IMPERIAL RUSSIAN MASONIC FIRE BRIGADE DRESS HELMET PLATE , NOBILITY

IMPERIAL RUSSIAN MASONIC VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE DRESS HELMET PLATE. I made 3 diplomatic trips to the Soviet Union during the 1970s in relation to obtaining aircraft for the new National Air and Space Museum. I met with many important museum personalities and experts and exchanged gifts with some. They knew that I was a Mason and this is one of the Masonic gifts which I received.The Masonic lodge was illegal at the time but there was interest. FIRE was a major problem in Imperial Russia. Most of the building were made of wood. From peasant cottages to the Kremlin FIRE ate them up. Consequently they were early in developing volunteer fire brigades and equipment. Some of it was revolutionary. Excellent book " All Russia is Burning " tells much of the story. Count Aleksander Sheremetev created his own fire brigade to protect his extensive properties. He is better known for his work with music and the arts. He was an important man who was a friend of the Czar and was selected by the Czar to be the first Commander of the NEVA yacht club. THE SHEREMETEV PALACE IN ST. PETERSBURG IS ALSO THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF MUSIC. It was not unusual for Russian nobility or other European nobility to be Masons. THE ONLY ONE I HAVE SEEN IN 60+ YEARS OF COLLECTING RUSSIAN ANTIQUITIES AND TRENCH ART. AS A 60+ YEAR COLLECTOR OF ORDNANCE ITEMS AND CONSULTANT I HAVE HAD THOUSANDS OF PIECES OF TRENCH ART COME MY WAY. OF THESE THOUSANDS I COLLECTED ONLY THE FINEST , RARE AND INTERESTING PIECES FOR MY PERSONAL COLLECTION. THESE RANGE FROM FANCY DECANTERS MADE FOR A GERMAN FIELD MARSHALL , TO ITEMS MADE BY A U.S.N. MEDAL OF HONOR WINNER  TO A UNIQUE BOMBLET MADE FROM JAPANESE FUZES BY THE FIRST ORDNANCE SQDN. TINIAN AND PRESENTED TO COL. TIBBETS UPON HIS RETURN FROM DROPPING THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB. COPYRIGHT CSA 2020