Soviet "Regular" Police (Militia) officers' Insignia 1939-43

[Rick Research]

The large badge at left was worn on the left upper sleeve by "command and senior command" (officers and generals) of the NKVD Militia--the civil public order police-- between 1939 and 1943. The same ranks wore matching visor cap star at upper left--with a 1930s-early WW2 two piece Red Army officer's cap star for size comparison.

It is believed that this size of Militia cap badge was reduced to matching the army size in 1943. Unfortunately, police uniforms remain under-researched, and the pioneer study by L. Tokar has some serious errors for the wartime period. Certainly, by 1947 the police cap stars (with M1946 state seal) were of the smaller size.

The sleeve badge should have been designed with pairs of holes to have been sewn on and off for cleaning-- instead, with the typical Soviet destructive system of jamming screwposts and thick metal tabs through clothing, it originally had three split flat prongs for attachment. These have broken off, probably at the time of wear, due to inferior brittle steel, and been replaced by a single long steel wire. Note that the "potato" in the center of the globe is typical of the random blobs that will be found-- it is supposed to be a map of the Soviet Union, but the clear enamel covering it and the pale blue of the rest of the globe often ran together like this. It is NOT chipped--there is clear enamel over the copper colored metal finish.

Insignia of this period is almost invariably gilt steel, not brass.

[Rick Research]

Here are a pair of overcoat rank tabs for a "Kategory 10" civil police (Militia) commander.

This insignia and designation was introduced 20 May 1931 as the lowest of the Senior Command ranks, for a Militia Bureau Chief, or police chief of a province or region (Krai or Oblast), or of an "auronomous Oblast" or one of the smaller Union Republics.

Note that these tabs clearly show the imprint of the three horizontal rectangles of the immediately lower Kategory 9, when this officer was promoted.

On 15 June 1936 a new series of insignia was theoretically introduced, but they were never universally adopted and indeed were officially dropped 5 August 1938. "Personal rank titles" were introduced and remained. This rank became "Major of Militia." the hypothetical M1936 rank tabs were like mini Colonel's shoulder boards. A "Police Major" was NOT the same as an army Major, however, but was a nebulous rank equivalent to Colonel or Brigade Commander.

The 5 August 1938 cancellation of the "M1936" insignia restored the existing M1931s. On 16 August 1939 the shape of tunic rank tabs was altered, but overcoat insignia like these remained the same until the 11 February 1943 uniform and rank changes.

So these tabs were worn by a "Kategory 10" Senior Commander 1931-36, and by a "Major of Police" 1936-43. In 1943 this same rank became not a "new style" major of Police (lowest rank of Medium Command ranks) but the new lowest rank of Senior Command, "Commissar of Police 3rd Rank" which wore the insignia of a military Major General. (see thread on M1943 Commissar 3rd Rank uniform in the back pages)

[Rick Research]

Here are the reverses. The funny pumpkin colored stuff is the remnants of paper. Never having seen these sort of tabs OFF a uniform before, I'm not sure whether this was originally a layer of stiffening, or the result of being glued in an album.

[Rick Research]

Here is a closeup of the rank diamond. Note the pattern of quartered lines underneath. The enamel is also "domed" rather than flat.

There is an old thread showing army (red enamelled) Medium Command rectangles and Junior Command squares, all of which shared the same alternately positioned quartered lines. It is hard to scan these-- the upper left has the same lines as the lower right. Sorry about the scanner dust fuzzies!!!!

Rank insignia came in two types-- with wire prongs, or on a screw thread with a tiny maker marked screw disk.

Before the war they are often gilt brass. Gilt steel seems to have been the norm after about 1940.

Because they are so small and simple, all pre-1943 Soviet rank insignias (triangles, squares, rectangles, and diamonds) are being faked... but the fakes are flat, without the domed, translucent quality of originals. handled together, they are unmistakable.

[paddywhack]

rick id just like to say thanks for the info cos im sure il see these pop up here in ireland at some stage,i read about fake kgb badges and a week later bingo saw the same one for sale at a fair!!
is there anything you dont know!!!!
oh and i picked up the compriensive(spelt so so wrong)guide to soviet awards and decorations for 110 euros and its fantastic!
well worth the buy!!
cheers rick keep that great info coming!!!

[DougD]

Hi Rick,

Glad to see there are others here who are into Soviet WWIII uniforms.

Anyway, there is a complete 1930's Militia officer on display at the Moscow WWII museum. It has the sleeve badge and peaked cap too.

I have an odd pullover now that the Russians sent me. Its that black / dark blue, with green piping and green collar 'arrow' tabs with one red ( embroidered!) diamond rank. The buttons are flat and silver with hammer and sickle. when i learn to post (help!) I'll throw it up.

what errors did you find in the Tokar book? I have to say thatI never got into police items. I had an M1947 Militia major generals victory parade uniform ( dark blue with red piping, silver insignia) in my collection, but that was it. I also had 2 1945 or 1947 ( depending on interpretation) NKVD transportation police generals uniforms. They are the ones with that neat pink piping. I had one, named, with gold embroidery ( guy went on to be advisor in China) and a silver one with no name but it did have the crazy bright pink hat. There is a great artcle on these uniforms in one of the Zeughaus issues ( you know about this mag don't you?)

DougD

[DougD]

here is that Militia pullover i wrote about. really unusual.

dd

[Rick Research]

From Tokar, your pullover (looks very BLUE tabs to me, like M1943 police and not dark Red Army medical green color) would appear to be a "departmental" branch (what that MEANS, I have NO clue) police M1924-28 chief of a province's police. According to him, though, the buttons would be gold. Since insignia changed as often as the calendar, and no one seems ever to have had correct or current regulation uniform, good luck!

Among the things he appears to have gotten wrong, from observation, are his M1943 police general's cockade (the round military type rather than rayed one with projecting twigs below), and from what I have seen, all his M1947 enlisted uniforms appear to be wrong, with red straps and blue piping-- when what I have seen are all blue straps with red piping!

I've posted a Starshina white gimnastyorka in here a few weeks back with straps in reverse color of what Tokar says they were.

Before Shawn was posted off to his idyllic holiday spot, we used to discuss the weird State Security things that came along...


but I appear to be an "orphan" all on my own in collecting Soviet "Militia" 1930s-60s!

[DougD]

The tabs are actually bright green, they just get warped by the camera. I have it on my list to sell ( along with some 1950's militia uniforms) for about a year with no takers; i have never had the right description either.

Militia stuff is an odd area. I have sold the milita generals, but to generals collectors, not militia collectors. Even Shawn tended to turn it down in favor of the more 'regular' NKVD stuff.

[Rick Research]

So if I hold out long enough as the sole Murcan collector of Soviet civil police officers' uniforms, I can name my own prices, eh?

Now if ONLY I could talk Igor into bumping down some of those MOOP/MVD Union Republics varieties of long service medals.... that nobody else wants, either.....

I actually find the concept of "normal" police under the Soviet system quite interesting: upholding "the law" under a regime that obeyed NO laws....

[DougD]

The Museum of KGB in St.pete

Rick,

Yup, name your price and Militia stuff will find you; just let me know!

Here are two interesting shots a friend snuck. There are 2 KGB / State Security museums in Russia that are 'big'. The one in Moscow used to be a closed museum, only open to bigwigs. Now, for about $30 anyone can go in. I was able to visit it back in 2000 when it was still pretty closed. I was one of 3 people in that day. I went back in 2002 and there were 26 people let in ! No fun anymore. Of course you can't take photos, though I did give $10 to the Colonel leading to tour to take pictures of a Checka standard ( more on that in a later thread).

But, there is still a closed KGB museumin St.Pete. very diddifuclt to get into, if not impossible. A Russian friend got in and took two shots.

Note the unique M1935 Marshal of NKVD tunic for Yezhov I think ( or was it Yagoda?).

DD

[DougD]

second shot