Military awards Brezhnev Leonid Ilyich: review, history and interesting facts

Beginning with the era of perestroika, the "iconostasis" of the Secretary General of the "stagnation" period was only mocked. Comments and anecdotes were in the style of Fedot-Sagittarius: "On the back, and then there are six."

Moreover, the jokers were absolutely sure that Leonid Ilich was the absolute world leader in terms of the number of awards, but they could not say how many awards Brezhnev had for sure. They were also completely unaware of when exactly and in connection with which specific orders and medals were awarded. Probably, knowledge would somewhat diminish their fun. For what was Leonid Brezhnev honored with so many honors? The awards and titles of this significant in the history of the individual we will consider in the article.

The problem with the unknowns

Not only compilers of anecdotes, but also solid specialists do not undertake to name the exact number of Brezhnev awards. The problem in foreign orders and medals, by which the leaders of the countries of the Soviet bloc and other union states generously endowed the leader of the USSR. Their full list has not been published anywhere, the available data have significant discrepancies. Therefore, they should not be disassembled - one can not rely on unreliable information.

With Soviet awards it's easier. Leonid Ilyich had 16 orders (rewarding one of them marked posthumously) and 22 medals. By the way, Brezhnev's photo with all the awards (or at least from the topic that fit on the jacket) is posted in the article.

In work and in battle

But even Soviet awards can not all be classified as military. So, Brezhnev was the Hero of Socialist Labor - this, as they say, from another opera. Leonid Ilyich also had several jubilee medals, including, for example, dedicated to the 1500th anniversary of Kiev. But such at that time gave all the more or less significant people in the country, you could not bypass the top management!

It is simply unreasonable to assert that Brezhnev received his awards only because he had weakness for them and, like the Secretary General, could afford to satisfy this weakness. This is incorrect, if only because a considerable part of the orders and medals was received by him long before the ascent to the highest post in the country, and Brezhnev's career began from the very bottom. He really fought, and really worked hard.

Four star

Of the military awards Leonid Ilyich primarily attracted the attention of 4 Stars of the Hero of the Soviet Union (and the Order of Lenin to them). But here they can just be recognized as a manifestation and a personal passion for "trinkets" and toadies of subordinates. All the Stars were received by Brezhnev in the very post-war period (respectively in 1966, 1976, 1978 and 1981) and already when he was Secretary General.

Yes, it happened that the awards found the heroes after a considerable time after the performance of the deed, and in peacetime, too, you can show heroism. But Leonid Ilich was not seen in the detachment of astronauts, or among rescuers. According to the statute of the award, he was not the only one to give a copy for.

In addition to Brezhnev, in the USSR there was another "four-star" Hero. But it was "Marshal of Victory" GK Zhukov, and his rewards do not arise any questions.

For taking everything

Leonid Ilyich Leonid Brezhnev's rewards for taking Warsaw and Vienna (to which he had no relation), as well as "For the Defense of Odessa", attract attention, as well (although here it can be attributed even through his work in the political direction of the Southern Front). But they can not be explained in any way by the influence of the post of Secretary General, since they were received before 1964, therefore, at the time when Brezhnev was a fairly prominent party and economic worker, but not the all-powerful leader of a huge country.

Probably medals were received as almost memorable. This practice existed in those years, and military awards were given to distinguished front-line soldiers (and Brezhnev was such!) In honor of the anniversary dates or in connection with important events in the life of the country.

Many anniversaries

From this category, medals on the jubilees of the Victory and the Armed Forces fall out. On them, Leonid Ilich had every right as a front-line soldier, a major general, a participant in the Victory Parade. Very many war participants were marked this way, and this is only fair.

Writer's paradox

Before proceeding to the military awards Brezhnev received in the war years, it must be noted that he himself in some way contributed to the formation of a skeptical attitude towards them. The reason for the literary activity of the Secretary General.

From the memoirs of Brezhnev's acquaintances who knew him in his youth, it is known that he tried to compose, but did not like reading, he did not suffer from the beauty of the syllable, and even his grammar was noticeably limp. Of course, staying on ideological positions on the military and party lines, he could not help learning a little coherent exposition of thoughts, but it is clear that literature was not an element of Leonid Ilyich.

Nevertheless, under the name of Brezhnev, several books were published. At once rumors began spreading about who exactly and under what conditions he worked for the Secretary-General as a "literary Negro", and the works received were skeptical. But among them was the "Little Land" - a description of the heroic history of the unconquered beachhead near Novorossiisk!

After the beginning of perestroika, even the conversations went that the military operations near Novorossiisk were embellished in favor of Brezhnev, and the Little Land did not really cost much. So unrequited desire to denigrate the name of someone who can not give change has led to an even worse result - a direct falsification of history.

1941-1945

Yes, Brezhnev did not go into dashing bayonet attacks, did not throw grenades at enemy dots, and did not personally capture especially valuable prisoners. But he should not have done this! In the war he was a brigade commissar, then a colonel and a major general, served in the Political Department of the Black Sea Group (North Caucasian Front), and then - the political direction of the Southern Front.

Colonels and generals are not supposed to personally sit in the trenches and rush at the enemy shouting "Hurray!". In their task is to organize the case so that the rank and file, who just need to go to the attack, did it effectively.

In the war, Brezhnev was in the autumn of 1941, and he performed his duties honestly. This is another perestroika injustice-the assertion that the political workers only peeked at the soldiers, handed out Party membership cards and proclaimed inspired speeches away from the front line. Their task was to constantly be among the soldiers, to explain to them within the framework of a possible military task, to raise their spirits, and to motivate them for excellent service. And Brezhnev did this all without shirking.

Awards of Brezhnev: list (short)

Rather, during the war, Brezhnev was even avoided with rewards. On the Victory Parade, he was one of the least awarded generals. He did not have high patrons in the army, and he himself did not show special careerism and did not climb to the forefront. Therefore, all his awards of the war period cause an exceptionally respectful attitude.

Brezhnev had:

• 2 orders of the Red Banner ;
• The Red Star;
• A medal "For Military Merit";
• Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky (this award was made to mark high-ranking officers, and the major-general is a suitable contender for it).

The situation with the Caucasus and the "Lesser Land" is more serious. Leonid Ilyich had a medal "For the defense of the Caucasus", and who can say that it was not earned by the deputy chief of the political section of the Black Sea military group? And for the liberation of Novorossiysk, the political instructor Brezhnev was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War (1st degree). And is it possible to object here if he has fought a dozen times under shelling by sea on a bridgehead isolated from the land in order to fulfill his duties as an ideological leader there! It is known that once his seiner even ran into a mine, and it cost the colonel-politruk unplanned bathing. But even after this incident, he continued to visit the Lesser Land on a regular basis.

Defeated Germany

Leonid Ilyich received another military award a considerable time after the end of the war. This is the medal "For victory over Germany". But here it is difficult to see servitude or injustice. Brezhnev had not yet become the General Secretary by the time, and a medal to many veterans who had passed the entire war was handed out some time after the Victory.

Brezhnev did not go to the front in the first days of the war only because he was engaged in securing the mobilization and evacuation of strategic industries as the third secretary of the regional committee in Dnepropetrovsk - the reason is more than respectful! But already in the autumn he was in the army, and until the end of the war he did not leave the service. The medal relied on him by right.

Selected "Victory"

But with one military order came out the same embarrassment. In 1978, Brezhnev was awarded the Order of Victory. They were counted in the USSR in units, this award was reputed to outstanding generals for the successful organization of several operations on a scale not less than the front. Clearly, there was no reason to hand her over to Brezhnev - it was a case of service before the leader of the country.

In 1989, the Presidium of the Supreme Council abolished this award. All would be true if not for one "but" - it's very easy to take away the rewards from the dead ... Brezhnev by that time was not nearly 7 years old, and with him you could do anything.

Red Army soldier Brezhnev

You can not only award medals and orders. Among other things, Brezhnev was the owner of a personal weapon - Mauser and checkers. As for the second, questions may arise (handed in 1978). Although why not - a military man. Mauser was also received in 1943 and unquestionably by merit.

Aliens themselves will understand

As for Leonid Ilyich Leonid Brezhnev's foreign awards, among them there were those who had military status. But these awards are on the conscience of the leaders of the respective states. They know better who deserved their state orders and medals and how many times. Claims for this can be made only by their own people.

To perpetual storage

No one was able to produce convincing evidence that during the Brezhnev funeral, 44 officers were carrying their pads with his awards - these are all newspaper gossip, tele-shooting does not allow to judge for sure. But it is certain that the widow of the General Secretary transferred all of his rewards to be deposited in the Order Chamber - the family considered them the property of the state.

Higher rank

And there are such awards Brezhnev Leonid Ilyich, which can not be selected by the authorities, no mockery, no time.

The Marine Mariya Aleksandrovna Galushkina, a volunteer sergeant, did not only serve as a nurse during the war, but also as a messenger, and even a sniper. She is the owner of the Red Star and three medals "For Courage". The word of such a person is expensive.

So, in her memory there was "a good, desperate peasant" Lyonka Brezhnev. Exactly. And nothing more is needed.