Georgian Christian Militia Badge & Document

[Chuck In Oregon]

Here's a badge that I think may be uncatalogued.

The 1939 NKVD certificate (as best I can read it) awards to Senior Lieutenant Alexander Sergeivich Kochev the badge of the Worker's Georgian Christian Militia and it allows him the right to wear the badge on his clothes and uniform. Did I get that right?

Didn't know there was a Christian Militia in the USSR? I know I didn't. I bet it didn't last too long. As I recall, Georgia may have been the only republic allowed to retain its religious heirarchy, so this may have been an anachronism peculiar to Georgia ... at least by that time.

It looks like Sr. Lt. Kochev began work in the RKM -- Georgian Workers' and Peoples' Militia -- in 1933. (I once posted an RKM jubilee badge that I also think is uncatalogued.) This badge is inscribed in Georgian and dated 1933. I can't really explain the 6-year date discrepancy. What I think it may be ... well, maybe the RKM wasn't the same as the Christian Militia, or maybe they merged, then were simply absorbed into the NKVD. Or, it could be that this badge isn't the one referenced in the document, but it is the same guy. I just don't know.

This is a large badge, 5.5 cm tall by 3.5 cm wide. I think the metal is silver-plated bronze, but it just may be silver. I can't find any place that has worn through to the bronze. It weighs, without the screwplate, 25.57 grams. The large screwplate, 2.5 cm across, looks like it is silver. The enamel is all there but it is of low quality.

Please feel free to chime in here.

Chuck

[Chuck In Oregon]

Oops. I meant to post this in the Soviet Awards forum, of course. Will a moderator please move it there? Thank you.

Chuck

[Chuck In Oregon]

Oops. I meant to post this in the Soviet Awards forum, of course. Will a moderator please move it there? Thank you.

Chuck

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Thanks for the help.

Chuck