The first Soviet self-propelled combine harvester, the S-4 Stalinets, was introduced in 1947. Based on it, the Vistula was developed in Poland, the E170 series in the GDR, and the AC400 Emag in Hungary. The S-4 had a 4.0-meter cutting width, an 85 cm threshing drum, and a 55-horsepower gasoline engine. At this stage, however, pull-type combines were the most prominent in the Soviet combine production, with the largest manufacturer being Rostov Agricultural Machinery Factory, known as Rostselmash, founded in 1929.

In 1958, the SK-3 was introduced in Rostov, featuring a 120 cm threshing drum, an 18-hectoliter grain tank, and a maximum 5-meter cutting platform. In 1962, a more powerful version arrived, the SK-4, which was equipped with a 115-horsepower diesel engine. By 1969, the Rostov factory had produced one million combine harvesters.

In 1973, a heavily modernized version of the previous model, the Niva SK-5, entered production. Characteristic of the early Niva models was a cab equipped with sunshade slats and a tall structure. The engine was a 6.3-liter, 100-horsepower diesel, and the power transmission featured a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Initially, cutting platforms were available in 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, and 6.0 meters, and later also in 7.0 meters. The speed and distance of the straw walker drum were hydraulically adjustable. Both sieves were adjustable. The blower did not have directional airflow control. The number of grease nipples decreased from 200 on the SK-4 to 60.

The Niva was tested at Vakola in 1975, and the final assessment of the combine’s operational features and durability highlighted many shortcomings. Of course, improvements came over its long model history. An option introduced was a turbocharged 120-horsepower engine, a hydrostatic drive as an accessory, and finally, in the Niva Effect model, a Belarus 6-cylinder 155-horsepower engine.

In the 2000s, the Niva was sold mainly in Eastern Europe and Africa. By the end of production in 2018, 1.2 million units had been manufactured.

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