Order of Maternal Glory

The Order of Maternal Glory (Russian: Орден "Материнская слава") was a Soviet civilian award created on 8 July 1944 by Joseph Stalin and established with a decision of the Praesidium of Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Its status was confirmed by the Soviet's decision of August 18, 1944 and later modified by September 16, 1947, May 28, 1973 and May 28, 1980 decisions. It was awarded on behalf of the Praesidium of Supreme Soviet of the USSR through decrees of local Soviet presidencies. The order was divided in three classes: 1st, 2nd and 3rd class (the highest being the 1st class).

It was conferred to:
 * 1st class: mothers bearing and raising 9 children;
 * 2nd class: mothers bearing and raising 8 children;
 * 3rd class: mothers bearing and raising 7 children.

The order was conferred upon the first birthday of the last child, provided that the other children necessary to reach the qualifying number (natural or adopted) remained alive. Children who had perished under heroic, military or other respectful circumstances, including occupational diseases, were also counted. The award was created simultaneously with the Mother Heroine order and the Maternity Medal (Russian: Медаль материнства) and it was situated in between them. The author of the artistic project was the painter Goznaka.

The first decree for bestowing the award was issued on December 6, 1944, when the first class order was conferred to 21 women, the 2nd class to 26 and the 3rd one to 27. Totally the 1st class order was bestowed in 753.000 occasions, the 2nd in 1.508.000 occasions and the 3rd in 2.786.000 occasions.

Design
First class medals were totally silver made in a convex egg-shape. They were 36 mm high and 29 mm wide. In the upper part of the medal there was a red enamel flag with the phrase Материнская слава (Maternal Glory) and the Roman number showing the order's class. Below the flag there was a white enamel shield with the "CCCP" (USSR) inscription. The upper part of the shield was decorated with a five-pointed star and the lower part with the hammer and sickle symbol. On the left side there was a figure of a mother holding a son in her arms, figure covered with roses on her lowest part. The lower part of the medal, the flag rim and the letters are gilded. In second class medals the flag's enamel was dark-blue and there were not gilded parts while in the 3rd class ones enamel disappeared from flag, shield and star. The back of the medals was in white enamel. First class medals were suspended to a single light-blue fringe while 2nd class had two light-blue fringes and 3d class three of them.