by Kristina Ukolova
[RedStar] The Military Department has declassified documents from the funds of the Navy.
The Russian Ministry of Defense is launching a special multimedia section dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the orders and medals of Ushakov and Nakhimov.
A special historical and educational section “Loyal to the Glorious Traditions of the Navy” has been created on the official website of the military department. As part of this project, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation publishes declassified documents from the funds of the archive of the Navy (branch of TsAMO RF in Gatchina).
Published materials talk about the meaning and creation of naval awards named after Ushakov and Nakhimov, as well as the heroism and courage of Soviet sailors during the Great Patriotic War. Among the documents are statutes and draft orders, decrees of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, orders of the Navy command, as well as award sheets and pages from the personal files of Navy servicemen awarded the orders and medals of Ushakov and Nakhimov.
During the Great Patriotic War, as stated on the page of the historical and educational section, the continuity of military traditions became extremely important, thanks to which high morale was maintained in the ranks of the Red Army. Many traditions, acting as a means of patriotic and moral education, were imprinted in art and enshrined in military regulations. In addition, they are reflected in the awards.
On March 3, 1944, special naval awards related to the military traditions of the great Russian admirals were established - these were the orders of Ushakov and Nakhimov of two degrees, as well as medals named after them. During the war, thousands of Soviet sailors were awarded these awards. With their heroism they were able to revive the unshakable spirit of the invincible Fyodor Ushakov and the valiant Pavel Nakhimov.
Thus, from the documents published in the open section, one can learn that at the first stage of creating new awards, the command of the Navy and the country's leadership laid in the orders those meanings that most accurately reflected the specific qualities of admirals Fyodor Ushakov and Pavel Nakhimov. Back in September 1943, the Commissioner of the USSR Navy received the following proposals on this matter: “The Order of Nakhimov is the personification of bravery, courage, perseverance, a high sense of duty, and tactical art. The Order of Ushakov is like the personification of a naval strategist-politician with all other “Nakhimov” qualities.”
During the war, thousands of Soviet sailors were awarded these awards. With their heroism they were able to revive the unshakable spirit of the invincible Fyodor Ushakov and the valiant Pavel Nakhimov
After the above proposals were accepted, the development of sketches of these orders and the preparation of the project began. In the course of this painstaking work, by March 1944, a number of merits were finally determined for which Soviet sailors could be awarded naval awards. Thus, the Order of Ushakov, I and II degrees, was awarded to admirals and officers of the Navy who achieved significant success in the development and conduct of naval operations, as a result of which victory over a numerically superior enemy was achieved with the least losses.
The Order of Nakhimov, I and II degrees, was awarded to admirals and officers of the Navy who distinguished themselves in defense or supporting the actions of naval forces or ground forces, as a result of which significant damage was inflicted on the enemy and the combat effectiveness of subordinate units was preserved. In addition to orders, Ushakov and Nakhimov medals were also developed to reward the courage and bravery of private, petty officer and non-commissioned personnel of the Navy.
During the Great Patriotic War, 47 people were awarded the Order of Ushakov, 1st degree, and about 200, 2nd degree; Order of Nakhimov, 1st degree – 80 people, 2nd degree – 460; Ushakov medals - over 15,000 people, Nakhimov medals - over 13,000.
From the published documents you can learn about the heroism and courage of Soviet sailors during the Great Patriotic War. For example, about Rear Admiral Nikolai Feldman, awarded the Order of Nakhimov, 1st degree, who in April 1945 organized a landing on the Frische-Nerung Spit (now the Baltic Spit), as a result of which Soviet troops occupied the city of Pillau and captured about six thousand soldiers and enemy officers, captured six tanks and up to 250 vehicles.
Or about junior lieutenant Nikolai Vasin, who in February 1944, as part of a group of four Il-2s and four Yak-1s, flew out to attack German transport ships in the port of Liinohamari. Using two FAB-100 aerial bombs and a rocket, the Soviet attack pilot sank a transport with a displacement of six thousand tons. In April 1944, the commander of the Northern Fleet, appreciating the merits of Nikolai Vasin, decided to award the pilot the newly established Order of Nakhimov, II degree.
The publication of declassified documents from the funds of TsAMO of the Russian Federation about the orders and medals of Ushakov and Nakhimov, as well as the exploits of Soviet sailors during the Great Patriotic War is aimed at military-patriotic education and preserving the historical memory of the heroes of the Fatherland.