Awarded with a medal for the defense of the Soviet Arctic. Defense of the Arctic
Defensive battles in the Far North began at the end of June 1941 in the Murmansk direction against formations of the German army "Norway". By mid-July 1941, the enemy troops managed to penetrate 25-30 km deep, but here their offensive was halted by units and formations of the Soviet Army. On these lines, the front stabilized until 1944.
The medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of December 5, 1944. The Regulations on the medal and its description were approved by the same Decree.
Defensive battles in the Far North began at the end of June 1941 in the Murmansk direction against formations of the German army "Norway". On June 30, the troops of Finland, who fought on the side of Nazi Germany, began fighting in the Ukhta direction. On July 1, the Nazi and Finnish troops launched an offensive in the direction of the city of Kandalaksha. By mid-July 1941, the enemy troops managed to penetrate 25-30 km deep, but here their offensive was halted by units and formations of the Soviet Army. On these lines, the front stabilized until 1944.
Defensive battles in the Soviet Arctic were fought in extremely difficult climatic conditions - in severe frosts, in the darkness of polar nights, with strong storm winds, etc. But, despite this, the Soviet troops managed to tie down the actions of the enemy troops, as a result of which the country was the Kola Peninsula with its large reserves of minerals, as well as the large industrial center of the Soviet Arctic and the ice-free port of Murmansk, have been preserved.
The Northern Fleet played an active role in the defense of the Soviet Arctic. In addition to interacting with the ground forces, he led independent fighting and conducted operations aimed at protecting internal communications in the Soviet Arctic, combat support for sea transports en route to the Soviet Union from abroad and from Soviet Union to the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition, as well as the violation of enemy sea communications. The selfless actions of the sailors of the Northern Fleet played a big role in the defense of the Arctic and ensured the transportation of valuable military and economic cargo from abroad.
The offensive of the Soviet troops in June 1944 in the region of the Karelian Isthmus and South Karelia led to the withdrawal from the war of Hitler's ally - Finland, after which the position of the Nazi troops in the Arctic deteriorated sharply.
On October 7, 1944, the Soviet troops, which went on the offensive, liberated the Petsamo region from the Nazi invaders. This operation, in essence, ended the defense of the Soviet Arctic.
At the request of the People's Commissariat of Defense of the USSR, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of December 5, 1944 established the medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic", which was awarded to all participants in the defense of this region of our Motherland.
The Order of the Medal states:
"one. The medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" is awarded to all participants in the defense of the Arctic - soldiers of the Red Army, Navy and troops of the NKVD, as well as civilians who were directly involved in the defense.
2. The medals are presented on behalf of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the basis of documents certifying the actual participation in the defense of the Arctic, issued by unit commanders, heads of military medical institutions and the Murmansk regional and city Soviets of workers' deputies.
In accordance with the Regulations, the medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" was awarded:
Military personnel and civilian units, formations and institutions of the Red Army, the Navy and the NKVD troops, who actually participated in the defense of the Soviet Arctic for at least 6 months;
Servicemen and civilian units and formations who participated in operations from September 20 to November 1, 1944, regardless of the length of stay in these units and formations;
Workers, employees and other persons from the civilian population who directly participated in the defense of the Soviet Arctic for at least 6 months, namely: participating in
military operations to protect the Arctic, who took an active part in the fight against the Nazi invaders in their rear; participating in the construction of defensive lines and construction, in the air defense of cities, enterprises and important military and economic facilities of the Soviet Arctic; contributed to the defense of the Soviet Arctic by selfless work at enterprises that produced weapons, ammunition, military uniforms, food, etc.; organizers and direct executors of the uninterrupted supply of troops defending the Soviet Arctic with weapons, ammunition, food, uniforms, etc., organizers and direct executors of measures to preserve valuable state property, active participants in the organization and uninterrupted maintenance of transport and communications, persons who worked in hospitals and hospitals for care for the sick and wounded (military and civilians), who took an active part in maintaining and preserving public utilities, organizing public catering and caring for children, as well as in other activities for the defense of the Soviet Arctic.
Over 350,000 people have been awarded the medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic".
Medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" round with a diameter of 32 mm, made of brass. On the front side of the medal there is a bust image of a soldier in a sheepskin coat and a cap with earflaps, with a machine gun; to his left is an outline warship. In the upper part of the medal - silhouettes of aircraft, in the lower part - images of tanks. Along the circumference of the front side of the medal - a convex inscription "For the defense of the Soviet Arctic". At the bottom of the medal is a ribbon with a five-pointed star on it. On the reverse side of the medal - the inscription "For our Soviet Motherland", above it - a hammer and sickle. In the upper part of the medal there is an eyelet, by which the medal is connected by means of a ring to a pentagonal metal block, covered with a ribbon of the established sample. On the reverse side of the block there is a device for attaching the medal to clothing. Ribbon for the medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" silk moire blue. In the middle of the tape there is a longitudinal green strip 6 mm wide. Along the edges of the ribbon and the edges of the green stripe are narrow white stripes. The total width of the tape is 24 mm.
The medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" was awarded to all soldiers of the Red Army, Navy, NKVD, as well as to civilians who were directly involved in the defense of the Arctic from the Nazi invaders in the period from June 1941 to October 1944.
Dimensions 32 mm.
Brass materials.
Painter V. Alov, A. I. Kuznetsov.
To whom is awarded Soldiers of the Red Army, Navy, NKVD, civilians.
Grounds for awarding For participation in military operations for the defense of the Arctic.
To date, prices for the medal For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic start from 1300 rubles.
Price updated as of 09/19/2019
The award was established on December 5, 1944, at the same time the regulations on the medal and its description were approved, and the first awards took place in the same month. medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic". In total, approximately 353,240 people were awarded.
The leaders of the Karelian Front spoke for the establishment of this award, to reward military and civilians for merits in defensive operations. The work of the artist Alov won the competition from the submitted sketches, which, after some modifications by the artist Kuznetsov, acquired its current form. The medal depicts a Red Army soldier in winter clothes, with a Shpagin machine gun, tanks in front of him, a military frigate and planes flying in the sky in the background. Around the circle, the medal is decorated with the inscription "FOR THE DEFENSE OF THE SOVIET POLAR REGION" at the bottom of the ribbon, in the center decorated with a hammer and sickle against the background of a five-pointed star. On the reverse there is an image of a sickle and a hammer and an inscription in three lines "FOR OUR SOVIET MOTHERLAND".
Description of other awards of the Second World War of the USSR: Medal For the capture of Budapest, participation in the operation to storm and clear the capital of Hungary from the fascist invaders and the medal For the liberation of Prague, which was awarded to participants in the hostilities in the storming of the capital of the Czech Republic - Prague.
The goal of the German command in operations in the north was to capture the major port of the USSR in Murmansk, as well as the Kirov railway. The offensive was carried out by the "Norway" army, consisting of 5 German and 2 Finnish divisions, with the support of the German Navy and Northern Norway.
The main offensive began at the end of June 1941, in the direction of Murmansk, and auxiliary, in the direction of Loukhi and Kandalaksha. The battles for the defense of the Soviet Arctic were fought in difficult conditions due to low temperatures and polar nights. The gathering of the Nazi troops managed to force the Red Army to retreat in the Murmansk direction to the line of the Zapadnaya Litsa River, but no noticeable success was achieved in other directions. At these lines, the front line stabilized and, despite attempts from both sides, held out until October 1944.
During this period, the main theater of military operations in the Soviet Arctic was the Barents and White Seas, as well as the Arctic Ocean. The main protagonists were sailors from the North Sea, who during the years of defense of the Soviet Arctic were able to conduct 78 convoys with a total number of about 1,400 ships to the northern ports of the USSR. The most tragic of which was the PQ-17 convoy, in which only 13 out of 35 cargo ships managed to reach the ports, in addition, one rescue ship and a squadron tanker were lost.
The offensive operation in the Soviet Arctic began on October 7, 1944, the blow was delivered in the direction of Luostari - Petsamo. By October 22, the troops of the Red Army were able to drive the enemy out of the territory of the USSR, by November 1, the Petsamo area was completely liberated from the German invaders. To reward all the military and civilians who participated in these heroic actions, a medal for the defense of the Soviet Arctic established on December 5, 1944.
In the history of the Second World War, the defense of the Arctic in the initial period of the war is very different from the confrontation with the enemy of our troops in other places of the front. In the North, unlike other border areas, the Red Army troops gave up only a very small territory to the enemies. Our troops were actively defending here, sometimes even counterattacking.
The beginning of the war
The idea of establishing a medal was submitted by scouts of the Karelian Front. Several sketches were submitted for consideration by the competition commission, the best of which was recognized as the sketch made by Lieutenant Colonel Alov. The front-line military council supported the idea. The sketch was sent to Moscow. The artist Kuznetsov finalized the author's initial sketch, and the award acquired its final form.
Both military and civilians who contributed to the struggle for the Soviet Arctic received a medal for the defense of the Arctic. The list of awardees amounted to 353,240 people.
Award Rules
The defense of the Arctic lasted from the beginning of the war until the end of October 1944. All active participants were nominated for the award significant events- soldiers, sailors, civilians. In order for a person to be awarded this medal, documents were needed that could confirm his participation in the defense of the region. The necessary certificates were to be issued by unit commanders, the management of medical institutions, and employees of the executive branch.
The right to the award was given to military and civilian employees of all branches of the armed forces who actively participated in the defense for at least six months, who took part in special operations that were carried out in the fall of 1944 (in this case, the period of participation no longer mattered), as well as civilians who defended the Arctic did not less than six months by means available to them. People awarded the medal for the defense of the Arctic could be both military and civilian. So, this medal was received by Valentin Pluchek, a well-known director who during the war years led the drama theater in this territory. For the defense of the Arctic, he was also awarded for the story "Far in the North", written on the Karelian front.
The right to award the medal
The medal for the defense of the Arctic, the list of recipients of which contains the names of brave and courageous people, is a high assessment of the contribution of the soldiers and inhabitants of this territory to the victory over the enemy. According to the regulation on the establishment of the award, which was approved by the country's leadership, it could be presented by unit commanders to Red Army soldiers, sailors serving in security agencies. For those who had already retired from the army or navy for a variety of reasons, including reaching retirement age, the medal could be awarded by the authority at the place of residence. Civilians were authorized to present this state award to councils of deputies of the city of Murmansk and the Murmansk region. Persons awarded the medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" could be both military people (for example, the famous savior of the Chelyuskin pilot Lyapidevsky), and civilians.
External design
The medal for the defense of the Arctic was made of brass. Its diameter is 3.2 centimeters. The obverse of the medal is adorned with the image of a soldier showing his right shoulder pushed forward and his head slightly turned to the right. The soldier is equipped in winter: a hat with earflaps with a red star, a sheepskin coat. In his hands he has his usual weapons - a PPSh assault rifle. In the left field of the medal, a fragment of a naval vessel is visible; at the top, flying aircraft are located on both sides. Below, in the foreground, tanks are visible. In addition, the obverse has the name of the award, going around the circumference from left to right. Between the first and last word of the inscription there is a ribbon, above which the coat of arms of the USSR is depicted in the center.
FROM reverse side medals in three lines written motto: "For our Soviet Motherland." Above these words, the Soviet coat of arms is visible.
The silk ribbon has a width of 2.4 cm, its color is blue. In the middle - a green strip 6 mm wide, dividing the field into equal parts.
Established . The author of the image of the medal is Lieutenant Colonel V. Alov with modifications by the artist A. I. Kuznetsov.
| Medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
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| Country | USSR USSR | ||
| Type of | medal | ||
| To whom is awarded | to all participants in the defense of the Arctic | ||
| Status | not awarded | ||
| Statistics | |||
| Options | circle made of brass with a diameter of 32 mm. | ||
| Date of establishment | December 5, 1944 | ||
| Number of awards | about 353 240 | ||
| Priority | |||
| senior award | Medal "For the Defense of the Caucasus" | ||
| Junior Award | Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945" | ||
| Media files at Wikimedia Commons | |||
The medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" was awarded to all participants in the defense of the Arctic - the military personnel of the Red Army, the Navy and the NKVD troops, as well as civilians who were directly involved in the defense. June 22, 1941 - November 1944 is considered the period of defense of the Soviet Arctic.
The medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" is worn on the left side of the chest and, in the presence of other medals of the USSR, is located after the medal "For the Defense of the Caucasus".
As of January 1, 1995, approximately 353 240 human.
Regulations on the medal
The medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" is awarded to all participants in the defense of the Arctic - the military personnel of the Red Army, the Navy and the NKVD troops, as well as civilians who were directly involved in the defense. The period of defense of the Soviet Arctic is considered June 22, 1941 - November 1944.
The medals are presented on behalf of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the basis of documents certifying the actual participation in the defense of the Arctic, issued by the commanders of military units, heads of military medical institutions and the Murmansk regional and city Soviets of workers' deputies.
Delivery is made:
- persons who are in the military units of the Red Army, the Navy and the NKVD troops - commanders of military units, and persons who have retired from the army and navy - regional, city and district military commissars at the place of residence of the awarded;
- to persons from the civilian population - participants in the defense of the Soviet Arctic - by the Murmansk regional and city Soviets of workers' deputies.
In accordance with the Regulations, the medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" is awarded:
- military personnel and civilian units, formations and institutions of the Red Army, the Navy and the NKVD troops who actually participated in the defense of the Soviet Arctic for at least 6 months;
- military personnel and civilian units and formations who participated in operations from September 20 to November 1, 1944, regardless of the continuation of their stay in these units and formations;
- workers, employees and other persons from the civilian population who directly participated in the defense of the Soviet Arctic for at least 6 months.
Participants in the defense of the Soviet Arctic, both from among the military and from the civilian population, who were injured during the defense period or awarded orders or medals of the USSR during the defense of the Soviet Arctic, the medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" was awarded regardless of the period of participation in the defense.
The medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" is worn on the left side of the chest and, in the presence of other medals of the USSR, is located after the medal "For the Defense of the Caucasus".
Description of the medal
The medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" is made of brass and has the shape of a regular circle with a diameter of 32 mm.
| Medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" | |||
|
|||
| Country | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Type of | |||
| To whom is awarded | |||
| Status |
not awarded |
||
| Statistics | |||
| Options | |||
| Number of awards | |||
| Priority | |||
| senior award | |||
| Junior Award | |||
Medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" established . The author of the image of the medal is Lieutenant Colonel V. Alov with modifications by the artist A. I. Kuznetsov. The medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" was awarded to all participants Defense of the Arctic - servicemen of the Red Army, Navy and troops NKVD , as well as persons from the civilian population who were directly involved in the defense. The period of defense of the Soviet Arctic is considered June 22, 1941 - November 1944. The medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" is worn on the left side of the chest and, in the presence of other medals of the USSR, is located after the medal"For the Defense of the Caucasus". As of January 1, 1995, approximately353 240 human.
Regulations on the medal
The medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" is awarded to all participants in the defense of the Arctic - servicemen of the Red Army, the Navy and the NKVD troops, as well as civilians who were directly involved in the defense. The period of defense of the Soviet Arctic is considered June 22, 1941 - November 1944. The medals are presented on behalf of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the basis of documents certifying the actual participation in the defense of the Arctic, issued by the commanders of military units, heads of military medical institutions and the Murmansk regional and city Soviets of workers' deputies.
Delivery is made:
- persons who are in the military units of the Red Army, the Navy and the NKVD troops - commanders of military units, and persons who have retired from the army and navy - regional, city and district military commissars at the place of residence of the awarded;
- to persons from the civilian population - participants in the defense of the Soviet Arctic - by the Murmansk regional and city Soviets of workers' deputies.
In accordance with the Regulations, the medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" is awarded:
- military personnel and civilian units, formations and institutions of the Red Army, the Navy and the NKVD troops who actually participated in the defense of the Soviet Arctic for at least 6 months;
- military personnel and civilian units and formations who participated in operations from September 20 to November 1, 1944, regardless of the continuation of their stay in these units and formations;
- workers, employees and other persons from the civilian population who directly participated in the defense of the Soviet Arctic for at least 6 months.
Participants in the defense of the Soviet Arctic, both from among the military and from the civilian population, who received injuries during the defense period or were awarded orders or medals of the USSR during the defense of the Soviet Arctic, the medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" was awarded regardless of the period of participation in the defense. The medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" is worn on the left side of the chest and, in the presence of other medals of the USSR, is located after the medal "For the Defense of the Caucasus". aircraft . The bottom of the medal picture tanks . Along the circumference of the medal there is an inscription in a frame "FOR THE DEFENSE OF THE SOVIET AROUND REGION". At the bottom of the frame is a ribbon with a five-pointed star on it. In the center of the star is a hammer and sickle.On the reverse side of the medal is the inscription "FOR OUR SOVIET MOTHERLAND". Above the inscription is an image of a hammer and sickle.All inscriptions and images on the medal are convex.With the help of an eyelet and a ring, the medal is connected to a pentagonal block covered with silk blue moire ribbon 24 mm wide. In the middle of the tape there is a green strip 6 mm wide. The edges of the ribbon and the green stripe are edged with narrow white stripes.