Lot 600

WWII SOVIET UNION NKVD PHOTO ID LETTER ECT WW2

Previous image preload Next image preload

WWII SOVIET UNION NKVD PHOTO ID LETTER ECT WW2

Estimate: $300 - $400

Starting Bid: $150

(0 Bids)

by Milestone Auctions
August 1, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Live Auction
38198 Willoughby Parkway
Willoughby, OH, US 44094

Lot of Soviet Union related items to include NKVD Soldiers Photo ID Book marked SMERSH SMERSH (a Russian acronym for SMERt SHpionam or "Death to Spies") was a set of independent counter-intelligence agencies formed by the Soviet Union in 1943 to combat Nazi infiltration, secure the Red Army, and mop up spy rings, often operating as a ruthless, Stalin-run terror organization. The name was famously used by Ian Fleming for the villainous organization in early James Bond novels, though its real-world history was as a powerful Soviet security tool. NKVD Sealed Letter and dated 1945 and other paper related items. The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs abbreviated as NKVD  was the interior ministry and secret police of the Soviet Union from 1934 to 1946. The agency was formed to succeed the Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU) secret police organization, and thus had a monopoly on intelligence and state security functions. The NKVD is known for carrying out political repression and the Great Purge under Joseph Stalin, as well as counterintelligence and other operations on the Eastern Front of World War II. The head of the NKVD was Genrikh Yagoda from 1934 to 1936, Nikolai Yezhov from 1936 to 1938, Lavrentiy Beria from 1938 to 1946, and Sergei Kruglov in 1946. First established in 1917 as the NKVD of the Russian SFSR, the ministry was tasked with regular police work and overseeing the country's prisons and labor camps. It was disbanded in 1930, and its functions dispersed among other agencies before being reinstated as a commissariat of the Soviet Union in 1934. During the Great Purge in 1936–1938, on Stalin's orders, the NKVD conducted mass arrests, imprisonment, torture, and executions of hundreds of thousands of Soviet citizens. The agency sent millions to the Gulag system of forced labor camps and, during World War II, carried out the mass deportations of hundreds of thousands of Poles, Balts, and Romanians, and millions of ethnic minorities from the Caucasus, to remote areas of the country, resulting in millions of deaths. Hundreds of thousands of NKVD personnel served in Internal Troops divisions in defensive battles alongside the Red Army, as well as in "blocking formations," preventing retreat. The agency was responsible for foreign assassinations, including that of Leon Trotsky. Within 1941 and from 1943 to 1946, secret police functions were split into the People's Commissariat for State Security (NKGB). In March 1946, the People's Commissariats were renamed to Ministries; the NKVD became the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD), and the NKGB became the Ministry of State Security (MGB).  Also in the lot is a Polish Medal For Participation in the Battles for Berlin and a Polish Silver Medal for Merit in the Field of Glory

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, COD (cash on delivery), Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

PACKING/SHIPPING
• It is the bidder's responsibility to take shipping and handling costs into consideration when bidding on items.
• Packaging, shipping, and insurance on items will be available to successful bidders. Applicable charges will be applied.
• BIDDERS PRESENT AND TAKING ITEMS AFTER AUCTION - Items paid for must be packed, transported and/or removed by the purchaser at his/her own risk after the close of the sale. If any employee or agent of Milestone Auction shall pack or transport the merchandise, it is fully at the risk and responsibility and expense of the purchaser. Milestone Auctions shall not be held liable for any loss or damage that may be caused by the said agent or employee. All items not removed after the close of the sale may be shipped to the buyer at their expense or may be moved or stored by Milestone Auctions. Fees, rates, and insurance will be charged accordingly to the buyer.
• BIDDERS NOT PRESENT OR NEEDING SHIPPING - Shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice and are NON-REFUNDABLE. Shipping will be based on actual costs via FedEx, FedEx Freight or USPS (best way). Handling and insurance will vary in cost depending on each invoice. All packages will be shipped with insurance. Items will ship seven to fourteen (7-14) business days after payment is received.
• INTERNATIONAL SHIPMENTS - Milestone Auctions has the availability to ship to international bidders. By law, Milestone Auctions cannot and will not declare lesser values for any international purchases and all shipments will include the invoice with purchase totals including the buyer's premium and shipping cost. All international bidders are responsible for paying all customs and duties on the items.
• LARGE SIZE ITEMS - Please inquire about shipping costs due to the size restrictions of freight shipments. A third party shipment may be necessary for larger items. Call for more information, 440-527-8060

Milestone Auctions

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 20% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $999 $25
$1,000 $1,999 $50
$2,000 $4,999 $100
$5,000 $9,999 $250
$10,000 $24,999 $500
$25,000 $49,999 $1,000
$50,000 $99,999 $2,500
$100,000 + $5,000