Fialka Overview:
The Russian Fialka Cipher Machine was used during the Cold War era and
manufactured in two versions: The M-125-MN and the more complex M-125-3MN.
The Fialka is a 10 rotor cipher machine that is similar in basic design to the
German WW-2 Enigma, the Swiss NEMA, and other multiple-wheel cipher machines.
It does, however, differ from other cipher machines in several very
significant ways. The Fialka itself is described in much more detail in other
sections where you will also find a digitized German language version of its
instruction manual. This page deals exclusively with the rotors.
Differences Between the Fialka Rotors and Those of Other Cipher
Machines:
Rotor Rotation Direction:
One of the differences is that the Fialka rotates each of its 10 rotors in a
direction that is opposite to that of each neighboring rotor. Other cipher
machines have rotors that all turn in the same direction. The rotor advance
blocking pins that control the rotation of individual rotors are described and
the locations of all pins for all rotors are given in a table below.
Unique Rotors:
Another difference is that the Fialka can use both a simple, non-adjustable
set of rotors or an extremely unique and complex set of multi-adjustable
modular-wiring-matrix rotors that allow a very large number of internal wiring
variations. These simple and complex rotors are described in detail below and
their internal wiring data is presented in a comprehensive table.
Rotor Overview:
There are two different sets of 10-rotors that fit into the Fialka. The
rotors in one set are very simple and they are non-adjustable. Each rotor has
a fixed wiring maze connecting the 30 input connections to the 30 output
connections. This non-adjustable set will be described first below.
The other 10-rotor set consists of multi-adjustable rotors. Each rotor in this
set has both an adjustable external ring setting with 30 possible positions
and a modular wiring matrix that can be removed and reinserted in 60 different
orientations. This modular wiring matrix allows the rotors to have a total of
60 unique and different internal wiring layouts.
Input Contacts:
Each rotor has 30 contacts that are identified by 30 letters of the Cyrillic
Alphabet that are stamped around the outer ring of the rotor. The contacts
receive electrical voltages from the input wheel on the right side of the
Fialka and are therefore called the input contacts. These contacts are on the
RIGHT side of the rotors when they are inserted into the Fialka. The RIGHT
side of the rotors face the input wheel which on the far right side of the
Fialka and which carries the voltages from the keyboard to the rotor
stack.
The Thirty Input Contacts for the Non-Adjustable Rotor "A". The heavy
lubricating grease lubricates the contacts and eases rotation.
Output Contacts:
The other side of the rotor contains the 30 output contacts that pass the
electrical voltage out of the rotor and LEFT to the next rotor in the stack or
to the reflector at the far left. Each of these output contacts is identified
by a letter from the Russian Cyrillic Alphabet that is stamped on the outer
ring of the rotor.
The Thirty Output Contacts for the Non-Adjustable Rotor "A".
The non-adjustable rotors can be disassembled to allow access to the wiring
maze but no changes can be made to the maze. To access the wiring, this metal
disc is rotated until it releases the brass central shaft as shown in the next
photograph.
The metal disc has been rotated until it releases the brass central shaft.
The metal disc and the insulating fiber washer have been moved aside to
reveal the hand-wired wiring maze. Access to the wiring maze makes it easier
to repair any cold-soldered joints.
The wiring maze is shown in this photograph.
Here is a closer view of the wiring maze.
Specific Wiring Data for all Non-Adjustable Rotors:
The 30 wired connections between the 30 input contacts and the 30 output
contacts are fixed and can not be changed. The Cyrillic letter stamped on
the outer ring and associated with each contact is also fixed and can not be
changed. The exact wiring between the 30 input and output connections is
given for each of the 10 rotors in a table below. This table shows the
Cyrillic and the corresponding numerical identifier for each of the 30 INPUT
contacts in a column on the left side of the table. The OUTPUT contact that
is fixed-wired to each of the input contacts is given by the number in the
table under the Cyrillic letter identifying each of the 10 rotors. To convert
this number back into its corresponding Cyrillic letter, just use the column
on the left.
**SPECIAL NOTE: The column on the far right side of the table shows the
output contacts that are connected to the 30 input contacts of MULTI-
ADJUSTABLE ROTOR "K" WHEN THE REMOVABLE MODULAR WIRING MAZE HAS BEEN REMOVED
AND REVERSED SO THAT SIDE "2" FACES OUTWARDS AND THE INDEX MARK POINTS TO THE
CYRILLIC LETTER "A". For a further description of this setting, please see
the information on the multi-adjustable rotors below:
Rotor Rotation Advance Blocking Pins:
The actual rotation of the rotors is controlled by the placement of the metal
pins adjacent to each of the contacts. These pins block or lock-out the
drive mechanism and determine which rotors will not rotate. This photograph
shows several of the pins and several of the un-pinned locations. A detailed
table showing the locations of all of the pins in all of the rotors may be
found below.
Although all known Fialka rotors have exactly the same rotor advance blocking
pin placements it is possible, with a considerable amount of effort, to
change the placements. These pins can be removed from the rotors and inserted
into other holes but it is quite difficult to do this. It does not appear
to be a real adjustment of the rotor but rather an assembly convenience and
perhaps a provision for a major engineering revision. To remove the pins, the
6 screws holding the outer ring plate must be unscrewed. Each screw is
covered with red paint that both makes it difficult to unscrew, and also
reveals any attempts to do so. After the outer ring plate is removed, the
pins drop out of their cylindrical holes and can be repositioned. This is so
difficult and complex that for field and operational use, it can safely be
assumed that these pins are always to be found in the positions shown in the
table.
This is a close view of the rotation advance blocking pins
for one of the rotors:
Table showing and explaining the rotation advance blocking pin locations
for all 10 rotors:
This table gives the locations of the advance blocking pins for the Non-
Adjustable and Multi-Adjustable Fialka Rotors. These pins determine whether
the rotor will advance or not as each letter is typed in. These pins block
the advance of rotors by blocking specific advance cogs underneath the rotor
stack.
The advance blocking pins (marked with an "x" for each rotor in the table) are located at the position identified by the Cyrillic letter and contact number shown in the column on the left. EXAMPLE: For rotor "A" there is no rotor advance blocking pin in position 1 which is marked with the Cyrillic letter "A". There is, however, a blocking pin located at position 2.
Please note that this table only gives the actual physical location of the
advance blocking pins. The rotor advance sequence is as shown but the actual
point of advance is different from these locations. The actual position where
the cogs engage and drive the rotors is described below:
Please also note that the Non-Adjustable and Multi-Adjustable rotors are
identical ONLY when the multi-adjustable rotors are set to their overall
'BASE' setting. In the overall BASE setting, the outer lettered ring is set so
that the Cyrillic letter "A" is Adjacent to the Cyrillic letter "A" on the
main rotor frame. Then the internal modular wiring maze is removed and placed
back into the rotor so that its index mark points to the Cyrillic letter "A"
and so that its side "1" is facing outward. Please see the accompanying text
for an explanation of the special multi-adjustable modular-wiring-maze
rotors.
Rotors 2, 4, 6, 8 & 10 (reading from left-to-right)
The actual advancing of rotors 2, 4, 6, 8 & 10 is activated by a drive cog
that engages the rotor at position 18 (When the rotor is set to the "A"
position). An advance blocking pin in the rotor in this position (position
18) will block the rotation of any of these even-numbered rotors to the RIGHT
of that rotor. As the rotors rotate, the place that the advancing cog engages
the rotor changes accordingly.
Rotors 2, 4, 6, 8 & 10 Rotate their upper letters AWAY from the keyboard.
Their rotation is driven by rotor 2 which drives rotors 4, 6, 8 & 10 in that
order. For these 5 rotors, ANY Rotor Advance Blocking Pins existing in the
drive slot of a rotor to the LEFT of a given rotor will prevent it from
rotating. In other words, a Rotor Advance Blocking Pin blocks the rotation of
any of these 5 rotors to the RIGHT of the rotor that has the pin. Rotor
Advance Blocking Pin locations are given in an accompanying table.
Rotors 1, 3, 5, 7 & 9 (reading from left-to-right)
The actual advancing of rotors 1, 3, 5, 7 & 9 is activated by a drive cog that
engages the rotor at position 21 (When the rotor is set to the "A" position).
An advance blocking pin in the rotor in this position (position 21) will block
the rotation of any of these odd-numbered rotors to the LEFT of that rotor.
As the rotors rotate, the place that the advancing cog engages the rotor
changes accordingly.
Rotors 9, 7, 5, 3 & 1 Rotate their upper letters TOWARD the keyboard. Their
rotation is driven by rotor 9 which drives rotors 7, 5, 3 & 1 in that order.
For these 5 rotors, ANY Rotor Advance Blocking Pins existing in the drive slot
of a rotor to the RIGHT of a given rotor will prevent it from rotating. In
other words, a Rotor Advance Blocking Pin blocks the rotation of any of these
5 rotors to the LEFT of the rotor that has the pin. Rotor Advance Blocking
Pin locations are given in an accompanying table.
Sample Rotor Rotation Data:
Sample rotation data for all 10 rotors for the first 20 letters typed into the
Fialka are shown in a table below:
This table gives sample rotor advancing data for the first 20 letters typed
into a Fialka for all 10 rotors after the rotors have been set to starting
position: A A A A A A A A A A. This table applies to both the Non-Adjustable
and Multi-Adjustable rotors when the Multi-Adjustable rotors are set to their
BASE ring setting. (This BASE setting of the multi-adjustable rotors has all
Cyrillic letter "A"s on the outer ring set Adjacent to the Cyrillic letter
"A"s on the inner ring of the rotor). The table has been constructed in the
following way:
First, each of the 10 rotors was inserted into the Fialka as shown at the very
top of the table with rotor "A (1)" on the far left and rotor "K (10)" on the
far right. (The rotors have been given numbers for convenience in
understanding the paragraphs in the next section:)
Then All 10 rotors were manually rotated to position "A". (The state in which
all rotors are set to position "A" is shown in the table as 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1,
1, 1, 1, 1 in the top row of the table.
Finally, 20 letters were typed into the Fialka. Each letter caused some of
the rotors to rotate. The position that each of the 10 rotors had reached
after each letter was entered is shown in the table by a number that
corresponds to a Cyrillic Letter on the outer ring of the rotor.
These numbers may be converted into their Cyrillic letter equivalents by using
the column on the right side of the table which is just placed there as a
convenience in making the conversions.
Rotors 2, 4, 6, 8 & 10 (reading from left-to-right)
Rotors 2, 4, 6, 8 & 10 Rotate their upper letters AWAY from the keyboard.
Their rotation is driven by rotor 2 which drives rotors 4, 6, 8 & 10 in that
order. For these 5 rotors, ANY Rotor Advance Blocking Pins existing in the
drive slot of a rotor to the LEFT of a given rotor will prevent it from
rotating. In other words, a Rotor Advance Blocking Pin blocks the rotation of
any of these 5 rotors to the RIGHT of the rotor that has the pin. Rotor
Advance Blocking Pin locations are given in an accompanying table.
The actual advancing of rotors 2, 4, 6, 8 & 10 is activated by a drive cog
that engages the rotor at position 18 (When the rotor is set to the "A"
position). An advance blocking pin in the rotor in this position (position
18) will block the rotation of any of these even-numbered rotors to the RIGHT
of that rotor. As the rotors rotate, the place that the advancing cog engages
the rotor changes accordingly.
Rotors 1, 3, 5, 7 & 9 (reading from left-to-right)
Rotors 9, 7, 5, 3 & 1 Rotate their upper letters TOWARD the keyboard. Their
rotation is driven by rotor 9 which drives rotors 7, 5, 3 & 1 in that order.
For these 5 rotors, ANY Rotor Advance Blocking Pins existing in the drive slot
of a rotor to the RIGHT of a given rotor will prevent it from rotating. In
other words, a Rotor Advance Blocking Pin blocks the rotation of any of these
5 rotors to the LEFT of the rotor that has the pin. Rotor Advance Blocking
Pin locations are given in an accompanying table.
The actual advancing of rotors 1, 3, 5, 7 & 9 is activated by a drive cog that
engages the rotor at position 21 (When the rotor is set to the "A" position).
An advance blocking pin in the rotor in this position (position 21) will block
the rotation of any of these odd-numbered rotors to the LEFT of that rotor.
As the rotors rotate, the place that the advancing cog engages the rotor
changes accordingly.
Suppose you insert all Fialka rotors such that the rotors are in the order
shown at the top of the table.
Suppose you set all Fialka rotors to the letter "A" position.
Suppose you would like to predict the rotation of rotor 4 as you type in 5
letters.
1. Remember that the drive cog for rotors 2, 4, 6, 8 & 10 is located at
position 18 (Very Important).
2. Look at the table that shows the locations of the rotor advance blocking
pins.
3. Note that there is an advance blocking pin in location 18.
4. This means that when you type in the first letter, the drive wheel "2"
will rotate but the advance blocking pin will prevent rotor "4"
from being turned.
5. You will see in this table that rotor "4" does not rotate as the first
letter is typed.
6. Now type in another letter. The drive rotor, number "2" has moved so that
the drive cog engages position 17 and the table shows that position 17 has an
advance blocking pin in place preventing rotor 4 from turning.
7. Typing in two more letters advances the drive rotor "2" 2 more positions
but rotor advance blocking pins are in place in positions 16 and 15 so rotor 4
still does not turn.
8. Now, type in another letter. The drive cog now turns the drive rotor at
position 14 where there is NO rotor advance blocking pin. Without a drive
advance blocking pin in place, rotor "4" is also rotated and turns to position
30. (This means that the drive advancing cog is now located at position 17.)
Since the table shows that rotor 4 has a drive blocking pin in position 17, it
does not allow rotors 6, 8, or 10 to turn.) Drive blocking pins prevent the
even numbered rotors to the right from turning.
Input Contacts:
Each rotor has 30 contacts that are identified by 30 letters of the Cyrillic
Alphabet. They receive electrical voltages from the input wheel on the right
side of the Fialka and are called the input contacts. These contacts are on
the RIGHT side of the rotors when they are inserted into the Fialka. The
RIGHT side of the rotors face the input wheel which on the far right side of
the Fialka and which carries the voltages from the keyboard to the rotor
stack.
The Thirty Input Contacts for Multi-Adjustable Rotor "A".
Output Contacts:
The other side of the rotors have the 30 output contacts that pass the
electrical voltage out of the rotor and LEFT to the next rotor in the stack or
to the reflector at the far left. Each of these output contacts is identified
by a letter from the Russian Cyrillic Alphabet. If you look closely at the
output contacts you may be able to see the "A 1" that identifies side 1 of the
removable modular wiring maze for rotor "A".
The Thirty Output Contacts for the Multi-Adjustable Rotor "A".
Adjusting the Multi-Adjustable Rotors:
The Ten multi-adjustable rotors can have their ring settings set to any one of
30 possible locations. They can also have their removable modular wiring
mazes set to any one of 60 possible locations. These settings are explained
below:
Ring Settings:
The outer ring has 30 Cyrillic letters and any one of these letters may be set
across from the index mark by pushing a spring-loaded locking pin inwards as
shown below:
In this picture, the Cyrillic letter "A" has been set to the index mark
which, as you will see from the next photograph, is also the outer ring
setting letter "A". When the outer ring is set to this position, it is said
to be in the BASE ring setting position.
This is a closer view of the BASE ring setting in which the outer letter
"A" is set across from the inner letter "A".
This is a view of the spring loaded locking pin on a different rotor.
Again, the outer ring has been set to the BASE ring setting in which the outer
letter "A" is set across from the inner letter "A".
Setting the removable modular wiring mazes:
The 30 wired connections between the 30 input contacts and the 30 output
contacts are made by a modular removable wiring maze. The modular wiring maze
is removed from the rotor by following the steps shown in the next
photographs: First, the retaining disc is rotated until it is released from
the brass central shaft:
The removable modular wiring maze is removed by first releasing this metal
disc by rotating it so that it is no longer retained by the central brass
cylinder:
In this photograph, the retaining disc has been released from the brass
cylinder.
In this photograph, the retaining disc has been moved aside to reveal the
modular wiring maze. Note that the maze has a Cyrillic letter and a number.
The Cyrillic letters on the mazes correspond to the letters of the 10 rotors
BUT, ANY MAZE may be inserted into ANY of the 10 rotors. You are looking at
side 1 of the modular wiring maze "A". It can be flipped upside down to
reveal side 2. Please also note that the modular wiring maze has a white line
index mark that is pointing to the Cyrillic letter "A". WHEN THE INDEX MARK
ON SIDE 1 OF THE MODULAR WIRING MAZE IS FACING OUTWARDS AND POINTING TO THE
CYRILLIC LETTER "A", THE WIRING MAZE IS IN THE "BASE" POSITION. When the maze
AND the ring setting are in the BASE position, the rotor is in the OVERALL
BASE SETTING and it exactly corresponds to the like-lettered non-adjustable
rotor.
In this photograph, the modular wiring maze has been removed from the
rotor.
This is a close view of the index mark on the modular wiring maze. The
maze is oriented so that side 1 is facing outwards. The large figures "A1"
show that you are looking at side 1 of modular wiring maze "A". The small
figures A 1 printed around the outside of the modular wiring maze are put in
that position to allow the letter and number of the maze to be read even when
the metal disc holding the modular wiring maze is locked in place.
In this photograph, the index mark of the modular wiring maze has been set
to the Cyrillic letter "B" position.
In the following photograph, the modular wiring maze has been removed from
rotor "K" and flipped upside down so that side 2 is facing outwards. The
index mark on the modular wiring maze is pointing to the Cyrillic letter "A".
NOTE: This is the setting of adjustable rotor "K" that is shown in the wiring
table in the column on the far right. The heading of this column is: REVERSED
K. This means that multi-adjustable rotor "K" has had its internal modular
"K" wiring maze flipped to the position shown in this photograph. This
special wiring data set in the right column is shown to try to help clarify
what happens to the wired relationship between the 30 input contacts and 30
output contacts when the removable modular wiring maze is reversed in the way
shown in this photograph. Of course, there are a total of 60 possible
orientations of the removable modular wiring maze within the rotor but it is
hoped that showing the data for this one orientation will help researchers
extrapolate all of the other possibilities from this known wiring.
This photograph shows rotor "K" with its removable modular wiring maze FLIPPED
OVER OR REVERSED so that side "2" of the maze is facing outward and its index
mark is pointing to the letter "A" position. THIS IS THE SETTING OF ROTOR "K"
THAT IS REFERRED TO AS "REVERSED K" IN THE COLUMN ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE
ROTOR WIRING TABLE. The wiring data shown in the right column of the table
show the connections between the input contacts and the output contacts when
the modular wiring maze is reversed in rotor "K" so that it is in this
position.
It is important to remember that the wiring mazes from one rotor can be
removed and reinserted into any other rotor in 60 different orientations.
Please notice that the modular wiring maze has both an index mark and a
Cyrillic letter and a number 1 or 2. The modular wiring maze can be inserted
into a rotor with the index mark pointing to any of the 30 Cyrillic letter-
identified locations around the rotor. The modular wiring maze can be
inserted into the rotor with either side 1 or side 2 facing up. The "BASE"
positioning of a modular wiring maze is when the index mark points to the
Cyrillic letter "A" and side 1 is facing outward.
In addition to the 60 possible insertion positions of the modular wiring
maze, remember that these multi-adjustable rotors can also have their outer
Cyrillic letter ring rotated to any of 30 positions. When letter "A" on the
outer ring is adjacent to letter "A" on the rotor, the rotor is set to the
BASE ring setting.
Specific Wiring Data for all Multi-Adjustable Rotors:
When the Multi-Adjustable rotor is set to the base position with the modular
wiring maze index pointed to the the Cyrillic letter "A" and side 1 facing out
AND when the outer letter ring is set so that the Cyrillic letter "A" on the
outer ring is adjacent to the Cyrillic letter "A" on the output face of the
rotor, the rotor is in its OVERALL "BASE" position.
The exact wiring between the 30 input and 30 output connections for the 10
multi-adjustable rotors set to the OVERALL BASE position is identical to the
wiring of the non-adjustable rotors and it is shown in the previous wiring
data table. This table shows the Cyrillic and the corresponding numerical
identifier for each of the 30 INPUT contacts in a column on the left side of
the table. The OUTPUT contact that is wired to each of the input contacts is
given by the number in the table under the Cyrillic letter identifying each of
the 10 rotors. To convert this number back into its corresponding Cyrillic
letter, just use the column on the left.
Redundant Note: The table applies to both the Non-Adjustable rotor set and
the Multi-Adjustable rotor set AS LONG AS THE MULTI-ADJUSTABLE ROTORS ARE SET
TO THE BASE POSITION. One final column is presented in the table to show the
internal wiring of multi-adjustable rotor "K" when the rotor ring setting is
first set to the base position and then the modular wiring maze is flipped
upside-down so that side "2" is facing out and the index mark is adjacent to
the Cyrillic Letter "A". With this wiring data it is possible to determine by
extrapolation, the exact internal wiring data for the multi-adjustable rotors
for any of the 60 possible insertion positions of the modular wiring maze.
Rotor Rotation Advance Blocking Pins:
The actual rotation of the rotors is controlled by the placement of the metal
pins adjacent to each of the contacts. These pins block or lock-out the drive
mechanism and determine which rotors will not rotate. This photograph shows
several of the pins and several of the un-pinned locations. A detailed table
of the locations of all of the pins in all of the rotors may be found
above.
Although all known Fialka rotors have exactly the same rotor advance blocking
pin placements it is possible, with a considerable amount of effort, to
change the placements. These pins can be removed from the rotors and inserted
into other holes but it is quite difficult to do this. It does not appear
to be a real adjustment of the rotor but rather an assembly convenience and
perhaps a provision for a major engineering revision. To remove the pins, the
6 screws holding the outer ring plate must be unscrewed. Each screw is
covered with red paint that both makes it difficult to unscrew, and also
reveals any attempts to do so. After the outer ring plate is removed, the
pins drop out of their cylindrical holes and can be repositioned. This is so
difficult and complex that for field and operational use, it can safely be
assumed that these pins are always to be found in the positions shown in
the table.
This is a close view of the rotation advance blocking pins for multi-
adjustable rotor "A".
Sample Rotor Rotation Data:
Sample rotation data for all 10 rotors for the first 20 letters typed into the
Fialka are shown in a table above.
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