Silver, enamel. Measures 46.1 mm in height, 48.1 mm in width; weighs 28.1 g without the screw plate. Features a very slightly arched, nearly straight mint mark about 6 mm wide, stamped in a relatively small font of just over 1 mm in height. The dark cherry red enamel is of spectacular quality, characteristic of the "Mondvor" Red Stars. According to The Order of the Red Star by Durov and Strekalov, the currently known serial number range for this version is 8506 - 11800 (9016 - 11682 according to Mondvor.narod.ru). The order was manufactured in 1939 at the Leningrad Mint.

In excellent condition, absolutely outstanding for a pre-Patriotic War Soviet decoration. The enamel exhibits a beautiful luster and has only some minuscule contact marks that are barely noticeable, no chips, ribbing, flaking or repairs. The center medallion shows only a minimal wear to the high points; its details are well preserved and crisp. The reverse is nearly pristine, and there is a very attractive untouched toning to silver throughout. The screw post is full length, over 10 mm measured from its base, and comes with an original period screw plate, an early model in silver with a two-tier base.

Sergey Cheremenin was born in 1893 and joined the Red Army in 1939, probably by enrolling in a military school. Later that year or in the early 1940, then already a commissioned officer, he took part in the Winter War with Finland as Commander of the Reconnaissance Company of the 147th Rifle Regiment, 43rd Rifle Division, 7th Army. In the early morning hours of 30 November 1939, his division, a part of the 19th Rifle Corps deployed on the western side of the Karelian Isthmus, was one of the first to attack Finland. The corps and entire 7th Army advance toward Vyborg (Viipuri) soon stalled however due in large part to the ineptitude of the Red Army command. The lack of progress on the isthmus precipitated the dismissal of the 7th Army Commander Vsevolod Yakovlev on 9 December.

In February 1940, the Soviets renewed their offensive efforts with improved tactics and equipment, and by the middle of the month, the 7th Army under its new commander Meretskov was inexorably grinding into the main defensive fortifications of the Mannerheim Line. By March, the exhausted and severely depleted Finnish troops on the isthmus were at the end of their rope and the Finnish government was forced to start looking for a diplomatic solution. Among several other breakthroughs, the 43rd Rifle Division, now under the 10th Rifle Corps, captured Kouru- Saari Island in an ice-bound Vyborg Bay. The intense fighting on Karelian Isthmus near Vyborg and along the Vuoksi River continued until the cease-fire on 13 March after the Finnish diplomatic delegation had accepted Molotov's peace terms. In the aftermath of the war, the 47th Rifle Division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for the role it played in breaking through the Mannerheim Line.

As is usually the case with the Soviet decorations for the Winter War, there is no award commendation for Cheremenin's Order of the Red Banner. The decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet that bestowed the award on 11 April 1940 however specifically stated that it was for "fighting the Finnish Counter-Revolutionaries" (a typically Soviet euphemistic nonsense). Given the location of the 43rd Rifle Division throughout the Winter War, it is certain that Sr. Lieutenant Cheremenin earned the award while storming the Mannerheim Line, most likely in action near Vyborg.

During the early days of the Patriotic War, Cheremenin was still on active duty with the 147th Rifle Regiment stationed on the Finnish border north of Leningrad. He was wounded in action in August 1941 but was again on the front lines after convalescing in the Military Hospital #1444. By the end of the year, he went missing in action / presumed killed while defending Leningrad. The Order of the Red Star earned in the Winter War remained his only decoration.

Research Materials: photocopy of the award record card, relevant portion of the award decree, and relevant portion of the official award serial numbers roster confirming the identity of the recipient. Additional information about the award recipient is available on the Russian archival website Pamyat-naroda.ru. The details about the 47th Rifle Division can be found in the excellent book The Soviet Invasion of Finland, 1939-40 by Carl Van Dyke and Volume VIII Red Legions of Charles Sharp's series Soviet Order of Battle in World War II.