# Meliton Kantaria

> Hero of the Soviet Union (1920-1993)

**Wikidata**: [Q328301](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q328301)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meliton_Kantaria)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/meliton-kantaria

## Summary
Meliton Kantaria (1920–1993) was a Soviet military servicemember from Georgia who received the title Hero of the Soviet Union, the highest honor awarded by the USSR for heroic acts. He served in the Soviet armed forces from 1940 to 1946, including combat on the Eastern Front during World War II.

## Biography
- Born: 1920
- Died: 1993
- Nationality: Georgian (Soviet Union)
- Aliases: Meliton Varlamis dze Kantaria
- Known for: Military service during World War II's Eastern Front; recipient of the Hero of the Soviet Union title
- Service period: 1940–1946
- Field: Military service, Eastern Front (1941–1945)

## Contributions
Meliton Kantaria served as military personnel in the Soviet armed forces during the Eastern Front of World War II (1941–1945). His active duty spanned from 1940 to 1946, encompassing major campaigns against Nazi Germany. He was awarded numerous Soviet military decorations recognizing his contributions, including medals for the Capture of Berlin and the Liberation of Warsaw, indicating direct participation in some of the final and most consequential operations of the war in Europe.

## FAQs

**What was Meliton Kantaria's highest award?**
Meliton Kantaria received the title Hero of the Soviet Union, the highest distinction the USSR could bestow on citizens and foreigners for heroic acts. The title was established on April 16, 1934, and from 1939 onward it also included a medal. It was awarded until 1991.

**What military campaigns did Meliton Kantaria participate in?**
Based on his decorations, Kantaria took part in operations on the Eastern Front (1941–1945), including the Capture of Berlin and the Liberation of Warsaw, both pivotal campaigns in the final phase of World War II in Europe.

**Where was Meliton Kantaria from?**
He was from Georgia, a country in the Caucasus region at the intersection of Europe and Asia. During his lifetime, Georgia was part of the Soviet Union as the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic.

**What other awards did Meliton Kantaria receive besides Hero of the Soviet Union?**
His extensive decorations include the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner, the Order of the Patriotic War 1st class, the Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945," the Medal "For the Capture of Berlin," the Medal "For the Liberation of Warsaw," the Medal "Veteran of Labour," the Jubilee Medal for the 100th Anniversary of Lenin's Birth, Jubilee Medals for 20, 30, and 40 Years of Victory, Jubilee Medals for 50, 60, and 70 Years of the USSR Armed Forces, and the Badge "25 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War."

## Why They Matter
Meliton Kantaria represents the generation of Soviet military personnel whose service on the Eastern Front contributed to the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. His receipt of the Hero of the Soviet Union title—the USSR's supreme honor—places him among a select group recognized for extraordinary heroism. The specificity of his campaign medals, particularly those for the Capture of Berlin and the Liberation of Warsaw, connects him to two of the most symbolically important military operations of 1945. Decades later, he continued to receive jubilee commemorations honoring both victory anniversaries and armed forces milestones, indicating his sustained recognition within Soviet society. His Georgian identity also reflects the multinational composition of the Soviet armed forces.

## Notable For
- Hero of the Soviet Union — the highest title awarded by the USSR for heroic acts, established 1934
- Order of Lenin — the highest decoration bestowed by the Soviet Union (1930–1991)
- Order of the Red Banner — recognition for heroism in combat or long service in the armed forces (1918–1991)
- Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class — Soviet military decoration
- Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" — campaign medal for contributors to the victory over Nazi Germany (established May 9, 1945)
- Medal "For the Capture of Berlin" — Soviet military decoration (established June 9, 1945)
- Medal "For the Liberation of Warsaw" — Soviet military decoration (established June 9, 1945)
- Medal "Veteran of Labour" — civilian labour award of the Soviet Union (established January 18, 1974)
- Military service spanning 1940–1946 on the Eastern Front

## Body

### Identity and Background
Meliton Kantaria, also recorded as Meliton Varlamis dze Kantaria, was born in 1920 and died in 1993. He was a Georgian national from the Caucasus region. During his lifetime, Georgia was a republic of the Soviet Union (known as RSS Georgia), part of the broader USSR—a former country in Eurasia that existed from 1922 to 1991.

### Military Service
Kantaria's period of military service ran from 1940 to 1946. This timeframe placed him squarely within the Eastern Front theater of World War II (1941–1945), the massive conflict between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. He served as military personnel within the organized armed forces of the Soviet state.

### Decorations and Honors

#### Supreme Awards
Kantaria received the **Hero of the Soviet Union**, the highest title the USSR could award for heroic acts. Instituted on April 16, 1934, the honor was accompanied by a medal from 1939 onward and was presented until 1991. He also received the **Order of Lenin**, the highest decoration in the Soviet award system, established on April 6, 1930, and presented until the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

#### Combat and Campaign Medals
His combat decorations include the **Order of the Red Banner**, a Soviet award recognizing heroism in combat or long armed forces service, established on September 16, 1918. He received the **Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class**, a Soviet military award for service in the Great Patriotic War. Campaign-specific medals include the **Medal "For the Capture of Berlin"** (established June 9, 1945) and the **Medal "For the Liberation of Warsaw"** (also established June 9, 1945), tying his service record directly to these two major 1945 offensives. He was also awarded the **Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"**, a campaign medal for contributors to the victory over Nazi Germany, established on May 9, 1945.

#### Commemorative and Jubilee Medals
Over the decades following the war, Kantaria received numerous jubilee and commemorative medals:
- **Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin"** (established November 5, 1969)
- **Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"** (established May 7, 1965)
- **Jubilee Medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"** (established April 25, 1975)
- **Jubilee Medal "Forty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"** (established April 12, 1985)
- **Jubilee Medal "50 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"** (established December 26, 1967)
- **Jubilee Medal "60 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"** (established January 28, 1978)
- **Jubilee Medal "70 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"** (established January 28, 1988)
- **Badge "25 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War"** (established March 17, 1970)

#### Civilian Recognition
Kantaria also received the **Medal "Veteran of Labour"**, a civilian labour award of the Soviet Union established on January 18, 1974, indicating recognition beyond his military contributions.

### Legacy
With 31 Wikipedia sitelinks spanning multiple language editions, Kantaria's story has international documentation. His comprehensive decoration record—ranging from the highest wartime honors to decades of jubilee commemorations—reflects a military career of recognized distinction and ongoing acknowledgment within Soviet society up through the late 1980s.

## References

1. Biographical Dictionary of Georgia
2. Integrated Authority File
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013