Medal to the Partisan of the Patriotic War - a difficult path to victory

A terrible, unexpected and cruel war, called the Great Patriotic War, burst literally into every house, every family. Men and women without a shadow of doubt went to the front, occupying numerous rows of the regular army of the Soviet state. But in addition to the Red Army soldiers, often the price of their lives was won by partisans.

Guerrilla movement

In the period from 1941 to 1944, 6,200 detachments of partisans and similar formations actively competed in the union territory captured by the fascists. The total number of guerrillas, according to various estimates, is approaching one million people. The main task of this resistance movement was the destruction of the main system providing the enemy front. The guerrillas destroyed the headquarters, destroyed the warehouses, and violated railway and motor transport. In the first year of the war, more than two hundred trains were slaughtered by valiant and brave detachments of partisans during the winter period alone, at least six hundred bridges and about two thousand cars were blown up.

The partisan movement became more and more numerous every month. The action of resistance was coordinated with every step of the regular army, thereby repelling the advancing German invaders. In the ranks of resistance, people of virtually all ages joined, and single cases of participation of children under the age of ten are known.

Appearance of the medal

The feats and successful resistance of the guerrillas, their invaluable contribution to the common victory, pointed to the need to reward especially distinguished fighters. Until there were special instructions, "Medal Partisan Patriotic War "was given to local commanders, as a rule, they were homemade specimens.

But on February 2, 1943 the situation changed. The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR issued a decree, in which the medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" was established, divided into two parts.

The artist, who developed the sketch, became Nikolai Ivanovich Moskalev. Further, successive additions and some changes were made in June 1943 and February 1947. For the first time the awarding ceremony took place in the year of the foundation of the medal of the eighteenth of November.

Medal to the Partisan of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree

The medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" of the 1st degree was given to both ordinary guerrillas and occupying commanding posts. Coordinators of the movement were also awarded. The promotion was reputed for the most special, extremely important merits, such as courage, valor and courage. There were heroic deeds, outstanding breakthroughs in the organization of the partisan movement, successful operations conducted in the rear of the enemy army. Commissar Moroz Mikhail received a medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" 1 degree in twenty-two years for his dedication and devotion to the Motherland.

Among the awardees were quite a few very young partisans, not inferior to adults in patriotism and heroism. Yuta Bondarovskaya, who fell in battle under the Estonian farm, Vasya Korobko, who undermined the enemy echelons and was killed by a German bullet, Volodya Kaznacheev, who passed the whole war alongside the senior fighters, and many others, still children who gave their lives and their lives, were awarded This honorable medal.

Medal for personal achievements

The medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" of the 2nd degree was awarded for the personal achievements of the participants in the partisan resistance. It was awarded to commanders of detachments and subunits, organizers of operations and coordinators of the movement, simple partisans, who fulfilled certain orders and tasks of military authorities. Also, second-degree rewards were awarded in case of active and important assistance in the fight against the enemy.

Some soldiers received a medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" 1st and 2nd degree at the same time, among them Kondraty Alimpievich Letyagin. From the first days of the war Kondraty Letyagin took part in various battles and in one of them got into fascist captivity. But at some point he managed to escape and join a partisan detachment with whom he could go through the whole war, was repeatedly injured and subsequently awarded.

Appearance of the award

The medal has the correct round shape. In diameter is thirty-two centimeters, around the circumference has a tape, the width of which is four millimeters. On the ribbon is an inscription indicating who gets the medal: "The Partisan of the Patriotic War". The line is marked with two small asterisks, in the lower sector of the circle there is a five-pointed star with a hammer and a sickle, located in the middle of the letters "USSR". Also on the front side are the profile images of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin and, at that time, the commander-in-chief, Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin. On the reverse side is the inscription: "For our Soviet Motherland".

For the distinctive sign of the first degree, silver was used, and the medal itself is attached using a ring and a lug to a pentagonal pencil. The design used a moire silk ribbon of light green color, having a width of 24 millimeters. A two-millimeter red strip passes along the tape.

The award of the second degree is made of brass, the longitudinal strip differs in blue.

From the history of awards

Significant and large-scale guerrilla victory can be called operation "Concert". It was held from the nineteenth of September to the first of November 1943 and was coordinated with the impending Soviet offensive, during which serious battles for the Dnieper had to be fought. Participation was accepted by 193 detachments, which included more than one hundred and twenty thousand people.

"Concert" covered about a thousand kilometers along the front and more than seven hundred and fifty kilometers, going deep. A powerful blow was struck along the railway tracks. About two hundred and fifteen thousand rails were destroyed, seventy-two railway bridges were blown up, and the number of enemy echelons that had not reached their destination exceeded one thousand. The German command was discouraged, this operation caused serious difficulties in the transportation of German fascist troops, and made it very difficult for the German command to maneuver. As a result, the incoming troops of the Red Army were rendered immense assistance.

Medal "Partisan of the Great Patriotic War" received more than 127 thousand participants, and 248 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.