Measures approx. 5¾" x 8¾". This is one of the early style, "large" certificates for the defensive campaign medals which were replaced by booklet style certificates for the campaign medals instituted later in the war. Shows facsimile signatures of the chairman and secretary of the Executive Committee of the Leningrad City Soviet (Council) and the appropriate ink stamp. Note the relatively early, September 1943 date of issue. The verso has some hand-written notes including an abbreviated "Antiaircraft Division" and "Convicted Inc(oming) #2487s / 3 April 1945". Judging by these, the recipient probably had served in some capacity in an antiaircraft artillery and was convicted for an unspecified crime, possibly by a court-martial (this could be the grounds for confiscation of his document).

The certificate is in very good condition. It has been folded in four for storage as was customary but has none of the usual separations along the folds. There are two holes near the left edge for attaching to an archival file. The document is very sound and does not have any of the typical repairs on the verso. There are a few very faint stains at the top left, but the front of the certificate is overall very clean, free of significant soiling or fingerprints.