Article about: Seeing one of these in the latest Espenlaub update, I would like to discuss them... That is these long cut, collared telogreika. Often I see these for sale as the desireable collared "e
Seeing one of these in the latest Espenlaub update, I would like to discuss them... That is these long cut, collared telogreika. Often I see these for sale as the desireable collared "early" military issue telogreika. However, I contend that they are something else. Pictured below are mine. I have three total. One that is gray (faded black actually) with German buttons, a black one with typical Soviet shank buttons, but lacking any state emblem, and finally a blue one with replaced aluminum buttons.
All of these have one thing in common, they all came from Germany where they are not uncommon. The gray one with the German buttons is well travelled. I got it initially when I was sales manager for Ostfront Militaria and it came from our German contact who aquired it in that country. I sold it to our very own moderator RichieC at the 2004 Max Show in Charlotte, NC. He sold it to a friend some time after that. Then I bought it a second time from that friend last year along with a decent Ushanka and a nice EM leather belt.
The blue and black examples were both acquired on eBay Germany where these things appear with some regularity. Why? Because they were worn home by German POW in the 1950s.
These things are simply utilitarian worker cloths issued to German POWs and also used by Soviet civilians working outdoors or in unheated facilities.
While they may be identical in cut to a true military issue, "early" collared telogreika. I do not believe they are really the same thing specifically.
In all my collecting years, I have seen but one collared telogreika for sale in a more military issue khaki/green color. I could jump off the roof for not buying it. That is the one that combat collectors should be looking for and it should be considered quite rare. These blue and black ones are not rare.
I can add that the Black and Blue examples shown here have a four button front and no back belt. The faded gray example has a five button front and an integral back belt. Any significance to that with respect to what they truely are?
Thanks a lot for that info. It has been quite helpful to me. I have come across some of those collared "telogreika" jackets on Ebay lately, all of them with four buttons and no back belt. I wondered if they were military issued or not, and worth buying them. Now you have given me the answer.
I think an example is a fine thing to have in an Ostfront collection as it completes the saga. That is why I have the ones that I have. None were very expensive. Oh... there are padded trousers that match as well.
Black/Blue Long Cut, Collared Telogreika
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