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The Soviet 40th Anniversary Medal

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Time Period: World War II, Post-WW2
Year of Institution: 1985
Country: Great Britain, Canada

The Soviet 40th Anniversary Medal was established on 12th April 1985 and awarded to British and Canadian forces who served mainly in RN or MN ships on Arctic Convoys. The medal was approved in 1994 by Her Majesty the Queen and first awarded by the Soviet Government to selected ex-Servicemen – in particular surviving veterans of the Arctic Convoys of World War II.

Similar medals were issues for the 50th and subsequent five year anniversaries as well. However, those for the 55th anniversary and above have not been authorized for wear.

The Soviet 40th Anniversary Medal Design

The medal is circular, struck in bronze, and measures 32 mm in diameter.

The obverse features a group of servicemen and women in front of a five-pointed star and flanked by oak leaves and the dates 1945-1985 above. The reverse has the inscription “40th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945” in Russian.

The ribbon is one-half red and the other orange with three black stripes, edged with pale blue. Later issues of the medal have no blue edges.

The medal is worn in the Russian style.

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