The Soviet Union as a whole seemed to divert a lot of its productive capacity into uniforms, badges, and medals. The foreign correspondents hanging around the bar at the Metropol made fun of them for it, then went back to their fleabag hotel rooms to write think pieces about what it all meant. If you couldn’t pay, feed, or house the masses you could at least make them feel like they were part of something by giving them uniforms and awarding them ranks.
