Single page 10" x 13 ½". Very uncommon, featuring portraits of very young Stalin and Molotov. Not only is it extremely uncommon to see anyone but Lenin next to Stalin on an award document. Much more unusual is that Molotov and Stalin are positioned on both sides of Lenin's portrait on even footing, which was little short of blasphemous at that time.

In the West, Vyacheslav Molotov is mostly known as Narkom, and later Minister, of Foreign Affairs, the hand that signed the 1940 Non-Aggression Pact with Ribbentrop, effectively triggering the war. But in the early 1930s Molo

Single page 10" x 13 ½". Very uncommon, featuring portraits of very young Stalin and Molotov. Not only is it extremely uncommon to see anyone but Lenin next to Stalin on an award document. Much more unusual is that Molotov and Stalin are positioned on both sides of Lenin's portrait on even footing, which was little short of blasphemous at that time.

In the West, Vyacheslav Molotov is mostly known as Narkom, and later Minister, of Foreign Affairs, the hand that signed the 1940 Non-Aggression Pact with Ribbentrop, effectively triggering the war. But in the early 1930s Molotov was appointed Chairman of the Council (Soviet) of People's Commissars of the USSR, and of the Council of Labor and Defense, the two positions putting him command of the entire Soviet government and the country's armed forces.

But Molotov's high positions were probably not the only things valued by Stalin. During the Great Purge of 1937-38, the closest to Stalin members of the Politburo began signing the so-called "firing lists", i.e., lists of "enemies of the people" to be executed by a firing squad. Molotov signed the highest number of these lists, 372 to be exact. More than Stalin himself. Not individual people, but lists of them.

The certificate features oversaturated industrialization-themed graphics which emphasize Stalin's industrialization plan for the first Five-Year-Plan. Two quotes, Lenin's and Stalin's, precede the text of the certificate, extolling the virtue of hard labor for the good of the state.

The certificate is issued by the Party, Komsomol, and trade union cells of a Moscow Regional organization teaching or involved with in some other way, not clear from the abbreviated wording, foreign languages, and is signed by their respective secretaries. The recipient is awarded with the title "shock worker" for high results in socialist competition, productivity and quality of the product.

In fair condition. The left side of the certificate is mostly intact, showing only moderate wrinkling and a short rip in the middle, not reaching the artwork. The wear to the top edge has been mainly repaired with clear scotch tape on the verso. Unfortunately, about ½" of the entire bottom edge is missing whereas the right-hand margin framing the artwork is ripped out in three places. Yet, most of the graphic artwork is intact and not faded or scuffed. Both the typographical and handwritten text is crisp and clear, the signatures in red are also legible.

Please note that the pen in our photo is for size reference.
$80.00  Add to cart