I bought this shield at an antique shop and would like to know more about its origins with respect to the USSR. Where and what was something like this was used for back in the day? I know it reads "Proletariat of the world unite."
Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks ![]()
It's a copy of the Order of the Red Banner.
I personally own one as a part of my collection. That's all there is to it. Trivia In George Orwell's Animal Farm (1945), an order called the Order of the Green Banner is created. ![]() The great art of life is sensation, to feel that you exist, even in pain.
This is quite a large piece though, about 12in X 12in. The person I bought it from, who had a plethora of USSR memorabilia amongst other things, said that it belonged on the front of a locomotive in the 1970s. I have yet to find such a thing on the internet though
In that case I'd say that the Order was probably awarded to the local railway enterprise that the train operated from. Awards were constantly given to state and collective enterprises which performed exceptionally, and huge replicas were attached to the front of such enterprises be it a factory, a train, or even in the middle of cities where in the case of Kiev for example, there are huge awarded memorials of the Order of Lenin and Title Hero City Star of the Soviet Union which are on display in a specific location.
The Soviet Railways were the largest unified railway in the world and the backbone of the USSR's economy, and the USSR was heavily dependent on rail transport, vitally dependant during the Russian Civil War and the Great Patriotic War, but also for industrialisation according to the five-year plans. Since trains literally saved the reds from annihilation during the Civil War, many trains were awarded the Red Banner Order, because it was the only military decoration available during those first bleak years. Off-topic but interesting charts nonetheless: ![]() The great art of life is sensation, to feel that you exist, even in pain. |
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