Badge "All-Union Census Of The Population".

[kameli]

This is a very common badge, but how many different badges there were in Soviet Union?

Here are the badges from the years 1959, 1970, 1979 and 1989.

Was there a count of population in 1939?

Jussi-Pekka

[Christophe]

Is it an impression, but I have the very strong feeling (confirmed by my eyes) that between 1970 and 1979, the Kuril and Sakhalin Islands - boths subjects of claims between the USSR and Japan - have been added to the SU card.

Interesting, because the SU claim is dating back to 1945 !

Reason why ? It probably did not change so much the headcount !!

Ch.

[kameli]

Christophe,

I think, only reason for that kind of act must have been political.



Jussi-Pekka

[Christophe]

Yes, something happened between 1970 and 1979 !!! Maybe the Soviets strengthened their claim.

Ch.

[Chuck In Oregon]

Here are a couple of examples of the 1939 version. Each has a different screwplate. That is a VERY nice example of the 1897. Mine is so dark that the details didn't show well when scanned. I thought that maybe the (presumably scheduled) 1969 census just didn't come off until 1970. I have never seen a 1969 census badge or any other than the ones already discussed.

[kameli]

From "Izvestija" no. 8, 10th January, 1959.

The text is too difficult to me so I don't know what it says.

But there is the badge!

Jussi-Pekka

Not very good scan, but that´s all I can do right now...

[scook17]

A couple I received today. Anyone know anything about these, number issued, when they were issued, types etc. I've not been able to find any info in any of the badge books I have. Thanks.

Kind Regards,
Shane Cook.

[matteti]

Hello Shane,
I don't know much, but I also have some Census badges. I have for the 1959, 1970, 1979 and 1989 census. They were very cheap, less than $10 for the four of them.

After 1959, they started to make them more cheaply (light metal alloy, aluminium, etc..).

Yours are nice, I like the 1939 especially. I have never seen one before.

For information, here is the list of the different census held in Russia/Soviet Union
-Russian Census (1920), which was incomplete
-Soviet Census (1923), which only covered urban population
-First All Union Census of the Soviet Union (1926)
-Soviet Census (1937)
-Soviet Census (1939)
-Soviet Census (1959)
-Soviet Census (1970)
-Soviet Census (1979)
-Soviet Census (1989)

My guess is that each census worker (going door to door) receive one of these badge to identify themselve. That would make quit a big number of people.

[Rooinek]

It is interesting to note that the 1939 census was conducted as a result of the 1937 census which was declared invalid as it contradicted speeches that Stalin had made on the population growth under the Bolsheviks. The preliminary result of the census, reported in mid of March 1937, was 162 million. This figure was unacceptably low and a Pravda article stated that the "enemies of the people gave the census counters invalid instructions that led to the gross under-counting of the population, but the brave NKVD under the leadership of Nikolai Yezhov destroyed the snake's nest in the statistical bodies."
The 1937 census administrators were arrested, some shot, and a new census was scheduled for 1939. This census gave more acceptable figures of some 170 million.

This history behind these badges is what makes them so wonderful.

[Bundtrock]

Just got this 1959 Soviet Census badge on ebay tonight, love the red map.