Soviet Army Badges (Part 2)
(1960-1978)
 

 

Army badges of the High Cold War

This section covers more of the many badges that were awarded to members of the Soviet Army.  In each case we will attempt to give a full history of each badge when possible, and a general description at the very least. The selection of badges we have to view is listed below.

 
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Awards of the Soviet Superpower

 

 
Senior Officer's School Badge (1957)

This badge was established in 1957 and was awarded to graduates of an academy for senior officers.  It is made of aluminum and enamel.  It was used from 1957 until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

 

          
Army Long Service Badge (1957) (1)

Badges for service beyond the mandatory two year conscription period were authorized in 1957 by Ministry of Defense Order #146.  Early versions were made of brass and enamel, but later ones were made of painted aluminum.  A marker denoting how many years of faithful extended service could be attached to the hangers below the badge itself. This badge is a pin back type.

    

 

Excellence in Service Badge (1957)

This badge was established in 1957 and awarded to soldiers and airmen for their excellent service. These badges are made of aluminum and enamel. The army badge says - Excellence in Soviet Army.

 

 

Military School Graduate Badge (1957)

A unified badge design was adopted by the Soviet Army in 1957 and was used until the end of the Soviet era in 1991.  The badge is a screwback type made of of brass and enamels.  They were made at the Pobeda factory.

 

 

Signals Proficiency Badge (1956) (2)

This badge was established on 12 December 1956 by USSR Ministry of Defense Prikaz #207 to denote proficiency in communications and radar related fields.  The badge was issued in three classes - 2nd class is shown here.  These badges were used up until 1961 when they were replaced by a new series of unified officer qualification badges.  It is a pin back badge made of brass and enamel.

 

 

Excellent Military Construction Worker Badge (1954)

This badge was established in 1954 and given to officers and enlisted men for good work and service in the field of military construction.  It is made of brass and enamel.  It was used from 1954 until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
  

 

 

Komsomol Membership Badge (1953)

This badge signifies that the wearer was a member of the young Communist society known as Komsomol.  It was established on 26 June 1953 and was worn by both soldiers, airmen, and sailors. (2)

This version of the badge is the military (screw back) type used in the late 1970's and 1980's.  The civilian version of the badge is a pin back type.

 

               

 
Soldier Sportsman Badges (1950)

These badges were established in 1950 and awarded to soldiers for excellence in physical conditioning and sports activities.  It came in three classes and was worn by both soldiers, airmen, and sailors.  They are screw back badges made of brass and colored enamel.  They were replaced in 1964 by a new series of Soviet sportsman badges.
First Class Badge Second Class Badge Third Class Badge

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Guards Badge (1942) (1)

This is a more recent version of the Soviet Guards badge. It was worn by all members of a unit within a Guards division. Guards badges (and divisions) were created in May 1942 during the Great Patriotic War. They were divisions who distinguished themselves in battle. Since then other units (usually airborne) have been awarded Guards status. This version of the badge is made of brass and enamel, later versions were made of aluminum and paint.

   

 

    

Works Cited

(1) Prilutskaya, N. V. and N. L. Kortunova, ВОЕННАЯ ОДЕЖДА ВООРУЖЕННЫХ СИЛ СССР И РОССИИ (1917-1990), Moscow: Military Publishing, 1999. Print.

(2) Borisov, V.A., НАГРУДНЫЕ ЗНАКИ СОВЕТСКИХ ВООРУЖЕННЫХ СИЛ 1918-1991, St. Petersburg: FARN, 1994. Print.