Soviet KLMK/Berezka

The KLMK uniform was never produced to a single consistent standard. Manufactured across multiple Soviet-era factories over more than two decades, the pattern appeared in a wide range of color expressions — some the result of inconsistent dye batches and varying fabric stocks, others deliberate adaptations for different operational environments and issuing branches. Collectors and researchers have documented dozens of distinct variations, ranging from bright yellow-green to deep olive, from stark white to warm khaki, with the spaces between shapes shifting from near-black to medium green depending on the production run.

Two distinct garment types define the historical record, each associated with its own color family.

The KLMK — the original reversible camouflage suit produced from 1968 onward — pairs white shapes against a medium green ground on the obverse, with an anti-night vision treatment on the reverse. Nicknamed solnechnye zaychiki (sun bunnies) for the dappled light effect the white shapes produce in woodland, the obverse remains the most visually distinctive of the Berezka variants. The reverse, with its faded birch motif on a microgrid houndstooth ground, carries its own nickname: lunnyye zaychiki — moon bunnies.

The KZS — a lightweight camouflage coverall issued to KGB Border Guard units, MVD spetsnaz, and Internal Troops — uses the second and more prevalent color family: yellow or yellow-green shapes on a dark olive field. Within this family, color expression varies considerably, from bright yellow-green (listvenny — leafy) to warmer khaki and tan tones (yantarny — amber), reflecting differences in factory output, fabric stock, and likely some degree of intentional adaptation for drier operational environments.

The pattern did not retire with the Soviet Union. Ex-Soviet republics continued issuing both garment types well into the post-Soviet era, and commercial production for civilian and paramilitary markets has continued to the present day — further expanding the range of colorways and print qualities in circulation.

We carry both branches. KLMK — Solnechnye Zaychiki & Lunnyye Zaychiki →   KZS — Listvenny & Yantarny →