Soviet Soviet Theater and Performing Arts

[Chuck In Oregon]

I wonder if there's any interest in this topic. I have a few interesting badges, so if you have a few things, too, let's make this a thread to share them on.

I'll start by sharing one of my very favorite badges. It is the award for 30 Years of Distinguished Performance in the Soviet Theater. It is gold, of course, with red enamel and a silver thespian reading his lines. At least, that's what I think it is. It weighs 18.15 grams. I can't be sure that this is the original box, only that it is the box it came in when I bought it back in 2002.

Let's see what you've got. I'll dig up a couple more things to share later on this week.

Chuck

Edited August 8, 2006 by Chuck In Oregon

[Chuck In Oregon]

And here's the reverse:

[Paul L Murphy]

An excellent idea ! After going to the Bolshoi about 30 times in the last season I really wanted to get one of the little badges that some of the older staff wore in their lapels. I eventually found not one but two different types.

The first type is attached below and is for the 200th Anniversary of the Bolshoi. This was in 1976. It is pinback and marked by the Moscow Mint on the reverse. It appears to be gilded brass with the building in silver. Some of the really old babushki that still work there wear it proudly in their lapels.

[Paul L Murphy]

Here is the second badge that I have got. It does not have a numeral and is definitely earlier than the 200th Anniversary badge. If anyone can advise the purpose of this one I would appreciate it.

There is also a badge issued for the 175th Anniversary, which is identical to the 200th but with a different numeral. It is, however, a screwback badge and I believe serial numbered on the reverse. I do not have one yet but I am hunting !

[NavyFCO]

Here's a group I used to own to an opera singer and "Honored Artist of the RSFSR".....

[Chuck In Oregon]

Hello Paul

Just in case I failed to say something previously (my memory being what it is ... and isn't), welcome to the forum. I'm sure glad this topic interests someone besides just me. I hate it when that happens.

Thanks for sharing those badges. That's exactly the kind of thing I had in mind when I opened this thread.

I didn't know there were variants of your badge. I was going to share a small group later on that has the badge below in it. The recipient, Dmitri (?) D'yaknov, was a 1930s graduate building materials engineer as well as a pretty famous Georgia sportsman in his youth. According to his family, he took part in the post-war rebuilding of the Bolshoi and he was awarded the 175th Jubilee badge. It is number 2492. I believe that it is solid silver with gold highlights. This is the only one I have ever come across.

I was lucky enough to have a loge seat at a Verdi opera at the Bolshoi in 2002. I'm such a country boy that I kept thinking "I can't believe I'm really here." It was a great experience.

Anyway, keep 'em coming. With the rich Russian tradition of performing arts I hope to see a bunch of interesting things.

Chuck

[Chuck In Oregon]

Dave, that is a superb group. What can you tell us about your artist?

[Chuck In Oregon]

I think that this badge is for the 100-Year Aniversary of the first re-building of the Bolshoi, after the original burned down. It is gilted bronze. There seem to be three colors of enamel. First is the red, of course. Then the window and the spaces between the columns above the mask are blue. The numbers and the eyes and mouth of the mask are black enamel and so is the tiny corner of the building right behind her ... well, right behind her.

The detail of this badge is exquisite, to me at least. If I could find more of them, I think I would collect only the old badges. OK, almost only the old badges. Good ones are sure hard to find.

Paul, find a babushka wearing this badge and you've found a real old-timer.

Chuck

[Wild Card]

Here is one for the 40th anniversary (1884 - 1924) of the little theater.

[Paul L Murphy]

Chuck,

The 175th Badge you illustrated is the one I am searching for. Wish me luck !

I have also seen a so called 225 anniversary badge for sale at Ismailovski on one occasion but I am very suspicious of it. The design was the same but the quality was far inferior to the others and, more importantly, I have never seen it worn by staff in the Bolshoi. Since the 225th anniversary was only 5 years ago one would think that there would be plenty of people wearing it (given the average age of their employees !).

I find these items more peaceable than the stuff I usually collect.

Regards,

Paul

[Paul L Murphy]

Here is a badge that is "sort of" theatre related, it is a graduate badge for the Higher Academy of Arts. This is my favourite of the basic academy badges, I love the colour and quality of manufacture. This piece is from the 1960's.

[Chuck In Oregon]

Here is a badge that is "sort of" theatre related, it is a graduate badge for the Higher Academy of Arts. This is my favourite of the basic academy badges, I love the colour and quality of manufacture. This piece is from the 1960's.

* * * * *

That one hadn't even occurred to me, but I think it fits here. Here's the technical school badge variant, late-era and cheap.

[Chris S]

This is my contribution...a badge for "Olimpiada" is it for a tune for the 1936 Olympic games?

Chris

[Chris S]

The back...Producer Novikov 1935...

Chris

[Chris S]

Another connect to the Olimpiada...

[Chris S]

The back named.

Chris

[Chris S]

one more ...

Chris

[Chris S]

The back....

[Chuck In Oregon]

Chris -- Those are wonderful badges. Thanks for sharing them. They are all new to me. I'm glad to see that this topic has brought out some nice things. I've still got one or two more things to post. Hopefully you will inspire some other members to share what they've got.

So ... does anyone actually collect this as a theme, or are these badges just odds and ends that we've picked up along the way? It seems like a very interesting theme to collect and I'm curious whether anyone does.

Chuck

[Paul L Murphy]

Another recent purchase, the Excellent Worker badge of the Ministry of Culture. It is heavy bronze and paint pinback badge and mintmarked on the reverse.

[Paul L Murphy]

Well, the 225th Anniversary Badge that I saw was real, there were some of the Bolshoi staff wearing it when I was there a few nights ago. I managed to get the document, now to track down the badge again. The document is attached, a rather attractive piece.

[Chuck In Oregon]

Here is a 1936-37 Film Studio photo ID issued by the Georgian SSR in Tbilisi to a film studio official. I think it deserves a post in this thread. Georgia was a big arts and cinema center back in the day and it had a thriving film industry.

Georgia again has a nascent film industry. See the excellent movie "Since Otar Left", a joint French-Georgian effort. It is available through NetFlix and others. It includes scenes from their well-known (and now officially discouraged) Dry Bridge flea market, filmed while I was right there in the outdoor market. I know several people who pass by in the background. It also shows some other very recognizable Tbilisi locations. The main post office scene is good but understates the postal ennui and corruption ... "We pretend to work and they pretend to pay us."

FWIW, probably the best and most famous Russian WW II movie, "Father of a Soldier", is actually a Georgian movie about a Georgian father and son. It is in Russian but available with English subtitles. Short on special effects, long on drama, story and pathos. This movie is so loved that there is a national park in the Khaheti Region of Georgia devoted to it, with a huge statue of the father.

Chuck

[Paul L Murphy]

I did it I finally found the 175th Anniversary and 225th Anniversary badges for the Bolshoi Theatre. My 175th is numbered 2711 on the reverse. I now have the three jubilee badges and the unnumbered version of this badge.

Now to start on the long service awards

Enjoy

[Chuck In Oregon]

Paul, I completely missed your post. Congratulations on finding the 175th. Are you going to tell us how you did that?

Meanwhile, here is another performing arts badge. It is the "Excellence" badge of the Georgian Arts Society. This particular one was awarded to Georgian actor Akaki Khorava and I acquired it from his family.

As you can see, it is a very gaudy badge. I suppose the palette, harp and mask represent art, music and drama. I believe this badge dates from the very early 1930s. What you can't see -- because I just can't make it come out with my scanner -- is that the white background behind the white pallette/harp symbol is a peculiar type of high-quality "glittery" enamel and, upon further review, the white background is actually a stage curtain, completely with thick vertical folds (for lack of a better word). There is a sunburst design beneath the red enamel.

This badge is made in three layers, or four if you include the curtain separately. The lowest layer appears to be once-gilted bronze. The middle layer is the gilted silver (?) that you can see in the first image around the edges and covering the bottom layer. I think the curtain, harp and other grey metal are silver. The top layer would actually be the separate pieces that comprise the banner, symbolls and curtain.

Like so many of the lovely early Georgian badges and medals, I suspect that this badge is uncatalogued.

This thread interests me a lot. Does anyone out there actually collect performing arts as a theme?

Chuck

[Paul L Murphy]

Hi Chuck,

I let a few of the sellers that I deal with here in Moscow know I was looking for one and lo-and-behold, within one month one emerged from the woodwork.

I do not know whether to describe the Georgian badge as beautiful or ugly ! It would certainly be noticable on a lapel.

Here is another badge I picked up recently. It is the present Russian Federation badge for graduates from arts academies such as the Musical Conservatoire. The greb has been replaced by a two headed eagle and the colour scheme has remained the same as the older Soviet rhomb. It is made by the St Petes Mint but the quality is not anywhere as good as the older badges.

The second badge is from the Ministry of Culture for Excellence in Amateur Theatrical Productions. I like the way they have stylised the masks for comedy and tragedy on the front, very modern.

Cheers,

Paul