Medal 20 years of the Soviet army. "20 years of the Red Army" - a medal and its varieties
The medal was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of January 24, 1938 to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the existence of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA) and the Navy (Navy). Subsequently, the description of the medal was changed in accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of June 19, 1943.
Order of the medal.
The Jubilee Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" is awarded to the personnel of the commanding and commanding staff of the Red Army and the Navy:
- who served in the ranks of the Red Army and the Navy by February 23 (Red Army Day) 1938 for 20 years and honored before the motherland, participants in the civil war and the war for the freedom and independence of the fatherland, who are members of the Red Army and the Navy;
- awarded the Order of the Red Banner for military honors during the years of the civil war.
Length of service in the ranks of the Red Army and the Navy includes service in detachments and squads of the Red Guard and in the Red partisan detachments who acted against the enemies of Soviet power in the period 1917-1921.
The Jubilee Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" is awarded by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
In the presence of other medals of the USSR, the medal "XX Years of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army" is located after the medal "For the development of mineral resources and the development of the oil and gas complex of Western Siberia".
Description of the medal.
Jubilee medal "XX years of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army" has the shape of a regular circle with a diameter of 32 mm. The surface of the circle is matte, the rim 2.5 mm wide is shiny. On the front side of the circle there is a five-pointed red enamel star with a silver border. At the bottom of the circle, between the lower rays of the star, there is a gilded figure "XX" 8 mm high and 7 mm wide. The base of the figure rests against the upper edge of the rim.
On the reverse side of the medal there is a figure of a Red Army soldier firing a rifle, 25 mm high, dressed in a winter guard uniform, at the bottom to the right of the figure of a Red Army soldier, the date "1918-1938".
The medal is made of oxidized silver 925, the numbers "XX" are gilded. The content of pure silver in the medal is 15.592 g, gold - 0.10 g.
The medal, with the help of an eyelet and a ring, is connected to a pentagonal block covered with a silk moire ribbon. gray color with two longitudinal red stripes along the edges. The width of the tape is 24 mm, the width of the strips is 2 mm.
History of the medal.
The Jubilee Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" is the very first medal established in the USSR. Although more than 37 thousand people were awarded it - almost twice as many as, for example, the medals of Ushakov or Nakhimov, by the end of the war there were very few holders of the medal "XX Years of the Red Army". Some of them were repressed in 1938, some died at Khalkhin Gol and during the Soviet-Finnish war. Many holders of the medal died or were captured during the Great Patriotic War, especially at the beginning. Already in the fifties, this medal could be seen on the uniforms of only a small number of officers, generals or marshals.
In addition to the medal "XX Years of the Red Army", by the beginning of World War II in the USSR there were only five orders (of which three could be awarded for military merit) and four medals (two of them were awarded for military merit). Thus, a career soldier could be awarded only six different awards of the USSR - the Orders of Lenin, the Red Banner, the Red Star and the medals "For Courage", "For Military Merit" and "XX Years of the Red Army". We do not take into account labor orders and medals, since they were awarded to officers of the Red Army extremely rarely. Combat awards were awarded mainly to participants in armed conflicts, and there were only three such conflicts - Khasan, Khalkhin Gol and the Finnish campaign. Some officers were awarded for distinction in Spain. However, most of the regular officers at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War did not have any awards at all, except for the commemorative medal "XX years of the Red Army". For example, Colonel Moskvitin P.F., who commanded the 161st rifle division in the autumn of 1941, by the beginning of the war, he had only one award - the medal "XX Years of the Red Army". And the future chief of the General Staff, holder of two Orders of Victory and many military orders, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Marshal Vasilevsky A.M. By the beginning of the war, he had only the Order of the Red Star and the same medal "XX Years of the Red Army".
According to the report of the head of the Department for the Commanding Staff of the Red Army, Shchadenko E.A. dated May 5, 1940, the table of awards indicates that in 1938, 27,575 people were awarded the anniversary medal "XX Years of the Red Army", and in 1939 - 2,515 people.
As of January 1, 1995, 37,504 people have been awarded the commemorative medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army".
You can find out about the features and varieties of medals on the website of the USSR Medals
Estimated value of the medal.
How much is the Jubilee medal "XX years of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army"? Below we will give an approximate price for some rooms:According to current legislation Russian Federation The purchase and / or sale of medals, orders, documents of the USSR and Russia is prohibited, all this is 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.
In January 1938, the twentieth anniversary of the creation of the Red Army was solemnly celebrated in the Soviet Union. On this occasion, a special medal was established - "20 Years of the Red Army" (photos are presented in the article), the right to award which was granted to a specially created government Committee. Not being among the highest state awards, she, nevertheless, followed the medals awarded for success in the development of the oil and gas industry and for the development of natural resources.
Who was awarded the jubilee medal?
According to the regulation approved by the Council of Ministers, this award was awarded to military personnel who held command positions in the army and navy and had at least 20 years of service, that is, who joined the ranks armed forces countries from the day they were founded. Those who were awarded the medal "20 Years of the Red Army" also included persons whose total experience included years of fighting against the enemies of the state as part of partisan detachments and Red Guard squads.
The government decree also noted that military personnel who showed courage and heroism in the Civil War, as well as during various armed conflicts, where they defended the interests of the fatherland, had the right to receive the medal. In addition, the number of those awarded included persons who had previously been awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
However, the resolution adopted in January 1938 had one peculiarity: as it is easy to see from the above, those who were awarded the medal "20 Years of the Red Army" included only those who held command positions in the Armed Forces of the USSR, and did not take into account millions of privates. fighters, whose courage and selflessness sometimes decided the outcome of battles.
What did this badge look like?
Outwardly, the medal "20 Years of the Red Army" was a matte round disc, 32 mm in diameter and edged with a narrow rim. On its front side, called the “obverse”, there was an image of a red five-pointed star, made of enamel and having a silver edging. The Roman numeral XX was placed in the lower third of the circle. It was located strictly along the axis of the star and rested with its base on the inner edge of the edging. It was gilded and had dimensions: 7 mm wide and 8 mm high.
On the reverse side, or, in other words, the reverse of the medal "20 Years of the Red Army", a Red Army soldier in winter guard uniform was depicted, raising his rifle and firing a shot. To the right of it, at the bottom of the disc, was the inscription "1918 - 1938", which indicated the twenty-year period that had elapsed since the founding of the Red Army. An eyelet with a ring threaded through it was attached to the upper edge of the disk, designed to connect it with a suspension block.
It was one of the first medals established in the Soviet Union. For the manufacture of each individual copy of it, 15.592 g of oxidized silver of the 925th test and 0.10 g of gold were used, applied to the image of the Roman numeral XX. The total weight of the medal "20 Years of the Red Army", including all the constituent elements, was 21.3 g.
Shoe of the medal established in 1938
If the appearance of the award sign itself was constant, then the hanging block for its fastening has undergone a number of changes over time. In its first version, established in 1938, it was rectangular in shape. In the lower part of the block there was an oblong frame, which had oval ends along the edges, through which a scarlet ribbon was passed, which covered its entire surface.
On the reverse side of the block there was a copper plate with a hole in the middle and teeth along the edges, which served to fasten it to the tunic using a screw pin. Fixation was carried out with a flat clamping nut with a diameter of 18 mm. It was stamped with the manufacturer's stamp and, in addition, the serial number of the award indicated in the certificate.
New shoe model
This standard lasted until 1943, when external changes were made to many award signs of the USSR. After the relevant Decree of the Council of Ministers came into force, all those newly awarded this award wore it, attached by a ring to a five-pointed block of a new type, which was completely covered by a wide moiré ribbon. It was gray in color and had two red edging around the edges, as can be seen from the photographs attached to the article. Unlike the previous version, the block of the 20 Years of the Red Army medal, which came into use since 1943, was attached to clothing not with a nut on a screw pin, but with a special pin placed on its reverse side.
The first version of award documents
When awarding the medals "20 Years of the Red Army", the corresponding certificates were issued, which are also known in two versions. The first of them, installed in 1938, had a very characteristic feature, which consisted in the fact that in the image of the state emblem placed on the cover, there were not fifteen ribbons, but only eleven, which corresponded to the number of union republics that were then part of the USSR.
In addition, the serial number of the medal "20 Years of the Red Army" was indicated on the first spread of the certificate. It was placed to the right of the inscription "Certificate". And, finally, all these documents, issued from the date of the establishment of this award sign, were certified by the signature of the Secretary of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR A. Gorkin.
Certificates of the 1959 model
In 1959, a government decree was issued, according to which all those awarded received certificates of a modified form, the design of which was more in line with the new political realities. First of all, this was due to the fact that in the post-war period the number of union republics increased and reached fifteen. In accordance with this, the number of ribbons on the state emblem, which adorned the cover of the certificate, was also changed.
In addition, personnel changes took place in the composition of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, M. P. Georgadze became its chairman, whose signature has since been put on the document. And, finally, these updated certificates were distinguished by the absence of the serial number of the issued medal. At the same time, the award signs themselves were not changed and corresponded to the model established in 1943.
According to the same government decree, all awarded in the period from 1938 to 1959. used the old certificates, which could be replaced by new ones only in case of their loss or re-issuance to persons who had previously been subjected to unjustified repressions, and then rehabilitated and restored in their rights.
How many were awarded?
Quite remarkable is the statistics showing the number of those who were awarded this award in different periods of time. So, in the documents of the Archive of the Armed Forces of the country, the names of those awarded the medal "20 Years of the Red Army" are preserved immediately after its establishment in 1938. This list includes 27576 people. Exactly one year later, it was replenished with the names of another 2516 officers of the Red Army, who were among the persons who had the right to receive the commemorative medal. When, in 1959, the Decree on the introduction of new certificates was issued, as described above, 37,505 officers, generals, admirals and marshals of the Soviet Union were already among those awarded. In subsequent years, their number continued to grow.
Rare medal
Despite the fact that this medal is one of the first established awards of this type and was awarded to a huge number of military personnel, by the end of the 40s it was extremely rare to see it. This was largely due to the fact that in the notorious period of our history, a significant number of people who were part of the army command staff were subjected to Stalinist repressions.
Many of the repressed were shot or deprived of all awards, served long prison terms. In addition, the personnel of the Red Army suffered great damage on the battlefields. It should also be taken into account that many of those awarded the medal ended up in enemy captivity or died in hospitals. As a result, at the end of the war, the medal established to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Red Army became a rarity, and it was quite rare to see it on the uniforms of officers, generals or even marshals.
Pre-war award
Meanwhile, in the early 1940s, the picture was completely different. The fact is that by that time, in addition to the medal referred to in this article, two others, as well as three orders, were established to reward the officers of the Red Army. But all of them were awarded not for heroism in general, but for specific feats accomplished during military conflicts, of which there were three or two until 1941 in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Khalkhin-Gol and Khasan lakes and the Finnish campaign. Thus, not all officers who were devoted to the Motherland and who proved this during the Great Patriotic War had the opportunity to distinguish themselves at that time. Therefore, most often their uniforms were then decorated with commemorative medals "20 years of the Red Army."
The Armed Forces of the USSR at the beginning of 1938 celebrated their 20th anniversary. In commemoration of such an outstanding event, on January 24, the Presidium of the Supreme Court issued a decree on the establishment commemorative medal"XX years of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army". The right to decide which of the people is worthy of receiving it was granted to a special committee under the Soviet Government.
Encouragement order
According to the adopted Regulations, candidates for the medal "20 Years of the Red Army" became regular military personnel who were in command and leadership positions in the spacecraft and the Navy, provided that they served there for 20 years, in other words, from the moment of foundation. Service in the Krasnogvardeisky squads and in partisan detachments, which fought on the side of the Bolsheviks for the independence of the country from 1917 to 1921, were counted in the experience.
The jubilee award could also be received by persons who during the civil war were awarded the Order of the Red Banner for military merit. If a person was previously encouraged by any state medals, the place of the award sign "20 years of the Red Army" was for "For the development of the subsoil and the development of the oil and gas complex of Western Siberia."
Appearance of the badge
The sketch was made by S.I. Dmitriev. Like almost all Soviet medals, this sign has the form of a disk with a matte surface. Cross section - 3.2 cm. A shiny rim is provided along the perimeter of the outer side of the sign. Its width is 2.5 mm.
Almost the entire place is occupied by a bright scarlet 5-pointed star. Its edges are edged with silver. Between the lower ends of the asterisk are Roman numerals "XX". They are covered with gold and have dimensions of 8 × 7 millimeters.
On the other side is a full-length Red Army soldier. He has a rifle in his hands, he aims from it. The height of the serviceman is 2.5 cm. He is wearing a winter guard uniform. To the right of him are the years of the existence of the Red Army: "1918-1938".
The material from which the badge was minted is oxidized silver. Sample 925. The numbers "XX" are covered with a thin layer of gold. The badge contains almost 15.6 grams of pure silver and 0.1 grams of gold.
Varieties of the medal
There were two types of hanging pads. The first one was rectangular. The eye of the medallion had a trapezoidal shape. A slit-like frame was provided at the bottom of the block. The surface of the block was covered with a scarlet ribbon. The award was attached to the uniform by means of a threaded pin and a clamping nut with a cross section of 1.8 cm. There was a “MONDVOR” label on the nut. Embossed letters. The same was engraved with the serial number of the medal. It matched the one on the certificate.
In the summer of 1943, after the issuance of the corresponding Decree, a new type of block appeared, 5-coal. She was wrapped in a gray ribbon. Its edges are edged with narrow 2 mm scarlet stripes. For fastening, a pin clip appeared. There were also several variants of certificates for the medal.
History of the award
The jubilee medal "XX Years of the Red Army" became the first in the award system of the Soviet Union. Prior to that, there were only a few orders. This award was awarded to over 37,500 people, which is almost twice the number of owners of other medals, for example, Ushakov or Nakhimov.
Despite this impressive figure, by the end of the Second World War, there were few holders of medals. Some of them became victims of repression at the end of the 30s, others died the death of the brave at Khalkhin Gol, others died in the war with Finland, and then with the Nazis. Therefore, already in the 50s, the medal "XX Years of the Red Army" became a rarity, only a few military personnel wore it.
In the early 40s, the award system of the Soviet Union consisted of 5 orders and the same number of medals. Of these, only 3 orders were awarded for military merit (Lenin, the Red Banner, the Red Star) and 3 medals (“For Courage”, “For Military Merit” and “XX Years of the Red Army”). They were awarded, as a rule, to those soldiers who distinguished themselves in one of the armed conflicts.
Before the start of the Second World War, there were only 3 such events. The first was near Lake Khasan, the second was near the Khalkhin-Gol River. The third conflict was the war with Finland. There were military personnel who were awarded awards for the courage they showed in Spain. As a result, by the summer of 1941, most of the regular officers remained completely without awards, in addition to the medal "XX Years of the Red Army".
History of the Red Army
The first decree of the Bolsheviks, who came to power in October 1917, was the Decree "On Peace". According to him, all hostilities ceased, and the army was abolished. However, it soon turned out that the new government was in a hurry with the dissolution of the army, since the young state had a lot of enemies, and there was no one to rebuff them.
At first, the Bolsheviks planned to form a new army on the basis of voluntariness, mobilization was not provided. The commanders were to be selected, and the orders given to them were to be considered by the rank and file. At first, the new power of the Soviet relied on the Red Guard, as well as detachments of soldiers and sailors.
Already at the beginning of the 18th year, the Bolsheviks realized that they could not win in the unfolding civil war with such forces. It was necessary to create new divisions with centralized management. As a result, on January 28, according to the new style, the Council of People's Commissars adopted a Decree on the formation of the Red Army. The next day, a decree appeared on the creation of the RKKF.
But the birthday of the Red Army is considered February 23. After the “Fatherland in Danger” call, volunteers began to enroll in the army en masse. This day is celebrated annually until now, recently it became a day off. True, since 1991 it has received the name "Defender of the Fatherland Day".
In the spring of 1918, the young Soviet country found itself in a very difficult position. It was surrounded by a ring of fronts. At that time, there were just over 300 thousand people in the spacecraft. The election of commanders had a negative impact on its combat capability. And about 700 thousand people opposed the Bolsheviks. There is a need to revise the principles of formation of the Armed Forces.
Trotsky, then head of the People's Commissariat for Military Affairs, realized that without the adoption of the most stringent measures, nothing would come of it. There were few volunteers to fight for the new government; military duty was needed. Real specialists were required for command, and regular tsarist officers were considered unreliable people. Since there were no others, the positions of commissars were introduced to control them.
In April, the election of commanders was abolished. Command staff from now on began to be appointed. A law was passed making military training mandatory for all people aged 18-40. People had to learn on the job. Awards were introduced to boost morale. The first of these was the Order of the Red Banner, established in September. During the civil war, about 15 thousand people received it.
The formation of the regular army was completed around the middle of 1919. By December 1919, its number was already 3 million people, and a year later - 5.5 million. Thanks to the measures taken, the Red Army managed to confidently win the Civil War. Soviet power was consolidated not only in Russia, but also in the neighboring republics.
After the Civil War
The size of the army was huge, and the impoverished population was unable to support it. Therefore, it was decided to carry out its gradual demobilization. This process took 4 years, then only 0.5 million people remained in the Red Army. At the same time, the draft age was raised. In 1925, he reached the age of 21.
Much attention has been paid to qualified personnel. Numerous military schools have sprung up. In the 1930s, a mass rearmament of the Red Army was carried out. New types of troops were formed, in 1932 the Airborne Forces were founded, bases of the submarine fleet appeared. But the cavalry has become less important.
After the end of the Second World War, in early 1946, the Red Army was renamed the Soviet Army. The People's Commissariat of Defense and the Navy entered the Ministry of the Armed Forces. Since the war was over, the production of armaments has sharply decreased. New military districts were introduced, the boundaries of existing ones were changed. The call was held once a year. Recruits were called up for 3 years, in the fleet - for 4. Since 1968, this period has been reduced by a year.
SA employees had to participate in many armed conflicts, including in Afghanistan. For 10 years, almost 15 thousand servicemen died there. The SA ceased to exist in 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Today our country
11:58 p.m.- About the street 20 years of the Red ArmyThere is in the very center of Omsk behind the SKK im. Blinova is a quiet, cozy neighborhood built in the 1950s. It was built at a time when Stalinist architects designed and built not just square meters, but a whole socio-cultural environment in which Soviet people were supposed to live.
The 1950s are, without a doubt, fantastic years. The USSR is rapidly recovering from a devastating war, a space program is being launched, a nuclear bomb is being created and successfully tested, aviation is switching to jet engines and supersonic speeds, steam locomotives are giving way to diesel locomotives and electric locomotives on railway lines, giant hydroelectric power stations are being built and even being introduced, no less, no less, " Stalin's plan for the transformation of nature.
People, who only yesterday huddled in dugouts and barracks, receive an unprecedented gift from the state - separate apartments in new houses with high ceilings, a full range of utilities, schools, hospitals and kindergartens located nearby. Throughout the vast country - from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok, from Murmansk to Ashgabat, the imperial architectural style - the Stalinist Empire style - is walking. From Moscow skyscrapers to - everywhere there are monumental volumes, abundant stucco, pretentious statues, massive furniture, bronze and crystal.
Omsk in the 1950s was one of the most powerful centers of Soviet industry. It is here that the world's largest oil refinery and many other enterprises are being built. People from all over the Union go to Omsk plants and factories. People are settled in barracks and communal apartments, in pre-revolutionary wooden houses and new brick dormitories, but there is not enough space for everyone.
It was then that mass housing construction began in Omsk. They build a lot and well. They build whole blocks, mastering the outskirts and rebuilding the center. Everything is being built in a complex - old mansions are being demolished, new roads are being laid, public transport is being developed. Under each house there is a basement, which is also a bomb shelter (the threat of war was quite real then). Based on the architectural and ideological ideas of that time, several exemplary areas are being built in Omsk - this, etc.
One of these areas is a quarter of residential buildings on the southern border of the old Cossack cemetery, along the street 20 years of the Red Army.
Here, the stucco molding on the facades in the form of Soviet symbols is still intact, clothes are dried in the yards, and there is a lot of greenery.
3. Most of the houses require major repairs, but crumbling plaster and exposed brickwork look picturesque.
4. See how much greenery. But this is not, this is Western Siberia.
5. Unfortunately, many yards are infected with garage disease. As you remember, there should not be any garages, except for multi-storey ones, in a modern city.
6. Well, where does it fit?
7. Ai-yay-yay.
8. Look at these windows in the entrances, at the fire escape, at the miraculously preserved courtyard gates.
9. Until the end of the 1950s, blocks of residential buildings, as a rule, were surrounded by brick fences. At night, the gates and gates were closed and in order to get home at night, you had to wake up the janitor. Now this tradition is being revived in new homes. In old houses, it will not be revived, since almost nothing remains of the fences.
10. The preserved fence.
11. Not preserved fence.
12. It is interesting that there are unplastered buildings. For example, this pompous house.
13. Nearby - brick new buildings.
14. And if new buildings look even more or less tolerable, then the late Soviet "panels" are a nightmare and horror. Buildings with no architecture at all, birdhouse boxes.
15. Opposite the old house put a new playground. Pay attention to its coverage. Yes, it's sand. Which absorbs all the dirt, is carried by the wind, stuffed into shoes. When we come to power, all playgrounds in Omsk will be covered with crumb rubber.
16. This photo can illustrate some article about the need to pay contributions for major repairs.
17. Of course, not all yards look cozy.
18. Many of them need to be improved.
19. A number of buildings will need to be saved from negligent owners. For example, from those who consider the combination of siding and classic columns to be normal.
20. Some houses will have to be not just repaired, but restored.
For there is a risk of a complete loss of the architectural heritage that we have inherited from the times when dandies were roaming the streets, “Ivan Brovkin” was shown in cinemas, and somewhere high, high in orbit, a wonderful ball with four antennae sent signals to Earth “Beep! Beep! ".
The Soviet Union turned twenty years old, a special government decree marked this significant event by establishing a special medal. The right to confer the honorary award was given to a special committee under the government of the country, and in terms of its rank it followed the medal, which marked special merits in the development of natural resources and the development of the gas and oil industry.
The newly established medal - an award for military personnel
In accordance with the established regulation, the anniversary medal "20 Years of the Red Army" was awarded to military personnel who held commanding and senior positions in the army and navy, who had at least twenty years of service, that is, who had been in the ranks of the Soviet Armed Forces from the day they were created. This also included years of service in the Krasnogvardeisky squads, as well as in partisan detachments that fought against the enemies of the state.
From this category of persons, the award was given to those who showed heroism during the years of the Civil War, as well as in other battles with the enemies of our Fatherland. "20 Years of the Red Army" - a medal that was also awarded to all veterans awarded the Order during the Civil War. All this was noted in a government decree. Based on this, the frequently asked question about whether ordinary soldiers received the medal "20 Years of the Red Army" is inevitably answered in the negative. This is due to the list of categories of persons to be awarded, which indicates only commanders and those who held leadership positions.
Appearance of the badge
The medal "20 Years of the Red Army" (photo at the beginning of the article) is a round disc with a matte surface, the diameter of which is 32 mm. A rim runs along its edge, and on the front side there is a red five-pointed star made of enamel and having a thin silver edging. In the lower part of the circle, symmetrically between the ends of the star and resting on the upper edge of the edging, is the Roman numeral "XX". It is gilded, has the following dimensions: 8 mm high, 7 mm wide.
On the other side of the award sign is an image of a Red Army soldier in a Budyonovka and overcoat, firing a rifle. In the lower right part of the disk there is an inscription "1918-1938", indicating the twenty-year stage of the existence of the Armed Forces. For the manufacture of the medal, high-grade silver and gilding were used for the inscription "XX" (20 years of the Red Army). The medal contained 15.592 grams of pure silver and 0.10 grams of gold. It was one of the first medals in the country.
Medal "20 years of the Red Army": types of pads and fasteners
There are two types of hanging block for attaching a badge to clothing. The early one, used from the day the medal was established (1938) until a special government decree in 1943, was rectangular in shape with a narrow oblong frame at the bottom. A red ribbon passed through it, covering the entire surface of the block.
For its fixation, a block placed on the reverse side with teeth along the edges and a hole in the middle was used. It was fastened to clothes with a threaded pin and a flat clamping nut with a diameter of 18 mm, on which the brand of the manufacturer "Mondvor" was located, as well as the serial number of this award badge.
Changing the appearance of the last
When the Decree of 1943 came into force, all previously awarded blocks used the old model, and the newly awarded ones received it in accordance with a government decree. In the new version, a ring, threaded through a special eyelet, connected the medal with a block, which had a pentagonal shape and was covered with a moire ribbon on top. A gray silk ribbon 24 mm wide was edged along the edges with two longitudinal red stripes. There was no threaded pin with a nut, and the block itself was attached to the clothes with a pin.
Two samples of award certificates
All those awarded the medal "20 years of the Red Army" received the appropriate certificates, which also had different variants design. The earliest of them, the sample of 1938, is characterized by the fact that the coat of arms of the Soviet Union with eleven ribbons was depicted on its cover - according to the number of republics that were part of it at that time.
The next feature that distinguished this certificate from the subsequent sample was the presence of a serial number. It was affixed on the first spread, immediately after the inscription "Certificate", and was located in its upper part, on the right. Certificates of this type were signed by the Secretary of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the country A. Gorkin.
In 1959, by the relevant government decree, adjustments were made to the design of certificates for the award signs "20 Years of the Red Army". The medal has not undergone any changes since 1943, but the accompanying document could not but reflect the realities of the new time.
By this year, the number of union republics had reached fifteen, and accordingly, the number of ribbons on the image of the state emblem also changed. The post of secretary of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR by that time was occupied by MP Georgadze, and the documents of the new type had his signature. In addition, they did not indicate the serial number of the medal.
It should also be noted that all those awarded until 1959 had the old, that is, old-style certificates, but they had the right to receive new ones in case of loss of the old ones, or as persons who had been unreasonably repressed in previous years, and subsequently rehabilitated and restored their rights.
A rare medal
Despite the fact that the “20 Years of the Red Army” - a medal established in the Soviet Union earlier than other similar award signs - was awarded to more than thirty-seven thousand red commanders of various levels, by the end of the war it could not be seen often. The reason is that a significant part of the awarded fell under the wheel of mass repressions in 1938, as well as in subsequent years, and was shot; many died during clashes with the Japanese aggressors at Khalkhin Gol and in the Finnish campaign, while others died in battles with Nazi Germany or were taken prisoner. In the post-war, fifties, this award was already extremely rare on officer, general and marshal uniforms.
One of the few pre-war officer awards
It is interesting to note that by the beginning of the forties the picture was completely different. On the uniforms of career officers, other awards were extremely rare, except for the one discussed in our article. The reason for this is as follows. The fact is that in the early forties only five orders were established in our country, three of which were awarded for military merit. In addition, there were four medals, two of which, according to the regulations, were also intended for those who distinguished themselves on the battlefields.
Based on this, for the awarding of military personnel, in addition to "20 years of the Red Army", only five more award signs were intended - three orders and two medals. All of them were given for heroism shown during military conflicts, and by that time there were only three of them: two of them in the areas of lakes Khasan and Khalkhin Gol, as well as the Finnish campaign.
Thus, in order to receive it, it was necessary to excel in at least one of them. The exception was a group of officers awarded for heroism shown in Spain. It is for this reason that by the beginning of the war, among the cadre officers, holders of other awards were extremely rare, except for the medal "20 Years of the Red Army".
Thousands of award-winning army
At the end of the article, it would be appropriate to cite the statistics of awarding this medal for the entire period during which it was awarded to veterans. It is known that in 1938, immediately after the publication of the government decree, 27,575 people were awarded this award. A year later, another 2,515 regular officers of the Soviet Army received it. When award certificates of a new type were introduced in 1959, there were 37,504 officers, generals and marshals among the holders of the medal. Photos of two of them are presented in the article. This award has become a monument to the defenders of the country, and holders of the medal "20 Years of the Red Army" - its heroes.
