Komsomol Dembels

[vikingraider1]

Can anyone ID this badge or is it just a variation of the small komosomol badge?

[otlichnik]

No idea. Regional office variation?? Anything on the back??

Shawn

[vikingraider1]

Here is the back, sorry not much to go on.

[HuliganRS]

Actually...

This is a 2 pin setup...

The top, red piece is VLKSM pin that eveyone had!
The bottom one is some other Communist pin...

It looks like one was glued on top of another!

Rusty.

[Nota Bene]

Rusty,

The bottom piece is made from an soldiers belt buckle. It's a perfect example of Dembel' (soldiers returning home) art.

Alexei

[vikingraider1]

Thanks very much Nota!
That makes perfect sense as the badge was pinned to a Dembel' uniform for a Motor Rifle infantryman. I did have my doubts as the authenticty of the badge as it looked like it was crudely constructed. Apprently this type of badge was quite popular with demobbed infantrymen as I have seen it on uniforms on more than one occasion.

[Tal Inbar]

Another variation

[vikingraider1]

Interesting, when exactly did these dark coloured VLKSM badges start being issued to members of Komsomol organisations...?

[Nota Bene]

Vikingraider1,

These were never issued, but rather manufactured by soldiers returning home after their turn of duty, and served only to dress up their uniforms.

Alexei

[vikingraider1]

Thanks Nota but I know that the badge was manufactured by the soldiers but the VLKSM badge in the centre is a darker colour than some of the ones I seen. Have you any idea when these were issued? I have a M1956 parade uniform, actually dated at 1969 and it has a VLKSM badge with a medium shade of red, so this darker version is obviiously newer.