Vertushka CCCP
Vertushka USSR direct-line telephone, with no rotary dial and connected directly to the Kremlin. The distinctive handset was reserved for senior party officials, senior military officers and the heads of major state enterprises.
Owning a Vertushka USSR direct-line telephone was a symbol of high status within the Soviet political and administrative hierarchy. “Made in USSR” is stamped on the base, and the telephone bears the quality mark of the Riga Telephone Factory (VEF, Valsts Elektrotehniskā Fabrika). In excellent condition and 100% complete. See related products in our shop.
Key specifications:
- Material: Plastic and metal
- Condition: Excellent condition, never used
- Dimensions: 20 cm deep × 12 cm high and 23 cm at its widest point
- Year of production: 1989
- Weight: 1,300 g in original box
A bit of history:
Vertushka (Russian: Вертушка), also known as Kremlyovka (Russian: Кремлёвка) or Spetssvyaz (Russian: Спецсвязь), was a special telephone system used by the Communist Party and government in the Soviet Union and Russia.
The system was given the unofficial name “Vertushka”, referring to the rotary dial that was normally associated with telephone sets of the period, although Vertushka telephones themselves had no rotary dial. Instead, the system used an automatic telephone exchange and a rotary dial mechanism based on the Russian Vertushka system. The system was established during an era dominated by manual switchboards.
These telephones had no rotary dial and no visible display, as they were connected directly to the Kremlin. In particular, during the Soviet era, the handsets connected senior officials, regional party secretaries, senior military officers and important factory managers. The sophisticated communications system developed for the leadership continues to function today. “In Soviet Union, telephone rings you”…
