Medal "For the Development of Virgin Lands"
The Medal "For the Development of Virgin Lands" was a civilian award of the Soviet Union established on October 26, 1956 by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to recognise individuals who displayed superior performance in labour over two years connected with the Virgin Lands Campaign started in 1954 by Nikita Khrushchev to cultivate 36,000,000 ha of previously uncultivated lands in Kazakhstan, Siberia, the Urals, the Volga area and the northern Caucasus, it was intended to serve as an example for good achievements in the performance of civic duties.
Medal "For the Development of Virgin Lands" (obverse)
Reverse of the Medal "For the Development of Virgin Lands"
Georgy Grechko, a recipient of the Medal "For the Development of Virgin Lands"
1957 Soviet postage stamp commemorating the Medal "For the Development of Virgin Lands"
Georgy Mikhaylovich Grechko was a Soviet cosmonaut. He flew to space on three missions, each bound for rendezvous with a different Salyut space station. Soyuz 17 was the first crewed vehicle to visit Salyut 4, Soyuz 26 was the first crewed vehicle to visit Salyut 6, and Soyuz T-14 visited Salyut 7. During the latter mission, Grechko helped to relieve the crew of Soyuz T-13, who had repaired damage to the station.
Grechko in 2011