00 – Russia

Pre-1945  Soviet military binoculars overview

Before the end of the Second World War in 1945, the Red Army and Navy used five models of binoculars, produced by the Soviet optical industry – the 6×30 (most common), 8×30, 8×40, 7×50, and 4×45 (or 4×50). In the mid 1920’s a 6×42 model was also produced, but the quantity of production was very low.

​One of the manuals mentions BV 6×30 and BV 8×30 binoculars with special eyepiece assemblies, modified for use with a gasmask, and shows their images, but so far no physical examples are known. All mentioned models, except for the  4×45 (4×50), were Porro prisms binoculars. The 4×45 (4×50) were Galilean binoculars (because of the higher percent of light transmission they were considered to be night naval binoculars).

Binoculars were produced by many factories in different configurations, a huge number of variations with unique features and markings styles exist. Provided here is only a brief overview of manufacturers and production patterns. 

In most cases and during production periods, each factory had a unique combination of some specific to this factory features, and a unique pattern of the rubber finish. This allows for the identification of the manufacturer and an estimation of the rough production period (even without looking at the markings).

In the late 1920s to early 1930s, the most common model, the 6×30, was produced in different designs depending on the manufacturer. This caused huge problems during repair, because parts were not interchangeable. During the late 1930s, production was standardized, and only one modification of 6×30 binoculars, with code “B-6” remained in production.

Starting in 1940, production was launched at two new factories which were focused on this “B-6” model. The binoculars reference page has two sections that describe manufacturers and markings – one will cover older manufacturers, that started production in the 1920s and produced a large variety of models. The other will describe “newer” manufacturers that started production in the late 1930s, and focused on the “B-6” model.

Many of the 1920s-1930s binoculars, in addition to factory markings, were marked with “А.У.”, “У.В.П.”, “Г.У.В.П.” abbreviations. Naval 7×50 binoculars were marked with “У.В.М.С”, “У.М.С” abbreviations. All of these abbreviations indicate the military organization that was responsible for the placement of orders at the factory.

They are:

“А.У.” – Artillery directorate;

“У.В.П.” & “Г.У.В.П.” – Directorate of the military devices of the Artillery Directorate;

“У.В.М.С” & “У.М.С” – Naval directorate of the Artillery Directorate.

Main Soviet binocular models

Main Soviet binocular models

  “Г.У.В.П.”  and “А.У.” markings on the 1928 Podolsk factory 6×30 binoculars

  “У.В.П.”  marking on the 1932 6×30 binoculars, Factory of Precise Devices

  “А.У.”  marking on the 1936 8×40 binoculars, Factory of Precise Devices

Binoculars refurbished postwar

Binoculars are a complicated optical device, they often required repairs after intensive use in the field. Many of the pre-1945 produced Soviet binoculars on the market are refurbished postwar examples. Often these binoculars have mismatched parts, tubes from one manufacturer, plates with markings from another, or completely removed factory markings. In some rare cases refurbished binoculars are still in the original configuration, but they are repainted and have repair depot markings on them.

Some repair depots even reproduced factory markings, but their location and style was different from the original factory markings. Binoculars that were repaired and maintained during the prewar and wartime period still mainly remain in thier original configuration

Prewar repaired binoculars.

According to the markings, repair was made by the district base No. 64, Kiev, in 1940.

Postwar refurbished binoculars.

Tubes are repainted, but the binoculars still have original plates – the rubber finish pattern on the tubes match the manufacturer’s configuration (the binoculars were produced by factory No. 3535 in 1943).

According to the markings, refurbishment was made by district base No. 38 (MO marking), Kiev, in 1964.

Factory markings, reproduced by repair depots, instead of poorly visible original markings.

Their style and location does not match patterns used by the original manufacturers

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