Can anyone identify this possibility Russian bike?

[R-V]

Nope, it's colloquially known as a "HVZ".
Swallow ("Lastochka") was a different beast.

It was the female version of little eagle (Orlenok)

Notice the lack of front brake

Here they were called swallows, after the headbadge most probably..

 

[M_Chavez]

By the way none of these bikes are Russian.
All of them are Soviet, with "Lastochka" made in Minsk (now Belarus) and the Kharkov being (at least as of 13:35 today) still part of Ukraine.

 

[jim haseltine]

As far as I know, the Lastochka and the Orlenok were both made in two factories, one in (as you say, Belarus) and the other in Lithuania. According to legend or rumour (more like) they were vaguely based on Schwinn cruisers seen being used by children on American bases in West Germany after WW2.

 

[vtwinvince]

Pretty cool cold war relic. What are you doing in Bukhara, interesting part of the world.

 

[R-V]

Pretty cool cold war relic. What are you doing in Bukhara, interesting part of the world.

Looking for old bikes, evidently

 

[R-V]

Another example with original paint

 

[M_Chavez]

I suspect this might be HVZ "Tourist", but I might be wrong.

 

[Mark Manley]

Pretty cool cold war relic. What are you doing in Bukhara, interesting part of the world.

Travelling around Central Asia taking in the sights, I have been doing some of it by bike, I have my Velo Orange mini velo with me but Uzbekistan is with a friend using public transport.

 

[M_Chavez]

I have my Velo Orange mini velo with me

Don't want to drive the thread off topic, but how are you finding it, and what's the practical appeal?

I've been looking at these 20ers for a while (the incurable n+1 decease) and tried a couple folders. Cheapo folders were flexy AF and I'm a 6ft2 bugger and most framesets seem to be aimed at shorter folks, which doesn't help. A non-folder will help with stiffness, but apart from lower CoG to help with putting it on a car roof, what's the benefit? Smaller wheels = lighter does not necessarily work, when you're comparing 25mm road tyres with 2" balloon slicks.

 

[Mark Manley]

Don't want to drive the thread off topic, but how are you finding it, and what's the practical appeal?

I've been looking at these 20ers for a while (the incurable n+1 decease) and tried a couple folders. Cheapo folders were flexy AF and I'm a 6ft2 bugger and most framesets seem to be aimed at shorter folks, which doesn't help. A non-folder will help with stiffness, but apart from lower CoG to help with putting it on a car roof, what's the benefit? Smaller wheels = lighter does not necessarily work, when you're comparing 25mm road tyres with 2" balloon slicks.

I toured last year on my Brompton which was great for taking on public transport and ok on the road but could not quite get it to my Ideal riding position for long distance so thought I would try a mini velo instead.
It is more of a compromise for packing, I can dismantle it in an hour and fit it in a carrying case but can set it up for my ideal position which is very upright. It also has a lot of mounting points for bottles and racks and is a lot more rigid on rougher roads.
I am 5' 7" and the small frame fits me, the tyres are 2.15" bmx which gives a degree of comfort and I would use it again for touring on, it is a keeper.