1980s Soviet Airborne Forces Helmet

A late Soviet padded jump helmet, originally designed to protect the head during parachute training, descent and landing. 

Across the front remain the handwritten words “Спаси и сохрани” — “Save and Protect”: a traditional Orthodox prayer and protective invocation, asking God for salvation and protection. Here, it reads like a deeply personal message carried by its former owner.

The helmet is worn and unevenly faded, with ingrained marks, softened edges and areas where the original colour has been lost to time. Dark and severe, it feels like an object recovered from another era. Suitable for a small to medium-sized head.