Medal and Order Grouping for Major General of Signals Aleksandr Pavlovich Sorokin

**Richtofen** · 07-24-2021, 01:46 PM

So I swear ill try to keep this post as short as I can, I will start off with saying the Sorokin grouping is the most extensive group of documents and medals I have to date and what is shown is only a small fraction of the extensive documents and photographs (I'm Still working up to posting the document and photos grouping) however this post will only discuss his awards and related award documents. One of the first things that should be noted is that it's not a complete grouping, missing is his 2 Order of Kutuzov 2nd classes, his Order of Lenin, his 4 Order of the Red Banners and his XX years of the RKKA medal, the reported reason these are missing is the family states the government took the missing awards back after his death in 1955. Aleksandr Pavlovich Sorokin was born in November 16th 1900 and in 1917 he joined the Moscow Red Guard and fought against the Junkers and the military school cadets. Sorokin joined the Army in 1919 where he stayed until September 1954, during his early army years he fought against the Basmachi movement in Turkestan until May 1925. Throughout the 20s Sorokin attended many different signals courses and academies and in the 30s he varied between commanding Signals units. from 1937 - 1939 Sorokin was a Cadet battalion commander at the Leningrad Military School of the Signal Corps and eventually he became the commander of the school. In August 1939 Sorokin was sent to China as an Advisor to the front commander and the head of the signalling corps of the Chinese Army and he returned to Russia in 1940 he then returned to the Leningrad academy where he was serving as commander until the start of ww2, he made Colonel in 1939. 3 days after the start of Operation Barbarossa, Sorokin was assigned to be the signals corps commander of the Estonian Army, after a few weeks he was recalled to Moscow where he was assigned to the inspection team reporting to the Chief of the Signal Corps during which time he toured to several HQ's to provide practical help and consultancy, examples given are the 9th army at Tula, inspecting new units at Tambov and Saratov and establishing the reserve communication hub for the Supreme high command of the city of Kazan. In November 1941 Sorokin was assigned Deputy Head of Signalling for the 3rd Shock Army which was the position he held during the Battle of Moscow. In March 1942 Sorokin was assigned head of Signals for the 41st Army and then in July (though i suspect its a typo and actually August) 1942 Sorokin was placed as Head of Signals for the 39th Army, which was the position he held for the rest of the war, he ended the war in Port Arthur. Sorokin was promoted to Major General of Signals in October 1943 and he was awarded an Order of the Patriotic war 2nd class on February 22nd 1943 for the Battle of Rzhev, more specifically Operation Mars where he came up with a communication scheme that allowed commanders to have uninterrupted communications with the troops in the field and the scheme was used as an example for other signals officers. One of the Order of Kutuzovs was awarded in regards to his signal work before the Battle of Konigsberg, I do not know the details however The document is available online so I will share it, His other Order of Kutuzov I know nothing about aside from Sorokin claiming he was awarded it by Marshal Vasilevsky. Sorokin also claimed to have received over 10 gratitudes from Stalin, however I am still waiting on his service record look up. most of the above information about Sorokin came from an autobiography that he typed in April 1951 that came with the documents and so far many of the things stated were backed up by further documents. Aleksandr Pavlovich Sorokin retired from the army on September 10th 1954 and died on May 19th 1955

Medals Overview

just a note all the medals have cut rings

Medal #1. Defence of Moscow
here is Sorokin's Defence of Moscow medal, it was issued September 28th 1944 and the document was signed by Major General Ivanov

Medal #2. Victory over Germany
Here is Sorokin's Victory over Germany medal and document. I am unable to read which month it was issued but it was issued in 1945 and the document was signed by Colonel General Lyudnikov

Medal #3 Victory over Japan

Here is Sorokin's Victory over Japan medal and document. It is dated April 27th 1946 and signed by Colonel General Lyudnikov

Medal #4 Capture of Konigsberg
Here is Sorokin's Capture of Konigsberg medal and document (this is the only medal I have a few doubts about and the connection at the top of the medal is different than the one in Sorokin's photos but its not impossible he had 2 or this is a replacement for a lost one). The document is dated November 11th 1945 and its signed by Colonel General Lyudnikov

Medal #5 Defence of Leningrad
Here is Sorokin's defence of Leningrad medal with document. it was issued on a month I cant make out in 1947, its one of the city council certificates with the 3 in 194 comically scribbled out with a 7 put in its place

Medal #6 30 years of the Soviet army and Navy
Here is Sorokin's 30 years of the Soviet Army and navy medal with document. it was issued May (i think?) 18th 1948 and the document was signed by Colonel General Koroteyev

Order of the Patriotic war 2nd Class

So here is Sorokin's Order of the patriotic war II Class from February 22nd 1943, it is a very early number, 2116, and was converted from a hanger to a screwback, its in outstanding condition with only a slight chip in the enamel at the top, most likely from the conversion process as I have noted this chip on some of the period photos of Sorokin in my possession. Of a very interesting note as well the screw plate is still the original from the hanger and of even more interest the award itself seems it was converted to screwback by putting the original hanger itself between the OPW pieces and then soldering it into place, the outline of the hanger can be seen in the photos I am posting

2 newspaper clippings Sorokin saved announcing he was awarded with the Order of the Patriotic War II Class

The official award Citation

A March 1943 Signal Scheme approved and signed by Sorokin

Here is Sorokin's Order booklet, filled out and dated 1946

One of Sorokin's Kutuzov citations (unknown what it says)

A telegram sent to Sorokin by Vasilevsky, congratulating him on his order of Kutuzov

Last but not least here are a few of the photographs I have of Sorokin with the group, thank you for reading this monster length of a post and I hope it has been interesting!