Bulgarian greatcoat, surplus

If you want a similar greatcoat that the Red Army used during WWII or just want a pompous and coarse winter coat, here’s a good candidate. Bulgarians copied the Soviet coat quite accurately. So, when you wear this, you will look like a die-hard commissar.

These are just the thing everybody wants. Authority-oozing wonders of the eastern bloc that have that special nostalgic feel. This kind of stuff isn’t really made anymore, except somewhere in East-Brutopia.

Features

This is a fairly typical greatcoat. Button closure on the front, long hem, somewhat crappy fit, and slightly pompous style. The thick wool is the kind of man-wool found on many East bloc rags: very coarse, durable, and probably made of mustaches, chest and back hair, and some unknown beasts. This is indeed an excellent substitute for the Soviet greatcoat that isn’t easy to find.

Some coats are a bit darker, some lighter gray. The color of the epaulets can also vary at least from gray-red to blue-red. Some don't have them at all.

Ideally, you pair this greatcoat with a steel helmet, a sack-like backpack, and an unusual variation of the AKM. Or if you have a comrade, one of you will get a rifle and the other one five cartridges. Or, you may combine this with a big-ass peaked cap, laspistol, and a fanatical devotion to the Emperor.

They smell very strongly of moth deterrent and Communist gloom, which you might get away with by taking these to a sauna. If you don't have a sauna, you have a major problem anyway. We give no guarantees of what else the smell will stick to.

Sizing

The sizing is an obscure Bulgarian system. From what we gather, the Roman numerals denote a chest circumference: III is a Medium. The Arabic letter stands for the length: B for 176 cm and A a bit taller at 180 cm.

To make things easier, we decoded these for you in plain measurements. First, you get the recommended height, then the chest circumference. The sizes run large, as to be expected with greatcoats - order your own size and you'll be able to squeeze a fair amount of warm layers underneath.

Condition

Used Bulgarian surplus but in serviceable condition. Nothing can really destroy these coats, which is why they are great. They might have some small stains or holes in the lining and other signs of use. Some seams might also have come undone but those are easy to fix. They shouldn’t have any bullet holes in the back, we think.