A Soviet military poster on the wearing of orders and medals.

This section will showcase the orders and medals of the Soviet Union during the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan to the end of the Soviet period.  This primarily covers a number of jubilee and anniversary medals.  The Medal from a Grateful Afghan People is not a Soviet award, but as many Soviet soldiers were awarded this medal by the of Democratic Republic of Afghanistan we will cover it here.  Documentation awarded with the medals will also be shown when it is available alongside the medals themselves.

The way that medals and orders were worn on the parade uniform changed during this period.  This was the result of a March 28 decree of the President of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.  It stated that all medals would be worn across the right side of the chest, 70mm below the collar.  They would no longer be worn diagonally down the lapel as they had been since the Patriotic War.  Orders not on a suspension would be worn on the left side of the chest, also beginning 70mm below the collar.  Additional rows of orders would be worn 10-15mm below the bottom of the row above.  Only the Hero of the Soviet Union star, Lenin Centenary, and Distinguished Soldier awards would be worn even with the collar.  These changes were officially introduced to the armed forces by Order of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR, 1980, #120.