There are two groups of Soviet camera users -- those who make their own repairs and those who would rather let someone else do it. And rest assured there will be a time when you will need to do one or the other. There are a few repair shops in the United States that will work on Soviet cameras but I have no experience with them. The only professional repair person I have listed is Oleg Kahlyavin, who lives in the Mari El Republic in Russia. Oleg has repaired several of my cameras and I never have had a complaint. The only negatives are the cost of shipping and the time (usual a month to six weeks). Oleg's site also has a list of cameras for sale. Although they may cost a little more than some offered on Ebay, you know you are getting a camera or lens that is in operating condition.

 Below are links to a number of sites dealing with cameras of the former Soviet Union. Some have detailed descriptions of the various models and others also deal with maintenance and repair. There also are links to several forums where Soviet cameras are discussed.