Order of Order of Georgi Dimitrov

Made of Gold, unnumbered, hollow with two air vents on reverse, the Order of Georgi Dimitrov was the highest award or the People's Republic of Bulgaria. Instituted on 17 June 1950 it was awarded to Bulgarians and foreigners for outstanding services to the defence and freedom of Bulgaria, or contributions to socialism. It weighs 31.6g and some 4.500 were issued. I bought it at the 15th Zeige Auction (lot 860) and it comes with original box with the Bulgarian coat of arms.

Dimitrov, a member of Bulgarian and international communist movement, was born on 18 June 1882 in a craftsman's family of Kovachevtsi village, district of Pernik (western Bulgaria).

Dimitrov lived in Berlin when Hitler seized power. He was arrested with two other Bulgarian communist activists Blagoy Popov and Vasil Tanev, as well as a German communist E.Torgler and a Dutchman Marinus van der Lubbe. The Reichstag fire, staged by Nazis on 27 February 1933 in order to compromise opposition parties, and justify mass reprisals, could have a tragic finale to the four defendants. During the Leipzig trial, which lasted from 21 September to 23 December 1933, Dimitrov was the main defendant. He did not only dismiss charges against him but also used the courtroom to denounce the real goals of the hitlerism and Nazi dictatorship in Germany. In his famous speech for the defence he denounced false testimony of Hermann Gцring, the main witness of the prosecution, and pointed at him and his aides as the real culprits of the arson. Dimitrov's speech during the Leipzig trial brought him a worldwide support of the public opinion. This reaction as well as Dimitrov's attitude caused acquittal of the accused communists. Only van der Lubbe was sentenced to death and executed.

After the release from prison Dimitrov had made in the beginning of 1934 for the Soviet Union. He was stripped of his Bulgarian citizenship and obtained the Soviet one. He settled first in Leningrad, where he was elected a member of the city executive council, later he moved to Moscow, where he assumed duties of the secretary general of the Executive Council of the Communist International. He held this post until the dissolution of the Comintern in 1943. In 1937-1945 he was a member of the Supreme Council of the USSR.

In 1942 during the Second World War Dimitrov initialized creation of the Fatherland Front (OF) of Bulgaria, and assumed its leadership. For his merits in the struggle with fascism the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the USSR awarded him with the Order of Lenin. On 6 October 1945 - after 22 years in exile - Dimitrov had returned to his country where he became in December the secretary general of the CC of BCP, and in November 1946 also the president of the Council of Ministers. In 1947 under his leadership was worked out the constitution of the People's Republic of Bulgaria proclaimed on 4 December 1947. He died on 2 July 1949 at spa in Barvikha near Moscow.

After his death a personal cult of Dimitrov was created in communist Bulgaria. The Order of Dimitrov was established the highest award in communist Bulgaria. His name was given to many factories, schools, and streets, the Young Communist League as well as to the town Dimitrovgrad built by Bulgarian youth in 1947. The Dimitrov's Award was established as the highest award for achievements in science, technics, literature, and arts. His body was entombed in a mausoleum in Sofia and his former apartment was turned into a museum.