Army Service Patches
of the Soviet Superpower
(1960-1978)

   

Army Uniform Patches

The Soviet army had used a variety of insignia to designate the branch or length of service of its soldiers.  During the late 1960's the Ministry of Defense chose to adopt the distinctive sleeve patches that characterized the late Soviet era.

Yet, while the most obvious, they were not the only patches that were used during this time.  Wound stripes of one sort or another had been used since the Tsarist era, and continued to serve during the Cold War.  Length of service and school stripes were also used during this era.  Samples of these various patches can be seen in this section.

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of the Soviet Superpower

 

 

Conscript Length of Service Stripes (1974)

These yellow service stripes were introduced in 1974 to show the number of years a conscript soldier had served.  Each stripe denoted one year of service and were worn 20 centimeters from the high shoulder point of the right sleeve of the greatcoat.  They measured 80mm by 10mm and were made of thermally molded plastic and cloth.  These stripes were abolished in 1982 in a move against 'unofficial regulations'. (1)
  

Second Year of Conscript Service

First Year of Conscript Service

 

 

Length of Service Chevrons for Warrant Officers (1971)

In 1971 the Soviet Defense Ministry created the rank of Praporchik (Warrant Officer) for the Soviet Army in an effort to develop a class of skilled extended servicemen.  It was decreed that these warrant officers would wear length of service chevrons to show how long they had served.  These were worn on the left sleeve 16mm above the lower cuff edge on both the tunic and the greatcoat. (1)

Parade Uniform Service Uniform
Coming Soon!! Coming Soon!!
Ten Years of Service Ten Years of Service
Coming Soon!! Coming Soon!!
Five Years of Service Five Years of Service
Coming Soon!!

Four Years of Service Four Years of Service
Coming Soon!!
Three Years of Service Three Years of Service
Coming Soon!!
Two Years of Service Two Years of Service
Coming Soon!!
One Year of Service One Year of Service

 

 

Enlisted Length of Service Chevrons (1969)

Chevrons for enlisted men were re-established by USSR Ministry of Defense Order #190 on June 26th, 1969.  These were gold lace chevrons sewn onto fabric.  The branch of service dictated the color of the background that the lace was attached to.  Army would use red or khaki backing depending on the uniform.  Airborne forces would use a light blue background. (1)

Thin chevrons 6mm wide and 45mm long would be worn for each year less than five, while wide chevrons that measured 13mm wide and 45mm long would be used to denote periods of five years. (1)  They were not very popular and were rarely worn by re-engaged servicemen (those serving beyond their initial conscription period).

Parade Uniform Service Uniform
Coming Soon!! Coming Soon!!
One Year of Service One Year of Service

 

 

Officer Cadet Stripes (1969)

These patches were established by Ministry of Defense Order #190 on 26 June 1969.  This order decreed that all students of military schools would wear stripes to denote how many years of study they had completed.  These stripes were sewn on the left sleeve of the tunic and greatcoat one centimeter below the branch of service insignia. (1)

All army stripes were thermally molded plastic on red felt.  They measure 1 cm wide and 7 cm long.  Members of the Medical academy could acquire up to six of these stripes, but most other branches could only attain four.  Unofficially men called these stripes 'kursovki'.

 

3 Years  6 Years

 

2 Years  5 Years

 

1 Year 4 Years

 

 

Works Cited

(1) Stepanov, A., Нарукавных Знаки Вооруженных Сил СССР.  1920-1991 (1), Moscow: Zeughaus, 1999. Print.

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