According to the accompanying Certificate (written in Russian, English and other languages) – these Soviet-era binoculars were acquired in 1975 from within the USSR. Myself and Gee were looking through the bric-a-brac in a Carshalton charity shop and I spotted this pristine article. It appears to have been kept in its case since the day it was either gifted or purchased – and tis is why all its pieces are complete. There are separate darker lenses to deal with excess light such as eclipses and bright sunny days – and different lenses to help see through fog. The case is leather and all four plastic lense covers are present.
There were shops in major cities in the USSR reserved for visitors – that were designed to exhibit the best quality goods the Soviet Union had to offer. What is interesting that nowhere on this product is a price mentioned – not even on the Certificate – which makes wonder whether this device was “gifted” rather than sold. Although it is said that Soviet citizens could not afford to shop at the special tourist shops – due to the prices charged (these prices were still relatively cheap for foreign visitors – my great uncle flew from one-side of the USSR to the other for £5) this really did not matter, as Soviet citizens would receive these goods either “free” (provided by the State) or at a fraction of the price charged to rich foreigners. You can see how Western propaganda used every opportunity to “lie” about the Soviet Union and give the impression of inequality or oppression. My great uncle – a former Coldstream Guardsman – used to practice photography as a hobby, and he would regularly fly to the USSR to purchase cameras – as Soviet cameras possessed the best lenses (perfected during the Space Race). Photography in the 1950s and 1960s was a completely different beast to the contemporary equivalent.
Even though these binoculars are over 50-years old – I find their design to be first-class and easy to use. I am used to handling modern (capitalist) lenses (for various reasons) and I find these to be overly complex and over-thought. As if the blind and manic drive toward “profit” exist in a perpetual state of “panic” – just in-case we all decide to stop “consuming”. But here’s the thing – A Socialist society exists not for greed but for utility. Not for exploitation – but for support and mutual help. These Soviet-era binoculars perform their function with a beautiful simplicity that the capitalist world has never possessed. I do not have to “train” to make these binoculars work – those who designed their structure have already taken all this into account. As soon as I pick up this device – it works for me! The Soviet binoculars work because they are NOT designed to exploit me or anyone who uses them. My family will now be the caretakers of this wonderful piece of Soviet technology.
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 