Some questions about Soviet uniform decorations and KGB operations.

by efishfan

https://imgur.com/a/Ort6q53 -- Also posted to r/whatisthisthing.

Here is a uniform that was given to my dad by an acquaintance who claimed to be KGB. Is this likely given the uniform is Signal Corps? I would guess that there is no way to tell, but is there any evidence for or against his claim? Could the lapel or epaulette decorations* suggest so? Unfortunately, the guy probably kept the cap and impressive/identifying awards if he had any. I found a lot of shops selling Soviet uniforms and decorations, but no resource cataloguing their purposes. Does such a directory exist?

Secondly, what was the purpose of the "Young Guard" and "Warrior-Athlete" pins? Were they only available to members of Komsomol or were they awarded from the military? Is the "1" pin different? It seems less juvenile than the rest. Edit: solved, yes. ( http://giftsgalary.ru/product_info.php?products_id=1750&osCsid=ded579b24b2719e6c8382096ab02f673 )

There is also a Russian word written on an inner pocket I can't translate. It's probably a unit name or the owner's name, or something else for the washing service. Surname and division number. Seems to confirm attachment to KGB division: ( http://shieldandsword.mozohin.ru/kgb5491/troops/ss/08.htm )

*shoulder board gold riffraff means Senior Sergeant.

Searocksandtrees

Hello there! As your question is related to looking for identification/information regarding military personnel, our Guide on Military Identification may be of use to you. It provides a number of different resources, including how to request service records from a number of national agencies around the world, as well as graphical aids to assist in deciphering rank, unit, and other forms of badges or insignia. While the users here may still be able to lend you more assistance, hopefully this will provide a good place to start!