K396 "Novosibirsk Komsomlets".

[Bill Garvy]

Here is a Soviet Naval Badge for the submarine K396, "Novosobirskiy Komsomol" (VLKSM) Badge commemorating (?) the submarine K396, "Novosibirsk" issued, I was erroneously informed, in the 1970's. . .

[Tommy]

B-396 'Novosibirsky Komsomolets, Now a floating museum!



Inside

[Bill Garvy]

I have been informed this is a Navy Badge and not a Komsomol Badge at all. Also the time frame of manufacture would be no more than the last fifteen years, not the 1970's as I initially thought. My thanks to the invaluable feedback from my colleagues!

[Bill Garvy]

[SIZE="3"]Additionally, given the 15 year window for manufacture, it has been posited, could this badge even be legitimate (post-Soviet), or perhaps even, gasp, a fantasy piece, perhaps a souvenir piece from the above-mentioned museum?

I welcome your collective best thinking on the matter, no pun intended.[/SIZE]

[desantnik]

I'd opt towards fantasy as it resembles the KGB coast guard ship series. It is also an appealing and collectible craft, not a more mundane ship like a trawler...

[Bill Garvy]

I also note the subtle discrepancy between the actual vessel and its depiction on the badge itself.

[matteti]

I checked the book "Znaki i Zhetony" of Russian Navy 1945-2004 (Знаки и жетоны Российского флота 1945–2004) and could not find the same badge.

The one that looked the closest was a Delegate badge for the "X Komsomol Conference". But it had a ship instead of the Submarine and there was no fold in the top right part of the Navy flag. Obvious the bottom panel with text was also different.

There were also quite a series of "Memorial" badges about minesweeping or other vessels, but the Navy flag was flowing in opposite direction.

One thing I noticed while looking at the book was that no badge had the "Hammer and Sickle" hidden or even partially hidden behind part of the foreground ship or other element. Even when that element extended high enough to reach the white part of the flag, the Hammer and Sickle as well as the Star were always located in a way to be 100% visible. Maybe I'm just thinking too much! :confused:

[Bill Garvy]

Better to think too much than not at all, and thank you, this is all very valuable feedback for my learning curve, which, as you all know, resembles more of a straight line!

[marsino]

If this book can be helpful.

[Bill Garvy]

Thank you very much, Marsino, what are those badges and the title of this book? It appears to be a catalog of Komsomol Badges.