Citations.

[Auke]

Probably the youngest Soviet award recipient was Sergei 'Seryozha' Andreyevich Alyoshkin. He was found at the age of six in a forest near Oryol by troops of the 142nd Guards Rifle Regiment. Seryozha's mother was a partisan, but was captured by the Gestapo, that subsequently murdered Seryozha's entire family. The boy managed to escape and tried to link up with the partizans, but couldn't find them. He wandered through the forest until he was found by Red Army troops. Seryozha was 'adopted' by the regiment and was involved in the Stalingrad battle. He helped out wherever he could, delivering ammunition, food and mail and singing songs. His MCM citation commends his cheerfulness, vivacity, love for his unit and the people around him, and confidence in victory at tough moments. In 1944 Seryozha was sent to a Suvorov School in Tula.

[CtahhR]

It's a good one alright. Many of the "young" recipients on "the site" are due either to an administrative error then or now. There are also corrupt entries which are also not legitimate dates.

"Regimental Foster-Child Aleshkin, Sergej Andreevich for the fact that since the start of his stay with the regiment on 8th September 1942 together with the regiment has a responsible combat way. 18th November 1942 was wounded. As a child he is always cheerful, commanding love from all those surrounding him. He has cheerful love for life and surroundings, in extremely difficult moments shows courage and confidence in victory. Comrade Aleshkin regimental darling.

I am almost certain his Medal Booklet will be worn out from all the times he had to prove that the Medal was really his even though he had no age at all.
He died in 1990 with an outrageously impressive set of awards.

[Auke]

The officer on the second photo isn't him, but his regimental commander, Guards Colonel Mikhail Danilovich Vorobyov, who was like a father to Seryozha.

It seems that Alyoshkin had a very modest military career after the war. Some time ago I requested his record card from the archive, and this MCM was his only serial-numbered award.

[CtahhR]

I thought he was a bit old to be 1936 born (sometimes you can't tell with Russians that have been through the worst of it). Too much multitasking at this end.

It is quite amazing the mettle of an infant when put into such a difficult situation, a situation that most grown men could and did not endure.
He did have at least one son, named Andrej (after his own father possibly?) who is out there somewhere on the internet. If someone wants to track him down and see if he is willing to contribute anything at all it is a possibility.

Since I think we have pretty much exhausted the "youngest" end of recipients of awards, how about the oldest? There were plenty of Great War and Civil War Veterans around and a smaller number of veterans of previous conflicts (against the Japanese and Ottoman Empires to start). It may even be a possibility that some of the people awarded were alive when Sevastopol was besieged in 1854-5.
In the collection is a 1948 awarded Medal For Labour Victory to an 1882 born Georgian but I believe we can go at least a generation before him. Let's see what can be uncovered.

Here we are the high score on "the site". 1864 born Petr Nikolaevich Rybkin. Awarded the Order "Lenin" at age 80. Just so we all know it is not an administrative error his citation starts with "80 year old". 1864 born Aleksandr Andreevich Rybko was awarded a "Patriotic War" II in 1943 which would make him a mere 79 years old.

Rybkin was 1333% older than Aleshkin.

1864 the year the Russian Empire finally conquered the Caucasus and 1936 the year the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic split (Me and my Caucasian bias).

No doubt "Labour Victory" Medals were also awarded to older people but as "the site" doesn't cover such things nor does usual research we will just have to keep digging until we find someone even older. I am certain it is possible.

[RedMaestro2]

This is the first posthumous citation that I've seen for death from disease, in Afghanistan or anywhere else.

“During the implementation of international aid to the Republic of Afghanistan, having shown bravery and heroism, Bakumenko Aleksey Petrovich died on 10 January 1980 having fulfilled his military duty to the end.”

[Auke]

Sometime ago Paul opened a topic - which I can't seem to find - about chains of command where a superior officer holds a lower rank than his subordinate. Here's an example: this 28-year-old chief of staff of a rifle regiment is a Lieutenant Colonel, whereas the regimental commander is a Major.

[CtahhR]

Earlier this year I saw the strange situation of a Lance Corporal having authority over a Warrant Officer 2.

I suppose when we look at these in black and white it can leave out certain facts that add to the complexity of the situation, such as trade specialisations.

[CtahhR]

On a complete parallel to what we cover here I present this United States Navy Officer and Lawyer Hubert Charles Kenny's General Remarks. This write up on service during wartime reads just like a Soviet good service award.

Where Soviet paperwork would mention party membership etc. his lists the fact he was a Sunday School Teacher. So similar yet so different.

Not the sort of thing I usually look for but $1 for 40 documents recording his services 1933-1957 I can't complain.

"responsible for purchases and management for the feeding of 1200 to 1500 factory workers" - sounds like it has come straight from a Soviet citation.

[Simon]

This citation, which I stumbled upon on podvignaroda site, dispels GPW myths popular in the West and among Russian liberal intelligentsia. For now, I will refrain from stating myths and will let the citation do the talk:

Politruk Rabinovich, member of the Party, during the regiment's offensive, by personal example, killing fascists, inspired enlisted men and officers. When encircled, he rendered fierce resistance when the enemy attempted to capture him, used up personal ammunition, died as a hero in the uneven struggle against fascists. Politruk Rabinovich, was simultaneously destroying traitors of the Motherland who attempted to surrender alive to fascists.

[Auke]

Which myths are you referring to?