Badge "Participant In The Afghan War".

[clebercalado]

Hi guys

This is on E-bay.....6.95 US$

Is it real or just a fake ?

Do You know who received this badge and the criteria to use....

Thanks

Cleber

[medals73]

"Участник Афганской войны". Тяжелый металл (белый), на закрутке / Participant in the Afghan War

I assume this is some sort of unofficial vaterans' doo-dad.

[CtahhR]

This is one of a series of similarly designed Badges issued by the "Russian Union Of Veterans Of Afghanistan". The union also now awards Orders and Medals of their own. When I get round to it I can post a number of variations on this particular Badge as well as an Order "For Merit" and Medal "For Courage And Bravery". They also did the larger screwback Badge "Participant In Combat Operations In The Democratic Republic Of Afghanistan" (amongst a number of other things).

Unfortunately the Badges are rather poor quality and produced in tens in not hundreds of thousands. Almost universally seen now. Very frequently added to unissued uniforms that are passed off as "original veterans' uniforms" but in reality the Badge was made a little while ago and added just before the photograph was taken.

[medals73]

Thanks. I have a bunch of these medals too. Interesting Walter Mitty "Viagra" awards. Every country seems to be afflicted with them.

[CtahhR]

If the idea of producing these "awards" is profit. It is obviously very successful if not only are the tourists and collectors buying them up but also actual veterans from post-Soviet nations. With this particular Badge there are enough designs of the same thing there is one for every taste. Some looking more communist, some more imperial.

When I do finally get round to posting the Russian Federation items in the collection the forum will get swamped with them. Close to 400 Federal, Ministerial, Organisational and sources unknown "awards" celebrating almost everything that can be. The "Organisations" don't get nearly as much mileage out other conflicts as they do the Patriotic War though. The Organisations did jump onto the 70th anniversary of Halhin-Gol, surprisingly?

The Russian Federation has yet to officially institute any sort of commemorative award for Afghanistan though. So if you see one it is either #1 Not Russian or #2 not official.