On the Internet you can find a photo of an award sign that combines a red star and a swastika. It is alleged that it was awarded to the Red Army during the Civil War. We decided to check whether such a reward existed.
An image of this sign can be found on social networks (Facebook, "VKontakte" And X), on entertainment sites and in Media. Internet users claim that this is an award badge for the commanders of the South-Eastern Front of the Red Army in 1918–1920. In addition, copies of this award regularly appear for sale at online auctions, and the description emphasizes that this is a museum copy of the real thing.
Even during the Civil War in Russia, the appearance of any awards was documented: from the badge of the red commander (Order of the People's Commissariat of Military Affairs No. 321 of May 7, 1918) to the rare badge “To the Honest Warrior of the Karelian Front” (RVSR order No. 570 of March 5, 1922).
One might assume that any mention of the swastika on the sign of the Red Army was later destroyed in order to avoid unwanted associations with the Hitler regime. However, traces of the presence of the swastika on the Red Army uniform remained. In November 1919, the commander of the South-Eastern Front Vasily Shorin issued an order about sleeve insignia for Kalmyk formations. The composition of the sleeve insignia from this document is the same as in the case of the award, a photograph of which is being distributed on the Internet: a wreath, a red star, and the abbreviation RSFSR inscribed in the swastika. Apparently, the choice of such symbolism was due to the fact that the majority of cavalrymen in these national formations professed Buddhism. For Buddhists, the swastika is traditional symbolizes feet or footprints of Buddha.
Thus, the swastika was used in the symbolism of the Kalmyk units that fought on the side of the Red Army during the Civil War. However, Verified was unable to find any documents confirming that there was a similar award badge from viral publications.
The wreath ribbons on the sign are stamped, usually this proves the authenticity of the specimen. But at that time, on the front side of the Red Army award badges there were stamps usually were not installed.
Perhaps the award with the swastika was produced in a limited edition and made in a homemade way - this would explain the lack of documents. However, the VKhTM stamp (Higher Artistic and Technical Workshops, VKHUTEMAS) refutes this hypothesis. VKHUTEMAS set hallmarks according to government orders.
Finally, the most suspicious thing is the original source of the photograph. The award badge was first put up for sale on the Molotok website in 2013. The online auction was closed in 2015, but visitors to military-historical forums saved photos and other lots from the seller with the nickname talnah84.
All four signs have the same red stars; the wreaths in the top two photographs and the two bottom ones constitute two pairs of twins. There is no mention in the documents of all four signs.
Thus, we can confidently say that the award badge with a swastika is a fake, most likely created by the user talnah84 no later than 2013. Probably, the author was inspired by the sleeve insignia of the Kalmyk units of the Red Army and made a similar metal insignia, which he then put up for auction.
Cover photo: social networks
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