Really nice KGB Captain's uniform on the way.

[PaulR]

I am most honored to add this beautiful set to my collection. These do not pop up much any more.

I understand that this one is tailor made too. The trousers have the blue pin stripe piping down each side. I am very excited about this one.

There are no provisions for awards and there were none most likely ever worn on this jacket!

The photos were taken by the member I bought the set from. This, for me, is another great center piece set. I am very thankful to be able to add it to my collection.

[Al-muell]

Nice one! Haven't seen any for sale in quite some time.
Awards should not go with this uniform, but a humble ribbon bar (I would expect a captain to have served at least 10 years and thus have the irreproachable service medal and Armed forces anniversary medal) would look nice on it.

[Tretov]

Nice set! You're building up quite a collection! On a small notice, the visor cap badge is for aviation officer, it should be the small oval badge instead. This is easily changed. I also agree with Al-Muell, since this is a service uniform, no awards are worn. Rather, you are looking for a humble :) ribbon bar and a 1-2 badges, like a graduation badge and some (copy of) a KGB badge.

[Will]

Originally Posted by Al-muell

Nice one! Haven't seen any for sale in quite some time.
Awards should not go with this uniform, but a humble ribbon bar (I would expect a captain to have served at least 10 years and thus have the irreproachable service medal and Armed forces anniversary medal) would look nice on it.

Personally, I would very, very respectfully disagree.

Starting in the 1960's, and in particular with the appointment of Yuri Andropov as chairman in 1967, the KGB saw a significant expansion of its ranks with the addition of a variety of young, professional specialists in fields such as economics, linguistics, and law (Vladmir Putin entered KGB after graduating with an international law degree from Leningrad State University in 1975). Many of these specialists were brought into KGB and given higher rank by virtue of their backgrounds. It is not unlike the United States military, in which a young lawyer enters the service as a nominal second lieutenant but very quickly is advanced to Captain. As such, these KGB officers would have held noteworthy ranks without having had time in to attain Irreproachable Service medals or even jubilee medals.

Additionally, unlike military uniforms, the documentary and photographic evidence supports the statement that the vast majority of KGB officers wore their uniforms only on relatively rare occasions. Unless a KGB officer held an assignment that required frequent wear of his uniform (such as attachment to a military or militia unit), the uniforms for the most part stayed in the closet, leading to the question of whether most officers even placed ribbons on their uniforms. In my personal experience I have only ever seen one KGB service uniform that displayed ribbons, and that was the uniform of a full Colonel.

Here is the well known photograph of Vladimir Putin as a Captain of KGB. In versions that are not so closely cropped, but even in this trimmed version, it seems pretty clear that he is not wearing ribbons on his service jacket.

[PaulR]

Lawyers are brought in automatically as O3s in the Coast Guard, and as far as I know, other branches too. I can definitely see what you are saying, Will.

[Al-muell]

OK, to me a uniformed KGB officer is likely to be a KGB Trooper, haven't looked at it from this side. Indeed, no awards may be correct on this jacket (altough I still see them as somewhat "empty")

[PaulR]

What is a KGB Trooper?

[Tommy]

These threads are making me want to start adding some uniforms to my collection :-/

I hope i don't start... For my bank balances sake!

Tommy

[medals73]

Originally Posted by Tommy

These threads are making me want to start adding some uniforms to my collection :-/

I hope i don't start... For my bank balances sake!

Tommy

There is also the problem of storage space. You think medal storage and preservation is bad: Uniforms are space-hungry and a conservation (and cleaning) challenge. And they will strain your diplomatic skills if you have a spouse or "significant other".

Without intending it, a number of uniforms (mostly pre-GPW) have "happened to" me.

[Tretov]

Originally Posted by medals73

There is also the problem of storage space. You think medal storage and preservation is bad: Uniforms are space-hungry and a conservation (and cleaning) challenge. And they will strain your diplomatic skills if you have a spouse or "significant other".

Don't listen to this guy. He does not know what he is talking about. There is nothing wrong keeping two, three or even four of your shirts on one cloth hanger in the closet just to make space for those wonderful pieces of Soviet cold war history. A fight a little now and then, in magnitude about the size of Hungary 1956 over the new, heavy-wool 1956 parade set of a railway troops captain is nothing to worry about, it just keep 'em spouses, girlfriends and other cats in the household in an inspiring, fresh mood and helps keeping the air clean.