Russia, Soviet Union. An Air Force Officer’s M35 Visor Cap

A very well-preserved Soviet Air Force Officer’s M35 visor cap, constructed of khaki-green wool twill. The cap features reinforced side walls, fully lined on the exterior with an azure-blue wool cap band. An additional band of azure-blue piping trims the circumference of the crown. Stitched onto the peak is an insignia constructed of brown wool with a buckram reverse liner. It bears a hand-embroidered gold bullion wire five-pointed star set within a pair of wings of identical construction, and measures 70 mm (w) x 32 mm (h) overall. Stitched onto the centre of the cap band underneath the star is an additional insignia constructed of an azure-blue wool base. It bears a central bronze tri-colour cockade with a raised sickle and hammer centrepiece, set within hand-embroidered gold bullion wire laurel leaves. The band is flanked on each side by bronzed magnetic metal buttons, similarly bearing raised sickle and hammer designs, securing in place a black oilcloth chinstrap. When not in use, the chinstrap rests upon a black vulcanfibre visor which presents in a classic M35 spade-shaped style. The interior of the cap features a 40 mm-wide olive-drab oilcloth sweatband, securely held in place by a row of machine stitching. The interior is fully lined with a grey cotton-blended liner, with a transparent plastic moisture guard stitched onto the crown. Inserted into the moisture guard is a nametag with a handwritten Cyrillic inscription of “И. ГОНУРОБ”. The cap is otherwise unmarked and measures approximately 248 mm (w) x 265 mm (l) x 105 mm (h). Minor, age-appropriate material fatigue is evident, and includes some wear and soiling of the wool, scratching and cracking of the visor, and fatigue to the sweatband. It is in an overall near extremely fine condition.