Those who do not remember kinship: who sells military awards for veterans
There is still an illegal trade in orders and medals, as well as military paraphernalia, including relics related to the Great Patriotic War. The police are currently investigating the sale of state awards of Vladimir Dolgikh (1924-2020), a Soviet and Russian politician, twice Hero of Socialist Labor, and participant in the Great Patriotic War. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
A high-profile case
A source from Izvestia reported on an investigation into the illegal sale of state awards by Vladimir Dolgikh, a well-known Soviet and Russian politician, a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, twice Hero of Socialist Labor. A criminal case on this fact was initiated in March of this year under the relevant article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The circumstances of the case are being checked.
Vladimir Ivanovich Dolgikh (December 5, 1924, Ilanskoye village, Yenisei province, USSR — October 8, 2020, Moscow, Russia) volunteered for the front as a minor. He participated in the battles for Moscow, was the political commander of an anti-tank rifle company, and fought on the Bryansk Front. He was seriously wounded in 1943, and was discharged in 1944 for health reasons. He graduated from the Irkutsk Mining and Metallurgical Institute and worked as a metallurgical engineer. In the 1960s, he became the head of the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Combine. From 1969 to 1972, he headed the Krasnoyarsk Territory. In the 1970s and 1980s, he was secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU. After the collapse of the USSR, he was engaged in economic modernization and social activities. In 2011-2013, he was a deputy of the State Duma, later a member of the Federation Council.
Vladimir Dolgikh, Chairman of the Moscow City Council of Veterans, before the start of the military parade marking the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 on Red Square in Moscow
It was Dolgikh who made a huge contribution to preserving the memory of the participants of the Great Patriotic War — he was among the initiators and inspirers of the creation of the Victory Museum on Poklonnaya Gora. According to a source in law enforcement agencies, the sale took place in August last year, an illegal transaction took place in an apartment in the west of Moscow. The source did not specify which specific awards are being discussed in the criminal case.
The price of memory
Personal awards of the older generation have been traded on the black market since the 1990s, with both domestic and foreign collectors interested in them. Despite the sanctions for the illegal sale and acquisition of state awards, the trade in medals continues at various levels. He estimated four jubilee medals at 1.5 thousand rubles ("40 years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945", "30 years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945", the jubilee medal, "20 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945" and the medal "For Valiant Labor. In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin"), a 35-year-old resident of Ivanov. He tried to sell them at the train station, but was detained as part of a test purchase. Experts from the State Historical Museum have confirmed that the awards are genuine.
A 49-year-old resident of the Kursk region tried to get 7,200 rubles for five awards. The seller's collection also included jubilee medals, a Veteran of labor medal and a medal "For Victory over Germany."
The medal "For Victory over Germany" was established by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on May 9, 1945. The authors of the medal are artists E. Ya. Romanov and I. K. Andrianov. As of January 1, 1995, almost 15 million people had received the medal.
The police exposed a resident of Yakutia, who posted seven state awards for sale at a price of 5,000 rubles on a regional advertisement site. The control purchase took place at the airport. In Nizhny Tagil, a 39-year-old man estimated six medals (including two veterans' medals for Victory anniversaries) at just 1,000 rubles. He was arrested while trying to sell them. A resident of Krasnoyarsk was detained in March after selling a medal "For Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War," which he estimated at 4 thousand rubles.
"Citizens, in particular collectors, should understand that the illegal sale or purchase of state prizes through various kinds of shadow auctions or groups on social networks can lead to serious legal consequences, the law provides for criminal liability for such actions," lawyer Dmitry Subbotin explained to Izvestia. — At the same time, the legislator classifies this composition (art. 324 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) as crimes of minor gravity. The sanction provides for punishment in the form of a fine of up to 80 thousand rubles, correctional labor for up to one year or arrest for up to three months.
Pretending to be a copy
The owner of several antique salons, on condition of anonymity, commented to Izvestia on the situation with the purchase and sale of orders and medals from the Soviet era. According to him, the most valuable are the orders of the Soviet period and the Great Patriotic War. The price is seriously affected by the history of the award — if you know when, by whom and for what merits it was received, the price increases significantly.
— The cost of the first orders of the Red Star (where the Red Army soldier is not yet in boots, but in windings) can reach up to 600 thousand rubles, and the Order of the Red Banner — up to one million and above, — says the interlocutor of Izvestia. — However, most antique dealers now prefer not to get involved with the sale of state awards, as this is a criminal offense.
According to him, pawnshops accept awards, but at greatly reduced prices and also with the risk of problems with law enforcement agencies. Most of the rarities are sold inside a "hangout" where everyone knows each other — mostly communities of military history enthusiasts and the like.
— Sometimes orders are sold on closed forums on the Internet, but they always write "copy" in the sentence, although, of course, we are talking about the original, — says the antiquarian.
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