The name of the award recipient was determined by the serial number of the medal listed in the catalog Cavaliers of Nakhimov Medal by Nikolai Efimov.

The medallion is in brass; measures 44.4 mm tall (incl. eyelet), 36.1 mm wide, approx. 2.7 mm thick at the edge; weighs 21.1 g without the suspension and connecting link. The serial number is stamped on the rim in standard manner. This variation of the Nakhimov Medal features a serial number in a relatively small font.

Very fine to excellent condition. The medallion is completely free of edge knocks, visible scrat

The name of the award recipient was determined by the serial number of the medal listed in the catalog Cavaliers of Nakhimov Medal by Nikolai Efimov.

The medallion is in brass; measures 44.4 mm tall (incl. eyelet), 36.1 mm wide, approx. 2.7 mm thick at the edge; weighs 21.1 g without the suspension and connecting link. The serial number is stamped on the rim in standard manner. This variation of the Nakhimov Medal features a serial number in a relatively small font.

Very fine to excellent condition. The medallion is completely free of edge knocks, visible scratches or other significant flaws. There are only some tiny, barely noticeable dings, mostly on the obverse, that came from normal use and a mild wear to the raised points of the bas- relief portrait; the raised details of the artwork and lettering remain well-preserved and crisp on both sides. The obverse exhibits a very attractive even patina, while the reverse still retains a good amount of the original mint "gilt" luster in recessed areas. There are no blemishes or oxidation spots.

The eyelet, albeit slightly bent, remains sound and fully functional. The medal comes with an original suspension device, a WW2 two-layer model in steel with a self-locking pin. The perfectly preserved, clean ribbon is old and possibly original to the medal. The connecting link appears to be of the period. Overall, a very attractive example of a scarce WW2 Soviet naval award!

Gavriil Bogachuk was born in 1912 in the town of Glinsk in Vinnitsa province of Ukraine. In 1934, he was drafted into the Soviet armed forces and upon completing his conscription stint, remained on active duty as a career naval NCO. In the initial period of the Patriotic War, Bogachuk took part in the defense of Sevastopol and Caucasus, and for the remainder of the war served as the leader of the electrical technicians team of the Wet Dock #1065. In April 1945, he was awarded with his first decoration, the Medal for Combat Service, apparently for 10 years of uninterrupted service.

On 4 December 1945, Bogachuk was decorated with the Order of the Red Star for serving with great distinction on the crew of the Wet Dock #1065 and in particular, always providing uninterrupted electrical power for its operations. Even in the most difficult periods, he organized round-the-clock work of his team and made sure that warships serviced in the dock were put into service in the shortest possible time. The award commendation submitted by the Chief of Technical Department, Black Sea Fleet, also mentioned a recent episode when Bogachuk played a major role in a transfer of a wet dock requisitioned from Romania to the port of Sevastopol. Even in the absence of the Romanian crew or specialists, he maintained the diesel electrical generator, compressors and pumps of the dock in good working order, ensuring its safe passage to the destination.

On 7 March 1946, just four months after receiving the Order of the Red Star, Bogachuk was awarded with his next decoration, the Nakhimov Medal (#6630). Although the award commendation for the latter is not available at the present time on the Russian archival websites Podvignaroda.ru and Pamyat-naroda.ru (for all we know, it may still be classified), there is every expectation that it may become available in the not-too-distant future. It is clear from Bogachuk's prior record and the fact that he was still serving with the Black Sea Fleet at the time that the award was bestowed in recognition of his professional expertise and selfless work as a leader of naval electrical specialists. Unlike most other veteran NCOs, he remained on active duty for a long time after the war and was awarded the Order of the Red Star and Order of the Red Banner in 1950 and Dec. 1958, respectively, for the length of service. At his retirement from the Navy, he had the rank of Midshipman. As it appears from the available online records, Bogachuk passed away in 1994 at the age of 82.

Research Materials: b/w photocopy of the award commendation for the 1945 Order of the Red Star and list of Bogachuk's military awards from the website Pamyat-naroda.ru.
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