Soviet Soviet Higher Military Academy Badges

[Guest Rick Research]

In 1954 silver and white enamel badges were created to recognize graduates of higher military academies, and were bestowed retroactive to 1918 for surviving previous graduates.

The original 4 piece type badge bore the 16 Republics Soviet state seal, with 8 ribbons on the left of the wreath, one at bottom, and seven on the right side as viewed. This design was changed in 1956 (effective 1957) to 15 Republics, as 7-1-7.

The early types of badge were made out of real silver, with the red enamel star rivetted on, and shields bearing the specific school's name pinned on through holes in the lower part of the badge. At some point circa the mid-1960s silver ceased being used, replaced by a silver colored alloy, and the shields were sweated on. Over the course of further time, the rivet through the central star was omitted, and instead a small screw nut snugged the star and wreath onto the backing. Those can be dis-assembled. Early badges can not be taken apart.

There were dozens of badges, with a number of changes due to political fluctuations-- the removal of Stalin's name, dropping "Voroshilov" from the General Staff Academy's designation, and so on.

[Guest Rick Research]

Here are reverses of the 1950s-60s silver badges, to show early construction.

Before the badges were created, graduates received hard covered brown pocket sized books with their photo, stamped, and showing graduation "grade."

The M1954 badges came with a flimsy paper booklet similar to what was given with campaign and jubilee medals after the war.

Notice on this one the design shows a "generic" badge with NO name on the shield, and is filled out inside to then-Colonel of air force engineer technical branch Dmitry Fedorovich Petukhov as an October 1955 graduate of the Riga "Red Banner, in the name of K. E. Voroshilov" Higher Aviation-Engineering Military School.

[Guest Rick Research]

Here is an example of the sort of Graduation Certificate issued before any badges were created.

In the Voroshilov General Staff Academy War Class of 1943, infantry Colonel Ilya Grigorievich Popov (holder of the 1938 "Jubilee" Medal and a screwback Order of the Red Banner) passed out with "satisfactory" grades. Notice the ephemeral wartime slogan at top right "Death to the German Occupiers!"

If Colonel Popov survived, he would have received the first type Voroshilov Academy retroactively in the mid-1950s.

[Guest Rick Research]

Still on bad quality paper, this January 1947 short course for experienced wartime staff officers graduation certificate from the Voroshilov General Staff Academy (note changes in the school's name, and again, signature of the then Commandant) was for then-Major General Nikolai Boleslavovich Ibyansky.

He later received the first type badge.

[Steen Ammentorp]

Hi Rick,

For further information on this character please see:

http://www.generals.dk/general/Ibianskii/N...viet_Union.html

Sadly I don't have any thing on colonel Popov. I don't think that he made it as a general during WWII.

Kind Regards

Steen Ammentorp

The Generals of World War II

Edited September 16, 2005 by Steen Ammentorp

[Guest Rick Research]

Ah!!! It's that transliteration spelling issue again.

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