"20 years of the Red Army" - medal and its varieties. Jubilee medal of xx years of the workers' and peasants' red army Medal of xx years of workers' and peasants' red armys

The Soviet Union turned twenty years old; a special government decree marked this significant event by establishing a special medal. The right to confer an honorary award was received by a special committee under the government of the country, and in its rank it followed the medal, which noted special merits in the development of natural resources and the development of the gas and oil industries.

The newly established medal is an award for military personnel

In accordance with the established regulations, the anniversary medal “20 Years of the Red Army” was awarded to career military personnel who held commanding and leadership positions in the army and navy, who had at least twenty years of service, that is, who were in the ranks of the Soviet Armed Forces from the day of their creation. This also included years of service in the Red Guard squads, as well as in partisan detachments that fought against enemies of the state.

From this category of persons, awards were given to those who showed heroism during the Civil War, as well as in other battles with the enemies of our Fatherland. “20 years of the Red Army” is a medal that was also awarded to all veterans who were awarded the order during the Civil War. All this was noted in a government decree. Based on this, to the frequently asked question about whether privates received the “20 Years of the Red Army” medal, a negative answer is inevitable. This is due to the list of categories of persons to be awarded, which includes only commanders and those who held leadership positions.

Appearance of the award badge

The medal “20 Years of the Red Army” (photo at the beginning of the article) is a round disk 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. At the bottom 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 gold plated and has the following dimensions: height 8 mm, width 7 mm.

On the other side of the award sign there is an image of a Red Army soldier in a Budenovka and an overcoat, shooting from a rifle. In the lower right part of the disk there is the inscription “1918-1938”, indicating the twenty-year period of the existence of the Armed Forces. To make 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. This was one of the first medals in the country.

Medal “20 years of the Red Army”: types of blocks and fasteners

There are two types of hanging block for attaching a sign 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 was passed through it, covering the entire surface of the block.

To fix it, a block placed on the reverse side with teeth along the edges and a hole in the middle was used. It was attached to the clothing using a threaded pin and a flat clamping nut with a diameter of 18 mm, on which the manufacturer’s mark “Mondvor” was located, as well as the serial number of this award badge.

Changing the appearance of the pad

When the Decree of 1943 came into force, all previously awarded ones used the old-style pads, and those newly awarded the award received it in accordance with the government decree. In the new version, a ring threaded through a special eyelet connected the medal to a block that 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 clothing with a pin.

Two samples of award certificates

All recipients of the medal "20 Years of the Red Army" received corresponding certificates, which also had different design options. The earliest of them, from 1938, is characterized by the fact that on the cover it depicted the coat of arms of the Soviet Union with eleven ribbons - 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 placed on the first spread, immediately after the inscription “Identification”, and was located in the upper part, on the right. The certificates of this type were signed by the Secretary of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the country A. Gorkin.

In 1959, by appropriate government decree, adjustments were made in the design of certificates for the “20 Years of the Red Army” award badges. The medal has not undergone any changes since 1943, but the accompanying document could not help but reflect the realities of modern times.

By this year, the number of union republics had reached fifteen, and accordingly, the number of ribbons on the image of the state coat of arms had also changed. By that time, the post of Secretary of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was held by M. P. Georgadze, and the documents of the new sample had his signature. In addition, they did not indicate the serial number of the medal.

It should also be noted that all those awarded before 1959 had the same certificates, that is, of the old type, but they had the right to receive new ones in case of loss of the old ones, or as persons who were unreasonably repressed in previous years, and subsequently rehabilitated and restored to their rights.

A medal that has become rare

Despite the fact that “20 Years of the Red Army”, a medal established earlier than other similar awards in the Soviet Union, was awarded to more than thirty-seven thousand Red commanders at various levels, by the end of the war it was rarely seen. The reason is that a significant part of the recipients fell under the wheel of mass repressions of 1938, as well as subsequent years, and were shot; many died during clashes with the Japanese aggressors at Khalkhin Gol and in the Finnish campaign, while others were killed in battles with Nazi Germany or were captured. In the post-war, fifties, this award was extremely rare on officer, general and marshal uniforms.

One of the few pre-war officer awards

It is interesting to note that by the early forties the picture was completely different. It was extremely rare to see awards other than the one discussed in our article on the uniforms of career officers. 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, in addition to “20 years of the Red Army”, only five other awards were intended for awarding career military personnel - 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, it was necessary to excel in at least one of them. The exception was a group of officers awarded for heroism in Spain. It is for this reason that by the beginning of the war, among the career officers, holders of awards other than the medal “20 Years of the Red Army” were extremely rare.

An army of thousands of awardees

At the end of the article, it would be appropriate to provide statistics on awards of this medal for the entire period during which it was awarded to veterans. It is known that in 1938, immediately following the publication of the government decree, 27,575 people were awarded this award. A year later, another 2,515 career officers of the Soviet Army received it. When the new type of award certificates were introduced in 1959, there were 37,504 officers, generals and marshals among the medal holders. Photos of two of them are presented in the article. This award became a monument to the defenders of the country, and the recipients of the medal “20 Years of the Red Army” became its heroes.

The award was established on January 24, 1938 in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Red Army and became the first medal in the USSR award system.

According to the statute, the anniversary medal of the XX years of the Red Army was awarded to personnel of the command and command staff of the Red Army and Navy: those who had served for twenty years by February 23, 1938, and honored participants in the civil war and the war for the freedom and independence of the Fatherland, who were members of the Red Army and the Navy, as well as those awarded the Order of the Red Banner for military distinction during the Civil War.

Price of the medal 20 years of the Red Army

Today, prices for the medal of the XX years of the Red Army start from:
1938-43 quad block quantity ≈? PC. - 130,000 rub.
1943 pentablock quantity ≈37000 pcs. - 38,000 rub.
Price updated as of 06/22/2019

Description of other USSR awards: Medal For the Construction of the BAM - an award for active participation in the construction of the Baikal-Amur Railway and an anniversary medal for 60 years of the Armed Forces of the USSR.

Medal of the XX years of the Red Army in the USSR award system

Description of the medal XX years of the Red Army

Dimensions Diameter - 30 mm.
Materials 925 silver - 15.592 g, gold - 0.10 g.
Artist S. I. Dmitriev

The medal was made of oxidized silver in the form of a regular circle. The front side of the medal is matte, edged with a shiny edge. On the front side of the medal there is a red five-pointed enamel star with a silver edge. The gold numbers "XX" are superimposed between the lower rays of the star. On the reverse side of the medal is a relief image of a Red Army soldier firing from a rifle. To the right of the figure of the Red Army soldier is the date “1918-1938”.

The medal is worn on a pentagonal metal block, which is covered with a silk moire ribbon. The ribbon is gray, with two red longitudinal stripes along the edges. Until 1943, the medal was worn on a rectangular block covered with a red ribbon.

Anniversary medal "XX years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army"

Jubilee medal "XX years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army"- state award of the USSR, established by the Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces 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 (RKKA) and the Navy ( Navy).

History of the award

Anniversary medal "XX years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" No. 25186. (Type 1).

Anniversary medal "XX years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army." (Type 2)

Anniversary medal “XX years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army” (Type 2) and a certificate for it (Option 1).

Cover of the certificate for the medal “XX Years of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army.” Option 1.

Certificate for the medal “XX Years of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army.” Option 1, variety 1.

Certificate for the medal “XX Years of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army.” Option 1, variety 2.

Cover of the certificate for the medal “XX Years of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army.” Option 2.

Certificate for the medal “XX Years of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army.” Option 2.

The medal was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated January 24, 1938 to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the existence of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA) and the Navy.

The anniversary medal “XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army” is the very first medal established in the USSR. Although it was awarded to more than 37 thousand people - almost twice as many as, for example, the Ushakov or Nakhimov medals, by the end of the war there were very few holders of the “XX Years of the Red Army” medal left. Some of them were repressed in 1938, some died at Khalkhin Gol and during the Soviet-Finnish War. Many recipients of the medal died or were captured during the Great Patriotic War, especially at its beginning. Already in the fifties, this medal could be seen on the uniforms of only a small number of officers, generals, admirals or marshals.

Subsequently, the description of the medal was changed in accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated June 19, 1943. After this Decree came into force, all medals were supposed to be worn on pentagonal blocks, and a special ribbon was approved for the medal.

The medal “XX Years of the Red Army” is made in the style of the 30s: a Soviet symbol and a laconic graphic series of obverse and reverse that does not require additional explanation.

There is a known trial version of the anniversary medal with the image of a Red Army soldier standing at his post against the background of a tank, a cannon, warships and aircraft. But in the troubled pre-war years, according to the leadership, the figure of a soldier 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.

Awards statistics

According to the report of the head of the Directorate for the Commanding Staff of the Red Army Shchadenko E.A. dated May 5, 1940, the table of awards indicates that in 1938, 27,575 people were awarded the anniversary medal “XX Years of the Red Army”, and in 1939 - 2,515 people.

As of January 1, 1995, the anniversary medal “XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army” was awarded to 37,504 people.

Regulations on the medal

ABOUT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE JUBILEE 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 the 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 anniversary medal “XX Years of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army” is awarded to the personnel of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army and the Navy:

a) 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 participants in the civil war and the war for the freedom and independence of the Fatherland, who were members of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and the Navy;

b) awarded the Order of the Red Banner for military distinction during the Civil War.

2. The length of service in the ranks of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and the Navy (clause "a" of Article 1) includes service in the 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

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.

PRESIDIUM OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE USSR

On approval of samples and descriptions of ribbons for orders and medals of the USSR and rules for wearing orders, medals, ribbons and insignia

1. Approve samples and descriptions of ribbons for orders and medals of the USSR.

2. Approve the Rules for wearing orders, medals, ribbons for orders and medals and insignia.

3. All previously existing Regulations on the procedure for wearing orders, medals, ribbons for orders and medals and insignia are considered no longer in force.

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” Gray moire silk ribbon with two longitudinal red stripes along the edges. Tape width - 24 mm, strip width - 2 mm.

To wear ribbons alone without orders and medals, the ribbons are attached to rectangular strips.

Pentagonal block for ribbons for orders and medals

The block is a pentagonal plate with one corner facing down. The plate has a figured cutout in the lower corner for attaching an order or medal to the 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, the pentagonal blocks are connected on a common bar, with the upper sides of the blocks adjacent to each other, forming a straight line without breaks, and each block located on the right partially covers the block located to the left.

Straps for wearing ribbons without orders and medals

The straps for wearing ribbons alone without orders and medals are rectangular metal plates, slightly convex, with a device on the reverse side for attaching the straps 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 to better highlight 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, sash and insignia

2. Order of Lenin, Order of the Red Banner, Order of the Red Banner of Labor, 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" 1st degree, medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" 2nd degree, medal "For the Defense of Leningrad", medal "For the Defense of Odessa", medal "For the Defense of Sevastopol" and medal "For the Defense of Stalingrad" - worn on the left side of the chest.

When wearing two or more of the listed orders and medals, the 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 indicated 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 the order of time of award.

4. Order ribbons and medal ribbons, 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 medal ribbons, the ribbons are secured side by side on a common bar. Tapes that do not fit on one bar are transferred to a second bar, which is attached to the clothing 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 degree, Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd degree, 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" 1st degree, medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" 2nd degree, medal "For the Defense of Leningrad", medal "For the Defense of Odessa", medal " For the defense of Sevastopol”, medal “For the defense of Stalingrad”.

5. All breastplates 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.

Reasons for awarding

The anniversary medal “XX Years of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army” is awarded to personnel of the Red Army and Navy:

• who served in the ranks of the Red Army and the Navy by February 23 (Red Army Day) 1938 for 20 years and honored participants in the civil war and the war for the freedom and independence of the fatherland, who were in the cadres of the Red Army and the Navy;
• awarded the Order of the Red Banner for military distinction during the Civil War.

Service in the 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 is counted as length of service in the ranks of the Red Army and the Navy.

The Jubilee Medal “XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army” is awarded by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Place in the hierarchy of awards

If there are 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 subsoil and the development of the oil and gas complex of Western Siberia” and before the medal “30 years of the Soviet Army and Navy”.

Wearing order

The medal is worn on the left side of the chest on a block.

Until 1943, it had a rectangular hanging block with a slot-like frame in the lower part. The block was covered with a red ribbon passed through the bottom slot. On the reverse side of the block there was a soldered threaded pin and a round clamping nut for attaching the medal to clothing.

After 1943, the rectangular block was changed to a pentagonal one and the medal was attached to clothing using a pin located on the reverse side of the block.

By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated June 19, 1943, instead of the medal “XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army,” it was allowed to wear the established medal ribbon on a special bar, worn in a group with others on a common award block.

Description of the award

Appearance

The anniversary 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 2.5 mm wide rim is shiny.

The medal is made of oxidized 925 silver, the numbers “XX” are gold plated. The content of pure silver in the medal is 15.592 g, gold - 0.10 g.

Obverse. On the front side of the circle there is a five-pointed red enamel star with a silver edge. At the bottom of the circle, between the lower rays of the star, there is a gilded number “XX” 8 mm high and 7 mm wide. The base of the number rests on the top edge of the rim.

Reverse. On the reverse side of the medal there is a 25 mm tall figure of a Red Army soldier shooting from a rifle, dressed in a winter guard uniform; below to the right of the figure of the Red Army soldier is the date “1918-1938”.

Using an eyelet and a ring, the medal is connected to a pentagonal block covered with a silk moire ribbon.

Ribbon for the anniversary medal “XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army”, gray moire silk with two longitudinal red stripes along the edges. Tape width 24 mm, strip width 2 mm.

Features and types of medals

Depending on the type of hanging block, two types of medal “XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army” can be distinguished.

Type 1. Rectangular hanging block

The eyelet of the medal is made integrally with the medal itself. The ear has a characteristic trapezoidal shape. The medal had a rectangular hanging block with a slot-like frame at the bottom. The block was covered with a red ribbon passed through the bottom slot. In the first type of medal, the ribbon was fixed to the block using a thin rectangular plate with a hole in the center and four teeth along the edges.

On the reverse side of the block there was a soldered threaded pin and a round clamping nut for attaching the medal to clothing.

The clamping nut had a diameter of 18 mm. On the nut there was a stamp “MONDVOR” in raised letters and a stamped serial number of the medal. The number on the nut corresponded to the number of the certificate for the medal.

The weight of the medal without block and industrial link is 22.3 g. The weight of the clamping nut with the number is 2.54 g.

The minimum known medal number is 863, the maximum is 37672.

Type 2. Pentagonal hanging block

The second type of medal owes its appearance to the Decree of June 19, 1943. After this Decree came into force, all medals were supposed to be worn on pentagonal blocks. Also, for all pre-war medals, ribbons of the corresponding colors were established. Many of those awarded the “XX Years of the Red Army” medal 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.

Certificate for the medal

The following options and types of certificates for the anniversary medal “XX Years of the Red Army” can be distinguished.

Option 1

Certificate of the 1938 model. On the cover, the coat of arms of the USSR has 11 ribbons. On the double page of the document is the signature of the Secretary of the USSR PVS Gorkin. There are two varieties of the first option. Documents of the first type have a serial number printed in the upper right corner of the first spread immediately after the word IDENTIFICATE. The ID number corresponded to the number on the medal nut. Documents of the second type do not have a serial number.

Option 2

Certificate from 1959. On the cover, the coat of arms of the USSR has 15 ribbons. On the double page of the document is the signature of the Secretary of the USSR PVS Georgadze. There is no ID number. These certificates were awarded as duplicates to replace lost documents, or to former repressed military personnel after their rehabilitation and restoration of their rights and ranks.

Examples of awards

Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, Fleet Admiral Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov.

In addition to the medal “XX Years of the Red Army,” by the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, there were only five orders in the USSR (three of them could be awarded for military merit) and four medals (two of them were awarded for military merit). Thus, a career military man could be awarded only six different awards of the USSR - the Order of Lenin, the Red Banner, the Red Star and the medals “For Courage”, the medal “For Military Merit” and “XX Years of the Red Army”. Military awards were given mainly to participants in armed conflicts, and there were only three such conflicts - Khasan, Khalkhin Gol and the Finnish campaign. Some officers were awarded for distinguished service in Spain. However, the majority of career officers at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War did not have any awards at all, except for the anniversary medal “XX Years of the Red Army”.

For example, Colonel P.F. Moskvitin, who commanded the 161st Rifle Division in the fall of 1941, had only one award at the beginning of the war - the “XX Years of the Red Army” medal.

Future Chief of the General Staff, holder of two Orders of Victory and many military orders, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Marshal A.M. Vasilevsky. by the beginning of the war he had only the Order of the Red Star and the medal “XX Years of the Red Army”.

Women were also awarded this medal, although there were not many such awards. The medal “XX Years of the Red Army” No. 000040 was awarded to Anna Danilovna Demchenko (1898-?). She took part in hostilities from 1918 to 1920, and was shell-shocked in the battles. She also took part in the Great Patriotic War and was awarded the Order of the Red Star, the Medal “For Military Merit” and other awards.

The following famous military leaders were awarded the medal:

• People's Commissar of the Navy Kuznetsov Nikolay Gerasimovich ;
• Air Marshal Zhavoronkov Semyon Fedorovich ;
• Admiral Galler Lev Mikhailovich ;
• Admiral Isakov Ivan Stepanovich ;
• Admiral Levchenko Gordey Ivanovich
• Admiral Oktyabrsky Philip Sergeevich ;
• Admiral Panteleev Yuri Alexandrovich ;
• Admiral Tributs Vladimir Filippovich ;
• Vice Admiral Eliseev Ivan Dmitrievich ;
• Vice Admiral Rall Yuri Fedorovich ;
• Vice Admiral Kholostyakov Georgy Nikitich ;

and many other officers, generals, admirals and marshals.

The medal was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated January 24, 1938 to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the existence of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA) and the Navy. Subsequently, the description of the medal was changed in accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated June 19, 1943.

Regulations on the medal.

The anniversary medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" is awarded to personnel of the Red Army and Navy:

• who served in the ranks of the Red Army and the Navy by February 23 (Red Army Day) 1938 for 20 years and honored participants in the civil war and the war for the freedom and independence of the fatherland, who were in the cadres of the Red Army and the Navy;
• awarded the Order of the Red Banner for military distinction during the Civil War.

Service in the 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 is counted as length of service in the ranks of the Red Army and the Navy.

The Jubilee Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" is awarded by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

If there are 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 subsoil resources and the development of the oil and gas complex of Western Siberia."

Description of the medal.

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 2.5 mm wide rim is shiny. On the front side of the circle there is a five-pointed red enamel star with a silver edge. At the bottom of the circle, between the lower rays of the star, there is a gilded number “XX” 8 mm high and 7 mm wide. The base of the number rests on the top edge of the rim.

On the reverse side of the medal there is a 25 mm tall figure of a Red Army soldier shooting from a rifle, dressed in a winter guard uniform; below to the right of the figure of the Red Army soldier is the date “1918-1938”.

The medal is made of oxidized 925 silver, the numbers “XX” are gold plated. The content of pure silver in the medal is 15.592 g, gold - 0.10 g.

Using an eyelet and a ring, the medal 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 anniversary medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" is the very first medal established in the USSR. Although it was awarded to more than 37 thousand people - almost twice as many as, for example, the Ushakov or Nakhimov medals, by the end of the war there were very few holders of the medal "XX Years of the Red Army" left. Some of them were repressed in 1938, some died at Khalkhin Gol and during the Soviet-Finnish War. Many recipients of the medal died or were captured during the Great Patriotic War, especially at its beginning. Already in the fifties, this medal could be seen on the uniforms of only a small number of officers, generals or marshals.

In addition to the medal "XX Years of the Red Army", at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War in the USSR there were only five orders (three of them could be awarded for military merit) and four medals (two of them were awarded for military merit). Thus, a career military man could be awarded only six different awards of the USSR - the Order of Lenin, the Red Banner, the Red Star and the medals “For Courage”, “For Military Merit” and “XX Years of the Red Army”. We do not take into account labor orders and medals, since they were awarded to Red Army officers extremely rarely. Military awards were given mainly to participants in armed conflicts, and there were only three such conflicts - Khasan, Khalkhin Gol and the Finnish campaign. Some officers were awarded for distinguished service in Spain. However, the majority of career officers at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War did not have any awards at all, except for the anniversary medal “XX Years of the Red Army”. For example, Colonel P.F. Moskvitin, who commanded the 161st Rifle Division in the fall of 1941, had only one award at the beginning of the war - the “XX Years of the Red Army” medal. And the future Chief of the General Staff, holder of two Orders of Victory and many military orders, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Marshal A.M. Vasilevsky. by the beginning of the war he had only the Order of the Red Star and the same medal “XX Years of the Red Army”.

According to the report of the head of the Directorate for the Commanding Staff of the Red Army Shchadenko E.A. dated May 5, 1940, the award table indicates that in 1938, 27,575 people were awarded the anniversary medal “XX Years of the Red Army”, and in 1939 - 2,515 people.

As of January 1, 1995, the anniversary medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" was awarded to 37,504 people.

You can learn about the features and types of medals on the USSR Medals website

Approximate cost of the medal.

According to the current legislation of the Russian Federation, the purchase and/or sale of medals, orders, documents of the USSR and Russia is prohibited; this is all described in Article 324. Purchase or sale of official documents and state awards. You can read about this in more detail in, in which the law is described in more detail, as well as those medals, orders and documents that do not relate to this ban are described.

The medal “XX Years of the Red Army” is made in the style of the 30s: a Soviet symbol and a laconic graphic series of obverse and reverse that does not require additional explanation. Or can you still see something else?..

Let's remember some facts about its creation and consider the reverse. January 24 marks the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the “XX Years of the Red Army” medal. The medal was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated January 24, 1938 to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the existence of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA) and the Navy.

Talk about silver, a meager amount of gold, squinting, boots, “grass” under the shooter, etc. there is no point, because This is known to everyone who is in the know. So 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 no acceptable description of the fighter taking aim has been found. Some experts claim that he is wearing a winter guard uniform. Let's disagree and think a little.

On the reverse of the medal there is an image of a fighter taking aim, preparing to shoot while standing. The shooter is depicted in a short non-cavalry overcoat of the 1936 model, in a winter cloth helmet (Budenovka) of the 1935 model.

The shape of the belt buckle is not entirely clear - horizontal. I remembered that something similar happened among cadets. But we hope that readers can clarify this point.

Armament: 7.62 mm Mosin rifle, model 1891/30. Without a bayonet. The bayonet required for use due to the preliminary zeroing of rifles of that time with a fixed bayonet, even if a rifle with improved characteristics for accurate shooting, is missing, because. There is a limit on the size of the medal and the largest and clearest image of the fighter is required.

When noting the reduced length of the rifle, which does not correspond to the standard one, the following can be said. 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 space for the image is limited by the outline of the medal and rotation 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, positioning itself as vertically as possible relative to the barrel. It can be assumed that the sniper is depicted with a 7.62 mm sniper rifle model 1891/30, adopted for 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 rotated at three-quarters, it could obscure the shooter's face, clutter and blend into the rifle shown, and reduce the impact of the image. The PE sight is longer than the subsequent PU sight.

By the way, where is the sight anyway? The base of the sight (sighting bar) is not visible. This also speaks in favor of sniper weapons.

The belt that could have been draped over the hand was also removed - there would be additional elements of the image - thin stripes, ambiguously interpreted and loading the image.

And the most important. Pay attention to the rifle's bolt handle. If there was a rifle - a 7.62 mm Mosin system rifle of the 1891/30 model - the bolt would be visible as a dot (a ball at the end of the bolt) or a horizontal (necessarily horizontal!) stripe with a dot. And in the image the shutter handle is pointing clearly downwards. Which rifles have a downward bolt? 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, the NKVD units were the first to receive them. Later, snipers appeared in other troops.

Everything said in these paragraphs is simply speculation caused by the image.

dated January 24, 1938

ABOUT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE JUBILEE 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 the 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 anniversary medal “XX Years of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army” is awarded to the personnel of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army and the Navy:

a) 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 participants in the civil war and the war for the freedom and independence of the Fatherland, who were members of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and the Navy;

b) awarded the Order of the Red Banner for military distinction during the Civil War.

2. Service in the 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 is counted as length of service in the ranks of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and the Navy (clause “a” of Article 1). 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 publication “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 dated June 19, 1943.

On approval of samples and descriptions of ribbons for orders and medals of the USSR and rules for wearing orders, medals, ribbons and insignia

1. Approve samples and descriptions of ribbons for orders and medals of the USSR.

2. Approve the Rules for wearing orders, medals, ribbons for orders and medals and insignia.

3. All previously existing Regulations on the procedure for wearing orders, medals, ribbons for orders and medals and insignia are considered no longer in force.

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”
Gray silk moiré ribbon with two longitudinal red stripes along the edges. Tape width - 24 mm, strip width - 2 mm.

To wear ribbons alone without orders and medals, the ribbons are attached to rectangular strips.

Pentagonal block for ribbons for orders and medals

The block is a pentagonal plate with one corner facing down. The plate has a figured cutout in the lower corner for attaching an order or medal to the 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, the pentagonal blocks are connected on a common bar, with the upper sides of the blocks adjacent to each other, forming a straight line without breaks, and each block located on the right partially covers the block located to the left.

Straps for wearing ribbons without orders and medals

The straps for wearing ribbons alone without orders and medals are rectangular metal plates, slightly convex, with a device on the reverse side for attaching the straps 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 to better highlight 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, sash and insignia

2. Order of Lenin, Order of the Red Banner, Order of the Red Banner of Labor, Order of the Badge of Honor, Medal "For Courage", Medal "For Military Merit", 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 the Defense of Sevastopol" and 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, the 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 indicated 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 the order of time of award.

4. Order ribbons and medal ribbons, 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 medal ribbons, the ribbons are secured side by side on a common bar. Tapes that do not fit on one bar are transferred to a second bar, which is attached to the clothing 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 degree, Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd degree, 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, anniversary medal "XX years of the Red Army", medal "For Labor Valor", medal "For Labor Distinction", medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" 1st degree, medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War" 2nd 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 breastplates 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 shortened)

Well, we hope that you paid attention to the fact that a similar image of a shooter is used on the developed sign dedicated to, registration for which has already been completed and can only be purchased if previously registered ones refuse to purchase.

Images taken from the Faleristics.info forum (smash, Andryukha, oleg-g777)