The jubilee medal "XX Years of the Red Army" was established by the Decree of Prez. USSR Armed Forces dated January 24, 1938 and approved the Regulations on the medal, its drawing and description (Vedomosti of the USSR Armed Forces, 1938, No. 1). Subsequently, the description of the medal was changed in accordance with the Decrees of June 19, 1943 and July 27, 1981.
The original version of the Regulations says: “1. The jubilee medal "XX Years of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army" is awarded to persons of the personnel command and command staff of the Red Army and the Navy: a) who served in the ranks of the Red Army and the Navy by February 23 (Red Army Day) 1938 for 20 years and honored before their homeland participants in the civil war and wars for the freedom and independence of the fatherland, consisting in the personnel of the Red Army and the Navy; b) awarded the Order of the Red Banner for military honors during the civil war." According to the Regulations for long service in the ranks of the Red Army and the Navy, service in detachments and squads of the Red Guard and Red Partisan detachments operating against the enemies of Soviet power in the period 1917-1921 was counted.
Jubilee medal "XX years of the Red Army" - the first award medal of the USSR . According to the Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces of February 22, 1938, it was awarded mainly to professional military personnel. However, on the eve of the Great Patriotic War, almost the entire leadership of the Red Army was repressed, many servicemen were shot, sent to camps and exile. Adopted on July 7, 1941 by the Decree of Pres. USSR Armed Forces, p. 2 - after the death of those awarded, the commemorative medal "XX Years of the Red Army" returned to the NPO, NKVMF or NKVD of the USSR as belonging, - why, in combination with other reasons, this pre-war award is so rare.
The anniversary medal "XX Years of the Red Army" was awarded to more than 37.5 thousand people.
The medal is round with a diameter of 32 mm, a thickness of 2.9 mm, made of SrM925 silver, with a total weight of about 23.5 g with enamel without a block. A five-pointed star covered with red enamel is placed on the front side of the medal. Between the lower rays of the star - gilded numbers "XX" (layer thickness 5 ± 0.5 microns). The front side of the medal is bordered with a 2 mm wide border. On the reverse side of the medal there is a figure of a Red Army soldier shooting from a rifle, 25 mm high; at the bottom to the right of the figure of a Red Army soldier is the date "1918 - 1938". The medal is connected with a trapezoidal lug and a silver ring: Option I - with a rectangular silver-plated block 14x25 mm in size, covered with a red moiré ribbon 26 mm wide. On the reverse side of the block there is a threaded pin with a silver (weighing 2.5 g) or silver-plated nut 18 mm in diameter, on which the award number 1.5 mm high is engraved, corresponding to the number of the certificate for the medal; Option II - with a pentagonal block covered with a gray silk moiré ribbon 24 mm wide with two longitudinal red stripes 2 mm wide each along the edges (see photo).
A trial version of the commemorative medal is known with the image of a Red Army soldier on duty against the background of a tank, cannon, warships and aircraft. But in the anxious pre-war years, according to the plan of the leadership, the figure of a fighter should symbolize readiness to repel aggression, so the original draft of the drawing was replaced by a new one, where a Red Army soldier shoots from a rifle.
The Soviet Union turned twenty years old, a special government decree marked this significant event by establishing a special medal. The right to confer the honorary award was given to a special committee under the government of the country, and in terms of its rank it followed the medal, which marked special merits in the development of natural resources and the development of the gas and oil industry.
The newly established medal - an award for military personnel
In accordance with the established regulation, the anniversary medal "20 Years of the Red Army" was awarded to military personnel who held commanding and senior positions in the army and navy, who had at least twenty years of service, that is, who had been in the ranks of the Soviet Armed Forces from the day they were created. This also included years of service in the Krasnogvardeisky squads, as well as in partisan detachments that fought against the enemies of the state.
From this category of persons, the award was given to those who showed heroism during the years of the Civil War, as well as in other battles with the enemies of our Fatherland. "20 Years of the Red Army" - a medal that was also awarded to all veterans awarded the Order during the Civil War. All this was noted in a government decree. Based on this, the frequently asked question about whether ordinary soldiers received the medal "20 Years of the Red Army" is inevitably answered in the negative. This is due to the list of categories of persons to be awarded, which indicates only commanders and those who held leadership positions.
Appearance of the badge
The medal "20 Years of the Red Army" (photo at the beginning of the article) is a round disc with a matte surface, the diameter of which is 32 mm. A rim runs along its edge, and on the front side there is a red five-pointed star made of enamel and having a thin silver edging. In the lower part of the circle, symmetrically between the ends of the star and resting on the upper edge of the edging, is the Roman numeral "XX". It is gilded, has the following dimensions: 8 mm high, 7 mm wide.
On the other side of the award sign is an image of a Red Army soldier in a Budyonovka and overcoat, firing a rifle. In the lower right part of the disk there is an inscription "1918-1938", indicating the twenty-year stage of the existence of the Armed Forces. For the manufacture of the medal, high-grade silver and gilding were used for the inscription "XX" (20 years of the Red Army). The medal contained 15.592 grams of pure silver and 0.10 gold. It was one of the first medals in the country.
Medal "20 years of the Red Army": types of pads and fasteners
There are two types of hanging block for attaching a badge to clothing. The early one, used from the day the medal was established (1938) until a special government decree in 1943, was rectangular in shape with a narrow oblong frame at the bottom. A red ribbon passed through it, covering the entire surface of the block.
For its fixation, a block placed on the reverse side with teeth along the edges and a hole in the middle was used. It was fastened to clothes with a threaded pin and a flat clamping nut with a diameter of 18 mm, on which the brand of the manufacturer "Mondvor" was located, as well as serial number this award.
Changing the appearance of the last
When the Decree of 1943 came into force, all previously awarded blocks used the old model, and the newly awarded ones received it in accordance with a government decree. In the new version, a ring threaded through a special eyelet connected the medal to a block, which had a pentagonal shape and was covered with a moire ribbon on top. A gray silk ribbon 24 mm wide was edged along the edges with two longitudinal red stripes. There was no threaded pin with a nut, and the block itself was attached to the clothes with a pin.
Two samples of award certificates
All those awarded the medal "20 Years of the Red Army" received the appropriate certificates, which also had different design options. The earliest of them, the sample of 1938, is characterized by the fact that the coat of arms of the Soviet Union with eleven ribbons was depicted on its cover - according to the number of republics that were part of it at that time.
The next feature that distinguished this certificate from the subsequent sample was the presence of a serial number. It was affixed on the first spread, immediately after the inscription "Certificate", and was located in its upper part, on the right. Certificates of this type were signed by the Secretary of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the country A. Gorkin.
In 1959, by the relevant government decree, adjustments were made to the design of certificates for the award signs "20 Years of the Red Army". The medal has not undergone any changes since 1943, but the accompanying document could not but reflect the realities of the new time.
By this year, the number of union republics had reached fifteen, and accordingly, the number of ribbons on the image of the state emblem also changed. The post of secretary of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR by that time was occupied by M. P. Georgadze, and the documents of the new type had his signature. In addition, they did not indicate the serial number of the medal.
It should also be noted that all those awarded until 1959 had the old, that is, old-style certificates, but they had the right to receive new ones in case of loss of the old ones, or as persons who had been unreasonably repressed in previous years, and subsequently rehabilitated and restored their rights.
A rare medal
Despite the fact that the “20 Years of the Red Army” - a medal established in the Soviet Union earlier than other similar award signs - was awarded to more than thirty-seven thousand red commanders of various levels, by the end of the war it could not be seen often. The reason is that a significant part of the awarded fell under the wheel of mass repressions in 1938, as well as in subsequent years, and was shot; many died during clashes with the Japanese aggressors at Khalkhin Gol and in the Finnish campaign, while others died in battles with Nazi Germany or were taken prisoner. In the post-war, fifties, this award was already extremely rare on officer, general and marshal uniforms.
One of the few pre-war officer awards
It is interesting to note that by the beginning of the forties the picture was completely different. On the uniforms of career officers, other awards were extremely rare, except for the one discussed in our article. The reason for this is as follows. The fact is that in the early forties only five orders were established in our country, three of which were awarded for military merit. In addition, there were four medals, two of which, according to the regulations, were also intended for those who distinguished themselves on the battlefields.
Based on this, for the awarding of military personnel, in addition to "20 years of the Red Army", only five more award signs were intended - three orders and two medals. All of them were given for heroism shown during military conflicts, and by that time there were only three of them: two of them in the areas of lakes Khasan and Khalkhin Gol, as well as the Finnish campaign.
Thus, to obtain it was required to excel in at least one of them. The exception was a group of officers awarded for heroism shown in Spain. It is for this reason that by the beginning of the war, among the cadre officers, holders of other awards were extremely rare, except for the medal "20 Years of the Red Army".
Thousands of award-winning army
At the end of the article, it would be appropriate to cite the statistics of awarding this medal for the entire period during which it was awarded to veterans. It is known that in 1938, immediately after the publication of the government decree, 27,575 people were awarded this award. A year later, another 2,515 regular officers of the Soviet Army received it. When award certificates of a new type were introduced in 1959, there were 37,504 officers, generals and marshals among the holders of the medal. Photos of two of them are presented in the article. This award has become a monument to the defenders of the country, and holders of the medal "20 Years of the Red Army" - its heroes.
The medal "XX Years of the Red Army" is made in the style of the 30s: the Soviet symbol and a laconic pictorial row of obverse and reverse that do not require additional explanation. Or is there something else to see?
Let's recall some facts of its creation and consider the reverse. January 24 marks the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the medal "XX Years of the Red Army". The medal was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of January 24, 1938 to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the existence of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA) and the Navy (Navy).
Talk about silver, minuscule gold, squint, boots, "grass" under the shooter, etc. there is no point, because this is known to everyone who is in the subject. Therefore, a little about something else.
Let's talk about the image of the shooter on the reverse of the medal.
Much has been written about the medal, but it has not been possible to find an acceptable description of the aiming fighter. Some experts claim that he is dressed in a winter guard uniform. Let's disagree and think about it.
On the reverse of the medal there is an image of a soldier taking aim, ready to shoot while standing. The shooter is depicted in a short non-cavalry overcoat of the 1936 model, in a winter cloth helmet (Budyonovka) of the 1935 model.
The shape of the belt buckle is not entirely clear - horizontal. I recalled that similar met with the cadets. But, we hope that readers will be able to clarify this point.
Armament - a 7.62-mm Mosin rifle of the 1891/30 model. Without bayonet. A bayonet, necessary for use due to the preliminary zeroing of rifles of that time with an attached bayonet, even if a rifle with improved characteristics for accurate shooting, is not available, because. there is a limit to the size of the medal and the largest and most intelligible image of the fighter is required.
When remarking about the reduced length of the rifle, which does not correspond to the standard, we can say the following. If you pay attention to the fighter’s legs, you can see that the right leg, the so-called “back” in the stance, is shorter than the front. This clearly shows that the fighter is not depicted in profile, but in a turn (three-quarters or less). It was convenient for the artist to turn the fighter, because. the place for the image is limited by the outline of the medal and, turning, solves this problem. It was the rotation that influenced the image of the right hand with the elbow pulled back, which may seem somewhat incorrect.
The left hand supports the rifle from below close enough to the magazine box, being located as vertically as possible relative to the barrel. It can be assumed that a sniper is depicted with a 7.62-mm sniper rifle of the 1891/30 model, which was put into service in 1931.
But, if a sniper, then where is the sniper scope? The PE sight (Emelyanov's sight) could simply not be depicted, because. when turned three-quarters, he could cover the face of the shooter, clutter up and merge with the shown rifle and reduce the expressiveness of the image. The PE sight is longer than the subsequent PU sight.
By the way, where is the scope? The base of the sight (sight bar) is not visible. This also speaks in favor of sniper weapons.
The belt that could have been thrown over the hand was also removed - there would be additional elements of the image - thin strips, ambiguously interpreted and loading the image.
And the most important. Pay attention to the rifle bolt handle. If there was a rifle - a 7.62-mm Mosin rifle of the 1891/30 model - the shutter would be visible as a dot (a ball at the end of the shutter) or a horizontal (necessarily horizontal!) Stripe with a dot. And in the image, the shutter handle is directed clearly down. Which rifles have the bolt pointing down? This is definitely a sniper grip. Sniper rifles were adopted by the Red Army in the early 30s, so this does not contradict the assumption.
Which parts of the Red Army were the first to train snipers? In 1931, when sniper rifles were put into service, NKVD units were the first to receive them. Later, snipers appeared in other troops.
Everything said in these paragraphs is just an assumption caused by the image.
dated January 24, 1938
ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ANNIVERSARY MEDAL
"XX YEARS OF THE WORKERS' AND PEASANTS' RED ARMY"
In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the existence of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army and Navy:
1. Establish an anniversary medal "XX years of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army".
2. Approve the Regulations on the anniversary medal "XX years of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army", its drawing and description.
POSITION
ABOUT THE JUBILEE MEDAL "XX YEARS OF THE WORKERS' AND PEASANTS' RED ARMY"
1. The Jubilee Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" is awarded to personnel officers and commanders of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and Navy:
a) who served in the ranks of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army and the Navy by February 23 (Red Army Day) 1938 for 20 years and honored before the motherland, participants in the civil war and the war for the freedom and independence of the Fatherland, who are members of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army and the Navy;
b) awarded the Order of the Red Banner for military distinctions during the Civil War.
2. The length of service in the ranks of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army and the Navy (paragraph "a" of article 1) counts service in the detachments and squads of the Red Guard and in the Red partisan detachments operating against the enemies of Soviet power in the period 1917 - 1921
3. The Jubilee Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" is awarded by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
According to the 1967 edition of the CPSU and the Construction of the Soviet Armed Forces, from January 1938 to December 1940, 32,127 people were awarded the medal.
Subsequently, the description of the medal was changed in accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of June 19, 1943.
On the approval of samples and descriptions of ribbons for orders and medals of the USSR and the rules for wearing orders, medals, order ribbons and insignia
1. Approve samples and description of ribbons for orders and medals of the USSR.
2. To approve the Rules for wearing orders, medals, ribbons for orders and medals and insignia.
3. All previously valid Regulations on the procedure for wearing orders, medals, ribbons for orders and medals and insignia shall be considered invalid.
description of ribbons for orders and medals of the USSR and blocks for order ribbons
I. Description of ribbons for orders and medals of the USSR
Ribbon for the anniversary medal "XX years of the Red Army"
Silk moire gray ribbon with two longitudinal red stripes along the edges. Tape width - 24 mm, strip width - 2 mm.
To wear some ribbons without orders and medals, the ribbons are fixed on rectangular slats.
Pentagonal block for ribbons for orders and medals
The block is a pentagonal plate turned one corner down. The plate has a figured cutout in the lower corner for attaching an order or medal to a block. On the reverse side of the plate there is a device for attaching the pad to clothing.
The height of the block plate from the top of the lower corner to the middle of the upper side is 50 mm, the length of the upper side is 26 mm. the length of each of the sides is 39 mm, the length of each of the sides forming the lower corner is 26 mm.
When wearing several orders and medals, pentagonal blocks are connected on a common bar, and the upper sides of the blocks are adjacent to each other, forming a straight line without interruptions, and each block located on the right partially covers the block located to the left.
Straps for wearing ribbons without orders and medals
Planks for wearing only ribbons without orders and medals are rectangular metal plates, slightly convex, with a device on the reverse side for attaching the bars to clothing. The height of the bar is 8 mm. When wearing ribbons for several orders and medals at the same time, the ribbons are fixed on a common bar with intervals between each ribbon - 3 mm for better highlighting of the ribbons, the intervals between the ribbons are painted over with black varnish or covered with a black silk ribbon.
rules for wearing orders, medals, sashes and insignia
2. Order of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, the Order of the Badge of Honor, the medal "For Courage", the medal "For Military Merit", the medal "For Labor Valor", the medal "For Labor Distinction", the medal " To the Partisan of the Patriotic War, 1st class, the medal to the Partisan of the Patriotic War, 2nd class, the medal For the Defense of Leningrad, the medal For the Defense of Odessa, the medal For the Defense of Sevastopol, and the medal For the Defense of Stalingrad are worn on the left side of the chest.
When wearing two or more of the listed orders and medals, their blocks are connected in a row on a common bar, and the orders and medals are arranged in a row from right to left in the order they are listed in this paragraph of the Rules. Orders and medals that do not fit in one row are transferred to the second row, located below the first. The second row serves as a continuation of the first, orders and medals are also placed in it from right to left in the specified order.
When wearing two or more orders or medals of the same name and degree, these orders or medals are placed side by side from right to left, in order of the time of awarding.
4. Order ribbons and ribbons of medals, when worn without orders and medals, are all attached to clothing on the left side of the chest.
When wearing two or more order ribbons and ribbons of medals, the ribbons are fixed side by side on a common bar. Tapes that do not fit on one bar are transferred to the second bar, attached to the clothes below the first bar.
Ribbons of orders and medals are located on the bars from right to left in the following order: Order of Lenin, Order of the Red Banner, Order of Suvorov I degree, Order of Kutuzov I degree, Order of Suvorov II degree, Order of Kutuzov II degree, Order of Suvorov III degree, Order of Kutuzov III degree, Order of Alexander Nevsky, Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class, Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd class, Order of the Red Banner of Labor, Order of the Red Star, Order of the Badge of Honor, Medal for Courage, Medal for Military Merit, Jubilee medal "XX years of the Red Army", medal "For labor valor", medal "For labor distinction", medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" I degree, medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" II degree, medal "For the Defense of Leningrad", medal "For the Defense of Odessa", medal "For defense of Sevastopol", medal "For the defense of Stalingrad".
5. All badges and badges are worn on the right side of the chest and are located below the orders. Wound marks are located on the right side of the chest above the orders.
(ed. - For the article, the text of the Decree has been abbreviated)
Well, we hope that you have noticed that a similar image of an arrow is used on a developed sign dedicated to, the registration for which has already been completed and it can be purchased only in case of refusal to purchase previously registered ones.
Images taken from the Faleristics.info forum (smash, Andryukha, oleg-g777)
Sincerely, Editor-in-Chief SAMMLUNG / Alexey Sidelnikov CollectionMEDAL XX YEARS OF THE RKKA
This commemorative medal It was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of January 24, 1938 to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the existence of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army and the Navy. In 1943, the description of the medal was changed.
According to an extract from the Regulations on the medal:
The medal is awarded to the personnel of the commanding and commanding staff of the Red Army and the Navy:
- who served in the ranks of the Red Army and the Navy by February 23, 1938 for 20 years and honored before the motherland, participants in the civil war and the war for the freedom and independence of the fatherland, who are in the ranks of the Red Army and the Navy;
- awarded the Order of the Red Banner for military distinction during the Civil War.
Length of service in the ranks of the Red Army and the Navy includes service in detachments and squads of the Red Guard and in the Red partisan detachments that acted against the enemies of Soviet power in the period 1917-1921. The Jubilee Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" is awarded by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. In the presence of other medals of the USSR, the medal "XX years of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army" is located after the medal "For the development of the subsoil and the development of the oil and gas complex of Western Siberia."
Description of the medal.
The Jubilee Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" has the shape of a regular circle with a diameter of 32 mm. The surface of the circle is matte, the rim 2.5 mm wide is shiny. On the front side of the circle there is a five-pointed red enamel star with a silver border. At the bottom of the circle, between the lower rays of the star, there is a gilded figure "XX" 8 mm high and 7 mm wide. The base of the figure rests against the upper edge of the rim.On the reverse side of the medal there is a figure of a Red Army soldier firing a rifle, 25 mm high, dressed in a winter guard uniform, at the bottom to the right of the figure of a Red Army soldier, the date “1918-1938”.The medal is made of oxidized silver 925, the numbers "XX" are gilded. The content of pure silver in the medal is 15.592 g, gold - 0.10 g.The medal, with the help of an eyelet and a ring, is connected to a pentagonal block covered with a gray silk moiré ribbon with two longitudinal red stripes along the edges. The width of the tape is 24 mm, the width of the strips is 2 mm.
History of the medal.
The Jubilee Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" is the very first medal established in the USSR. She was awarded more than 37 thousand people.
Plank for the medal XX years of the Red Army
The medal has two varieties - with rectangular and pentagonal blocks.The second type of medal appeared on June 19, 1943. Many of those awarded the medal "XX Years of the Red Army" changed the rectangular block to a pentagonal one, as a result of which the second type appeared. The medal was fastened with a pin located on the reverse side of the block.
The weight of the medal without a block and an industrial link is 22.3 g.
