Badges and decorations of the Soviet Union

This article is a list of Badges and decorations of the Soviet Union. They were awarded primarily for military service, but also for sports, graduation and community participation. The badges were not only given to award service or achievement, but to inspire loyalty and patriotism to the Soviet regime.

"Flag" badges

Badge And Ribbon	Name (English/Russian/Translit)	Creation Date	Description
	Delegate of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR		Awarded to Delegates of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

All-Union Civilian badges

Badge And Ribbon	Name (English/Russian/Translit)	Creation Date	Description
	Winner of the Socialist Competition		Awarded for winning the Socialist competition.
	Blood Donor (1st Class) Донор СССР (первой степени)		For donating blood.
	Blood Donor (2nd Class) Донор СССР (второй степени)		For donating blood.
	Blood Donor (3rd Class) Донор СССР (третьей степени)		For donating blood.

All-Union sport decorations

Badge And Ribbon	Name (English/Russian/Translit)	Creation Date	Description
	Champion of the USSR (1st class) Чемпион СССР (первой степени)		Awarded to champions of the Soviet Union
	Champion of the USSR (2nd class) Чемпион СССР (второй степени)		Awarded to champions of the Soviet Union
	Champion of the USSR (3rd class) Чемпион СССР (третьей степени)		Awarded to champions of the Soviet Union
	Record-breaker of the USSR Рекордсмен СССР		Awarded to record-breakers of the Soviet Union
	For the best ascension За лучшее восхождение		Awarded for the best ascension

Military badges

Badge And Ribbon	Name (English/Russian/Translit)	Creation Date	Description
	Excellence in the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army		Issued to Red Army personnel for excellence before the force was renamed after the Second World War.
	10th Anniversary Of The O.G.P.U.	1927	Issued to members of the Soviet Political Police.
	Participant Of The Khasan Battle 1938	5 June 1939	Issued to service personnel who took part in the Battle of Lake Khasan against Japanese forces.
	Badge For Bravery And Determination In The Great Patriotic War	1970	Awarded to Veterans of the Second World War on the event of the 25th Anniversary of Victory.
	Excellent Propagandist Of The M.V.D.		Awarded to M.V.D. personnel for excellent work in propaganda promoting the works of the M.V.D. using various art forms and media.
	Excellence In The D.O.S.A.A.F.		Issued to D.O.S.A.A.F. personnel for excellence in supporting the armed forces.
	50th Anniversary Of The D.O.S.A.A.F.
	Badge for "Long Cruise" (surface ships) Знак "за дальний поход"	22 May 1961 original variant (1961–1976)	Awarded to the most distinguished, highly disciplined military and civilian personnel of the Soviet Navy who participated in successful long-range cruises on vessels of the Navy.
	Badge for "Long Cruise" (surface ships) Знак "за дальний поход"	22 May 1961 2nd variant (1976–1987)	Awarded to the most distinguished, highly disciplined military and civilian personnel of the Soviet Navy who participated in successful long-range cruises on vessels of the Navy.
	Badge for "Long Cruise" (submarines) Знак "за дальний поход"	22 May 1961 original variant (1961–1976)	Awarded to the most distinguished, highly disciplined military and civilian personnel of the Soviet Navy who participated in successful long-range cruises on vessels of the Navy.
	Badge for "Long Cruise" (submarines) Знак "за дальний поход"	22 May 1961 2nd variant (1976–1987)	Awarded to the most distinguished, highly disciplined military and civilian personnel of the Soviet Navy who participated in successful long-range cruises on vessels of the Navy.
	Badge "Army Air Defense Forces" Знак "Войска ПВО страны"	31 March 1975	Awarded to members of the Soviet Army Air Defense Forces for exemplary performance in military duties on air defense alert crews over a period of 5 years. Commanders of air defense units that rated as "excellent" could also be awarded the badge.
	Breast badge of Internal Troops "For Distinction in Service" (1st class) ВВМВД Нагрудный знак "За отличие в службе" I степени	1971	Awarded to soldiers of the Interior Ministry (BBMVD) of the USSR for initiative, diligence and distinction displayed in the discharge of official duties.
	Breast badge of Internal Troops "For Distinction in Service" (2nd class) ВВМВД Нагрудный знак "За отличие в службе" II степени	1971	Awarded to soldiers of the Interior Ministry (BBMVD) of the USSR for initiative, diligence and distinction displayed in the discharge of official duties.
	Breast badge for "Excellent Border Troop" (1st class) Нагрудный знак "Отличник погранвойск" I степени	8 April 1969	Awarded to soldiers, sailors, sergeants and petty officers of KGB Border Troops, or to other soldiers urgently enlisted in assisting the Border Troops, for exemplary performance of duties in the protection of the state border of the USSR, skillful actions to apprehend violators of the border, for displaying courage, perseverance, endurance, excellent performance in combat and political training, and for military discipline.
	Breast badge for "Excellent Border Troop" (2nd class) Нагрудный знак "Отличник погранвойск" II степени	8 April 1969	Awarded to soldiers, sailors, sergeants and petty officers of KGB Border Troops, or to other soldiers urgently enlisted in assisting the Border Troops, for exemplary performance of duties in the protection of the state border of the USSR, skillful actions to apprehend violators of the border, for displaying courage, perseverance, endurance, excellent performance in combat and political training, and for military discipline.

Graduate badges

Badge And Ribbon	Name (English/Russian/Translit)	Creation Date	Description
			Issued to graduates of the Soviet Union's General Staff College until 1992
			Issued to graduates of one of the Soviet Union's staff colleges until 1992
			Issued to graduates of the Soviet Union's Staff College of Armored and Motorized Troops
			Issued to graduates of one of the Soviet Union's military education facilities, officers high schools or military faculties of a civilian high school

Badges for Military Excellence

Badge And Ribbon	Name (English/Russian/Translit)	Creation Date	Description
	Excellent Artillery Personnel Отличный артиллерист	21 May 1942
	Excellent Shooter Отличный стрелок	21 May 1942
	Excellent Sniper Снайпер	21 May 1942
	Excellent Tank Crew Personnel Отличный танкист	21 May 1942
	Excellent Machinegunner Отличный пулемётчик	21 May 1942
	Excellent Mortar Specialist Отличный миномётчик	21 May 1942
	Excellent Submariner Отличный подводник	21 May 1942
	Excellent Torpedo Specialist Отличный торпедист	21 May 1942
	Excellent Railway Troop Отличник желдорвойск	21 May 1942
	Excellent Land Mine Specialist Отличный минёр	19 August 1942
	Excellent Combat Engineer Отличный сапёр	19 August 1942
	Excellent Medic Отличник санитарной службы	4 October 1942
	Excellent Reconnaissance Scout Отличный разведчик	10 March 1943
	Excellent Signaler Отличный связной	3 April 1943
	Excellent Pontoon Bridge Builder Отличный понтонер	5 April 1943
	Excellent Antiaircraft Gunner Отличник ПВО	30 April 1943
	Excellent Driver Отличный шофёр	8 July 1943
	Excellent Cook Отличнрый повар	8 July 1943
	Excellent Baker Отличнрый пекарь	8 July 1943
	Excellent Road Builder Отличный дорожник	8 July 1943
	Excellent Tractor Driver Отличный тракторист	10 September 1943
	Excellent Fire Fighter Отличный пожарный	22 November 1944
	Excellence In The Air Force Отличник авиации	1950
	Excellent in Military Construction Отличник военного строительства	21 May 1954	Awarded to military and civilian personnel of military units and organizations of construction and quartering of troops of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union, for distinction in the sus performance of official duties, for achieving high results in work, or for active participation in important construction during military operations.

Local badges

Badge And Ribbon	Name (English/Russian/Translit)	Creation Date	Description
	Excellence in socialist competition in gold and platinum mining		Awarded to workers in the gold and platinum mining industries for excellent labour.

Leninist Young Communist League Awards

Badge And Ribbon	Name (English/Russian/Translit)	Creation Date	Description
	For Environmental Protection За защиту окружающей среды		Issued by the Leninist Young Communist League Of The Soviet Union.

References

v t e Orders, decorations, and medals of the Soviet Union
Highest grade of distinction	Hero of the Soviet Union Hero of Socialist Labour Mother Heroine
Honorary titles	Honoured Military Pilot Honoured Military Navigator Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR Honoured Test Pilot Honoured Test Navigator Honoured Pilot Honoured Navigator Honoured Inventor People's Artist People's Doctor People's Architect People's Teacher
Civil and military orders	Order of Victory Order of Lenin Order of the October Revolution Order of the Red Banner Order of Suvorov Order of Ushakov Order of Kutuzov Order of Nakhimov Order of the Red Star Order of the Patriotic War Order of Alexander Nevsky Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky Order of Glory Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" Order of the Red Banner of Labour Order of Friendship of Peoples Order of the Badge of Honour Order of Maternal Glory Order of Labour Glory Order of Honour Order "For Personal Courage"
Military medals	Medal "For Courage" Medal "For Battle Merit" Medal of Ushakov Medal of Nakhimov For Distinction in Guarding the State Border For Distinction in the Protection of Public Order For Distinction in Military Service For Strengthening Military Cooperation For Impeccable Service Veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR
Second World War medals	For the Defence of Leningrad Odessa Sevastopol Stalingrad Moscow Caucasus Soviet Transarctic Kyiv For the Capture of Berlin Budapest Königsberg Vienna For the Liberation of Prague Warsaw Belgrade For the Victory over Germany For the Victory over Japan To a Partisan of the Patriotic War For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War
Civil medals	For Labour Valour For Distinguished Labour For the Salvation of the Drowning For Courage in a Fire Veteran of Labour For the Restoration of the Donbass Coal Mines For the Restoration of the Black Metallurgy Enterprises of the South For the Development of Virgin Lands For Construction of the Baikal-Amur Railway For Transforming the Non-Black Earth For the Tapping of the Subsoil of Western Siberia
Jubilee medals	XX Years of the Red Army 30 Years of the Soviet Army and Navy 40 50 60 70 Years of the Armed Forces 20 30 40 Years of Victory 800th Anniversary of Moscow 250th Anniversary of Leningrad 1500th Anniversary of Kyiv 50 Years of the Soviet Militia 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Lenin
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