| Added by |
 Ion Postolache
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| General Description | Parachute jump badge, 1931 type, early to mid 1930s. Brass, enamels; 43.9 x 18.3 mm. This is the first Soviet parachute badge design featuring pointed bottom tip. The reverse (probably) has engraved inscription "OAX" (Russian abbreviation for OSOAVIAKhIM) and a serial number. Estimated a maybe $170 The Russian Airborne Troops or VDV (from "Vozdushno-desantnye voyska", Russian: Воздушно-десантные войска, ВДВ; Air-landing Forces) is a military branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. They are an elite force, on par with the Strategic Rocket Forces and the Aerospace Defence Forces. First formed before World War II, the force undertook two significant airborne operations and a number of smaller jumps during the war and for many years after 1945 was the largest airborne force in the world. The force was split after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, losing divisions to Belarus and Ukraine, and has been reduced in size. Russian airborne forces have traditionally worn a blue beret. The first airborne forces parachute jump is dated to 2 August 1930, taking place in the Moscow Military District. Airborne landing detachments were established after the initial 1930 experimental jump, but creation of larger units had to wait until 1932–33. On 11 December 1932, a Revolutionary Military Council order established an airborne brigade from the existing detachment in the Leningrad Military District. |
| Material | Metal |
| Attachment type | Screw back |
| Manufacturing technique | Cloisonne Hard Enamel |
| Height | 43.90 mm |
| Width | 18.30 mm |
| Catalog prices | No catalog prices set yet |
