Badge "50 Years Membership In The Communist Party Of U.S.S.R."

[Nota Bene]

Originally Posted by Aharim

We started this post with a 50 badge that looked like Order of Lenin and was a 50 year pin for members of the Communist Party (badge in silver). It was noted by another poster that it was difficult to pin. I have one where the recipient solved that problem. An almost unique (i am sure) screwback 50 year pin for Communist Party membership!

I believe a bunch of them was made for members of the military.

Alexei

[Aharim]

To get such a badge is a real matter of longevity. There were several "thinning of the ranks" (not purges) in the 20's and early 30's where members were questioned about what they had done to further the party "recently" and if not sufficiently bold, had their memberships cancelled. Happened to Yeshov's wife if I recall, but she was reinstated for a while. Then there were the purges. So the badge shows up in approximately 1978. I have photos of Brezhnev receiving his as well as photos of his documents. (Maybe real?)(I will scan and photo when I can.) I stayed with photos on that one, because how many Brezhnev documents are out there? More than he ever had. The badge should be relatively inexpensive (except for his) - buy if it is, and may come with a document. I got one of those. Get one if you can, and like I did, buy interesting odd ball pieces.

[Aharim]

attached is a scan of photo of Brezhnev wearing a 50 year pin (below Deputy Badge but above Party Congress Badge).

Next picture is exterior of special document with gold metal letters for 50 years in Communist Party.

Finally, (if we believe it) inside of special small document with badge.

Please note - I only wanted photos.

[Lapa]

Aharim,

I don't know for sure if the document is his, but it is much nicer than the usual document issued to "normal" people who qualified for the badge!

Marc

[Kirchgoens]

Aharim - from your references to "thinning" and the Purges, it almost sounds like you are saying that only those with 50 years of membership in the party got the badge. Is this the case, or did party members in general get the badge on the 50th anniversary (like the jubilee medals)? I'd have thought the latter because the former would make these a little harder to find than what I've observed. I guess what I'm asking is this: who actually qualified for the badge?

It's a very nice little badge, but they don't seem too rare.

...Brian

[Alfred]

I guess what I'm asking is this: who actually qualified for the badge?

People who were 50 years in the party.

In the document is the date when the person joined the party and the date when the document was issued.

It is not a jubilee medal.

In 1933 the CPSU had 2,2 Mio. members and 1,3 Mio. candidats. So if all the memeber from 1933 were still alive in 1983 there would be 2,2 million badges. But the badge is much rarer.


best regards
Andreas

[Lapa]

Andreas, Brian,

The badge is for 50 years (or more) of membership in the KPSU.

Marc

[Aharim]

Sorry for any misinterpretation.

Join the party. Wait 50 years. IF you are here then you qualify assuming you have paid your dues in the intervening years.

I was just commenting that people were kicked out, so could not stay for duration.

[Kirchgoens]

I've got to dig out my scanner or camera, but I've now got the doc to this "50years of membership" badge. The doc is much simpler than that Brezhnev example in the posts above. Today I found this as part of a group with this (I think it's '77 since she joined in '27) and a VL medal from '67.

[Nota Bene]

Kirchgoens,

I have seen 3 or 4 variations of the document.

Alexei