Monday, August 29, 2011

Order of Victory

A replica of the Soviet Order of Victory, seen in the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, Kiev.

The Order of Victory was the highest military decoration in the Soviet Armed Forces and one of the rarest in the world due to the small number of recipients. It was established on 8 November 1943 and awarded only to Generals and Marshals for "successful operation within the framework of one or several fronts resulting in a radical change of the situation in favour of the Red Army". Made of platinum, rubies and 150 diamonds, the intrinsic value of the order is considerable. The badge depicts the Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin, with Lenin's Mausoleum in front.