Very large format, measuring 16 ½" x 11 ¾" unfolded. The front cover is stylishly decorated with a subdued sepia-colored lithograph of the Smolny Palace, the headquarters of the 1917 October revolution from where Lenin directed the revolt. Inside, the citation is spread over the entire space of the two pages, also sparingly and tastefully decorated with the state emblem of the RFSR on the left, and the extremely rare image of the Order of the Red Banner which was awarded the city of Leningrad in 1919 for its special role in the revolution and the Civil War.

The certificate was iss

Very large format, measuring 16 ½" x 11 ¾" unfolded. The front cover is stylishly decorated with a subdued sepia-colored lithograph of the Smolny Palace, the headquarters of the 1917 October revolution from where Lenin directed the revolt. Inside, the citation is spread over the entire space of the two pages, also sparingly and tastefully decorated with the state emblem of the RFSR on the left, and the extremely rare image of the Order of the Red Banner which was awarded the city of Leningrad in 1919 for its special role in the revolution and the Civil War.

The certificate was issued by the Leningrad City Council of the Workers' Deputies and its Executive Committee, and given to Olga Sharovskaya (Ольга Казимировна Шаровская) for exemplary performance in cleaning the streets of Leningrad. The date, 29 May 1942, means that the city had survived its first blockade winter, and hundreds, perhaps thousands of dead bodies needed to be removed from the streets and buried. During the blockade, the military on the frontlines got 500 grams of bread per day, workers' ration was 250 grams, the non-working population, regardless of age, got 125 grams of bread per day. And almost nothing else. Over the 900 days of the blockade, almost 1 million people died, about 600,000 of them of them of starvation. Knowing all this, Olga Sharovskaya deserved much more than an honorary certificate.

In very good to excellent condition. There is a tiny amount of soiling along the edges, not reaching the wording or artwork on the cover. Inside, the paper is mostly clean, with very minor wrinkling, mostly along the top edge. The certificate has been stored folded in four, apparently for a long time. The fold lines are somewhat frayed, showing small separations at the ends and in the center where they intersect. If desired, this can be easily repaired with acid-free clear tape on the verso where the repair will not affect the artwork or lettering.

Please note that the medal in our photo is for size reference.
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