Russia – Soviet: A fascinating Siege of Leningrad Order of the Red Star awarded to Captain of the Quartermaster Service Fyodor Stepanovich Razin, who whilst serving in part of the 1st Battalion, 139th Air Defence Brigade, South Baltic Fleet, performed several notable acts of gallantry during air raids in the early part of the siege, including extinguishing incendiary bombs, putting out fires and moving the wounded under aerial bombardment.
Order of the Red Star, type 2, without screwpost plate and with semi-flared edges numbered 1650458
Condition: Nearly extremely fine
Fyodor Stepanovich Razin was born in Staritsa Raion, Kalinin Oblast in 1903. Attaining a secondary education he joined the Red Navy in 1941 and became a member of the Communist Party in 1943.
Razin was to receive two awards during the war, the first being this Order of the Red Star issued to him by Order of the 139th Air Defence Brigade, Southwestern Naval Defence Area, South Baltic Fleet on 18th June 1945 on the back of the following citation:
‘During the Great Patriotic War Guards Captain of the Quartermaster Service Razin showed himself a highly disciplined, energetic, and brave officer. In addition to his primary service duties, he was simultaneously always actively involved in the unit’s combat operations, performing a number of other functions.
Throughout the entire war he was the officer on duty at the battalion command post. As soon as enemy aircraft appeared he always brough the battalion to a state of combat readiness in a timely manner and oftentimes, prior to the arrival of the commanding officer and the chief of staff at the battalion command post, he calmly and confidently supervised the duties at the command post while subjected to enemy bombardment.
In the summer of 1941 he and the chief of the Special Technical Supply of the 59th Independent Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion evacuated approximately 100 trucks containing ammunition from the Ruchyi base, which back then was located in territory abandoned by our forces.
In September 1941 he went on a reconnaissance mission near Nizino and obtained valuable intelligence.
In September 1941 comrade Razin, acting on instructions from the commander of the 59th Independent Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion, supervised the transportation of ammunition reserves from the Peterhof area to Oranienbaum under devastating artillery shelling. For his successful and selfless efforts he received a commendation from the battalion commander.
In October 1941, while serving as the duty officer responsible for garrison guard duty in the city of Kronstadt, he supervised the efforts to put out a fire during a bombing raid on the city , for which he received a commendation from the commander of Kronstadt Naval Base.
In November 1941, during a ferocious artillery bombardment on the premises of the Baltic Factory, where the 59th Independent Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion was stationed, he along with the Chief of the Medical Service, supervised the evacuation of the wounded and provided first aid to them. He refused to take cover despite the enormous risk to life.
In December 1941 he was stationed at the 307th Battery during an artillery bombardment. Displaying exceptional selflessness, bravery and calmness he successfully supervised the efforts to put out a fire in the proximity of a fuel depot, for which the commander of the 9th Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment expressed his gratitude.
In January 1942 comrade Razin was given a commendation by the unit commander and the director of the Baltic Factory for his active involvement in extinguishing a number of incendiary bombs.
During comrade Razin’s time in the 59th Independent Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion the Battalion shot down a total of 48 enemy aircraft.
For his financial duties comrade Razin received a series of commendations from his commanders, including one from the commander of the Kronstadt Naval Defence Area.
For the audacity, bravery and skill he displayed in battle with the German-Fascist invaders, comrade Guards Captain of the Quartermaster Service Razin fully deserves to be awarded the Order of the Red Star.’
Signed by the Commander of the 1st Independent Guards Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion, 139th Air Defence Brigade, Southwestern Naval Defence Area, Red Banner Baltic Fleet, Guards Major Konstantin Tikhonovich Narozhnyky.
Razin would later go on to be awarded a Medal for Combat Merit on 30th April 1946, and after the war was working as the Reconnaissance Department of the Staff of the 4th Fleet, whilst his residence was registered as 5 Podgorny Street in the city of Baltiysk.
The period of the citation for the Order of the Red Star covers the initial stages of the siege of Leningrad where heavy artillery bombardments and heavy air raids against the city, the Kronstadt Naval Base and the Oranienbaum bridgehead were frequent and deadly. It is clear that Razin was in the forefront of the action, moving supplies under fire, putting fires out and moving the wounded all at risk to his own life. An interesting award to a participant in the most costly siege in history.
