Russia – Soviet: A scarce hand to hand combat posthumous post-Kursk offensive Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class awarded to Red Army Soldier Mikhail Nikiforovich Kiselev, a Sub-Machine gunner with the 146th Guards Rifle Regiment for killing 6 Germans with his submachine gun and 2 when he threw grenades into their trenches before heroically dying in hand to hand combat during the battle for the village of Lelyuki in Kharkov Oblast.
Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class, the reverse numbered 898747
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine
Mikhail Nikiforivich Kiselev was born in the village of Pashkino, Sok-Karmalinsky District, Chkalov Oblast, RSFSR in 1924. A Russian national, and a member of the Komsomol he attained an elementary education before joining the Red Army in August 1942. He would see fighting on the Western, Voronezh and Steppe Fronts before being killed in action on 15th August 1943.
This award, a posthumous one, was awarded by decree of the 57th Army on 10th October 1943 but was only given to the family in January 1954.
A Red Army Soldier and Sub-machine gunner, Sub-machine gun company, 146th Guards Rifle Regiment at the time of the award, the recommendation reads:
‘During the offensive, in battle for the village of Lelyuki, Kharkov Oblast on 14th August 1943, together with a soldier Melyutin, covering the infantry’s advance from the flank, firing from his submachine gun, he exterminated 6 Hitlerites, then crawled toward the enemy trenches and throwing grenades, destroyed two Hitlerites, drove them out of their foxholes, and in that engagement in hand-to-hand combat heroically died for the cause of the defence of our socialist motherland.
Comrade Kiselev deserves recommendation for the government award the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class.
The medal would have subsequently been sent to his family who were living in the village of Pashkino, Sok-Karmalinsky District, Chkalov Obast, RSFSR.
