Columnist Muriel Stevens: A Soviet Christmas approaching

Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2000 | 9:30 a.m.

Muriel Stevens' shopping column appears Wednesdays. Her dining column appears Fridays. Reach her at muriel@lasvegassun.com or 259-4080.

Remember when holiday decorations and merchandise didn't start appearing until after Thanksgiving? Not any more. Christmas tree items are already in stores. So are Halloween and Thanksgiving items.

I've even received restaurant releases touting Thanksgiving menus and others for food baskets. What's the rush? The next thing you know we'll be shopping for the holidays before Labor Day!

And never have I received such an abundance of catalogs. When I returned home from my vacation there were by actual count 43 waiting for me. I'm still wading through. Each day dozens more arrive. Many are new to me. Only one, so far, has piqued my interest: Sovietski Collection: Treasures From a Bygone Era.

At first I thought it was a put-on, but as I read on I discovered more than "Special Forces" night-vision glasses and "the legendary Spetnaz throwing shovel."

I believe Sovietski President Mitch Siegler when he says that he and his man in Moscow, Sasha, have found merchandise not found anywhere else. There aren't too many catalogs offering for sale a genuine Soviet admiral uniform ($995) in summer or winter versions. The catalog, mostly done tongue-in-cheek, also includes crystal, porcelain and other decorative home items, but it's the guy stuff that's fascinating.

Genuine Russian army officers' visor caps, Soyuz communication headsets, Desantnik (Russian SEALS) diving helmets and nautical badges, such as those that were awarded to graduates of the Imperial Naval Academy, are just a few of the many interesting items. The badges come with certificates of authenticity, but the word "replica" comes to mind.

KGB Fotosniper surveillance cameras, KGB T-shirts and all kinds of crazy stuff are mixed in with loveable Mishka bears, nesting dolls (matryoshkas) and folk costumes for the entire family. Balalaikas, CDs, hand-painted storage chests, religious items, amber and other costume jewelry fill the pages. There are colorful shawls (such as the kind that used to be draped over pianos in European homes), quilts and handblown glass eggs such as the ones Faberge made for the Romanovs.

Pricey antique samovars, silverware patterned after the flatware commissioned by the Russian White House and Lomonosov Cobalt Net porcelain are all found here.

I really liked the lead-cast soldiers, so much finer than those made of plastic. There are quite a number of toys: tin-plate trucks, retro robots, tops, bright red firetrucks and Russian Gai (traffic cops) ceramic banks.

An old-fashioned Russian Victrola (Gramophone) plays 78-rpm records ($245). Occasionally the rarer ones with chrome steel horns turn up. They're more expensive. Also sold are nonfunctioning Gramophones. They're strictly for decor.

I do wish Sovietski offered two catalogs -- one for the military merchandise (fun though it may be) and a second one for all of the household and decorative items and the toys.

For a copy of the Sovietski catalog call (800) 442-0002 or check out the larger selection on the Internet -- sovietski.com.