Order of the Patriotic War Gold 1st Class -Red Army

Order of the Patriotic War Gold 1st Class -Red Army

 ORDER OF THE PATRIOTIC WAR

 The Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class Gold (Russian: Орден Отечественной войны) is a Soviet military decoration that was awarded to all soldiers in the Soviet armed forces, the Red Army, security troops, and to partisans for heroic deeds during the German-Soviet War, known since the mid-1960s in the former Soviet Union as the Great Patriotic War.

 The Order was established on 20 May 1942 and came in first class and second class depending upon the merit of the deed. It was the first Soviet order established during the war, and the first Soviet order divided into classes.

 Its statute precisely defined, which deeds are awarded with the order, e.g. shooting down three aircraft as a fighter pilot, or destroying two heavy or three medium or four light tanks, or capturing a warship, or repairing an aircraft under fire after landing on a hostile territory, and so on, were awarded with the first class.

It was also given to some allied troops and commanders, including western allies.

In 1985, during the celebration of the 40th anniversary of Victory Day, it was decided that all surviving veterans of the war would be awarded either 2nd or 1st class of the Order.

The rays in the background were golden for 1st Class and silver for 2nd Class.