Order of Victory: the most expensive award of the USSR

In 1943, the world famous order "Victory" was established, which is the highest military award of the USSR. He was a five-pointed star with a round medallion, on which you can see the Spassky Tower of the Moscow Kremlin. It is not just an order, but a unique work of jewelry art, consisting of five artificial rubies and 174 diamonds (16 carats). In addition, for its manufacture, expensive materials such as gold (2 g), platinum (47 g) and silver (19 g), as well as enamel were used. At the moment, the Victory Order is among the most expensive Soviet awards. In addition, he is considered the second rarest after the Soviet Order "For Service to the Motherland" I degree.

Order of Victory: history of creation, cavaliers

Initially, the bas-reliefs of Stalin and Lenin were to be placed on the Victory Order. Nevertheless, Stalin decided to place on it the image of the Spassky Tower. Order "Victory" planned to decorate with natural rubies, but since it was impossible to pick up specimens that would withstand a uniform color background, it was decided to use artificial stones. The original name of the Order was also changed - "For fidelity to the Motherland". Renamed the award all the same Stalin, although the author of the idea of creating the order was Colonel N. Neelov. The sketch of the order was created by the artist A. Kuznetsov.

In total, 20 copies of the Victory Order were handed over. The first award was held in 1944. As a rule, they were awarded the highest generals for the successful conduct of large-scale military operations. Most of the Knights of the Order were outstanding historical figures. In particular, G. Zhukov (twice), J. Stalin (twice), I. Konev, K. Rokossovsky, A. Antonov, D. Eisenhower, B. Montgomery, I. Tito and L. Brezhnev were awarded the Order of Victory. (He was stripped of the Order in 1989). Foreign citizens were awarded as allies in the struggle against Germany. In the Kremlin Palace, even there is a memorial plaque, which lists the names of all the Knights of the Order described.

How much is the Order of Victory ?

A unique work of art, an important cultural and historical value, a symbol of victory over Nazism - all these are the characteristics of the Victory Order of Victory, the value of which is almost impossible to estimate. After all, only the price of the material at the moment is equal to the sum of $ 100 thousand.

Therefore, it is not surprising that in the private collection there is only one Order of Victory. His knight was Romanian King Mihai I. By the way, he is the only one of the Knights of the Order who survived. Nevertheless, in the 50-ies of the twentieth century, his award was sold to the Rockefeller family for $ 1 million. It is still unknown whether this unique award was bought from Mihai himself (in 1947, within 48 hours he was forced to emigrate from Romania Only with one suitcase) or the family Ceausescu, who took the regalia from the king. Mihai himself denies the sale of the Order. Whatever it was, but after a while the Rockefellers exhibited the Order "Victory" at the Sotheby's auction. As a result, it was sold for $ 2 million.

S.S. Shishkov, an expert on Soviet awards, is confident that if the Order of Victory is put up for auction again, its value will be at least $ 20 million.