Mondvor

Long service Red Star - obverse.

Rodionov's long service Military Merit medal.

From his service list we can see that after the war he served as Personnel Section Senior Instructor of Political Department of 10th Guard Army in Leningrad Military District (April ? October 1947), the Head of Political Department Assistant in Kiev Military District (1947-1956) and finally as a Head of Political Department in Kiev Military Medical School (1956-1958). On October 1, 1958 he was retired.

Rodionov?s personal service card. He was promoted first to Politruk (political military rank equal to Lieutenant), than in April 1942 he received a rank of Sr. Politruk (Sr. Lieutenant). Same year he got a Captain - in November 1942. And in only nine month another promotion to Major ? in August 1943. What a huge start? But his next rank of Lt. Colonel he received only in June 1946. And finally he was promoted to Colonel in April 1951. From Lieutenant to Colonel in 10 years. WOW!!! Maybe I should join the Army? Also we can see that he finished a Military Political Academy in 1953.

GPW 1st class reverse.

GPW 1st class.

Military order for GPW 1st class.

He was awarded with Patriotic War 1st class not for of particular feat, but as a summary of his previous merits (typical situation for a political officer). Citation describes his participation in 1941-42 battles as a mortar battery commissar, his excellent work as a Head of Personnel Section since 1943, his huge work for replacement of all killed and wounded political officers during offensive on Karelian Isthmus. Citation especially accentuates his role in providing continuous and uninterrupted political education to junior officers and his role in strengthening Communist morality among the troops. Blah, blah, blah? Lots of rubbish? As for me, he deserves a Military Merit for all of that, not a Patriotic War. But in according with the rules political officer should be highly decorated. The citation signed by Head of Poltitcal Department of 23rd Army ? Guards Colonel Stepchenko.

GPW 2nd class reverse.

GPW 2nd class.

Military order for GPW 2nd class.

He was awarded with Patriotic War 2nd class for the actions during 23rd Army offensive operations. At this time Rodionov as a Head of Personnel Section provided swift and effective replacement of all killed and wounded political officers by a new people, coming from reserve. The citation signed by Head of Poltitcal Department of 23rd Army ? Guards Colonel Stepchenko.

Red Star 218294 reverse.

Red Star 218294.

Military order for Red Star award.

Award citation for Red Star Name: Rodionov Ivan Stepanovich Military Rank: Major Position: Chief of Personnel Section, Poltitcal Department of 23rd Army, Born: 1910 Nationality: Russian Party membership: Communist Party member since 1929 Participation in war: In Great Patriotic War from 1941 near Sortavala, Landenpohya, Valkyarvee, Beloostrov. Wounds or contusions: None In Red Army: since June 1941 From what Military Registration Office was recruited: City of Viborg Military Registration Office Previous awards: Not awarded Home address: Bashkir SSR, City of Beloretsk, Pushkin street 128 Short description of merits: Comrade Rodionov is in Red Army since the first days of war. He was a commissar of mortar battery and participated in intense battles near Sortavala, Landenpohya, Valkyarvee and other places of Karelian Isthmus. At the beginning of 1942 he was assigned to Political Department of 23rd Army. He displayed himself as a hard-working, serious and conscientious specialist. He often was sent to front line units to educate junior political officers. When the Supreme Political Department of Red Army introduced new Instructions # 24 and # 05, comrade Rodionov successfully carried out tremendous amount of work for transferring junior political officers to command positions. He regularly visit Army formations and meet their political officers to share his experience and provide necessary help. Deserves a state award ? Order of the Red Star. Head of Poltitcal Department of 23rd Army ? Colonel Zvonov.

Orderbook - second page.

Orderbook - first page.

Question: Why orderbooks were so important to Soviet people? Answer: Because they were issued together with coupon book for monthly payments. So "orderbook" = "money". But since Jan. 1948 all money payments for orders and medals were cancelled. So the importance of the orderbook was diminished. That's why some people who didn't change temporary certificates for orderbook before 1948 decided no to change it at all. That is especially true for people from rural places (collective farmers). To exchange temporary documents for orderbook they should make a long and somewhat expensive trip to the Regional Military Registration Office.

In case of Vaitsman's orderbook displayed by Alfred, "black dealers" also screwed up. In according with the data at the bottom, the book was filled in 1946. How unnumbered Otvaga could be in a list? Before making fake orderbooks they should pay more attention to the history of awards... Morons...

In case with Chertkov they also did a mistake in the list of awards in the orderbook. We can see that besides his three Glories he had Otvaga medal clearly visible on the photo. But there is no Otvaga in the list of his awards on the other page. Instead they put Military Merit and Red Star, which are absent on the photo...

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But the event of Supreme Soviet seal on 1945-47 orderbook was wery unusual. Only some HSU and high-ranking generals got their orderbooks in Kremlin. 99% of other officers received permanent orderbooks in exchange for their temporary certificates in their units. And most of them didn't have any pictures at all (only a stamp "valid without a picture"). For those who did have a picture, it was normally covered with a seal of the unit (Army, Military District, etc). But NOT a Supreme Soviet seal. Here are some examples of real seals on 1945-47 orderbooks.