In double-layered heavy silk with dark-gold fringe on three sides, measures 55" x 35" not counting the fringe, with two out of three 2 ½"-wide flagpole loops still present. Both sides feature stenciled lettering and graphics. The verse next to the portrait of Stalin in his Marshal's tunic, reads "Let the Soviet banner, the people's banner, lead from victory to victory!" The other side shows the state emblem of the Azerbaijan SSR and the name of the factory in Azerbaijani, "412th Factory named after Budyonny."

In good to very good condition. There are three tears to the silk, all t

In double-layered heavy silk with dark-gold fringe on three sides, measures 55" x 35" not counting the fringe, with two out of three 2 ½"-wide flagpole loops still present. Both sides feature stenciled lettering and graphics. The verse next to the portrait of Stalin in his Marshal's tunic, reads "Let the Soviet banner, the people's banner, lead from victory to victory!" The other side shows the state emblem of the Azerbaijan SSR and the name of the factory in Azerbaijani, "412th Factory named after Budyonny."

In good to very good condition. There are three tears to the silk, all three going along the letters in the word "БУДЬОННЫ" - luckily blending with the edges of the letters and not very obvious. There is also a small round hole on the same side. All this wear can be seen in our photos, with a quarter coin for size reference. Both sides have stains, most of which are faint, blending with the maroon tone of the silk and not easily noticeable. A small percentage of the paint in Stalin's portrait has cracked, showing the silk underneath, which creates a fascinating effect for anyone knowing how much blood was on Stalin's hands.

Aviation repair factories in the USSR were primarily military facilities even if they serviced civilian aircraft as well. Factory # 412 is located in Sumgait or, strictly speaking, in Nasosnaya Station on the outskirts of Sumgait, the second largest city in Azerbaijan. Information about the factory's profile is not readily available, our online search only showed that it still exists and repairs aircraft engines.

Located about 20-25 miles north of Baku, Sumgait grew from a tiny settlement into a large city in just a few years around large metallurgical and petrochemical factories. Its construction began in 1939, was interrupted by WW2 from 1941 until 1944, and then resumed, helped to a large extent by German POW labor force. In 1949, Sumgait got the official status of a city and continued to grow together with its industry. By early 1960s, Sumgait manufactured steel, aluminum, rubber, phosphates, polymers, oil refinery products, and a wide variety of industrial and household items.

But industry is not the only thing Sumgait is famous for. In February 1988, ethnic Azerbaijanis perpetrated a pogrom against the Armenian population of Sumgait. On February 27, 1988, mobs of Azerbaijanis attacked and killed Armenians on the streets and in their homes. General lack of concern from the police allowed the violence to continue for three days. A small contingent of MVD troops attempted to quell the rioting and looting, unsuccessfully. Military units then entered the city with tanks and armored personnel vehicles. Government imposed the state of martial law and curfew, and brought the crisis to an end. The official death toll released by the Prosecutor General of the USSR was 32 Armenians, although other estimates reach into hundreds of victims.

Interestingly, an opinion exists that the conflict was a side effect of the policies of glasnost and perestroika introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987. They decreased the level of suppression of the population, and had the unintended consequences of allowing flare-ups of ethnic nationalism and conflicts.

Please note that the yardstick in our last photo is for size reference.
$750.00  Add to cart