General questions/ comments on Polish awards

[charlet]

indeed you're right Eddie. But the 2 awarding systems rely on two very historical bases...Polish system is founded on 18th century awards, with a big refondation in 1918. Soviet system was entirely nwe, with a second wave of national or patriotic (or opportunist?) awards in 1943...so we must superpose a civil war blochevik order, the red banner (and its republican counterparts) and high orders like Suvorov, Kutuzov, etc...There was orders for soldiers (Glory), and for oficers (Kutuzov, etc) a bit like in the czarist system.
The prestige of polish awards relies on rarity in awarding...and on 5 classes for Virtuti, Polonia restituta. Soviet nomenclature was more or less accurate about the motives of awarding...strategical realisations, personnal courage...So maybe we could compare a Virtuti 1st class to a Souvorov 1st? yes and no, because I don't believe a Virtitu Grand cross could be received twice, though it was possible for a souvorov 1st...

I believe as you the polish system, following west-european traditions, is far from the soviet one.