- Time Period: Second World War
- Year of Institution: 29 July 1942
- Country: Russia & USSR
The Order of Suvorov (or Орден Суворова in Russian) is a military decoration established on July 29, 1942 and named in honor of Russian Field Marshal Count Alexander Suvorov (1729–1800). The Order was originally a Soviet award, created to reward senior army personnel for exceptional leadership in combat operations.
The Order was divided into three different classes: 1st class, 2nd class, and 3rd class. The Order 1st class was awarded to army commanders for exceptional leadership of combat operations. The Order 2nd class was awarded to corps, division, and brigade commanders for a decisive victory over a numerically superior enemy. The Order 3rd class was awarded to regimental commanders, their chiefs of staff, and battalion and company commanders for outstanding leadership leading to a combat victory.
Following the 1991 dissolution of the USSR, the Order of Suvorov was retained unchanged but it was not awarded in this form. The Presidential Decree 1099 of September 7, 2010 modernized and reorganized the entire Russian awards system away from its Soviet past changed the statute of the Order to a single-class medal.
The Order of Suvorov Design
The Order of Suvorov measures 40 mm wide and is a gold plated cross pattée with silver rays protruding from the center outwards between the arms of the cross to form a square.
The obverse center has a circular convex medallion bearing the gilded bust of Alexander Suvorov in profile and facing left. Below, on the medallion lower edge, are crossed branches of oak and laurel. At the upper part and following its circumference is the inscription in red enameled embossed letters “ALEXANDER SUVOROV” (АЛЕКСАНДР СУВОРОВ). The reverse is bare except for the award serial number.
The Order is suspended by a ring through a suspension loop to a standard Russian pentagonal mount covered by a 24mm wide green silk moiré ribbon with a 5mm wide orange central stripe. The Order of Suvorov is to be worn on the left side of the chest and immediately after the Order of Alexander Nevsky.
