After the end of World War II, several new varieties of officer shoulder straps appeared in the army of the Soviet Union. They contained gold or silver transverse stripes, on which silver or gold zigzags were applied. The new shoulder straps did not last very long, and the military themselves took them extremely cool, if not negatively. Why?
Additional officer shoulder straps of a new type appeared in the Soviet army in 1947. As already noted, they differed from those that already existed only in the presence of gold or silver a transverse strip, over which a narrow or wide zigzag was applied with a silver or gold thread respectively. Such shoulder straps were intended exclusively for those officers who left the service for the reserve or retired after the end of World War II and the start of large-scale demobilization. Retiring generals and admirals were the first to receive new shoulder straps. Then "spare" shoulder straps were introduced for lower officer ranks.
The new insignia lasted in the Soviet Union until 1955. Thanks to them, in the military with a tunic, it was possible to immediately identify the storekeeper. The military personnel and veterans themselves did not like the new distinctive sign too much. Among the officers, they were disparagingly called "redeemed". Of course, there was no outright dissatisfaction with the new element of the uniform, however, the officers did not experience enthusiasm for shoulder straps for the store. Including due to the fact that in the representations of professional military "former" still does not exist. And the introduction of such a watershed in the form of clothing belittled part of the officers in the eyes of their own colleagues.
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There was also talk that some soldiers allowed themselves a dismissive attitude towards officers who had already retired. Allegedly among themselves, the soldiers began to call such commanders "general sergeants" and did not even always give a military greeting when meeting with a reserve officer. True, such details of army life should be treated with caution. Since such stories sound extremely doubtful and are highly likely to be apocryphal (late fiction). The fact is that until the moment of close approach, consider the image on shoulder straps very, very difficult, and a military greeting, as a rule, is given a few meters before the meeting of the servicemen with a shoulder to the shoulder.
In continuation of the topic, read about signs and superstitions of Soviet soldierswho were supposed to keep them out of harm's way.
A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/031121/61122/