Help with Medal "For the Defence of the Caucasus"

[Agapito]

Hi. I traveled to Russia a few years ago, and I have been interested in the culture of this great country. Recently, and coincidentally, I acquired a Jubilee medal from 1968 at the Mauer Park in Berlin, and after reading about the Soviet medals on the Internet, I had the opportunity to acquire a medal for the defense of the Caucasus with its Certificate. Although the document was not well preserved, and I had to clean the medal well, I tried to preserve the document and the medal in the best possible conditions.

I would like to know if it is authentic, and if possible, know something about the man who receives this medal, and the officer (maybe a general) who gave him the medal.

Any opinions and translation would be very much appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[Bill Garvy]

Document and Medal for Defense of the Caucasus, serial #N023763, issued to Major (Medical Service) Boris Ilyich Shpolyansky, April 13th, 1945. He was Chief of Evacuation Point #104, North Caucasus Front. The document was signed by the Chief of the Independent Health Department of the Odessa Military District, Major-General Reyzin. Both he and the Major are listed on the second page, #29, on this archival document which confirms the authenticity of the document. The Defense of the Caucasus Medal appears to be authentic from your photographs. I can not be sure this is specifically the Major's Defense of the Caucasus medal and not just a "put together" ensemble. Regardless, it is a nice set.



Major Shpolyansky was born in 1903 and was also awarded an Order of the Red Star, February 22nd, 1943, and an Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd Class, November 19th, 1943. On the citation for his Order of the Patriotic War a Medal for the Defense of Odessa is listed. I have attached the Prikaz and citations for both awards.

Here is the Prikaz for his Order of the Red Star. He is #11 on page 2.





Here is the Citation for his Order of the Red Star.



Here is his Prikaz for his Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd Class. He is #2.



And finally, his citation for his Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd Class

[Agapito]

If I'm not mistaken, I think it would be a type-1 medal.

Thank you very much. It's amazing the information you tell me. It's like a piece of a person's life and a piece of history.

I hope that Major Shpolyansky survived the war and could lead a quieter life afterwards. I wish the same for Major-General Reyzin.

I am very surprised that the Major's family did not prefer to keep the medals and documents, for what it symbolize, and taking into account Hitler's plans for Slavic populations. I do not understand it.

Thank you again

[Bill Garvy]

Document for the Medal Defense of the Caucasus issued to Moisey Izrailevich Zaslavskiy dated April 24th, 1945 by the Chief of the Sanitary Office, Major-General (Medical Service) Reyzin, Serial #N025028.



Document for the Medal Defense of the Caucasus issued to Melan’ya Dmitrievna Tokareva dated April 24th, 1945 by the Chief of the Sanitary Office, Major-General (Medical Service) Reyzin, Serial #N025070.

[Agapito]

I have tried to investigate a little more about Major Shpolyansky and Major-General Reyzin, although I have not been able to find anything. Maybe we think that the Internet offers all kinds of information, I suppose I'm clumsy.

I have only found general information about the Military District of Odessa. Apparently, Marshal of the Soviet Union, Giorgi Zhukov was assigned command of the Odessa Military District after the war -1946-1948- (Odessa Military District - Wikipedia).

Please excuse me for adding this information, I have found interesting the historical aspect related to the medal and the document.

[Egorka]

Major Boris Ilyich Shpolyansky was the chief for the Medical Evacuation Center 104 located in town Sochi (where the winter Olympics took place). It had 49 hospitals under its control in Sep 1941.
Major Shpolyansky was the responsible for this center from October 1941 and until the war end (I think, until May 1946). Hence he was awarded the medal for Caucasus defense.