Silver gilt, enamel. The medallion measures 49.0 mm in height incl. the eyelet, 47.0 mm in width; weighs 24.3 g without the suspension and connecting link. This specimen features a raised border along the edge on the reverse, one of the fewer than 1000 Type 1 pieces ever made.

In very fine condition, outstanding for a "Border Reverse" Order of Glory. The enamel has only a few microscopic flakes that are completely invisible to the unaided eye, no chips or repairs. The details of the center medallion are very well preserved, showing only a minimal wear to the high points.

Silver gilt, enamel. The medallion measures 49.0 mm in height incl. the eyelet, 47.0 mm in width; weighs 24.3 g without the suspension and connecting link. This specimen features a raised border along the edge on the reverse, one of the fewer than 1000 Type 1 pieces ever made.

In very fine condition, outstanding for a "Border Reverse" Order of Glory. The enamel has only a few microscopic flakes that are completely invisible to the unaided eye, no chips or repairs. The details of the center medallion are very well preserved, showing only a minimal wear to the high points. The original gold plating is pale but still clearly visible on the recessed part of the medallion. There are evenly distributed small dings throughout, the kind that come as the result of normal wear and to be expected on a soldier's combat award of WW2 period. However, the arms are very clean and free of noticeable damage of any kind. The reverse likewise has only some tiny dings and a couple of minor scratches but is free of significant wear. The raised border is without bumps or serious knocks. Comes on a two-piece suspension device of WW2 era. The old ribbon which is probably of the period shows a modest amount of wear at the edges but is still sound and presentable; note that it is wrapped "in reverse" as is often the case. The connecting link appears to be original; its ends are still joined with solder.

Ivan Dronov was born in 1921 in the village of Kambulat of the Stavropol territory in southern Russia. In October 1940, he was drafted into the Red Army for a regular conscription stint and was still on active duty at the beginning of the Patriotic War. He took part in combat starting from September 1941 and in 1942-43, fought at Stalingrad and Kursk. Dronov earned his first decoration of the war in August 1943, soon after the Battle of Kursk. Then already a sergeant and serving as a deputy commander of an antitank gun crew with the 175th Separate Antitank Artillery Squadron, 194th Rifle Division, 48th Army, Central Front, he distinguished himself during the Soviet offensive in the Oryol region. On 26 August, he rolled his gun onto an exposed position and by firing over open sights, destroyed two enemy machine guns and blasted a hole in the barbed wire line, thus opening a path of advance for his unit. On 29 August, he provided effective fire support for the infantry in repelling three enemy counterattacks. He was wounded on the following day but remained on active duty. On 25 September 1943, Dronov was awarded with the Medal for Valor by the order of his division's chief of artillery.

In late November 1943, Dronov repeatedly showed outstanding courage in fighting in the Zhlobin district of Gomel Region, Belorussia. On 26 November, he placed his gun in the open near the village of Proletarskiy and with well-placed shots destroyed a German radio station. He then advanced with the infantry, providing it with close fire support, wiping out 4 enemy weapon nests, and eliminating up to 20 German soldiers. On 30 November 1943, Dronov repeated this feat while storming a height in the same general area. Braving heavy enemy fire, he rolled the gun onto an open position and opened fire at the enemy weapon emplacements, destroying two machine gun nests and neutralizing an artillery piece. By doing so, he allowed the infantry to advance and capture the height, for which he received a special thank you note from the commander of the rifle regiment he supported. On 4 December 1943, Dronov was awarded with the Order of Glory, 3rd cl., becoming one of the earliest recipients of this recently established award (although the serial number of his actual decoration was relatively high, 6544).

On 25 December 1943, Dronov firmly held his position near the village of Matskilik, Gomel region, while repelling five German counterattacks. Ignoring murderous incoming fire, he allowed the enemy tanks to approach his gun close enough for a sure shot and then in quick succession set one of the panzers on fire and disabled another. He then proceeded to blast the enemy infantry with fragmentation shells at point-blank range. On that single day, he destroyed two tanks, three machine gun emplacements, and up to 25 enemy soldiers. Two days later, he was recommended for the Order of Glory, 2nd cl. by his squadron commander. On the following day, the recommendation was approved by the division commander and on 5 January 1944, by the Commander of the 42nd Rifle Corps Lt. General Kolganov. The award was officially bestowed upon Dronov on 9 March by a general order of the 48th Army.

Dronov earned his final Order of Glory in August 1944, during the final stages of Operation Bagration, the Soviet strategic offensive in Belorussia that effectively destroyed the German Army Group Center. From 8 - 10 August, he served as a gun layer with the crew of a 76-mm gun during the breakthrough of the enemy defensive line near the village of Seski in the Brest Region. He kept close contact with the advancing Soviet infantry and destroyed with his gun fire 2 machine gun nests and over 12 enemy soldiers. On 10 August, he continued to keep up with the infantry despite the heavy enemy fire and destroyed an enemy prime mover, 2 horse-drawn ammunition carriages, 10 horses, and over 8 German soldiers. According to the subsequent award recommendation, his bold actions allowed the Soviet infantry to move forward with minimal losses and accomplish its task. On 14 August, he was recommended for the Order of Glory, 1st cl. by the chief of the artillery of his division. It then took only until the end of the month - an unusually short time for such a high decoration - to be approved by the chain of command through the Chief of the Artillery, 1st Belorussian Front. On 18 November 1945, the award (#1823) was bestowed by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, making Dronov one of the few "Full Cavaliers" of the Order of Glory to receive this title before the end of 1945.

On 7 May 1945, just hours before the German surrender, Sgt. Dronov was wounded in combat near the city of Elbing. This was his fifth and most serious combat wound of the war, and it sent him to a hospital for nearly a year. Despite being an invalid upon his release in 1946, he returned to work in the collective farm in his native village. He died there in 1980.

Research Materials: b/w photocopy of the award record card and award commendations for the three Orders of Glory and Medal for Valor; copy of the article about Ivan Dronov in the Russian-language catalog Cavaliers of all Three Classes of the Order of Glory (Military Publishing House, Moscow, 2000). Additional information about him, including his photos, is available on the website Warheroes.ru.
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