Original Item. Only One Available. This is a very good original Spanish WWII Medalla de la Campaña de Rusia, or Medal of the Russian Campaign, complete with its original presentation box manufactured by Diez y Compañía, S.A. of Madrid. Instituted on November 9, 1943, the decoration recognized Spanish personnel of the División Española de Voluntarios who served on the Eastern Front against the Soviet Union. The medal retains its distinctive Spanish and German symbolic elements, original ribbon and suspension, while the accompanying maker-marked box remains an important part of the grouping.

The División Española de Voluntarios, better known as the División Azul or Blue Division, was formed from Spanish volunteers sent to fight alongside German forces on the Eastern Front. In German service the formation became the 250. Infanterie-Division and fought principally in the northern sector of the front around Leningrad and Novgorod. Although Spain remained officially non-belligerent in the wider European war, the deployment reflected the Franco government’s strong anti-communist position and its political alignment with Germany following German and Italian support for the Nationalist side during the Spanish Civil War.

The Spanish government instituted the Medalla de la Campaña de Rusia by decree dated November 9, 1943, authorizing the decoration for personnel of the Spanish Volunteer Division who had served on the Russian Front. The medal was therefore a Spanish award commemorating service with the Blue Division rather than a German decoration, although its design deliberately combines Spanish military symbolism with imagery associated with German service on the Eastern Front.

The obverse features the Spanish military eagle within a circular laurel wreath, surmounted by an open crown. Superimposed over the eagle is a representation of the 1939 Iron Cross, incorporating the swastika at its center. This blending of Spanish and German motifs directly reflects the circumstances of the award and the service of Spanish volunteers alongside the German Army.

The reverse depicts the fortified skyline of the Novgorod Kremlin surrounded by a chain border and bears the inscription:

RUSIA 1941

The date refers to the beginning of Spanish Blue Division service on the Eastern Front. Comparable examples by Diez y Compañía show the same reverse design and inscription.

The ribbon is predominantly white and is divided visually between Spanish and German national references. One side incorporates the Spanish red and yellow colors, while the other uses the black, white, and red colors associated with the ribbon of the German 1939 Iron Cross Second Class. The medal is mounted on the traditional rectangular Spanish-style suspension with its horizontal pin attachment.

The medal itself remains in very good overall condition. The planchet shows light age and handling wear, with the design elements remaining clear. The suspension pin is complete and functional, although it shows some minor bending.

The original presentation box is also included and measures approximately 3 5/8" x 1 3/4" x 5/8". The box is maker-marked for DIEZ Y COMPAÑÍA, S.A. of MADRID

Diez y Compañía is a documented manufacturer of the Spanish Russia Campaign Medal, and surviving cased examples are known with boxes bearing the firm’s Madrid marking.

This example is particularly appealing for the combination of the original Spanish Russia Campaign Medal, intact ribbon and suspension, and its surviving Diez y Compañía, S.A. presentation box. The Spanish eagle, superimposed 1939 Iron Cross, RUSIA 1941 reverse, and split Spanish/German ribbon design make the decoration immediately recognizable as an award associated with Spanish service on the Eastern Front during WWII, while the maker-marked box gives the grouping additional completeness and historical context.