Good afternoon!

Some time ago, our relative, my husband’s aunt, died. She had suffered from angina pectoris for a long time. It’s time to prepare the apartment for sale, disassemble things.

My aunt was not a simple person — in the past the secretary of the district committee of the Komsomol, then — the head of the passport office, a police captain. In a word, the village (even the district!) elite … In addition to my husband, the woman had no other relatives, but she kept him at a distance …

Frankly, I expected to find a decent library in her apartment, since in the Soviet years a woman had the opportunity to buy scarce books. And in her basic education, she was a teacher, a teacher of the Russian language and literature. But disappointment awaited me. Alas, there were no worthwhile books, only collections of advice from various healers, and essays on the «stars». Oh, and also piles of magazines «Dom 2», «Man and Law», starting from 1980 and something about magic there. (Agree, an interesting combination: a Soviet police captain, a Komsomol leader — and suddenly some kind of love spells).

The first find, which really pleased

But in one of the caskets in the secretary we found a whole collection of Komsomol badges! Among them were anniversary ones, and in honor of passing the “Lenin test” (who are 50 years old or a little more, they should remember what it is), and “For active work in the Komsomol”. These badges immediately migrated to my jacket. The Komsomol is still a part of my life, and far from the worst.

Collection of Komsomol badges. Now it’s mine. Collection of Komsomol badges. Now it’s mine.

This badge, “For active work in the Komsomol”, is the oldest, probably from the sixties.

There was a badge that was given to those who passed the «Lenin test», that is, they fulfilled their obligations in full a year ago. To be honest, it was such a formality! We, high school students, wrote that we pledged to finish the school year without triples, we pledged to help our parents, “take in tow” those who were lagging behind, participate in communist subbotniks, and so on and so forth …

But most of the badges, of course, are commemorative.

Second interesting find

And on the veranda, another collection of things that I had long wanted to have was waiting for me. Since childhood, I have had a weakness for rustic homespun rugs. We never had these in our house, there was always a “modern urban setting” with synthetic rugs on the floor. But I often saw these at my friends’ house in our school childhood, and I just loved walking along the slightly prickly woolen “paths” barefoot.

Real homespun rugs. I think these «paths» are at least 50-60 years old. Real homespun rugs. I think these «paths» are at least 50-60 years old.

Today it is very difficult to buy such “tracks”. And then I suddenly discover about twenty such tracks, probably! Different colors and lengths… There are also “ceremonial” ones made of natural dyed wool, and there are also “simple” ones, made of “remkov”, that is, from old things cut into strips.

I don’t know yet where I’m going to lay these rugs. So far, some of them have found their place in our small outbuilding at the entrance to the house. It’s so nice to take off your shoes and take a few steps on them with bare feet!

For a country house — what you need! For a country house — what you need!

The other part, the newer ones, will probably lie on the parquet floor in the son’s room. There is now started a renovation, and the room will be finished in the style of «loft». I think homespun rugs will come in handy.

«Paths» from «remkov» will receive a residence permit in the dressing room and in the rest room.

I gave a few short rugs made of wool to a friend. She laid them on the benches in the rest room at the bathhouse. It turned out so great!

And among the «paths» there was a hand-embroidered woolen carpet and several crocheted round rugs.

A hand-embroidered carpet on the floor of a summer house on our property. A hand-embroidered carpet on the floor of a summer house on our property.

Interestingly, the owner of the apartment did not have homespun rugs, the entire floor was covered with modern synthetic carpets (and even in two layers). And these, made by hand, were stored in a closet on the veranda.

Among all the good things that the apartment of the deceased pensioner was packed to the eyeballs, for some reason it was these things — a collection of Komsomol badges and handmade rugs — that touched and excited me the most. And I gladly took them.