Freaky Fast
The MiG 25 was an early 70’s supersonic interceptor that spurred the US to accelerate the development of the F-15 Eagle. Capable of over mach 2.8, it’s the second fastest piloted aircraft.
One of the greatest engineering challenges posed was regarding the material choice. While titanium would have been the ideal choice, expense and machining difficulty meant that any parts which could be made from cheaper and more malleable materials would be, resulting in the aluminum lamp we see here.
All I See is Red
The cockpit of a fighter plane is a mess of dials, gauges, and controls. In order for a pilot to see their workspace in the dark, many fighter planes carry small interior spotlights on articulated arms. These small lights have a red lens which preserves the pilot’s night vision by preventing the breakdown of rhodopsin.
While not exclusively Soviet, the bright red filter contrasts starkly with the blue-green body of this piece
Distinctively Soviet
Like most of the post WWII plane designs from the USSR, the MiG interior sports a distinctive, “calming” blue-green color scheme, including on this cockpit light. The theory went that this specific shade and color were optimal for mitigating pilot stress.
From commercial to military however, this color found its way into a variety of aircraft through the ages, and is distinctively soviet. On this side of the piece we see the only distinctive markings - what appears to be a cross within a circle with wings and the letters CM-IKM.
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