07-29-2003, 07:11 AM
This and the following few posts come from my old NKVD/KGB web site.
GUIDE TO COLLECTING SOVIET STATE SECURITY ITEMS
There is a wide range of items relating to the Soviet state security organs (Cheka, OGPU, NKVD, NKGB, MGB, KGB and SMERSH) to collect. There are items to suit almost any budget - see the rough price guide at the bottom of this page. An entire collection can be built around state security items or they can be used to expand another collection - Soviet hats, badges or uniforms, western spy stuff, etc.
Unfortunately, there is a great deal of fake and fantasy items and a huge amount of mis-labelled items out on the market. Very few vendors (or even collectors) know what they are doing. This is due in large part to the extreme shortage of reference guides - especially in English.
There are also many KGB-related items for sale that usually have nothing to do with the real KGB. For example:
T-shirts: the KGB never issued t-shirts or track suits
Golf gear: the KGB never issued golf balls or tees or shirts
Mugs and vodka bottles: The KGB never issued these either. Existing mugs are all western made. Metal vodka bottle with a fake brass KGB badge are common but post-Soviet fantasy tourist items. I have seen a few genuine post-KGB Russian security service vodka bottles (I have a St. Petersburg FSB one) but these were ceramic and rare and had no badge attached.
Watches: Soviet state security officers were awarded watches since the Cheka era as special awards. However, these watches were not special state security watches. Instead the were high quality civilian watches with an engraving on the back to the awarded officer from his unit or comrades. These are mostly pocket watches. They are very rare and expensive. Modern wrist or pocket watches with a KGB device on the face are for civilian and tourist purchase only! They are not issued by or to genuine state security personnel. While watches are still awarded to Russian state security personnel they are regular high quality civilian pieces without any KGB or FSB or SVR device on them.
Weapons: There were no special issue KGB knives or daggers. However, there are some genuine Soviet daggers and firearms that were issued to state security personnel. For example, I know of several 1950s style Soviet army daggers with blade engraving or a plaque on the handle indicating that they were issued to KGB officers by their comrades or their local unit (usually an Oblast KGB office). There are some doubts as to their authenticity although some genuine ones are known. There are also several firearms, usually pistols or hunting rifles, that bear plaques indicating they were similar awards. Most of these date to the 1920s-30s. I have a 1930s dated metal pistol grip plaque dedicated to an OGPU officer from the railway workers he worked with (read oppressed!).
There are also no genuine KGB key chains, challenge coins, etc.
There is nothing wrong with collecting these items and some are quite rare. However, they have nothing to do with the real KGB and should not be sold as such.
Shawn
GUIDE TO COLLECTING SOVIET STATE SECURITY ITEMS
There is a wide range of items relating to the Soviet state security organs (Cheka, OGPU, NKVD, NKGB, MGB, KGB and SMERSH) to collect. There are items to suit almost any budget - see the rough price guide at the bottom of this page. An entire collection can be built around state security items or they can be used to expand another collection - Soviet hats, badges or uniforms, western spy stuff, etc.
Unfortunately, there is a great deal of fake and fantasy items and a huge amount of mis-labelled items out on the market. Very few vendors (or even collectors) know what they are doing. This is due in large part to the extreme shortage of reference guides - especially in English.
There are also many KGB-related items for sale that usually have nothing to do with the real KGB. For example:
T-shirts: the KGB never issued t-shirts or track suits
Golf gear: the KGB never issued golf balls or tees or shirts
Mugs and vodka bottles: The KGB never issued these either. Existing mugs are all western made. Metal vodka bottle with a fake brass KGB badge are common but post-Soviet fantasy tourist items. I have seen a few genuine post-KGB Russian security service vodka bottles (I have a St. Petersburg FSB one) but these were ceramic and rare and had no badge attached.
Watches: Soviet state security officers were awarded watches since the Cheka era as special awards. However, these watches were not special state security watches. Instead the were high quality civilian watches with an engraving on the back to the awarded officer from his unit or comrades. These are mostly pocket watches. They are very rare and expensive. Modern wrist or pocket watches with a KGB device on the face are for civilian and tourist purchase only! They are not issued by or to genuine state security personnel. While watches are still awarded to Russian state security personnel they are regular high quality civilian pieces without any KGB or FSB or SVR device on them.
Weapons: There were no special issue KGB knives or daggers. However, there are some genuine Soviet daggers and firearms that were issued to state security personnel. For example, I know of several 1950s style Soviet army daggers with blade engraving or a plaque on the handle indicating that they were issued to KGB officers by their comrades or their local unit (usually an Oblast KGB office). There are some doubts as to their authenticity although some genuine ones are known. There are also several firearms, usually pistols or hunting rifles, that bear plaques indicating they were similar awards. Most of these date to the 1920s-30s. I have a 1930s dated metal pistol grip plaque dedicated to an OGPU officer from the railway workers he worked with (read oppressed!).
There are also no genuine KGB key chains, challenge coins, etc.
There is nothing wrong with collecting these items and some are quite rare. However, they have nothing to do with the real KGB and should not be sold as such.
Shawn
