The Nazi army, planning an attack on the Soviet Union, developed several directions, one of which was the north of the country, namely the Kola Peninsula. Fighting there began in September 1941 and continued until October 1944. The enemy attacks were repulsed by the troops of the Northern and Karelian fronts, as well as the forces of the navy stationed in the North. This part of the front was called the defense of the Arctic.
Establishment of the award
A couple of months after the German invaders, together with the Finnish units, lost the battle for the Soviet North, in early December, a decree was issued, according to which the medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" appeared. The decree on the establishment and awarding of defense participants was issued by the highest governing body of the country. Colonel V. Alov and artist A. I. Kuznetsov were co-authors in the development of the medal.
Establish a medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" was proposed by intelligence officers of the Karelian Front. Of the several submitted sketches, the sketch was recognized as the best.lieutenant colonel Alov. The military council of the front supported the idea, and the sketch was sent to Moscow. Later, after the capital also agreed to the proposal to establish an award, the initial drawing was finalized by the artist Kuznetsov.
Civilians could also qualify for the medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic". The list of those awarded, therefore, totaled 353 thousand 240 people on October 1, 1995.
Awarding rules
The defense of the Arctic includes the period from the beginning of the war until the end of the autumn of 1944. All participants in the events could be presented for the award - the Red Army, the Navy, the NKVD, as well as civilians. The basis for the award was the documents confirming the actual participation in the defense. The corresponding papers were issued by the commanders of units, the leadership of hospitals, as well as representatives of the executive branch, which included the councils of people's deputies. The medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" was issued on behalf of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union.
The awards were awarded to the military and civilians of all types of troops who actively participated in the defense campaign for at least six months, to participants in special operations conducted in the fall of 1944, while the service life in specific formations did not play a role, as well as to all civilians, who defended the Arctic by all available means for at least six months.
The right to present the medal
From the regulation on the award, approved by the supreme leadership of the country,it also follows that the medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic" is awarded by military commanders in the case of submission to the award of the Red Army, military Navy, employees of the NKVD. For those who have ceased to serve in the army or navy for various reasons, including due to reaching retirement age, medals are awarded at the place of residence by local bodies of military commissariats. Councils of deputies of Murmansk and the region are vested with the authority to present state awards to civilians.
Exterior design
The medal "For the Defense of the Soviet Arctic", the photo of which is presented in the article, was smelted from brass. In diameter, the award reaches 3.2 centimeters. The obverse depicts a half-breasted soldier with his right shoulder pushed forward and his head slightly turned to the right. He is dressed in winter uniforms - a hat with earflaps with an attached badge of the Red Army star and a sheepskin coat. A soldier holds a PPSh machine gun in his hands. To the left of it, a part of a naval ship is engraved, and images of combat aircraft are located on both sides of the top. In the lower part, in the foreground, the silhouettes of two tanks are depicted. Along the circumference of the medal, the name of the award is engraved from left to right, below, between the first and last word of the inscription, there is a ribbon with a five-pointed star on top of it with the image of the coat of arms of the USSR in the center.
On the reverse, in large letters in three lines, the words are engraved, a kind of motto: "For our Soviet Motherland." Above the phrase is the Soviet coat of arms - a crossed hammer and sickle.
The tape has a width of 2, 4centimeter, blue, made of silk. In the middle of the tape there is a green strip 6 millimeters wide, which divides the entire field into three equal parts.
