Russia – Soviet: An Oder to the Elbe Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class awarded to Senior Sergeant and Officer’s Cook Sergei Vasilevich Gordeev, a Signalman in the 129th Corps, 47th Army, 1st Belarussian Front for showing exceptional mastery in provisioning the personnel with hot and tasty food during the advance to the Elbe.
Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class, reverse numbered 405644
Condition: Nearly extremely fine
Sergei Vasilevich Gordeev was born in the city of Borisov, Belarus in 1910, and a Belarussian by nationality, he attained an elementary education (7 grades) before serving in the Red Army from 1941 onwards.
Gordeev served during the major battles at Moscow and Stalingrad receiving the relevant medals, before he in turn received the Medal for Combat Merits by Order of the 260th Rifle Division, and this Order of the Red Star by Decree of the 129th Rifle Corps on 15th March 1945.
Gordeev’s final award was this Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class issued to him as a Senior Sergeant and Officer’s Cook at the Headquarters of the 129th Rifle Corps, by Order of the 129th Rifle Corps on 30th May 1945 as a result of the following citation:
‘Senior Sergeant Gordeev, during the period of offensive actions to breach the German defences on the Oder and during the Offensive to the Elbe, displayed exceptional mastery in provisioning the personnel with hot and tasty food, thereby helping the Officer Corps in fulfilling its combat missions to complete the downfall of the German occupiers.
For exemplary performance of missions from Command, he deserves award of the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class.’
Signed by the Commander of the Administrative Units of the 129th Rifle Corps, Guards Captain Volodin.
After the war he was employed as the Director of Production, Trans-Siberian Sector, National Office of Dining Cars, People’s Commissariat of Labour. Whilst living at Apartment 15, building 1/13, Sredny Kislovsky Lane, Moscow
