The Order of Victory
The Order of Victory was established by a Decree of the Presidium of the (Former) USSR Supreme Soviet on November 8, 1943. The Order of Vicory is the highest military order and is one of the rarest Orders in the world today having been awarded only 19 times during WWII and only once since then. The Order of Victory is made of silver (19 grams) and gold (2 grams) on a platinum frame (47 grams) and
encrusted with diamonds (16 carats) and rubies (25 carats). This order was given to top-ranking commanders of the Red Army for a successful operation within the framework of one or several fronts resulting in a radical change of the situation in favour of the Soviet Armed Forces. It was also awarded to a select few commanders of the Alied forces.
The order was originally proposed by Colonel N. S. Neyelov, who served in the headquarters of the Rear of the Soviet Army in July 1943. Initially to be called the Order for Faithfulness to the Homeland but in October this was changed to Victory. The badge's principle designer was Kuznetsov and went through 15 drafts until a final design was selected by Stalin on 25 October. The badge is a 72mm five-pointed ruby star on a platinum frame. The star being bordered by 16 carats of diamonds. In the centre is a blue enamel circle with portrayals of the wall of the Kremlin, the Mausoleum of Lenin and the Spasskaya tower. Above this is the inscription "USSR" in white enamel and the word "Victory" below. It is to be worn on the left side of the tunic 12 -14 cm above the belt. In 1945 it had an estimated value of £3,750.
http://www.russian-medals.net/chkord3.htm
The recipiants;
Georgi Konstantinovich Zhukov #1, 10 1944
Alexander M. Vasilievsky #2, 10 April 1944
Joseph (Iosif) Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili Stalin #3, 28 July 1944 ( Surprise...?)
Konstantin Konstaninovich Rokossovlky, 19 March 1945
Ivan Stepanovich Konev, 19 March 1945
Georgi Konstantinovich Zhukov, 2nd award 30 March 1945
Alexander M. Vasilievsky, 2nd award 19 April 1945
Rodion Yakavlevich Malinovsky, 26 April 1945
Fyodor Ivanovich Tolbukhin, 26 April 1945
Leonid A. Govorov, 31 May1945
Alexei Innokentyevich Antonov, 4 June 1945
Semyon Konstaninovich Timoshenko, 4 June 1945
Joseph (Iosif) Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili Stalin, 2nd award 26 June 1945 ( Heh-heh...)
Kirill Afanasyevich Meretskov, 8 September 1945
Dwight David Eisenhower, 5 June 1945 (General of the Army)
Bernard Law Montgomery, 5 June 1945 (British Field Marshal)
Mikai Michael Hohenzollern, 6 July 1945 (King Michael I of Romania)
Michal Rolja-Zymersky, 9 August 1945 (Marshal of Poland)
Josip Broz Tito, 9 September 1945 (Marshal of Yugoslavia)
Leonid Iilich Brezhnev, 20 February 1978 (Rescinded 21 September 1989 because "it was noncorresponding to the statute of the Order".
http://www.fortunecity.com/victorian...y/Victory.html
[ 23. May 2003, 06:29 AM: Message edited by: Kai-Petri ]