The Medal for the Restoration of the Donbass Coal Mines

• Time Period: Second World War
• Year of Institution: 10 September 1947
• Country: Russia & USSR

The Medal for the Restoration of the Donbass Coal Mines (or Медаль «За восстановление угольных шахт Донбасса», Medal «Za vosstanovlenie ugl’nyh shaht Donbassa» in Russian) was established on 10 September 1947 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and awarded to workers, clerks, engineering and business professionals, for outstanding work, high production performance and achievements in the recovery of the Donbass coal mines.

Lists of potential recipients were reviewed on behalf of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR by the Ministry of the Coal Industry of the USSR, the Ministry of Construction of the USSR or the Ministry of Chemical and Petroleum Industries of the western areas.

The medal’s statute was amended on July 18, 1980 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR № 2523-X.

The Medal for the Restoration of the Donbass Coal Mines Design

The medal was 32mm in diameter, circular, and made of brass, with a raised rim on both sides. It was worn on the left side of the chest.

On its obverse, in the left half, the relief image of a restored mine, a flag-waving atop the tower; on the right side, the relief image of a helmeted miner facing left carrying a jackhammer on his right shoulder; in the background at center, the Sun with rays going all the way to the top of the medal; along the upper circumference, the relief inscription «За восстановление угольных шахт Донбасса» (“For the Restoration of the Donbass Coal Mines”); along the lower circumference, the relief image of a five-pointed star over a laurel wreath.

On the reverse, the relief image of the hammer and sickle over the inscription on two lines in prominent letters «ТРУД В СССР — ДЕЛО ЧЕСТИ» (“LABOUR IN THE USSR – A MATTER OF HONOUR”).

The medal was secured by a ring through the medal suspension loop to a standard Soviet pentagonal mount covered by an overlapping 24 mm silk moiré ribbon with 0,5 mm black edge stripes and three 5 mm wide gold stripes separated by two 4 mm wide black stripes.