Full Knight of the Order of Glory. Four Full Knights of the Order of Glory, awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union; Knights of 3 Orders of Glory

I wanted to post this post on November 8, on the anniversary of the establishment of the Order of Victory and the Orders of Glory of three degrees, but I’ll be on a business trip, so I’ll post it now, since we’re already talking about heroes. Let me remind you that on November 8, 1943, 73 years ago, these awards were established in the USSR. There were relatively few full holders of the Order of Glory (list 1 - http://encyclopedia.mil.ru/encyclopedia/gentlemens.htm, list 2. https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D0%BF %D0%B8%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%BA_%D0%B...)

But here are the full holders of the Order of Glory, awarded the title of Hero Soviet Union there were four (at least I only found 4). Post about them.

Aleshin Andrey Vasilievich

Hero of the Soviet Union, Full Knight of the Order of Glory - gun crew commander of the 175th Guards Artillery and Mortar Regiment of the 4th Guards Cavalry Division of the 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps of the 1st Belorussian Front, Guard Senior Sergeant;

Born on June 3, 1905 in the village of Novoselki, now Kozelsky district, Kaluga region, in a peasant family. Russian. At the age of 7 he was left without a father; from early childhood he learned the hardships of peasant life. I studied at a four-year school in the village of Vyazov for only 2 years. From 1925 to 1930 he worked as chairman of the Vyazovsky village council. Self-taught, he learned accounting and then worked for 2 years as an accountant in the Kozelskaya MTS, and later as an accountant in the newly created state farm “Zavet Ilyich”.
In 1938-1940 he served in the Red Army. Participant of the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940. After demobilization he returned home.

He was again drafted into the army in December 1941 by the Kozelsky district military registration and enlistment office. He spent almost his entire combat career as part of the 4th Guards Cavalry, was a gunner, and from February 1944, a gun commander in the 175th Guards Artillery and Mortar. He fought on the Western, Central, Bryansk, and 1st Belorussian fronts. In March 1943, he received his first military award - the medal "For Military Merit". Member of the CPSU(b)/CPSU since 1943.
On the night of July 26, 1944, Guard Sergeant Aleshin rolled out a gun into the infantry battle formations and, firing direct fire, repulsed the attack of enemy machine gunners. On July 27, during the liberation of the city of Miedzyrzec-Podlaski (Poland), he covered 2 machine guns with his gun and destroyed an ammunition depot.

By order of the commander of the 4th Guards Cavalry Division (No. 12/n) dated August 11, 1944, Guard Sergeant Aleshin Andrey Vasilyevich was awarded the Order of Glory, 3rd degree (No. 240853).
On January 28, 1945, near the village of Dandsburg (Germany), now Wenzbork (Poland), together with his crew, Aleshin repelled an enemy counterattack, destroying over ten soldiers and a machine gun. On January 30, when repelling 3 enemy counterattacks, Aleshin’s crew destroyed up to 20 Nazis and suppressed 2 machine guns.

By order of the commander of the 4th Guards Cavalry Division (No. 11/n) dated March 11, 1945, Guard Sergeant Aleshin Andrei Vasilyevich was awarded the Order of Glory, 3rd degree (again).
On February 5, 1945, together with his crew in the area southwest of the city of Szczecin (Poland), he was the first to open fire and inflict great damage on the enemy, at the place where the shells of his guns exploded, 52 corpses of the Nazis were counted. Through his actions he contributed to the fulfillment of the combat mission of rifle units.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 31, 1945, Guard Senior Sergeant Aleshin Andrei Vasilyevich was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (No. 6730).
At the beginning of May 1945, Guard Senior Sergeant Alyoshin A.V. distinguished himself in battle in the area of ​​the village of Neu southwest of the city of Fürstenwalde (Germany). Three times during the day, together with the soldiers, he repelled direct fire attacks from the enemy, who lost over a platoon of soldiers, as well as a machine gun.

By order of June 18, 1945, Guard Senior Sergeant Aleshin Andrey Vasilyevich was awarded the Order of Glory, 2nd degree (No. 196739).
In 1945 he was demobilized. Returned to his homeland.
By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated August 19, 1955, in the order of re-awarding, Andrei Vasilyevich Aleshin was awarded the Order of Glory, 1st degree. No. 2341). Became a full holder of the Order of Glory.

Lived in the village of Popelevo, Kozelsky district, Kaluga region. He worked as chief accountant at the state farm "Red Fruit grower". Died April 11, 1974. He was buried in the cemetery of the village of Novoselki in the same area.

Awarded the Order of Lenin (05/31/1945, No. 44570), the Order of the Patriotic War 1st degree (02/13/1944), Glory 1st, 2nd, 3rd degree, medals...

http://www.warheroes.ru/hero/hero.asp?Hero_id=753

25.07.1914 - 22.10.1992

Dubinda Pavel Khristoforovich - foreman of the company of the 293rd Guards rifle regiment 96th Guards rifle division 28th Army of the 3rd Belorussian Front, guard foreman; one of the 4 full holders of the Order of Glory awarded the title "Hero of the Soviet Union".

Born on July 12 (25), 1914 in the village of Prognoy, now the village of Heroyskoye, Golopristansky district, Kherson region of Ukraine. After graduating from 7th grade, he worked on a fish farm.

In the Navy since 1936. Participant of the Great Patriotic War since June 1941. He served on the cruiser "Chervona Ukraine" of the Black Sea Fleet, and after the death of the cruiser, from November 1941, in the 8th Marine Brigade. During the defense of the city of Russian military glory, Sevastopol (since 1965 - a hero city), he was seriously shell-shocked and captured, escaped and from March 1944 served in the ranks of the Red Army in the 293rd Guards Rifle Regiment.

On August 8, 1944, the squad commander (293rd Guards rifle regiment, 1st Belorussian Front) guard Red Army soldier Dubinda P.Kh. in the battle for the village of Skorlupka (Sokolow-Podlaski district, Poland), under enemy fire, he was the first to burst into an enemy trench, using a machine gun and using grenades to kill seven Nazis.

For this feat, on September 5, 1944, Red Army soldier Dubinda Pavel Khristoforovich was awarded the Order of Glory, 3rd degree (No. 144253).
On August 20, 1944, in the battles for the railway station and the village of Mostowka (Wyszkow district, Warsaw Voivodeship, Poland), junior sergeant Dubinda led a platoon, drove the enemy out of the station, and personally destroyed over ten Nazis. Being wounded, he remained in service, replaced the retired company commander and ensured that the unit carried out its combat mission.

For the courage and bravery shown in battle, on October 5, 1944, Guard junior sergeant Pavel Khristoforovich Dubinda was awarded the Order of Glory, 2nd degree (No. 5665).

On October 22-25, 1944, in battles on the outskirts of the city of Stallupönen (East Prussia, now the city of Nesterov, Kaliningrad region), company sergeant Dubinda, commanding a platoon (3rd Belorussian Front), captured an advantageous position. Building on this success, rifle units captured the city. In hand-to-hand combat, he personally defeated four enemy soldiers and captured an officer.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of March 24, 1945, for the exemplary performance of command tasks in battles with the Nazi invaders, Guard Sergeant Major Dubinda Pavel Khristoforovich was awarded the Order of Glory, 1st degree (No. 26), becoming a full holder of the Order of Glory.
On March 21, 1945, a platoon under the command of Guard Sergeant Major Pavel Dubinda repelled counterattacks from superior enemy forces in battles southwest of Koenigsberg (now Kaliningrad). When the ammunition ran out, Dubinda captured the enemy machine gun and opened fire on the enemy, forcing them to retreat.

By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated June 29, 1945, for the exemplary performance of combat missions of the command on the front of the fight against the Nazi invaders and the courage and heroism of the guard, Sergeant Major Dubinda Pavel Khristoforovich was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal. "(No. 7501).
After the war, Guard Sergeant Major Dubinda P.Kh. demobilized. Returned to his homeland. He served as a boatswain on the ship of the Antarctic whaling flotilla "Slava".

Awarded the Order of Lenin, the Order of Bohdan Khmelnitsky 3rd degree, the Order of the Patriotic War 1st degree, the Order of Glory 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree, medals...

15.11.1922 - 16.11.1994

http://www.warheroes.ru/hero/hero.asp?Hero_id=477

Hero of the Soviet Union, Full Knight of the Order of Glory...

Drachenko Ivan Grigorievich - senior pilot of the 140th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment of the 8th Guards Assault Aviation Division of the 1st Assault Aviation Corps of the 5th Air Army of the Steppe Front, guard senior lieutenant; one of the 4 full holders of the Order of Glory awarded the title "Hero of the Soviet Union".

Born on November 15, 1922 in the village of Velyka Sevastyanovka, now Khristianovsky district, Cherkasy region, in a peasant family. Member of the CPSU since 1944. Graduated high school and Leningrad Aero Club.
In the Red Army since April 1941. In the summer of 1943 he graduated from the Tambov Military Aviation Pilot School and was sent to the front as a navigator pilot.

Senior pilot of the 140th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment (8th Guards Assault Aviation Division, 1st Assault Aviation Corps, 5th Air Army, Steppe Front) Guard, junior lieutenant I.G. Drachenko. On the Kursk Bulge he made 21 combat missions, destroyed 3 tanks, 20 vehicles with ammunition and enemy personnel, 4 anti-aircraft guns, an ammunition depot, and up to a company of soldiers. Awarded the Order of the Red Star.

On August 14, 1943, in the Kharkov region, while rescuing the regiment commander, an Il-2 was rammed by an enemy fighter. Landed by parachute. He was seriously wounded during the ramming. Captured in an unconscious state. In a camp near Poltava, a Soviet doctor performed a complex operation on him, but his right eye could not be saved. In September 1943, he managed to escape and cross the front line. After treatment in a Moscow hospital in March 1944, he returned to his regiment. The medical records said nothing about the loss of an eye, and Drachenko began to fly again. He made another 34 combat missions, destroyed 8 tanks, 12 cars, 2 anti-aircraft batteries, an ammunition depot, and up to a company of soldiers. Awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree.

On April 6, 1944, during a reconnaissance flight, it was attacked by 5 FW-190 fighters. On a heavily damaged plane, he managed to reach the airfield and land. For the valuable intelligence he brought, he was awarded the Order of Glory, 3rd degree (Order No. 68612 of June 5, 1944).
On June 26, 1944, Guard Junior Lieutenant Drachenko flew at the head of a pair on reconnaissance to the Yassy area. While performing a combat mission, he entered into battle with German fighters and repulsed all their attacks. Then he carried out an attack on the train at the Tuzira railway station and returned to his airfield with intelligence data. Awarded the Order of Glory, 2nd degree (Order No. 3457 of September 5, 1944).

On October 7, 1944, for 55 successful combat missions, I.G. Drachenko was awarded the Order of Glory, 2nd degree; on November 26, 1968, he was re-awarded the Order of Glory, 1st degree (No. 3608).
By August 1944, he made 100 combat missions for reconnaissance and the destruction of enemy personnel and equipment. In 14 air battles he shot down 5 enemy aircraft.

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the presentation of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (No. 4618) of the Guard was awarded to senior lieutenant Ivan Grigorievich Drachenko by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of October 26, 1944.
Later he distinguished himself in the Vistula-Oder and Berlin operations, for which he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. He finished the war with the rank of captain.

In total, during the war years I.G. Drachenko made 151 combat missions, in 24 air battles he shot down 5 enemy aircraft, destroyed another 9 at airfields, destroyed 4 bridges, and destroyed a lot of enemy equipment and manpower.
After the war, the brave attack pilot entered the Air Force Academy, but in 1947 he was transferred to the reserve for health reasons.
Awarded the Order of Lenin, the Red Banner, 2 Orders of the Patriotic War, 1st degree, Orders of the Red Star, Glory, 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree, medals...

But the legend was...

His military journey began at the Kursk Bulge. After graduating from the Tambov Military Pilot School, in May 1943 he arrived at the front in the 140th Guards Attack Aviation Regiment. The young pilot made his first combat flight on July 5, and on the 22nd - August 14 - he was shot down by enemy fighters. In an unconscious state, Drachenko was captured.
Ivan Grigorievich survived terrible days in a fascist camp in Poltava. Beatings and torture were commonplace. The pilot's face was disfigured, a tooth was knocked out, and he finally lost his right eye, damaged in battle...

Our army continued its offensive, and the Nazis were in a hurry to get out of Poltava. On a September night, the prisoners were loaded into covered cars and driven west. Everyone understood that this was the last way. Drachenko and another pilot strangled the guard sitting in the back on the road. Five people managed to jump out on the move.
A few days later, Ivan Drachenko met our scouts in a forest. Then there was a hospital in Moscow. He was treated. A glass prosthesis was inserted in place of the right eye. Outwardly, he was difficult to notice. The patient courted Professor Sverlov for a long time and eventually “knocked out” a certificate from him with the following content: “Junior Lieutenant Drachenko I.G. is sent to his unit for further service.”

This document again opened the way to the sky for the pilot, and he immediately went to his unit.
Returning to the regiment, Drachenko admitted his illness to only two of his friends.
From the memoirs of Hero of the Soviet Union N.N. Kirtoka:
- Drachenko revealed his secret to me in the very first conversation. I promised to keep it and help each other in every possible way. At first we had such a tactic, for example, which was far from clear to everyone. When Drachenko sat down, I went out to the landing “T” and directed his landing. Some were perplexed, others sympathized with understanding: the man, they say, had just come from the hospital, and had forgotten his piloting technique a little. And then he became our best aerial reconnaissance officer. The whole front knew him. And he was an excellent attack aircraft. The regiment commander sent him on the most difficult missions.

Another fellow soldier, Nikolai Pushnin, also knew Drachenko’s secret.
“It will be very difficult for you to fly, Ivan,” said the pilot. - If the shooters find out, then hardly anyone will agree to fly with you.
That conversation was accidentally overheard by Arkady Kirilets. And he not only agreed, but literally begged to take him into his crew. Drachenko made fifty combat missions with him on the Il-2. Of course, it was difficult without an eye. During the flight, Drachenko often opened the canopy.
My comrades warned me: “Don’t fly without armor protection,” and advised me not to be brave. But this was not a matter of courage: he saw better with an open flashlight.

Drachenko considers the most memorable combat mission to be the one for which he received the first Order of Glory.
...It was in the summer of 1944. Two "Ilas" were ordered to reconnoiter the enemy's defenses near Iasi. Ours were preparing a major offensive, and air reconnaissance data was extremely necessary. One attack aircraft was led by Ivan Drachenko, the other by Kostya Kruglov. The scouts photographed defensive lines and roads in the areas of Yass, Khushi and Roman. Then we headed north, along the western bank of the Sereet River to Tergul-Frumos. It was then that the Ilys met enemy fighters.

Twelve Messerschmitts fell on us,” Drachenko told me. - In a hot battle, Kirilets and I knocked out two, but Kruglov’s Il was also hit. I had to leave. Over the river it descended to a low level flight. And the “Messers” did not lag behind. The church in the village of Yegorovka helped out. He jumped up to her and went around the bell tower to make turns. This is where the enemy kites left us. I barely made it to my airfield. Technicians counted several hundred holes in the plane. But, fortunately, the cameras turned out to be intact: the reconnaissance mission was completed.

Junior Lieutenant Drachenko received the second Order of Glory in September for his courage shown in the destruction of an enemy railway train. And in October 1944, he was awarded the third Order of Glory - this is for 55 new combat missions. [But this Order of Glory was, like the previous one, of the second degree. Only 24 years later, on November 26, 1968, he will be re-awarded with the Order of Glory, first degree, and will become a full cavalier.]

One day, stormtroopers received an order to destroy the headquarters of the Nazi tank corps. The Ilov group was met by strong anti-aircraft fire. During this flight, Drachenko had a special task - he had to deceive the enemy - “burn and fall.” Right above the headquarters he activated a smoke bomb hidden in the bomb bay and began to smoothly “fall” to the ground. The anti-aircraft gunners, putting an end to it, transferred fire to other vehicles. And at that moment Drachenko quickly dived and hit the headquarters building with his eres and cannons. Other stormtroopers added. All that remained of the headquarters were ruins.

In October 1944, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, 12 aces of the 2nd Air Army were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Among them was junior lieutenant Ivan Grigorievich Drachenko.
As stated in the award document, this is a reward for 100 reconnaissance sorties, destruction of enemy manpower and equipment, for participation in 14 air battles, which he committed by August 1944.

This is how the pilot fought the enemy, returning to combat duty.
- When was your secret revealed? - I asked him.
“This happened already in 1945 at the regiment’s command post,” answered Ivan Grigorievich. I began to wipe my right eye with a handkerchief, and its pupil turned 180 degrees. Someone shouted: “Brothers, Ivan has gone crazy!” The guys saw a white spot under the right eyebrow. But everything ended well. In the medical unit I admitted my illness. I was subjected to a strict inspection. The deputy divisional commander, Colonel Volodin, took me into the air and checked my piloting techniques and tactics. The flight was observed by the corps commander, General Ryazanov. When they landed, the general said to the regiment commander: “It would be good if all pilots flew like this. Let him fight until Victory."

And so it happened. He made his last flights to Berlin and Prague.
From an archival document:
“During two years of war, Drachenko made 178 combat missions on an Il-2 aircraft, personally shot down five enemy aircraft and burned nine at airfields, destroyed dozens of enemy tanks and armored personnel carriers, and many other enemy equipment and manpower.”
That’s how he was, Ivan Grigorievich Drachenko, a man and a warrior...

29.04.1922 - 11.09.2008

http://www.warheroes.ru/hero/hero.asp?Hero_id=755

Hero of the Soviet Union, Full Knight of the Order of Glory...

Kuznetsov Nikolai Ivanovich - gun commander of the 369th separate anti-tank artillery division of the 263rd rifle division of the 43rd Army of the 3rd Belorussian Front, foreman; one of the 4 full holders of the Order of Glory awarded the title "Hero of the Soviet Union".
Born on April 29, 1922 in the village of Pytruchey, now Vytegorsky district, Vologda region, into a peasant family. Russian. Since 1936, he lived at the Zasheyek station, now the administration of the city of Apatity, Murmansk region. He graduated from the 7th grade of school, the FZU school in 1938, and worked as a mechanic at the construction of hydroelectric power station No. 8 in the city of Kandalaksha, Murmansk region. Member of the CPSU(b)/CPSU since 1944.

In the Red Army since 1941. At the front in the Great Patriotic War since August 1941. He graduated from a front-line special school, and as a reconnaissance officer and commander of an intelligence department, he participated in missions deep behind enemy lines. He took part in the breakthrough of the Blue Line and the battles for Crimea.
Since October 1943 - gunner and gun commander of the 369th anti-tank artillery battalion of the 263rd rifle division. On April 23, 1944, in a battle near the village of Mekenzia, located 10 kilometers east of the city of Russian military glory Sevastopol, the commander of a 45-mm gun of the 369th separate anti-tank artillery division (263rd Infantry Division, 51st Army, 4 1st Ukrainian Front) Sergeant Nikolai Kuznetsov with his crew suppressed 2 enemy machine guns, ensuring the advancement of the rifle units. Later, having discovered enemy tanks, he set one of them on fire with the first shot from a gun.

For the courage and bravery shown in battle, on May 17, 1944, Sergeant Nikolai Ivanovich Kuznetsov was awarded the Order of Glory, 3rd degree.
On October 5-10, 1944, acting in the forward detachment, the commander of the 76-mm gun (2nd Guards Army, 1st Baltic Front), senior sergeant Kuznetsov N.I. with his subordinates, he covered several firing points with direct fire until he reached a platoon of Nazis. On October 10, 1944, during the battle for the Shamaitkein station (Lithuania), he set fire to an enemy vehicle with a direct hit.

For the courage and bravery shown in battle, on December 1, 1944, senior sergeant Nikolai Ivanovich Kuznetsov was awarded the Order of Glory, 2nd degree.
On February 1, 1945, in the battles for the village of Labiau (now the city of Polessk, Kaliningrad region), the gun crew of N.I. Kuznetsova (43rd Army, 3rd Belorussian Front) set fire to a tank with direct fire, destroyed 2 machine-gun points and destroyed more than an infantry squad.

For the courage and bravery shown in battle, on February 10, 1945, Sergeant Major Nikolai Ivanovich Kuznetsov was again awarded the Order of Glory, 2nd degree.
By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated March 12, 1980, for exemplary performance of command tasks in battles with the Nazi invaders, retired sergeant major Nikolai Ivanovich Kuznetsov was re-awarded with the Order of Glory, 1st degree, becoming a full holder of the Order of Glory.

During the assault on the capital of East Prussia, the fortress city of Koenigsberg (now the city of Kaliningrad), the soldiers of the crew of Sergeant Major N.I. Kuznetsov. suppressed several firing points and destroyed up to a platoon of enemy infantry.
In total, during the war years, Nikolai Kuznetsov’s gun crew knocked out 11 enemy tanks.
By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated April 19, 1945, for the exemplary performance of combat missions of the command on the front of the fight against the Nazi invaders and the courage and heroism shown at the same time, Sergeant Major Nikolai Ivanovich Kuznetsov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the presentation of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal. .

The brave artilleryman ended the war in the area of ​​Danzig (now Gdansk, Poland), where until May 13, 1945, the division’s soldiers finished off the enemy who did not want to surrender.
Participant in the historical Victory Parade on Red Square in Moscow on June 24, 1945.
In 1945, foreman Kuznetsov N.I. demobilized.
Awarded the Order of Lenin, the Red Banner, two Orders of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree, Orders of Glory of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd degrees, the Order of Friendship of Peoples, medals (including two medals “For Courage”, a medal “For defense of Sevastopol", medal "For the capture of Koenigsberg")...

Not everyone knows that on June 20, 1943, at a meeting of the People's Commissar of Defense of the Soviet Union, the issue of creating a project was discussed. By that time, the top leadership of the Soviet country no longer doubted the victory of our troops over Nazi Germany. In this regard, right at the meeting he proposed to establish a military award, arguing that the victory over fascism would not have happened without military glory.

How the Order of Soldier's Glory was born

The author of the project proposed establishing an award with four degrees of distinction, similar to the St. George Cross. According to Moskalev’s idea, the military award could be called the Order of Bagration. It is not without reason that the artist took the Order of St. George as a basis, since it was the most revered among the soldiers of that time.

The sketch of the award and the author's idea were approved by Stalin, but he insisted that the award should be called the Order of Glory. In addition, he ordered to reduce the number of degrees of distinction to 3 in order to equate the order with the awards of commanders. The Order of Glory was finally approved on October 23, 1943, and soon the minting of the first samples of the award began.

A little about military regalia

Encouragement of military personnel began with awards of the lowest degree of distinction. Then followed the awards in ascending order ─ II degree of distinction and I. The award of the highest degree of distinction was made in gold, silver was used for minting the award of II degree. The central image on the medallion itself represents the gilded Frolovskaya (Spasskaya) tower.

At different times in the existence of the soldier's award, its appearance changed several times. At the same time, not everyone knows that the arrows on the tower chimes also showed different time. The Order of Glory, III degree, had the same composition, only the image of the medallion was not covered with gold. Knights of this order could be assigned the next military rank out of turn at the request of the unit command. For example, a senior officer could immediately become a junior officer. lieutenant, and he, in turn, receive lieutenant shoulder straps.

The Order of Glory, 3rd degree of the Second World War, could be awarded to a distinguished warrior by a brigade commander or an officer holding a higher position. Commanders of armies or flotillas made a decision and signed a decree on awarding military personnel with the Order of the 2nd degree. The Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a resolution on awarding fighters with the Order of the 1st degree of distinction. Since the end of February 1947, decisions on awarding military personnel were made only by the Presidium.

Among the combined arms awards that were created during the years of resistance to the fascist occupation, the Order of Glory of the USSR was the last. True, after him the Order of Admiral Nakhimov was also issued, but they were used to reward only Soviet sailors.

About the features of a soldier's award

The Order of Glory of the Second World War was special and different from other awards. First of all, it was originally intended as a soldier's award. For the courage shown in battle, it could be awarded to sailors and Red Army soldiers, as well as junior aviation lieutenants. Soviet officers could not receive this award.

A characteristic feature of the Order of Glory was the following: the award was given only to people for their military exploits. Military units could not claim it, nor could various organizations. In addition, all three Orders of Glory had the same color ribbon, which was a distinctive feature of pre-revolutionary military regalia.

Detailed description of the insignia

The order is made in the shape of a five-rayed star, and the distance between the tops of the star itself is 46 mm, each of which has a convex surface framed by sides. In the center of the order there is a medallion circle with a bas-relief of the Kremlin tower, on which a ruby ​​star is installed. The lower part of the medallion has a ruby ​​ribbon with the word “GLORY” in capital letters. On both sides of this ribbon, on the inside of the medallion, there are laurel branches, symbolizing victory.

On the central beam there is an eyelet through which a ring is threaded, thanks to which the award is attached to the order block. The order block has a pentagonal shape, and its decoration is made with moiré ribbon, the width of which is 24 mm. The ribbon has three longitudinal colors, as well as two orange ones, which alternate with each other and symbolize the flame of fire and smoke (St. George Ribbon). A millimeter orange line runs along both edges of the tape. Thanks to the pin located on the back of the medal block, the award is attached to clothing.

The Order of Glory was issued by the number, which was located on the back of the medallion. It must completely coincide with the entry in the order book. Note that the Order of Glory, III degree, was made of silver, the weight of which in the product is about 20.6 g, with a total weight of the award of 23 g.

The central circle of the medallion of the Order of the 2nd degree is gilded, and the weight of the award and the silver content coincides with the award of the 3rd degree of distinction. The Order of the 1st degree was made of gold of the highest standard, of which the award contains 29 g, with a total weight of 31 g.

The first recipients of the Order of Smoke and Fire

Soon after the approval of the new order - November 13, 1943 - a historical event occurred. The first award received by V. S. Malyshev. At that time he served as a sapper. He managed to destroy the enemy’s machine gun crew, which did not allow Soviet soldiers to break through the enemy’s defenses. Later, Malyshev earned the same award, II degree. Almost simultaneously with him, the Order of Glory, III degree, was awarded to sapper Sergeant G. A. Israelyan, who served in the 140th Infantry Regiment. The newspaper “Red Star” wrote about this award, the next issue of which was published on December 20, 1943.

The awarding of Sergeant Israelyan took place by order of the command of the rifle division dated November 17, 1943. This happened almost immediately, as soon as the award was established by order of the Presidium of the Supreme Council. Israelyan G. A. ended the war with the status of a full holder of this order. No less interesting is the awarding of the platoon commander of the anti-tank gun battery to Senior Sergeant I. Kharin, who fought in one of the military units on the Second Ukrainian Front. Ivan Kharin was awarded the Order of Glory, III degree, by order No. 1. He received this award for knocking out two Elephant self-propelled guns and three enemy tanks during one battle.

The Red Army sappers Vlasov Andrey and Baranov Sergey, awarded the Order of Glory, were the first to be awarded the Order of II degree of distinction. At that time, they fought as part of the reconnaissance company of the 665th sapper battalion. At the end of November 1943, the reconnaissance company made a foray into enemy lines, destroying barbed wire barriers, thanks to which the soldiers of the 385th Krichev Division managed to defeat the Nazi defenses with virtually no losses.

About gentlemen and heroes who deserved the soldier's order

It is believed that in the period 1941-1945, about 998 thousand Soviet soldiers received the Order of Glory, 3rd degree. The list of awarded continues to include 46.5 thousand fighters who were awarded the Order of II degree of distinction. There are much fewer of those who received the highest award. The fighters awarded the Order of Glory, 1st degree, had to accomplish a truly outstanding feat. There were 2620 such people.

Answering the question of how many holders of the Order of Glory exist, it should be noted that there are just over 2.5 thousand full holders. Of these, only four were awarded the star of the Hero of the USSR. These are senior artillery sergeants A.V. Aleshin and N.I. Kuznetsov, attack aviation pilot Jr. Lieutenant I. G. Drachenko and Guard Sergeant Major P. Kh. Dubinda. Note that 647 people - holders of the order of the 3rd degree and 80 - 2nd degree were Heroes of the Soviet Union.

Interesting cases from the lives of award winners

On January 15, 1945, the 215th Infantry Regiment was located on Polish territory. At that moment, he was part of the 77th Division defending the Pulawy bridgehead, which was located in the area of ​​the Vistula River. On this day, the 1st battalion of the regiment made a quick breakthrough and broke the strong defense of the Nazis. The soldiers continued to hold the captured positions until the main forces of the Soviet troops arrived. When capturing the Nazi defense, guardsman Petrov covered the machine gun of the German invaders with his own body, thanks to which the battalion soldiers quickly captured the German positions. For this operation, each battalion fighter received the Order of Glory, 3rd degree. The list of recipients included the entire battalion personnel. Battalion commander Major Emelyanov was posthumously awarded the Hero star. The company commanders of this battalion received the Order of the Red Banner as a reward. awarded to the platoon commanders of the unit.

It is known that Soviet women also fought courageously during the war. Some were able to become full holders of the Order of Glory. Staniliene D. Yu. became the first gentleman among women. She served during the war in the Lithuanian rifle division with the rank of sergeant and was a machine gunner in the crew. In one of the battles with German troops, its commander was seriously wounded. Danute replaced him and single-handedly held back the advance of the German infantry. For this she received the Order of Glory, III degree. By the end of the summer of 1944, near Polotsk in the village of Lyutovka, Danuta managed to repel fascist attacks, as a result of which more than 40 enemy infantry were killed. On March 26, 1945, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union signed an order to award Stniliene D. Yu. the Order of Glory, 1st degree.

Rosa Shanina came to the front as a twenty-year-old girl. She began her service in April 1944. She was a sniper and had killed many enemies. Only according to confirmed data, Rosa was able to destroy over 50 Nazis. She managed to become a Knight of the Order of Glory II and III degrees. On January 28, 1945, near Ilmsdorf, senior sergeant Shanina died heroically at the age of 21.

In mid-spring 1944, Soviet pilot Nadezhda Aleksandrovna Zhurkina, as part of a combat crew, flew flights over populated areas of the Pskov region. During her 23 missions, she managed to photograph the location of enemy units and military equipment, and also repel a dozen attacks while in the air. Zhurkina received the Order of the III degree for her courage shown in battle. Already in the fall of 1944, Zhurkina received a 2nd degree award for bombing the enemy on Latvian territory. Before the end of the war, she received the Order of the highest degree of distinction for other accomplished feats.

Nina Pavlovna Petrova started the war at the age of 48 and joined the ranks of the Leningrad people's militia division. A little later she transferred to the division's medical unit. In the period from January 16 to March 2, 1944, in battles with the Nazis, she destroyed 23 Nazis, for which she received a III degree award at the end of the spring of that year. By the end of the war, she received the Order of Glory of the highest degree of distinction for her personal exploits.

Marina Semyonovna Necheporchukova served as a medic during the war. At the beginning of August 1944, near the Polish city of Grzybow, fierce battles took place with the fascist occupiers. Marina Semyonovna carried her from the battlefield and then provided assistance to 27 soldiers of the Red Army. Later she saved the life of one of the Soviet officers and evacuated him from the battlefield near Magnushev. For this, in the fall of 1944, she received the Order of Glory, 3rd degree. The list of recipients was supplemented by two more fellow soldiers of Necheporchukova, for the evacuation of the wounded. At the end of March 1945 in the city of Küstrin, she helped a large number of wounded soldiers, for which she was awarded the Order of Military Glory, II degree. Later, in one of the battles where the Germans offered strong resistance, M. S. Necheporchukova managed to carry 78 wounded soldiers and officers from the battlefield. For this feat in May 1945 she received the Order of Glory, 1st degree.

Who could receive the award?

Each fighter could receive the Order of Glory, III degree, as a reward. The statute of the order will help you understand why this award was given. So, you could receive this award for the following actions.

• Destroying at least 3 enemy aircraft with machine gun or artillery fire.
• Knocking out two or more fascist tanks using an anti-tank gun.
• Continuing to perform combat missions in a burning tank.
• Destruction of ten or more German soldiers and officers through the use of personal weapons.
• Shooting out an enemy tank using an anti-tank grenade.
• Establishing gaps in the fascist defense as a result of individual reconnaissance, as well as bringing our troops behind enemy lines via a safe route.
• Removal or capture of enemy posts or patrols at night (single-handed).
• An independent foray behind enemy lines and the destruction of mortar or machine gun crews.
• Shooting down an enemy aircraft using personal weapons.
• Destruction of up to 3 fighters or up to 6 bombers during air combat.
• Destruction of enemy trains, military units, bridges, enemy food bases, power plants and other objects of strategic importance, while being a member of the bomber crew.
• Conducting reconnaissance operations to obtain information about the enemy, being a member of the crew of a reconnaissance aircraft.
• After being wounded and bandaged, the soldier returns to duty and continues combat operations.
• For ignoring personal safety when capturing the enemy's banner.
• When single-handedly capturing an enemy officer.
• Neglecting your own life, save the life of the commander.
• For saving the banner of his unit, neglecting his own life.

Some facts about the order-bearing heroes

I. Kuznetsov became a full holder of the order, who received this honor at the age of sixteen. At the age of 16, he already commanded a squad and received an award of the highest degree of distinction.

Famous film actors also received the Soviet Order of Glory during the war years. One cannot help but recall the famous Alexei Makarovich Smirnov, who became a holder of the Order of Soldier's Glory. A. M. Smirnov was awarded the Order of Glory, III degree, on September 1, 1944, and on April 27, he was awarded the Order of II degree.

Fyodor Mikhailovich Valikov also became a holder of the order of the III and II degrees. He served in the 32nd Slonim-Pomeranian Brigade of the 2nd Tank Army.

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

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

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

The Order of Glory is awarded for:
- Having been the first to break into the enemy’s location, he contributed to the success of the common cause with his personal courage;
— While in a tank that caught fire, he continued to carry out his combat mission;
- In a moment of danger, he saved the banner of his unit from being captured by the enemy;
— Using personal weapons with accurate shooting, he destroyed from 10 to 50 enemy soldiers and officers;
— In battle, he disabled at least two enemy tanks with anti-tank gun fire;
— Destroyed from one to three tanks on the battlefield or behind enemy lines with hand grenades;
— Destroyed at least three enemy aircraft with artillery or machine gun fire;
— Disdaining danger, he was the first to break into the enemy bunker (trench, trench or dugout), and with decisive actions destroyed his garrison;
— As a result of personal reconnaissance, I established weak spots enemy defense and brought our troops behind enemy lines;
- Personally captured an enemy officer;
— At night, he removed the enemy’s guard post (watch, secret) or captured it;
— Personally, with resourcefulness and courage, having made his way to the enemy’s position, he destroyed his machine gun or mortar;
— While on a night sortie, he destroyed an enemy warehouse with military equipment;
- Risking his life, he saved the commander in battle from the immediate danger that threatened him;
- Neglecting personal danger, he captured the enemy’s banner in battle;
— Having been wounded, after bandaging he returned to duty;
- Shot down an enemy plane with personal weapons;
— Having destroyed the enemy’s fire weapons with artillery or mortar fire, he ensured successful actions your unit;
— Under enemy fire, he made a passage for the advancing unit through the enemy’s wire barriers;
— Risking his life, under enemy fire, he provided assistance to the wounded during a number of battles;
— While in a damaged tank, he continued to carry out a combat mission using the tank’s weapons;
— Having quickly crashed his tank into an enemy column, he crushed it and continued to carry out his combat mission;
— With your tank, he crushed one or more enemy guns or destroyed at least two machine-gun nests;
— While in reconnaissance, I obtained valuable information about the enemy;
— A fighter pilot destroyed from two to four enemy fighter aircraft or from three to six bomber aircraft in air combat;
— An attack pilot, as a result of an attack raid, destroyed from two to five enemy tanks or from three to six locomotives, or blew up a train at a railway station or stage, or destroyed at least two aircraft at an enemy airfield;
— The attack pilot destroyed one or two enemy aircraft as a result of bold initiative actions in air combat;
— The crew of a daytime bomber destroyed a railway train, blew up a bridge, an ammunition depot, a fuel depot, destroyed the headquarters of an enemy unit, destroyed a railway station or stage, blew up a power plant, blew up a dam, destroyed a military vessel, transport, boat, destroyed at least two planes;
— The crew of a light night bomber blew up an ammunition and fuel depot, destroyed the enemy headquarters, blew up a railway train, blew up a bridge;
— The crew of a long-range night bomber destroyed a railway station, blew up an ammunition and fuel depot, destroyed a port facility, destroyed sea transport or a railway train, destroyed or burned an important plant or factory;
— The crew of a daylight bomber for daring action in aerial combat, resulting in the shooting down of one to two aircraft;
— The reconnaissance crew for successfully completed reconnaissance, as a result of which valuable data about the enemy was obtained.

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

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

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

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

The first Decree on awarding the Order of Glory, 1st degree, was signed on July 22, 1944. The Order was awarded to sapper Corporal M.T. Pitenin and assistant platoon commander senior sergeant K.K. Shevchenko. Pitenin died before the Decree was signed, without having time to receive the order. Shevchenko fought until the end of the war, also having the Order of the Red Banner, the Patriotic War and the Red Star, which was a very rare occurrence for a sergeant, and the addition to them in the form of all three degrees of the Order of Glory made him a phenomenon: not every colonel had six orders, and not even general

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

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

As often happens in editorial life, sometimes the most interesting topics publications are suggested to us by our readers. Some small episode, heard by chance, opens up a whole layer of rich material. This happened that time too. Ivan Mikhailovich Bogdanov came to the editorial office and with his short story seemed to give an assignment: to write about our fellow countryman, holder of the Order of Glory Alexander Ivanovich Efremov, who laid down his life for his Motherland in the Great Patriotic War.

I admit, it’s not a simple matter, because information about this man is quite scanty: he was born in the village. Kalgalaksha, Kemsky district. Worked in the Rybkoop system.

The first question that arose was: are there any relatives? Someone suggested - this is Tamara Aleksandrovna Shvabskaya. Unfortunately, she only confirmed that there really was a relative-hero, but she does not remember him - she was little, and cannot tell anything about him. True, Alexander Efremov is known as a person in the village, his memory is revered: a street in Kalgalaksha is named after him, his name is in the lists of the Book of Memory of Karelia and is carved on the obelisk to the villagers who died in battles.

The next attempt is to call on the almighty Internet for help and contact the Podolsk archive of the Ministry of Defense. If the first option is easier with a request, then searching in archival documents takes a lot of time. But the world is not without good people. Tatyana Aleksandrovna Slyusareva, director of the methodological center, having learned this from me, volunteered to help. She involved her old Moscow friend Maria Mikhailovna Rokhlina, who has experience in searching for such documents, in the search.

Thus, bit by bit, the first information, still very modest, has accumulated. There is no exact date of his birth, but it is known: he was born in 1916 and died in battle in February 1945. He put on his military overcoat in January 1942, and in March he was already on the front line. He fought bravely, and it couldn’t have been otherwise: the most reliable and proven fighters serve in reconnaissance. Throughout the war, fate seemed to protect the soldier’s life. Death from an enemy bullet was avoided. He was wounded twice, after the hospital he returned to the front. According to available data, one can only trace the main milestones of his military path.

February 1944. The 5th Shock Army of the 4th Ukrainian Front is conducting an operation to liquidate the Nikopol bridgehead. It is appropriate to recall here that by 1944, Soviet troops created the conditions necessary for the liberation of the territories captured by the Nazis. For this purpose, an offensive strategy was developed, the so-called “Stalin's Ten Crushing Blows.” The first was inflicted on January 14, 1944 near Leningrad and Novgorod by troops of the Leningrad and Volkhov fronts. The Apostolovo-Nikolskaya operation, carried out by the 3rd and 4th Ukrainian Fronts, became part of the second crushing blow. The Nazis waged fierce resistance on the approaches to the right bank of the Dnieper. In the battle for the liberation of the village of Sergeevka, which is slightly northeast of the village. Velikaya Lepetikha (Kherson region), the scout of the 96th separate guards company of the guard, Private Efremov, distinguished himself - he destroyed an enemy machine gun that was interfering with the unit’s advance. The soldier’s brave feat was appreciated by the command - Alexander Efremov received his first Order of Glory, 3rd degree.

August 1944. The liberation actions gained rapid momentum, and at the cost of deadly battles with the enemy, Soviet troops advanced further and further to the West. And already on August 25, a scout from the 291st reconnaissance platoon guards regiment(same division, 28th Army, 1st Belorussian Front) Alexander Efremov once again perfectly completed his combat mission: crossing the Western Bug River, he revealed the location of enemy firing points, which were then hit. The place where this episode of our fellow countryman’s military journey took place is the village of Rybno, which is 2 kilometers southwest of the Polish city of Wyszkow. How important and risky this soldier’s work was is evidenced by his Order of Glory, 2nd degree.

By making a detailed reference in the text to the names of fronts, armies, divisions, I hope that this will to some extent help in further searches for information about Alexander Ivanovich and his fellow soldiers. And coming to the last page of his heroic journey, I present the text of the award sheet for Guard Sergeant Efremov:

“... commander of the reconnaissance department of the 291st Guards Rifle Regiment of the 96th Guards. Infantry Division (Ilovatskaya, Orders of Lenin and Red Banner) was presented with the Order of Glory, 1st degree. Born in 1916, Russian, non-party member. Awarded the Order of Glory, 3rd degree, on February 11, 1944, and the Order of Glory, 2nd degree, on September 24, 1944.

Address of relatives: Karelo-Finnish SSR, Kemsky district, Letnyaya Reka village. Sister - Anna Ivanovna Danilova.

After our troops crossed the border of East Prussia, Guard Sergeant Efremov began to show more hatred towards the enemy, wanting to quickly finish off the wounded beast in his lair. On the night of October 22-23, 1944, he showed himself to be a fearless guardsman. While performing a combat mission, he made his way behind enemy lines and, having established the location of firing points, returned to his unit, and on the way back at night he removed an enemy patrol consisting of 2 German soldiers.

On the morning of October 23, according to his data, our artillery “covered” the fire, destroying 4 machine guns and 3 mortars of the enemy, which contributed to the occupation of the southwestern outskirts of the city of Stallupönen (note - now the city of Nesterov, Kaliningrad region) For the fact that he showed exceptional courage , courage and courage, comrade. Efremov is worthy of the government award of the Order of Glory, 1st degree.

Commander of the 29th 1st Guards Rifle Regiment of the Guards. Major Matveev.

Commander of the 96th Order of the Red Banner Guards Rifle Division, Major General Kuznetsov.

Commander of the 3rd Guards Rifle Corps, Major General Alexandrov.

Conclusion of the Military Council of the Army: worthy of being awarded the Order of Glory, 1st degree.

Army Commander, Lieutenant General Luchinsky."

But, judging by the dates of the presentation, Alexander Ivanovich did not have time to receive the award - he died while performing another task.

Let me return to the chronicle of events again. February 1945. By this time, the troops of the 3rd Belorussian Front had reached the approaches to the city of Preussisch Aylau (now Bagrationovsk, Kaliningrad Region), an important communications hub (3 railways and 6 highways) and a strong stronghold of the German defense in East Prussia. There were battles for every settlement. I have in front of me a copy of the document that put an end to this stage of my investigation. This is a “Nominal list of irretrievable losses of sergeants and privates in the Ilovatsky Guards Rifle Order of Lenin Red Banner Division.” Among 111 on the list is the name A.I. Efremova: “died in battle on February 5, 1945, buried in a mass grave in the center of the village of Guvenen, 6 km northeast of the town of Pr. Eylau, East Prussia." I cannot help but mention the fact that a little later, on February 18 of the same year, in the area of ​​​​the city of Melzak, the commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front, I.D. Chernyakhovsky, was mortally wounded by a shell fragment.

After the end of the war, the lands of East Prussia became part of the RSFSR. Settlements that bore Prussian-German names were renamed: Koenigsberg became Kaliningrad, Preussisch Aylau became Bagrationovsky, and the small village of Guvenen became the village of Ryazanskoye. But too much time has passed, a lot has changed. This village is no longer on the map. What happened to the mass grave, where can we now look for traces of where the remains of the soldiers who rested on this land were transferred?

The military commissariat of Bagrationovsk, where I contacted during the search process, does not have such information, but promised to help in searching for the burial. And here, finally, is the long-awaited result. Confirmation has been received: Sergeant Efremov has been reburied in a mass grave in the city of Bagrationovsk. While his name is not among the immortalized soldiers (unfortunately, not all heroically killed defenders of the Motherland have yet been named), but an application has already been submitted to the city administration and there is confidence that the name of Alexander Ivanovich Efremov will be carved in stone.

We must know at what cost the Victory in the Great Patriotic War was achieved. We must remember every warrior who gave his life in mortal combat with the enemy. Therefore, a big request to readers: please respond if there is any other information about our hero or his relatives.
Every year we celebrate the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow. June 22, 1941 was the date that crossed out the fate of the people of a huge country. 70 years have passed, but we are still opening new pages of that terrible war, in which the name of our fellow countryman, holder of the Order of Glory of 3 degrees, Alexander Ivanovich Efremov, is inscribed. Eternal memory to him!

Afterword. A lot of time was spent preparing this material, both mine and the people who helped shed light on the fate of A.I. Efremov. And I address words of gratitude for their sensitivity and understanding, first of all, to Ivan Mikhailovich Bogdanov, Tatyana Aleksandrovna Slyusareva, Great Patriotic War veteran Maria Mikhailovna Rokhlina (Moscow), and employee of the Bagrationovsky military registration and enlistment office Vasily Vasilyevich Chekalo. Special gratitude to the volunteers who create and maintain Internet resources, which sometimes provide the opportunity to obtain invaluable information about events of bygone days, about people whose names should not disappear from people’s memory.

The Military Order of Glory was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on November 8, 1943, and has degrees of third, second and highest first. According to the statute, this is a soldier’s order, it was awarded to private and sergeant military personnel. In total, during the Great Patriotic War, about 1 million people were awarded the Order of Glory of the 3rd degree, more than 46 thousand of the 2nd degree, and 2,637 of the 1st degree.

On the same day, the Order of Victory and the Order of Glory were established. The latter was awarded to ordinary soldiers, sergeants and senior officers, as well as junior lieutenants of the air force. During the Great Patriotic War, there were already orders and medals of the USSR bearing the names of famous Russian commanders. Therefore, they wanted to name the Order of Glory in honor of the hero of the War of 1812 - Bagration, who became famous for his courage and heroism among ordinary soldiers.

How was the Order of Glory created?

In August 1943, a group of nine artists presented 25 different sketches of the future order for consideration by the commission. The selected four options were shown to Stalin. Joseph Vissarionovich chose the design of the artist N. Moskalev, which depicted the outline of Field Marshal Bagration against the background of a five-pointed star.

At the very beginning it was planned that the award would contain four degrees. However, Stalin decided that the order would contain three degrees, like the others. And it should be called the Order of Glory, since there is no victory without courage and glorious deeds.
The final version of the award was approved in the same autumn of 1943. The order was created in the form of a five-pointed star with a drawing of the Spasskaya Tower, which is framed by a wreath. Below on the red field is the inscription “Glory”.

What was the Order of Glory, 3rd class, given for?

In November 1943, the order's charter was officially approved, providing for gradual awarding, starting with the 3rd degree. Therefore, the Order of Glory of the 3rd degree of the Great Patriotic War was made of silver, the 2nd degree - of gold with silver inserts, and the 1st degree was completely gold. The award was given for the fact that the soldiers:

• were the first to break into enemy positions and ensure the success of the combat operation with their own exploits;
• were in a burning tank, continuing the battle;
• in a dangerous situation they saved the banner of military units;
• the fighter destroyed from 10 to 50 enemy soldiers and officers with small arms;
• the Order of Glory, 3rd degree, was awarded to those who blew up 1-3 tanks with grenades on the front line or behind enemy lines;
• being in reconnaissance I was able to obtain valuable information about the enemy;
• shot down 2-4 enemy aircraft;
• during a night battle he shot down up to four enemy aircraft;
• was able to blow up an enemy ammunition depot.

And this is not the entire list of feats for which the Order of Glory was awarded. Soldiers, sergeants or junior officers received this award for brave deeds helping the Red Army defeat the invaders.

How the award was presented

Full holders of the Order of Glory had the right to be awarded the following military ranks. For example, an ordinary soldier, corporal or sergeant could become a sergeant major, those who already had this rank could become a junior lieutenant, and in aviation they could rise to the rank of lieutenant.

The 3rd degree order was awarded to the commanders of such large formations as divisions and corps, the 2nd degree - to the commander of an army or front, and the 1st degree was given only by decree of the Supreme Council.

Like many orders and medals of the USSR, the Order of Glory was awarded right at the front after the end of a successful military operation. The very first documentary evidence of awarding the order is dated the 20th of December 1943. This award was awarded to the sapper of the 140th Infantry Regiment, Sergeant G. A. Israelyan.

First recipients

The first numbers of the Order of Glory, 3rd degree, went to the 2nd Ukrainian Front. Thus, Order No. 1 was given to the commander of the infantry platoon, senior sergeant I. Kharin. While defending defensive positions, he used an anti-tank rifle to blow up three enemy tanks and two self-propelled artillery guns. Subsequently, there were often episodes when the order with the initial number was awarded later than the orders with subsequent numbers.

The first recipients of the Order of Glory, 2nd degree

First, soldiers S. Baranov and A. Vlasov received 2nd degree awards. They were sapper-reconnaissance officers of the 665th Mineral Unit, who helped get out of the encirclement of the 385th Krichev Rifle Division. They ended the war as full holders of the order.

Awarded the Order of Glory, 1st degree

The first to receive this highest degree were the sapper of the 338th Infantry Regiment, Corporal M. Pitenin and Art. Sergeant of the 110th Division K. Shevchenko.
The initial copies of the Order of Glory, 1st degree, reached the Leningrad Front.

Knights of the Order

Most of those who participated in the Second World War received various military awards, but the Order of Glory became one of the most popular awards among privates, sergeants and officers.

Over the entire period from 1943 to 1945, the number of soldiers awarded this award exceeded 45 thousand people, among whom more than 2,500 soldiers received all three degrees.

In the history of the Second World War, there are known cases when entire battalions were awarded the order for breaking into enemy positions, which led to victory over the enemy in a given direction. Subsequently, such units bore the name “Battalion of Glory”.
Among those awarded the order of all 3 degrees there are four Heroes of the USSR and four representatives of the fairer sex.

Financial assistance from the state to holders of the order

By decision of the Supreme Council, those awarded this order received monthly subsidies:

• Order of Glory, 1st degree - 15 rubles per month;
• 2nd degree - 10 rubles;
• 3rd degree - 5 rubles per month.

Also, full holders of the Order of Glory had the right to an increased pension in case of loss of ability to work and the opportunity to study for free in universities.

Historical facts about the award

Sailor P. Dubinda in 1941, when the war began, served in Navy. In the summer of 1942, he was seriously wounded and captured. In the spring of 1944, Dubinda fled from the invaders and again joined the army as an ordinary soldier. In August 1944, during an attack on German positions, he broke into an enemy shelter and neutralized 7 enemy soldiers. For this act he acquired the Order of Glory, 3rd degree.

A couple of weeks later, in the battle for a Polish village near Warsaw, Dubinda replaced the wounded platoon commander and successfully led an attack on enemy positions, for which he earned the Order of Glory, 2nd degree.

In October 1944, he managed to exterminate four fascist soldiers and capture a German officer. For this he received an order of the 1st degree.

The second similar hero, who earned all three degrees of the order and the title of Hero, was artilleryman A. Aleshin. In the spring of 1943, about ten enemy tanks were moving towards the gun position, which was held by the battery of the future holder of the order. Three tanks were knocked out, the rest retreated. For this Aleshin acquired the Order of Glory, 3rd degree.

In the winter of 1945, A. Aleshin’s artillery crew near Fansburg repulsed two German counterattacks, inflicting significant damage on the enemy. For this he was awarded the Order of Glory, 2nd degree.

A little later he had to fight off three enemy attacks. The Germans retreated, suffering losses of 40 people killed. And Aleshin was awarded the Order of Glory, 1st degree, for this.

The next famous holder of the order is the pilot I. Drachenko. For the period 1943-1944. He made about 50 sorties on his plane, destroying 3 enemy tanks, 20 vehicles, 4 anti-aircraft guns and more than a hundred enemy soldiers and officers. For this he was awarded the Order of the 3rd degree.

On June 26, 1944, attack pilot I. Drachenko at Tuzira station near the town of Iasi repelled the attack of German planes and destroyed the enemy, for which he was awarded the Order of Glory, 2nd degree.

He acquired the next degree in the fall of 1944 for the combat missions he flew in September-October '44. The total number of flights was more than 50.

Another Hero of the USSR who was awarded the Order of Glory, 3rd degree, was artilleryman N. Kuznetsov, who received all three degrees for the liberation of the city of Sevastopol. He planted the Victory Banner over the station, repelled tank attacks in the Battle of Lithuania and knocked out 10 German tanks near Konigsberg. However, he received his last award only in 1980, although he was awarded in 1945.

Conclusion

What is special about the described award? The fact is that it was awarded to almost everyone who was worthy of it, from a simple private to a lieutenant. Moreover, in order to receive a higher level of award, one had to already have the previous one, i.e., to be awarded an Order of the 2nd degree, it was necessary to have the Order of Glory of the 3rd degree. Thus, this award was given regardless of rank, but due to the courage shown during combat situations. This, by the way, was the plus of the order. Those awarded the Order of Glory, 3rd class, 2nd and 1st, were distinguished by true heroism. If many general's medals and orders were awarded only to those who held certain positions, then this soldier's award was awarded to heroes for specific actions, regardless of shoulder straps.

Thus, there are numerous holders of the Order of Glory, 3rd degree, because real courage, courage and bravery can be found on the front line, in the trenches, in the heart of an ordinary soldier, and not in headquarters, among colonels and generals. Although there were many brave people among them, that’s another story.