Caps of the Soviet NKVD/MVD

Included here are caps worn by officers and men of the Soviet NKVD and MVD. The NKVD (or Peoples Commissariat for Internal Affairs) were the infamous Soviet Secret Police of the 1930's and 40's. They were the personnel which rounded up accused dissidents for the GULAG headed by such men as Lagoda, Yezhov and Beria. They also formed "blocking detachments" and conducted anti-guerrilla operations in re-conquered Soviet territories in WWII. The uniformed NKVD were also known as "blue caps" - for obvious reasons. The NKVD was renamed the MVD in 1946, although the old blue topped caps continued to be worn until about 1954. Most of the other MVD caps on this site represent the MVD-VV (Vnutrennaya Voiska) - the Internal Army troops. These VV troops were the main combat arm of post-war USSR. Their primary mission was to safeguard public order and quell more serious internal unrest that regular police (Militia - also part of MVD) were unable to handle due to lack of training, manpower or heavy weapons.

One of the famous "blue caps" of Gulag fame! This cap was worn by NKVD personnel in the 1930's and 40's and by MVD personnel after March 1946 when the organization was renamed. I have been unable to confirm exactly when these caps were replaced by normal MVD khaki & rust-brown caps, but based on observations and manufacturer markings and style elements, it apparently took place in 1954-1955. Personnel wearing these hats were notorious for their midnight seizures of dissidents and for lining the march route near Red Square during military parades and funerals. They also served in blocking units in WWII and on anti-partisan operations following the war. As its nickname suggests, the primary color of the cap is blue - used on the teller shaped crown. The band is rust brown (also called maroon or by the Soviets - nettle) and the piping is magenta. It takes a close look to differentiate the difference between these two colors! The visor is square as normal for this time period. The cap badge is the single piece brass and enamel star used by most junior personnel (officers favored a pre-war two piece version until they became impossible to find). The chinstrap is black oilcloth and the buttons are normal Army type. Rare

NKVD/MVD
Service
1946-1954

This cap is very similar to the previous one. It too, is either an NKVD/MVD officer's or soldier's cap from the late 40's or early 1950's. The crown is blue and the band and piping are rust brown. The red star emblem, chinstrap and buttons are the same as for the previous cap. However, whereas the previous cap had a squared-off visor, this one has a rounded one. As previously mentioned, this does not necessarily mean this one postdates the square version. A small percentage of caps from the 1930's and 40's were always manufactured with rounded visors. However, in all probability, it does reflect a later model, probably from the early 1950's. Rare

NKVD/MVD
Officer Service
1946-1954

Whereas the other NKVD/MVD caps could have been worn by either officers or rank and file, the first model brass M1955 oval cockade marks this one as definitely an officer's model. With that exception, it is virtually identical to the other caps discussed. A blue crown, rust band and piping, oilcloth chinstrap, fiberboard visor and Army buttons complete the makeup. The visor is the rounded type. Cap historians should be aware that the M1955 officer's cockade pinned to the band was probably never worn on these "blue tops" on service (since these caps were almost certainly phased out just prior to this date). This fact, coupled with the pristine condition of the cap leads me to believe this cap came from a museum where it was "updated" with the newer emblem. Rare

MVD
Officer/NCO Parade/Service
1953-1954

This cap would have been worn by an officer or NCO (sergeant) of the MVD during the early 1950's. It is the apparent successor to the blue-toped cap worn by the NKVD - although this is still not confirmed. These maroon-banded, blue-piped caps have also been described as signifying NKVD/MVD "convoy troops", but the preponderance of visual evidence makes it more likely that they were instead a direct replacement for the blue-topped caps on or about 1954 and were worn by all MVD troops until the mid 1960's, when the MVD adopted an all-maroon banded/piped cap. As is normal for this period, a brass and enamel red star and a black oilcloth chinstrap are fastened to the band. The "spade" or square-shaped visor is quite unusual in this color scheme, as it was no longer authorized after 1954; which in turn was only the first or second year the maroon/blue cap was worn. Rare

MVD
General Walking Out Dress
1954-1969

One of the rarest caps in my collection. This seldom-seen cap was worn by MVD generals as part of their "walking out" dress uniform from 1954 until MVD colors were simplified in 1969. The teller-shaped crown of the cap is fine light-gray fabric while the wool band is standard MVD "nettle" - a reddish brown or rust color. The crown is piped in medium blue, which was standard until replaced by the same red-brown used on the band in 1970. The rest of the cap is standard - a round fiber-board visor and gold cap cords held by two brass general-grade buttons. The cockade is the 2-piece, all gilt, general's model. General quality interior elements include a silk lining and a leather and ribbon sweatband. Very Rare

MVD
Officer Parade
1955-1958

The MVD also followed the 1955 uniform regulation changes and adopted a medium gray (steel) parade uniform. Matching caps had gray crowns and gold cords while new emblems were added in the form of the M55 parade cockade and metal visor leaves. Cap band color was rust brown (or maroon), while the band and crown were piped in medium blue (replacing the earlier blue top). At least one source states that this combination of colors identified "convoy/signal" branches from the rest of the MVD, although it seems more likely that all troops wore rust band/blue piping from 1953/54 until the mid 1960's. Both these colors were traditional security forces' colors, dating back to the OGPU in the 1920's and carried through all the reorganizations of these forces - NKVD to MVD. Rare

MVD
Officer Service
1955-1965?

The service or everyday cap worn by an MVD officer of the mid 1950's and 60's. This 1965-dated cap has a cotton khaki crown, round fiberboard visor and a black oilcloth strap; a M55 officer's cap badge is pinned to the rust brown band. This cap was soon phased out by ones with both a rust band and rust colored piping. Rare

MVD VV
General Parade
1955-1969

As with Army generals, MVD generals were probably authorized wave-green parade uniforms as early as 1955, although junior MVD officers had to wait until 1970 for this uniform. Similar to Army generals' parade caps except for its rust brown banding and piping, this cap has appropriate parade-style gilt wire leaves embroidered on the band surrounding a general's all gilt cockade, a patent leather visor with wire embroidery, natural color leather chinstrap with gold wire embroidery, and general officer buttons. Inside, it has a leather sweatband and silk lining. This particular cap has a smaller crown, indicating manufacture before a larger crown (saddle form) was standardized in 1970. One of the "triumvirate" of sought-after security service generals' caps (KGB and Border Guard being the others), the MVD general's parade cap is the rarest of the three, since it apparently was not considered as "collectable" by Russian/Ukrainian wholesale uniform buyers or post-Soviet uniform shops. Rare (teller version - Scarce (saddle version)

MVD VV
Officer Service
1965?-1969

Just as MVD parade uniforms mirrored those of the Army, so too did MVD service uniforms. As in the Army, the basic uniform and cap crown color were khaki. The primary difference was the MVD's use of rust brown for both its band and piping color (VV = Internal Security Forces). This particular cap has a "teller" form crown, indicating its manufacture before 1970. However, it also has gold cords instead of the black chinstrap of that period indicating that it was later modernized to 1975 uniform standards (or by some previous owner who added the cords to "spice up" the cap to sell!). Scarce (teller form), Available (saddle form)

MVD VV
Officer Parade
1970-1991

Along with the Army, the MVD adopted a new wave green officer parade uniform in 1970. Most aspects of this uniform mirrored that of the Army, with band and piping color being the major difference. The traditional color of Internal Security forces - rust brown (also called maroon) - was used for both cap band and piping. All other elements of this cap were the same as for the Army; black fiberboard or plastic visor, gold cords, parade cockade, and standard brass Army buttons. Available