Late Soviet KGB/MVD Patches

Service Patches
of the Ministry of the Interior
(1988-1991)

This section covers some of the many service and unit patches that are worn by members of the para-military forces of the late period Soviet Union. This will cover the KGB and its affiliated agencies such as the border guards, as well as the Interior army and Militsia patches The selection of patches, stripes, and chevrons we have to view are listed below.

Branch of Service Patches
Officer Cadet Stripes

Service Patches The branch of service patches below were introduced on 24 November 1969 by order of the Chairman of the Committee of State Security (KGB) under the USSR Council of Ministers.

KGB	MVD	KGB Border Guard

Officer Cadet Stripes

The KGB patches were established by Order of the Chairman of the State Security Council on 24 November 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. Unofficially men called these stripes 'kursovki'.

All army stripes were thermally molded plastic on colored felt. KGB stripes are on dark blue felt, Border Guard stripes are on green felt, and MVD stripes are on maroon felt. The KGB discontinued using their stripes on royal blue and instead wore strips identical to Army stripes. Students of the Higher KGB school wore the army stripes along with an army uniform with the Signal Troops insignia.

KGB Border Guards MVD Officers

4 Year

4 Year

3 Year
3 Year

2 Year
2 Year

1 Year
1 Year

Back to Patches, Badges, and
Insignia of the late Soviet Union

Officer Cadet Stripes The KGB patches were established by Order of the Chairman of the State Security Council on 24 November 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. Unofficially men called these stripes 'kursovki'. All army stripes were thermally molded plastic on colored felt. KGB stripes are on dark blue felt, Border Guard stripes are on green felt, and MVD stripes are on maroon felt. The KGB discontinued using their stripes on royal blue and instead wore strips identical to Army stripes. Students of the Higher KGB school wore the army stripes along with an army uniform with the Signal Troops insignia.
KGB Border Guards	MVD Officers
4 Year	4 Year
3 Year	3 Year
2 Year	2 Year
1 Year	1 Year