium-wave band and one or two short-wave bands, with the exact coverage depending on the model. The intermediate-frequency section used either a concentrated selectivity filter or a piezoelectric filter. Audio output was monaural, with an amplifier based on four or five transistors. A monaural headphone socket was provided, and inserting a headphone automatically muted the built-in loudspeaker. The original Olimpik design was regarded as reliable and easy to use. Olimpik-401 retained the basic design with small cosmetic and mechanical variations, including differences in colors and in the attachment of the strap, antenna, or range switch. Olimpik-402 introduced two short-wave bands and appeared in a broad selection of colors. Later or related versions explored circuit changes, filtering improvements, and added functions. Olimpik-403, for example, combined the receiver with an LCD clock but reduced the tuning coverage to the medium-wave band and used three 316 battery cells. The series illustrates the Soviet approach to durable consumer electronics: a recognizable common design, incremental revisions, locally manufactured components, and practical features intended to keep production and retail costs manageable. The first receiver and several later models remained in use among enthusiasts and owners decades after their introduction, reflecting the perceived durability of the design. Available reference material documents the models and manufacturing locations, but does not establish a current producer, a continuing commercial operation, a formal corporate headquarters, or a present-day owner of the Olimpik name.

Olimpik emerged as a Soviet portable-radio series in the late 1970s. Its first model was developed in 1977 by Mykola Lebid, a Ukrainian artist. The product’s introduction was timed to coincide with the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, giving the series a name and launch context associated with one of the Soviet Union’s most prominent international events. Manufacturing was carried out at the Olymp plant in Svitlovodsk, in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Some models were additionally manufactured by the Alatau production association in Kazakhstan. The documented production network shows that Olimpik was not simply an individual one-off receiver, but a broader Soviet consumer-electronics series supported by production facilities in more than one republic. The original receiver used a vertical portable format and a superheterodyne circuit. It covered the medium-wave range and one short-wave range, with an audio amplifier built around four transistors. The design emphasized usability and durability. It incorporated a carrying arrangement, a built-in loudspeaker, and a monaural headphone connection that automatically disconnected the speaker when headphones were inserted. Olimpik-401 preserved the basic form and circuit concept of the original. Differences included minor changes to the strap fastening and variations in the colors or fittings of the range switch and antenna. Olimpik-402 represented a more substantial functional revision by adding a second short-wave band. It was produced in multiple external colors and existed with audio amplifiers using either four or five transistors; the five-transistor version added a transistor intended to stabilize the output-stage operating mode. Other documented models broadened the series in different directions. Olimpik-2 used a modified circuit and a piezoelectric filter in the intermediate-frequency path. Its output-stage operating mode was set with two diodes rather than resistors. Olimpik-305 is known primarily through references to its colored versions, including red and green examples. Olimpik-403 added an LCD clock, but limited the receiver to medium-wave reception and used three 316 battery cells, apparently as a cost-conscious way to add the clock feature. It is described as a rare model. More than four decades after the first model’s introduction, some Olimpik receivers remained in use among their owners. Their continued survival is consistent with the series’ reputation for straightforward construction and reliability. The available record does not provide a definitive end date for production, a current successor company, or evidence that the trademark remains commercially active. Olimpik is therefore best treated as a historically documented Soviet radio series whose present legal and commercial status is uncertain.

• 1980

  Production associated with the Moscow Olympics

  [1]Olimpiken.wikipedia.org

  Production of the series was timed to coincide with the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, an event reflected in the product name.

• 1977

  First Olimpik model designed

  [1]Olimpiken.wikipedia.org

  Mykola Lebid developed the first Olimpik receiver, establishing the basic vertical portable-radio design used by later models.

Practical, durable Soviet portable radios designed for affordable everyday listening, with compact vertical construction and progressively expanded tuning or convenience features.

• Portable superheterodyne transistor radio · 1977

  Olimpik

  The original Olimpik receiver introduced the series’ vertical portable format and practical operating layout. It covered medium wave and one short-wave range, with the documented short-wave coverage at approximately 30.6–31.8 metres and medium-wave coverage at approximately 186.7–571.4 metres. Its audio-frequency power amplifier used four transistors. The receiver included a monaural headphone socket with automatic loudspeaker muting.

• Portable superheterodyne transistor radio

  Olimpik-401

  Olimpik-401 retained the original Olimpik design with only minor documented changes. Variations concerned details such as the carrying-strap fastening, the color of the range switch, and the antenna attachment. Its tuning coverage remained a medium-wave band plus one short-wave band. The model was associated with the same practical, durable construction and remained in use among some owners long after its original production period.

• Portable superheterodyne transistor radio

  Olimpik-402

  Olimpik-402 revised the series by providing two short-wave bands in addition to medium wave. The documented short-wave ranges were approximately 40.5–50.8 metres and 24.8–31.7 metres, while the medium-wave range was approximately 186.7–571.4 metres. Two amplifier configurations were known, using four or five transistors. The model appeared in numerous colors, including black, white, blue, yellow, green, red, brown, and burgundy.

• Portable superheterodyne transistor radio

  Olimpik-2

  Olimpik-2 used a different design and modified circuit from the earlier receivers. Its intermediate-frequency path included a piezoelectric filter. The audio power amplifier also differed in its method of establishing the output-stage operating mode, using two diodes instead of resistors. These changes made the model a technical variation within the Olimpik family rather than simply a cosmetic revision.

• Portable radio receiver

  Olimpik-305

  Olimpik-305 is a documented member of the series for which available descriptions emphasize its exterior color variants. Red and green examples are known. The available reference material does not establish a complete specification sheet, launch date, production quantity, or detailed circuit history for this model, so it is best described as a later Olimpik-series receiver without adding unsupported technical claims.

• Portable radio with LCD clock

  Olimpik-403

  Olimpik-403 combined a portable radio receiver with an LCD clock. Unlike earlier models, it was limited to the medium-wave band, apparently allowing the additional clock function to be introduced while maintaining a reasonable price. It used three 316 battery cells and is described as a rare model. The available reference does not provide a confirmed production year.

1. 1Olimpiken.wikipedia.org