IdentifyMedals Logo

Category: Russia & USSR

The Medal for Impeccable Service

The Medal for Impeccable Service was established on 25 January 1958 and awarded for long service of excellent military service.

The Medal for Impeccable Service (or Медаль «За безупречную службу», Medal «Za bezuprechnuju sluzhbu» in Russian) was established on 25 January 1958 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and awarded for long service of excellent military service.

The Soviet military award was given to deserving members of the military personnel of the armed forces of the USSR, of the Interior Ministry of the USSR and of the Ministry for the Protection of Public Order of the USSR, to recognize ten, fifteen and twenty years of faithful and impeccable service to the state.

Prior to the establishment of the Medal “For Impeccable Service“, existing state Orders meant for feats of valor or for extraordinary services to the state were conferred to military personnel for long service. An Order of Lenin for twenty-five years of service, the Order of the Red Banner for twenty, the Order of the Red Star for fifteen, hundreds of thousands of such awards seriously devaluated the awards of the same Orders earned for their original criteria.

The intent to encourage the establishment of a ministerial/departmental level medal “For Impeccable Service” emphasized the then devaluation of certain Soviet high military Orders used as long service awards instead of their originally intended criteria.

The medal was established in three classes. The first class was awarded for twenty years of excellent service, the second class for fifteen, and the third class for ten.

The Medal for Impeccable Service Design

The medal is circular, struck in silver or silver-plated brass, and measures 32 millimeters in diameter. It has a raised rim on both sides. The first-class medal was initially struck from silver but after 1965 it changed to silver-plated brass. The central star on its obverse was enameled in red. The second-class medal from its inception was also constructed from silver-plated brass, with the exception of the central star on its obverse (which was left bare). The third-class medal was always struck from solid brass.

On the obverse at the center, the relief outline of a large five-pointed star with the hammer and sickle at its center, between the arms, rays radiating at an obtuse angle forming a point. Along the circumference of the medal, passing between the raised rim and the points of the star, a laurel wreath. This design was common to all three services bestowing it, Defence, Interior, and the KGB, the only exception being the second variant of the medal bestowed by the KGB, which bore the Roman numerals “XX”, “XV” or “X” in the lower part of the obverse, between the lower rays of the star.

On the reverse, the circular relief inscription along the upper medal circumference, «ВООРУЖЕННЫЕ СИЛЫ» (“ARMED FORCES”), at the bottom, the inscription «СССР» (“USSR”). In the center, the relief inscription on four lines «ЗА (10, 15, 20) ЛЕТ БЕЗУПРЕЧНОЙ СЛУЖБЫ» (“FOR (10, 15 or 20) YEARS OF IMPECCABLE SERVICE”) over a small five-pointed star. On the reverse of the Interior Ministry medal the inscription reads «МВД СССР» (“MVD USSR”). On the reverse of the Ministry for the Protection of Public Order medal, it’s «МООП» (“MOOP”).  There are other lower reverse inscriptions from multiple variants of various Soviet republics, including «МВД БССР», «МВД УССР», «МВД КАЗ», «МООП РСФСР», «МООП БССР», and «МООП ГССР».

The medal was secured by a ring through the medal suspension loop to a standard Soviet pentagonal mount covered by a 24-millimeter-wide red silk moiré ribbon with 2-millimeter-wide green edge stripes. The ribbon for the medal 1st class had a single 2-millimeter-wide central yellow stripe; the ribbon for the medal 2nd class and two 2-millimeter-wide central yellow stripes 2 mm apart; the ribbon for the medal 3rd class had three 2-millimeter-wide central yellow stripes 2 mm apart.

The Medal for Strengthening of Brotherhood in Arms

The Medal for Strengthening of Brotherhood in Arms was awarded to military personnel and citizens that participated in the Warsaw Pact.

The Medal for Strengthening of Brotherhood in Arms (or Медаль «За укрепление боевого содружества», Medal «Za ukreplenie boevogo sodruzhestva» in Russian) was established on 25 May 1979 by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet and awarded to military personnel, to employees of state security, of internal affairs, and to other citizens of the states that participated in the Warsaw Pact, as well as other socialist and other friendly nations for merit in strengthening military “Brotherhood in Arms“.

The conferring authority was the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR based on recommendations from the Minister of Defence or the USSR, the Minister of Internal Affairs of the USSR, or from the Chairman of the State Security Committee of the USSR. The medal could be earned multiple times. Its statute was later confirmed and slightly amended by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet № 2523-X of July 18, 1980.

The Medal for Strengthening of Brotherhood in Arms Design

The medal is circular, struck in gilt tombac, and measures 32 millimeters in diameter. 

On the obverse, a red enameled five-pointed star with a shield at its center. The shield is not enameled and bears the relief inscription in five rows «ЗА УКРЕПЛЕНИЕ БОЕВОГО СОДРУЖЕСТВА» )“FOR STRENGTHENING MILITARY COOPERATION”) and «СССР» (“USSR”). Two relief laurel branches follow the left and right circumference of the medal passing under the points of the star. At the bottom of the obverse, crossed swords, their hilts below the star, their blades passing under the lower arms of the star and protruding over the laurels to the medal rim. The reverse of the medal is plain.

The medal is secured to a standard Russian pentagonal mount by a ring through the suspension loop. The mount is covered by a 24 mm wide silk moiré ribbon in the colors of the flags of the Warsaw Pact countries.: The stripes alternate from left to right in the following widths: green 4 mm, white 1 mm, red 5.5 mm, yellow 1 mm, black 1 mm, yellow 1 mm, red 5.5 mm, white 1 mm, and blue 4 mm.

The Medal for Distinction in Military Service

The Medal for Distinction in Military Service was awarded to soldiers of the Soviet Army, Navy, border and internal troops.

The Medal for Distinction in Military Service (or Медаль «За отличие в воинской службе», Medal «Za otlichie v voinskoj sluzhbe» in Russian) was established on 28 October 1974 by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet and awarded to soldiers of the Soviet Army, Navy, border and internal troops: for excellent performance in combat and political training; for special distinction in exercises and maneuvers in combat service and combat duty; for bravery, selflessness, and other services, shown during military service.

The award was one of the very few Soviet decorations to be retained “as is” following the dissolution of the USSR. The award was divided into two classes, first and second, the first class being the highest. They were awarded sequentially for continued merit. Each medal came with an attestation of award, this attestation came in the form of a small 8 cm by 11 cm cardboard booklet bearing the award’s name, the recipient’s particulars and an official stamp and signature on the inside.

The Medal for Distinction in Military Service Design

The medal is a five-pointed convex star measuring 38 millimeters wide and made of brass for the first class and cupronickel for the second class. Five shields bearing the emblems of the main branches of the service fill the gaps between its arms. 

The obverse bears a central concave medallion bearing the relief images of a soldier, sailor, and airman. The central medallion was framed by a ring bearing the relief inscription «За отличие в воинской службе» (“For Distinction in Military Service”) on the sides and top, at the bottom of the ring, two laurel branches. The plain reverse only bore the mark of the Moscow Mint «ММД» (“MMD”) at the bottom.

The medal was secured to a 29,5mm wide by 27,5mm square mount by a ring through the suspension loop. The mount was covered by a red silk moiré ribbon with two 3mm green stripes located 3mm from the ribbon edges.

The Medal for Distinction in the Protection of Public Order

The Medal for Distinction in the Protection of Public Order was awarded to members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The Medal for Distinction in the Protection of Public Order (or Медаль «За отличную службу по охране общественного порядка», Medal «Za otlichnuyu sluzhbu po ohrane obschestvennogo porjadka» in Russian) was established on 1 November 1950 and awarded to members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) and its Internal Troops for aiding in preserving public order and to all service personnel of the militsiya for courage shown during the liquidation of criminal groups and arrest of criminal or for excellence in organizing and coordinating militia in combating crime or for selfless acts during the prevention of hooliganism/alcoholism/theft.

The Medal “For Distinction in the Protection of Public Order” was awarded for:

  • bravery and dedication displayed during the dismantling of criminal groups and the detention of criminals;
  • bold, expertly prepared and conducted covert operations aimed at preventing criminal offenses;
  • active work and research on the causes and conditions conducive to criminal offenses;
  • skillful organization of internal affairs units and internal forces for the protection of public order and the fight against crime;
  • excellent performance of duties in the organs of internal affairs or in the units internal forces;
  • active participation in the protection of public order and for displaying courage and selflessness,
  • active participation in the fight against hooliganism, drunkenness, theft of socialist and personal property, violation of the rules of trade, speculation, distilling, and other offenses, harmful to society.

The Medal for Distinction in the Protection of Public Order Design

The medal is circular, struck in silver and measures 32 mm in diameter.

On its obverse, the inscription on five lines “ЗА ОТЛИЧИЕ В ОХРАНЕ ОБЩЕСТВЕННОГО ПОРЯДКА” (“FOR DISTINCTION IN THE PROTECTION OF PUBLIC ORDER”), the inscription is surrounded by a wreath of oak and laurel branches following the medal’s circumference laced together with a ribbon, at the bottom over the ribbon, a shield. The reverse is plain except for the relief “№” with a horizontal line for the award serial number.

The medal is suspended to a standard Russian pentagonal mount by a ring through the medal’s suspension loop. The mount is covered by an overlapping 24mm wide blue silk moiré ribbon with 5mm red edge stripes and two 1mm red central stripes.

The Medal for Distinction in Guarding the State Border of the USSR

The Medal for Distinction in Guarding the State Border of the USSR was awarded to K.G.B. Border Troops personnel.

The Medal for Distinction in Guarding the State Border of the USSR (or Медаль «За отличие в охране государственной границы СССР», Medal «Za otlichie v okhrane gosudarstvennoj granitsy SSSR» in Russian) was established on 13 July 1950 and awarded to K.G.B. Border Troops personnel for military or other actions displaying excellence in guarding the Soviet borders.

The medal was awarded to soldiers of Border Troops and other military personnel as well as to Soviet citizens for military exploits and special services displayed in the protection of the state borders of the USSR:

  • for bravery and selflessness displayed during combat operations aimed at the arrest of violators of the State Border of the USSR;
  • for the leadership of border protection units while ensuring the inviolability of the borders of the USSR;
  • for a high degree of vigilance and proactive actions which resulted in the arrest of violators of the State Border of the USSR;
  • for the skillful organization of border service units and exemplary work to strengthen the borders of the USSR;
  • for the excellent performance of military duties associated with the protection of the state borders of the USSR;
  • for active assistance to border protection forces in their combat assignments aimed at the protection of the state borders of the USSR.

The Medal for Distinction in Guarding the State Border of the USSR Design

The medal was originally struck in silver, after 1966 it was constructed of silver-plated nickel and later of cupro-nickel. It’s circular and measures 32 mm with a raised rim on both sides.

The obverse bears the relief image of an erect border guard holding a PPSh-41 submachine gun standing guard beside a border marker with high mountains in the background. The reverse shows a relief inscription on six lines “For Distinction in the Protection of the State Border of the «За отличие в охране государственной границы СССР» (“USSR”), at the top, the relief image of a five-pointed star, at the bottom, a relief hammer and sickle over laurel and oak branches.

The medal was secured by a ring through the medal suspension loop to a standard Soviet pentagonal mount covered by a 24 mm wide green silk moiré ribbon with 3 mm wide red edge stripes.

The Order for Personal Courage (USSR)

The Order for Personal Courage was awarded to any USSR citizen showing outstanding courage and bravery during keeping of public order.

The Order for Personal Courage (or Орден «За личное мужество», Orden «Za lichnoe muzhestvo» in Russian) was established on 28 December 1988 and awarded to any USSR citizen showing outstanding courage and bravery during life-saving, keeping of public order and safeguard of State property, as well as for fighting crime, environmental catastrophes, and other exceptional events.

The order was first awarded on February 3, 1989, to a teacher of school No. 42 in the city of Ordzhonikidze (now Vladikavkaz) Natalia Vladimirovna Efimova. Her class was taken hostage and later freed in a police operation.

The Order for Personal Courage Design

The award was designed by Alexander Zhuk and represents a silver gilded silver star with the words «За личное мужество» (“For Personal Courage”) and CCCP (“USSR”) written on it.

Many medals were made but were mostly unissued.

The ribbon is red with three thin white lines on each side.

The Order of Labor Glory (USSR)

The Order of Labor Glory (or Орден Трудовой Славы) was established on 18 January 1974 and awarded for exceptional labor achievements.

The Order of Labor Glory (or Орден Трудовой Славы, Orden Trudovoj Slavy in Russian) was established on 18 January 1974 by the decision of the Praesidium of Supreme Soviet of the USSR and awarded for exceptional labor achievements.

It was divided in three classes (the highest being the 1st class), with a person initially received the third degree, and subsequently promoted to higher degrees for further achievements. It also gave a certain number of material benefits to their owners, such as an increased pension raises and free public transport.

In 1991, the following number of awards were made:

  • 1st class – 952
  • 2nd class – 50,000+
  • 3rd class – 650,000+

The Order of Labor Glory Design

The medal is struck in silvered bronze and enamels and measures 41 mm by 44 mm.

The obverse consists of an eight-pointed radiant star, bearing a raised depiction of a factory overlaid by a sickle and hammer, circumscribed by a Cyrillic inscription of “ТРУДОВАЯ СЛАВА” (“LABOUR GLORY”) on a cogwheel, topped by a five-pointed red enameled star, above a red enameled banner bearing a gilt inscription of “СССР”, flanked by wheat stalks. The reverse sometimes bears a raised maker’s mark.

The medal is mounted to a five-sided aluminum suspension with pinback. The ribbon is has a large grey stripe, and thinner yellow, red, and yellow stripes.

The Order of Maternal Glory (USSR)

The Order of Maternal Glory was established on 8 July 1944 and awarded to all mothers bearing and raising 9 children.

The Order of Maternal Glory (or Орден «Материнская слава», Orden «Materinskaja slava» in Russian) was established on 8 July 1944 and awarded to all mothers bearing and raising 9 children. It was awarded upon the first birthday of the last child, provided that eight other children (natural or adopted) remained alive. Children who had perished under heroic, military, or other respectful circumstances were also counted.

The order was divided into three classes: first, second and third class. It was conferred to:

  • First class: mothers bearing and raising nine children.
  • Second class: mothers bearing and raising eight children.
  • Third class: mothers bearing and raising seven children.

The award was created simultaneously with the Mother Heroine order and the Maternity Medal and it was situated in between them. The first decree for bestowing the award was issued on 6 December 1944, when the first class order was conferred to 21 women, the second class to 26 and the third class to 27. In total the order was awarded in the first class to 753,000 women, 1,508,000 received the second class award and 2,786,000 received the third class award.

The Order of Maternal Glory Design

The first class medals were made of silver in a convex egg-shape and measured 36 mm (1.4 in) high and 29 mm (1.1 in) wide.

The upper part of the medal contained a red enamel flag with the phrase “Материнская слава” (“Maternal Glory”) and the Roman number showing the order’s class. Below the flag, there was a white enamel shield with the CCCP (USSR) inscription. The upper part of the shield was decorated with a five-pointed star and the lower part with the hammer and sickle symbol. On the left side, there was a figure of a mother holding a son in her arms covered with roses on her lowest part. The lower part of the medal contains a flag and gilded lettering.

In second class medals, the flag’s enamel was dark-blue and there were not gilded parts while in the third class ones enamel disappeared from the flag, shield, and star. The back of the medals was in white enamel. First-class medals were suspended to a single light-blue fringe while second class had two light-blue fringes and third-class three of them.

The Honored Inventor of the USSR Medal

The Honored Inventor of the USSR Medal was established on December 28, 1981 and awarded for innovative proposals.

The Honored Inventor of the USSR Medal (or Заслуженный изобретатель СССР, Zaslužennyj izobretatel’ SSSR in Russian) was established on December 28, 1981, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet № 6277-X and awarded for innovative proposals in technology.

The Honorary Title was awarded to the authors of inventions, for opening new avenues in the development of engineering and technology, or that had a particularly important economic value. The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was the main conferring authority of the award based on recommendations from the State Committee for Inventions and Discoveries of the USSR and the Central Council of the All-Union Society of Inventors and Innovators.

The chest badge was worn on the right side of the chest and in the presence of other awards of the USSR, placed above them.

The Honored Inventor of the USSR Medal Design

The chest badge is circular, measures 30mm in diameter, and is struck in gold-plated tombac.

On its obverse, a red enameled five-pointed star over a hammer and sickle and gears, the upper tip of the sickle becoming a missile in flight arcs around the right side of the star to a point at its upper left. Following the left, top, and right medal circumference, the relief inscription Заслуженный изобретатель (“Honored Inventor”), near the bottom, a red enameled rectangle bearing the gilt inscription CCCP (“USSR”).

On the otherwise plain reverse, the relief inscription “Заслуженный изобретатель СССР – творец научно-технического прогресса” (“Honored inventor of the USSR – creator of scientific and technological progress”).

The medal was secured to a gilt tombac 24,5mm wide x 16mm high rectangular mount by a ring through the suspension loop. The mount was covered by a scarlet silk moiré ribbon. A gilt tombac laurel branch was affixed to the ribbon.

The Honored Navigator of the USSR Medal

The Honored Navigator of the USSR Medal was awarded to qualified civilian navigators for special merit in the development of modern aircraft.

The Honored Navigator of the USSR Medal (or Заслуженный штурман СССР, Zaslužennyj šturman SSSR in Russian) was established on 30 September 1965 and awarded to qualified civilian navigators 1st class for special merit in the development of modern aircraft, in the use of the most advanced navigating techniques, for the highest standards in education and training of flight personnel, for long-term trouble-free flying and for outstanding achievements in the use of aviation in the national economy.

The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was the main conferring authority of the award based on recommendations of the Minister for Civil Aviation of the USSR.

The chest badge “Honoured Navigator of the USSR” was worn on the right side of the chest and in the presence of other orders, placed over them.

The Honored Navigator of the USSR Medal Design

The medal is a polygon with raised edges struck in silver and nickel and measuring 27mm wide by 23mm high.

At the top of the obverse, the relief inscription in two lines covered to the left ЗАСЛУЖЕННЫЙ ШТУРМАН (“HONOURED NAVIGATOR”), in the center, the gilt tombac image of a jet transport aircraft climbing diagonally towards the right, at the bottom, the relief inscription СССР (“USSR”) superimposed over a laurel branch.

The badge was secured to a standard Soviet square mount by a silver-plated ring through the suspension loop. The mount was covered by a silk moiré red ribbon.