Though uniforms are not my specialty, I know a good looking one when I see it. And that color grey looks too much like the parade uniform coats of the MVD - or else the shoulder boards would be gold in color, right? Instead, they are that blue-green that I always associated with MVD uniforms (all types from service to parade). If I'm wrong, and that is all together possible, I'd like to hear what it is for.
Ivan, in the meantime, are there any tags on the inside? Around or inside the pockets? It could also just have writing stenciled on the lining. If it has anything like that, would you mind posting pictures of it/them. It might just be two numbers separated by a hyphen, like 52-4 or 54-2, or something to that effect. That will be the size in Russian measurements.
I'm afraid I can't find any tags or markings anywhere on the coat. Could this mean it's a fake/repro? (not that it really matters to us - its really just to keep his interest). if it is fake someone has gone to a lot of trouble to put in the padding and lining to the upper part of the coat.
I don“t think it is fake: These overcoats are not hard to come by and unissued ones are readily available especailly in the Ukraine. My overcoat has a paper tag lightly sewn just behind the lower right edge. There is another tag in the inside breast pocket.
There's nothing in the streets
Looks any different to me
And the slogans are replaced, by-the-bye
And the parting on the left
Are now parting on the right
And the beards have all grown longer overnight The Who, Won't get fooled again
I doubt it is fake, it would not make any sense to fake these heavy coats. Very few want them, very few will pay any real money for them and they are awfully heavy to ship - not to mention that authentic ones, both used and unused, are still available in good quantities.
I have at least half a dozen of the soviet overcoats varying in styles and branches (navy being the one that is obviously different from the rest - and which I'm wearing tonight:)). I only have the collar insignia on any that I would wear in public except my KGB captain's parade coat because it draws too much attention sometimes. The black naval coat with the gold-colored buttons is passable as stylish because pea coats are currently fashionable and these are just full-length versions. Some have tags and some don't. I was just curious to see if there was any identifying marks that might tell us something more about it. It is not a problem.
Back to the coat we are discussing, it is definitely a Russian made one that is - in my opinion - a great piece to own. I brought most of the ones I have back with me from Russia (back before the airlines had weight limits;)). They have enough wool and other material stuffing in the torso portion to make them incredibly warm and the length keeps the chilling winds from cutting through your jeans. They are especially warm if they fit snuggly (which is the key to keeping warm with anything). The down side is that after about an hour of standing up in one of these, your back might start to hurt from the strain of the weight.
Back to the MVD coat again...good catch because as others have pointed out, they are not very hard to come by, but they are not cheap to ship because of the weight.
Hang on to it because with just the minimum of care, it will last forever.:thumbsup