Ok I have no idea if this is the right subreddit, but here goes nothing.
5 years ago I was studying Russian for a summer in Kiev, Ukraine. On the streets there are always people selling souvenirs and old Soviet artefacts, some genuine, some fake. On a particularly lovely summers day I was strolling past a stall and noticed this flag: http://imgur.com/a/NaljT
Unlike most of the things they sell, this one had a tag, and I immediately bought it. I love things with a traceable history, and I am intruiged by what story could be behind this one. What I could make up from the tag is that it was probably made in October 1978. Imagine what this flag has been witness to: the invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, Glasnost, Perestroika and the fall of the Wall! To me, it is one of the coolest things I own. It is also in pristine condition; there are one or two scratches, but other than that it is fine. The colors have kept perfectly and the gold print is still excellent on the hammer and sickle.
I'm planning to have it properly preserved in a frame behind museum glass. But before I do, I would like to know more about the flag, like where it was made, what it was used for and who owned it or what it is worth? I've tried contacting an expert on Soviet history at University of Leiden and De Hermitage in Amsterdam, but I've yet to hear back.
So people of Reddit, can you help me discover more about this flag?
That tag actually answers all your questions!
Original:
Закарпатский облместпром
Ужгородская ТГФ
г. Ужгород, ул. Электрозаводская, 2.
ФЛАГ УССР
ГОСТ 19690-74
Артикул изд. 3К-070-02-71
Размир 75x150
Сорт 1
Цена 4-50 руб
Дата ыпуска 10 78
ОТК
Зак. 132-1978, т. 200 000.
Translation:
Zakarpattia Oblmestprom(?)
Uzhhorod TGF
city. Uzhhorod, street. Elektrozavodskaya, 2.
FLAG USSR (Ukrainian SSR)
GOST 19690-74
Article edition. 3K-070-02-71
Size 75x150
Sort(Type/Kind) 1
Price 4-50 rubles
Release date 10 78
So to sum up, your flag was made in October 1978 in the city of Uzhhorod, Ukraine. ГОСТ stands for Государственный Стандарт (State Standard), the technical standard used in the USSR. ОТК stands for Отдел Технического Контроля (Technical Control Department) which factories in the USSR had for quality control. The ОТК stamps on the tag show that the flag has passed the quality standards with a "5" stamp. Products that pass the minimum standard for production are stamped with "1". I'm not sure what the abbreviations in the last line are of.
The tag itself states "4-50 rubles" under price. I'm not sure if this was exactly how much these went for back then but nowadays you could find similar flags on sites like eBay for around 30-40 USD. Not worth a staggering amount but it is genuine at least (repros exist). Hard to tell who owned it if at all. It looks unused judging by its condition and intact tag but I cannot prove this.