Badge to a Shock Worker of MVS (Moskva – Volga Canal Construction)

Description

Badge to a Shock Worker of MVS (Moskva – Volga Canal Construction)

Awarded by the Dmitrovsky NKVD Forced Labor Camp

Made of silver plated brass and enamels. Measures 39.59 mm in height, 30.33 mm in width and weighs 6.9 gram without its screwplate.

In excellent condition with beautiful and problem free red, white and blue enamels. Its details are crisp and there are few contact marks and dings only. Most of the silver plating has worn off although fair amount is still present on its obverse. Its screw has not been shortened and its well fitted screwplate is original to the badge.

Rare badge!

At first glance these badges seem innocuous (badges for construction, development, canals, etc). But, in fact, they were GULAG labor camps which dotted the Soviet landscape. 

To provide the labor for building the canal, the Dmitrovsky NKVD Forced Labor Camp was mobilzed for this purpose. The Stalin Moscow-Volga Canal was put into operation in September 1937. The badge was an honorary award to prisoners who were leading participants in the construction of the canal. The badge was awarded by the order of the Head of the Moscow-Volga Canal Construction and the Head of the Dmitrov camp.

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