WW2 Soviet Medal “For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945” (Медаль «За победу над Германией в Великой Отечественной войне 1941–1945 гг.»)

This is an original World War II-era Soviet campaign medal awarded to military personnel of the Red Army, Navy, and NKVD troops who took part in the struggle against German forces between June 22, 1941, and May 9, 1945. The medal features a left-facing bust of Joseph Stalin in full uniform with the inscription “НАШЕ ДЕЛО ПРАВОЕ — МЫ ПОБЕДИЛИ” (“Our cause is just — we have triumphed”) encircling his image. The reverse bears the dates “1941–1945” beneath a small five-pointed star.

Instituted by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on May 9, 1945, this was among the most widely awarded Soviet decorations of the war, with over 14 million recipients. It was typically issued with an accompanying certificate and was worn proudly by veterans at commemorative events and military parades, often alongside other service and valor decorations.

The medal hangs from a standard pentagonal suspension with a brass mount covered in a ribbon of the traditional black and orange St. George’s colors—symbolic of military valor and remembrance in both Imperial and Soviet tradition.

Award criteria required active service in a Soviet formation directly engaged in combat operations or logistical support against German forces on the Eastern Front. Naval personnel, front-line medical staff, and political officers were equally eligible. Rear-area personnel not involved in frontline duties were excluded, reinforcing the award’s association with direct participation in combat or support operations during the brutal conflict known in the USSR as the Great Patriotic War.

This iconic medal remains one of the most recognizable decorations of World War II and stands as a symbol of the Soviet Union’s massive wartime mobilization, its catastrophic losses, and its eventual hard-fought victory over Nazi Germany.

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