The Order of the Patriotic War was awarded to both officers and men of the Soviet Army and Navy. It was also awarded to partisans for personal bravery and courage under fire. It could be awarded to servicemen for an outstanding contribution to the success of an operation.

This order was the first to be established during the war. Many were awarded the Order posthumously. It was bestowed on more than a thousand foreign citizens, 16 factories, 36 towns, and three newspapers.

The original Orders of the Great Patriotic War hung from a suspension above the medal. This idea was later changed giving rise to the award you see here. In 1985, the Order was awarded to all surviving servicemen and women who took part in the war. The two examples shown on this page are from that period. 

Below are the ribbons that were also issued with the order. They were established in 1955 were authorized for wear on  a variety of uniforms.

1st Class Ribbon

2nd Class Ribbon

Order of Glory 3rd Class

This award was bestowed on army and air force personnel up to the rank of junior lieutenant for heroic deeds.  It was bestowed for outstanding feats of valor and displays of courage in defense of the Soviet Union.  The order was awarded in three classes and a recipient had to be awarded a lower class order before he could earn the next higher class.

  The first person to receive this award was Sergent Georgi Israelyan, a combat engineer.  He would later go on to receive all three Orders of Glory.

The ribbon for the Order of Glory was established in 1955 and was awarded with the medal.  It was initially worn on officer parade and parade-everyday uniforms, but in later years it was authorized for wear on many uniforms both officer and enlisted.

Order of Glory Ribbon

Order of Maternal Glory 2nd Class

The is award was bestowed on mothers who bore or raised eight or more children.  Over the time it was issued, the Order was made in three variations.  The variant displayed here is the Type 3.  No ribbon was authorized for wear with this medal as it was typically a civilian award.