80th Anniversary Victory Medal: Who Will Receive Kazakhstan’s New Award?

President Qasym-Jomart Toqayev has signed a decree establishing a special jubilee medal titled "Uly Otan soǵysyndaǵy Jeńıske 80 jyl" (80 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War – Ed.), Orda.kz reports.

The commemorative medal will honor a broad range of individuals, including both military and civilian contributors. According to the decree, the following groups are eligible:

• Participants of the Great Patriotic War, including military personnel who served in units, headquarters, and institutions of the active army and navy, as well as partisans and underground resistance fighters
• Individuals who became disabled due to injuries, concussions, wounds, or illnesses sustained during the war — specifically, those who served in the active army and navy, partisans, underground fighters, and civilian workers who were injured or fell ill while working at the front, in combat zones, on frontline railroads, fortifications, naval bases, or airfields
• Service personnel, as well as commanding and enlisted personnel of the internal affairs and state security agencies of the former USSR, who served during the Great Patriotic War in cities where participation in their defense was, before January 1, 1998, recognized as part of the service period qualifying for preferential pension benefits granted to active-duty military personnel
• Civilian personnel of the Soviet Army, Navy, internal troops, and state security bodies of the former USSR who held staff positions in military units, headquarters, or institutions that were part of the active army during the Great Patriotic War, or who served in cities where participation in their defense was, before January 1, 1998, recognized as part of the service period qualifying for preferential pension benefits granted to active-duty military personnel
• Participants in combat operations against Nazi Germany and its allies in foreign countries as part of partisan units, underground groups, and other anti-fascist organizations
• Residents of blockaded Leningrad who worked during the siege and were awarded the “For the Defense of Leningrad” medal or the “Resident of Blockaded Leningrad” badge
• Minor prisoners of Nazi concentration camps, ghettos, and other places of forced detention created during World War II
• Command and rank personnel of the former USSR’s state security and internal affairs bodies declared disabled due to war-related injuries or illnesses
• Individuals awarded Soviet medals or orders for selfless labor or distinguished military service in the rear
• Individuals who worked from June 22, 1941, to May 9, 1945, for at least six months during the war but were not awarded Soviet honors for selfless labor or distinguished military service in the rear
• Spouses of deceased war-disabled persons or deceased WWII participants, partisans, underground fighters, and residents, awarded the medal "For the Defense of Leningrad" or the badge "Resident of Blockaded Leningrad", recognized as persons with a disability as a result of a general disease, industrial injury, and other reasons (except for illegal ones), who did not remarry
• Widows or widowers of deceased (died, went missing) war heroes who have not remarried.

Local authorities are required to compile lists of recipients by April 20, after which the awards will be presented on behalf of the president. Each medal will be accompanied by an official certificate.

Original Author: Rustam Muratov