The Erika typewriter from the museum collection belonged to the famous Bashkir writer and poet Kadyr Dayan. During the Great Patriotic War, Kadyr Dayan fought in the Red Army. The writer served on the Kalinin front in the 115th rifle regiment, published an army newspaper “To defeat the enemy”. It is known that Kadyr Dayan made it to Berlin and put his signature on the Reichstag.

As a military reporter, Kadyr Dayan also took part in publishing the front-line newspaper of the 112th Bashkir Cavalry Division. The newspaper was called “Kyzyl atlylar” (“Red Cavalrymen”). Besides Kadyr Dayan, such famous Bashkir literary figures as Kirey Mergen and Akhtyam Ihsan collaborated with the newspaper. Ali Karnay, a writer and a war correspondent, was the chief editor, and Khurshida Khairova and Fauziya Fatkullina were the typesetters of the front-line newspaper.

The Erika typewriter with the Russian script from the museum collection was made in Germany in 1936–1949. On the front surface of the typewriter, there is a trademark “A. G. Seidel & Naumann”. The company was founded in Dresden in 1868 by Bruno Naumann as a sewing machine workshop. The next year, he was joined by Erich Seidel as co-owner, and in1870, the company was renamed “Seidel & Nauman”. The company soon became Germany’s largest company producing sewing and typewriting machines, bicycles, and other machinery. The company ceased to exist in 1992.