Soviet Policeman in the UASSR

[kimj]

There has been lots of very nice stuff posted lately. So I felt a need not only to lurk but also to post some of my own stuff.

This is from a group that once belonged to Aleksey Michaijlovitch Matveev. Mateev had a long career as a policeman and later as a politician. Most of his life seems to have been spent in the Udmurt Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (UASSR). He was awarded the order of the badge of honour in 1937. (Very special year in Soviet history, could it have been awarded for rounding up enemies of the state or long service?) His other awards are a Red banner, ca 1945, and a order of Lenin, ca 1951 (must be for 30 years of service, unfortunately missing from the group).

The sleeve badge did not come with the group but looks nice.

[kimj]

Inside the order book.

[kimj]

This is from his ?Voenij Bilet? with his career in it.:

Nov 1921- Jul 1922--Red Army man, staff of special designation (probably the OSNAZ) Retired for long term vacation;

Sep 1923 -Dec 1925--Sr.Policeman, Dobryanski Police Dept;

Dec 1925 -Aug 1928--Chief, Dobryanski PD;

Aug 1928 -Mar 1930--Chief, Cherkazy? PD;

Mar 1930 -May 1930--Director, Perm Bureau of Correctional Works;

May 1930 -Apr 1932--Chief; Perm City PD?(unclear);

Apr 1932 -Nov 1932--Chief, Molotov PD;

nov 1932-apr 1933--Cadet, Central Police School;

apr 1933-nov 1934--Chief, Molotov PD;

nov 1934-apr 1941--Chief, Votkinsk PD?;

apr 1941-aug 1941--Narkom Deputy, NKVD Udmurtia ASSR;

aug 1941-may 1943--Chief Deputy, Votkinsk NKVD Dept;

may 1943-feb 1944--Chief, Votkinsk NKVD Dept;

feb 1944-jul 1945--Chief, Sarapul NKVD Dept;

jul 1945-apr 1948?--Minister Deputy, MVD Udmurtia ASSR.

[kimj]

He joined the party in 1926 and I suspect it is related to him becoming chief. Another interesting thing is that he was the director for three months at the Perm Bureau of Correctional Works. I guess this was a prison..?

A small group.... but nice.

/Kim

[Ed_Haynes]

Oh, very nice. Thanks for the eye-candy. These civilian groups have so much history behind them!

Edited March 25, 2006 by Ed_Haynes

[Guest Rick Research]

The handwriting is a bit tough...

I get "Chermazsky Rai" as the district he was police chief of August 1928-March 1930.

You've read it correctly for his job May 1930-April 1932.

I don't know about the city from 1934-1941... looks like "Votsinsky" to me. That's the problem with these totally alien places for us.

What does the reverse of his portrait photo say? Looks like a personnel file photo, so hopefully it is stamped and dated. He is a Militia (civil police) Major (contemporary title was "Senior Lieutenant of Militia" formerly Rank Category 8) there, which was a very big deal in those days. What photo is in his Orders Book?

Amazing indeed that somebody in his sort of job made it THROUGH the Purges and I suspect that you are entirely right-- this Badge of "Honour" was for rounding up

the usual suspects

among his neighbors.

This was a man who had NO friends.

An extremely nice group, and the only one I have ever seen for a career senior police officer this early.

Here's my late 1930s civil police command sleeve shield and cap star, compared to an army officer's of the same period:

[attachmentid=32009]

I think there's an old thread in one of the early pages here with more insignia.

[Stogieman]

It's very nice to see these wonderful police items posted. Kim, that's a wonderful group with such complete original paperwork and the beautiful command badge. Rick, yours are beautiful as well!

[Gerd Becker]

Fantastic Group, Kim. Thanks for sharing

[Bryan]

This badge is so gorgeous!

What is the name of this badge? Police sleeve shield?

[kimj]

Thanks for all the kind words! Sharing makes the hobby more fun for all.

Handwriting can be a pain in the *** even when it?s in Swedish. So when it comes to Russian I depend on native speakers and other internet based experts..

There must be some reference book over police districts online or at least a book. But that will be a side project for now.

The portrait photo has nothing on the reverse. Maybe he just took a trip to the photo studio. Any order in 1937 would have been a big deal.

Nice badges Rick! I have some police cap badges... perhaps time to dig them up and start a new thread.

Soviet: If Rick says sleeve shield then it must be correct name.

Here is his order book photo.

The other one is from the inside of the reserve officers ID. Matveev is now in his new uniform with shoulderboards. Unfortunally those soviet high collars never really worked for him. On the positive side he never seems to have had problems eating well...

[kimj]

Here is a page that I would need some better translation of. As I understand it it?s a note of him being released of service because of health reasons. At the time he was only 48. So was it ?health reasons? or health reasons...

/Kim

[Chris S]

Kimi...great group!

Here's a police badge similar to yours...still has a piece of red cloth attached and is complete with rear plate.

Chris

[Chris S]

The back with plate and retaining loop

Chris

[Chris S]

A police cap badge for senior officers (two piece)

Chris

[Chris S]

As he may have also been connected to the prison service an anniversary badge given to senior prison personnel.

Chris

[Guest Rick Research]

Almost all the retirement paperwork I've ever seen cites "health." Just a euphemism for too long in rank and the "up or out" policy kicked in-- and kicked them out. Full Colonel of Police and Deputy Minister of national police... he did darned well, whatever the human toll was. It could also be that too much eating and waaaaaay too much DRINKING took a physical toll-- these guys tend to be "well upholstered" and have expressions that indicate digestive "issues."

The state seal was used as both a sleeve badge (big version) and a cap badge (much smaller). The police uniforms book-- which is FULL of errors-- shows a silver version as NCOs and enlisted policemen, and these gold ones as officers-- but all I have EVER seen are gold ones, and ONE solitary silver one. They may have been produced in one color for almost every policeman.

I have never seen the MAGNIFICENT backed version that Chris has shown before.

OR a two piece cap star like that-- mine is one piece.

There is so much we do NOT know yet about the Soviet police-- exciting collecting times ahead, with so much out there still to be learned!

PS, Here are "Category 10" "Police Major" ( = Brigadier General) overcoat rank tabs:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtopic=9...findpost&p=5830

[Bryan]

What are your opinions on that Police shield?

I'm going to get it in a trade, but I am not sure if it is original.

Why do they all have the same kind of damage to the blue enamel? Is it supposed to represent the Soviet Union before the war?

Edited January 22, 2008 by Bryan

[Bryan]

Reverse

[Guest Rick Research]

That's not "damage." It is clear enamel over what is supposed to be the shape of the USSR and the sun. The enamel on every one I have ever seen is much too thick. The raised metal did not separate the colors well, and it always looks like a potato rather than the USSR.

Looks fine to me.

[Bryan]

Interesting. Thank you Rick!

[Bryan]

KimJ, could you please show us better pictures from your Police badge? I'd like to compare it with mine if it's possible.

Here are better pics of mine.

[Bryan]

Obverse

[Lapa]

Obverse

Bryan,

I have finally realized that it is indeed the map of the USSR, and not some sort of enamel defect

Marc

[kimj]

Bryan. I will try to dig it out of the box this weekend. But I can't make any promises. Our new baby and the two-year-old keeps me busy with other non-collecting related work.

/Kim