Soviet Good Service Medals

[Paul R]

As you might all know, all branches have the same medals for 10, 15, and 20 years good service... at least on the front...

[Paul R]

but what makes them more unique is what is one the back.

If someone could tell me which branches these are from, I would be greatly appreciative!

20 years

[Paul R]

15 years

[Paul R]

10 years service.

Again, any help in IDing what branch of service that these medals went to would be greatly appreciated!

Please post yours!!!

Paul

[Guest Darrell]

Hi Paul ... I'm away from home ... but I know the RED BIBLE has the answers

[Ed_Haynes]

Having the Red Bible here, by my desk (where else would it be?!):

20-year - USSR MVD, 1958-60 and 1968-91

15- and 10-year - USSR Ministry of Defence, 1958-91

[Guest Darrell]

Here's my three. Same reverse as your 10 and 15 year.

Edited May 11, 2006 by Darrell

[Riley1965]

Here's my 10, 15 & 20 years for the Medal for Irreproachable Service

KBG Fire Department

Doc

[Riley1965]

15 & 20 year reverse

Doc

[Ed_Haynes]

Not my favorite site, but see:

http://www.soviet-awards.com/medals14.htm#order47

If (like me) you need English.

But for more reliable information, there is always Mondovor too!

http://www.mondvor.narod.ru/MBezuprSl.html

(If you live long enough for it to load . . . . Really slow of late!)

[Paul R]

You are awesome Ed! Thanks for the quick translation!

Darrell,

Thanks for sharing your set with us! Very nice!

Riley,

I have never even heard of the KGB Fire Dept. I bet this is the only set of these that I will see for a while!

[Riley1965]

The set was purchased from our friend in New York. It said (Fire Department ?)

SOOOO What do I have here?

Doc

[Riley1965]

Checked the PMD. They are Type 1 KGB.

Doc

[Gerd Becker]

Checked the PMD. They are Type 1 KGB.

Doc

Doc, they are not. They are indeed Fire Department Service Medals.

Gerd

[order_of_victory]

Here are some Documents:

1st 15 years MVD

2nd 10 Years Red Army (Is this one of the last to be awarded or is it fake)

[Guest Rick Research]

Paul-- looks like your MVD 20 is the first type, with a silvered finish that is darker than the shiny "aluminum radiator paint" type finish on later issues. Not always easy to tell from scans, but easy in-hand.

"Checked the PMD. They are Type 1 KGB."

As Gerd says, they are not. That is an error--one of the very few-- that McDaniel and Schmitt passed on from Herfurth, who is responsible for it. As Igor Moiseyev always maintained, the blank reverse /common front type are for Fire Department personnel. I have scans (someplace) of an entire group down to all uniforms, photo albums with trucks, etc etc etc which does not belong to me so I cannot post it, but verifying Igor's identification. (Now if I can only get him to stop saying "Combat Service Medal!" )

"In print" information has to be kept current with the latest information from us all sharing online.

KGB medals ALWAYS have Roman numerals for the appropriate class on the front, and a blank reverse not showing the branch of service. (Real "security," huh?)

Due to the coincidental nature of my collecting interests, what I have are 1st type silvered KGB 20s to "old boys." I don't have any of the later finished type or lower classes.

The Khruschev period 20s--all of them, for all branches--are actually silvered, so they age with a patina that the later 20s do not share:

[Guest Rick Research]

Cover of a KGB long service medal award booklet

[attachmentid=38873]

[Guest Rick Research]

How can you TELL that was the cover of a KGB one? You can't-- ALL the covers are the same. This is one of those award booklets that you have to look inside to see who issued what to whom, and when:

[attachmentid=38874]

Senior Technical Lieutenant Afanasy Filippovich Drutsky got an initial issue KGB 20 per 6 February 1958.

These booklets were all designed to allow entries to be made for the 10, 15, and 20. Older personnel got whatever they were entitled to when these medals replaced long service MMMs and ORSs. Drutsky had previously received an MMM for 10 years and ORS for 15, so this is what he got as first and only medal. People who had long service Red Banners for 20 years already never got one of these.

[Guest Rick Research]

The difference in finish between any of the "1958" silvered 20s and the 1960s+ versions is quite clear:

[attachmentid=38875]

These happen to be a 1958 MVD and a 1966 MOOP

[Guest Rick Research]

"MOOP" was used on police reverses 1966 to 1968 as their Ministry was renamed over and over again in the 1960s, leading to all sorts of varieties:

[attachmentid=38877][attachmentid=38878]

I have never seen any explanation as to why some of the 1966-68 medals say "MOOP SSSR" and others like this only "MOOP." (That pesky old fire department "issue" maybe?)

[Guest Rick Research]

To the point that previous-version awards books had to have the designations scribbled over for subsequent medals:

[attachmentid=38879]

Then Police Senior Lieutenant Shegeda of the Kiev Militia got his "MVD" reverse 15 in 1958, but when his 20 came up in 1962, it was then the transitory "UkSSR MOOP" reverse type. Unfortunately I do not have that medal. Note that the way all these books are set up, the only space for a RANK is on the first entry, so somebody with all three will only show their rank at the time of the first bestowal. (Shegeda ended up as a Police Major)

[Guest Rick Research]

Police Major Gusev's 1958 20

[attachmentid=38887]

note the heading on the inside is "Ministry of Interior Affairs" (MIA = MVD)

[Guest Rick Research]

and his silvered Khruschev era medal:

[attachmentid=38889][attachmentid=38890]

[Riley1965]

Gerd & Rick,

Thanks for clearing up the Fire department Service medal. Ironic that a former Firefighter/Paramedic would purchase a set that turns out to be for Soviet firefighters. I am very proud to have these in my collection!!!

Doc

[Guest Rick Research]

Just found Shegeda's police long service medals award book cover, and note that it does say Ministry of Interior Affairs on the cover:

[attachmentid=38896]