Soviet Order of the Red Banner of Labor, Nr. 260718

[Bill Garvy]

My neighbor had this and showed it to me before he moved. He didn't know what it was, but knowing of my interest in Soviet Orders. He made me an offer I couldn't refuse, even though I normally don't collect this order, ahem. . .

Edited September 3, 2007 by Bill Garvy

[Bill Garvy]

Well, if "Doc" likes them, then they certainly are good enough for me. . .

[Riley1965]

Bill, VERY NICE piece!!! There's another addiction to feed!!! Congratulations!!

Doc

[Christian Zulus]

Dear Bill,

congratulations to this old RBL .

It's from the year 1953 and an early issue of the Type 5 ("Short Oval"), Variation 2.

Best regards

Christian

[Guest Rick Research]

From the serial number, issued between autumn of 1953 and spring of 1954. While it could have been bestowed for some singular accomplishment, at that time these were also granted for 20 years State service in the railways etc.

Nice flatback from immediately after the death of Stalin.

[Paul R]

Congrats Bill! The ORB of Labor is a very attractive piece. I love that blue enamel.

[Christian Zulus]

While it could have been bestowed for some singular accomplishment, at that time these were also granted for 20 years State service in the railways etc.

Dear Rick,

interesting statement .

There had been long service awards in civil service ?

- 10 years: Labour Medal

- 15 years: BoH

- 20 years: RBL

- 25 years: Lenin

Do you have further informations about that issue ?

Best regards

Christian

[Paul R]

Dear Rick,

interesting statement .

There had been long service awards in civil service ?

- 10 years: Labour Medal

- 15 years: BoH

- 20 years: RBL

- 25 years: Lenin

Do you have further informations about that issue ?

Best regards

Christian

What if the member worked to 40 years? Would they have the Hero star, or repeat Lenins?

[Christian Zulus]

What if the member worked to 40 years? Would they have the Hero star, or repeat Lenins?

Dear Paul,

it's just a speculation from my side, after Rick noted, that a RBL might have been awarded after 20 years of service at the Railroads ...

In the Soviet Army - before issuing the 3 long service medals - the officer got after his 25-years-Lenin for 30 years of service a 2nd RB.

But I am not sure, that there had been a 1:1 similar system in all branches of civil service. Maybe only the Railroads, Police, Aeroflot etc. might have had such systems.

I guess, that the civil services had not such a regulated system, as the Soviet Army had: You can get an RBL for long service, but it is not regulated.

Let's wait, what our native experts can tell us .

Best regards

Christian

[Sergei]

Christian,

The Soviet system has never been so mechanical. For example, your assumption that an Army officer would go through the standard 10-15-20 years medal award scheme is not true.

Sergei

[Guest Rick Research]

I've often wondered about that, Sergei-- we VERY often find groups where the math does not "add up." Usually the awards are LATE in the progression Military Merit Medal for 10 years, Red Star for 15, Red Banner for 20-- sometimes by as much as 3 years. I've always assumed those were... disciplinary issues, where some black mark held back the normal processing as a punishment. On the other hand, we also see military groups where the normal long service trio has one of them EARLY, and research back usually doesn't reveal any earlier service that justifies that, either.

Paul-- after 30 years in the military (a second Red Banner), officially-- nothing. By the 1960s though, geriatric generals were getting Orders again on birthdays and jubilee occasions just for still breathing. Still breathing was not a "talent" that got lower ranks anything extra.

The ONLY statutory system I have seen for the Soviet civil service is in Vladimir Lapin's 2003 book on the railways, "Hagradnye Znaki Zheleznodorozhogo Transporta."

Lapin cites two Ukaz of the Presidium, apparently establishing such long service awards, and then altering them:

1) Ukaz 20 January 1947

for 10 years service-- Medal for Distinguished Labour

for 15 years service-- Medal for Heroic Labour

for 20 years service-- Order of the Badge of Honour

for 25 years service-- Order of the Red Banner of Labour

with service time computed by 7 November 1947.

From that, I assume that like the military long service awards which began being processed in the summer of 1944 for mass award on 3 November 1944, this was the first time these awards were granted this way in the railways.

2) Ukaz 28 July 1949 altered this--

for 10 years service-- still Medal for Distinguished Labour

for 15 years service-- still Medal for Heroic Labor

for 20 years service-- now changed to Order of the Red Banner of Labour

for 25 years service-- now changed to the same Order of Lenin that military service personnel got.

As with the 1944 military long service decorations, it is stated by both Ukaz that only the current award was to be made (so somebody with say 22 years in 1947 got a Badge of Honour, but not either of the Medals, and somebody already with a 1947 20 years Badge of Honour did not get a 1949 20 years Red Banner of Labour as an upgrade, but had to wait for completion of 25 years and then got a Lenin, skipping any RBoL)

The 1949 Ukaz also stated that these awards were only to be made once a year, on the "All-Union Day of Railways Transport"-- whenever that was. (7 November, maybe?) If that is known, it may be possible to distinguish railways long service awards by the award dates in Orders Books.

Lapin ONLY wrote about railways long service decorations. Presumably other branchs of the Soviet state eeconomy fell into similar bestowals on their industry or service "All-Union Day" as well.

lapin does not say when this practice CEASED-- or if, indeed, it ever did.

This may explain the absolute tidal wave of solitary Orders of Lenin that we see in the 1950s:

were they "Plan" pushes... or 25 years service to the state awards, for people whose authorization for a series of decorations were approved AFTER railway workers?