A state tender by the Federal Guard Service for 60 long black leather coats has created a storm in cyberspace, with bloggers complaining that the clothing stirs up bad memories of Stalinist henchmen.
The order, which also includes 60 short black leather jackets, was placed last week and has a price tag of 2.9 million rubles ($104,000), according to Zakupki.gov.ru, the web site for state tenders.
The order description does not specify who or what the coats are intended for. But bloggers pointed out Thursday that they are a dead ringer for the attire of the NKVD secret service in the 1920s and 1930s. The observation was made by commenters on a LiveJournal blog that tracks state tenders, Zakupki-news, which is run by the first deputy editor of Forbes Russia, Alexander Malyutin.
The NKVD, which later transformed into the KGB, was a prime force in carrying out Stalinist purges in which more than 1 million "enemies of the people" died. An NKVD officer in a long black coat is a staple image of that era.
A Federal Guard Service spokesman said Thursday that the coats were in line with a 2010 Kremlin decree on law enforcement uniforms, Interfax reported.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
