Description
Society of Former Political Prisoners and Exiled Settlers Badge
Made of silver and and enamels. Measures 22.05 mm in height (without the lower part of the flagpole, 31.69 mm in width and weighs 5.8 gram without its screwplate.
In excellent, well above average condition with beautiful and problem enamels. Its details are all well defined and the badge shows few dings and scratches. The red enamels show several contact marks but no chipping and is free from repairs; quite exceptional for such an old badge. The fragile lower part of the flagpole was broken off at some point and a new one was soldered on the top part. This is done professionally and can hardly be seen with the naked eye. Its screw has not been shortened and its screwplate is original to the badge.
Extremely rare badge and very collectable!
Awarded to political convicts and exiled settlers of the era of struggle against the tsarist autocracy
The society was organized on the initiative of F. E. Dzerzhinsky, J. E. Rudzutak, E. M. Yaroslavsky and others. The opening took place in Moscow in the House of Unions on March 21, 1921.
In 1921 the society had 200 members, in 1931 – 2759. Among them were prominent participants in the revolutionary movement: V.D. Vilensky (Sibiryakov), V.N. Figner, L. G. Deich, N.S. Tyutchev, M.F. Frolenko, A.V. Yakimova-Dikovskaya, A.V. Pribylev, A.P. Pribyleva-Korba, F.N. Petrov, V.A. Bystryansky, N.A. Skrypnik, I.A. Teodorovich, V.A. Zhdanov and others. The Society was headed by the Council. Since 1924 it has been transformed into an all-Union organization; in 1928 it had over 50 branches. Its members delivered reports and lectures to workers, students, and Red Army men. In 1924, 1925, 1928, 1931, all-Union congresses of the society were held.
In 1926 the society founded a museum with a library and an archive. Together with the Society of Old Bolsheviks, the Society of Former Political Prisoners and Exiled Settlers initiated the creation of the MOPR (1922).
Just before the disbandment in Leningrad, the famous House of Political Prisoners was built for the society on Revolution Square.
It ceased to exist in 1935. Many members of the society were repressed.
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