Russian Federation "Typhoon" submarines badges and medals

[Phil2012]

Hello, there!

I'm Phil, 47, from France, and I'm new here!

For my first contribution, I would like to present you my collection of "Projekt 941 Akula" submarines. Also known as "Typhoon" (NATO name), they are the largest submarines ever: 574 ft long (173m), 75 ft wide (23m), and 48.000 tons displacement when submerged.

Here are some pictures:

From 1981 to 1989, the USSR launched 6 "Typhoons". They all were assigned to the 18th Submarine Division of Northern Fleet and their homeport is Zapadnaia Litsa (Murmansk area).

Presently, three ships still are in service: TK-20 "Severstahl", TK-208 "Dmitri Donskoi", and TK-17 "Arkhangelsk".

Their armament mainly includes 20 intercontinental missiles (RSM-52), 2 x 650mm torpedo tubes, 4 x 533MM torpedo tubes, anti-aicraft system, and the Typhoons also can lay 40 mines.

The crew is 160.

Twenty years ago (as I was in the french Navy) I started to collect soviet and russian submarines badges. It was not easy because at this time internet didn't exist and documents were very very scarce!.. But thanks to correspondants in Russia my collection grew up quickly! Unfortunately, this was very frustrating because of the lack of documents: I didn't know what the badges correspond to... So, I finally decided to focus my collection on "Typhoons" only.

Here is my collection, as it is today:

I'm going to present these badges and medals one by one in my next posts, by telling on which occasion they were issued, and by telling about some details of their design when they have a specific meaning.

Further information will be welcome, so don't hesitate to post! ;)

Edited April 17, 2012 by Phil2012

[Phil2012]

Let's start with these five badges:

No information

1st Submarine Flotilla (in 18th Division).

"100 Liet Padvodnomu Flotu Rossyi": "100th anniversary of Submarine Fleet" (2006). Very beautiful badge, 5 part construction!

5th anniversary (1989) of TK-12 "Simbirsk" (1983-1996).

30th anniversary (1991) of the 18th Submarine Division.

[Phil2012]

"Za Dalnyi Pakhod": "For Long Range Campaign" official badge with additional "ribbon" for the 300th anniversary of russian Navy (1696-1996). This badge is made of silver 925 (hallmarks on back) by "Russkie Samotsvieti" of Saint Petersburg. This badge also exists in solid brass (a bit larger than the silver one). According to some russian sources, 1.000 brass badges were issued, and only 200 or 300 silver badges. Such a commemorative badge (silver and brass) also exists for surface ships.

"TRPKSN TK-20 "Severstahl", from a set for the four last "Typhoons".

"Za Sluzhbu v' Arktikie": "For the Service in the Arctic". Soviet era, with "Red Banner Order" ribbon.

"Za Sluzhbu v' Arktikie": "For the Service in the Arctic". Russian Federation.

[Phil2012]

No information.

No information.

TK-17 "Arkhangelsk", 5th ship of the class.

Launching of TK-17 "Arkhangelsk", 1986.

25th anniversary of 1st Submarine Flotilla, 1986. Please note the specific flag of Admiral Division Head.

Edited April 17, 2012 by Phil2012

[Phil2012]

30th anniversary of the 1st Submarine Flottilla. With flag of Admiral Division Head.

10th anniversary of TK-208 "Dmitri Donskoi", 1991.

"Severnyi Flot": "Northern Fleet".

1st crew of TK-17 "Arkhangelsk".

40th anniversary of 18th Submarine Division, 2001.

[Phil2012]

"Padvodnie Silyi Rossyi / 100 Let": "Submarine Forces of Russia / 100th anniversary" (2006). Ministry of Defence issue.

"Za Vernosti y Muzhestvo": "For Bravery and Zeal" / "Veteranu Kholodnoi Voini na Morie": "For the veterans of Cold War on the seas".

20th anniversary of TK-13 (2005), with captions "Severnyi Flot" ("Northern Fleet") and "Zapadnaia Litsa" (name of homeport of the Typhoons).

45th anniversary of 18th Submarine Division.

Edited April 20, 2012 by Phil2012

[Phil2012]

Crew of TK-13 (4th ship of the class).

"Za Dalnyi Pakhod": "For Long Range Campaign". Official badge for the uniform. Worn under the submariners qualification insignia.

10th anniversary (1993) of TK-12 "Simbirsk (1983-1996).

No information. The second submarine is an "Antei" (NATO "Oscar II").

TK-202 (1982-1999), from a set for the three last Typhoons.

Edited April 20, 2012 by Phil2012

[Phil2012]

"Za Dalnyi Pakhod": "For long Range Campaign". Non official badge.

100th anniversary of Submarine Fleet (2006).

Crew of TK-13.

"Zapadnaia Litsa", name of the homeport of the Typhoons (Murmansk area).

No information.

[Phil2012]

"Padvodnyi Flot Rossyi": "Submarine Fleet of Russia".

TK-20 "Severstahl" commissioned (1989).

Launching of TK-13 (1985).

Launching of TK-202 (1982).

"Padvodnik": "Submariner" / "K.S.F." for "Red Banner Flotilla of the northern Fleet".

[Phil2012]

TK-208 "Dmitri Donskoi" (first Typhoon) commissioned (1981).

No information.

"Padvodnyi Flot": "Submarine Fleet".

"Utchastniku V.Sh.P.P." : "For the participants in voyage under the polar icecap". This badge was issued for the crew of TK-12 "Simbirsk" on the occasion of this special mission in 1987.

TK-20 "Severstahl".

[Phil2012]

40th anniversary of 18th Submarine Division (2001).

25th anniversary of 18th Submarine Division (1986).

Crew of TK-202.

30th anniversary of 1st Submarine Flotilla.

Voyage of TK-20 "Severstahl" under the polar icecap (1995). From a recent set dedicated to all the soviet and russian submarines that have carried out this specific voyage.

Edited April 19, 2012 by Phil2012

[Phil2012]

In books and on the web I saw around 25 or 30 other badges or medals dedicated to Typhoons. Of course I'm looking for them because I continue to collect!

There also are some variants in the colors of enamels. I don't look for them because this doesn't have any official meaning: some badges can be re-issued, some badges can be issued by differents manufacturers, and some orders to a manufacturer may mention that a badge will be produced with color variants (I saw this when I was in the Navy about badges for my unit). For all these reasons, I consider badges which differences only consist in differences of colors as duplicates. But if I find a badge with colors that please me more than the badge I already have, I buy it and I change!

Presently, only TK-208 "Dmitri Donskoi" still is in service. She was modernized some years ago to test the new missile "Bulava". TK-20 "Severstahl" and TK-17 "Arkhangelsk" are in reserve in Severodvinsk Navy base. Two ships of the new class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine "Borei" recently were commissioned, and they initially were supposed to replace the last Typhoons before 2017. But recently the Ministry of Defence decided to extend their career, considering their high potential and their indisputable qualities. So, the last three Typhoons still have a future in the Northern Fleet, and soon they will haunt the seas again!..

[TacHel]

Very nice collection! Superbe! :love:

[Phil2012]

Thank you TacHel!

Collecting badges on such a specific subject is not easy at all, it can be very frustrating: I remember that I didn't find even one badge in the whole year 2007. On the other hand, this year I got 5 new ones in january!.. It's a matter of patience and perseverance!..

[Phil2012]

Hello!

I just received this new badge from Russia:

This large badge (brass made) is a part of a recent set. TK-208 "Dmitri Donskoi" is the first Typhoon built: laid down on june 1976, launched on september 1980, and commissioned on december 1981. It is still in service in the Northern Fleet after an overhaul to use the new intercontinental missile "Bulava".

[TacHel]

Nice! It's the biggest such badge I've seen to date! :cheers:

[Phil2012]

Thank you, TacHel ! Well, it seems Russians are not afraid to make very large badges, as some other badges of my collection can make you think!.. ;)

[Phil2012]

Here is another example of very large badge, for SSBN Projekt 667BDRM "K-84 Ekaterinburg":

On the picture of my collection, by comparing with the size of the medals (which are in normal size) you can see that quite a lot of badges are very large!..

[Phil2012]

Dear colleagues,

since my last post, six new badges entered my collection, thanks to a french collector:

Commissioned TK-208 "Dmitri Donskoy" (dec. 29, 1981). TK-208 was lay down in june 1976 and launched in sptember 1980. Still in service.

TK-12 "Simbirsk" launching (dec. 17, 1983). TK-12 was lay down in april 1980 and commissioned in december 1984. Withdrawn from active service in 1996, then scrapped in 2007.

A badge to symbolize the construction of the "Typhoons" by "SEVMASH". "Sevmash" is a shipbuilding company based in Severodvinsk, a port city in Murmansk area.

It's the largest shipbuilding enterprise in Russia and today the country's only nuclear submarines builder.

Badge to the first crew members of TK-17 "Arkhangelsk". The ship was lay down in august 1983, launched in december 1986, and commissioned in december 1987. TK-17 presently is in reserve, in Severodvinsk.

Official badge "Za Dalnyi Pakhod" ("For Long Range Campaign"). There are several variants of this official badge. Any information about roman number "III" will be welcome!

"18th Division of SSBN". All the Typhoons belong to this division of Northern Fleet, founded in 1961.

My collection, after I added these new badges:

[christerd]

Very Nice !

Thanks for showing

Christer

[Phil2012]

Hello, gentlemen!

I recently got in touch with a russian pal who helps me to get new items for my collection! Thanks to him, last week I received these two badges:

"Dembelskyi":

In Russia, a "dembel" is a young man who reaches the end of his military service. On this occasion, it's a tradition to customize the uniform, as you can see here:

This customization can include handmade badges as the one I show here. I saw various dembel submariners badges and I have to say that they're very well made and it's easy to recognize the types of submarines. So, we can suppose that the dembel who wore this badge spent his military service on a Typhoon submarine. The red flag doesn't situate the badge in soviet era: it's a characteristic of dembels badges, even presently made ones.

"ZEVS":

"Zevs" ("Zeus") is the name of a Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) communication system for russian SSBN. It's located in Kola peninsula, in Murmansk area. As ELF communication system building and implementing are very complex, only US Navy and russian Navy own such systems. Virtually, transmissions from "Zevs" can be received by a russian submarine anywhere in the world: a russian station located in Antarctica received one of the first transmissions from "Zevs" when the russian Navy put the communication system into operation, in the late 80's !

I'll receive more or less than 12 new badges and medals in march and april !!! I'll present them here as I'll receive them!..

[Phil2012]

Dear colleagues,

thanks to my pal in Russia, I just got this new badge:

TK-17 "Arkhangelsk":

The "Arkhangelsk" is the 5th "Typhoon" submarine: she was commissioned in december 1987. Presently the TK-17 is in reserve, in Severodvinsk Navy base (near Murmansk).

Here is a recent picture:

This badge is an excellent manufacturing quality:

It consists in four parts: the rope, the St Andrew's cross with blue hot enamel, the anchor, and the submarine.

I don't know on which occasion this badge was created; I'm waiting for information from a russian collector. But if a forum member knows about it, please share! Thanks in advance!

Best regards,

Phil

[Phil2012]

Hello, gentlemen!

I had information about this badge of TK-17 "Arkhangelsk": it's just a souvenir, it was not made on any specific occasion.

Since I got this badge, I received five new medals and badges from my pal in Russia!

100Th anniversary of Submarine Fleet (2006):

"Homeland - Honor - Courage" / 18th Division Heavy SSBN:

The letters "TРПК" specifically refer to "Project 941 Akula" submarines. All the "Typhoons" are part of the 18 Division.

Гарантииный Авторский Надзор:

Information requested, please! Thank you!..

"Heavy SSBN Arkhangelsk" / "In the memory of service":

70th anniversary of "SEVMASH" shipyard:

"SEVMASH", in russian Севмаш (Северное Машиностроительное Предприятие), i.e. "Northern Machine-Building Enterprise", is the most important shipyard in Russia. Located in Murmansk area, SEVMASH mainly builds all the nuclear-powered submarines of Russia.

I'll soon receive more than 8 medals and bages from my pal. So: To be continued !..

Edited March 27, 2013 by Phil2012

[Phil2012]

Dear colleagues,

as I wrote in my previous post, I recently received several badges and medals from Russia. Here they are:

TK-17 "Arkhangelsk", from a very recent set about the launching of various submarines. This badge is made of obsidian!

90th anniversary of the Maintenance & Technical Services of the Fleet:

Official badge "For Long Range Campaign" (variant):

20th anniversary of TK-17 "Arkhangelsk":

105th anniversary of the Submarine Fleet:

100th anniversary of the Submarine Fleet (with two officers daggers):

105th anniversary of the Submarine fleet:

Northern Fleet 18th Division of nuclear submarines:

105th anniversary of the Submarine Fleet, "Veteran" variant:

"Zapadnaia Litsa", the Typhoons homebase (Murmansk area), variant:

55th anniversary of SEVMASH shipyards (Severodvinsk, in Murmansk area):

[Phil2012]

My collection today, on a larger frame (32"x16", or 80cm X 40cm) :

Some deals are on the way with my russian pal. So I'll can post pictures of new items within some weeks...