of the Patriotic War 1st Class, the Order of the Red Star, MDRF ministerial medal. The right half of the ribbon is and many medals and foreign orders including the United white with two narrow (2mm) red stripes 2mm from the States Legion of Merit. edges of the white field.

Medal Major General Alexander Alexandrov

The Medal Major General Alexander Alexandrov (Figure 13) was established on August 2, 2005 by Order 317 of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. It is awarded to members of the armed forces, to civilian personnel of the armed forces, and to veterans of the armed forces in reserve or retired, as well as to other citizens of the Russian Federation for great personal contribution to the creation and promotion of Russian patriotic military music and to the development of the military music culture.

Figure 14: Major General Alexander Alexandrov.

Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov (Figure 14) was born into a peasant family on April 13, 1883 in the village of Plakhino in the Ryazan region. Gifted with an incredible singing voice, he became a chorister in St Petersburg’s Kazan Cathedral at an early age. A protégé of the best musical talents of the Era, he studied in and eventually becoming a music teacher in 1918. He founded the Alexandrov Ensemble around 1928 and soon found favor with Stalin himself. As director of the ever-growing Ensemble, he pioneered musical development in the young Soviet regime by encouraging Figure 13: Obverse (left) and reverse of the Medal Major soldiers’ interest in music and the arts. General Alexander Alexandrov. In 1941, he composed the music to the song “Sacred Obverse: The left profile of the bust of Major General War” (lyrics by Vasily Lebedev-Kumach) which became Alexandrov over a harp on a laurel wreath with what is probably the iconic of Soviet World War the inscription MAJOR GENERAL ALEXANDER II related songs and is still played yearly during the ALEXANDROV. Victory parade in Moscow. Commissioned by Stalin in 1942, he composed the music to what would become the Reverse: The circular inscription: MINISTRY OF Soviet National Anthem in 1944 (lyrics were by Sergey DEFENSE RUSSIAN FEDERATION. In the center, a Mikhalkov). This anthem, first abandoned by the new parchment over military banners bearing the inscription Russian Federation in 1991 was readopted with new FOR CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF lyrics in 2000 (again by Sergey Mikhalkov). Alexander MILITARY MUSIC. Alexandrov died of a heart attack in on the night of July 8-9, 1946 while on a European tour. He was Suspension: The award is always bestowed as displayed succeeded as head of the Alexandrov Ensemble by his here mounted on the pentagonal mount and is worn on son Boris. Major General Alexander Alexandrov was the left breast with other medals in the prescribed order of awarded the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Red Star, precedence. The left half of the ribbon is yellow (10mm) the honorary title People’s Artist of the USSR, the Order with a narrow (2mm) black edge stripe indicating a

32 JOMSA of the Red Banner of Labor, a Stalin Prize 1st Class (all decoration. The right half of the ribbon is white with monetary proceeds of which he donated to the war effort) two narrow (2mm) red stripes, one at the right edge of and the Czech Order of the White Lion 3rd Class. the ribbon, the second 2mm to its left.

Commemorative Decoration Major General Boris Alexandrov

The commemorative Decoration Major General Boris Alexandrov (Figure 15) was established on October 6, 2005 by Order 425 of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. It is awarded to military and civilian personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation for great personal contribution to the development of the musical culture of the armed forces, as well as to others, for assistance in the tasks entrusted to the Music Services of the Armed Forces of Russia.

Figure 16: Major General Boris Alexandrov.

Boris Alexandrovich Alexandrov (Figure 16) was born on July 22, 1905 in the Tver region. The son of the famous Alexander Alexandrov, he followed in his father’s footsteps opting for a career in music. At age 13 he was already playing the as a member of Moscow’s renowned ’s children’s . He attended the Moscow Music Conservatory from 1923 to 1929, and then ran the music department of the newly established Central Theatre of the from 1929 to 1937 doubling as an associate professor at the Moscow Conservatory from 1933 to 1941. In 1937, he became the Figure 15: Obverse (left) and reverse of the Decoration Deputy Artistic Director of the Alexandrov Ensemble Major General Boris Alexandrov. under the leadership of his father.

Obverse: The bust of Major General Alexandrov over a During the Great Patriotic War, Boris Alexandrov co-led harp on a laurel branch with the inscription 100 YEARS the Alexandrov Ensemble with his father, giving over MAJOR GENERAL BORIS ALEXANDROV. 1,500 front line concerts. He assumed leadership of the ensemble in 1946 upon the death of his father taking it Reverse: In the center, below the relief image of a harp, all over the world on more than 68 extensive tours until and surrounded by a laurel wreath, the relief inscription his retirement in 1987. Although officially retired, he still TO GRACE LIFE AND MARSHAL NEW EXPLOITS acted as the ensemble’s principal conductor until 1994. THROUGH ONE’S ART – THIS IS OUR HIGHEST Adding over 150 works to the Russian musical repertoire, DUTY. his contribution to Russian folkloric and patriotic music was monumental. Major General Boris Alexandrov Suspension: The award is always bestowed as displayed was awarded the honorary title of People’s Artist of the here, mounted on the small square mount and is worn USSR three times (1944, 1948, 1958), he also received above the right breast pocket. The left half of the ribbon the honorary title of Hero of Socialist Labor (1975), the is yellow (10mm) with two narrow (2mm) black edge Lenin Prize (1978), the Stalin Prize (1950), three Orders stripes indicating a MDRF ministerial commemorative

Vol. 63, No. 4 (July-August 2012) 33 of Lenin, the Order of the October Revolution, the Order breast with other medals in the prescribed order of of the Red Banner of Labor, the Order of the Patriotic War precedence. The left half of the ribbon is yellow (10mm) 1st Class and many other domestic and foreign orders and with a narrow (2mm) black edge stripe indicating a medals. He died June 17, 1994 in Moscow. MDRF ministerial medal. The right half of the ribbon is divided into two equal (6mm) red and black stripes Medal Army General Komarovskii representing the colors of the Service of Quartering and Settlement of Troops. The Medal Army General Komarovskii (Figure 17) was established on May 2, 2006 by Order number 175 of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. It is awarded to soldiers with impeccable service of 10 years or more in the Service of Quartering and Settlement of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for courage and bravery displayed in the performance of military duties or special tasks, to civilian personnel of the armed forces who have worked in the service of quartering and settlement of troops for 15 years or more, and to veterans of military service, for great personal contribution to the development of military construction and/or to the organization and arrangement of the quartering of troops, and to other persons for assistance in addressing the tasks assigned to the service of quartering and settlement of troops.

Figure 18: Army General Alexander Komarovskii.

Alexander Nikolayevich Komarovskii was born on May 7, 1906 in St. Petersburg. He graduated from the Moscow Institute of Transport Engineers in 1928. He held senior positions in the 1930s in the construction of the Moscow Canal, in the Kuibyshev hydro engineering complex and in various other major national projects.

During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 he served on the Southern and South-Western Fronts as Head of the Department of Defense, as commander of the 5th Combat Engineer Army and as Deputy Chief of the Main Figure 17: Obverse (left) and reverse of the Medal Army Directorate of Defense Construction of the People’s General Komarovskii. Commissariat for Defense. Between 1945 and 1962 he served in various leadership positions. He earned a Ph.D. Obverse: The bust of Army General Komarovskii with in 1956. In December 1963 he was appointed Deputy the inscription ARMY GENERAL KOMAROVSKII. Minister of Defense of the USSR for construction and the quartering of troops. He was directly responsible for great Reverse: The circular inscription: MINISTRY OF strides in the improvement of quality of life of Soviet DEFENSE RUSSIAN FEDERATION. The center troops in the field of lodging. Later, he was a Deputy of inscription: CREATION, LABOR AND DEFENSE. the 8th Convocation of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Suspension: The award is always bestowed as displayed General Komarovskii was awarded the honorary title here on the pentagonal mount and is worn on the left Hero of Socialist Labor in 1949, he also received the State

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