Pin, Anniversay, Gagarin Symposium, 1981

Pins or znachki have a long and established Russian tradition. During the 19th century, workers received these pins as a reward for work done. It was during the Soviet period that the emphasis on the use of znachki shifted from rewarding work done to acting as souvenirs of national celebrations. By the late 1960s, schoolchildren began to collect and exchange the pins with foreigners. Today, space-themed znachki are popular among collectors worldwide. People of all ages wear the pins to celebrate and acknowledge anniversaries, programs and individuals of the space program.

This collection of four pins is from the human spaceflight program Soyuz 9 in 1970.

This pin recognizes Cosmonautics Day, April 12.

This pin is a souvenir of the 20th Anniversary Gagarin Symposium on the history of spaceflight.