Other Soviet Ministry Caps

Throughout its life, the USSR has always had a multitude of government ministries, combining and splitting as economic and political conditions warranted. Many of these are covered separately on my site - such as the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior (MVD), Ministry of Civil Aviation (Aeroflot), Ministry of Marine Transport (MORFLOT), and such. All these ministries were "uniformed" - and are relatively well known and recognized in the West. However, much less known is the fact that almost all Soviet ministries at one time or another had uniforms authorized for wear by at least certain sections of their organizations. The cap elements of these uniforms are the ones I will feature on this page. Uniforms worn by these non-security ministries reached their zenith during the late 1940's and early 1950's. The USSR had recovered economically somewhat from the war by this time and the Russian pride in their military uniforms of WWII remained strong. So as part of the post-war "Stalinist Reforms", uniforms with military elements (shoulderboards and/or collar tabs) were introduced for virtually all ministries (in fact, I presume all had uniforms but cannot prove it). Due to lack of worker enthusiasm and supply issues, wear of these uniforms was spotty at best - especially among junior personnel, but they did officially exist. However, these military-inspired uniforms were short-lived, being officially abolished following the death of Stalin. However, even after 1954, most ministries retained some "civilian-looking" uniforms - even if these were usually only worn by students at ministerial schools or senior officials on ceremonial occasions. All ministry caps from the Stalinist era are rare - very difficult to find even for Russian collectors with "home-field" advantage!

Admittedly this page is somewhat of a catch-all, although I have and will further subdivide my pages as my collection expands (as I recently did for Coal Industry caps). I have identified and described these caps to the best of my ability, and am reasonably confident in their accuracy. However, these caps are very poorly described in Soviet literature, and many questions remain. Any help would be greatly appreciated. A thumbnail image accompanies each cap description. Clicking on that thumbnail will bring up a larger, higher resolution image.

Shown here is a cap of a worker in the Soviet Communications Ministry. This important ministry was responsible for all aspects of electronic communications within the USSR; ranging from radio, televison and telegraph, to mail (Post) handling and distribution. Responsibiliites ranged from establishing stations, allocating bandwith, monitoring external traffic and violations, supporting other party/government ministries and research and planning. The cap of this service follows typical military styling of the period and the colors are those authorized for the service in the 1956 regulations. It has a teller shape - with a dark blue cotton crown, piped in cornflower blue. The band is black velvet - representing the importance of the service. The visor is black fiberboard and the strap is black oilcloth. Of interest, the Service has its own button design (rather than using the normal Soviet Army style) - brass with crossed hammer and sickel and lightning bolt. The emblem is also unique to the Communications Service and indicates a worker in an operational-technical section during the 1950's and 60's. Scarce-Rare

Ministry of Communications
Senior Official
1978-1991

A Communications Ministry cap from a later period and as worn by senior officials. The crown of the cap is made from black cotton while the band is black wool (not velvet - which is a coal ministry combination). Both band and crown are piped in medium blue. Gold cords are held against the band with the same style buttons used on the cap above - embossed with a crossed hammer and sickel and lightning bolt. Both cap emblems are unique to senior officials of this Service and period; winged lightning bolts on the crown and a gilt wreathed cockade on the band. More junior officials used a cockade without the wreath and without the "wings" on the crown.Scarce

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Official
1943-1991

Although poorly known in the West, the USSR maintained a uniformed Diplomatic Service from 1943 to 1954. All diplomats and attaches had their own uniforms, with appropriate ranks and insignia. Black uniforms were most commonly seen but white "summer" versions also existed. In 1954, uniform wear was officially terminated, although special ceremonial uniforms were preserved for diplomats in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I have examined a 1977 dated black version of this cap and have a photograph of an official wearing the black diplomatic uniform at a parade in East Germany in 1989. This white uniform cap is undated, but is probably from the 1980's. Both band and crown are made of white cloth with yellow piping. Of note: yellow piping is, to my knowledge, only found on Diplomatic officials caps. The quality of manufacture equates to that of a general's cap: silk lining, leather sweatband, visor buttons with embossed Great Seal of the USSR and patent leather visor. Normal officer gold cords are worn and the special, last model diplomat emblem (crossed quill pens with star) is pinned to the band. Scarce

Ministry of Foreign Trade - Customs
Officials
1951-1955?

This attractive cap is a bit of a mystery and I haven't seen the like described before - although it appears completely authentic. It probably belonged to a customs officer in the early 1950s. The embroidered emblem is the customs 1951 model, with gold wire star, wreath, hammer and sickle and ring surrounding a red and white "checkerboard" center. All of this was sewn to cloth backing and then sewn to the dark blue band. The wool crown is the same "Kelly Green" used by the Border Guards. The crown is in turn piped in light blue (azure) wool. The fiberboard visor is the square-shape common before 1954, while a black oil-cloth strap is held with 2-piece brass buttons of the same era. As I mentioned, I unfortunately cannot confirm the exact time period the colors and emblem found on this cap were in service, beyond the 1951 date of the emblem. At least by 1975, new light gray customs uniforms had been introduced (as you can see below on this page), but it seems likely that the color combination seen on this cap was phased out either in the late 1950's or early 1960's. Rare

Ministry of Foreign Trade - Customs
Officials
1975-1987

A 1985 dated example of the "standard" Customs' official cap, apparently worn by all customs personnel except for general-equivalent officers. These personnel were responsible for checking all travelers and cargo going into and out of Soviet Union "ports of departure" and crossing points - working closely with the Border Guard. However, as anyone who ever visited the USSR can testify to, one seldom, if ever, saw them with their caps on! Nevertheless, they ware part of the official uniform. The cap's color scheme is unique to Customs: medium blue-gray crown, medium green velvet band, with medium (grass) green piping. A dark blue-topped version of this cap may also have existed - supposedly for winter wear - but I have never seen one. Gold cords are held in place by buttons embossed with crossed "snake & staff" Customs' symbols. The black fiberboard visor is a bit unusual for this late date of manufacture. The standard period Customs cap badge in gold metal, green, red and gray enamels is pinned to the band. Scarce

Ministry of Foreign Trade - Customs
Officials
1987-1991

The replacement to the above cap, this cap is simpler (and cheaper) in construction materials. Like the above cap, this is a "standard" design, apparently worn by all customs personnel except for general-equivalent officers (see the next cap below). The overall color scheme is the same as before - blue-gray top with green piping, but apparently there was not a dark blue version and note the band is green wool vice the earlier more expensive green velvet. The cockade and the embossing on the buttons have changed as well - to a shield design. The visor is the late style plastic version and of course the top is the larger "saddle" shape standard to the period. Of note - Russian customs personnel also wore this cap for the first few years after 1991. Available

Ministry of Foreign Trade - Customs
Highest Officials
1987-1991

Originally I identified this cap as a Customs service "general", based upon its description to me from a Russian seller and its gray and green color combination. However, the fact that the green band was plain wool cloth instead of the green velvet I normally associated with Soviet Customs has always been a major "disconnect" to me. As a result, I later put it on my "Help! What is this?" page. However, based on new information I received from a Russian collector and my continued observations I have again identified it as a Customs "highest" supervisor's cap from the very late Soviet era. This is based upon reports that although Soviet Customs used green velvet for cap bands and collar tabs prior to 1987, velvet was replaced with plain wool as a cost-saving measure thereafter.

With that hurdle jumped, the rest of the identification is easy! The crown is the standard customs' blue-gray color while both the band and piping are "grass" or medium green. Army general-type laurel leaves are embroidered directly to the band in gold wire while a corresponding general's all gilt cockade is pinned in the center of the embroidery. Gold (service-grade) cords are held in place over the patent leather visor with gilt generals' buttons (with the Great Seal of the USSR). The inside of the cap is also normal general-grade manufacture - with a leather maker's label and sweatband and silk lining. Rare

Procuracy
Senior Officials
1980s-1991

The office of the Soviet Procuracy served as the public prosecutor within the Soviet legal system. Although formed within the USSR in 1924, it took its final form in 1936, when all republic Procurators and their subordinates were placed under the direct control of the USSR Procurator-General. The Procuracy was charged with insuring the "correct and uniform application of the laws of the USSR". This included a responsibility to review all actions taken by government ministries (note - it did not extend necessarily to Communist Party organizations!). However, the most common "face" of the Procuracy was to serve as state prosecutor in criminal court cases. In the case of the defendant not having his/her own lawyer, the Procuracy would also provide the defense attorney! Supposedly, its approval was required before anyone was arrested - even by the NKVD/MVD - although this was clearly not always followed. Pre-trial investigations were also the responsibility of the Procuracy as was the requirement to investigate any legal "complaints" from citizens or reviews of court findings.

Although the uniforms of this service are very poorly described, based on my research this 1990-dated cap probably was worn by a senior (but not highest grade) official - with a rank of "Senior Councilor of Justice". The crown is dark blue piped in medium green wool, while the band is black velvet. As you can see on the cap(s) below, the uniform colors used by the Procuracy apparently changed over time. The two-piece emblem is the last version in use since the mid-1960's and is surrounded by an embroidered gold wreath sewn onto a dark blue backing and then onto the band. It is this wreath that identifies the cap as a senior official's (but not a "highest" official who had additional embroidery on the band and visor). The gold cords are held in place by general-style buttons with the great seal of the USSR. The crown is saddle shaped while the visor is black plastic. Scarce

Procuracy
Official
1956-1960s

This 1960 dated cap is an earlier example of one worn by a Procuracy official - in this case probably junior grade. The colors differ from those above, but since both caps appear original, the most likely explanation is that the uniform colors of this service (at least the piping color) changed over time. Note that this color combination is the same as that used by the Ministry of Communications during the same period - only the emblems and buttons differentiated the service. This was a common practice in the USSR. The teller shaped crown is sewn from dark blue cotton material piped in bright (cornflower) blue. The band is black velvet. The cockade is the 1956 two-piece model. The oilcloth strap is held in place by two "general-style" brass buttons with the great seal of the USSR showing 15 republics (post 1956). The visor is rounded and small, made from black lacquered fiberboard. Scarce-Rare

Ministry of Forestry
Chief Forester/Highest Staff
1940s-1950s

This rare cap was probably worn by the highest command personnel (general-equivalent) of the Forestry Ministry from the late 1940's and 1950's. As with so many other non-military ministries, the uniforms of these personnel are poorly described, but what information does exist seems to bear out my assessment. The cap has an early teller-shape black (or midnight-blue) cloth crown, medium green piping and a dark green velvet band. There are two emblems - the first an early stamped brass Forestry emblem pinned through the band and the other, a two-piece rosette and star pinned through the crown. This early two-piece rosette/star was commonly used on "highest commander's" caps of Government ministries during the late 1940's. The heavily tarnished silver cords are held in place by two-piece brass buttons embossed with the Forestry Ministry's emblem and the visor is black fiberboard. Rare

Ministry of Forestry
Warden
1960s-1970s?

This cap belonged to a mid-grade Forest Warden. Although its shape and design are representative of other Soviet caps of the 1970's, many of its elements are unique to the Department of Forestry. The one-piece cockade consists of a round center edged in green emblazoned with the hammer and sickle surrounded by oak leaves and surmounted with a gilt star. The cap crown is made from blue-green cotton with grass (or medium) green piping. The band is grass green velvet. The early saddle-form crown and small fiberboard visor date it from the late 1960's to early 1970's. Gold cords and gold buttons embossed with the crossed oak sprigs and hammer & sickle of the Forestry Department round out the cap's features. Rare

Ministry of Forestry
Junior Official
1960s-1970s

This is the counterpart to the cap above, but a is "lesser" version Worn by junior Forestry officials. The cap is overall dark green gabardine, piped in light "grass" green. Unlike the Warden's cap band which is velvet, this band is made from the same cloth as the crown. The other feature marking it as a junior official's is the brass "crossed oak leaves and hammer and sickle" emblem worn instead of the manager's cockade. Brass and steel Forestry buttons hold the black oilcloth chinstrap in place above the small lacquered fiberboard visor. The crown is the older and smaller teller shape. Rare

Ministry of Forestry
Warden/Chief of Section
1980s?-1991

A newer variant of a Forestry Warden's (or its equivalent in the technical services) cap. This cap has the same basic elements of the one described above, but reflects it later manufacture. The visor is plastic vice fiberboard, the buttons are one-piece moldings and the crown is a somewhat larger "saddle" shape. Most obviously, however, is the different crown color; this one being blue instead of the expected green (as on the cap above). Since this service is so poorly described, I don't know the significance of this color difference - although it may be for the "engineering" or "militarized protection" branches. The piping remains green, as does the green velvet band. The Forestry manager's emblem is pinned to the band and buttons displaying the crossed oak leaves of the service hold the gold cords. Scarce

Ministry of Forestry
Forester/Master Forester
1980-1991

A later version of the junior official's cap. This cap combination was reportedly worn by Foresters and Master Foresters who, along with Huntsmen (who may or may not have worn this cap - jury is still out), made up the lower ranks of Soviet Forestry. Again, color variations between these Forestry caps may indicate separate "branches" - or, less likely, may vary by rank or position. The cap is a relatively late model, as evidenced by its plastic visor, cast buttons and saddle-shaped crown - probably from the 1980's. Fabric color is black - crown and band, with bright "grass" green piping. The black oilcloth chinstrap is held with two plastic buttons cast with the crossed oak leaves of Forestry. The cap badge uses the same design: two crossed sprigs of oak leaves with a surmounting hammer and sickle. This badge is the primary clue for the humble rank of the cap's owner. Higher officials wore the cockade shown on the caps above. The last noteworthy feature of this cap is that it was produced (and marked on the inside diamond-shaped label) at the Moscow Uniform Factory of the Main Agency of the Forest Ministry - not as a sideline of a military clothier as many of these non-military caps were. Available

Ministry of Automotive Transport
Supervisor
1980's-1990's

Another set of caps poorly described, this one reportedly belonged to the Ministery of Automotive (or -bile) Transport - which apparently included drivers, mechanics and dispatchers supporting the transportation needs of other government ministries as well as the general public in the form of taxis and buses. The cap itself closely resembles that of Aeroflot - being predominately blue with light blue piping. However, the blue of the crown and band is a lighter shade than the dark blue of Aeroflot. The primary recognition features of this cap are the emblems. The cockade is a one piece stamping with a golden "winged A" on a light blue enamel disk surrounded by a golden wreath. As is normal for transportation-related caps, a second emblem is pinned to the crown - in this case a winged stylized steering wheel superimposed on a blue enamel disk. These two types of emblems (winged A and the steering wheel) were apparently somewhat interchangeable - with cockades and wings existing in both forms. I would have thought the owner of this cap would have used matching emblems, but perhaps they were not available. A woven yellow cord (not gold) was held in place above the fiberboard visor by two "winged A" cast buttons. These yellow cords were sometimes seen on civilian caps, but were usually replaced by the "sexier" military gold ones. By the way - these yellow cords have become very common in Russia today, replacing gold ones even on some military officer caps. Although a relatively plebian cap, this one is difficult to find with all emblems. Available

Ministry of Automotive Transport
Supervisor
1982-1991

This cap is a seldom seen "upgraded" version of the above cap worn by supervisors within the Ministry of Automotive Transport (which included buses and taxis). The basic cap consists of a dark blue cloth crown and band piped in medium blue. The cockade is a standard one-piece metal stamping with an azure blue painted center surrounding the winged "A" of the Ministry. The embroidered winged "A" on the crown and the cap cords held by buttons embossed with the same symbol mark this as a supervisor's cap. Lesser employees of the Ministry (such as taxi drivers) would wear a similar cap, but with a black chinstrap and stamped metal wings. I have also seen these caps with standard army buttons and civilian-style yellow cotton cords. Scarce

Ministry of Automotive Transport
Worker
1982-1991

Another style cap worn by workers/taxi drivers in this ministry - showing a close resemblance to those worn by the Ministry of Housing & Utilities (described below). In fact, one suspects that the rank and file of both of these ministries wore each others' caps (whichever was available) with only the emblems reliably matching their true affiliation. This 1984-dated cap does vary a little even from this related ministry in that the wave green colored "saddle" crown is not piped in blue as shown below. The band, however, is the same black velvet. The emblems are those of the Ministry of Automotive Transport - without the crown "wings". The buttons are cast with the "winged A" symbol of this ministry. A black fiberboard visor and plastic chinstrap complete the cap. Available

Ministry of Automotive Transport
Highest Official
1982-1991

This beautiful and rare cap was worn on dress occasions by the highest officials (general rank) of the Ministry of Automotive Transport. The colors used vary a bit (again!) from the above "lesser" caps, but this can be explained by a need to further differentiate senior officials and allow them to complete with those of other ministries. The crown is dark blue, piped in azure blue as normal. The band, however, is black velvet. The cap is emblellished lavishly with gold wire embroidery: both the cocade and wings are embroidered onto appropriately colored backings before being sewn onto the cap. Azure blue felt highlights the center of each. The padded plastic visor is also heavily embroidered - with cords and oak leaves. Finally, the two general-grade buttons are held in place with standard gold cords. The inside of the cap does not display the "standard" general-officer upgrades and looks similar to a more junior cap except for its silk lining. Rare

Ministry of Automotive Transport (RSFSR)
Driver/Mechanic
1969-1978

Dark brown is an uncommon Soviet-era uniform color and I have only run across one of these. According to Russian sources, it was part of an overall brown uniform worn by bus drivers and other personnel of the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic (RSFSR) Ministry of Automotive Transport worn during the period 1969-1978. After 1978, it was replaced by the common blue cap (and matching uniform) shown above. This 1977 dated cap was reportedly also used by drivers and mechanics assigned to the Ministry of Transport but working with Army and Naval Auxiliary forces. I purchased it from a former Soviet soldier who saw these personnel working on his unit's military equipment while he was in the service. The cap is made from a very unusual dark brown cotton material with no piping. The visor is plastic as is the black chinstrap. The gold-colored buttons are cast with a "steering-wheel" symbol matching the center of the badge worn on the crown. Only the gold-colored winged steering wing has ever been attached to the cap - with no evidence of any emblem worn on the band. Scarce-Rare

Ministry of Automotive Transport
Taxi Driver
1970s

A very "non-Soviet" looking cap - this was worn by Taxi drivers in Moscow and Leningrad only for a short time in the 1970s (after 1972). According to Russian sources, the caps were introduced to give a "more modern" western look to taxi drivers to make tourists feel more at home. They were not apparently very well received and did not last long in service. The cap does look somewhat like that of a New York City's policeman! It is made of course black cloth with an eight-sided crown sewn so that it has eight "points" along its circumference. The band is covered by a black ribbon like that of the Navy's. The plastic strap is held by two plain black plastic buttons. The emblem is one of two styles reportedly used - in this case, a red "T" on a wide circle with wings. A white "T" on a blue circle also existed. An interesting bit of history. Scarce

Ministry of Housing & Utilities
Streetcar Worker
1973-1991

This 1983-dated cap was worn by streetcar drivers/workers from 1973 on. For such a "lowly" profession, the cap is a surprisingly attractive combination of colors and materials - with a wave-green top, black velvet band and azure blue piping. The top and band colors emulate those found on some army officers' wave-green parade caps, but the azure piping was never found on those caps. The emblems reflect the streetcar service's close relationship to the railways. The "wings" on the crown have superimposed lightning bolts (reflecting electricity) and the Cyrillic abbreviation for "City Electric Transport". The rather old-fashioned crossed wrench and hammer symbol (previously worn on railway workers' caps) is pinned through the band. The visor and chinstrap are plastic, with the latter held in place by railways-type buttons embossed with the hammer and wrench. However, I have seen other similar caps with army-style buttons and with gold or yellow cords. Gold cords "may" have indicated supervisory status, but the differing buttons no doubt reflect whatever was available at the time. As with other non-military caps, you will find many (if not most) of these caps with incorrect insignia - put there either by sellers, or less likely, by owners unable to find the correct ones. Available