Soviet Weird "M1936" Collar Tabs... in 1941!

[Guest Rick Research]

Comrade Birshinov was stamped and attested by the Tyumen City Soviet on 16 May 1941:

[attachmentid=40393]

He is wearing badge #519 in I. I. Likhitsky's "Art of Russian Metal Miniature, catalogue of Badges 1917-1991," Lvov, 1995:

"Shockworker of the Osoaviakhim of the USSR."

I cannot see his sleeves below what you see here. There are no apparent sleeve insignia such as would be found for the civil police (militia) or NKVD security forces. The tunic itself is "salt and pepper" blend, and probably army color.

So: WHAT is Comrade Birshinov???

[Guest Rick Research]

The closest I can find to a match is from the seriously flawed

L. Tokar, "History of Russian Uniform: Soviet Police 1918-1991" and what SEEM to be the ephemeral (if indeed they ever existed at all) rank insignia Model 15 June 1936, supposedly fully in use from 1 February 1937,

and yet cancelled on 5 August 1938 in the midst of the Great Purge, with a never mind, carry on wearing the old pattern--which would have been the Model of 20 May 1931.

Insignia were again changed per decree of 16 August 1939 which simply RE-introduced (assuming they had indeed ever gone out of use) the self-same insignia Model 20 May 1931--only changing certain rank titles with the same army style blue enamelled rank devices on sky blue tabs piped in red.

Comrade "Captain" (Lieutenant Colonel) Birshinov does NOT appear to be wearing the M1936 insignia-- though that pattern comes closest to what he IS wearing:

[attachmentid=40396]

Tokar's illustrations cannot be relied upon in the absence of actual period uniforms or photographs, but present tabs with gold metallic stripes exactly of the 1=junior, 2=senior officer type later re-adopted with M1943 shoulder boards. Certainly State Security did, briefly, have such tabs in the late 1930s-- the ones I have seen with a single bullion silver stripe and stars above and below for rank.

It is VERY clear looking at Birshinov's tabs that the stripes inside his are NOT metallic, but rather a colored cloth little darker than the body of the tabs-- much like later WW2 field boards. The piping also seems lighter than the tab body:

red tabs and stripes with sky blue piping? Or perhaps the red and brick red combination of State Security?

Or is this the uniform (WAS there a uniform?) for Osoaviakhim full time cadres?

Or was Comrade Birshinov perhaps the city's Fire Department director?

I have no idea. I only have THIS dated personnel file type photograph, which does not give his first name, patronymic, or rank title/position.

[kimj]

I can't add much to your thread Rick. But I can show the badge on the photo.

Osoaviakhim did have uniforms. But I have no reference book or have ever seen one. Perhaps there is some article from some obsucre Russian collector magazine somewhere... if we're lucky. I think most people see Osoaviakhim as less "sexy" than Red Army stuff. I remember when I asked one of my friends to look for Oso-stuff. His responce was "Really? Why????" What I mean is that I won't hold my breath waiting for a book on the subject.

/Kim