During his life, Mikhail Kalashnikov was elected a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR six times — in 1950, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1979, and 1984. Twice a year he traveled to Moscow for review sessions that lasted a week. The deputies were usually informed about a month in advance so that they could plan their trips. Additional short meetings were sometimes organized on special occasions.
In 1972, Kalashnikov took part in such a meeting of the Supreme Soviet in the Kremlin. It was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Soviet Union. All the participants were presented with gifts, including radio receivers of an unknown brand MRP-103, decorated with the inscription “50 лет СССР” (the USSR’s 50th anniversary) and a flag with a star, the hammer and sickle. However, experts note that those mysterious receivers were in fact the “Riga-103-2” — devices already known in the Soviet Union. This “deputy” modification was a limited collection released by the Riga Radio Plant named after Popov.
The receiver body is made of light brown polished plywood. A pair of speakers are placed on the front panel, covered with a plastic mesh. The top panel contains 12 switching buttons, four round tuning knobs and a movable folding antenna. The gray-green rear panel is plastic and removable, with switching connectors.
All the manufacturer’s labels were removed from the radio; however, the factory marking of the year of manufacture, 1972, has been preserved on a unit from the museum collection. Researchers suggest that the “MRP” brand was assembled at the plant as follows: the best working components and units intended for export were selected and then used to assemble modified housings on a separate conveyor.
This is confirmed by the discrepancies in the numbering of some models of “Riga”. Moreover, the “deputy” version of the radio receiver had a different operating frequency range from civilian models. Such scales were only used in export versions.
The portable radio receiver MRP-103 was powered from an external source, but it could also operate on batteries. It needed eight 34.2 mm batteries. Kalashnikov used it for many years, took the receiver with him to the country, on hunting and fishing trips.
In 1972, Kalashnikov took part in such a meeting of the Supreme Soviet in the Kremlin. It was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Soviet Union. All the participants were presented with gifts, including radio receivers of an unknown brand MRP-103, decorated with the inscription “50 лет СССР” (the USSR’s 50th anniversary) and a flag with a star, the hammer and sickle. However, experts note that those mysterious receivers were in fact the “Riga-103-2” — devices already known in the Soviet Union. This “deputy” modification was a limited collection released by the Riga Radio Plant named after Popov.
The receiver body is made of light brown polished plywood. A pair of speakers are placed on the front panel, covered with a plastic mesh. The top panel contains 12 switching buttons, four round tuning knobs and a movable folding antenna. The gray-green rear panel is plastic and removable, with switching connectors.
All the manufacturer’s labels were removed from the radio; however, the factory marking of the year of manufacture, 1972, has been preserved on a unit from the museum collection. Researchers suggest that the “MRP” brand was assembled at the plant as follows: the best working components and units intended for export were selected and then used to assemble modified housings on a separate conveyor.
This is confirmed by the discrepancies in the numbering of some models of “Riga”. Moreover, the “deputy” version of the radio receiver had a different operating frequency range from civilian models. Such scales were only used in export versions.
The portable radio receiver MRP-103 was powered from an external source, but it could also operate on batteries. It needed eight 34.2 mm batteries. Kalashnikov used it for many years, took the receiver with him to the country, on hunting and fishing trips.
