Description
Order of the Red Banner #65292
Reissue/ Victory Parade Issue
Awarded to Guards Lieutenant Colonel and Hero of the Soviet Union Yakov Tikhonovich Nikonenko (Яков тихонович Никоненко)
For personally leading battle formations with danger to life. Due to his successful command his regiment inflicted substantial damage to the enemy killing 2000 soldiers and officers, shooting down a He-111 aircraft, destroying self-propelled guns, mortar-artillery batteries, and enemy bunkers
Made of solid silver and enamels. Measures 44.44 mm in height including its eyelet, 36.23 mm in width and weighs 22.2 grams without its suspension. The reissue serial number and the mint mark Monetni Dvor are located at the 6 o’clock position of its reverse.
In excellent, well above average condition. The details are crisp and the red and white enamels are problem free without repairs and show some minuscule superficial flaking only; barely visible with the naked eye. Much of the original gold plating is present and its connection ring has not been cut. The double layer suspension is time period to the award.
Reissue awards were given by the Soviet Government to a recipient, as a replacement piece, in exchange for the same order or medal of an earlier type which was no longer authorized for awarding by new regulations. The new reissue piece retains the serial number from the original award piece. Many early suspension or screwback awards were exchanged for the new type of award, particularly during the period immediately following the end of the Great Patriotic War. During the June 1945 Victory Parade in Moscow following the defeat of Germany in World War Two, soldiers participating in the Parade were expected to have the latest type of award on their uniforms and undoubtedly many were exchanged for that parade. These pieces are very rare.
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Brief, concrete description of his feat of arms or achievements:
“In battles with the enemy who went on the offensive from 05.07. and on July 12-13, 1943 he led the regiment’s combat operations in the area – Rzhavets-Maslova-Pristan-Priyutovka of the Belgorod region, despite the clear superiority of the enemy forces, personally leading the battle formations of the units and being under continuous enemy fire, with danger to life, skillfully organized counter-attacks delayed the advance of the enemy and repulsed a number of counterattacks undertaken by him.
As a result of the fighting, the regiment inflicted damage on the enemy in manpower of up to 2000 people killed soldiers and officers, one shot down He-111 aircraft, 2 destroyed and knocked out self-propelled guns, mortar-artillery batteries, and destroyed enemy bunkers.
I recommend comrade NIKONENKO to be awarded the Order of the “RED BANNER”.””
Short Biography on Nikonenko:
Nikonenko Yakov Tikhonovich – commander of the 702nd rifle regiment of the 213th rifle division of the 7th Guards Army of the Steppe Front, major.
He was born on March 12, 1911 in the village of Lubyanka, now the Sinelnikovsky district of the Dnepropetrovsk region of Ukraine, into a peasant family. Graduated from junior high school. He worked in the Sinelnikovsky District Council of Osoaviakhim.
In the Red Army in 1933-37 and since 1939. Member of the CPSU (b) / CPSU since 1940. On the fronts of the Great Patriotic War since June 1941.
The commander of the 702nd Infantry Regiment (213th Infantry Division, 7th Guards Army, Steppe Front), Major Yakov Nikonenko, on the night of September 27, 1943, skillfully led the regiment entrusted to him during the crossing of the Dnieper River near the village of Perevolochna, now the village of Svetlogorskoye Kobelyaksky district of the Poltava region of Ukraine, and in the battle for the expansion of the bridgehead on the right bank of the Dnieper.
By order of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of October 26, 1943, for the skillful command of a rifle regiment, exemplary performance of combat missions of command on the front of the struggle against the Nazi invaders and the courage and heroism shown at the same time, Major Nikonenko Yakov Tikhonovich was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and medals “Gold Star” (No. 1212).
In October 1943, in one of the battles,Lt. Col.. Nikonenko was seriously wounded. After treatment in the hospital, he was transferred to the local military administration. In 1944 he graduated from the accelerated course of the Military Academy named after M.V. Frunze. Since 1957, Lieutenant Colonel Nikonenko was in reserve.
Returning to his homeland, the former regiment commander worked as the director of the Sinelnikovsky dairy plant. He died on January 7, 1973.
He was awarded the Order of Lenin, 2 orders of the Red Banner, the Order of the Red Star, and medals.
More info on Lt. Col. Nikonenko can be found here, here and here
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