Russian SVR Foreign Intelligence “For Distinction in Military Service” 2nd Class Medal – 15 Years of Service, Moscow Mint, Rare Official Issue

Description

Original Item – Only One Available. A rare official 2nd Class Medal For Distinction in Military Service of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation (SVR), awarded to foreign-intelligence personnel upon completing at least fifteen calendar years of impeccable service. Instituted on 14 November 1995 as one of the formative departmental decorations of the post-Soviet SVR, the medal established a three-stage career progression: 3rd Class for 10 years, 2nd Class for 15 years, and 1st Class for 20 years. The system directly succeeded the former three-class Soviet tradition of long-service recognition that had been discontinued in 1992, giving the medal particular institutional importance during the period in which Russia’s independent Foreign Intelligence Service was establishing its own identity, traditions, and system of honors.

The 2nd Class is executed in gilt-toned brass and identified immediately by the Roman numeral “II” on the central shield. Behind it is the distinctive combined-service composition of crossed swords, spread wings, and an anchor, while the lower perimeter carries the award title “For Distinction in Military Service.” The reverse is explicitly departmental, bearing the full inscription Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation, framed by laurel branches. At the base is the Moscow Mint (ММД) hallmark, confirming official mint manufacture. The original pentagonal suspension retains its prescribed red ribbon with yellow edging and two narrow green central stripes, the configuration reserved specifically for the 2nd Class; the 1st and 3rd Classes are distinguished by one and three green stripes respectively.

Unlike an anniversary badge or general commemorative medal, this decoration represents a defined milestone in an officer’s professional career inside Russia’s foreign-intelligence establishment. Fifteen years of qualifying service placed its recipient well beyond the entry level of the three-class system and made the 2nd Class an intermediate senior-service award on the path to the 20-year 1st Class. Complete examples retaining the correct two-stripe suspension, original fittings, clear SVR reverse inscription, and Moscow Mint manufacture are particularly desirable within the specialized field of Russian intelligence awards. For an advanced collection of SVR, KGB-successor, Cold War legacy, or modern Russian state-security decorations, this is a strong and unmistakably official service piece from the first decade of the modern SVR.