Identity Papers

(Russian udostoverenie), an official document attesting to the identity and legal status of the bearer, for example, a deputy of a representative body, an employee of a government agency or public organization, or a member of the armed forces. In the USSR the passport is the single document attesting to the identity of a citizen. In some cases, for example, for members of the armed forces, identity papers replace the passport and are simultaneously attestations of identity and official service certificates.