Badge "Tractorist-Machinist".

[CtahhR]

Here is the Badge "Tractorist-Machinist" (Тракторист-Машинист), a labour "qualification" award. Created by the Head Committee Under Soviet Ministers Of The USSR For Questions Of Labour And Wages on 9th June 1966 to reward all agricultural machine operators (not just tractors) for excellent work. The 1st Class came with a wage increase of 20% and 2nd Class with 10%.

[Pobeda45]

Nice to see it up close. I think this badge is overlooked a bit.

[CtahhR]

Originally Posted by Pobeda45

Nice to see it up close. I think this badge is overlooked a bit.

overlooked a bit is somewhat of an understatement....

It is extremely surprising that this is the first appearance of the qualification after 12 1/2 years of the forum. With "dinosaurs" talking about "phaleristics" yet not even contributing the basics.

I have a special fondness for the agricultural awards being an old "farm boy" myself. In fact whilst I was posting it there was a combine harvester providing a soundtrack.

Somehow I think I'd have never got the 1st Class. I've rolled a couple of tractors and certainly got stuck in the mud more times than I can mention. I even got a tractor stuck up a tree once after listening to some bad advice.

A solid Brezhnev era labour award that's not for long service.

[Pobeda45]

I dig them, looks like it's the "good" type of construction that's built to last too.

I buy up the labor badges myself, like anything railroad related and occasionally VDNH stuff. All the "Otlichnik" ministry badges are great too. In all, there's an infinite variety and they don't come loaded with as heavy a back story as the war awards. Thanks for posting!

George

[CtahhR]

Here is the 2nd Class.