Estonia Latvian ribbon bar

[Noor]

Hi guys, Here is one really nice and scarce ribbon bar from first Latvian Republic (1918-1940). It is very interesting to see that they used identical ribbon bar constructions, as their neighbours from North – Estonia. Maybe because Estonian Defence forces helped them gain the victory over German Freikorps (“Iron Division”) in the Battle of Cēsis (Wenden). After conflicts between themselves regarding borderline (especially city Valga/Valka what remain spited two still today), they had strong connections between two countries and defence organisations.

This ribbon bar belonged to the young officer, who was probably member of Latvian Home Defence. This bar consists:

● Order of the Three Stars (Triju Zvaigžņu Ordenis)

● Order of Vesthardus (Viesturs Ordenis)

● Medal of Merit of the Home Defence (Aizsargu Medala ‘Par Centību’)

Last two awards make this ribbon bar extremely rare.

Order of Vesthardus was established 1938 and exist only two years.

Medal of Merit of the Home Defence was established 1939 and only few hundred was ever awarded.

- Probably many, who received these two awards, didn’t let the ribbon bar made same moment. Meantime times went hard already 1939, when Soviet Union forced their army bases to the Baltic States and probably many of the new award recipients didn’t think at these hard times how to get the ribbon bar made, instead more actual was to see how to survive these hard times.

- During the WW2 lots of homes was destroyed when the war went over Latvia and as a part of all destruction – many awards and ribbon bars was destroyed.

- As a part of Soviet block from 1944 people didn’t keep these kind items anymore because something like that was a ticket to repressions by KGB and Soviet authorities.