The Soviet 40th Anniversary Medal, established in 1985, marks forty years of victory in the 'Great Patriotic War 1941 - 1945' and is technically a 'commemorative medal' presented by the Russian Government for service in 'the defense of the Soviet Arctic' during World War II. Original Issue Full Size Medal The Russian Government first approached the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the late 1980's and offered this medal to British ex-Servicemen. However, permission was not granted for it to be accepted or worn at that time. Some years later, further official approaches by the Russians were reconsidered and in 1994, The Queen (Elizabeth II) granted permission for this medal to be accepted and worn by eligible British citizens. This was considered acceptable in light of changed circumstances in Russia since the medal was first issued - that is, improvement in relations between the United Kingdom and the Russian Federation, and the fact that the medal was a commemorative issue, recognizing the passing of forty years since the end of the war, rather than a foreign campaign medal. It was made clear at that time that it was not envisaged that permission would be given for any future anniversary medals issued by foreign or Commonwealth Governments to be accepted and worn by British citizens where they related to services wholly rendered more than five years prior to the proposal to make the award. A similar medal dated (1945-1995) was issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the war was established in the mid 1990's and was also made available to eligible British citizens. Note: Multiple in stock...Shipped item may not be exactly as appears in the photos - may contain slight variation in color/standard age wear.
