Soviet "Lucite" D-Profile Painted Underlay Ribbon Bars

[Guest Rick Research]

These extremely durable Soviet "ribbon" bars are my favorite style. I am not quite sure what the glass/plastic/??? solid clear domed optical quality material making up each row is--

I never saw "Lucite" HERE before the 1970s, yet these Soviet bars go back to the late 1940s.

Viewed from the side, each row looks like

D

D

D

D

with the "ribbon" painted on the flat bottom and the ends filed flat. Attractive and durable, they reveal their "Potemkin village" over-engineered construction and labor when viewed from the backs-- which are always crude, ugly, and frequently simply nasty.

Full medal bars were also made the same way-- for some of those, see:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=1160

For later types of "D profile" bars which have cloth underlays, not painted "ribbons," see:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=1162

Here is a very nice set indeed on a M1954 (pre-1957 16 Republics buttons) Major General tunic:

[attachmentid=30501]

One of his two Lenins was certainly for 25 years service, and at least 1 Red Banner was for 20 years--possibly a 2nd was for 30 years long service-- but one Lenin, one Red Banner, and the "triple" 2nd Classes of Suvorov, Kutuzov, and Bogdan Khmelnitsky tell a story of a real career, as does the OPW1 and ORS tacked in almost as afterthoughts by comparison. Notice that the Capture of K?nigsberg Medal ribbon comes sandwiched between the Defense of the Caucasus and BEFORE the Victory Over Germany-- that precedence shows up far too often on these late 1940s bars for this to be an error. I believe the regulations were later changed and that placed these medals out of "logical chronological" order after the Victory (see below's probably 1950+ upper bar). The last Soviet award here is from 1948. the large ribbon is for the Commander grade of the Polish Order of Gr?newald.

more modestly, two to the same lower ranking officer, one circa 1948-57, the larger from circa 1958-60:

[attachmentid=30503]

From the earlier one, it might appear that in addition to his OPW2, he had a Red Star and MMM-- quite a nice wartime trio of "real" awards. Yet the second set here reveals by its 20 Years Armed Forces Service Medal that the latter two were actually routine 15 and 10 years service awards-- and his sole wartime decoration was the OPW2! Notice the subtle variation between the two hand painted versions, made several years apart.

The ugly side to the beautiful "up" side =

[attachmentid=30504]

[Riley1965]

Rick,

Very nice indeed!!! Show us more...PLEASE!!!

Doc

[Guest Rick Research]

I got this 1970-75 24 "ribbons" bar, molded to fit snugly on the chest of its Border Guards "party animal" wearer...

[attachmentid=30507]

notice the especially nasty Pointy Things on the bottom!!!

[attachmentid=30508]

but the seller had split up what WOULD have been a particularly nice pair, and this 1968-70 18 "ribbon" bar to the very same traveling parade attender went Out Into The Void Somewhere:

[attachmentid=30509]

still, that allows me to date several of the awards on mine, doesn't it?

[Guest Rick Research]

This particularly nice "mock cloisonn?" example has gilt metal lines separating each color of paint-- as if they were REAL enamel.

[attachmentid=30514]

Absence of a MMM suggests that one of these Red Stars was a 15-19 years service award from the initial November 1944 long service bestowals--in which case one of the Red Banners is likely a 20 years award circa 1948-49.

But the OTHER two Red Banners, the Bogdan Kmelnitsky 2nd Class, OPW2, and second Red Star are indications of a terrific war record. Notice the eccentric but characteristic late 1940s way the WW2 campaign medals are worn--

Liberation of Warsaw before

Defense of Stalingrad

but Capture of Berlin correctly after the Victory Over Germany.

Although this could date any time 1948-58, I'd lean towards the earlier end of this range rather than the later just from the screwball way the campaign medals are being worn-- which seems to match period photos of the full sized medals also in wear.

This bar ends with the Order of Virtuti Militari-- Poland's highest bravery award in every form of government, and the Polish Medal for Warsaw in their "natural size."

This bar has been molded to fit the wearer's chest as well. Although crude, the UPRIGHT double pins are not a repair-- that is the way this bar was made-- with two individual pins rather than one long horizontal one. This custom idea certainly produced a snugger and more secure fit--

although the back still looks like a child's shop class reject.

[Guest Rick Research]

But wait!!! Not ONLY heroes and senior officers paid what had to have been a hefty price for this classy Classless Society deluxe fashion statement!

Here are two less than awe inspiring examples from the 1970s-- 30 years into the style, and nearing the end of its usage (?)

[attachmentid=30517]

On top, a military officer's bar from circa 1970-78. With at least 23 and possibly pushing 30 years of service, he has not received a single decoration-- not even the lowly MMM.

Underneath, a police example. The MMM there may be a WW2 award, or a 1950s 10 years service award, since the first long service here is a 15 medal. At some point in the 1950s apparently MVD personnel ceased receiving these military-type long service decorations. This bar dates 1968-75, as above, from the final jubilee award, and was reportedly the property of a Moscow subways system police NCO.

[attachmentid=30518]

These were custom work. The military one has nice reinforcing metal under the second row while the police version makes due with only the top and bottom.

All of thse are bent up at the sides to hold the rows rigidly in place.

With such beautiful work showing on the fronts, the crudity of the reverses and typical shoddy wire pins is quite a contrast... perhaps a metaphor, even.

[order_of_victory]

I have just aquired this medal bar from the pictures it looks to be the the Lucite type, Here a list of the medals I can identify

Row 1 - Order of Lenin, 3x Order of the Red Banner,

Row 2 - Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky 2nd Class?, Order of GPW 1st Class, Order of the Red Star, Medal for the Defense of Caucasus.

Row 3 - Victoy over Germany, Medal for Liberation of Warsaw, For the Capture of Berlin, 30th Anniversary of the Soviet Army.

Row 4 - No Idea

Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky 2nd Class is just guess. If any one can identify any of the medals on this bar it would appreciated.

[Gerd Becker]

I have just aquired this medal bar from the pictures it looks to be the the Lucite type, Here a list of the medals I can identify

Row 1 - Order of Lenin, 3x Order of the Red Banner,

Row 2 - Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky 2nd Class?, Order of GPW 1st Class, Order of the Red Star, Medal for the Defense of Caucasus.

Row 3 - Victoy over Germany, Medal for Liberation of Warsaw, For the Capture of Berlin, 30th Anniversary of the Soviet Army.

Row 4 - No Idea

Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky 2nd Class is just guess. If any one can identify any of the medals on this bar it would appreciated.

This is what i read:

Row 1: Order of Lenin, 3X ORB, Suvorov 2nd class

Row 2: Khmelnitsky 2nd class, OGPW 1st class, ORS, Caucasus,

ROw 3: VoG, Warsaw, Berlin, 30 years Army,

Row 4: I guess, they are Polish, Polonia Restutia, ???, ???

Gerd

[order_of_victory]

Thanks Gerd,

He certainly had great carer, he must of seen some serious action in GPW

Its just asshame i dont have the orders to go with the bar

[Gerd Becker]

Thanks Gerd,

He certainly had great carer, he must of seen some serious action in GPW

Its just asshame i dont have the orders to go with the bar

That group would be awesome. But to have the ribbonbar, isn?t bad either Nice one

[Guest Rick Research]

Yup, Gerd's right-- last in top row is a Suvorov 2nd.

Bottom row = Polish Cross of Valor, Polish Medal "On the Field of Glory," and the Polish Warsaw Medal

Nice bar in "staggered" rows.

[order_of_victory]

Rich,

Thanks for confirming that it is a Suvorov 2nd.

Also thanks for indentifying the Polish Medals.

I have contacted the seller to see weather he know anything about the owner bar, if find out any thing about it I will let you know.

[Kev in Deva]

I got this 1970-75 24 "ribbons" bar, molded to fit snugly on the chest of its Border Guards "party animal" wearer...

[attachmentid=30507]

notice the especially nasty Pointy Things on the bottom!!!

[attachmentid=30508]

but the seller had split up what WOULD have been a particularly nice pair, and this 1968-70 18 "ribbon" bar to the very same traveling parade attender went Out Into The Void Somewhere:

[attachmentid=30509]

still, that allows me to date several of the awards on mine, doesn't it?

Hallo Rick with regards the large Medal bar to a Border Guard Party Animal, It might interest you to know the second last ribbon is Romanian and its for:

A XX ANIVERSARE A ELIBERARII PATRIEI 1944 - 1964.

20th Aniversary of the Liberation of the Country.

Please see attached scans.