Soviet ODVF(Society of Friends of the Air Fleet), MoscowChapter,
membership badge, 1923-1925 issue.
This is a GUARANTEED 100%ORIGINAL period piece, not a fake or "reissue"!
Made in brass andenamels, and measures 29.1 mm tall at the flagpole; the flag itself is 14.9 mm talland 28.7 mm wide. The artwork is in typically early Soviet ConstructivistStyle, with deliberately square, cartoonish depiction of the airplane. The blueCyrillic letters inside the rising sun are RSFSR for “Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic”. The inscription near the top of the banner isMODVF for Moscow[Chapter], Society of Friends of Air Fleet.
This historic badgeis among the very first issued after the Bolshevik victory in the Russian CivilWar and the formation of the USSRin 1922. The ODVF was a very interestingorganization. This was the first Soviet air club, ostensibly organized andfinanced by private aviation enthusiasts but in fact closely watched andfinanced by the state – like anything of importance in the Soviet Union even inits early days. It existed under this name for just a short period, from1923-25, and its badges were often issued to members for paying dues as well ascontributing time and expertise to building new airplanes, teaching flyingskills, propagandizing aviation etc. In 1925, the organization merged withanother “volunteer” club, Dobrokhim, and became known as Aviakhim. Just twoyears later, after another merger, it became the better known, huge OSOAVIAKhIMorganization that was directly controlled by the Soviet authorities and farless discreet in its true purpose: preparation for the upcoming war.
The badge is inFINE condition, better than the average for a Soviet badge of such an earlyvintage. The blue enamel on the flag is relatively well preserved with only acouple of tiny chips in the upper left corner, some hairline cracks and minorcontact marks. None of the damage is glaring or even immediately noticeable tothe naked eye, and the enamel retains its beautiful overall appearance andluster. Note that even the red enamel in the tiny stars on the airplane’s wingsand in the flagpole finial is still present! A good amount of the original giltfinish on the reverse is still present. The screw post is original and fulllength, over 11 mm long. The screw plate is rightly of the period, and althoughit may be not original to this particular badge, it fits the screw postperfectly.
This extremelyuncommon badge can be a great addition to any collection of early aviationmemorabilia or early Soviet awards!
INCLUDESFREE US SHIPPING WITH FULL INSURANCE!!!
THIS ITEM IS FOR USA ONLY! We WILL NOT shipour items outside of the USA - please don't ask.
