old medals for new ones

[DougD]

Hello medal men,

Just curious, as i was looking at photos of marshals and generals and notice that some of them had pre-1943 high awards, like Suvorovs, etc. Then, leter they had the correct post 1943 version.

My question is what did they do with the old ones once they were out of date? were they turned itno the state?

thanks,
DougD

[sovvisor]

i´ve read on the forum i think about someone who had the order of lenin 3xxx something on both screwback and fivesided suspention. same number!

[new world]

Doug,

As a general rule - all pre-1943 style awards were exchanged for new variants. Yes, the old ones were returned to the state and the process was under strict control.

It's a widely held opinion that old awards were re-cycled (oh-my, how terrible does this sound!).

It's very rare occurence that a person was allowed to keep both new and old awards.

William

[Tretov]

I have read somewhere that the awards actually was state/government property. If so, were they to be handed over back to the authorities in case (when)the "owner" (awardee) died?

[Nota Bene]

Doug,

Quite often they didn't want to exchange their precious awards for new ones, and converted them themselves, adding or removing screwposts, crude loops, etc. I have seen a photo of a guy wearing an unmodified screwback Red Banner and a suspension above it

Alexei

[ibaya]

I have read somewhere that the awards actually was state/government property. If so, were they to be handed over back to the authorities in case (when)the "owner" (awardee) died?

The law was amended in 1977 during the Brezhnev period, which allowed the recipient's survivors to keep the decorations as mementos. Prior to this, the only decorations kept were those whose regulations permitted this (e.g. Order of the Great Patriotic War).

This applied to personal decorations, not sure about badges of rank (e.g. Marshal's Stars)

[Nota Bene]

Ibaya,

Even before that, as early as late 1950s some families were allowed to keep all the awards, probably because of oversight.

Alexei

[Dave]

Ibaya,

Even before that, as early as late 1950s some families were allowed to keep all the awards, probably because of oversight.

Alexei

Additionally, many Ukrainians did not return family members awards to the Soviet government after the split of the Ukraine from Russia.

--Dave

P.S. The hanging Lenin that had a matching screwback award was owned by me. Luckily, they were reunited in a single collection!

[Tretov]

Additionally, many Ukrainians did not return family members awards to the Soviet government after the split of the Ukraine from Russia.

Was that requested in 1991? Why? Wasn't the law cancelled in 1977?

[Eugene]

Was that requested in 1991? Why? Wasn't the law cancelled in 1977?

Additionally, many Ukrainians did not return family members awards to the Soviet government after the split of the Ukraine from Russia.

It was not requested and was not required neither by Ukranians nor by other states of former Soviet Union.