Soviet 1938 "Jubilee" Medals

[Guest Rick Research]

These are actually for twenty years of continuous service in the Soviet armed forces, from 1918 to 1938, so they are not really "jubilee" medals at all, despite the name. Until 1943 they were worn on small red ribbons which matched a serial number on the screw nut to the serial number in the certified photo award book. In 1943 they were moved to the newly re-introduced Tsarist style suspensions and given a new ribbon design.

Forthwith, a M1943 suspension medal, various Award Books, photos in wear and ribbon bars:

Closeup of the obverse. The "XX" was originally weakly gilt, but that is almost always gone:

[Guest Rick Research]

reverse closeup--

Artillery Colonel V P Izomov wearing the original 1938 style suspension in 1941

Administrative Colonel Kaminsky on the staff of the Military Legal Academy in 1955 was STILL wearing this medal-- as was common apparently until the last holders left active duty, AHEAD of any WW2 campaign medals.

[Guest Rick Research]

Engineer Lieutenant Colonel V N Podozerov wearing his 1938 on the original suspension in 1940

and as a Military Railways Colonel on the staff of the Military Transportation Academy in 1947 with the new type suspension

[Guest Rick Research]

Pre-war badges came with hardcover red award booklets of the type which would soon be used for Orders Books. Covers of a 1938 Jubilee Medal award book:

[attachmentid=11135]

[Guest Rick Research]

The two pages inside: on the left, the recipient's photo (occasionally found wearing the medal but not often), signature, and attesting unit stamp; and on the right, recipient's serial number at upper right, names and rank, and date of award. Most commonly the date is shown as one day after that of the institution, 23 February 1938-- which means ACTUAL awards were probably made later. McDaniel and Schmitt show a 1939 dated book, and I have seen one from 1943 for an officer who fell victim to the Great Purge but had survived and been rehabilitated.

The ill-fated Major Vasily Andreevich Volkov of 5th Red Banner.... unit was reportedly NOT a survivor: I was told that a large cache of these "mint" award books came from the files of those purged at the time. This document was issued 16 November 1938, and bears serial number 33,511. There were reportedly approximately 37,000 of these awarded, so higher numbers would be appreciated as confirmation.

"Jubilee," indeed.

[Guest Rick Research]

Most often these books are battered and worn, as is this one to "Milint 2nd rank" (Administrative Major) Afanasy Grigorievich Zaitsev, issued "23 February 1938" (presumably a nominal date rather than real date) for medal number 2,374:

He was on the staff of the Military Chemical Defense Academy "in the name of K. Ye. Voroshilov." Note the old pattern administrative branch collar insignia

For a third example of the 1938 award book, to an air force engineer, see

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=2236

including several photos of him wearing the medal at different periods

[Guest Rick Research]

Ribbon bars:

circa 1958--

this ancient Comrade made it to 1968, anyway --

and this battered example is a mishmash of home made improvizations for another elderly early Workers And Peasant Red Army veteran, 1960s --

for a solid clear plastic painted "ribbons" medal bar mounting with the 1938 before WW2 VOG and 1948, see:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=1160...post&p=8201

[Wild Card]

Rick,

Thank you for an excellent presentation.

Yours truly,

Wild Card

[Paul R]

That is a beautiful presentation. I will add my 1938 book today!

[Gerd Becker]

I agree. Great presentation

[Ed_Haynes]

And, to complete the images, Vatslav Bronislavovich Lavrinovich's medal, #15126. No document with this one, though.

[Ed_Haynes]

He is shown wearing it in the late-issue 1941 award booket for his 1919 Red Banner

For more, see: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=2326

[Laurence Strong]

Nice one's guys

[Paul R]

Lets try this

[Paul R]

Sweet! It works! Thanks Rick

[Paul R]

Last Page

[Paul R]

This book came with the medal which was mounted on the five sided suspension bar. There appear to be traces of the gilt on the "XX". I have the medal posted in the thread with my other medals and orders.

Thanks again Rick!

[Guest Rick Research]

Can you try for the photo page and the name page separately, but at the size of that last camera scan of BOTH pages? He was "Engineer 3rd Rank" (Captain) Petr Illegible (Amichev?) can't read the fuzzy. NO DATE on that number 35,854 but-- the STAMP is for a non-Russian language authority... one of the OTHER constituent Republics of the USSR! Oooooooo!

Have you considered getting an Epson 2400 series scanner?

[Paul R]

Thanks for the information! I can try and get that page a little larger...

Does that make this book rare? (Him being from a non-Russian language authority? One of the OTHER constituent Republics of the USSR? what does that mean?

Best regards

Paul Reck

[Guest Rick Research]

I can't quite make out the language of the outer ring-- it's not Russian, so one of the other "official" Republics of the time inside the USSR. One word of Cyrillic shows on the inner line: "Okrug" or "District" so that identified whicever of then then dozen or so "Military Districts" this was from.

[attachmentid=11236]

Anybody recognize what language this is, for the issuing Republic? I've never seen any issued except in Russian.

[Paul R]

I can't quite make out the language of the outer ring-- it's not Russian, so one of the other "official" Republics of the time inside the USSR. One word of Cyrillic shows on the inner line: "Okrug" or "District" so that identified whicever of then then dozen or so "Military Districts" this was from.

[attachmentid=11236]

Anybody recognize what language this is, for the issuing Republic? I've never seen any issued except in Russian.

←

Rick,

How many districs used other languages than Cyrillic ? The cannot be more than a couple! I will have to pull out a map!

Best regards

PAul

[Paul R]

Rick,

How many districs used other languages than  Cyrillic ?  The cannot be more than a couple!  I will have to pull out a map!

Best regards

PAul

←

HEre is a map:

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/commonwealth/soviet_pol89.jpg

The Turkmen SSR did not use Cyrillic, did they?

Paul

[Gerd Becker]

Sets of a Type 2 Medal with document go for 800-1000 Dollar now Time to reconsider the collecting field?

[order_of_victory]

Gosh I am glad I bought the docs for these

Order of Victory

[Paul R]

Me too. I remember thinking that 200 dollars was a lot of money for the medal and booklet as I was paying for it! The only reason I got it was because I thought that it was the first official Soviet medal, so I had to have it.

Now, there is no way I will be able to afford one of these! I am glad I got mine when I had the chance.

Regards

Paul