Soviet award research possibilities

[Auke]

I thought I would start this topic to provide an overview of which Soviet awards can be researched, what kind of documents can be obtained, and which are the most useful Internet resources for additional research. Over the years I have come into contact with several researchers who work in the Russian archives and who can obtain the information mentioned below.

These researchers do not have websites, they usually do not speak English, and the websites listed below are in Russian, but I'm sure that several senior members here, myself included, would be happy to assist in obtaining research information. This topic isn't meant as a commercial ad, but merely as a reference of what is available. Additions are always welcome.

MILITARY AWARDS (ARMY, AIR FORCE, NAVY)

Pre-June 1941 awards

• The RSFSR Order of the Red Banner can be researched, but the only information available is the recipient's full name, position, award date, and a short reason for the award. If the recipient ended up serving during WW2 and was awarded additional decorations during this conflict, you can get his record card and award citations (see "Post-June 1941 awards" below).
• For pre-June 1941 Soviet military awards (Order of Lenin, Order of the Red Banner, Order of the Red Star, Medal for Courage, Medal for Combat Merit) you can get the recipient's full name, year of birth, award date, and a short description of the award Decree. Sometimes a transcript or copies of the Decree are available. No citations exist for prewar military awards.

Post-June 1941 awards

• Record card. If a service member was awarded a numbered military decoration (one of the ones mentioned below), you can get his record card (which contains a number of biographical details and a list of all awards received by the awardee). A record card can be obtained via the award's serial number or the name of the recipient. All record cards are stored in the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense (TsAMO). The following awards can be researched:
  • Gold Star Medal (Hero of the Soviet Union)
  • Order of Lenin (if to a service member)
  • Order of the Red Banner
  • Order of Suvorov (all three classes)
  • Order of Kutuzov (all three classes)
  • Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky (all three classes)
  • Order of Alexander Nevsky
  • Order of Ushakov
  • Order of Nakhimov
  • Order of the Patriotic War (both classes, but not the 1985 issue)
  • Order of the Red Star
  • Order of Glory (all three classes)
  • Order for Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR (all three classes)
  • Medal for Courage
  • Medal for Combat Merit
  • Medal of Ushakov
  • Medal of Nakhimov
• Award sheet. In all of these cases you can get the award sheet, which contains a number of biographical details and the award citation. Between 1944 and 1957 several orders and medals could be awarded for long service; award sheets exist for wartime long-service awards. Army and Air Force award sheets are stored in the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense (TsAMO), Navy award sheets are stored in the Central Naval Archive (TsVMA). See "Useful Website 1", which is an online citation database.
• Service record. Officers only: document which contains a list of the officer's assignments, as well as information on education, promotions, etc. Often comes with a photo of the officer.
• Personnel file. Officers only: a folder with usually some 20-30 pages of attestations, promotion recommendations, an autobiography, and a photo of the officer. Seems to be unavailable for a while now.

"SECRET" AWARDS (NKVD, KGB, SMERSH, PARTISANS)

• For NKVD and KGB personnel you can sometimes get the record card. All other documents (award sheet, service record, personnel file) are still classified.
• SmerSh awards can usually be researched like regular Army awards (record card and award sheet). SmerSh service records and personnel files are still classified.
• Some partisan awards can be researched like regular Army awards (record card and award sheet). In other cases the record card and service record are stored elsewhere, but they can from time to time be researched. Some of these award sheets are even in the Podvig Naroda database (see "Useful Website 1" below); the award sheets that are not online are usually still classified.

CIVILIAN AWARDS

Pre-June 1941 awards

• For pre-June 1941 civilian awards (Hero of Socialist Labor, Order of Lenin, Order of the Red Banner of Labor, Order of the Badge of Honor, Medal for Valiant Labor, Medal for Labor Distinction) you can get the recipient's full name, year of birth, award date, and a short description of the award Decree. Sometimes a transcript or copies of the Decree are available. Most of this information comes from the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF). No citations exist for civilian awards.

Post-June 1941 awards

• For the following post-June 1941 civilian awards you can sometimes get the recipient's record card:
  • Hero of Socialist Labor
  • Order of Lenin
  • Order of the October Revolution
  • Order of the Red Banner of Labor
  • Order of the Badge of Honor
  • Order for Friendship Between Peoples
  • Order for Labor Glory
  • Medal for Valiant Labor
  • Medal for Labor Distinction
  No citations exist for civilian awards. Additional information on the award Decree may be obtained in back issues of the Pravda newspaper or the Vedomosti publications.

USEFUL WEBSITES

• 1. Podvig Naroda Database. Extremely helpful website with all wartime Army, Air Force, and Navy citations (June 1941 - September 1945), except for Army and Air Force long-service award citations. It does contain Navy long-service citations, as well as citations for all wound awards bestowed in 1946 and 1947.
• 2. Memorial Database. If the recipient was killed in action, he may be listed in this database. It has some information on all casualties, such as year and place of birth, some details on the final resting place, and the name of the next of kin.
• 3. Soviet award Decrees. I'm working on this list of award Decrees. It may be useful to collectors who have record cards or order and medal booklets mentioning certain Decrees. Caution is advised, however, as on some days multiple Decrees were issued.