Medal "International Brigades Spain 1936-1939".

[Ed_Haynes]

Medal for Volunteers in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-39

Instituted on 28 May 1974 and awarded to Bulgarian and foreign citizens who participated in the struggle with the International Brigades with Spain’s Republican Army against Franco’s Nationalist. Bulgarian service was mainly in the Dajakovich Battalion of the CXXIX "Europa Central" International Brigade.

The obverse of the medal is 33 mm in diameter, circular in shape, and made from bronze. Pictured on the obverse is a map of Spain with the three-sided star of the internationalist fighter’s and an image of a clenched fist, which was the international communist salute. The legend abbreviates "Fighters Against Fascism and Capitalism."

On the reverse is the five-pointed star, the bust of the Bulgarian Prime Minister, George Dimitrov, with the words "Bulgarian International Brigades – Spain – 1936-1939" around the outer edge.

The medal is suspended from the usual five-sided ribbon mount with a multi-coloured ribbon in equal widths of red, yellow, violet, white, green, and red stripes, symbolising the national colours of Bulgaria and Spain.

And the certificate for the Medal for Volunteers in the Spanish Civil War, 1936-39.

The usual 70 x 100 mm hard-covered cardboard award booklet.

Unfortunately, I haven't yet gotten this fully deciphered. (Any Bulgarian speakers out there ... ? My wife's Bulgarian colleague is translating for me just now.) Awarded as # 462 on 6 March 1975.

I have not scanned an additional page of what -- if it follows Soviet patterns -- will be general directives on awards. Let me know if you want it.