Order Of The Patriotic War.

[Simon]

The story was aired on Russian TV news today. The order looks like 1985 type. The cover of the order book is the most interesting with Russia's two-headed eagle and an inscription "Document to the order of USSR". For your reading pleasure, a link to an article in English is below:
'Sorge' spy case suspect's kin get Soviet-era award | The Japan Times Online

[deValcourt]

That was rather nice of the RF government. Very sentimental of the woman to be seeking it after all this time.:) I assume they used one from stock rather than making one with old dies from scratch.

Phillip

[Auke]

Over 67 years ago, in May 1944, three Tuvan volunteers were posthumously awarded an Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Class. Last month, their next of kin officially received the decorations.

The three Tuvan volunteers who were killed in action in Ukraine were Guards Senior Lieutenant Sat Surasovich Burzekei, the commander of a machine gun platoon, Guards Senior Sergeant Dongur-Kyzyl Bulchineyevich Khovalyg, the layer of a heavy machine gun, and Guards Private Oyun Doktuguyevich Tumetei, a machine gunner. All served in the 4th Squadron of the 31st Cavalry Regiment, 8th Guards Cavalry Division. In 1944 they were all recommended for the HSU title, which was subsequently lowered to the OPW1. The three decorations were officially awarded by Order of May 24, 1944, but for some reason the documents got lost and the orders were never sent to Tuva.

Many years later, the head of Tuva initiated a search operation, and in 2010 the award documents were found in TsAMO.

On August 13, 2011, during a ceremony on the occasion of the 90th jubilee of the Tuvan People's Republic, the three orders were presented to the next of kin of the three Tuvan volunteers by president Medvedev's plenipotentiary representative Viktor Tolokonsky.

Burzekei's order was accepted by his granddaughter, Khovalyg's order by his niece, and Tumetei's order by his nephew.


For the full article (in Russian), see Тува-Онлайн: Ордена Великой Отечественной войны, присужденные посмертно иностранным легионерам, вручены в эти дни в Туве.

[medals73]

Nice. Thanks. It is about time!

Some will wonder what the numbers were, and that would be a good question. But it ought not distract from justice finally getting done.

[CtahhR]

I wonder what happens to these awards as they have no valiant chests to be displayed upon.... I hope they don't spend the rest of forever in their cases in a drawer.

Is there any particular explanation as for why these awards took so long to get to the next of kin? Lost paperwork? Racial/Cultural discrimination? and why have they actually now been handed out?

This sort of thing always raises lots of questions and is also unfortunately not an uncommon event.

[Lapa]

This is not unusual for awards to get to their recipients even today. Regular awarding ceremonies take place at the Kremlin, at which WW2 veterans at long last receive the awards that their won at the front over 65 years ago.

We have to remember the sheer size of the Eastern front, the number of units engaged, the incredible volume of paperwork that was generated throughout the war years. IMHO, it is therefore not surprizing that some (important) pieces of paper got misplaced or mis-classified, and there is no need to look for hidden agendas or other somber meaning.

Marc

[CtahhR]

Here is both a posthumous and catch-up award.
This is a 2nd Class award which was finally received on 13th January 2010.

Japanese agent Miyagi Yotoku was awarded on 5th November 1964 for his spy work as part of the Richard Sorge ring from 1933-1941. Other members of the ring also honoured by the same ukaz were Ozaki Hotsumi, Max Clausen and Branko Vukelić.

Yotoku (2nd Class) died 2nd August 1943. Vukelić (1st Class) died January 1945. Ozaki Hotsumi (1st Class) died 7th November 1944. "Stalin's James Bond" Sorge (Hero Of The Soviet Union) died 7th November 1944. Clausen (Red Banner) did not receive a posthumous award as he lived until 15th September 1979.

Tokuyama Toshiko recieved the Order from the Russian ambassador in Tokyo.
Unfortunately the number is unknown.

[PaulR]

This is cool stuff! First time I have seen photos of an award ceremony!

[desantnik]

I can only imagine the off-frame coaching on the left-most picture "OK, you hold the box like this and you, wrap your fingers around his, be careful not to drop it!" :)

[CtahhR]

I have always found the over zealous stage directions of photographers can kill the thrill of these events. Then usually after being harassed for the best part of the event, the photograph used is usually taken when caught off-guard.
It's even worse, when after being poked and prodded for 20 minutes or so, there isn't even a free copy of the newspaper!