The back is inscribed: "To foremost Stakhanovets Krivonosovets comrade Kharitonov A.S. from the Peoples Commissar of Railroads 16 April 1936". Alexei G. Stakhanov was a Soviet industrial worker (miner) who in 1935 was awarded special recognition and special privileges for extraordinarily exceeding his mining quotas. Pyotr (Peter) Krivonos was steam-engine driver who was similarly rewarded for twice developing methods for increasing the average speed of locomotives. Both of these men became propaganda symbols of the "heroic worker", to be emulated by the Soviet workforce.