Backpack Filled with Soviet Prototype Cameras Stolen in Berlin

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A backpack filled with extremely rare and valuable Soviet camera prototypes was recently stolen at the Berlin Central Station in Germany.

Collector Ilya Stolyar says his backpack was stolen by someone back on October 3rd, 2016, and that the bag contained a lot of equipment, including some prototype cameras he was able to acquire during his last trip to Europe.

How valuable are the stolen cameras? Some of them are the kind that are sold at international auction houses.

“These cameras pretty much are one of a kind factory prototypes that cost some really serious money on collectors market,” Vladislav Kern of USSRPhoto tells PetaPixel. “You can probably trade some of these cameras for cars.”

“Those are pretty much Christie’s-grade cameras.”

Among the cameras stolen were a FED 20, FED Romashka, Elicon 35C Prototype, Elicon 35C MMZ, Zenit 19 Prototype (Belomo), Zenit APK (Belomo), Zenit ET Prototype, Agat 18 Belomo, and Yantar 5 MCE prototype.

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Stolyar says he’s willing to pay a reward to anyone who can help him recover any of these rare cameras. You can find his contact information in this forum thread on USSRPhoto.

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