11-10-2009, 01:53 PM
For what it is worth....
I recently had an exchange of correspondence with a retired KGB General ( a recipient of three "Honored Chekist" awards). He confirmed that on "special occasions" he wore the Army General service uniform for his rank. He had no parade uniform.
The interesting thing to me is that I have often heard that KGB officers only rarely wore uniforms. Yet every example of an original KGB identification card that I've seen shows the individual in a uniform jacket.
I'm almost convinced that when a KGB officer went to have his photo taken for his identity card, the photographer had a selection of jackets simply hanging off to the side.
"What's your rank? O.K., here, put this one on. We'll pin it in the back to make it fit properly for the photo."
Who knows?
But in my collecting experience, it was much easier to find a KGB officer's parade uniform than a KGB service dress uniform.
I recently had an exchange of correspondence with a retired KGB General ( a recipient of three "Honored Chekist" awards). He confirmed that on "special occasions" he wore the Army General service uniform for his rank. He had no parade uniform.
The interesting thing to me is that I have often heard that KGB officers only rarely wore uniforms. Yet every example of an original KGB identification card that I've seen shows the individual in a uniform jacket.
I'm almost convinced that when a KGB officer went to have his photo taken for his identity card, the photographer had a selection of jackets simply hanging off to the side.
"What's your rank? O.K., here, put this one on. We'll pin it in the back to make it fit properly for the photo."
Who knows?
But in my collecting experience, it was much easier to find a KGB officer's parade uniform than a KGB service dress uniform.
