Description
Order of Glory 2nd class #9484 (thin variation)
Awarded to Full Cavalier of the Order of Glory Sergeant Nikolai Zakharovich Kryukov (Николай Захарович Крюков)
For personally annihilating up to 10 soldiers and an enemy machine gun crew in Latvia while crawling towards the enemy trenches and dragging a wounded German prisoner back to the Soviet headquarters of the unit
Made of silver and enamels. Measures 46.84 mm in width, 48.77 mm in height and weighs 22.0 grams without its suspension. The serial number is located on the top of its reverse.
In worn but decent condition with a fair amount of gold plating still visible and a medium patina on both sides. The enamels are mostly present without repairs and show a chip on the left side of the first ‘C’ only. The silver base shows several contact marks on both sides and some of the details of the raised parts are worn off. The order comes with its time period double layer steel suspension and its connection ring has been cut.
Low numbered Order of Glory to a Full Cavalier. Scarce as such
Short translation of the citation:
Fulfilling the order of the command to capture a prisoner for questioning on the night of November 30, 1944, acting as part of a group, he behaved bravely.
Crawling he reached the trenches of the front line of the enemy’s defense and with fire from his submachine gun and with grenades, he annihilated up to 10 soldiers and an enemy machine gun crew in the area of the Glāznieki farm in the Priekulsky district of the Latvian SSR.
Having created a lot of confusion at the location of the enemy he did not get distracted and captured a wounded German soldier and took him back to the command of the regiment.
More information on Sgt. Kryukov can be read here and here
Short biography on Sgt. Kryukov:
Kryukov Nikolai Zakharovich – squad leader of a foot reconnaissance platoon of the 510th rifle regiment (154th rifle division, 2nd Guards Army, 3rd Belorussian Front), sergeant – at the time of presentation for awarding the Order of Glory 1st degree.
Born on July 13, 1923 in the village of Kokhanovka, now the Znamensky district of the Kirovograd region of Ukraine. From a working class family. Russian. He graduated from the 9th grade of the school.
He was drafted into the Red Army by the Yelizavetgrad district military registration and enlistment office of the Kirovograd region of the Ukrainian SSR immediately after the start of World War II, in July 1941. Member of the Great Patriotic War since July 29, 1941. He fought on the Southwestern Front as part of the 212th Airborne Division, then on the Western Front in other units. He was wounded in September 1942 and taken prisoner.
He was released from captivity in the summer of 1944 by the advancing units of the 2nd Guards Army in the Baltic States, and after a short stay at the army filtration point, he was re-enlisted in the Red Army. From July 1944 he fought on the 2nd Baltic Front, from September 1944 – on the 1st Baltic Front.
The reconnaissance platoon of foot reconnaissance of the 510th Infantry Regiment (154th Infantry Division, 6th Guards Army, 1st Baltic Front), Sergeant Nikolai Kryukov, repeatedly distinguished himself during the blockade of the Courland enemy group and in private offensive operations against it. On the night of November 16-17, 1944, as part of a reconnaissance group, he carried out the task of capturing a control prisoner from the personnel of a stronghold northeast of the Glaznieki farm (now part of the Priekulsky district, Latvia). In the capture group, he penetrated the enemy forward edge of the stronghold, destroyed the firing point with machine gun fire. By his actions, he ensured the success of his comrades, who captured the prisoner. When retreating under the most powerful enemy fire, he dragged a prisoner along the neutral zone and delivered him to the location of the unit.
For the exemplary performance of the combat missions of the Command on the front of the fight against the German invaders and the valor and courage shown at the same time by order of the units of the 154th Infantry Division No. 069 / n. dated November 27, 1944, Sergeant Kryukov Nikolai Zakharovich was awarded the Order of Glory 3rd degree.
The reconnaissance platoon of foot reconnaissance of the 510th Infantry Regiment (154th Infantry Division, 6th Guards Army, 1st Baltic Front) Sergeant Nikolai Kryukov on November 30, 1944 received a new order to capture a prisoner. Scouts at night crawled close to the first trench of the enemy and, on command, threw grenades at it, and then broke into it. At the same time, a German machine gun was personally blown up by Kryukov with the calculation, and in total up to 10 soldiers were exterminated. Taking advantage of the confusion of the enemy, the scouts captured a wounded German soldier and, under fire, through the neutral zone, delivered him to the headquarters of the unit.
For the exemplary performance of the combat missions of the Command on the front of the struggle against the German invaders and the valor and courage shown at the same time, by order of the troops of the 6th Guards Army No. 6 / n of January 18, 1945, Sergeant Kryukov Nikolai Zakharovich was awarded the Order of Glory 2nd degree
Sergeant Sergeant Nikolai Kryukov, Sergeant Sergeant Nikolai Kryukov, again distinguished himself in the East Prussian offensive operation. In the battle on the outskirts of the village of Topprinen (5 kilometers southwest of the city of Preusisch-Eylau in East Prussia, now the city of Bagrationovsk, Kaliningrad Region) in a night attack from February 9 to 10, 1945, at the head of the squad, broke into the village. Grenades destroyed 2 machine-gun points equipped in stone houses, along with their calculations. Then, in hand-to-hand combat, his squad, along with him, destroyed 7 Nazis. During the battle, Topprinen was completely cleared of the enemy. A few days later, on February 15, 1944, in the area of the settlement of Gross-Khumkaim, while performing reconnaissance, he captured 2 enemy soldiers.
For the exemplary performance of the combat missions of the Command on the front of the struggle against the German invaders and the valor and courage shown at the same time, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of April 19, 1945, Sergeant Kryukov Nikolai Zakharovich was awarded the Order of Glory 1st degree.
He fought heroically. During the East Prussian operation on March 6, 1945, in the Königsberg area, at the head of the squad, he was the first to break into the German trench. In hand-to-hand combat, he destroyed up to 15 German soldiers, and a German cannon was also captured by the squad. The next day, March 7, a squad led by Kryukov broke into a building adapted for a fortified point and exterminated German soldiers to a platoon, and the surviving 5 soldiers were taken prisoner. On March 14 and 15, 1945, in the battle for the heavily fortified settlement of Hermsdorf (now the village of Prigranichny, Bagrationovsky District, Kaliningrad Region), he was one of the first to break into the outskirts and personally destroyed 6 Germans in hand-to-hand combat. The skillful and courageous actions of the scouts contributed to the successful assault on Hermsdorf.
In 1945 he was demobilized. Lived in the city of Melitopol, Zaporozhye region, Ukrainian SSR. He worked as a carpenter. According to some reports, after 1990 he moved to permanent residence in the Russian Federation. There is no information about the further fate.
He was also awarded the Order of the Red Banner (03/28/1945), the Order of the Patriotic War 1st (03/11/1985) and 2nd (03/26/1945) degrees, the medal “For Courage” (09/26/1944), and other medals.
Please contact us with questions
