The tradition of wearing badges dates back to time immemorial. Even in primitive society, people seeking to distinguish themselves and stand out from the crowd wore certain objects on their clothes. In Roman times, a prototype of the modern badge called a phalera appeared. It was awarded for military exploits and worn on the armor. Over time, the tradition of giving awards was further developed. Special badges have appeared to denote the branch and type of troops, professional occupation, rank and graduation from institutions of higher education.
Instead of the old award system, a new one was introduced in the USSR, which was focused on the promotion of mass military training. In 1927, the well-known Society for the Assistance of Defense, Aircraft and Chemical Construction (Osoaviakhim) was established, which called the population to prepare for the inevitable great war. One of the key elements of this preparation for combat was training civilians in the handling of small arms. To promote this, an honorary title of the “Voroshilov Sharpshooter” was established and a corresponding badge was issued at the end of 1932.
According to a well-known legend, the head of the Red Army and Navy Kliment Voroshilov was an excellent shot, hence the title, “Voroshilov Sharpshooter”. In the summer of 1932, Voroshilov arrived at a military training ground, where the commanders underwent test shooting. One of the targets was absolutely untouched. The shooter, try as he might, could not hit it, blaming it on the weapon. Voroshilov took the gun, fired seven shots and scored 59 out of 60 points. Returning it to the commander, he said:
