Soviet WW2 Medal for theLiberation of Warsaw with Award Certificate Series B #004566, issued on 3September 1947.
These are GUARANTEED ORIGINAL medal and document officially issuedby the Soviet authorities to a participant of the WW2 battle for the Polishcapital, NOT reproductions!
The medallion of the medal is made in brass and measures 36.9 mmin height including the eyelet, 32.3 mm wide; weighs 16.9 grams not includingthe suspension and connecting link. The front has the Russian inscription“For the Liberation of Warsaw”. On the reverse is the date 17 February 1945when the city was taken by the Red Army in the initial phase of the massiveVistula – Oder offensive. This particular medal is so-called Variation 2characterized by a flat-sided eyelet which is struck together with the rest ofthe medallion as one piece.
The medal is in VERY GOOD CONDITION, especially for an OriginalWW2 era award of a Soviet soldier (many Soviet veterans wore their awardsoften, on all holidays and sometimes on weekends.) The medal shows some tinydings, mostly to the edge, but no significant wear or damage; its raiseddetails on both sides are nicely preserved and crisp. The original “gilt”mint luster is present and bright in recessed areas; there is only some verymild tarnish that adds character, no large blemishes or significant oxidation.The medal comes on ORIGINAL SUSPENSION, a late 1940’s model in brass. Theribbon is recent, perfectly clean.
The AWARD CERTIFICATE is of booklet format, the type that camewith the all Soviet offensive campaign medals of the war.
The front of the document shows the inscription “Union of SovietSocialist Republics” and the Soviet national emblem of WW2 style. The firstinside page shows an image of the medal, the January 17, 1945 date of thecapture of the city, and the certificate serial number: Series B #004566. Thenext page shows the name of the award recipient, Vitaliy Pozhar (ВиталийПрокофьевич Пожар); date of issue of the document, 3 September 1947; and stampof the military unit, 407th Separate Antiaircraft ArtillerySquadron, Reserves of the Supreme Command. The document is signed by the unitcommander, Major Lushpa.
The document is in GOOD condition. It shows a modest amountof wear to the spine and corner but is overall sound and well-preserved, freeof tears or creases. There are some water stains to the cover, not toodetractive, while the interior is very clean. All the handwritten entries areperfectly legible.
The Medal for the Liberation of Warsaw was issued exclusively tosurviving troops who had directly participated in the battle - in this case,the servicemen of several armies of the 1st Belorussian Front [army group] andthe Wojsko Polskie [Polish troops under Soviet control]. There is strongevidence that the Polish capital could have been easily taken in late 1944, butStalin decided to wait things out and allow the Germans to crush the Polishrebellion in the city (thus getting rid of pro-western patriots and making thefuture job of NKVD much easier).
Overall, a nice documented Liberation of Warsaw Medal – which weare offering at a bargain price including free shipping! Given the significanceof Warsaw as one of the major European capitals and steppingstone on the Sovietadvance to Berlin, this medal and document can be a nice addition to any WW2militaria collection!
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