Who was awarded the Order of Victory. How many Orders of Victory were issued in total and how many people were awarded them? History of the award

Order "Victory"

Reward card
Name = Order "Victory"
Image:

Image Tape:

OriginalName =
Country = Flag of the USSR USSR
Type = highest military order
To whom is awarded = to persons of the highest command of the Red Army
Grounds for the Award = for the successful conduct of such military operations on the scale of one or more fronts, as a result of which the situation is radically changing in favor of the Red Army
Status = not awarded
Parameters = distance between opposite tops of the star - 72 mm,
total weight - 78 grams:
platinum - 47 g,
gold - 2 g,
silver - 19 g,
rubies - 25 carats,
diamonds - 16 carats.
Establishment Date = November 8, 1943
First Award = April 10, 1944
Last Award = September 9, 1945
(February 20, 1978) 19 orders, except for Brezhnev's award on February 20, 1978, annulled after his death]
Number \u003d 20 (19) 19 orders, except for Brezhnev's award on February 20, 1978, annulled after his death]
SeniorAward =
Junior Award =
Match =

Order "Victory"- the highest military order of the USSR, was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces of November 8, 1943, simultaneously with the soldier's Order of Glory. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of August 18, 1944, a sample and description of the ribbon of the Order of Victory were approved, as well as the procedure for wearing the bar with the ribbon of the order. In total there were 20 awards and seventeen cavaliers (three were awarded twice, one was deprived of the award posthumously).

The Order of Victory is the highest military order. It is awarded to senior officers of the Red Army for the successful conduct of such combat operations on the scale of one or more fronts, as a result of which the situation is radically changing in favor of the Red Army.

For those awarded the Order of Victory, a memorial plaque is established, as a sign of special distinction, to include the names of holders of the Order of Victory on it. The memorial plaque is installed in the Grand Kremlin Palace. The awarding of this order is made only by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

The Order of Victory is worn on the left side of the chest 12-14 cm above the waist.

Story

History of creation

In 1943, after a radical turning point during the Great Patriotic War, the country's leadership needed to establish a higher military order, to which particularly distinguished commanders could be represented. The work on the sketch of this award was entrusted to several medal artists at once. Initially, the award was supposed to be called "For Loyalty to the Motherland" [ cite web
author =
co-authors =
datepublished=
url = http://www.vokrugsveta.ru/quiz/?item_id=231
title = Why was the Order of Victory needed?
format=
work =
publisher = Around the world
accessdate = January 15th
accessyear = 2008
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description=] .

One of the first, in July 1943, was presented for consideration by the officer of the headquarters of the logistics department of the Soviet Army, Colonel N. S. Neelov. However, this project was not approved and work on the creation of a sketch of the award was continued. Among the various options, preference was given to the sketch of the chief artist of the technical committee of the Main Quartermaster Directorate of Logistics A. I. Kuznetsov, who was already the author of the Order of the Patriotic War. The first sample of the order was presented to Stalin on October 25, 1943. The project of the order, which was a five-pointed star with a central round medallion, on which chest profile bas-reliefs of Lenin and Stalin were placed (as in Neyolov's previous project), was not approved by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Stalin expressed the wish to place an image of the Kremlin's Spasskaya Tower in the center of the medallion. On October 29, Kuznetsov presented several new sketches, from which Stalin chose one - with the inscription "Victory". In addition, the artist was instructed to slightly correct the appearance of the order: enlarge the size of the Spasskaya Tower and a fragment of the Kremlin wall, make the background blue, and also change the size of the diverging rays between the tops of the red star (the so-called "strals"). On November 5, a trial copy of the order was prepared, made of platinum, diamonds and rubies, which was finally approved. In total, Kuznetsov proposed more than fifteen different variants of the order [ cite web
author = Vladimir Pakhomov
co-authors =
datepublished = October 23, 2003
url = http://www.sovross.ru/old/2003/119/119_3_1.htm
title = "Glory" illuminated by "Victory"
format=
work =
publisher = Soviet Russia
accessdate = January 16th
accessyear = 2008
language =
description=] .

Since precious metals were needed for the manufacture of the order: platinum and gold, diamonds and rubies, the execution of the order for the production of signs of the order was entrusted to the masters of the Moscow Jewelry and Watch Factory, which was a unique case - "Pobeda" became the only one of all domestic orders that was not made on Mint. It was supposed to make 30 badges of the order. According to the calculations of specialists, each order required 180 (including damage) diamonds, 50 roses and 300 grams of platinum. By order of the Council of People's Commissars, Glavyuvelirtorg received 5,400 diamonds, 1,500 roses and 9 kilograms of pure platinum. In the process of making the order, the master of the highest qualification of the Moscow Jewelry and Watch Factory I.F. Kazyonnov faced the following problem: natural rubies had different shades of red and it was not possible to assemble even one order from them withstanding the color. Then it was decided to use artificial rubies, from which it was possible to cut the required number of blanks of the same color [ cite web
author = dreamowner
co-authors =
datepublished = December 3, 2007
url = http://h.ua/story/72684/
title = Pretium laborum non vile
format=
work =
publisher = highway
accessdate = January 22nd
accessyear = 2008
language =
description=] .

From the memoirs of master I. F. Kazyonnov:

The first awards in 1944

The first award took place on April 10, 1944. The owner of Order No. 1 was the commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov. Order No. 2 was received by the Chief of the General Staff Marshal of the Soviet Union A. M. Vasilevsky. The Order "Victory" No. 3 was awarded to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Marshal of the Soviet Union I. V. Stalin. All of them were awarded this award for the liberation of the Right-Bank Ukraine.

In his book "Memories and Reflections" [ cite web
author = G. K. Zhukov
co-authors =
datepublished=
url = http://militera.lib.ru/memo/russian/zhukov1/18.html
title = Memories and reflections. Chapter eighteen. In the battles for Ukraine
format=
work =
publisher = Military literature
accessdate = December 24th
accessyear = 2007
language =
description=] G. K. Zhukov wrote about this event: cquote| Calling A. I. Antonov, I learned that he was also summoned to the Supreme. It was not difficult to guess that before meeting with me, JV Stalin wanted to get acquainted with the latest situation and the considerations of the General Staff.
When I entered the Supreme’s office, A. I. Antonov, the commander of the armored forces, Marshal Ya. N. Fedorenko, and the commander of the Air Force, Colonel-General A. A. Novikov, as well as the Deputy Chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars, V. A. Malyshev, were already there.
After saying hello, the Supreme Commander asked whether I had visited Nikolai Mikhailovich Shvernik.
I answered no.
- We must go in and receive the Order of Victory.
I thanked the Supreme Commander for the high award.

Marshal of the Soviet Union A. M. Vasilevsky in his book "The Work of All Life" [ cite web
author = A. M. Vasilevsky
co-authors =
datepublished=
url = http://victory.mil.ru/lib/books/memo/vasilevsky/21.html
title = Life's Work
format=
work =
publisher = 60 years of the Great Victory
accessdate = December 24th
accessyear = 2007
language =
description=] wrote about the award as follows: quote|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 wording of the award 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 was 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.

End of the war

The following awards took place only a year later: on March 30, 1945, the commander of the 2nd Belorussian Front Marshal of the Soviet Union K.K. Rokossovsky - for the liberation of Poland, and the commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front Marshal of the Soviet Union I.S. Konev - for the liberation of Poland and the crossing of the Oder.

By decree of April 19, 1945, the second order was awarded to the commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky - for the capture of Koenigsberg and the liberation of East Prussia, with the wording: "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 fascist German troops.

On April 26 of the same year, two more were awarded: the commander of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union R. Ya. Malinovsky and the commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union F. I. Tolbukhin. Both were awarded for the liberation in the heavy, bloody battles of the territories of Hungary and Austria.

On May 31, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the following were awarded:
* Commander of the Leningrad Front Marshal of the Soviet Union L. A. Govorov - for the liberation of Estonia.
* Commander of the 1st Belorussian Front Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov - for the capture of Berlin

On June 4, the Order of Victory for planning military operations and coordinating the actions of the fronts throughout the war was awarded to two more military leaders: the representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Marshal of the Soviet Union S. N. Timoshenko and the Chief of the General Staff, General of the Army A. I. Antonov.

By a decree of June 26, 1945, Stalin was awarded the Order of Victory for the second time. Following the results of the war with Japan, on September 8, 1945, Marshal of the Soviet Union K. A. Meretskov, commander of the Far Eastern Front, became the Commander of the Order of Victory.

Allied awards

After the end of the war, it was decided to award the Order of Victory to the commanders of the allied forces. By decree of June 5, 1945, "" 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 "" were awarded:
* US Army General Dwight Eisenhower
* Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery

* All orders awarded to Soviet military leaders are in Russia. The Central Museum of the Armed Forces has 5 Orders of Victory: 2 Zhukov, 2 Vasilevsky and one Malinovsky. In the Victory Hall of this museum, copies of orders are exhibited, the orders themselves are in storerooms [ cite web
author = Mikhail Falaleev
co-authors =
datepublished = December 15, 2006
url = http://www.rg.ru/2006/12/15/ordena.html
title = Where did the orders of the Soviet marshal go?
format=
work =
publisher = Russian newspaper
accessdate = January 20
accessyear = 2008
language =
description=] . The remaining copies of the Order of Victory are in the Gokhran (the Order of K.K. Rokossovsky is in the Diamond Fund).

* Eisenhower's award is located in the Memorial Library of the 34th President of the United States in his hometown of Abilene (Kansas) [ cite web
author = Ivan Lebedev
co-authors =
datepublished = March 11, 2005
url = http://victory.tass-online.ru/?page=article&aid=513&categID=11
title = Order of Victory at the Eisenhower Museum
format=
work =
publisher = ITAR-TASS
accessdate = December 22
accessyear = 2007
language =
description=] .
* Marshal Tito's award is on display at the 25 May Museum in Belgrade.
*Field Marshal Montgomery's award is on display at the Imperial War Museum in London.
* The fate of the Victory Order, which belonged to King Mihai I, is unclear (Mihai arrived at the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Victory without an order). According to some reports, it is in a private collection, having been auctioned either by one of N. Ceausescu's relatives, or by the king himself. According to the official version, ""the order" Victory "has never been sold and is located on the estate of King Michael I in the town of Versoix, Switzerland" "[ cite web
author = Vera Shirova
co-authors =
datepublished = November 21, 2006
url = http://www.newizv.ru/news/2006-11-21/58556/
title = Reward price
format=
work =
publisher = New news
accessdate = December 23
accessyear = 2007
language =
description=] .

Interesting Facts

* A memorial plaque with the names of all holders of the Order of Victory has been installed in the Grand Kremlin Palace.
* Unlike all other Soviet orders with a pin fastening, the Order of Victory was worn on the left rather than on the right side of the chest.
* The Order of Victory was placed on the chest below all other orders and medals.
* The order does not have a number (it was indicated only in award documents) and a mint mark.
* The width of the ribbon of the order is 46 mm (for all Soviet orders and medals - 24 mm).
* The strips with the ribbon of the Order of Victory were worn on the uniform 1 cm higher than the strips of all other awards.
* The Order "Victory" is depicted on the anniversary medal "60 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945".
* From the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of March 28, 1980:

The ribbon of the Order "Victory" is worn separately and is located 1 cm above the strips with ribbons of orders and medals.

Gallery

stamps of the USSR">
| Stamp of the USSR, 1945
| Stamp of the USSR, 1945
| Stamp of the USSR, 1945

Notes

Literature

* book
author = Ionina N. A.
part =
title = One hundred great rewards
original =
link =
edition =
place = Kyiv
publishing house = Veche
year = 2003
volume =
pages =
pages = 432
isbn=5-7838-1171-8

* book
author = Savichev N. P.
part =
title = Symbols of labor and military prowess
original =
link =
edition =
place = Kyiv
publishing house = Radyanska school
year = 1987
volume =
pages =
pages = 233
isbn=

* book
author = Smyslov O. S.
part =
title = Riddles of Soviet awards
original =
link =
edition =
place = Kyiv
publishing house = Veche
year = 2005
volume =
pages =
pages = 352
isbn=5-9533-0446-3

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

Among the Soviet military orders, a special place is occupied by the Order of Victory, which was awarded only for the leadership of operations of strategic importance.

The idea of ​​creating the highest military order appeared in July 1943. His initial sketch was developed by one of the officers of the rear headquarters - N. S. Neelov. At first, the order was supposed to be called "For Loyalty to the Motherland." The head of the Logistics of the Red Army, General of the Army A.V. Khrulev, instructed the artist A.I. Kuznetsov, who took part in the creation of a sketch of the Order of Lenin and other state awards, to develop another sketch. On July 20, the sketches were submitted to the Supreme Commander for consideration. The artists were offered to continue working on them, bearing in mind that the new award would already be called the Order of Victory.

On October 18, only the fifteenth sketch was recognized as the most successful, and yet JV Stalin approved it only on October 29 during a secondary discussion.

On November 8, 1943, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR established the highest military order - "Victory".

The badge of the Order of Victory is a convex five-pointed ruby ​​star bordered with diamonds. In the gaps between the ends of the star, diverging rays studded with diamonds. The middle of the star is a circle covered with blue enamel, bordered by a laurel-oak wreath. In the center of the circle is a golden image of the Kremlin wall with Lenin's mausoleum and the Spasskaya Tower in the center. Above the image is the inscription in white enamel letters "USSR". At the bottom of the circle on a red enamel ribbon is the inscription in white enamel letters "VICTORY".
The badge of the order is made of platinum. Platinum, gold, silver, enamel, five artificial rubies in the rays of a star and 174 small diamonds are used in the decoration of the order. The weight of each of the five rubies is 5 carats. The total weight of the diamonds on the sign is 16 carats. The size of the star between opposite peaks is 72 mm. On the reverse side, the badge has a threaded pin with a nut for attaching the order to clothing.
Ribbon for the order "Victory" silk moire. In the middle of the tape there is a red stripe 15 mm wide. On the sides, closer to the edges, stripes of green, blue, burgundy and light blue. The ribbon is bordered with orange and black stripes. The total width of the tape is 46 mm. Height - 8 mm. The ribbon of the Order "Victory" is worn on the left side of the chest, on a separate bar, 1 cm higher than other order ribbons.

The Order of Victory was awarded to senior officers of the Red Army for the successful conduct of military operations on the scale of several fronts or one front, as a result of which the situation radically changed in favor of the Red Army.

The establishment of the new order took place in the year of a radical change in the Great Patriotic War. In the summer of 1943, an attempt by the Nazis to organize the last strategic offensive on the Kursk Bulge was thwarted. The enemy suffered a crushing defeat here and began to retreat to the west.

In the summer of 1943, the first victorious salute struck in honor of the liberation of Orel, and two days before the establishment of the highest military order, Kyiv was liberated.

The Order of Victory was twice awarded to the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the USSR I.V. Stalin, Marshals of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov and A.M. Vasilevsky. Ten more outstanding Soviet military leaders, who during the war led operations of strategic importance and achieved decisive successes in the fight against the enemy, became holders of this order.

On April 10, 1944, the first awarding of the new order took place. The first holder of the Order of Victory was the Deputy Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov. The second was the Chief of the General Staff, Marshal of the Soviet Union A. M. Vasilevsky.

The name of Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, an outstanding Soviet commander, has already appeared several times in this book. In the story about the Heroes of the Soviet Union, he was mentioned in connection with the battles at Khalkhin Gol, where he commanded an army group and played a big role in defeating the Japanese militarists. In the narrative of military orders - due to the fact that he became the owner of the Order of Suvorov, 1st degree No. 1. By the time he was awarded the highest military order, G.K. Zhukov won a number of brilliant victories: under his leadership, Soviet troops in 1941 defeated Germans near Moscow; in 1942, he coordinated the actions of the fronts to defeat the Nazi troops near Stalingrad; in 1943 he coordinated the actions of the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts to break the blockade of Leningrad and the actions of four fronts in the battle of Kursk. On the day of awarding the Order of Victory, G.K. Zhukov commanded the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front, conducting a large-scale operation in Right-Bank Ukraine. Order "Victory" No. 1 was rightfully awarded to the best commander of the Great Patriotic War, whose name was associated with outstanding victories of Soviet weapons.

The name of Alexander Mikhailovich Vasilevsky was found next to the name of G.K. Zhukov when it was about awarding him the Order of Suvorov, 1st degree. Since 1940, together with G.K. Zhukov, he served in the General Staff, and from June 1942 he headed it. Together with G.K. Zhukov, Vasilevsky coordinated the actions of the fronts near Stalingrad and near Kursk. In the summer of 1943, A. M. Vasilevsky coordinated the actions of the 4th Ukrainian, Southern and South-Western Fronts during the liberation of Donbass, and on the day of awarding the Order of Victory, he led the actions of the 4th Ukrainian Front and the Black Sea Fleet. A. M. Vasilevsky rightfully shared with G. K. Zhukov the glory of an outstanding commander.

On March 30, 1945, Marshals of the Soviet Union I. S. Konev and K. K. Rokossovsky, commanders of the fronts, became holders of the Order of Victory.

Ivan Stepanovich Konev, a participant in the Civil War, joined the Red Army from the first days of its existence. He was the commissar of an armored train, brigade, division and headquarters of the People's Revolutionary Army of the Far Eastern Republic.

By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, I. S. Konev gained extensive experience in leading large military formations. In June 1941 he was commander of the 19th Army, and in September he became commander of the Western Front. Then I. S. Konev commanded the Kalinin, Northwestern, Steppe, 2nd and 1st Ukrainian fronts. His troops participated in the battle near Moscow, in the battle of Kursk, in the liberation of Ukraine and Poland. On the day of awarding the Order of Victory, the 1st Ukrainian Front of Marshal I.S. Konev set his sights on Berlin, preparing to crush the enemy’s lair.

Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky, like I.S. Konev, served in the Red Army since 1918. He began the Great Patriotic War as commander of a mechanized corps. Then for a year he commanded an army that was part of the Western Front. From the summer of 1942 until the end of the war, he led a number of fronts, participated in the battles near Moscow and Stalingrad, near Kursk and in Belarus, in the East Prussian and East Pomeranian operations. On March 30, 1945, the troops of K.K. Rokossovsky liberated the land of Poland from the Nazis.

On April 26, 1945, the family of holders of the highest military order of the USSR was replenished with two more commanders - front commanders Marshals of the Soviet Union R. Ya. Malinovsky and F. I. Tolbukhin.

Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky began serving in the Red Army during the Civil War. In 1937-1938 he fought in Spain, began the Great Patriotic War as a corps commander, and from August 1941 he began to command the 6th Army. Until the end of the war, he held the posts of commander, deputy commander and commander of various fronts. From the beginning of 1943, he led the fighting on a number of fronts, and by the time he was awarded the Order of Victory, he had gone from Stalingrad to Czechoslovakia. The troops under his leadership took part in the liberation of Romania, Austria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia.

Fedor Ivanovich Tolbukhin is one of the largest Soviet military leaders, who successfully combined the experience of staff and team work. He served in the Red Army from 1918. From March 1943 he commanded the troops of the Southern Front, and from October - the 4th Ukrainian. On the day of awarding the Order of Victory, F. I. Tolbukhin was the commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. The troops under his command participated in the battles near Stalingrad, in the Caucasus, in the Crimea, in the liberation of Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Hungary and Austria. A Bulgarian city was named after him, he was elected an honorary citizen of Sofia and Belgrade.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on May 31, 1945, the order "Victory" was received by the front commander Marshal of the Soviet Union Leonid Alexandrovich Govorov. G. K. Zhukov and A. M. Vasilevsky were awarded the second Order of Victory.

G.K. Zhukov at that time was already Commander-in-Chief of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. After being awarded the first Order of Victory, he brilliantly carried out Operation Bagration to liberate Belarus, led the Vistula-Oder operation, which led to the liberation of Poland and access to the center of Germany. Finally, he belonged to the historic mission of defeating the Berlin grouping and signing the act of surrender of Germany.

A. M. Vasilevsky, after being awarded the first Order of Victory, also led a number of strategic operations that led to the liberation of Belarus, Latvia and Lithuania. In April 1945, commanding the 3rd Belorussian Front, he successfully completed the East Prussian operation, taking the Koenigsberg fortress and clearing the Samland Peninsula from the enemy.

L. A. Govorov also served in the army since the Civil War. From April 1942 to May 1945, he commanded the Leningrad Front, and in February-March 1945, at the same time, the 2nd Baltic Front. L. A. Govorov showed himself as an outstanding military leader during the defense and liberation of Leningrad, during the liberation of part of the Baltic states and in the defeat of the Nazi group "North".

On June 4, 1945, the Order of Victory was awarded to the Chief of the General Staff, General of the Army A. I. Antonov, who replaced A. M. Vasilevsky in this post, and the representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, Marshal of the Soviet Union S. K. Timoshenko.

Alexei Innokentyevich Antonov, who joined the Red Army in the spring of 1919, went from chief of staff of a brigade to chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR. With his participation and under his leadership, various large-scale operations of the Second World War were planned and coordinated. AI Antonov took part in the work of the Yalta and Potsdam conferences.

Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko is one of the oldest commanders of the Red Army, an associate of K. E. Voroshilov and S. M. Budyonny. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, he was People's Commissar of Defense, and then commanded a number of fronts and directions. Since March 1943, as a representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, S. K. Timoshenko coordinated the actions of the fronts in the Iasi-Kishinev and Budapest operations.

On September 8, 1945, the Commander of the First Far Eastern Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union Kirill Afanasyevich Meretskov, was also awarded the highest Soviet military order for defeating the troops of Japanese militarists in China and Korea.

Like S. K. Timoshenko, he fought in the ranks of the First Cavalry during the Civil War, in 1939-1940 he commanded an army that broke through the Mannerheim Line. Since December 1941, A.K. Meretskov commanded the Volkhov and Karelian fronts, and in August 1945, the 1st Far Eastern Front. His troops played a decisive role in the defeat of the Kwantung Army, the main Japanese land force in Manchuria.

In addition to Soviet generals, major foreign military and political figures were also awarded the Order of Victory: Commander-in-Chief of the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia Marshal I. Broz Tito, Supreme Commander of the Polish Army Marshal M. Rola-Zhymersky, Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Armed Forces General of the US Army D Eisenhower, Commander of the Allied Forces of the 21st Army Group in Europe, British Field Marshal B. L. Montgomery, King of Romania Mihai I.

After the end of the Great Patriotic War, Marshal of the Soviet Union Leonid Brezhnev was also awarded the Order of Victory. However, this award, made in complete violation of the statute of the order, was perceived from the very beginning as odious, explained only by the fact that L. I. Brezhnev was not only a marshal, but also the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, who concentrated all power in his hands.

Established by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of November 8, 1943. The Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of August 18, 1944 approved the sample and description of the ribbon of the Order of Victory, as well as the procedure for wearing the bar with the ribbon of the Order.

Order status.

Order "Victory" is the highest military order. It is awarded to senior officers of the Red Army for the successful conduct of such combat operations on the scale of one or more fronts, as a result of which the situation is radically changing in favor of the Red Army.

For those awarded with the Order "Victory", a memorial plaque is established, as a sign of special distinction, to include the names of holders of the Order "Victory" on it. The memorial plaque is installed in the Grand Kremlin Palace. The awarding of this order is made only by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

The Order "Victory" is worn on the left side of the chest 12-14 cm above the waist.

Description of the order.

The Badge of the Order "Victory" is a convex five-pointed ruby ​​star bordered with diamonds. In the gaps between the ends of the star, diverging rays studded with diamonds. The middle of the star is a circle covered with blue enamel, bordered by a laurel-oak wreath. In the center of the circle is a golden image of the Kremlin wall with Lenin's mausoleum and the Spasskaya Tower in the center. Above the image is the inscription in white enamel letters "USSR". At the bottom of the circle on a red enamel ribbon is the inscription in white enamel letters "VICTORY".

The badge of the order is made of platinum. Platinum, gold, silver, enamel, five artificial rubies in the rays of a star and 174 small diamonds are used in the decoration of the order.

The size of the star between opposite peaks is 72 mm. The diameter of the circle with the image of the Spasskaya Tower is 31 mm. The total weight of the order is 78 g. The content of platinum in the order is 47 g, gold - 2 g, silver - 19 g. The weight of each of the five rubies is 5 carats. The total weight of the diamonds on the sign is 16 carats.

On the reverse side, the badge has a threaded pin with a nut for attaching the order to clothing.

Ribbon for the order "Victory" silk moire. In the middle of the tape there is a red stripe 15 mm wide. On the sides, closer to the edges, stripes of green, blue, burgundy and light blue. The ribbon is bordered with orange and black stripes. The total width of the tape is 46 mm. Height - 8 mm. The ribbon of the Order "Victory" is worn on the left side of the chest, on a separate bar, 1 cm higher than other order ribbons.

History of the Order.

The Order "Victory" is the highest military order of the USSR. This military order was established simultaneously with the soldier's Order of Glory.

One of the first, in July 1943, a project of an order called "For Loyalty to the Motherland" was submitted for consideration by an officer of the headquarters of the rear department of the Soviet Army, Colonel Neelov N.S. However, Stalin did not approve of this project and work on the creation of a sketch of this award was continued. Among the many variants of the Order "Victory" submitted for the competition, preference was given to the sketch of the artist AI Kuznetsov, who was also the author of the Order of the Patriotic War. Initially, in the center of the sign, Kuznetsov planned to mark the bust profile bas-reliefs of Lenin and Stalin (as was the case in Neelov's previous project), then the option of placing the Order of the State Emblem of the USSR in the center was considered. In the final version, it was decided to replace the image of the coat of arms in the center of the sign with the image of the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin.

Order No. 1 was awarded to the commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union Zhukov G.K. April 10, 1944 for the liberation of right-bank Ukraine. The second order "Victory" Zhukov received, being the commander of the 1st Belorussian Front, on March 30, 1945 (for the capture of Berlin).

In addition to him, this award was awarded (in the order of awarding) marshals:

• Chief of the General Staff (later commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front) Vasilevsky A.M. (April 10, 1944 and April 19, 1945) - for the liberation of the right-bank Ukraine and for the capture of Koenigsberg and the liberation of East Prussia.
• Supreme Commander-in-Chief Stalin I.V. (July 29, 1944 and June 26, 1945) - for the liberation of right-bank Ukraine and the victory over Germany.
• Commander of the 2nd Belorussian Front Rokossovsky K.K. (March 30, 1945) - for the liberation of Poland.
• Commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front Konev I.S. (March 30, 1945) - for the liberation of Poland and the crossing of the Oder.
• Commander of the 2nd Ukrainian Front Malinovsky R.Ya. (April 26, 1945) - for the liberation of the territories of Hungary and Austria.
• Commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front Tolbukhin F.I. (April 26, 1945) - for the liberation of the territories of Hungary and Austria.
• Commander of the Leningrad Front Govorov L.A. (May 31, 1945) - for the liberation of the Baltic states.
• Representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander Timoshenko S.K. (June 4, 1945) - for planning combat operations and coordinating fronts throughout the war.
• Chief of the General Staff Antonov A.I. (General of the Army) (June 4, 1945) - for planning combat operations and coordinating the actions of the fronts throughout the war.
• Commander of the Far Eastern Front Meretskov K.A. (September 8, 1945) - following the results of the war with Japan.

Among foreign citizens this order was awarded to:

• Army General D. Eisenhower (June 5, 1945).
• Field Marshal B. L. Montgomery, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Armed Forces in Western Europe (June 5, 1945).
• King of Romania Mihai I (July 6, 1945).
• Supreme Commander of the Polish Army (on the territory of the USSR), General M. Rola-Zhymersky (August 9, 1945).
• Supreme Commander of the Yugoslav People's Liberation Army Marshal Iosif-Broz Tito (September 9, 1945).
  On February 20, 1978, the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, Marshal of the Soviet Union was awarded the Order of Victory
• Brezhnev L.I. After Brezhnev's death, the award was cancelled.

Thus, it is clear that only 12 Soviet military leaders (Zhukov, Vasilevsky and Stalin - twice) and 5 foreign citizens became holders of the Order of Victory.

All badges of the order awarded to Soviet military leaders, as well as the badge of the order awarded to Marshal Rola-Zhymersky, are in the Diamond Fund of Russia. Eisenhower's award is in his memorial museum in Abilene, Kansas. The Marshal Tito award is on display at the May 25 Museum in Belgrade. Field Marshal Montgomery's award is on display at the Imperial War Museum in London. Only one Order of Victory, previously owned by King Michael I, is in a private collection. According to some reports, it was auctioned by one of the relatives of the dictator Ceausescu.

In total, the Order of Victory made 20 awards (one of which was subsequently canceled).

You can find out about the features and varieties of medals on the website of the USSR Medals

Estimated value of the medal.

The estimated value of the order in 1945 was 3,750 pounds, at the moment it can be more than $ 100,000.

According to the current legislation of the Russian Federation, the purchase and / or sale of medals, orders, documents of the USSR and Russia is prohibited, this is all described in Article 324. Acquisition or sale of official documents and state awards. You can read about this in more detail in which the law is disclosed in more detail, as well as those medals, orders and documents that do not apply to this ban are described.

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. Five foreign allies, who made a significant contribution to the victory over Nazi Germany, were also worthy of the awards.

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 the Soviet army.

What does this high insignia look like?

The Order of Victory is the most expensive award (in terms of money) of the Soviet Union. For its manufacture, precious metals such as platinum and gold, as well as precious stones - diamonds were used. 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.

Today, the Order of Victory is considered a unique work of jewelry art, and not only a symbol of 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

This was a truly great commander of 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 the 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 military operations on a large scale.
• 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 a very strong personality. In the post-war 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 an 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 are currently located on the territory of 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 the state of Kansas in the city of Abilene, namely in the Memorial Library.

The order that was awarded to Marshal Tito 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.

In 1943, the world-famous Order of Victory was established, which is the highest of the USSR. It was a five-pointed star with a round medallion on which Spasskaya can be seen. This is not just an order, but a unique work consisting of five and 174 diamonds (16 carats). In addition, expensive materials such as gold (2 g), platinum (47 g) and silver (19 g), as well as enamel, were used for its manufacture. At the moment, the Order of Victory is one of the most expensive Soviet awards. In addition, it is considered the second rarest after the Soviet Order "For Service to the Motherland" I degree.

Order of Victory: history of creation, gentlemen

Initially, profile bas-reliefs of Stalin and Lenin were to be placed on the Order of Victory. Nevertheless, Stalin decided to place an image of the Spasskaya Tower on it. The order "Victory" was planned to be decorated with natural rubies, but since it was impossible to find specimens that could withstand a single color background, it was decided to use artificial stones. The original name of the order was also changed - "For Loyalty to the Motherland". The same Stalin renamed the award, although the author of the idea of ​​​​creating this order was Colonel N. Neelov. The sketch of the order was created by the artist A. Kuznetsov.

In total, 20 copies of the Order of Victory were awarded. The first award took place in 1944. As a rule, they were awarded to the highest generals for the successful conduct of large-scale military operations. Most of the holders of the named order were prominent historical figures. In particular, the Order of Victory was awarded (twice), I. Stalin (twice), I. Konev, K. Rokossovsky, A. Antonov, D. Eisenhower, B. Montgomery, I. Tito and L. Brezhnev (was deprived orders in 1989). Foreign citizens were awarded as allies in the fight against Germany. There is even a memorial plaque in the Kremlin Palace, which lists the names of all the knights of the described order.

How much is the Order of Victory?

A unique work of art, an important cultural and historical value, above Nazism - all these are the characteristics of the Order of Victory award, the value of which is almost impossible to estimate. After all, only the price of the material at the moment is equal to the amount of $ 100 thousand.

Therefore, it is not surprising that in a private collection there is only one order "Victory". His cavalier was the Romanian king Mihai I. By the way, he is the only one of the cavaliers of the order who survived. However, in the 1950s, his award was sold to the Rockefeller family for $1 million. It is still unknown whether this unique award was bought from Mihai himself (in 1947, within 48 hours, he was forced to emigrate from Romania with only one suitcase) or from the Ceausescu family, who took away the regalia from the king. Mihai himself denies the sale of the order. Be that as it may, but after some time the Rockefellers put up the order "Victory" at Sotheby's auction. As a result, it was sold for $2 million.

S.S. Shishkov, an expert on Soviet awards, is confident that if the Order of Victory is put up for auction again, its value will be at least $20 million.