Medal of Ushakov


The Medal of Ushakov is a state decoration of the Russian Federation that was retained from the awards system of the USSR post 1991.

Award history

The Medal of Ushakov was a Soviet military award created on March 3, 1944 by decision of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. It was named in honour of Russian admiral Fyodor Ushakov who never lost a battle and was proclaimed patron saint of the Russian Navy.
The Medal of Ushakov was awarded to sailors and soldiers, petty officers and sergeants, ensigns and warrant officers of the Soviet Navy, Naval Infantry and naval units of KGB Border Troops for courage and bravery displayed both in wartime and in peacetime during the defence of the Soviet Union in naval theatres, while protecting the maritime borders of the USSR, during military duties with a risk to life.
Note: the "peacetime" awards were a 1980 modification to the statute of the medal, prior to that, the medal could only be awarded for wartime acts. The sole exception was the October 1961 award of the Medal of Ushakov to Captain Second Rank Nikolai Shumkov for commanding the submarine B-130 that test launched the first Soviet nuclear torpedo.
An estimated 14,000 to 16,000 medals of Ushakov were awarded from its creation in 1944 to the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union.
By Presidential Decree № 442 of March 2, 1994, the Soviet Medal of Ushakov was retained in the same basic design by the Russian Federation after the dissolution of the USSR. Its statute was amended by Presidential Decrees, №19 of January 6, 1999 and №1099 of September 7, 2010.

Modern statute

The Medal of Ushakov is awarded to soldiers and sailors of the Navy and of the Border Guard Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation for bravery and courage displayed while defending the Motherland and the public interests of the Russian Federation in naval theatres of military operations, while protecting the state borders of the Russian Federation, in carrying out naval combat missions with vessels of the Navy and/or Border Guard Service of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, during exercises and manoeuvres in the performance of military duties under conditions involving a risk to life, as well as for excellent performance in naval combat training.
The Russian Federation Order of Precedence dictates the Medal of Ushakov is to be worn on the left breast with other medals immediately after the Medal of Suvorov.

Award description

The Medal of Ushakov is a 36mm diameter circular silver medal with a raised rim. The obverse has at its center the relief bust of admiral Ushakov facing forward, surrounded by a slightly raised band bearing the inscription, which two Russian words being separated at the top by a star: АДМИРАЛ ✯ УШАКОВ, i.e. by ISO 9: ADMIRAL ✯ UŠAKOV and at the bottom by two laurel branches. The circular medal covers a naval anchor with the stock and flukes protruding at the bottom and the arms and shackle protruding at the top.
The entire anchor is visible on the otherwise plain reverse where a relief "N" is to the left of the anchor, the award serial number goes next to it. Below the area reserved for the award serial number is the maker's mark.
The Medal of Ushakov is suspended from a standard Russian pentagonal mount by a small silver metallic chain hanging from both upper corners of the mount going through the anchor shackle and bottom of the pentagonal mount. The mount is covered by an overlapping 24mm wide silk moiré blue ribbon with 2mm blue and white edge stripes.

Soviet recipients (partial list)

The following individuals were awarded the Soviet Medal of Ushakov:
The following individuals were awarded the Soviet Medal of Ushakov:
In 2013 the awarding of the Medal of Ushakov was made an exception to these rules by the British government.
In 2014 30 U.K merchant seamen, including Duncan McFarlane Christison and Richard Victor Davies, who turned 100 in July 2018, were awarded the Medal of Ushakov for World War II service.
James Joseph Jones Royal Marine
In August 2014, Lt. Cdr. John Errol Manners was presented with his medal.
On 23rd October 2014 the following UK Nationals were presented with their medal
Samuel Leonard BARNES
Thomas Albert CHANDLER
John Jesse William CHURCH
Colin CHURCHER
Norman Kenneth Thornton CROCKER
Alan James DAVIES
Sidney EWERS
Timothy Patrick FURLONGE
Peter James GUTHRIE
Jeremiah Carruthers JOHNSTON
Frederick JONES
James Richard MARIGOLD
Harold Paul MARKHAM
Patrick Joseph MINOGUE
Edward Frederick PEERS
Owen PIGOTT
Barrie Desmond PRICE
Gordon Samuel RAVENSCROFT
Robert John REMNANT
Keith Frank SALISBURY
Berwick Colin SANSOM
Leonard James SAUNDERS
John Arthur Eddy SEARLE
John Alfred Charles SHOOSMITH
Raymond SMITH
Allen Robert WHITE
In 2015 South African James Cooper, 93, was paid a personal visit by Russian consul-general Vyacheslav Levin at his home in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, to be presented with the Medal of Ushakov for World War II service.
In 2015 the medal was awarded to Harold James Lovering of Ottery St Mary, Devon for World War II service on the Arctic convoys.
In February 2015, Harry Darby and Dave Hill of Market Harborough and Ted Hancox of Burntwood were presented the Medal of Ushakov by Sergey Fedichkin from the Russian embassy for their services on the Arctic convoys of World War II.
In 2015, the Embassy of Russia in Washington, D.C. presented the Medal of Ushakov to William D. Hahn. The Medal of Ushakov was awarded to Mr. Hahn by the order of the President of the Russian Federation on 5 March 2015. He received the Medal of Ushakov for his World War II service aboard in support of the Arctic convoys. While serving aboard the USS Alabama , Hahn was a member of the Gunnery Department, 10th Division.
Lt Cdr George Verdon. HMS Norfolk HMS Kent, HMS Vigilant, HMS Mauritius. Awarded the medal in 2015 for service on Russian Convoys 1941–1943. His youngest son Air Commodore AM Verdon received the medal on his behalf.
In 2015, the medal was awarded to Leading Signalman Douglas Albert Stevens for services on the Russian convoys on HMS Renown. It was personally presented to his widow Rita Stevens in Bristol, by an attaché of the Russian embassy on 28 September 2015.
In 2016, on 25/26 March Attaché of the Embassy Oleg Shor presented the Ushakov medals to the Arctic Convoys veterans Mr Kenneth ROTHWELL, Mr Joseph Liam GUERIN and Mr Maurice OWEN, who were awarded this military honour by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation for their personal courage and bravery displayed in WWII.
In 2016, on 17 April Attaché of the Russian Embassy Elizaveta Vokorina presented the Medal of Ushakov to three Britons – Leslie Atkinson, Stanley Harrison and Douglas Eyres, who were awarded this military honour by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation for their personal courage and bravery displayed during the service in the Arctic convoys in World War II.
On 13 July 2016, Walter Jared Jarvis Whetnall was awarded the Medal of Ushakov by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation for his personal courage and bravery displayed during the service in the Arctic convoys in World War II by Attache of the Embassy Oleg Shor.
On 19 July 2016 Attaché of the Embassy Oleg Shor presented the Ushakov medals to the Arctic Convoys veterans Mr William SMITH, Mr George Alexander RUGEN, Mr Sidney NOONAN, Mr James Thomas PARSONS, Mr John Charles PETERS and Mr Cecil QUIGLEY, who were awarded this military honour by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation for their personal courage and bravery displayed in WWII.