Here is a Bulgarian General's Ribbon Bar. I think it is a great example of their "Order Of Precedence" as it is completely hit and miss.
Top Line
Order "9 IX 1944" 3rd Class
Order "Red Banner"
Medal "For Military Merit"
Medal "For Honorary And Long Service" 1st Class
Second Line
Medal "For Honorary And Long Service" 2nd Class
Medal "For Honorary And Long Service" 3rd Class
(These next two could be interchangeable as they have the same ribbon)
Medal "30th Anniversary Of The Socialist Revolution In Bulgaria"
Medal "90th Anniversary Of The Birth Of Georgi Dimitrov"
Third Line
Medal "20th Anniversary Of The Bulgarian People's Army"
Medal "25th Anniversary Of The Bulgarian People's Army"
Medal "30th Anniversary Of The Bulgarian People's Army"
Medal "For Military Merit"
Fourth Line
Order "9. IX. 1944" 2nd Class
Medal "25th Anniversary Of Civil Defence Of The People's Republic Of Bulgaria"
Medal "30th Anniversary Of Victory Over Fascist Germany"
Medal "100th Anniversary Of The April Uprising 1876"
Fifth Line
Order "Red Banner"
Medal "100th Anniversary Of Liberation From Ottoman Rule 3-3-1878 - 3-3-1978"
Medal "100th Anniversary Of The Birth Of Georgi Dimitrov"
Medal "For Strengthening Combat Co-Operation" (Soviet Union)
Sixth Line
Order "For Civil Valour And Merit"
Medal "For Strengthening Combat Co-Operation" 2nd Class (Czechoslovakia)
Medal "Forty Years Of Victory In The Great Patriotic War 1941-1945" (Soviet Union
Medal "For Strengthening Combat Co-Operation" (Hungary)
Quite obviously if this general were following the book all the Bulgarian orders would be at the top and all the non-Bulgarian medals would be at the bottom and also repeat awards would be side by side.
Here is another large ribbon bar. It looks like the recipient just added all new awards onto the end after the first 7 awards which will have been awarded by about 1957.
Order "9 September 1944" 2nd Class
Order "Red Banner"
Order "For Bravery" 3rd Class
Medal "For Participation In The Anti-Fascist Struggle"
Medal "For Military Merit"
Medal "Patriotic War 1944-45"
Medal "For Victory Over Germany In The Great Patriotic War 1941-45" (Soviet)
Medal "For Long Service" 2nd Class
Order "People's Republic Of Bulgaria"
Order "People's Republic Of Bulgaria"
Order "9 September 1944" 1st Class
Order "9 September 1944" 2nd Class
Order "People's Freedom 1941-45" 2nd Class
Medal "For Military Merit" 1st Class
Medal "25th Anniversary Of People's Rule"
Medal "90th Anniversary Of The Birth Of Georgi Dimitrov"
Medal "25th Anniversary Of The Bulgarian People's Army"
Medal "30th Anniversary Of The Bulgarian People's Army"
Medal "30th Anniversary Of Victory Over Fascist Germany"
Medal "100th Anniversary Of Liberation From Ottoman Rule 3-3-1878 - 3-3-1978"
(Not Bulgarian)
(Not Bulgarian)
(Not Bulgarian)
Medal "For Merit To The Bulgarian People's Army" (Second Type Ribbon)
Medal "100th Anniversary Of Bulgarian Geology"
Medal "100th Anniversary Of Liberation From Ottoman Rule 3-3-1878 - 3-3-1978"
Medal "100th Anniversary Of The Bulgarian State Health Care Service"
Order "Georgi Dimitrov"
Medal "100th Anniversary Of The Birth Of Georgi Dimitrov"
Medal "1300th Anniversary Of Bulgaria"
Medal "40th Anniversary Of Socialist Bulgaria"
Here's another strange Bulgarian Ribbon Bar, with an Imperial award mixed in.
Order "People's Liberty 1941-1944" 1st Class
Order "People's Liberty 1941-1944" 2nd Class
Order "Red Banner"
Medal "For Participation In The Balkan Wars 1912-13"
Medal "For Merit"
Medal "For Long Service" 1st Class
Medal "For Long Service" 2nd Class
Medal "For Long Service" 2nd Class
Medal "For Long Service" 3rd Class
Medal "25th Anniversary Of People's Rule"
Medal "20th Anniversary" of BPA or MVR
Medal "20th Anniversary" of BPA or MVR
Medal "25th Anniversary" of BPA or MVR
One can infer from this that some Imperial awards were allowed to be worn well into the communist regime. Most likely the "Heroes" of liberation from the Ottoman Empire would have been able to wear their decorations in the People's Republic.
Here are two incorrect bars. The first is wrong as the 1st Class service medal is just added on at the end but should actually go after the medal "For Labour Distinction". The second bar is wrong as the medal "For Labour Distinction" is placed after the Long Service medals.
Here is Colonel-General Stoychev confusing things ever more with his wearing of both Pre and Post-9-9-44 instituted awards. He also wore his imperial Military Academy Graduation badge after the end of the "Patriotic War 1944-45".
-- Order of National Liberty, 1st class; Order of National Liberty 2nd class; Medal for Participation in the Antifascist Struggle; Patriotic War Medal 1944-45
-- Medal for the 25th Anniversary of Peoples’ Power; Jubilee Medal “25 Years of the Bulgarian People’s Army (?); USSR: Victory over Germany; USSR: 25th Anniversary of Victory Badge
As the reverse fixing is interesting, I show it too.
1) Order of the Peoples’ Republic of Bulgaria ?? class; Order of the 9th of September 1st class; Order of the 9th of September 3rd class; Order of National Liberty, 1st class
2) Order of National Liberty 2nd class; Order of the Red Banner; Medal for Participation in the Antifascist Struggle; Medal for Combat Merit
3) Medal for Combat Merit; Long Service Medal 20 Years; Long Service Medal 15 Years; Jubilee Medal “25 Years of the Bulgarian People’s Army (?)
4) Jubilee Medal “20 Years of the Bulgarian Peoples’ Army (?); Jubilee Medal “25 Years of the Bulgarian Ministry of the Interior (?); Jubilee Medal “25 Years of the Bulgarian Construction Troops (?)
I think this is a great depiction of the hindrance of using the same ribbon for not only different classes of the same award but also using the same ribbon for awards given to different branches. Without the actual Medals or documents we can never know.
There is no Bulgarian Medal for "combat" merit it is in fact "military" merit which was a pre-long service awards long service award. As was the "Red Banner". Before the long service awards in 59/60 these Medals and Orders were extremely common and fell out of popular use almost instantly. The Medal "For Military Merit" was almost completely redundant by the late 1970's with service specific merit awards. I have not yet seen a single document for the Medal "For Military Merit" dating after the instituting of actual long service awards. Red Banners continued to be awarded right though to the late days of the PRB but in far less numbers. There were great numbers of both awards piled up in warehouses until more recently sold off.
1) Order of the Peoples’ Republic of Bulgaria ?? class; Order of the 9th of September 3rd class; Order of National Liberty, 1st class; Order of the Red Banner
2) Medal for Participation in the Antifascist Struggle; Medal for Combat Merit; Medal of the Patriotic War, 1944-45; USSR: Victory over Germany (?)
There is still no Medal "For Combat Merit" but the last ribbon is indeed the Soviet Medal "For Victory Over Germany In The Great Patriotic War 1941-1945"
The Medal "For Military Merit" will be for 5 years service, Order "Red Banner" for 10 years service, Order "9th September 1944" will be a 15th anniversary award and "People's Liberty" 1st Class a 20th anniversary award. No Medals for long service would indicate leaving the services before 1959 (1954-1958).
The Order "People's Liberty" is most likely a 30th anniversary treat.
Oh! The courage of being at a commemorating award ceremony (whilst remaining loyal to the regime), The attributes of most Bulgarian awards.... just be careful with the pins on the back of those commemoratives comrade! We do not wish you to shed blood!
