THe collection
Previous to the fall of the Soviet Union, and for that matter since I was a little boy, I have been collecting uniforms and memorabilia from the Second World War. Everyone’s family, to some extent, was involved in the war effort, and my family was no exception. My father, aunts and uncles, friends and neighbors, all played a part in helping with the war effort. Knowing I was interested in the war, visitors to my parents’ house would sometimes give me a WWII memento. I still have almost every one of those gifts and remember who gave each of those items to me.
Later, my focus turned to flag rank uniforms. In the mid- 1990’s, I decided to add a Russian generals' service uniform to my collection, which would give me another example of one of the major players of the war. Little did I realize at the time that this would be the start of an interest and a passion that would change my life. Assembling a collection such as this was beyond my wildest dreams. It is very rare to find a grouping of parade uniforms, from one of the Allies or Axis powers that is so inclusive, with so many well-known military leaders and personalities of the war. Few collections of this type exist! So many of the great uniforms of WWII were found and sold, or were accessioned into museums right after the war. Very few examples of Soviet Marshals, Generals and Admirals uniforms had made their way into the hands of Western collectors. The only information about these uniforms existed inside the Soviet Union in the hands of a few dedicated collectors.
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Uniforms were being offered to me that were very important examples of World War II Russian history. It occurred to me that if they were allowed to be sold to anyone, they could be lost forever, spread out amongst many collectors all around the world ending up in private collections hidden from view. I decided to try to put together a definitive collection that would be a great representation of some of the most beautiful uniforms of WW II, and keep them together for posterity to enjoy. My hope is that anyone reading these books and looking at these magnificent uniforms will have a new appreciation for what has been, up until now, unseen and unknown outside of the former USSR.
The two volume compendium and this website are a wonderful “go-to-source” for the World War II Soviet uniform collector. I doubt that a uniform collection such as this could ever be put together again, and I am gratified in knowing that this compendium has been kept intact and preserved. I have done my best to medal the uniforms with the appropriate decorations where possible. Please forgive me for any errors. I would also add that there is a slight color variation in the uniform photos. This is due to the fact that the Volume I pictures were shot with film and the Volume II pics were shot digitally.
This web site serves as a primer. The uniforms shown here are just a partial representation of the compendium. The books go into much more detail, with text and historical information pertaining to each individual uniform set. Each uniform set has gone through an extensive and very time consuming vetting process. In addition to the tunic images seen here, many of the sets have accompanying trousers, parade and service belts, boots with spurs, overcoats and more. Each example has close ups of the beautiful embroidery and epaulettes. The inside linings of all uniforms, including tunics, hats and trousers are pictured for examination. Museum stamps and tailor labels are also identified. There are also examples of General officer's dress swords and daggers. An original period photo archive of Marshals, Generals and Admirals is also featured in both volumes. I hope that you will enjoy this historically important compendium. I believe that these uniforms are the most beautiful uniforms of World War II. I hope that, after viewing the collection, you will agree.
The two volume compendium and this website are a wonderful “go-to-source” for the World War II Soviet uniform collector. I doubt that a uniform collection such as this could ever be put together again, and I am gratified in knowing that this compendium has been kept intact and preserved. I have done my best to medal the uniforms with the appropriate decorations where possible. Please forgive me for any errors. I would also add that there is a slight color variation in the uniform photos. This is due to the fact that the Volume I pictures were shot with film and the Volume II pics were shot digitally.
This web site serves as a primer. The uniforms shown here are just a partial representation of the compendium. The books go into much more detail, with text and historical information pertaining to each individual uniform set. Each uniform set has gone through an extensive and very time consuming vetting process. In addition to the tunic images seen here, many of the sets have accompanying trousers, parade and service belts, boots with spurs, overcoats and more. Each example has close ups of the beautiful embroidery and epaulettes. The inside linings of all uniforms, including tunics, hats and trousers are pictured for examination. Museum stamps and tailor labels are also identified. There are also examples of General officer's dress swords and daggers. An original period photo archive of Marshals, Generals and Admirals is also featured in both volumes. I hope that you will enjoy this historically important compendium. I believe that these uniforms are the most beautiful uniforms of World War II. I hope that, after viewing the collection, you will agree.