History

The Order for Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR was established on October 28, 1974. It was awarded to servicemen in the Soviet Army, Navy, frontier guards and internal security forces for exemplary or outstanding service. More specifically, it could be awarded for accomplishments in military in political training; for high rating in official activity; or for bravery and self-sacrifice in executing military duties.

This order has three classes and it is only awarded to individuals. Higher classes can only be awarded following the lower order - a person must be awarded the third class, then second class and finally first class. An awardee that had all three classes was referred to as a "cavalier" and was privy to special privileges.

As of 1991, a total of 13 I Class, 589 II Class and 69,576 III Class decorations were awarded. Technically, there are two types, however there are no specimens in the Type II timeframe (1990-1991) and is therefore it is not included here.

The I Class is made of silver, gold-plating, with white and blue enamel. It consists of five pieces and presents an eight-point star. The two rockets on the obverse symbolize the Soviet Strategic Rocket Forces, and the light blue enamel symbolize the Soviet Air Defense Forces. The anchor represent the Navy and wings represent the Air Force. The reverse has the Monetny Dvor mint mark in raised letters in the shape of a semi-circle. On the I Class, all silver parts are gold plated, except the rocket tubes, anchor and wings. It measures 58mm by 58mm. The lowest serial number observed is 14 and the highest is 454.

The obverse inscription translates to "For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR".

A small identification booklet for a 'cavalier' of all three classes exists, to ensure the recipient is able to receive the privileges that the order provides. The booklet includes a picture of the recipient, along with his name, booklet number and the date the booklet was issued.