Order of Maternal Glory
Encyclopedia
The Order of Maternal Glory (Russian: Орден "Материнская слава") was a Soviet civilian award created on 8 July 1944 by Joseph Stalin
and established with a decision of the Praesidium of Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
Its status was confirmed by the Soviet's decision of August 18 1944 and later modified by September 16 1947, May 28 1973 and May 28 1980 decisions.
It was awarded on behalf of the Praesidium of Supreme Soviet of the USSR through decrees of local soviet presidencies.
The order was divided in three classes: 1st, 2nd and 3rd class (the highest being the 1st class).
It was conferred to:
The order was conferred upon the first birthday of the last child, provided that the other children necessary to reach the qualifying number (natural or adopted) remained alive. Children who had perished under heroic, military or other respectful circumstances, including occupational disease
s, were also counted.
The award was created simultaneously with the Mother Heroine order and the Maternity Medal (Russian: Медаль материнства) and it was situated in between them. The author of the artistic project was the painter Goznaka.
The first decree for bestowing the award was issued on December 6 1944, when the first class order was conferred to 21 women, the 2nd class to 26 and the 3rd one to 27.
Totally the 1st class order was bestowed in 753.000 occasions, the 2nd in 1.508.000 occasions and the 3rd in 2.786.000 occasions.
The upper part of the shield was decorated with a five-pointed star
and the lower part with the hammer and sickle
symbol. On the left side there was a figure of a mother holding a son in her harms, figure covered with roses on her lowest part. The lower part of the medal, the flag rim and the letters are gilded.
In second class medals the flag's enamel was dark-blue and there were not gilded parts while in the 3rd class ones enamel disappeared from flag, shield and star
.
The back of the medals was in white enamel. First class medals were suspended to a single light-blue fringe while 2nd class had two light-blue fringes and 3d class three of them.
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
and established with a decision of the Praesidium of Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
Its status was confirmed by the Soviet's decision of August 18 1944 and later modified by September 16 1947, May 28 1973 and May 28 1980 decisions.
It was awarded on behalf of the Praesidium of Supreme Soviet of the USSR through decrees of local soviet presidencies.
The order was divided in three classes: 1st, 2nd and 3rd class (the highest being the 1st class).
It was conferred to:
- 1st class: mothers bearing and raising 9 children;
- 2nd class: mothers bearing and raising 8 children;
- 3rd class: mothers bearing and raising 7 children.
The order was conferred upon the first birthday of the last child, provided that the other children necessary to reach the qualifying number (natural or adopted) remained alive. Children who had perished under heroic, military or other respectful circumstances, including occupational disease
Occupational disease
An occupational disease is any chronic ailment that occurs as a result of work or occupational activity. It is an aspect of occupational safety and health. An occupational disease is typically identified when it is shown that it is more prevalent in a given body of workers than in the general...
s, were also counted.
The award was created simultaneously with the Mother Heroine order and the Maternity Medal (Russian: Медаль материнства) and it was situated in between them. The author of the artistic project was the painter Goznaka.
The first decree for bestowing the award was issued on December 6 1944, when the first class order was conferred to 21 women, the 2nd class to 26 and the 3rd one to 27.
Totally the 1st class order was bestowed in 753.000 occasions, the 2nd in 1.508.000 occasions and the 3rd in 2.786.000 occasions.
Design
First class medals were totally silver made in a convex egg-shape. They were 36 mm high and 29 mm wide. In the upper part of the medal there was a red enamel flag with the phrase Материнская слава (Maternal Glory) and the roman number showing the order's class. Below the flag there was a white enamel shield with the "CCCP" (USSR) inscription.The upper part of the shield was decorated with a five-pointed star
Five-pointed star
A five-pointed star is a very common ideogram throughout the world. If the colinear edges are joined together a pentagram is produced, which is the simplest of the unicursal star polygons, and a symbol of mystical and magical significance....
and the lower part with the hammer and sickle
Hammer and sickle
The hammer and sickle is a part of communist symbolism and its usage indicates an association with Communism, a Communist party, or a Communist state. It features a hammer and a sickle overlapping each other. The two tools are symbols of the industrial proletariat and the peasantry; placing them...
symbol. On the left side there was a figure of a mother holding a son in her harms, figure covered with roses on her lowest part. The lower part of the medal, the flag rim and the letters are gilded.
In second class medals the flag's enamel was dark-blue and there were not gilded parts while in the 3rd class ones enamel disappeared from flag, shield and star
Five-pointed star
A five-pointed star is a very common ideogram throughout the world. If the colinear edges are joined together a pentagram is produced, which is the simplest of the unicursal star polygons, and a symbol of mystical and magical significance....
.
The back of the medals was in white enamel. First class medals were suspended to a single light-blue fringe while 2nd class had two light-blue fringes and 3d class three of them.
Medals
| First Class | Second Class | Third Class |
|---|---|---|
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