Medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic". Regulation on award and delivery

Hitler's army, planning an attack on the Soviet Union, developed several directions, one of which became the north of the country, namely the Kola Peninsula. The fighting began there in September 1941 and continued until October 1944. Attacks of the enemy reflected the troops of the Northern and Karelian fronts, as well as the forces of the navy stationed in the North. This part of the front was called the defense of the Arctic.

Establishment of awards

A couple of months after the German invaders and the Finnish units lost the battle for the Soviet North, in early December an edict was issued, according to which a medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" was issued. The decree on the establishment and awarding of defense participants was issued by the highest governing body of the country. Co-authors in the development of the medal were Lieutenant Colonel V. Alov and artist AI Kuznetsov.

To establish a medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Polar Circle" was offered by the intelligence officers of the Karelian Front. Of the several sketches presented, the sketch of Lieutenant-Colonel Alov was recognized as the best. The Military Council of the Front supported the idea, and the sketch was sent to Moscow. Even later, after the capital also agreed with the proposal to establish a prize, the original drawing was finalized by the artist Kuznetsov.

Civilians could also claim a medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic". Thus, the list of awardees numbered 353,240 people on October 1, 1995.

Rules of awarding

The defense of the Arctic includes the period from the beginning of the war until the end of the autumn of 1944. All the participants in the events could be presented to the award - Red Army men, Navy officers, NKVD officers, as well as civilians. The basis for the award was the documents confirming the actual participation in the defense. The corresponding papers were issued by unit commanders, hospital administrators, as well as representatives of the executive power, to which the Soviets of People's Deputies belonged. The medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" was issued on behalf of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union.

Awards were awarded to military and civilian personnel of all types of troops who actively participated in the defense campaign for at least six months, to participants in special operations conducted in the fall of 1944, while the term of service in specific connections did not play a role, as well as to all civilians who had defended at least six months The Arctic is accessible by all available means.

The right to award medals

It follows from the regulations on the award approved by the country's supreme leadership that the medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" is awarded by military commanders in case of presenting Red Army soldiers, military personnel of the NKVD, and soldiers to the award. Those who have ceased to serve in the army or navy for various reasons, including due to the achievement of the retirement age, are given medals at the place of residence by the local organs of the military commissariats. Powers for the delivery of state awards to civilians are vested in the councils of deputies in Murmansk and the region.

Outward appearance

The medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic", a photo of which is presented in the article, was melted from brass. In diameter, the award reaches 3.2 centimeters. The obverse depicts a soldier in a half-breast with a forward-facing right shoulder and a head slightly turned to the right. He is dressed in winter uniforms - a hat with a ear flap with an attached star badge of the Red Army and sheepskin coats. In the hands of soldiers holding a machine PPSh. To the left of it is engraved a part of a naval ship, on both sides there are images of combat aircraft. In the lower part, the silhouettes of the two tanks are depicted in the foreground. The name of the award is engraved on the circle of the medal from left to right, below, between the first and last word of the inscription, there is a ribbon with a five-pointed star on top of it with the image of the USSR coat of arms in the center.

On the reverse, in large letters in three lines are engraved words, a kind of motto: "For our Soviet Motherland." Above the phrase is the Soviet coat of arms - a crossed hammer and sickle.

The tape has a width of 2.4 centimeters, blue in color, made of silk. In the middle of the tape - a green strip 6 mm wide, which divides the entire field into three equal parts.