A brief illustrated history of the Order of Victory. The highest military order "Victory" and the Order of Glory I, II and III degrees Outstanding Soviet commanders twice awarded the Order of Victory

The Order of Victory was established on November 8, 1943. On August 18, 1944, the sample and description of the ribbon of the Order of Victory, as well as the procedure for wearing the bar with the ribbon of the order, were approved.

The Order of the USSR "Victory" is the highest. This military order was established at the same time as the soldier's Order of Glory. The highest command personnel of the Red Army were awarded for the successful conduct of combat operations on the scale of one or several fronts.

For awarded the order“Victory”, as a sign of special distinction, a memorial plaque was established to include the names of the holders of the Order of “Victory”, which was installed in the Grand Kremlin Palace. This order was awarded exclusively by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

This award is great Patriotic War is a convex five-pointed ruby ​​star bordered with diamonds. In the intervals between the ends of the star there are diverging rays with diamonds. The middle of the star is a circle covered with blue enamel, bordered by a laurel-oak wreath. In the center of the circle is a golden image of the Kremlin wall with the Lenin Mausoleum and the Spasskaya Tower in the center. Above the image is the inscription in white enamel letters “USSR”. At the bottom of the circle on a red enamel ribbon there is an inscription in white enamel letters “VICTORY”.

The badge of the Order of the Great Patriotic War "Victory" was made of platinum. The decoration of the order uses platinum, gold, silver, enamel, five artificial rubies in the rays of a star and 174 small diamonds.
The size of the star between opposite vertices is 72 mm. The diameter of the circle with the image of the Spasskaya Tower is 31 mm. The total weight of the order is 78 g. The content of platinum in the order is 47 g, gold – 2 g, silver – 19 g. The weight of each of the five rubies is 5 carats. The total weight of diamonds on the sign is 16 carats.
Worn on the left side of the chest 12-14 cm above the waist.

Twice Knight of the Order of Victory Marshal Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov.

One of the first, in July 1943, a draft order called “For Loyalty to the Motherland” was proposed for consideration by an officer of the headquarters of the rear department Soviet army Colonel Neelov N.S. But Stalin did not approve of this project and work on creating a sketch for this award continued. Of the many options for the Order of Victory submitted to the competition, preference was given to the sketch of the artist A.I. Kuznetsov, who was also the author of the Order of the Patriotic War. Initially, Kuznetsov planned to mark chest-length profile bas-reliefs of Lenin and Stalin in the center of the sign (as was the case in Neelov’s previous project), then the option of placing the Order of the State Emblem of the USSR in the center was considered. In the final version, it was decided to change the image of the coat of arms in the center of the sign to the image of the Kremlin’s Spasskaya Tower.

On April 10, 1944, Order No. 1 was awarded to the commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union, G.K. Zhukov. for the liberation of right-bank Ukraine. Zhukov received the 2nd Order of Victory as commander of the 1st Belorussian Front on March 30, 1945 (for the capture of Berlin).

In addition to him, the following marshals were awarded this award (in order of award):
Chief of the General Staff (later commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front) Vasilevsky A.M. (April 10, 1944 and April 19, 1945) - for the liberation of right-bank Ukraine and for the capture of Koenigsberg and liberation East Prussia.
Supreme Commander-in-Chief Stalin I.V. (July 29, 1944 and June 26, 1945) - for the liberation of right-bank Ukraine and victory over Germany.
Commander of the 2nd Belorussian Front Rokossovsky K.K. (March 30, 1945) - for the liberation of Poland.
Commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front I.S. Konev (March 30, 1945) - for the liberation of Poland and crossing of the Oder.

Marshal of Poland Michał Rola-Żymierski, 1890-1989.

Commander of the 2nd Ukrainian Front Malinovsky R.Ya. (April 26, 1945) - for the liberation of the territories of Hungary and Austria.
Commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front Tolbukhin F.I. (April 26, 1945) - for the liberation of the territories of Hungary and Austria.
Commander of the Leningrad Front Govorov L.A. (May 31, 1945) - for the liberation of the Baltic states.
Representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Timoshenko S.K. (June 4, 1945) - for planning combat operations and coordinating the actions of the fronts throughout the war.
Chief of the General Staff Antonov A.I. (Army General) (June 4, 1945) - for planning combat operations and coordinating the actions of the fronts throughout the war.
Commander of the Far Eastern Front Meretskov K.A. (September 8, 1945) - based on the results of the war with Japan.

Memorial plaque in the Kremlin with the names of holders of the Order of Victory.

Of the foreign citizens this order was awarded to:
Army General D. Eisenhower (June 5, 1945).
Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Western Europe Field Marshal B. L. Montgomery (5 June 1945).
King Mihai I of Romania (July 6, 1945).
Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army (on the territory of the USSR) General M. Rolya-Zhimierski (August 9, 1945).
Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Yugoslav People's Liberation Army, Marshal Joseph Broz Tito (9 September 1945).

Memorial plaque in the Kremlin with the names of holders of the Order of Victory.

On February 20, 1978, the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, Marshal of the Soviet Union L.I. Brezhnev was awarded the Order of Victory. After Brezhnev's death, the award was canceled.
Thus, it is clear that only 12 Soviet military leaders (Zhukov, Vasilevsky and Stalin - twice) and 5 foreign citizens became holders of the Order of Victory.
All insignia of the order awarded to Soviet military leaders, as well as the insignia of the order awarded to Marshal Rolya-Zhimersky, are in the Diamond Fund of Russia. Eisenhower's award is housed in his memorial museum in Abilene, Kansas. Marshal Tito's award is on display at the 25 May Museum in Belgrade. Field Marshal Montgomery's award is on display at the Imperial War Museum in London. Only one Order of Victory, which previously belonged to King Michael I, is in a private collection. According to some reports, it was sold at auction by one of the family members of dictator Ceausescu.

In total, 20 awards were made with the Order of Victory (one of which was subsequently cancelled).

Over the entire existence of the order, 20 copies were awarded to 17 of its gentlemen.

Over the entire existence of the order, 20 copies were awarded to 17 of its gentlemen.

On April 10, 1944, the names of the first three holders of the Order of Victory became known. The owner of badge N 1 was the commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front Marshal G. Zhukov . Badge No. 2 was received by the Chief of the General Staff, Marshal A. Vasilevsky. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief was awarded the Order of Victory No. 3 Marshal I. Stalin . All of them received such high awards for the liberation of Right Bank Ukraine.

The following awards came only a year later: on March 30, 1945, the commander of the 2nd Belorussian Front became holders of the order Marshal K. Rokossovsky - for the liberation of Poland and commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front Marshal I. Konev - for the liberation of Poland and the crossing of the Oder. On April 26, the list of recipients was replenished with two more names - the commander of the 2nd Ukrainian Front Marshal R. Malinovsky and commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front Marshal F. Tolbukhin . Both were awarded for the liberation of the territory of Hungary and Austria in difficult, bloody battles. On May 31, the commander of the Leningrad Front became a holder of the order. Marshal L. Govorov - for the liberation of Estonia. By the same decree, the commander of the 1st Belorussian Front, Marshal G. Zhukov, and the commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front Marshal A. Vasilevsky were awarded the Order of Victory a second time: the first - for the capture of Berlin, the second - for the capture of Konigsberg and the liberation of East Prussia. On June 4, the Order of Victory was awarded to two “Moscow” military leaders: a representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Marshal S. Timoshenko And Chief of the General Staff, Army General A. Antonov - the only holder of the Order of Victory who did not have the rank of marshal. Both of them were awarded the highest military order for planning combat operations and coordinating the actions of the fronts throughout the war.

By decree of June 26, 1945, he was awarded the Order of Victory for the second time I. Stalin . Following the war with Japan, the Commander of the Far Eastern Front became a Knight of the Order of Victory Marshal K. Meretskov . Thus, the Order of Victory in the USSR was awarded to 10 Marshals of the Soviet Union - 3 of them twice and 1 army general.

In addition, in 1945, 5 foreign citizens became holders of the order: Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia Marshal Josip Broz Tito , Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army (on the territory of the USSR), Marshal of Poland Michal Rolya-Zimierski , Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Western Europe General of the Army Dwight David Eisenhower (USA), commander of the Allied Army Group in Western Europe Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery (UK), king Michael I of Romania .

The Order of Victory was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on November 8, 1943. The decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated August 18, 1944 approved the sample and description of the ribbon of the Order of Victory, as well as the procedure for wearing the bar with the ribbon of the order.

Statute of the order.
The Order of Victory is the highest military order. It is awarded to senior officers of the Red Army for the successful conduct of such military operations on the scale of one or several fronts, as a result of which the situation radically changes in favor of the Red Army.
For those awarded the Order of Victory, a memorial plaque is established, as a sign of special distinction, to include the names of the holders of the Order of Victory. A memorial plaque is installed in the Grand Kremlin Palace. This order is awarded only by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
The Order of Victory is worn on the left side of the chest 12-14 cm above the waist.

On April 10, 1944, the names of the first three holders of the Order of Victory became known. The owner of badge No. 1 was the commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov. Badge No. 2 was received by the Chief of the General Staff, Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky. The Order of Victory* No. 3 was awarded to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Marshal of the Soviet Union I.V. Stalin. All these awards were awarded for the liberation of Right Bank Ukraine.

Over the entire existence of the order, 20 copies of it were awarded to 17 military leaders. On March 30, 1945, the commander of the 2nd Belorussian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union K.K., became holders of the order. Rokossovsky for the liberation of Poland, commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union Konev for the liberation of Poland and crossing the Oder. On April 26, the list of recipients was replenished with two more names - the commander of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union R. Ya. Malinovsky and the commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union F. I. Tolbukhin. Both were awarded for the liberation of Hungary and Austria. On May 31, the commander of the Leningrad Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union L. A. Govorov, became a holder of the order - for the liberation of atony. By the same decree, the commander of the 1st Belorussian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union G. K. Zhukov, and the commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky was awarded the Order of Victory a second time: the first - for the capture of Berlin, the second - for the capture of Koenigsberg and the liberation of Inaccurate Prussia. On June 4, the Order of Victory was awarded to two “Moscow” military leaders, the representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet Union, Marshal 1R Timoshenko, who on the eve of the war was the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, and the Chief of the General Staff, Army General A.I. Antonov is the only holder of the Order of Victory who did not have the rank of marshal. Both of them were awarded the highest military order for planning military operations and coordinating the actions of the fronts during the war.

By decree of June 26, 1945, the Order of Victory was awarded to I.V. Stalin for the second time (on that day he became a Hero of the Soviet Union, and the next day - Generalissimo of the Soviet Union). As a result of the war with Japan, Marshal of the Soviet Union K. A. Meretskov, commander of the Far Eastern Front, became a holder of the Order of Victory. Thus, the Order of Victory in the USSR was awarded to 10 marshals of the Soviet Union (three of them twice) and an army general.

In 1945, 5 foreign citizens became holders of the order: Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia, Marshal Josip Broz Tito; Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army (on the territory of the USSR) Marshal of Wormwood Michal Rolya-Zimierski; Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Western Europe, Army General Dwight David Eisenhower (USA): Commander of the Allied Army Group in Western Europe, Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery (UK); King of Romania Mihai 1 (after the overthrow of the fascist Antonescu regime in Romania, the troops of Mihai 1 fought on the side of the Allies).
At this point, the awards stopped, and the Order of Victory became history. But more than thirty years after the war, another, seventeenth holder of the order appeared: on February 20, 1978, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Soviet Army and Navy, this order was received General Secretary Central Committee of the CPSU L.I. Brezhnev. Although he bore the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union and served as Chairman of the USSR Defense Council, his “deeds” did not in any way correspond to the Statute of the Order of Victory.

A very important and significant award for those who resisted fascism during the Second World War was the Order of Victory. Few have received this award, some of them twice in their lifetime. With the help of this insignia, it was decided to celebrate the feat of outstanding personalities from the high command of the Red Army and not only. Five foreign allies who made a significant contribution to the victory over Nazi Germany.

History of the award

In November 1943, a decree was signed on the foundation of this highest insignia. Several people worked on its creation, and the first draft was presented by officer Neelov. For some reason, Stalin did not accept the proposed name and sketch. The second attempt was given to Kuznetsov. This artist already had experience creating similar awards. He presented several options, from which the one was chosen that depicted the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin with the inscription “Victory”.

The Order of Victory in this version was accepted. At Stalin's suggestion, the presented sketch was further modified (background, scale of the tower itself, etc.). After all the wishes were taken into account, a test copy was made, which was approved. Thus, in November 1943, at the Supreme Council, the procedure for awarding the order was described, its signs were described, and a statute was adopted.

The statute stated that the Order of Victory (its photo can be seen below) was an award for the high command of the army. It was awarded for special merits, actions that led to an inevitable victory or an improvement in the situation for the Soviet army.

What does this tall insignia look like?

The Order of Victory is the most expensive award (in monetary terms) of the Soviet Union. Precious metals such as platinum and gold, as well as precious stones - diamonds, were used to make it. Initially, they were going to use real rubies for these purposes, but the jewelers were faced with the following problem: it was impossible to select stones in the same color scheme; they all had different shades. As a result of this, it was decided to replace real stones with artificial ones.

Each Order of Victory, the photo of which very clearly demonstrates its beauty, was made by hand by craftsmen at a jewelry and watch factory in Moscow. This, by the way, was a unique case in the entire history of the USSR, since all other orders and medals were produced at Mint with corresponding stamping. It was not available on these models.

So what was this ultimate reward? The order looked like a five-pointed ruby ​​star, it was convex in the center. Closer to the center of the order, the rays of the star were decorated with triangles of rubies, and along its edges there was a line of diamonds. Between them there were small rays (five in each gap), which were also decorated with small transparent precious stones.

In the middle of the order there was a circle with an image of the Kremlin on a blue background, where the mausoleum is located, as well as the Spasskaya Tower. At the bottom, on a red background, was written the word “Victory,” from which a wreath rose upward. It was done in gold color.

For each order, forty-seven grams of platinum, two grams of gold, and nineteen grams of silver were used. Also, each star had five rubies (five carats each) and 174 small diamonds weighing a total of sixteen carats.

Today, the Order of Victory is considered a unique work of jewelry, and not just a symbol of military glory and courage.

An integral part of the order is the ribbon

Those awarded this award, in addition to the order itself, had to wear the ribbon that came with it. It was much wider than the ribbons that come with other awards. So, its width was 46 millimeters. The six-color ribbon combined colors from other orders that were used among the awards of the Soviet Union.

So, the color scheme was as follows: in the center there was a wide strip of red, on the sides of it there were stripes of green, dark blue, burgundy, light blue and orange with a black insert.

Knights of the Order of Victory had to wear their award on the left side of the chest, below all other orders and medals (about 12-14 centimeters above the belt). The bar with the ribbon had to be one centimeter higher than other awards.

How many orders are there in total and how many awarded?

If we talk about how many orders of “Victory” were made, then we can say that there were twenty of them in total. However, today there are only nineteen awardees who are indicated on the memorial plaque. Of these, three citizens of the Soviet Union were awarded the award twice.

Eight more Soviet military leaders became holders of the order once each during World War II. There is also Foreign citizens, who were also awarded.

As for another, twentieth order, it was awarded in February 1978 to the then Secretary General and Marshal of the USSR Brezhnev. After his death, the award was canceled as not in accordance with the statute of the award. This happened in September 1989.

Knights of the Order, awarded twice

Among those who received the Order of Victory, there are those who were awarded twice. It was just three people. Let's consider each of them.

Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov

He was truly a great commander of that time. He did not have a higher military education, but the lack of a theoretical basis was replaced by the practical experience that he received during the Civil War. In addition, Zhukov had a natural talent for leading and making the right decisions in difficult times.

During World War II, he was awarded the rank of Marshal of the USSR. He was also one of the very first to receive the Order of Victory. This happened on April 10, 1944 because he carried out a successful operation to liberate right-bank Ukraine.

The second order was received by Zhukov in 1945, on the thirtieth of March. This award was given to him because he carried out command assignments very well, leading the troops.

Alexander Mikhailovich Vasilevsky

This man went down in history as the greatest strategist of World War II. Even Zhukov noticed his unsurpassed talent as a military leader. Together they led the liberation of right-bank Ukraine, and it was for this that Vasilevsky received the second-ranked Order of Victory. This also happened on the tenth of April 1944.

Almost a year later, on April 19, 1945, Vasilevsky was nominated for the award a second time. At this time, he led operations in East Prussia and won victories.

Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin

The commander-in-chief of the USSR at that time himself received the third order. The first time this happened was on July 29, 1944. The award was also presented for the liberation of the right bank of Ukraine from Nazi Germany.

The second time Stalin received the order was on the twenty-sixth of June 1945, as a reward for the final victory over Nazi Germany.

Let us now list the Soviet military leaders who received the Order of Victory. Those awarded this high distinction made an invaluable contribution to the victory of the Soviet Union over fascism.

• Kirill Afanasyevich Meretskov. This Marshal of the Soviet Union was awarded his medal in 1945, on September 8th. His merits included successful military operations during the hostilities with Japan.
• Alexey Innokentievich Antonov. The occasion of his award is unique. The fact is that at the time of signing the decree, Antonov was only a general, while other holders of the Order of Victory had the rank of marshals and were also Heroes of the Soviet Union. And yet, in 1945, on the fourth of June, he was awarded this award for the completed tasks that were assigned to him by the high command. These were successful military operations on a large scale.
• Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko. He became a holder of the order in 1945, on the fourth of June. He was given the award for his planning of battle operations, as well as for his skillful coordination of actions on the fronts.
• Leonid Aleksandrovich Govorov. Soviet marshal who participated in the liberation of Leningrad, as well as in the defeat of fascist troops in the Baltic region. He was awarded this high award in 1945, May thirty-first.
• Fedor Ivanovich Tolbukhin. Soviet marshal who participated in the liberation of Austrian and Hungarian lands. For his services in 1945, on the twenty-sixth of April, he was awarded this distinction.
• Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky. He also participated in the liberation of Hungary and Austria from the fascist invaders. Awarded in 1945, April twenty-sixth.
• Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky. The Soviet marshal received the award on March thirtieth, 1945. He was awarded this honor due to his tangible contribution to the liberation of Poland.
• Ivan Stepanovich Konev. He held the rank of marshal at the time of receiving the award. He became a knight on March 30, 1945, also for the liberation of Polish lands from the Nazis.

Each of the listed commanders was worthy of this award, each deserved it with his fortitude and courage.

Among those who received the Order of the Great "Victory" were foreign citizens. We propose to find out who received this honor.

• Josip Broz Tito. This is one of the Yugoslav leaders who led the country's resistance during World War II. In 1945, on September 9, for his services in the victory over Germany and for successful military operations, he was awarded the Order of Victory. He was a very strong personality. In the post-war period, Tito was elected president of Yugoslavia, who saw his own way in governing the state.
• Michal Rolya-Zimierski. Polish marshal, who during World War II was an ardent opponent of aggressive Germany. He was a member of the resistance movement. He received his order in 1945, on August 9, for the successful organization of Polish troops, as well as for conducting various military operations. After the war, Rolya-Zhimersky served as a minister and also spent some time in prison on false charges.
• Bernard Montgomery. This outstanding man, who during the Second World War participated in many battles, and also carried out military operations on the side of the opponents of Nazi Germany. Montgomery was also one of the founders of the creation of NATO. For his services in the fight against the Nazis in 1945, on June 5, he received the Order of Victory.
• Dwight Eisenhower. He was a general in the US forces during World War II. For his services in carrying out various operations he was awarded an honorary award from the Soviet Union. This happened in 1945, on the fifth of June. In the post-war years, Eisenhower served as President of the United States.

Each of these people made their own special contribution to the fight against Nazi Germany, as a result of which they were awarded such an honorary award.

Awarding the Order to the King of Romania

Among the foreign allies was the king, who was awarded the Order of Victory. Today he is the only surviving holder of the order. The award took place in July 1945, for the fact that Mihai I was able to show determination and turn Romanian policy towards a break with Nazi Germany. At the time of the award he was only twenty-three years old.

The king, awarded the Soviet Order of Victory, showed true heroism and fortitude. In August 1944, when the final victory over fascism was not yet certain, he spoke out against Germany and ordered the arrest of many members of the government (among them was Antonescu, the de facto ruler of Romania). After this, this country stopped hostilities on the side of the fascist invaders.

The Order of "Victory" of the Great Patriotic War is a very significant symbol of what happened in the distant years 1941-1945. This is a sign of the indestructibility of the Russian people, faith in victory over the Nazis, as well as faith in their command. Of course, the war itself was cruel, and sometimes the decisions made by the commanders of those times were also cruel. However, not a single soldier doubted their correctness. This expressed the patriotism of the Russian people of that time, their ability to stand to the last for the good of the Motherland.

Today, despite the fact that the Order of Victory is no longer awarded, it is the most honorable award in Russia, as well as one of the highest awards that has not yet been abolished.

Conclusion

The Soviet Order of Victory is now history. Naturally, they are no longer awarded, and almost all copies are kept in museums.

According to some reports, one of the orders, namely the one that was awarded to the Romanian King Mihai I, was sold and is now in one of the private collections. Although the former owner himself denies this, he never wore it to various celebrations, although there were other orders and medals on his chest.

The awards that were presented to the Soviet command and the Marshal of Poland are currently located on Russian territory. Five orders are kept in the Central Museum of the Armed Forces, and the rest in Gokhran.

If we talk about the USSR Order of Victory, which was awarded to Eisenhower, it is now located in the state of Kansas in the city of Abilene, namely in the Memorial Library.

The order that was awarded to Marshal Tito is currently located in the capital of Serbia - the city of Belgrade. It is kept in the “25 May” museum.

The award, which was presented to British Field Marshal Montgomery, is also in his homeland. It is kept in the Imperial War Museum in London.

We can say that every military leader who was awarded this order was worthy of it. This order symbolizes their enormous contribution to the victory over fascism, fortitude and courage in confronting what was disastrous for their people.

Among Soviet military orders, a special place is occupied by the Order of Victory, which was awarded only for leadership of operations of strategic importance.

The idea of ​​creating a higher military order appeared in July 1943. Its initial sketch was developed by one of the officers of the rear headquarters - N. S. Neelov. At first the order was supposed to be called “For Loyalty to the Motherland.” The Chief of Logistics of the Red Army, Army General A.V. Khrulev, instructed the artist A.I. Kuznetsov, who took part in the creation of the sketch of the Order of Lenin and other state awards, to develop another sketch. On July 20, the sketches were submitted to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief for consideration. The artists were asked to continue working on them, bearing in mind that the new award would already be called the Order of Victory.

On October 18, only the fifteenth sketch was considered the most successful, and yet J.V. Stalin approved it only on October 29 during a secondary discussion.

On November 8, 1943, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR established the highest military order - “Victory”.

The badge of the Order of Victory is a convex five-pointed ruby ​​star bordered with diamonds. In the spaces between the ends of the star there are diverging rays studded with diamonds. The middle of the star is a circle covered with blue enamel, bordered by a laurel-oak wreath. In the center of the circle is a golden image of the Kremlin wall with the Lenin Mausoleum and the Spasskaya Tower in the center. Above the image there is an inscription in white enamel letters “USSR”. At the bottom of the circle on a red enamel ribbon there is an inscription in white enamel letters “VICTORY”.
The badge of the order is made of platinum. The decoration of the order uses platinum, gold, silver, enamel, five artificial rubies in the rays of a star and 174 small diamonds. Each of the five rubies weighs 5 carats. The total weight of diamonds on the sign is 16 carats. The size of the star between opposite vertices is 72 mm. On the reverse side, the badge has a threaded pin with a nut for attaching the order to clothing.
Silk moire ribbon for the Order of Victory. In the middle of the tape there is a red stripe 15 mm wide. On the sides, closer to the edges, there are stripes of green, blue, burgundy and light blue. The ribbon is bordered with orange and black stripes. The total width of the tape is 46 mm. Height - 8 mm. The ribbon of the Order of Victory is worn on the left side of the chest, on a separate bar, 1 cm higher than other order ribbons.

The Order of Victory was awarded to senior commanders of the Red Army for the successful conduct of military operations on the scale of several fronts or one front, as a result of which the situation radically changed in favor of the Red Army.

The establishment of the new order occurred in the year of the radical turning point in the Great Patriotic War. In the summer of 1943, the Nazis’ attempt to organize the last strategic offensive on Kursk Bulge. The enemy suffered a crushing defeat here and began to retreat to the west.

In the summer of 1943, the first victorious fireworks went off in honor of the liberation of Orel, and two days before the establishment of the highest military order, Kyiv was liberated.

The Order of Victory was twice awarded to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the USSR I.V. Stalin, Marshals of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov and A.M. Vasilevsky. Ten more outstanding Soviet military leaders who led operations of strategic importance during the war and achieved decisive successes in the fight against the enemy became holders of this order.

On April 10, 1944, the first awarding of the new order took place. The first holder of the Order of Victory was the Deputy Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov. The second was the Chief of the General Staff, Marshal of the Soviet Union A. M. Vasilevsky.

The name of Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, an outstanding Soviet commander, has already appeared several times in this book. In the story about the Heroes of the Soviet Union, he was mentioned in connection with the battles at Khalkhin Gol, where he commanded an army group and played a large role in the defeat of the Japanese militarists. In the story about military orders - due to the fact that he became the owner of the Order of Suvorov, 1st degree No. 1. By the time he was awarded the highest military order, G. K. Zhukov had won a number of brilliant victories: under his leadership, Soviet troops inflicted defeat in 1941 to the Germans near Moscow; in 1942 he coordinated the actions of the fronts to defeat Nazi troops near Stalingrad; in 1943, he coordinated the actions of the Volkhov and Leningrad fronts to break the blockade of Leningrad and the actions of four fronts in the Battle of Kursk. On the day of awarding the Order of Victory, G. K. Zhukov commanded the troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front, conducting a large-scale operation in Right Bank Ukraine. The Order of Victory No. 1 was rightfully awarded to the best commander of the Great Patriotic War, with whose name outstanding victories of Soviet weapons were associated.

The name of Alexander Mikhailovich Vasilevsky was found next to the name of G.K. Zhukov when it came to awarding him the Order of Suvorov, 1st degree. Since 1940, he served together with G.K. Zhukov in the General Staff, and from June 1942 he headed it. Together with G.K. Zhukov, Vasilevsky coordinated the actions of the fronts at Stalingrad and Kursk. In the summer of 1943, A. M. Vasilevsky coordinated the actions of the 4th Ukrainian, Southern and Southwestern Fronts during the liberation of Donbass, and on the day of awarding the Order of Victory he directed the actions of the 4th Ukrainian Front and the Black Sea Fleet. A. M. Vasilevsky rightfully shared with G. K. Zhukov the glory of an outstanding commander.

On March 30, 1945, front commanders Marshals of the Soviet Union I. S. Konev and K. K. Rokossovsky became holders of the Order of Victory.

Ivan Stepanovich Konev, participant Civil War, joined the Red Army from the first days of its existence. He was the commissar of an armored train, brigade, division and headquarters of the People's Revolutionary Army of the Far Eastern Republic.

By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, I. S. Konev acquired extensive experience in leading large military formations. In June 1941 he was commander of the 19th Army, and in September he became commander of the Western Front. Then I. S. Konev commanded the Kalinin, North-Western, Steppe, 2nd and 1st Ukrainian fronts. His troops took part in the battle of Moscow, the battle of Kursk, and the liberation of Ukraine and Poland. On the day of awarding the Order of Victory, the 1st Ukrainian Front of Marshal I. S. Konev set its sights on Berlin, preparing to crush the enemy’s lair.

Konstantin Konstantinovich Rokossovsky, as I. S. Konev, served in the Red Army since 1918. He began the Great Patriotic War as commander of a mechanized corps. Then for a year he commanded the army that was part of Western Front. From the summer of 1942 until the end of the war, he led a number of fronts, participated in the battles of Moscow and Stalingrad, Kursk and Belarus, in the East Prussian and East Pomeranian operations. On March 30, 1945, the troops of K.K. Rokossovsky liberated the land of Poland from the Nazis.

On April 26, 1945, the family of holders of the highest military order of the USSR was replenished with two more commanders - front commanders Marshals of the Soviet Union R. Ya. Malinovsky and F. I. Tolbukhin.

Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky began serving in the Red Army during the Civil War. In 1937–1938 he fought in Spain, began the Great Patriotic War as a corps commander, and in August 1941 he began to command the 6th Army. Until the end of the war he held the posts of army commander, deputy commander and commander of various fronts. From the beginning of 1943, he led combat operations on a number of fronts and by the time he was awarded the Order of Victory he had traveled from Stalingrad to Czechoslovakia. Troops under his leadership took part in the liberation of Romania, Austria, Hungary and Czechoslovakia.

Fyodor Ivanovich Tolbukhin is one of the largest Soviet military leaders, who successfully combined the experience of staff and team work. He served in the Red Army since 1918. From March 1943 he commanded the troops of the Southern Front, and from October - the 4th Ukrainian Front. On the day of awarding the Order of Victory, F.I. Tolbukhin was the commander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front. Troops under his command took part in the battles of Stalingrad, the Caucasus, Crimea, and the liberation of Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Hungary and Austria. A Bulgarian city was named after him, and he was elected an honorary citizen of Sofia and Belgrade.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on May 31, 1945, the Order of Victory was received by the front commander, Marshal of the Soviet Union, Leonid Aleksandrovich Govorov. G.K. Zhukov and A.M. Vasilevsky were awarded the second Order of Victory.

G.K. Zhukov at this time was already the Commander-in-Chief of the Group Soviet troops in Germany. After being awarded the first Order of Victory, he brilliantly carried out Operation Bagration to liberate Belarus, led the Vistula-Oder operation, which led to the liberation of Poland and access to the center of Germany. Finally, he had the historical mission of defeating the Berlin group and signing the act of surrender of Germany.

After being awarded the first Order of Victory, A. M. Vasilevsky also led a number of strategic operations that led to the liberation of Belarus, Latvia and Lithuania. In April 1945, commanding the 3rd Belorussian Front, he successfully completed the East Prussian operation, taking the Königsberg fortress and clearing the Samland Peninsula of the enemy.

L. A. Govorov also served in the army since the Civil War. From April 1942 to May 1945, he commanded the Leningrad Front, and in February-March 1945, at the same time, the 2nd Baltic Front. L. A. Govorov proved himself to be an outstanding military leader during the defense and liberation of Leningrad, during the liberation of part of the Baltic states and in the defeat of Hitler’s “North” group.

On June 4, 1945, the Order of Victory was awarded to the Chief of the General Staff, Army General A. I. Antonov, who replaced A. M. Vasilevsky in this post, and the representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, Marshal of the Soviet Union S. K. Timoshenko.

Alexey Innokentyevich Antonov, who joined the Red Army in the spring of 1919, went from chief of staff of a brigade to chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the USSR. With his participation and under his leadership, various large-scale operations of the Second World War were planned and coordinated. A. I. Antonov took part in the work of the Yalta and Potsdam conferences.

Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko is one of the oldest military leaders of the Red Army, a comrade-in-arms of K. E. Voroshilov and S. M. Budyonny. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, he was the People's Commissar of Defense, and then commanded a number of fronts and directions. Since March 1943, as a representative of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, S.K. Timoshenko coordinated the actions of the fronts in the Iasi-Kishinev and Budapest operations.

On September 8, 1945, the commander of the troops of the First Far Eastern Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union Kirill Afanasyevich Meretskov, also became a Knight of the highest Soviet military order for the defeat of the Japanese militarists in China and Korea.

Like S.K. Timoshenko, he fought in the ranks of the First Cavalry during the Civil War, and in 1939–1940 he commanded the army that broke through the Mannerheim Line. From December 1941, A.K. Meretskov commanded the Volkhov and Karelian fronts, and in August 1945, the 1st Far Eastern Front. His troops played a decisive role in the defeat of the Kwantung Army, the main Japanese land group in Manchuria.

In addition to Soviet commanders, the Order of Victory was awarded to major foreign military and political figures: the Commander-in-Chief of the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia, Marshal J. Broz Tito, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army, Marshal M. Rolya-Zimierski, the commander of the Allied Expeditionary Armed Forces, US Army General D Eisenhower, commander of the Allied forces of the 21st Army Group in Europe, British Field Marshal B. L. Montgomery, King Michael I of Romania.

After the end of the Great Patriotic War, Marshal of the Soviet Union L.I. Brezhnev was also awarded the Order of Victory. However, this award, carried out in complete violation of the statute of the order, was perceived from the very beginning as odious, explained only by the fact that L. I. Brezhnev was not only a marshal, but also Secretary General The Central Committee of the CPSU, which concentrated all power in its hands.