The Order of Glory was established in November 1943, during one of the most glorious periods of World War II, when it became clear that the offensive initiative was finally entrenched in the Red Army.
Behind there were hundreds of battles and military clashes, as a result of which the Soviet people managed to restrain the German blitzkrieg and force yesterday's invaders to retreat to the western borders of the country. Of course, the Order of Glory was not the only significant state award associated with military merit. However, the idea of this particular regalia was that it was to be awarded to ordinary and junior officers for heroic deeds accomplished directly on the battlefields. Initially, it was supposed to be called the Order of Bagration, but in the end the award received the name that exists today.
Insignia
In fact, the Order of Glory was the reward of the lower echelons of the army, those who directly went on the attack and risked their lives, reflecting the attacks of the enemy. He was, as he was later called by the people, a soldier's order. The Order of Glory was awarded to fighters for the following services:
- Destruction of several enemy tanks.
- Destruction or serious damage to enemy equipment and manpower.
- Capture of enemy trenches and fortifications among the first fighters, with the destruction or capture of enemy soldiers.
- Capturing an enemy officer.
- Implementation of a successful reconnaissance operation, during which valuable information was obtained on the activities and location of enemy units and units.
- Rescue the banner of its own warhead in a moment of danger.
The above merits are only part of the heroic deeds for which the soldiers were awarded this insignia. The holders of the Order of Glory received the right to an extraordinary promotion in rank - from foreman to lieutenant.
Appearance of the award
Regalia is a slightly convex five-pointed star. On its front side there is a round medallion with the image of the Spasskaya Tower and the Kremlin framed by a laurel wreath around the circumference. At the bottom of the medallion is made, again, around the circumference the inscription "Glory." There are three degrees of the order. The differences between these products are in the material of manufacture. So, the Order of Glory 3 degrees is made of silver. In the Order of the 2nd degree, the central medallion is gilded, and
1st degree product is cast from pure gold.
Award history
The first heroes assigned to regalia appeared in November 1943. I would like to note that today it is not known exactly who exactly became the first owner of the order in question, since various wartime documents somewhat contradict each other in this matter. Over its entire existence, more than one million people have been assigned the insignia. Of these, full cavaliers - more than 2,500 heroes. It is interesting that, unlike many other orders and medals that could be collectively awarded to military units and units, the soldiers were awarded the Order of Glory only for their personal courage and services to the Fatherland.