willie777 Wrote:First of all, Welcome to the forum, Prometheus!
The lettering on your shoulder boards can be latinized as OKP.
ГБ is latinized as GB.
This is from fellow forum member olitchnik's site:
"The KGB's Special Guards: The Separate Kremlin Regiment & Lenin's Tomb
The guard personnel of the KGB's Seperate Kremlin Regiment and guard personnel posted to Guard Post #1 (Lenin's Tomb) used slightly modified uniforms. Personnel with the Separate Kremlin Regiment used normal KGB state security uniforms as outlined above, however, enlisted personnel had slightly different shoulder boards. The royal blue parade and service boards had the cyrillic letters "OKP" on them in stead of the usual "GB". This stood for "Otdelenie Kremlinskoi Polk" or Separate Kremlin Regiment. (Some sources say "Osobiye Kremlinskoi Polk" or Special Kremlin Regiment.)"
"I know that it isn't the Kermlin Guards. that would have ГБ with gold strips on the edges."
Also from olitchnik's site:
"On the other hand the enlisted personnel assigned to guards Lenin's Tomb in Red Square used very different uniforms. The enlisted uniform was based on the KGB state security officer's parade uniform (in formation variation). Thus they wore the regular officer's sea green peaked hat, tunic, and breeches with gold officer's parade belt, black boots, and white gloves. This officer's uniform was then modified in a few ways:
-royal blue enlisted parade shoulder boards were used. These had "GB" (not "OKP") in yellow letters and were piped along the edges in yellow.
-royal blue enlisted sleeve patches were worn on both sleeves of the tunic.
-gold braid aglets (sleeve cords) were worn over the right shoulder."
Thus, one can conclude that these pogoni (shoulder boards) are of a private in the Seperate Kremlin Regiment. Also, GB boards are not used by the kremlin regiment, but lenin's tomb guards.
Also, a relevant thread from long ago:
http://www.soviet-awards.com/forum/sovie...#post51611
Hi Willie777,thanks for quoting my tread (which didn't get much follow up unfortunately).
If Otlitchnik doesn't mind,I would like to add some changes to his article (and some changes as well regarding what Don Creamer says in his article "The Special Kremlin Regiment" in the Border Post Magazine issue).I had the opportunity to see quite a lot of pictures about the Lenin Mausoleum Honor Guard & The Kremlin Regiment and some russian newspapers articles as well.
In his article,Mr Creamer says that 3 types of shoulder boards were worn by the Kremlin Regiment troops : one with cyphers GB,one without cyphers and one with OKP cyphers.Well it's true but it has to be more detailed....
The sh. boards were indeed worn first without cyphers but for the period 1969 to 1973 or even 1975 (M-69 sh.boards).According to soviet military regulations,the shoulder boards are worn plain with the service dress.And metal cyphers are worn with the parade & walking out dresses.
In 1973,a prikaz (decree) institutes the shoulder boards with thermoglued cyphers (M-73 sh.boards).
Therefore,for the period 1973-75,it is not suprising to see Mausoleum guards uniforms with M-69 Sh.boards and others with M-73 ones....
From 1973 on,the cyphers GB are then worn on the sh.boards of all the KGB units,including the Kremlin Regiment and the Mausoleum guard (for the Mausoleum guards I noticed 3 different types of sh.boards worn,all with yellow piping along the edges).
In fact,the guard of the Mausoleum was not distinct from the Kremlin Regiment,it was performed by selected troops of the Kremlin Regiment (actually the 1st Cy of the regiment,the honor guard Cy,formed 01st July 1976 was responsible for protocole events).
The Kremlin Regiment was given the task to perform the guard at the Mausoleum from 1935 till 1993.
But then,will you say :"when were the sh.boards with OKP cyphers worn?"
Well I have developped my own hypothesis and frankly speaking,I think it makes quite sense....
For taking part in the coup in summer 1991,the KGB is disbanded on November 06th 1991.Then I think that it was decided the following :
It was not appropriate any more to wear the cypher representing an organ that had been disbanded.
Therefore,the cyphers OKP were worn by the Kremlin Regiment including the guard at the Mausoleum (there is photographic evidence of the wear).
On 26th December 1991,USSR ceases to exist.
21st September 1993 : dissolution of the Soviet Supreme
06 October 1993,the shift 03:00 PM to 04:00 PM will be the last one at the Mausoleum;it's definitely over.
First on 08th December 1997,will a decree institute the new POST NUMBER ONE at the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier in the Aleksander Gardens.
To conclude,I'll say that the OKP shoulder boards were worn from 1991 to 1993 (I have a pair dated 1992).These boards are in fact the last ones of the soviet era and among the first post soviet ones,being worn at the beginning of the Russian Federation...
