Order of the Red Banner, Type 4, Variation 2, Sub-variation 3 (converted to screw back), #261734, awarded on 22 May 1945 to Guards Major Grigory Syromyatenko (Григорий Сергеевич Сыромятенко), a rifle battalion
commander of the 64th Rifle Division, 33rd Army, 1st Belorussian Front.
Silver gilt, enamels; measures 41.2mm in height (from the highest point top of the banner to the bottom of the wreath, not including the protruding parts of the flagpole and torch), 37.4mm in width. Features smooth reverse with circular depression in the middle. The mint mark is in relatively large font, with a straight dash over the last character in the word "Monetny" (Type 3, Var. 2 according to McDaniel classification). The Order of the Red Banner by Durov and Strekalov shows that it was manufactured by the Moscow Mint in 1945.
The order has been converted from suspension to screw back, most likely by its original recipient. A photograph of the original recipient wearing this version as a screwback can be seen on Pamyat. Not counting the removed eyelet, the obverse is in very fine condition. There is a single tiny chip to the red enamel at the bottom edge of the banner immediately above the center medallion, a few minuscule flakes elsewhere, and some microscopic contact marks. Nevertheless, the enamel is very presentable and overall, better preserved than on the majority of other WW2 issues. The details of the wreath, torch and flagpole are very crisp; the original gilt finish in their recessed areas is still present, although mostly obscured by silver patina.
On the reverse, a makeshift brass screw post has been added with an application of low-melting point solder, so that the heat would not destroy the enamel.
The "blob" of soider covers much of the upper part of the badge but does not affect the serial number or mint mark. This kind of customization - without even the slightest attempt to hide it or to alter the award serial number - is evidence that the conversion was commissioned by the recipient himself. It is clearly not the typical rogue alteration with an attempt to sell the order as an early screw back type. The screw post, slightly above 5mm in length, has a mint-marked screw plate which was taken from a Soviet badge of circa 1950's vintage.
Grigory Syromyatenko was born in 1907 in the city of Taganrog, Rostov Region, in the south of Russia. He served in the Red Army from 1919 to 1923 during the Russian Civil War and rejoined the Red Army 1929, apparently becoming a career officer. He participated in the Battle of Stalingrad and was awarded with the Medal for Defense of Stalingrad. As of January 1945, in the rank of Guards Major, Syromyatenko was a battalion commander of the 451st Rifle Regiment, 64th Rifle Division, 33rd Army. In the course of the Warsaw-Poznan offensive, part of the larger Vistula-Oder Strategic Operation, Syromyatenko led his battalion in combing the woods near the town of Zullihau, modern-day Sulechow, Poland, about 60 miles east of Frankfurt-on-Oder. In this action, the battalion killed 36 and captured 68 enemy troops. In the skirmishes during 15-17 January 1945 at the settlement of Lossow near Frankfurt-on-Oder, Syromyatenko and his battalion successfully seized a fortified enemy position on a hill, killing over 40 German soldiers and capturing eight.
For these exploits, Syromyatenko was soon recommended for the Order of the Patriotic War 1st cl. by his regiment commander. Uncharacteristically, the award was upgraded up the chain of command to the Order of the Red Banner which was bestowed on 22 May 1945 by a general order of the 33rd Army.
Syromyatenko retired from active service in December 1945 and settled in the city of Depropetrovsk (now Dnipro, Ukraine). The Red Banner remained his only high decoration.
There lies the likely reason for the "unauthorized" conversion from suspension to screw back. As we know, starting from November 1944 the Order of the Red Banner among several other decorations could be awarded for length of military service. In the eyes of servicemen, it undoubtedly greatly diminished the status of this hitherto hard to earn and highly respected military award. Moreover, those "in the know" knew the difference between the early, screw back version - which could be bestowed only for combat feats- and the 1943 suspension type, more often than not issued for simply having served in the Red Army for 20 years. Not surprisingly, some combat veterans who had earned the "new" suspension-type Red Banner in combat wanted to somehow demonstrate that the award was for battlefield merit and hence converted it to the "old" look after the war - especially if they were no longer on active duty and thus not required to aoffere by the post-1943 regulations.
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