Original Item. Only One Available. This is an original Soviet WWII Order of the Red Star, serial number 2198835, attributed to Aleksandr Alekseevich Pribudko (Александр Алексеевич Прибудько), a Major of the Intendant Service who served with the Soviet 15th Army during the August 1945 campaign against Imperial Japan in Manchuria. Pribudko received the Order of the Red Star under award order No. 16/n, dated September 14, 1945, shortly after the conclusion of the Second World War.

The decoration is constructed from silver with the characteristic five-pointed star finished in translucent ruby-red enamel. Its central silver medallion depicts a standing Red Army soldier holding a rifle, surrounded by the raised Cyrillic inscription ПРОЛЕТАРИИ ВСЕХ СТРАН, СОЕДИНЯЙТЕСЬ!, meaning "Workers of all countries, unite!" Beneath the soldier appears the abbreviation СССР (USSR), with the hammer and sickle positioned below the medallion.

The reverse retains its central threaded mounting post and the impressed two-line Soviet mint marking МОНЕТНЫЙ ДВОР, meaning "Mint." Below the post is the individually hand-engraved serial number 2198835. The screw-back construction, mint marking, and engraved numbering are characteristic of Soviet Orders of the Red Star manufactured during the later WWII period.

The order remains in very good overall condition, showing normal age toning, light surface scratches, and handling wear. The red enamel retains excellent color and gloss, while the silver has developed an attractive gray patina. The reverse exhibits scattered discoloration and minor areas of oxidation, including small spots of greenish residue. The central relief remains well defined, and both the mint marking and engraved serial number are clearly legible.

Historical Context

The Order of the Red Star (Орден Красной Звезды) was instituted on April 6, 1930, by the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union, with its original statute approved on May 5 of the same year. It was awarded for distinguished service in the defense of the USSR, recognizing military merit during combat operations as well as important contributions to military preparedness, organization, and national security.

During WWII, the decoration was awarded to personnel throughout the Soviet armed forces, including commanding officers, combat soldiers, technical specialists, and members of the military support services. Its award criteria encompassed personal courage in battle, effective military leadership, successful military operations, and achievements that strengthened the operational effectiveness of Soviet forces. The decoration was worn on the right breast of the uniform under the regulations introduced in June 1943.

Aleksandr Alekseevich Pribudko

Aleksandr Alekseevich Pribudko was born on August 29, 1910, in the Ukrainian SSR. His military records identify Zvenigorodka, then within Kiev Oblast and now in Cherkasy Oblast, as his birthplace, with an additional biographical entry referring to the village of Chichirkozovka in the Zvenigorodka district. He entered the Red Army on March 3, 1932, through the Zvenigorodka District Military Commissariat, beginning a military career that extended through WWII and into the postwar Soviet period.

Pribudko served in the Intendant Service (Интендантская служба), the military administrative and logistical branch responsible for important aspects of supplying and maintaining Soviet armed forces. His wartime records identify him as both a captain and a major of the Intendant Service, with his September 1945 decoration awarded while holding the rank of major.

Intendant officers occupied an essential position within the Red Army's military administration. Their responsibilities included the organization and supervision of supply services, management of material resources, and other duties associated with sustaining military formations. The movement of large armies demanded extensive coordination to ensure that personnel received food, clothing, equipment, and the other necessities required for continued operations. Such work became especially demanding during fast-moving offensives, when supply arrangements had to keep pace with advancing combat units.

Pribudko's military career included several Soviet decorations. His recorded awards began with the Medal for Combat Merit, awarded on November 3, 1944. He subsequently received his first Order of the Red Star on September 14, 1945, followed by a second Red Star on April 30, 1947. On June 13, 1952, he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner, one of the Soviet Union's longstanding military decorations. His record also includes the Medal "For Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945" and the Medal "For Victory over Japan."

Pribudko's September 1945 award belongs to the final campaign of WWII, when the Soviet Union entered the war against Imperial Japan and launched a major offensive into Japanese-controlled territory in Northeast Asia.

Following its declaration of war on Japan, the Soviet Union began military operations during the early hours of August 9, 1945. The offensive involved three principal Soviet fronts advancing into Manchuria from different directions, with the objective of defeating the Japanese Kwantung Army and occupying the territory under its control. The campaign was conducted under the overall command of Marshal Aleksandr Vasilevsky, Commander-in-Chief of Soviet forces in the Far East.

The 15th Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Stepan Mamonov, belonged to the 2nd Far Eastern Front, commanded by General of the Army Maksim Purkayev. This front operated along the northern and northeastern approaches to Manchuria, with its forces preparing to cross the Amur and Ussuri rivers before advancing southward into Japanese-held territory.

The principal offensive assigned to the 15th Army was directed along the Sungari River, now generally known as the Songhua River, toward the important Manchurian cities of Jiamusi and Harbin. Working in cooperation with the Soviet Amur Military Flotilla, the army was tasked with crossing the frontier river system, overcoming fortified Japanese positions, and advancing into the interior of Manchuria.

Operations began on August 9, when Soviet reconnaissance and advance detachments seized islands and established positions along the Amur River. The following day, the main forces began crossing the river, supported by vessels of the Amur Flotilla. Soviet troops subsequently advanced against Japanese defensive positions along the Sungari, including fortified areas protecting the approaches into northeastern Manchuria.

The terrain presented considerable difficulties. Large rivers, marshland, dense forests, and an inadequate road network complicated the movement of men and equipment. River transport consequently played an important part in sustaining the advance. Vessels of the Amur Flotilla carried troops and military supplies, supported landings, and provided artillery assistance to ground formations operating along the waterways.

For an army operating under these conditions, logistical personnel were responsible for supporting a rapidly advancing force across difficult territory. The transportation and distribution of provisions, ammunition, and equipment remained essential as formations moved farther from their original bases and supply installations.

The 15th Army continued its offensive through mid-August, overcoming Japanese resistance and advancing along the Sungari corridor. Soviet troops, supported by the Amur Flotilla, captured Jiamusi on August 17, while other formations continued the movement westward. On August 20, elements of the 15th Army entered Harbin, where Soviet airborne troops and forces of the Amur Flotilla had already established a presence.

By this stage, the Japanese Kwantung Army was undergoing a general collapse as Soviet formations penetrated Manchuria from the north, east, and west. Although Japan had announced its acceptance of the Allied surrender terms on August 15, military operations and the disarmament of Japanese forces continued during the following days. Japan formally signed the instrument of surrender on September 2, 1945, ending WWII.

Pribudko's Order of the Red Star was awarded on September 14, 1945, during the immediate aftermath of the Manchurian campaign. His recorded service with the 15th Army places him within the formation responsible for the Sungari offensive, while his Intendant Service rank establishes his role within the army's administrative and logistical organization. The individual circumstances and precise duties recognized by this decoration remain unspecified, although its award date and his recorded assignment establish its connection with the final phase of Soviet operations against Japan.

The Soviet offensive in Manchuria lasted less than two weeks before the principal Japanese formations ceased organized resistance. Its success depended upon the coordination of infantry, armored forces, aviation, river flotillas, and the military services responsible for maintaining their operations. Pribudko's decoration represents the service of an officer belonging to that supporting establishment during one of the Red Army's final wartime campaigns.

His later awards in 1947 and 1952 also place his career within the first years of the postwar Soviet military, following more than a decade of service that had begun in 1932. The engraved number 2198835 provides the individual identification of this Order of the Red Star, connecting the surviving decoration to Major Aleksandr Alekseevich Pribudko and his recorded September 1945 award.