that he received an order. Order of St. George: interesting facts about the most prestigious military order of the Russian Empire. Description of the badge

Established by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of November 8, 1943. Subsequently, the Statute of the Order was partially amended by the Decrees of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of February 26 and December 16, 1947 and of August 8, 1957.

STATUTE OF THE ORDER

The Order of Glory is awarded to privates and sergeants of the Red Army, and in aviation to persons with the rank of junior lieutenant, who showed glorious feats of courage, courage and fearlessness in battles for the Soviet Motherland.

The Order of Glory consists of three degrees: I, II and III degrees. The highest degree of the order is the 1st degree. The award is made sequentially: first the third, then the second and, finally, the first degree.

The Order of Glory is awarded for:

• breaking into the enemy's location first, with personal courage he contributed to the success of the common cause;
• being in a tank on fire, continued to carry out a combat mission;
• in a moment of danger, he saved the banner of his unit from being captured by the enemy;
• from personal weapons, with marksmanship, destroyed from 10 to 50 enemy soldiers and officers;
• in battle, with the fire of an anti-tank rifle, he disabled at least two enemy tanks;
• destroyed with hand grenades on the battlefield or behind enemy lines from one to three tanks;
• destroyed at least three enemy aircraft by artillery or machine gun fire;
• despising the danger, he was the first to break into the bunker (bunker, trench or dugout) of the enemy, with decisive actions destroyed his garrison;
• as a result of personal reconnaissance, he established weak points in the enemy’s defense and withdrew our troops behind enemy lines;
• personally captured an enemy officer;
• at night he removed the guard post (patrol, secret) of the enemy or captured him;
• personally, with resourcefulness and courage, having made his way to the position of the enemy, destroyed his machine gun or mortar;
• being on a night outing, he destroyed the enemy's warehouse with military equipment;
• risking his life, he saved the commander in battle from the immediate danger that threatened him;
• neglecting personal danger, he captured the enemy's banner in battle;
• being wounded, after bandaging he again returned to duty;
• from personal weapons shot down an enemy aircraft;
• destroying enemy firepower with artillery or mortar fire, ensured the successful operations of his unit;
• under enemy fire, he made a passage for the advancing unit in the enemy's barbed wire;
• risking his life, under enemy fire, assisted the wounded during a series of battles;
• being in a wrecked tank, he continued to carry out a combat mission from the tank’s weapons;
• swiftly crashing his tank into the enemy column, crushed it and continued to carry out the combat mission;
• crushed one or more enemy guns with his tank or destroyed at least two machine-gun nests;
• being in reconnaissance, he obtained valuable information about the enemy;
• a fighter pilot destroyed in air combat from two to four enemy fighter planes or from three to six bomber planes;
• as a result of an assault raid, an attack pilot destroyed from two to five enemy tanks or from three to six steam locomotives, or blew up an echelon at a railway station or stage, or destroyed at least two aircraft at an enemy airfield;
• an attack pilot destroyed one or two enemy aircraft as a result of bold initiative actions in aerial combat;
• the crew of a day bomber destroyed a railway echelon, blew up a bridge, an ammunition depot, fuel, destroyed the headquarters of any enemy unit, destroyed a railway station or a stage, blew up a power plant, blew up a dam, destroyed a warship, transport, boat, destroyed at least two aircraft;
• the crew of a light night bomber blew up an ammunition depot, fuel, destroyed the enemy headquarters, blew up a railway echelon, blew up a bridge;
• the crew of a long-range night bomber destroyed a railway station, blew up an ammunition depot, fuel, destroyed a port facility, destroyed a sea transport or a railway echelon, destroyed or burned down an important plant or factory;
• a day bomber crew for a daring action in a dogfight resulting in one to two aircraft being shot down;
• the reconnaissance crew for a successful reconnaissance, as a result of which valuable data on the enemy was obtained.

The Order of Glory is awarded by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
Those awarded with the Orders of Glory of all three degrees are awarded the right to confer military rank:

• privates, corporals and sergeants - foremen;
• having the rank of foreman - junior lieutenant;
• junior lieutenants in aviation - lieutenant.

The Order of Glory is worn on the left side of the chest and, in the presence of other orders of the USSR, is located after the Order of the Badge of Honor in order of seniority.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ORDER

The badge of the Order of Glory is a five-pointed star measuring 46 mm between opposite peaks. The surface of the rays of the star is slightly convex. On the front side in the middle part of the star there is a circle-medallion with a diameter of 23.5 mm with a relief image of the Kremlin with the Spasskaya Tower in the center. Around the circumference of the medallion is a laurel wreath. At the bottom of the circle there is a convex inscription "GLORY" on a red enamel ribbon.
On the reverse side of the order there is a circle with a diameter of 19 mm with a relief inscription in the middle "USSR".
Along the edge of the star and the circle on the front side there are convex sides.
The badge of the order of the 1st degree is made of gold (sample 950). The gold content in the order of the 1st degree is 28.619 ± 1.425 g. The total weight of the order is 30.414 ± 1.5 g.
The badge of the Order of the II degree is made of silver, and the circle with the image of the Kremlin with the Spasskaya Tower is gilded. Silver content in the order of the II degree - 20.302 ± 1.222 g. The total weight of the order - 22.024 ± 1.5 g.
The badge of the order of the III degree is silver, without gilding in the central circle. Silver content in the order of the III degree - 20.549 ± 1.388 g. The total weight of the order - 22.260 ± 1.6 g.
With the help of an eye and a ring, the badge is connected to a pentagonal block covered with a silk moiré ribbon 24 mm wide. The ribbon has five longitudinal stripes of equal width: three black and two orange. Along the edges of the tape has one narrow orange strip 1 mm wide.

The Order of Glory was established on the same day as the Order of Victory. He became the last of the "land" orders created during the war years: after him, only the "naval" orders of Ushakov and Nakhimov appeared. The order had several features that no other domestic award had. Firstly, this is the only combat distinction intended to be awarded exclusively to soldiers and sergeants (in aviation, also junior lieutenants). Secondly, they were awarded only in ascending order, starting from the lowest - III degree. This order was repeated only thirty years later in the statutes of the Orders of Labor Glory and "For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR." Thirdly, the Order of Glory until 1974 was the only order of the USSR, issued only for personal merit and never issued to military units, enterprises, or organizations. Fourthly, the statute of the order provided for the promotion of holders of all three degrees in rank, which was an exception for the Soviet award system. Fifthly, the colors of the ribbon of the Order of Glory repeat the colors of the ribbon of the Russian Imperial Order of St. George, which in Stalin times was, to say the least, unexpected. Sixthly, the color and design of the ribbon were the same for all three degrees, which was typical only for the pre-revolutionary award system, but was never used in the USSR award system.

The order was established on the initiative of IV Stalin. For the first time, a proposal to establish it was made on June 20, 1943, during a discussion of the draft Order of Victory at a meeting of the People's Commissariat of Defense. The Technical Committee of the Main Quartermaster Directorate of the Red Army, which was headed by Lieutenant General Aginsky S.V., was tasked to develop a draft of this order in August 1943. Nine artists worked on sketches for the order. On October 2, 1943, out of 26 projects created by the artists, 4 were presented to Stalin, who chose the drawing by N. I. Moskalev (the author of the designs for the Order of Kutuzov, medals Patriotic War"and all medals for the defense of the cities of the USSR).

According to the plan, the order was supposed to have 4 degrees: the same as the Order of St. George and the "insignia of the military order" - the famous St. George's Cross. It was originally planned to call it the Order of Bagration. Stalin approved the colors of the ribbon, but ordered the number of grades to be reduced to three, similarly to "commander's orders", and to name the award the Order of Glory, explaining that "there is no victory without glory." On October 11, 1943, the revised drawings were submitted to the NPO and on October 23 they were approved.

The right to award the Order of Glory of the III degree was granted to the commanders of formations from the brigade commander and above, the Order of Glory of the II degree - from the commander of the army (flotilla), and only the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR could award the I degree of the order. From February 26, 1947, the right to award any degree of the order passed exclusively to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
The first reliably established presentation to the Order of Glory took place on November 13, 1943, when an award sheet was signed on the presentation to the Order of the III degree of sapper senior sergeant V. S. Malyshev. During the battle, Vasily Malyshev made his way to the enemy machine gun, which interfered with the advance of our troops, and destroyed it . Later Malyshev V.S. earned another Order of Glory - II degree.
Among more than two and a half thousand full cavaliers of the Order of Glory, four bear the title of Hero Soviet Union:

• artilleryman of the guard senior sergeant A. V. Aleshin;
• attack pilot junior lieutenant of aviation I. G. Drachenko;
• Marine Guards Sergeant Major Dubinda P. Kh.;
• artilleryman senior sergeant N. I. Kuznetsov (received the order of the 1st degree only in 1980).

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union is also worn by 80 holders of the Order of Glory, II degree, and 647 holders of the Order of Glory, III degree.
There are four women among the full holders of the Order of Glory:

• sniper foreman Petrova N.P. (died in action on May 1, 1945, born in 1893);
• machine gunner of the 16th Lithuanian division, Sergeant Staniliene D. Yu.;
• nurse foreman Nozdracheva M.S.;
• air gunner-radio operator of the 99th separate Guards reconnaissance aviation regiment of the 15th air army of the guards foreman Zhurkina N. A.

Eight full holders of the Order of Glory in the post-war years were awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor: Velichko M.K., Litvinenko P.A., Martynenko A.A., Peller V.I., Sultanov Kh.A., Fedorov S.V., Khristenko V. T. and Yarovoy M. S.
There are known cases of awarding four Orders of Glory. Among the four order bearers A. Gaibov (two orders of the II degree), V. Naldin, A. Petrukovich.
Soldier Kuzin S.T. fought in the ranks of the Red Army, a holder of two St. George crosses, who was also awarded two Orders of Glory during the Great Patriotic War.
According to some information, the soldiers of the Allied armies were also awarded the Order of Glory. So, on the website of the American collector Paul Schmitt, I found information that the Order of Glory III degree was awarded to a US Navy soldier Cecil R. Haycraft. Probably, the American Knight of Glory could be part of one of the sea convoys.

Left: Full Cavalier of the Order of Glory, Major of the Engineering and Construction Troops Baranov Ivan Pavlovich. During the war, senior sergeant (then guard foreman) Baranov was an assistant commander of a reconnaissance platoon, then commanded a platoon of machine gunners of the 129th Guards rifle regiment 45th Guards Rifle Division (6th Guards Army, 2nd Baltic Front). Since 1961, Major Baranov was in reserve.
Right: Full Cavalier of the Order of Glory, Artillery Major Kravtsov Georgy Konstantinovich. During the war, Senior Sergeant Kravtsov commanded a mortar company of the 838th Infantry Regiment of the 237th Infantry Division (4th Ukrainian Front). Member of the Victory Parade. Since 1976, Lieutenant Colonel Kravtsov has been in reserve.

By 1945, there were about 1,500 awards of the Order of Glory of the 1st degree, about 17,000 awards of the Order of Glory of the 2nd degree, and about 200,000 awards of the Order of Glory of the 3rd degree.
After the war, the Order of Glory was awarded to many privates and sergeants who distinguished themselves in the suppression of the "counter-revolutionary rebellion" in Hungary in 1956. So, only in one 7th Guards Airborne Division, 245 people were awarded the order of the third degree.
By 1978, 2562 awards were made with the Order of Glory, 1st degree.
As of 1989, 2,620 people were awarded the Order of Glory of the 1st degree, 46,473 people were awarded the Order of Glory of the 2nd degree, and 997,815 people were awarded the Order of Glory of the 3rd degree.

The sign of the Order of Glory of any degree was one-piece, that is, it consisted of one part without any overhead parts. A separate element of the order can be considered a pentagonal block, covered with a ribbon of the order. There are no rivets on the reverse of the order. Also on the Order of Glory there is no mint mark. The number of the order is located on the reverse horizontally at the base of the upper beam of the star (at 12 o'clock on the dial).
Order of Glory, 1st class.
The order of the first degree is made of gold. The number of the order is marked with punches and is located at the base of the upper beam. We can propose the following classification of the Order of Glory, I degree.

. Option 1. Early option. The clock on the dial of the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin shows the time 11:52. The divisions of the dial are embossed, made in the form of Roman numerals. The minimum known order number is 1, the maximum is 2988.

Order of Glory, 1st class, Variant 1

. Option 2. Late option. On the obverse, characteristic differences of the stamp appeared, which made it possible to distinguish these orders into a separate version. If we describe the main differences from top to bottom, we can note the following features. The enamel star on the top of the tower no longer touches the outer rim of the medallion. Instead of Roman numerals, abstract triangles appeared on the dial, although the position of the hands remained the same. Between the dial and the top of the central arch, to the right and left of the place of their contact, clear images of contour triangles appeared. The internal jagged elements of the arch began to reach the very bottom. The groove between the base of the tower and the enamel band has disappeared. The minimum known order number is 3136, the maximum is 3776.

Order of Glory, 1st class, Variant 2

Comparative image of the Spasskaya Tower on the medallion of the orders of the first variant (left) and the second variant (right).

Order of Glory II degree.

Unlike the Order of Glory of the first degree, the badge of the second degree is made of silver. The central round medallion on the front of the order is gilded. The serial number of the orders of the second degree is made by hand with a engraver and is located on the reverse at the base of the upper beam.
Depending on the features of the stamp, the following classification of the Orders of Glory of the second degree can be proposed.
. Option 1. The reverse of the order is bordered along the contour by a convex border 1 mm high. On the obverse of the signs of the first version, the clock on the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin shows the time 11:52. The divisions of the dial are embossed and well defined. The minimum known order number is 4, the maximum is 1773.

Order of Glory, 2nd Class, Option 1

Option 2. The main difference from the first option is the absence of a convex rim on the reverse. The clock face on the obverse is similar to the first version - the clock shows 11:52. The minimum known order number is 747, the maximum is 18674.

Order of Glory, 2nd Class, Option 2

. Option 3. There is no convex rim on the reverse. On the dial of signs of the third variant, there are no small elements - divisions and arrows (the so-called "smooth" dial). The smoothness of the dial is not the result of wear, this is the peculiarity of the stamp. A number of well-preserved badges are noted, which do not have traces of wear on the obverse, but have a smooth dial. The minimum known order number is 15634, the maximum is 24687.

Order of Glory, 2nd Class, Option 3

Option 4. The clock on the Spasskaya Tower shows the time 9:05. The hands and dot divisions of the dial are clearly visible. The tower window, located under the dial, has a double contour. On the signs of the previous versions, the window had a single outline. The minimum known order number is 25445, the maximum is 32647.

Order of Glory, 2nd Class, Option 4

Option 5. The clock on the Spasskaya Tower shows 9:00. The arrows are thin, poorly defined. The divisions on the dial are long. The so-called "orange" dial. The tower window, like the previous version, has a double contour. The minimum known order number is 24722, the maximum is 49382.

Order of Glory, 2nd Class, Option 5

Order of Glory III degree.

The main difference from the order of the second degree is that the central circle-medallion is not gilded. Depending on the features of the obverse and reverse of the sign, the following variants and varieties of the Order of Glory III degree can be distinguished.
. Option 1 (time 11:52, on the reverse side). Orders of the first version were made at the Krasnokamsk Mint. For all orders of the first variant, the reverse of the order along the contour is bordered by a convex rim 1 mm high. The serial number is hand-marked with a chisel. The minimum known order number is 14, the maximum is 907.

Order of Glory III degree, Option 1

On the obverse of the signs of the first version, the clock on the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin shows the time 11:52. The divisions of the dial are embossed, made in the form of Roman numerals. Unfortunately, on the vast majority of signs of the first version, small elements of the dial (hands and divisions) are missing due to the natural wear of the sign, and it is very difficult to find a well-preserved sample. However, three varieties of the stamp of the first variant were found, differing from each other in small details of the central medallion on the obverse.

Below is an enlarged fragment of the obverse (Option 1)

Orders of the first variant had low serial numbers. However, a copy of the first version of the Order of Glory III degree was found, with serial number 155369. The original early number on this order was removed and a six-digit serial number was cut instead. The operation to cut the number, apparently, was carried out at the Mint. It is interesting to note the good preservation of the small details of the obverse (the clock face and other elements of the Spasskaya Tower). This example may have been one of the early duplicates.

Order of Glory III degree, Option 1, number cutting

. Option 2 (time 11:52, without a side on the reverse). There is no convex border on the reverse of the badge. The watch face on the obverse is similar to the first version. The vast majority of signs of the second variant have strong traces of wear on the obverse, and small elements of the dial are practically undetectable. The second variant includes several types of stamp, differing in small details of the obverse. On all varieties, the clock of the Spasskaya Tower still shows the time 11.52, however, there are minor differences in other elements of the medallion.

Order of Glory III degree, Option 2

The first type of stamp of the second variant was made at MMD and is found in the approximate number range from 1 thousand to 75 thousand. Below is an enlarged fragment of the obverse (Option 2, Variation 1)

Signs of the second variety are also found in the interval of 160-166 thousand, however, they were made on the KMD and their characteristic feature is a pronounced gap between the tower and the enamel ribbon. Below are comparative images of obverse fragments of the first (left) and second (right) varieties of the second version.

. Option 3 (smooth dial without hands and divisions). On the dial of signs of the third variant, there are no small elements - divisions and arrows (the so-called "smooth" dial). Approximate number intervals are from 130 thousand to 340 thousand. Also, such signs are found in the region of numbers 460 thousand.

Order of Glory III degree, Option 3

Below is an enlarged fragment of the obverse Option 3.

Apparently, the letters of the USSR were knocked out, and the circles on the reverse were cut out on a ready-made, but not yet hardened punch, so the letters often do not line up, the circles are offset from the center and have different thicknesses, etc. It turns out that with each replacement of the punch, some changes appeared on the reverse. For example, for a number of characters of the third variant in the number range 153-156 thousand, the inner thin circle on the reverse is partially or completely absent. An image of such an order is shown below.

Order of Glory 3rd class, Variant 3, there is practically no inner circle on the reverse

Below is an image of the order of the third variant, which on the reverse has a strong displacement of the circle relative to the geometric center of the order. There are also signs in which the first letter "C" on the reverse can be located slightly higher than the rest of the letters (approximately 0.5 mm).

Order of Glory 3rd class, Variant 3, reverse with displaced circle

. Option 4 (time 10:12). On the dial of the Spasskaya Tower, the clock shows 10:12. Approximate number intervals of this variant are 314 thousand - 405 thousand. Known numbers are 314844, 329272, 345578, 345680, 346346, 347382, 347633, 405102. Despite the small number of known numbers, two slightly different varieties were found among the signs of the fourth variant stamp.

Order of Glory III degree, Option 4

The divisions of the dial, unlike the first and second options, are presented not in the form of numbers, but in the form of squares. In addition to the dial, this version has changed niches similar to triangles, located on the sides of the place of contact of the dial with the upper contour of the arch (hereinafter "niches"). The "points" at the vertical lines disappeared in them. On previous versions, these lines looked like harpoons, and in the fourth version, these are just lines without points at the top. Below is an enlarged fragment of the obverse (Option 4).

. Option 5 (time 9:00, wide arch). On the dial of the Spasskaya Tower, the divisions of the clock are presented in the form of long marks, the clock shows 9:00. The minimum known number is 348054, the maximum is 367207.

Order of Glory III degree, Option 5

There have been changes in the "niches" of the Spasskaya Tower. In the left “niche” there is a clearly defined solid triangle, and in the right, a solid figure similar to a triangle, more reminiscent of a harpoon. The cornice between the "niches" and the side windows became single. The central arch is double, wide, and the lower contour is slightly shifted to the left. Due to the wide central arch, the side windows have become narrow, they have two vertical lines. A gap appeared between the base of the Spasskaya Tower and the enamel ribbon. Below is an enlarged fragment of the obverse (Option 5).

. Option 6 (time 12:10 or 13:59). The divisions of the dial are presented in the form of dashes. On the dial of the Spasskaya Tower, the clock shows 12:10 (or 13:59, since it is difficult to determine where the hour hand is and where the minute hand is). Approximate number intervals for this option are from 365 thousand to 391 thousand. Known numbers are 365070, 366702, 367824, 372096, 373032, 388763, 391105.

Order of Glory III degree, Option 6

In addition to the time on the clock of the Spasskaya Tower, in comparison with the previous version, the “niches” have also changed. Instead of a solid triangle and a "harpoon", contour triangles appeared in them. The central arch merged with the cornice, in the previous version it was separated from it. An additional horizontal line has appeared in the lower focus of the central arch, slightly not reaching the contours of the arch. The dial is slightly flattened between 12-14 o'clock. All signs of this variant known to us have thin letters USSR on the reverse. Below is an enlarged fragment of the obverse Option 6.

. Option 7 (time 15:02). The clock on the Spasskaya Tower shows the time 15:02. The minimum known order number is 349784, the maximum is 421660.

Order of Glory III degree, Option 7

The central arch of the tower, located under the dial, has a triple outline. On the signs of all previous varieties, the arch had a double contour. The arch is heavily undercut by the dial. The inner contour of the arch is a characteristic triangle. The triangles in the "niches" have also changed a bit. They remained contoured, but their inner sides are not straight, but curved. In the side windows on the sides of the central arch, there are still two vertical lines, but another lower horizontal line has appeared, against which these vertical lines abut. The risk at 9 o'clock on the dial is a characteristic triangle, which is only on this version. The dial is slightly flattened around the third quarter, that is, around 10-11 o'clock. Below is an enlarged fragment of the obverse Option 7.

. Option 8 (time 9:05). The clock on the Spasskaya Tower shows the time 9:05. This version was produced from April-May 1945, almost all presentations took place after the war. The minimum known order number is 367705, the maximum is 625383.

Order of Glory III degree, Option 8

The hands and point divisions of the dial are clearly visible on the watch. The central arch of the tower, located under the dial, has a triple contour, but it is almost not cut by the dial. The inner contour of the arch, unlike the previous version, is rounded at the top. The right outer line of the central arch, running along the side window, is very thin. Because of this, the impression of some "skewness" of the central arch is created. In the left "niche" the triangle is not contoured, but solid, having a small depression in the center. The side windows have two vertical lines. On this version, there was a transition to the thin letters of the USSR on the reverse. Thus, this variant occurs with both thick and thin letters. Below is an enlarged fragment of the obverse (Variant 8).

. Option 9 (time 9:00, the number is applied with a engraver). The clock on the Spasskaya Tower shows 9:00. On the early orders, the arrows are well expressed, but as the serial numbers increase, the contours of the arrows become less pronounced and are poorly defined in the later numbers. The divisions on the dial are long. The central arch of the tower has a triple outline. With the growth of serial numbers, a gap appears in the middle outline of the arch, which becomes especially pronounced in later numbers. In the "niches" are solid triangles. Below is an enlarged fragment of the obverse (Option 9).

Order of Glory III degree, Option 9, Variation 1

Option 10 (time 9:00, the number is applied with a rotating tool). This version has been produced since 1967. The main difference from all previous versions is that the number is engraved with a rotating tool. On the obverse of the order, the clock on the Spasskaya Tower shows 9:00. The arch has a triple contour. In almost all instances of the ninth variant, the middle contour of the arch has a gap at the top. In the "niches" there are solid triangles, in the side windows there are two vertical lines. Below is an enlarged fragment of the obverse (Option 10).

Order of Glory III degree, Option 10, Variation 1

Order of Glory III degree, Option 10, Variation 2

The Order of Glory was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of November 8, 1943. Subsequently, the Statute of the Order was partially amended by the Decrees of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of February 26 and December 16, 1947 and of August 8, 1957.

Until 1974, the Order of Glory was the only order in the USSR, which was received only for personal merit, it was not awarded to military units, enterprises, organizations;
The statute of the order provided for the promotion of cavaliers of all three degrees in rank, which was an exception for the Soviet award system; the colors of the ribbons of the order repeat the colors of the ribbon of the royal order of St. George, which was at least unexpected in Stalin's times; the color and design of the ribbon were the same for all three degrees, which was also typical only for the pre-revolutionary award system, but was never used in the USSR award system.

Statute of the Order.
The Order of Glory is awarded to privates and sergeants of the Red Army, and in aviation to persons with the rank of junior lieutenant, who showed glorious feats of courage, courage and fearlessness in battles for the Soviet Motherland.

The Order of Glory consists of three degrees: I, II and III degrees. The highest degree of the order is the 1st degree. The award is made sequentially: first the third, then the second and, finally, the first degree.

The Order of Glory is awarded for:
- Having burst into the enemy’s location first, with personal courage he contributed to the success of the common cause;
- Being in a tank on fire, he continued to carry out a combat mission;
- In a moment of danger, he saved the banner of his unit from being captured by the enemy;
- From personal weapons, with marksmanship, destroyed from 10 to 50 enemy soldiers and officers;
- In battle, with the fire of an anti-tank rifle, he disabled at least two enemy tanks;
- Destroyed with hand grenades on the battlefield or behind enemy lines from one to three tanks;
- Destroyed at least three enemy aircraft by artillery or machine gun fire;
- Despising the danger, he was the first to break into the bunker (bunker, trench or dugout) of the enemy, with decisive actions destroyed his garrison;
- As a result of personal reconnaissance, he established the weak points of the enemy's defense and withdrew our troops behind enemy lines;
- Personally captured an enemy officer;
- At night, he removed the guard post (watch, secret) of the enemy or captured him;
- Personally, with resourcefulness and courage, having made his way to the position of the enemy, destroyed his machine gun or mortar;
- Being on a night outing, he destroyed the enemy's warehouse with military equipment;
- Risking his life, he saved the commander in battle from the immediate danger that threatened him;
- Neglecting personal danger, in battle captured the enemy banner;
- Being wounded, after bandaging he returned to duty;
- Shot down an enemy aircraft from personal weapons;
- Destroying enemy firepower with artillery or mortar fire, ensured the successful actions of his unit;
- Under enemy fire, he made a passage for the advancing unit in the enemy's barbed wire;
- Risking his life, under enemy fire, he assisted the wounded during a series of battles;
- Being in a wrecked tank, he continued to carry out a combat mission from the tank's weapons;
- Rapidly crashing on his tank into the enemy column, crushed it and continued to carry out the combat mission;
- With his tank, he crushed one or more enemy guns or destroyed at least two machine-gun nests;
- Being in reconnaissance, I obtained valuable information about the enemy;
- A fighter pilot destroyed in an air battle from two to four enemy fighter aircraft or from three to six bomber aircraft;
- As a result of an attack pilot, as a result of an assault raid, he destroyed from two to five enemy tanks or from three to six steam locomotives, or blew up an echelon at a railway station or stage, or destroyed at least two aircraft at an enemy airfield;
- The attack pilot destroyed one or two enemy aircraft as a result of bold initiative actions in an air battle;
- The crew of a day bomber destroyed a railway echelon, blew up a bridge, an ammunition depot, fuel, destroyed the headquarters of any enemy unit, destroyed a railway station or stage, blew up a power plant, blew up a dam, destroyed a warship, transport, boat, destroyed at least two aircraft;
- The crew of a light night bomber blew up an ammunition depot, fuel, destroyed the enemy headquarters, blew up a railway echelon, blew up a bridge;
- The crew of a long-range night bomber destroyed a railway station, blew up an ammunition depot, fuel, destroyed a port facility, destroyed a sea transport or a railway echelon, destroyed or burned down an important plant or factory;
- The crew of a day bomber for a bold action in aerial combat, as a result of which one to two aircraft were shot down;
- Scout crew for successfully completed reconnaissance, as a result of which valuable data on the enemy was obtained.

The Order of Glory is awarded by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Those awarded with the Orders of Glory of all three degrees are awarded the right to confer a military rank:
- privates, corporals and sergeants - foremen;
- having the rank of foreman - junior lieutenant;
- junior lieutenants in aviation - lieutenant.

The Order of Glory is worn on the left side of the chest and, in the presence of other orders of the USSR, is located after the Order of the Badge of Honor in order of seniority.
The right to award the Order of Glory of the 3rd degree was granted to the commanders of formations, the Orders of Glory of the 2nd degree - starting from the commander of the army (flotilla), and only the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces could award the Order of the 1st degree.

On November 13, 1943, the first award of the Order of Glory, 3rd degree, to senior lieutenant V.S. Malyshev, was signed. Orders were sent to different sectors of the front to be awarded at the forefront, so an order issued earlier often had a larger number than an order issued later. The Order of Glory 3rd degree No. 1 was later awarded to the armor-piercer of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, Senior Sergeant Kharin.
The order to award the Order of Glory, 2nd degree, was first signed on December 10, 1943. Sappers of the 10th Army of the 1st Belorussian Front, privates S.I. Varanov and A.G. Vlasov, who received the Order of the 1st degree by the end of the war.

The first Decree on awarding the Order of Glory of the 1st degree was signed on July 22, 1944. The order was awarded to sapper corporal M.T. Pitenin and assistant platoon commander senior sergeant K.K. Shevchenko. Pitenin died before the signing of the Decree, not having time to receive the order. Shevchenko fought until the end of the war, also having the Order of the Red Banner, the Patriotic War and the Red Star, which was a very rare occurrence for a sergeant, and the addition to them in the form of all three degrees of the Order of Glory made him a phenomenon: not every colonel had six orders, and even general.

The awarding of the Order of Glory lasted from November 1943 until the summer of 1945. During this period, 980,000 people became holders of the Order of the 3rd degree. 2nd degree - 46 LLC, and 1st degree, that is, full holders of the order, - 2,562 people. Among the full cavaliers are four Heroes of the Soviet Union: marine foreman P.Kh. Dubinda, attack pilot Lieutenant I.G. Drachenko, artillery senior sergeants A.V. Aleshin and N.I. Kuznetsov.

Four full cavaliers of the Order of Glory - women: sniper foreman N.P. Petrova (killed May 1, 1945), machine gunner Sergeant D.Yu. Staniliene, nurse foreman M.S. Necheporukov. air gunner-radio operator of the guard foreman N.A. Zhurkina-Kiyok.
There was a unit in the Red Army, in full force (except for officers) awarded the Order of Glory of the 3rd degree. - the whole battalion distinguished itself! For the successful assault on the German defenses on the Vistula, the 1st Battalion of the 215th Guards Rifle Regiment of the 69th Army of the 1st Belorussian Front, after awarding orders to soldiers and sergeants, received the official name "Battalion of Glory". This is the only case of awarding orders to the entire personnel of such a large unit as a battalion.
This order, deeply revered by the people, the only soldier's order of a power that no longer exists, has forever remained a symbol of the feat of arms of a simple Soviet soldier. Actor Alexei Smirnov, who played the role of the drunkard Fedya in the film "Operation Y", aircraft ("Only old people go to battle") and many others, was known and loved by the whole country, but even many of his friends did not suspect that he was a full holder of the Order of Glory , a man who went through almost the entire war as a simple soldier.
The Order of Glory was the last of the "land" orders created during the war years: after it, only the "naval" orders of Ushakov and Nakhimov appeared.

A very important and significant award for those who opposed fascism during World War II was the Order of Victory. Few have received this award, some of them twice in their lives. With the help of this insignia, it was decided to celebrate the feat of outstanding personalities from the high command of the Red Army and not only. The five foreign allies who made a significant contribution to the victory over Nazi Germany.

History of the award

In 1943, in the month of November, a decree was signed on the foundation of this highest distinction. Several people worked on its creation, and the first draft was presented by officer Neyelov. For some reason, Stalin did not accept the proposed name and sketch. The second attempt was given to Kuznetsov. This artist already had experience in creating such awards. He presented several options, of which the one was chosen, which depicted the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin with the inscription “Victory”.

The Order of "Victory" in this version was adopted. At Stalin's suggestion, the submitted sketch was slightly modified (background, scale of the tower itself, etc.). After all the wishes were taken into account, a test copy was made, which was approved. Thus, in November 1943, the procedure for awarding the order was described at the Supreme Council, its signs were described, and a statute was adopted.

The statute stated that the Order of Victory (see photo below) was an award for the high command of the army. It was awarded for special merits, actions that led to an inevitable victory or an improvement in the situation for Soviet army.

What does this high insignia look like?

The Order of Victory is the most expensive award (in terms of money) Soviet Union. Used to make it precious metals, such as platinum and gold, as well as precious stones - diamonds. Initially, real rubies were also going to be used for these purposes, but the jewelers faced the following problem: it was impossible to pick up stones in the same color scheme, they all differed in shades. As a result of this, it was decided to replace real stones with artificial ones.

Each order of "Victory", the photo of which very clearly demonstrates its beauty, was made by hand by the masters of the jewelry and watch factory in Moscow. This, by the way, was a unique case in the entire history of the USSR, since all other orders and medals were produced at the Mint with the appropriate stamping. These models did not have it.

So, what was this highest award? The order looked like a five-pointed ruby ​​star, in the center it was convex. Closer to the center of the order, the rays of the star were decorated with triangles of rubies, and a line of diamonds ran along its edges. Between them were small rays (five in each gap), which were also decorated with small transparent precious stones.

In the middle of the order there was a circle with an image of the Kremlin on a blue background, where the mausoleum is located, as well as the Spasskaya Tower. At the bottom, on a red background, the word “Victory” was written, from which a wreath rose upwards. It was done in gold color.

For each order, forty-seven grams of platinum, two grams of gold, nineteen grams of silver were used. Also, each star had five rubies (five carats each) and 174 small diamonds with a total weight of sixteen carats.

To date, the Order of Victory is considered a unique work of jewelry art, and not just a symbol military glory and courage.

An integral part of the order is a ribbon

Those who received this award, in addition to the order itself, had to wear the ribbon attached to it. It was much wider than the ribbons that come with other awards. So, its width was 46 millimeters. The six-colored ribbon combined colors from other orders that were used among the awards of the Soviet Union.

So, the color scheme was as follows: in the center there was a wide strip of red, on the sides of it were stripes of green, dark blue, burgundy, light blue and orange with a black insert.

Cavaliers of the Order of Victory were supposed to wear their award on the left side of the chest, below all other orders and medals (about 12-14 centimeters above the belt). The bar with the ribbon had to be one centimeter higher than other awards.

How many orders in total exist and how many awarded

If we talk about how many orders of "Victory" were made, then we can say that there were twenty of them in total. However, to date, there are only nineteen awarded, who are indicated on the memorial plaque. Of these, three citizens of the Soviet Union were awarded twice.

Eight more Soviet military leaders became knights of the order during World War II once each. There are also foreign citizens who were also awarded the award.

As for another, twentieth order, it was awarded in February 1978 to the then Secretary General and Marshal of the USSR Brezhnev. After his death, the award was canceled as inconsistent with the status of the award. It happened in September 1989.

Knights of the Order, awarded twice

Among those who received the Order of Victory, there are those who have been awarded twice. It was only three people. Let's consider each of them.

Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov

It was truly great commander that time. He did not have a higher military education, but the lack of a theoretical base replaced the practical experience that he received during civil war. In addition, Zhukov had a natural talent to lead, to make the right decisions in difficult times.

During World War II, he was awarded the rank of Marshal of the USSR. He was also one of the very first to receive the Order of Victory. This happened on April 10, 1944, because he carried out a successful operation to liberate the right-bank Ukraine.

The second order was received by Zhukov in 1945, on the thirtieth of March. This award was given to him for the fact that he performed the tasks of command very well, leading the troops.

Alexander Mikhailovich Vasilevsky

This man went down in history as the greatest strategist of World War II. Even Zhukov noticed his unsurpassed talent as a military leader. Together they led the liberation of the right-bank Ukraine, and it was for this that Vasilevsky received the Order of Victory, second in number. This also happened on April 10, 1944.

Almost a year later, on April 19, 1945, Vasilevsky was presented for the award for the second time. At this time, he led operations in East Prussia and won victories.

Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin

The third order in a row was awarded to the Commander-in-Chief of the USSR of that time. The first time it happened was on July 29, 1944. The award was also presented for the liberation of the right bank of Ukraine from Nazi Germany.

The second time Stalin received the Order was on June 26, 1945, as a reward for the final victory over Nazi Germany.

Let us now list the Soviet military leaders who received the Order of Victory. Those awarded with this high distinction made an invaluable contribution to the victory of the Soviet Union over fascism.

• Kirill Afanasyevich Meretskov. This marshal of the Soviet Union was awarded his medal in 1945, on the eighth of September. His merits were successful military operations during the hostilities with Japan.
• Alexey Innokentievich Antonov. The occasion of his award is unique. The fact is that at the time of signing the decree, Antonov was only a general, while other holders of the Order of Victory had the rank of marshal, and were also Heroes of the Soviet Union. And yet, on June 4, 1945, he was awarded this award for the tasks he completed, which were entrusted to him by the main command. These were successful combat operations big scope.
• Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko. Became a Knight of the Order in 1945, the fourth of June. The award was given to him for the fact that he planned the operations of the battles, as well as for the skillful coordination of actions on the fronts.
• Leonid Alexandrovich Govorov. Soviet marshal, who participated in the liberation of Leningrad, as well as in the defeat of the Nazi troops in the Baltic region. He was awarded this high award in 1945, on the thirty-first of May.
• Fedor Ivanovich Tolbukhin. Soviet marshal who participated in the liberation of the Austrian and Hungarian lands. For his services in 1945, on the twenty-sixth of April, he was awarded this distinction.
• Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky. He also participated in the liberation of Hungary and Austria from the Nazi invaders. Awarded the award in 1945, the twenty-sixth of April.
• Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky. The Soviet marshal received the award on March 30, 1945. He was awarded this honor due to his tangible contribution to the liberation of Poland.
• Ivan Stepanovich Konev. He had the rank of marshal at the time of receiving the award. He became a knight on March 30, 1945, also for the liberation of Polish lands from the Nazis.

Each of the listed commanders was worthy of this award, each deserved it with their fortitude and courage.

Among those who received the Order of the Great "Victory" were foreign citizens. We propose to find out who was awarded this honor.

• Josip Broz Tito. This is one of the Yugoslav leaders who led the country's resistance during World War II. In 1945, on the ninth of September, for merits in the victory over Germany, for successful military operations, he was awarded the Order of Victory. It was very strong personality. AT postwar period Tito was elected president of Yugoslavia, who saw his own way in government.
• Michal Rola-Zymerski. Polish marshal, who during the Second World War was an ardent opponent of invading Germany. He was a member of the resistance movement. He received his order in 1945, on the ninth of August, for the successful organization of the Polish troops, as well as the conduct of various military operations. After the war, Rola-Zhymersky served as a minister, and also spent some time in prison on false charges.
• Bernard Montgomery. This is outstanding person, who during the Second World War participated in many battles, and also carried out military operations on the side of the opponents of Nazi Germany. Montgomery was also one of the founding fathers of NATO. For his services in the fight against the Nazis in 1945, on the fifth of June, he received the Order of Victory.
• Dwight Eisenhower. He was a general in the US troops during World War II. For merits in conducting various operations, he was awarded an honorary award of the Soviet Union. It happened in 1945, on the fifth of June. In the post-war years, Eisenhower served as President of the United States.

Each of these people made their own special contribution to the fight against Nazi Germany, as a result of which they were awarded such an honorary award.

Order of the King of Romania

Among the foreign allies was the king, who was awarded the Order of Victory. To date, he is the only knight of the order who survived. The award took place in July 1945, for the fact that Mihai I was able to show determination and turn Romania's policy towards a break with Nazi Germany. At the time of the award, he was only twenty-three years old.

The king, who was awarded the Soviet Order of Victory, showed real heroism and fortitude. In August 1944, when there was still no certainty in the final victory over fascism, he spoke out against Germany, ordered the arrest of many members of the government (among them was Antonescu, the de facto ruler of Romania). After that, this country ceased hostilities on the side of the fascist invaders.

The Order of "Victory" of the Great Patriotic War is a very significant symbol of what happened in the distant 1941-1945. This is a sign of the invincibility of the Russian people, faith in victory over the Nazis, as well as faith in their command. Of course, the war itself was cruel, sometimes the decisions made by the commanders of those times were also cruel. However, not a single soldier doubted their correctness. This expressed the patriotism of the Russian people of that time, their ability to stand to the last for the good of the Motherland.

Today, despite the fact that the Order of Victory is no longer awarded, it is the most honorary award in Russia, as well as one of the highest awards that has not yet been canceled.

Conclusion

The Soviet Order of Victory is now history. Naturally, they are no longer awarded, and almost all copies are kept in museums.

According to some reports, one of the orders, namely the one that was awarded to the Romanian king Mihai I, was sold, and is now in one of the private collections. Although the former owner himself denies this, he never wore it to various festivities, although other orders and medals were present on his chest.

The awards that were presented to the Soviet command and the Marshal of Poland, on this moment are located in Russia. Five orders are stored in the Central Museum of the Armed Forces, and the rest - in the Gokhran.

If we talk about the Order of the USSR "Victory", which was awarded to Eisenhower, now he is in Kansas State in the city of Abilene, namely in the Memorial Library.

The order that Marshal Tito was awarded is today located in the capital of Serbia - the city of Belgrade. It is stored in the museum "May 25".

The award, which was presented to British Field Marshal Montgomery, is also located in his homeland. It is stored in the Imperial War Museum in London.

We can say that every military leader who was awarded this order was worthy of it. This order symbolizes their great contribution to the victory over fascism, fortitude and courage in confronting what was disastrous for their people.

The Order "Victory" is the main among the Soviet military awards, for the entire time of its existence, it was awarded only 20 times. There are even fewer cavaliers - 17 (including Leonid Brezhnev, who was later deprived of the order), but the name of most of them is known to anyone familiar with the history of the twentieth century from school curriculum. After he died in 2017 former king Romania Mihai, not a single cavalier of this order remained alive. In addition to being exceptionally rare, the Order of Victory is an incredibly expensive piece of jewelry. It is made of platinum and adorned with 174 diamonds weighing 14.5 carats. Without exaggeration, this is the most beautiful and largest Soviet order.

History of appearance

Already in the first year of bloody battles with the Nazis, it became clear to understand that the Soviet army lacked ways to motivate and encourage fighters, first of all, awards for those who distinguished themselves on the battlefield.

Soldiers and officers of the Red Army were awarded several pre-war awards: the Order of the Red Banner and the Red Star (1930), medals and "For Military Merit".

Warriors who showed "remarkable courage, stamina and courage" in battles with the Nazis could also be awarded title of Hero of the USSR- with the presentation of a and a medal " Golden Star» (1934).

In May-June 1942, almost simultaneously appeared (two degrees) and the military orders of Suvorov (three degrees), Kutuzov (three degrees) and Alexander Nevsky. That year, for the first time, medals were awarded for the defense of Stalingrad, Leningrad, Odessa, Sevastopol, Moscow, the Caucasus and the Soviet Arctic. In October 1943, the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky (three degrees) was established, this was the only military order that privates and soldiers could receive.

On November 8, 1943, the list of military awards was replenished Order of Victory for commanders and Order of Glory for the soldiers. The Order of Glory of three degrees on a ribbon of St. George's colors became the Soviet successor - the most massive and democratic military award in Tsarist Russia.

On March 3, 1944, the Order of Ushakov was also established to reward sailors and officers of the Navy.

History of the Order of Victory

The Order of Victory was originally conceived as an elite award - the highest military order of the Soviet Union. It could only be received by senior military leaders and only for the successful conduct of major military operations that could change the balance of power at the front in favor of the Red Army. The awarding of this order is made only by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Total 22 orders "Victory" were made, while signs with numbers XXI and XXII were never awarded. During the existence of the Order of Victory, only 20 awards, including three people became his gentlemen twice -.

Highest award USSR were awarded five foreign citizens- General Dwight Eisenhower (USA), Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery (Great Britain), King Mihai I of Romania, Marshal Michal Rola-Zhymerski (Poland) and Marshal Joseph Broz Tito (Yugoslavia).

In 1945, the awarding of the Order of Victory was discontinued. However, 33 years later, on February 20, 1978, a unique award was presented to the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU Leonid Brezhnev. True, later the decision to award Brezhnev was canceled.

On May 9, 2000, a memorial plaque with the names of all holders of the Order of Victory was opened in the Moscow Kremlin.

Memorial plaque in the Kremlin with the names of holders of the Order of Victory

Creation of the Order of Victory

August 30, 1943 Supreme Commander Joseph Stalin personally heard General A.V. Khrulev on issues related to the state of the rear of the Red Army. Among other things, he was presented projects of the military order "For fidelity to the motherland".

In general, having approved the statute and sketches of the future award in the form of a five-pointed star, Stalin ordered that it be generously decorated with precious stones and given the short name "Victory".

Artist Aleksandr Kuznetsov, who was also the author of the Order of the Patriotic War, prepared about a dozen design drawings for the new award.

On October 8, 1943, evaluating the sketches with the portraits of Lenin, Stalin and the coat of arms of the USSR in the center, the leader ordered: “ We have the Spasskaya Tower. This is a symbol of both Moscow and the whole country. Here is the Spasskaya Tower and should be placed in the center of the order!»

Stalin chose the final version with the inscription "Victory", but advised to enlarge the image of the Spasskaya Tower and the Kremlin wall, impose them on a blue background, and also reduce the shtrals (shine) between the rays of the five-pointed star that formed the basis of the order.

finalized sketch handed over to the management of the Moscow Jewelry and Watch Factory with an order to produce as soon as possible trial copy of the order from platinum, diamonds and rubies.

On November 5, 1943, a sample of the order, created by master jeweler I.F. Kazyonnov, was approved by Stalin.

Three days later, on November 8, 1943, on the day of the celebration of the 26th anniversary of October, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR M.I. Kalinin signed Decree on the establishment of a new, highest military award - the Order of Victory.

Production state award was entrusted not to the Mint, but to the jewelry enterprise - Moscow Jewelry and Watch Factory, which today is known as the Moscow Experimental Jewelry Factory.

At that time, it was considered the best jewelry factory in the USSR, since after the revolution the best jewelers of the country worked there, the master Kazennov, who was in charge of production, once worked at Faberge.

In addition, the team of craftsmen who worked on the Order of Victory had already dealt with a state order - in 1940 they made.

In total, it was planned to make 30 signs of the order, by order of the Council of People's Commissars, Glavyuvelirtorg was allocated for this purpose 5,400 diamonds and 9 kilograms of pure platinum.

Order "Victory" Zhukov, stored in the Museum of the Armed Forces of the USSR

Diamonds in platinum

"Victory" is the most beautiful and largest Soviet order. According to the description attached to the decree on the establishment of the Order of Victory, it is a convex five-pointed ruby ​​star 72 mm in size between the ends of the opposite vertices of the rays.

On the reverse side of the order there is a threaded pin with a nut for attaching the order to clothing. Unlike most Soviet orders, there is no mint mark on the reverse of the Order of Victory. Order badges from V to XXII were guaranteed to have the corresponding mark (number) on the reverse.

The orders were made in batches of five pieces, the first (numbers II, III and IV) was made in April 1944, the second - on May 11, 1944, the last one was made after the Second World War.

Each of twenty two copies has its own unique features due to piece production, hand finishing, as well as the use of different grades of diamonds. Starting from orders No. 12-13 diamond carat has become higher, but the quality of all stones is approximately equal.

Inventory of the orders "Victory", located in the Order's pantry of the Financial Department of the USSR PVS on January 1, 1985

Badge with registration number I, which was subsequently handed over to Zhukov, was still being made in pilot production. In view of this, it differs significantly from all the others.

First of all, the fact that it went to finish not 174 diamonds, as stipulated by the technical regulations, and 169 - five less. Visually, it is almost imperceptible, but at the top of each of the five inner corners (at the base of the rays of the star) one full-fledged diamond is interspersed, the rest of the series has two very small stones of a simplified cut.

In addition, badge No. I is distinguished by the peculiar readings of the hands of the clock on the Spasskaya Tower in the center of the order.

Description of the order "Victory" No. I - 169 diamonds instead of the prescribed 174.

Commanders of Victory

The first awarding of the Order of Victory took place on April 10, 1944. Badge No. I (according to some sources, with engraving No. VI), received by the commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front Georgy Zhukov.

Under his leadership, in March-April 1944, the troops carried out a successful offensive Proskurov-Chernivtsi operation and reached the foothills of the Carpathians. Marshal Zhukov was awarded with the wording "For the liberation of the Right-Bank Ukraine."

Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov

“Order “Victory” No. VI Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov. A badge with the same number was awarded to Marshal Vasilevsky

Zhukov shared success with the Chief of the General Staff Marshal of the Soviet Union Alexander Vasilevsky, he became the second holder of the Order of Victory. In his autobiographical book, The Work of a Lifetime, he later wrote:

“The day of April 10, when Odessa celebrated the expulsion of the German-Romanian fascists, is doubly memorable to me. On that day, I became aware that I was awarded the highest military order "Victory". I received this order for number 2, and number 1 stood on the one awarded to Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov.

The award wording read:For the skillful fulfillment of the tasks of the Supreme High Command for the management of large-scale military operations, as a result of which outstanding successes were achieved in the defeat of the Nazi invaders.

The first to congratulate me on the phone, even before the publication of the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, was the Supreme Commander. He said that I am being rewarded not only for the liberation of Donbass and Ukraine, but also for the upcoming liberation of Crimea, to which I should now turn my attention, not forgetting at the same time about the 3rd Ukrainian Front ".

Order "Victory" No. VI Marshal of the Soviet Union Alexander Vasilevsky

On May 31, 1944, Nikolai Shvernik, First Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, solemnly awarded Zhukov and Vasilevsky the Order of Victory.

In the typewritten protocol of the Kremlin presentation of awards, next to the line “Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich”, it is handwritten: “ №1 “, and next to the next one - “Vasilevsky Alexander Mikhailovich” - “ №6 «.

Records of the award on May 31, 1944 to Georgy Zhukov of the Order of Victory No. I, and to Alexander Vasilevsky - the Order of Victory No. VI.

Subsequently, around the orders "Victory" Zhukov and Vasilevsky began confusion and confusion, their description in the documents did not match the originals, this will be discussed in detail below.

Order "Victory" No. 3 (No. V) went to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Marshal of the Soviet Union Joseph Stalin.

The leader felt his involvement in the "liberation of the Right-Bank Ukraine" and decided to amuse himself with a new order with diamonds. The presentation took place on August 5, 1944.

Order "Victory" No. V in the case of Joseph Stalin

The next award took place almost a year later, on March 30, 1945.. Three Soviet military leaders immediately became holders of the Order of Victory, this was preceded by the liberation of the territory of the USSR from fascist invaders and successful offensive operations in Poland.

1st Belorussian Front, led by Georgy Zhukov, together with the 1st Ukrainian Front under the command Ivan Konev, carried out a successful Vistula-Oder operation, during which they liberated Warsaw, surrounded and defeated Army Group A of General Harpe and Field Marshal Scherner.

Meanwhile, the commander of the 2nd Belorussian Front Konstantin Rokossovsky, fighting in Western Belarus and eastern Poland, broke through to the Baltic Sea and launched an offensive to the northeast, capturing the cities of Gdynia and Danzig. This allowed the Red Army to capture a bridgehead on the left bank of the Oder, from which they subsequently launched an offensive against Berlin.

Marshal Konev was awarded "For the liberation of Poland and the crossing of the Oder", he received the order "Victory" No. X.

Marshal of the Soviet Union Ivan Konev

Order "Victory" of Marshal Konev No. XV, received instead of damaged No. X

Marshal Rokossovsky(by the way, this is the only marshal of two countries in the history of the USSR - the USSR and Poland) "For the liberation of Poland" was awarded order "Victory" No. IX.

Order "Victory" No. IX Konstantin Rokossovsky

BUT Marshal Zhukov gave another star with diamonds "For the skillful fulfillment of the tasks of the Supreme High Command for the management of large-scale military operations, as a result of which outstanding successes were achieved in the defeat of the Nazi forces."

He received the Order of Victory №VIII.

"Order" Victory "No. VIII Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov - commander of the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front

Thus four times Hero of the Soviet Union and future Minister of Defense of the USSR Twice became a Knight of the Order of Victory.

On the left is Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov, Commander-in-Chief of the Occupation Forces in Germany, in full dress uniform of the 1945 model, on the right is in full dress uniform with two Orders of Victory (No. I and No. VIII)

On April 19, 1945, twice a holder of the Order of Victory became Alexander Vasilevsky."For planning combat operations and coordinating the actions of the fronts" Marshal was awarded order "Victory" №XI.

The next award ceremony took place on April 26, 1945. Commander of the 2nd Ukrainian Front Rodion Malinovsky was awarded "For the liberation of the territory of Austria and Hungary." The Marshal of the Soviet Union, who headed the USSR Ministry of Defense in 1957-1967, was given the “Victory” №III.

Marshal of the Soviet Union Rodion Malinovsky

Together with Malinovsky "For the liberation of the territory of Austria and Hungary" was awarded the Order №II and commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union Fedor Tolbukhin.

Order "Victory" without a number in a case by Fyodor Tolbukhin

The Order of Victory was presented to Marshals Konev, Zhukov, Rokossovsky, Malinovsky and Tolbukhin on May 24, 1945 in the Kremlin.

On May 31, 1945, the commander of the Leningrad Front was awarded the highest military order. Leonid Govorov. Marshal was awarded "For the defeat German troops near Leningrad and in the Baltics. Presentation of the badge №XIII took place on June 20, 1945.

Order Victory №XIII Leonid Govorov

Inventory sheet-description for the Order "Victory" No. XIII. Information about the presence of 162 diamonds is not correct, the actual number is 174

On June 4, 1945, two military leaders received the Order of Victory at once with the wording "For planning military operations and coordinating the actions of the fronts." Representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander, Marshal of the Soviet Union Semyon Timoshenko got a sign №XIIII.

Marshal of the Soviet Union Semyon Timoshenko

Order "Victory" №X I I I I Marshal of the Soviet Union Semyon Timoshenko

Chief of the General Staff Alexey Antonov received an order №XII. Antonov became the only one of all Soviet holders of the Order of Victory with the rank of army general, and the only Soviet holder of the order who was not awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Order Victory №XII Alexei Antonov

June 26, 1945 Joseph Stalin was awarded the second Order of Victory ( №X) - "For the victory over Germany." True, the award itself took place only five years later - on April 28, 1950.

Order "Victory" №X in the case of Joseph Stalin

The commander of the Far Eastern Front became the last of the Soviet military leaders to be awarded the Order of Victory. Kirill Meretskov. On September 8, 1945, the Marshal of the Soviet Union was awarded the highest military award ( №XVIII) "For the successful leadership of the troops in".

Order "Victory" №XVIII Kirill Meretskov

Foreign cavaliers

After the end of World War II, the highest order of the USSR was awarded to five foreign citizens: American General Dwight Eisenhower, British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, King Michael I of Romania, Marshal of Poland Michal Rola-Zhymerski and Marshal of Yugoslavia Josef Broz Tito.

On June 5, 1945, by decision of Joseph Stalin, "for outstanding success in conducting military operations on a large scale, as a result of which the victory of the United Nations over Nazi Germany was achieved," two commanders were awarded allied forces: US Army General Dwight Eisenhower (#IV) and British field marshal Bernard Montgomery (No. VII).

Eisenhower, who later became the 34th President of the United States, was noted for the preparation and implementation of Operation Overlord (the Allied landing in Normandy), the liberation of France, Belgium, the Netherlands and the successful offensive in West Germany.

What swings the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Western Europe Bernard Montgomery, then Soviet government appreciated the victory he won in 1942 at El Alamein, where the Afrika Korps under the command of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was defeated.

Orders to both commanders Marshal Zhukov handed over in German Frankfurt am Main on June 10, 1945.

Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov presenting the Order of Victory to General of the US Army Eisenhower

Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov presenting the Order of Victory to British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery

Marshal Zhukov after awarding the Order of Victory to Montgomery and Eisenhower

Third foreign citizen, awarded with an order"Victory" became King Mihai I of Romania.

Romania declared war on the USSR on June 22, 1941, being in alliance with the Third Reich. The Romanians set themselves the task of returning Bessarabia and Bukovina, which the USSR annexed in the summer of 1940. In addition, Romania wanted to take Transnistria (the territory from the Dniester to the Southern Bug) from the Soviets.

At the beginning of 1943, six Romanian divisions, with a total number of 65 thousand people, continued to fight in the Kuban. In September 1943, these troops fled to the Crimea, but in the spring of 1944 they were driven out by the Red Army. In total, up to 200 thousand Romanians died in the war against the Soviet Union.

On August 23, 1944, a coup d'etat took place in Romania, and the Romanian army went over to the side of the USSR. When the Soviet army approached the Romanian border, King Mihai I, united with the anti-fascist opposition, ordered the arrest of the dictator Ion Antonescu and pro-German generals, and then declared war on Hitler.

The young monarch was nicknamed in Moscow "King of the Komsomol", and on July 6, 1945, Mihai was awarded the Soviet Order of Victory "for the courageous act of decisively turning Romanian policy towards a break with Nazi Germany and an alliance with the United Nations at a time when it was not yet decided the defeat of Germany is clear.

Michael's award №XVI) was presented by Marshal of the Soviet Union Fyodor Tolbukhin, who at that time commanded the southern group of troops Soviet army.

August 9, 1945 "For outstanding services in the organization armed forces Poland and for the successful conduct of military operations of the Polish Army in decisive battles against the common enemy - Nazi Germany "was awarded the Supreme Commander of the Polish Army General Michal Zymerski. Order of Victory №XVII was presented on November 14, 1945 by the USSR Ambassador to Poland V. Z. Lebedev.

The last of the foreigners to be awarded the Order of Victory was the Supreme Commander of the Yugoslav People's Liberation Army Marshal of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito. On September 9, 1945, he was awarded "For outstanding success in conducting military operations on a large scale, contributing to the victory of the United Nations over Nazi Germany." "Victory" №XIX On September 29, 1945, the USSR Ambassador to Yugoslavia I. V. Sadchikov presented it.

Joseph Stalin highly appreciated Tito, even allowing the Yugoslav communist to watch the parades from the podium of the Mausoleum. Tito's heightened ambitions and his desire to become a regional leader without regard to Moscow caused discontent in the Kremlin, which led to a cooling of relations. The Soviet press referred to the authorities of Yugoslavia as "Tito's fascist clique". Josip Broz Tito led the country until his death in 1980.

"Victory" Brezhnev

The last to be awarded a unique order was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Chairman of the Defense Council of the USSR, Marshal of the Soviet Union Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev.

A working note has been preserved, where the Secretary General sketched out a plan of affairs; he not only emphasized the forthcoming presentation of the coveted order, but also highlighted it in red ink.

Naturally, the presentation of the highest military order to the Soviet leader did not meet his statute, however award order was formulated correctly: "For the great contribution to the victory of the Soviet people and its Armed Forces in the Great Patriotic War, outstanding services in strengthening the country's defense capability..."

The Order of Victory No. XX is presented to the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU by M.A. Suslov

Awarding Brezhnev was the 20th in a row, the same number adorns the order that he got. There is an opinion that the Secretary General was awarded the award of Marshal Govorov, who died in 1955, but this is not so. Both of these copies are kept in the Moscow Kremlin Museums - both Govorovsky No. XIII and Brezhnev №XX.

Marshal of the Soviet Union and Commander of the Order of Victory Leonid Brezhnev (1906–1982)

On the "Victory" of the Secretary General of the Central Committee of the CPSU, the pin was replaced cupronickel pin- for the convenience of attaching to a uniform or jacket. During the war, awards were presented in a box, since the order with a screw fastening is quite difficult to attach to clothing.

The appearance of the pin attachment was precisely dictated by the fact that at the solemn ceremony to quickly attach the order to the tunic. By the way, the order "Victory" with a pin mount is the invention of Field Marshal Montgomery.

Order "Victory" No. XX, which was awarded to Leonid Brezhnev

Order "Victory" No. XX, which was awarded to Leonid Brezhnev

On November 10, 1982, the 75-year-old Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR died. A month after the funeral, December 14, 1982, all Brezhnev awards, including the Order of Victory, were transferred to his widow.

Four years later, on November 26, 1986, Head of the Department of Awards of the Presidium of the Supreme Council Rosa Eldarova accompanied by the former head of Brezhnev's security, KGB General A.Ya. Ryabenko went to the state dacha "Zarechye-6" to convince the widow of the Secretary General Viktoria Petrovna to voluntarily transfer her husband's awards for storage to the Order pantry. She agreed. Later in her book, Eldarova wrote:

« Even under V.V. Kuznetsov, I repeatedly raised the question of the need to remove from this family, at least, the Order of Victory and the marshal and general stars ... I answered [the widow] that she had the right to leave all awards, except for marshal stars and the Order of Victory, but better not to tempt grandchildren and great-grandchildren ... and is it necessary to break the integrity of the awards of the “great” person».

The inventory of Brezhnev's awards takes 12 pages. Marshal of the Soviet Union, Hero of Socialist Labor and four times Hero of the Soviet Union managed to collect 111 insignia (!): one order "Victory", five gold stars of the hero, 16 orders and 18 medals of the USSR, two marshal's stars, as well as 34 gold medals of the Hero, transferred to him as duplicates. In addition, foreign comrades who visited the USSR awarded Brezhnev 42 orders and 29 medals from other countries.

Already during perestroika, September 21, 1989, the decree on awarding Brezhnev with the Order of Victory was canceled as contrary to the statute of the order. Thus, the order "Victory" number XX, assigned to Brezhnev, de jure became an undelivered copy.

Secret of the First Order

The fate of the Order of Victory No. 1 is shrouded in a real mystery, the holder of which should be the Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov. However, it is known that the very first order was not numbered and, perhaps, under No. 1 it is not the award itself that is meant, but the serial number of the award and the entry in the order book.

According to documents in Museums and funds, it turns out that Zhukov was awarded the Order No. VI. But the order under this number is assigned to Marshal Vasilevsky, who was awarded ... simultaneously with Zhukov.

On May 31, 1944, Nikolai Shvernik, First Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, solemnly presented Marshals Zhukov and Vasilevsky with the Order of Victory.

In the typewritten protocol of the Kremlin presentation of awards, next to the line “ZHUKOV Georgy Konstantinovich”, the following is handwritten: “1)”, and next to the next - “VASILEVSKY Alexander Mikhailovich”, the same hand is attributed: “6)”

Kirill Tsyplenkov, in the article “Victory Changes Owner”, claims that these figures correspond to the numbers from the inventory sheets of descriptions of the two Orders of Victory attached to the copy of the protocol, which were issued by the head of the Secret Department N.F. Obukhov.

On the basis of these three documents, the accounting department of the Financial and Economic Sector of the PVS Administration wrote off valuables from the account. In the records of the two corresponding operations dated June 9, 1944, the names of those awarded, the registration numbers of the Orders of Victory awarded and the amount of their value are indicated: No. 1 Zhukov G.K. - 17.090–30»; « No. 6 Vasilevsky - 13.377–33».

Straightaway after Zhukov's funeral, held on June 21, 1974 on Red Square, his awards were transferred to the Commandant's Office of the Mausoleum V.I. Lenin.

On June 24, 1974, Major Barkhatov, the head of the security shift of the Commandant's Office of the Mausoleum, delivered a package with orders and medals of the marshal to the Secret Section of the PVS Secretariat.

In January 1976, the Main Political Directorate of the Soviet Army and Navy applied to the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet with a request to transfer the awards of Marshal Zhukov (including two Orders of Victory) for exhibiting in Central Museum of the Armed Forces of the USSR.

July 24, 1980 transfer orders of Zhukov - No. I and No. VIII- allowed. This is reflected in the Marshal's record card: "2 Orders of Victory (No. 1 and No. 8) and the Marshal's Star were transferred to the Central Museum of the Armed Forces of the USSR on July 24-80."

However, a week later, on August 1, 1980, the place of the order with No. I was suddenly taken by the order No. VI. This is displayed in act of receipt of orders "Victory" Zhukov and for permanent storage in the Central Museum of the Armed Forces of the USSR, signed by the head of the museum, Colonel B.D. Ozhgibesov:

"Received from the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR through the Main Political Directorate of the Soviet Army and Navy two Orders of Victory, which belonged to Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov, accepted into the fund and credited under the following inventory numbers:

• Order of Victory. On the reverse side of the badge is engraved “VI”, inv. No. 91830/6/14118.
• Order of Victory. On the reverse side of the badge is engraved "VIII", inv. №>91831/6/14119".

It seems unlikely that museum workers could accidentally confuse the unique order No. 1 with 169 diamonds (see above) with the “regular” No. 6, which has 174 diamonds.

Description of the order "Victory" No. I - 169 diamonds instead of the prescribed 174

But a fact is a fact, and the Central Museum of the Armed Forces of the USSR now exhibits Order "Victory" Zhukov under No. VI and VIII.

The daughter of the famous military leader Era Georgievna Zhukova looks at her father in the Museum of the Order of Victory

Order of "Victory" Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov

“Order “Victory” No. VI Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov. A badge with the same number was awarded to Marshal Vasilevsky

"Order" Victory "No. VIII of the commander of the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front Georgy Zhukov

Reward from someone else's tunic for Stalin

Another incident occurred with the award of the Marshal of the Soviet Union Ivan Konev. On June 25, 1945, the day after the Victory Parade and the reception in the Kremlin that followed, the military leader was forced to exchange the Order of Victory recently awarded to him for a new one, since the sign “ mount fell off».

From left to right: Marshals of the Soviet Union and holders of the Order of Victory L.A. Govorov, I.S. Konev, K.K. Rokossovsky and A.M. Vasilevsky on the podium of the Mausoleum during the Victory Parade on June 24, 1945

The relevant act, signed by the head of the Financial Sector and the head of the Secret Section, states: “Instead of the damaged order of VICTORY, another order was issued for No. 15 comrade. KONEV, and the Order of VICTORY No. 10 was handed over for repairs ".

Act of acceptance from Marshal of the Soviet Union I.S. Konev of the Order of Victory No. X and the issuance of the Order of Victory No. XV to him

Specialists of the Moscow Jewelry and Watch Factory quickly repaired the award by soldering the screw pin, and the very next day, June 26, 1945, the second-hand Order of Victory №X was prepared for handing himself Comrade Stalin.

However, the leader refused to accept an award from someone else's tunic. He descended to her only five years later.

Together with the Order of Victory by Konev, Stalin was awarded two Orders of Lenin, the Gold Star medal of the Hero of the Soviet Union, a certificate of conferring the title of Generalissimo, an order book for the Order of Victory and a book of the Hero of the Soviet Union.

The fate of the orders "Victory"

As already mentioned, a total of 22 Orders of Victory were made, only 20 were awarded, and even fewer cavaliers - 17. Georgy Zhukov, Alexander Vasilevsky and Joseph Stalin became knights twice, badges with numbers XXI and XXII were never awarded. Rewarding Brezhnev was cancelled.

According to Soviet laws, if a front-line order bearer died before 1977, his relatives were required to surrender all orders to the state, except for the October Revolution and the Patriotic War. After the death of holders of the Order of Victory, the award, according to the statute, was to be deposited in Order pantry of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

On February 15, 1977, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council was signed, establishing that all awards of the deceased gentlemen remain in the family for storage as a memory in relation to civil law on the order of inheritance.

The ability to transfer awards for display and storage in museums now depended on consent of heirs. However, by this time all the Soviet holders of the Order of Victory were already dead, and their awards took their place in museums.

Until 1977, the Order of Victory after the death of a cavalier had to surrender to the state

The collection of the Moscow Kremlin Museums contains nine Orders of Victory

Five orders of "Victory" are in the Museum of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation

Two Orders of Victory are kept in the Museum of the Gokhran of Russia and one in the Hermitage

Now the collection of the Moscow Kremlin Museums contains nine "Pobeda": two Stalinist, one each of the Order of Meretskov, Konev, Timoshenko, Govorov, Antonov, Rokossovsky, Tolbukhin and Brezhnev.

Five orders are in the Museum of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation: two Zhukovs, two Vasilevskys and one Malinovsky. At the same time, copies of orders are exhibited in the Victory Hall of this museum, the orders themselves are in storerooms.

Two orders are kept in the Museum of the Gokhran of Russia: owned by Tymoshenko - in the funds, and one of the undelivered copies - in the "Diamond Fund".

More one undelivered "Victory" is in the Hermitage.

Total 17 awards, that is, all orders awarded to citizens of the USSR are with the state.

Reference of the head of the department of awards of the PVS of the USSR R.A. Eldarova about the locations of all 22 Orders of Victory. May 1985

The heirs of foreign cavaliers could not comply with the laws of the USSR, continuing to own the priceless Orders of Victory.

Orders awarded Field Marshal Montgomery, General Eisenhower and Marshal Tito, transferred to the museums of their countries:

• • • Eisenhower's award is located at the 34th President's Memorial Library in his hometown of Abilene, Kansas;
    • “Field Marshal Montgomery's victory is on display at the Imperial War Museum in London (UK);
    • the Order of Marshal Tito is stored in the Museum of the History of Yugoslavia in Belgrade (Serbia).

"Victory" Polish Marshal Rol-Zhymersky stayed in the family. According to researcher department of phaleristics and Russian artistic metal of the XII-XVII centuries of the Armory of the Moscow Kremlin Maria Sarycheva, in 2007 the heirs tried to sell the order. Now his fate is not known.

Covered in darkness and the fate of the order "Victory", which belonged to King Mihai I of Romania. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Victory in 2005, he came to Moscow without him. There were persistent rumors among collectors that Michael I sold the order to John Rockefeller for $700,000, who, in turn, put it up for auction, where it was bought by an unknown collector for $2 million.

To dispel speculation, the king's press office issued a statement in 2015:

“The rumors about the sale of the Order of Victory have no basis. The award is kept in the estate of Verhois (Switzerland), and the king cherishes it very much..

However, the royal "Victory" was never shown to the public. She was not seen at the funeral of Michael I, who died in December 2017.