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the successful implementation of tasks from the three armed services, for great personal contribution to the high alert status of ships, submarines, aircraft or shore naval installations, for skilled, competent leadership of subordinate personnel and for proactive, decisive actions that contributed to the success of naval combat operations. It can also be awarded to other persons for merit in strengthening the combat readiness of the Russian Navy. Obverse: The bust of Admiral Kuznetsov over an anchor with the inscription ADMIRAL KUZNETSOV.

Reverse: The circular inscription MINISTRY OF DEFENSE RUSSIAN FEDERATION. In the center, the emblem of the Russian Navy.

Suspension: The award is always bestowed as displayed here mounted on the pentagonal mount and is worn on the left breast with other medals in the prescribed order of precedence. The left half of the ribbon is yellow (10mm) with a narrow (2mm) black edge stripe indicating a MDRF ministerial medal. The right half of the ribbon is divided into two equal (5mm) stripes, one blue, one white, separated by a narrow (2mm) red stripe. Blue and white are the colors of the Russian Navy.

Figure 7: Admiral Nikolai Kuznetsov.

Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov (Figure 7) was born from a Serbian family on July 24, 1904 in Medvedki in the Archangel region. Lying about his young age, he joined the navy in 1919 being assigned to the Dvina Naval Flotilla. Kuznetsov graduated from the Frunze Higher Naval School in 1926 and from the Naval College

in 1932. Displaying outstanding organizational and leadership abilities, he found himself in command of the cruiser Chevrona Ukraina in 1934. He spent a year in Spain from September 1936 to August 1937 as naval attaché and chief naval advisor to the Republicans. On his return to the USSR he was named Deputy Commander Pacific Fleet, then Commander in January 1938. He managed to defend many of his subordinates during the pre-war Stalinist purges placing his own position, and life, in peril.

On April 29, 1939 the 34-year-old Kuznetsov was appointed People’s Commissar of the Soviet Navy, the youngest Soviet Admiral ever to hold this post. He made remarkable contributions to restrengthening the decimated naval leadership, pioneering new training techniques and acting as he saw fit, courageously and without regard to the opinion of Stalin. At the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War and against Moscow’s orders, he had the entire Soviet Navy on high alert. His courage and determination allowed for an effective defense of naval assets in the first days of the German attack. During the entire war, Kuznetsov energetically led the fleets, coordinating actions with other operations of the Armed Forces. In February 1944 he was awarded the rank of Fleet Admiral, and on May 31, 1945 the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union.

Stalin abolished Kuznetsov’s post in 1947 and relegated him to the command of naval training institutions. In 1948, he and other admirals were put on trial on trumped up charges. Kuznetsov got off pretty lightly with a demotion to Rear Admiral and a transfer to the Far East. By July 1951 he was back in command of the Pacific Fleet, and, following Stalin’s death in 1953, his rank of Fleet Admiral was reinstated and he was exonerated of all previous charges. He once again commanded the entire Soviet Navy between 1953 and 1955 with the rank of Marshal in the post of Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union. During this period he devoted most of his attention to upgrading technology in the fleet, in particular the development of aircraft carriers. Unfortunately, his long lasting poor relations with Defense Minister Zhukov saw him once again being removed from office in December 1955, based on bogus charges. In February 1956 he was demoted to Vice-Admiral and dismissed from the navy. He died 6 December 1974 in Moscow.

During his incredible naval career, Admiral Kuznetsov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union in 1945, received four Orders of Lenin, three Orders of the Red Banner, two Orders of Ushakov 1st Class, the Order of the Red Star, the Order of the Badge of Honor,

30 JOMSA

and numerous other medals and foreign awards. On July 26, 1988, Kuznetsov was posthumously reinstated in the rank of Fleet Admiral of the Soviet Union, a fleet aircraft carrier and the naval college in the Barnaul region were also both renamed in his honor. Medal Army General Khrulev

The Medal Army General Khrulev (Figure 8) was established on July 10, 2004 by Order number 210 of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. It is awarded to senior logistics officers of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and to officials responsible for shipping management, who worked for or have served in the armed forces for 20 years or more, as well as to veterans of military service for great personal contribution to the organization of logistical troops.

Figure 8: Obverse (left) and reverse of the Medal Army General Khrulev.

Obverse: The bust of Army General Khrulev with the inscription ARMY GENERAL KHRULEV.

Reverse: The circular inscription: MINISTRY OF DEFENSE RUSSIAN FEDERATION. The center inscription: NO VICTORY WITHOUT LOGISTICS.

Suspension: The award is always bestowed as displayed here mounted on the pentagonal mount and is worn on the left breast with other medals in the prescribed order of precedence. The left half of the ribbon is yellow (10mm) with a narrow (2mm) black edge stripe indicating a MDRF ministerial medal. The right half of the ribbon is split into two equal (6mm) blue and red stripes.

Figure 9: Army General Andrei Khrulev.

Andrei Vasil’evich Khrulev was born on September 30, 1892 into a poor peasant family in the village of Bol’shaia Aleksandrovka in the St. Petersburg region. In July 1930 he was appointed Chief of the Central Military and Financial Management Office of the Red Army for Military and Maritime Affairs, managing all the financial activities of military districts and fleets. Within three years, he brought real order into that service.

From August 1936 he was chief of the Central Military Financial Management of the Red Army. He did much to strengthen the financial discipline in the army and navy. He brought to light the great shortcomings of the supply system during the Russo-Finnish War and, when the post of Chief of the Rear of the Red Army was created, he was given the post and promoted to Lieutenant-General. His incredible work would earn him his first Order of Lenin shortly afterwards. His improvement of Soviet logistics during the Great Patriotic War was remarkable. During his 40 years of service, General Khrulev was awarded two Orders of Lenin, four Orders of the Red Banner, two Orders of Suvorov 1st Class and many foreign orders. On 6 July 1964, the Council of Ministers of the USSR renamed the Military Financial School in his honor.

Medal Army General Margelov

The Medal Army General Margelov (Figure 10) was established on May 5, 2005 by Order 182 of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. It is awarded to soldiers serving in airborne units for good service of 15 years or more subject to previously having been awarded the decoration “For Merit” of airborne troops as well as to members of the civilian staff of airborne troops who have worked faithfully for the service for more than 20

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years. It may also be awarded to veterans of airborne troops, in the airborne reserve or retired from military service and having served 25 years or more, as well as to military and civilian personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation for great personal contribution to the strengthening and development of airborne troops.

Figure 10: Obverse (left) and reverse of the Medal Army General Margelov.

Obverse: The bust of Army General Margelov, to his left and above him a transport aircraft dropping paratroopers, to his right, tanks and artillery with the inscription ARMY GENERAL MARGELOV.

Reverse: The circular inscription: MINISTRY OF DEFENSE RUSSIAN FEDERATION. At the center, the emblem of Russian airborne troops (Figure 11).

Figure 11: Emblem of Russian Airborne Troops.

Suspension: The award is always bestowed as displayed here mounted on the pentagonal mount and is worn on the left breast with other medals in the prescribed order of precedence. The left half of the ribbon is yellow (10mm) with a narrow (2mm) black edge stripe indicating a MDRF ministerial medal. The right half of the ribbon

is light blue (10mm) with a narrow (2mm) green stripe. Light blue and green are the colors of the Russian Airborne Troops.

Figure 12: Army General Vasilii Margelov.

Renowned in Russia as “Paratrooper #1,” Vasilii Filipovich Margelov was born on December 27, 1908 in Dnipropetrovs’k, Ukraine. He joined the Red Army in 1928 and graduated from the Minsk Military Academy in 1931. He participated in the Russo-Finnish war as a special (ski) battalion commander. At the start of the Great Patriotic War he was an infantry regimental commander but quickly rose to divisional deputy commander. In 1944 he was given command of the 49th Guards Rifle Division which he led across the Dnieper and in the liberation of Kherson for which he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Post-war, upon graduation from the General Staff Academy, he was given command of the 76th Guards Red Banner Airborne Division. Even at his age, he earned his paratrooper qualification and made over 60 jumps, the last of them at age 65. His success led him to command the 37th Guards Airborne Corps in 1950 and all Soviet Airborne Troops from 1954 to 1959 when he was demoted to the position of deputy commander. He was reinstated as commander of all airborne troops in 1961. He proved himself an energetic leader, developing Soviet airborne tactics and doctrine. He was appointed Inspector-General of airborne troops in 1979. Vasilii Margelov died March 4, 1990. During his long and colorful career, General Margelov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (1944), four Orders of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of the October Revolution, the Order of Suvorov 2nd Class, the Order