Engraved WWII Fed1 - translation please

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Printed on: 5/10/2026 6:36:33 AM

Topic

Topic author: goamules

Posted on: 20121222215559

Hi, I just got this Fed 1, with a 144,xxx serial number. It has the engraving on the bottom plate as you can see. Could someone translate? I've been told it was something to do with the Karkov Railroad. Does the number signify a date of 1941, what does the rest near the number mean? Thanks for any help, this seems to be very interesting history.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8084/8299291144_500f04ca93_o.jpg

Replies

Reply author: Vlad

Replied on: 20121222224314

Hi Goamules,

that's a pretty cool inscription! It says: "To construction foreman N.G. Solyanik for early completion of railroad buildings of station Kharkov-Balashovsk. July 25th 1941. From N. Yuzhnoy".

Cheers,
Vlad.

Reply author: Vlad

Replied on: 20121222224423

Can you flip it over, is it already "FED Berdsk" inscription on top?

Reply author: Jacques M.

Replied on: 20121223050345

With that serial number, it is very probably a NKVD 1d, made in 1940.
The passport of the serial # 145179 dates of the 22nd of october 1940 (cf DVD).

It's a very interesting inscription. I have a Leica II, repaired with Fed parts, whose original owner was a German constructor of railways, somewhere in the Soviet Union in the thirties. Beyond political problems!

Amitiés. Jacques.

Reply author: goamules

Replied on: 20121223063412

Vlad,
Thank you, this is very interesting. I may have gotten the name wrong, but could it also be spelled Kharkiv-Balashivs'kyi? I found this picture of that train station building. This may be the very one Solyanik built in 1941!
http://www.panoramio.com/photo_explorer#view=photo&position=1&with_photo_id=53508495&order=date_desc&user=5911316

I will post a picture of the top of the camera soon, it's still dark here.

Reply author: Vlad

Replied on: 20121223105148

Fascinating! Yes this is the proper Ukrainian spelling, the engraving was in Russian. It's amazing to tie a single camera to a landmark, very cool!

Jacques, you're absolutely right, for some reason I read it as 170xxx serial, I always misread things [:)]. It cannot be Berdsk.

Goamules, don't worry about the top picture, as Jacques pointed out my mistake, it'll be most likely regular 1d..

Cheers,
Vlad.

Reply author: goamules

Replied on: 20121223105917

Here is the top of the camera. It was amazing looking at the pictures of the buildings and realizing that 3 months after this camera was awarded to the civil engineer, the Nazi army occupied this city, the site of 4 huge battles.

Reply author: goamules

Replied on: 20121223105953

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8504/8301017894_ac89b75673_c.jpg

Reply author: Jo Lund

Replied on: 20121223174304

Hello,

That´s exactly what makes these FEDs so interesting. They reflect a tumulteous history, in the name of the camera and the little changes in construction and the engravings on the top plate. But your camera is a marvel. Good luck with it and congratulations.

Henk

HM