NKVD Lt Col - Absolutely Choice Tunic

[Jeffrey Meffert]

Shalito shows both blue/blue for double breasted AND single breasted and cites them both as m43's but the focus of that book is just up to victory parade time. Interesting to see that may have had transition in colors after the birth of mgb in 1946 until it got sucked back into the KGB in 1953 (in time for m55 kgb which are all blue again).
Just for fun: a double breasted frontier major: green and green all the way

[RichieC]

Originally Posted by Jeffrey Meffert

Shalito shows both blue/blue for double breasted AND single breasted and cites them both as m43's but the focus of that book is just up to victory parade time. Interesting to see that may have had transition in colors after the birth of mgb in 1946 until it got sucked back into the KGB in 1953 (in time for m55 kgb which are all blue again).
Just for fun: a double breasted frontier major: green and green all the way

Interesting stuff. I have yearned to be enlightened about this subject. Perhaps this thread will help. I hope Vadim will chime in at some point.

Nice thing Jeff. I have always preferred bullion. However, for the time being, stamped metal must suffice for me...

[Jeffrey Meffert]

Frontier signals? That's cool. Going back to the mgb/nkvd parade uniform: Can you think of other apparently "mismatched" piping/epaulet/collar tab combos that actually make proper sense? I would have thought the LtCol's tunic at the beginning of the post a "franken-uniform" because I would have forgotten about the MGB period. Still learning...lots.

[kliment]

Originally Posted by Jeffrey Meffert

Shalito shows both blue/blue for double breasted AND single breasted and cites them both as m43's but the focus of that book is just up to victory parade time. Interesting to see that may have had transition in colors after the birth of mgb in 1946 until it got sucked back into the KGB in 1953 (in time for m55 kgb which are all blue again).
Just for fun: a double breasted frontier major: green and green all the way

Unfortunately the double-breasted mundir with blue in Shalito is wrongly described (NKVD frontier troop), and the question remains open. I guess that the NKBG adopted the double-breasted in 1945, but at the 24th of july parade, they wear the single-breasted.
http://rkka.ru/uniform/files/nkvd19.htm

[RichieC]

Originally Posted by kliment

http://rkka.ru/uniform/files/nkvd19.htm

Note the cuff and the 1st pattern shoulder-boards...

[slava1stclass]

Gents,

As we know, there was a double-breasted version in wear at the June 24th, 1945 Victory Parade.

Regards,

slava1stclass

[Jeffrey Meffert]

Originally Posted by slava1stclass

Gents,

As we know, there was a double-breasted version in wear at the June 24th, 1945 Victory Parade.

Regards,

slava1stclass

Color is weird on this copy but the brownish hats turn blue as they pass you in double breasted tunics. Check at about 1:53

Soviet Victory Parade of 1945 [Part II] - Final - YouTube

In other words, like everything else, there is more than one "right answer"

[vvadim]

Originally Posted by kliment

I guess that the NKBG adopted the double-breasted in 1945, but at the 24th of july parade, they wear the single-breasted.
http://rkka.ru/uniform/files/nkvd19.htm

In 1945 dress tunics for state security were changed from six buttons and peaked cuffs to army type with five buttons and straight cuffs and “large” cuff’s spools . In 1948 stamped metal started replacing embroidery. But all the way till 1956 they were single breasted.

[vvadim]

Introduced in February 1943 insignia for internal troops and state security was identical in shape and color. When state security was moved to separate commissariat (NKGB) few changes were made for internal troops. In summer of 1943 color of collar tabs on double breasted internal troop’s tunics was changed from dark blue to crimson red. These guys already have they collar tabs of the same color as bands on they visor hats.

[vvadim]

Sleeve cuffs on NKVD’s troops tunics were changed to be straight.
Color in the center was also changed from dark blue to crimson red.
And cuff’s spools were short (35 х 35 мм) and embroidered directly to the cuff.