Medal for Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 awarded to a Jewish Polish veteran of the Soviet Army
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Washington, United States
Medal for Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 with ribbon awarded to Kalman Barakan for his service as a soldier in the Soviet Army during World War II. When Germany invaded Poland in June 1941, Kalman Barakan was a 30 year old lawyer in Bialystok. His home was destroyed and he had to move into a Jewish ghetto and do rough manual labor. He escaped in 1943 and lived in hiding, constantly on the move. In August 1943, the ghetto was destroyed; Kalman’s entire family was murdered in a death camp. In July 1944, the Soviet Army liberated the area and Kalman was forced into army service until the end of the war. After the war ended in May 1945, Kalman repatriated to Lodz, Poland.
- Title: Medal for Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 awarded to a Jewish Polish veteran of the Soviet Army
- Provenance: The Soviet military medal was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2009 by Linda Anselmo on behalf of the Estate of Kalman and Pauline Barakan.
- Subject Keywords: Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Poland--Personal narratives. Jewish soldiers--Soviet Union--Biography. Jews--Persecutions--Poland--Biography. Jews--Poland--Lodz--History--20th century--Biography. World War, 1939-1945--Soviet Union--Participation, Jewish.
- Type: Military Insignia
- Rights: Permanent Collection
- External Link: See the full record at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Medium: Gold colored metal circular medal, 1.75 in. in diameter, with a raised rim and smooth edge, with an attached striped grosgrain ribbon. On the front is a relief portrait of a man with thick hair and a moustache, Stalin, in military uniform. There is embossed Cyrillic Russian text above and below. The reverse has embossed Cyrillic Russian text, a date, and a 5 pointed star. The medal is attached to a black and orange striped ribbon wrapped around a pentagon shaped gold and silver colored metal plate, then layered to form an upside-down V. Both ends of the ribbon attach to and fold over a metal bar on the back. There is a spring loaded pin on the reverse. There is a hole on the metal plate over which the ribbon is folded; this is attached to a suspension ring that inserts into a loop on the top of the medal.
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