Medals "for courage": description of what they were awarded for. USSR military awards

14.10.2019 -

On October 17, 1938, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Medal “For Courage” and the Medal “For Military Merit” were established.

The Medal "For Courage" is a state award of the USSR for rewarding personal courage and bravery shown in defending the Fatherland and performing military duty.

The medal "For Courage" was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces dated October 17, 1938 on the establishment of the medal "For Courage".

The Regulations on the medal say: “The Medal “For Courage” was established to award for personal courage and bravery displayed in the defense of the socialist Fatherland and the performance of military duty.

The medal “For Courage” is awarded to military personnel of the Red Army, Navy, border and internal troops and other citizens of the USSR.”

“For Courage” is the highest medal in the USSR award system.

Among the first to be awarded this medal were border guards N. Gulyaev and F. Grigoriev, who detained a group of saboteurs near Lake Khasan.

Before the Great Patriotic War About 26 thousand military personnel were awarded the medal for courage and bravery in defending the state borders of the USSR and in the Soviet-Finnish war.

During the Great Patriotic War, more than 4 million awards were made between 1941 and 1945.

During the Great Patriotic War, some Red Army soldiers were awarded four, five and even six (S.V. Gretsov) medals “For Courage”.

At the same time it was established Medal "For Military Merit", which was also awarded to military personnel and civilians who “in the fight against the enemies of the Soviet state, with their skillful, proactive and courageous actions, involving the risk of their lives, contributed to the success of military operations at the front.”

In fact, these were the first Soviet medals, not counting the anniversary medal established somewhat earlier - for the 20th anniversary of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army.

From the moment of its inception, the Medal “For Courage” became especially respected and valued among front-line soldiers, since it was awarded exclusively for personal courage shown in battle.

This is the main difference between the medal “For Courage” and some other medals and orders, which were often awarded “for participation.”

Basically, the medal "For Courage" was awarded to privates and sergeants, but it was also awarded to officers (mostly junior ranks).

Soldiers fighting in penal units of the Red Army were deprived of military rank and awards that were restored after release. For their courage, courage and heroism, fighters from penal units could be awarded. Almost all awards received in penal units were medals “For Courage”.

In V. Vysotsky’s song “Penal Battalions” there are the lines:
"And if you don't catch lead in your chest,
You will receive a medal on your chest “For Courage”..."

In accordance with the Resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of July 7, 1941, the medal “For Courage” after the death of the recipient was returned to the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. The certificate for the medal could be left in the family of the recipient (resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of July 13, 1943).

The medal is made of 925 sterling silver. Total weight silver in the medal (as of September 18, 1975) - 25.802±1.3 g. The total weight of the medal without the block is 27.930±1.52 g.

There are two main types of the USSR medal “For Courage”:
1.On a rectangular block. From the moment of its establishment (October 17, 1938) until the decree of June 19, 1943, the first type of medal “For Courage” was awarded. The medal was attached to a rectangular block measuring 15x25 mm, covered with a red moire ribbon. On back side The blocks had a threaded pin with a round nut for attaching the medal to clothing.
2.On a pentagonal block. After the decree of June 19, 1943 came into force appearance The medals have changed somewhat. The red ribbon block has been replaced with a pentagonal block with reverse side pin for attaching to clothing.

After the collapse of the USSR
The following awards of post-Soviet states are based on the design of this medal:
- Medal “For Courage” (Russia)
- Medal “For Courage” (Belarus)
- Medal “For Courage” (Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic)

The Medal “For Courage” is a state award of a number of countries. The following are known:
- Medal “For Courage” (Israel)
- Medal “For Courage” (Abkhazia)
- Medal “For Courage” (Azerbaijan)
- Medal “For Courage” (Armenia)

The USSR Medal “For Courage” was awarded for personal courage and bravery shown in defending the socialist Fatherland and fulfilling military duty. The award was presented to military personnel of the army and navy. The medal was awarded, as a rule, to private and non-commissioned officers of the armed forces, although there were also cases of awarding junior officers. The medal could be awarded to persons who were not citizens of the USSR.

The medal was made of 925 silver. It has the shape of a circle with a diameter of 37 mm. On the obverse at the top there are three flying aircraft, below is the inscription “FOR COURAGE”, under which is a tank. At the bottom of the medal is the inscription “USSR”. The total weight of silver in the medal (as of September 18, 1975) is 25.802 ± 1.3 grams. The total weight of the medal without the block is 27.930±1.52 grams. All images on the medal are in relief, the inscriptions are pressed, covered with ruby-red enamel. The deepening of the letters of the inscriptions is 1 mm. The obverse of the medal is bordered by a border 0.75 mm wide and 0.25 mm high. The medal, through an eyelet and a ring, is connected to a pentagonal block covered with a silk moire ribbon gray with 2 longitudinal blue stripes on the sides. The width of the tape is 24 mm, the width of the strips is 2 mm. Until 1947, the medal was marked with a serial number.

The medal “For Courage” is the second, after the medal “XX Years of the Red Army”, by the time of its establishment in the USSR. The Medal "For Courage" is the highest Soviet medal and is placed in front of the others when worn.

On October 19, 1938, the first award of the medal “For Courage” was made to 62 military personnel.

The subsequent award ceremony took place just three days later. On October 22, 1938, the Red Army border guards Gulyaev Nikolai Egorovich and Grigoriev Boris Filippovich were awarded the medal “For Courage”. While on night patrol near Lake Khasan, they entered into battle with a large group of saboteurs trying to break through the border. Despite the fact that the forces were unequal and the border guards were wounded, they did not let the saboteurs through.

For the first time in the pre-war years, the medal “For Courage” was awarded en masse to participants in the battles near Lake Khasan. For the exemplary performance of combat missions, for the valor and courage shown in defending the area of Lake Khasan, 1,322 awards were made by Decree of the USSR Military Command of October 25, 1938.

The next mass awards ceremony will be for military personnel who fought in the area of the Khalkhin Gol River. Then major awards came during the Finnish campaign.

In total, before the start of World War II, the medal “For Courage” was awarded to about 26,000 military personnel.

Ippolitova (Potapova) Vera Sergeevna – holder of five (!!!) medals “For Courage”. During the Great Patriotic War, he was a medical instructor and a Marine in the 71st Separate Marine Infantry Brigade.

During the Second World War, the awarding of the medal became widespread. For feats accomplished during this period, over 4 million 230 thousand awards were made with the medal “For Courage”.
Four medals “For Courage” were awarded to Astafiev V.D., Babich V.P., Bashmakov Ya.T., Bublikov A.V., Buketov K.F., Voronov A.N., Gavlovsky E.A., Gnidenko Ya.F., Goryachiy I.T., Gromyko N.I., Danilyuk O.A., Zuy A.I., Kozorezov N.P., Koptev I.L., Kratko I.I., Levchenko A. Ya., Makarenko A.L., Marchenko M.G., Mitelev M.I., Nalet N.S., Naumov P.M., Nikolenko I.D., Osipov M.N., Papchenko V.F. , Peshkov A.D., Potapov G.V., Prokofiev A.E., Rudenko A.F., Ryabchenko P.M., Sivoraksha I.I., Sirotenko A.I., Startsev P.T., Strelnikov N.T., Telikh V.N., Tretyak S.Ya., Cherpak M.F., Yakimshin V.K., Yatsun V.S. etc.

The youngest recipient of this USSR award was a student of the 142nd Guards Rifle Regiment, six-year-old Sergei Aleshkov, who was awarded this high award for saving his commander. At the age of twelve, Afanasy Shkuratov became the son of the 1191st Infantry Regiment and by the end of the war he was awarded the medal “For Courage” twice. He received his first medal during the battles for the city of Surozh (Vitebsk region), when he bandaged and delivered the seriously wounded Major Starikov to the medical battalion. Shkuratov received his second medal for the courage shown in breaking through the Mannerheim Line in Karelia.

The youngest holder of the medal “For Courage” is a student of the 142nd Guards Rifle Regiment, six-year-old Sergei Aleshkov, who was awarded a high award for saving the commander.

On May 15, 1964, Danish citizens Viggo and Lilian Lindum were awarded the medal “For Courage” for saving the life of a Soviet officer. On June 19, 1964, the Dane S.A. was awarded the medal. Essen-Balle. On July 8, 1964, this USSR medal was awarded to a native of Czechoslovakia, Alexander Haller, who at the very end of the war showed the lead Soviet patrol the way to Prague.

For exploits performed during the Second World War, over 4 million 230 thousand people were awarded the medal “For Courage”.

In the post-war years, the medal “For Courage” was awarded much less frequently, since the Soviet Union was not officially at war. And yet, in 1956 she was awarded large group military personnel who distinguished themselves in suppressing the “counter-revolutionary rebellion” in Hungary. In the 7th Guards Airborne Division alone, 296 people received this award.

The second mass awarding of this honorary medal occurred during the period of military operations of the Soviet Army in Afghanistan. Thousands of soldiers and officers who took part in this war became recipients of various military awards, incl. and medals "For Courage".

A curious case of awarding occurred in 1954. It is well known about the heroic battle of the Russian cruiser “Varyag” and the gunboat “Koreets” with the Japanese squadron on January 27, 1904. 50 years later, 45 more participants in that tragic battle remained alive. All of them, in recognition of their heroic deeds and in connection with the half-century anniversary of this event, were awarded medals “For Courage”. Some of the “Varangians” a year later (in 1905) took part in the uprising on the battleship Potemkin. In accordance with this, in 1955, in connection with the 50th anniversary of this revolutionary event, they were presented with new awards -. One of the heroes of these two events was the Varyag fireman Pyotr Egorovich Polyakov. He received both a medal and an order.

The Medal “For Courage” is one of the most honorable Soviet soldier awards and is a state award of the USSR, the Russian Federation and Belarus. One of the few medals that, even after the collapse Soviet Union(with minor corrections) was again approved in the government awards system Russian Federation and Belarus. The Medal "For Courage" was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in October 1938. According to the statute of the award, the medal could be awarded to military personnel of the Red Army, Navy, internal and border troops for demonstrated personal courage and bravery in defending the country and performing military duty. This combat medal could also be awarded to persons who were not citizens of the USSR.

From the very moment of its appearance, the medal “For Courage” was especially popular and highly valued among front-line soldiers, since this medal was awarded exclusively for personal courage that was demonstrated during combat operations. This was the main difference between this award and some others. Soviet orders and medals, which were often awarded “for participation.” Most of the medals “For Courage” were issued to privates and sergeants of the Red Army, but there were also cases of awarding them to officers (mainly junior ranks).

The author of the drawing of the medal “For Courage” was the Soviet artist S.I. Dmitriev. The first award of the new military award took place on October 19, 1939. According to the signed decree, 62 people were nominated for the medal. Among the first recipients was Lieutenant Abramkin Vasily Ivanovich. Also on October 22, 1938, border guards N. E. Gulyaev and B. F. Grigoriev were among the first awarded. On November 14, another 118 people were nominated for the medal. The next time the medal was awarded en masse was already in 1939; it was mainly awarded to soldiers and officers who distinguished themselves in battles against the Japanese at Khalkhin Gol. For the entire 1939, 9,234 people were nominated for this award.

The medal "For Courage" was the largest among Soviet medals, with the exception of the medal "50 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR". It was round, the diameter of the medal was 37 mm. On the front side of the medal “For Courage” there was an image of three aircraft flying one after another, the wingspan of the first aircraft was 7 mm, the second was 4 mm, and the third was 3 mm. Directly below the flying planes was the inscription “For Courage”, which was located in two lines. Red enamel was applied to the letters. Under the inscription “For Courage” there was an image of a T-28 tank; the width of the tank was 10 mm, length - 6 mm. Under the T-28, along the lower edge of the award, the inscription “USSR” was made; these letters were also covered with red enamel.

Along the circumferential front side of the medal there was a slightly protruding rim, 0.75 mm wide and 0.25 mm high. Using a ring and an eyelet, the medal “For Courage” was connected to a pentagonal block, which was covered with a gray silk moiré ribbon; there were two blue stripes along the edges of the ribbon. The total width of the tape is 24 mm, the width of the strips is 2 mm. Using this pentagonal block, the medal could be attached to a uniform or other clothing.

The medal “For Courage” was the second most established military medal of the USSR after the medal “XX Years of the Red Army”. At the same time, it was the highest medal of the USSR and, when worn, was strictly in front of the other medals (by analogy with the Order of Lenin in the system of orders of the USSR). Since the medal was mainly awarded for performing a personal feat, it was mainly awarded to private and non-commissioned personnel of units and subunits, rarely to junior officers. Senior officers, and even more so generals, were practically not awarded this medal.

After 1939, the next mass awarding of the medal “For Courage” took place during the period Soviet-Finnish war. In total, until June 22, 1941, approximately 26 thousand military personnel were awarded this medal. During the Great Patriotic War, the awarding of the medal “For Courage” became widespread and very large in scope. In total, 4 million 230 thousand medals were awarded for the feats that were accomplished during the Second World War. Many Soviet soldiers were awarded several times.

Among those awarded the medal “For Courage” there were many Soviet women. There are cases when representatives of the fair sex were nominated for the medal “For Courage” several times. For example, Moiseeva Larisa Petrovna (maiden name Vishnyakova) began the Great Patriotic War as a paramedic and ended as a telephonist. She served in the 824th separate reconnaissance artillery battalion. During the war years, Larisa Moiseeva was awarded three medals “For Courage”; in addition, she had the Order of the Red Star.

The youngest cavalier ever awarded this award was a student of the 142nd Guards Rifle Regiment, Sergei Aleshkov, who was only 6 years old! Soldiers of the 47th Guards Division picked up the boy in the summer of 1942; they found him in the forest. Sergei's brother and mother were brutally tortured by the Nazis. As a result, the soldiers kept him in their unit, and he became the son of the regiment. In November 1942, he and the regiment entered Stalingrad. He, of course, could not fight, but he tried to help the fighters as much as possible: he brought water, bread, ammunition, and sang songs and read poetry in between battles.

In Stalingrad, Sergei Aleshkov received the medal “For Courage” for saving the regiment commander, Colonel Vorobyov. During the battle, Vorobyov was buried in his dugout, Seryozha tried to dig out the commander himself, tried to clear the rubble, but soon realized that he simply did not have enough strength for this, after which he began to call for help from the unit’s fighters. The soldiers who arrived in time were able to dig the commander out from under the rubble, and he remained alive. In the future, he became the adoptive father of Sergei Aleshkov.

Another son of the regiment, Afanasy Shkuratov, joined the 1191st Infantry Regiment at the age of 12. By the end of the Great Patriotic War, he had two medals “For Courage”. He received his first award during the battles in the Vitebsk region for the city of Surozh. Then he bandaged and delivered Major Starikov, who was seriously wounded in battle, to the medical battalion. He received his second medal for personal courage, which he showed during the fighting on the Mannerheim Line in Karelia.

After the end of the Great Patriotic War, the medal “For Courage” was awarded much less frequently, since the USSR was not officially at war. Despite this, in 1956, a fairly large group of Soviet soldiers was awarded for the suppression of a “counter-revolutionary rebellion” in Hungary. In the 7th Guards Airborne Division alone, 296 people received awards. The second mass awarding of the medal “For Courage” took place already during Afghan war. Thousands of Soviet soldiers and officers who took part in this conflict were awarded various military awards, including this medal. In total, before the collapse of the USSR, 4,569,893 awards were made.

Sources of information:

http://medalww.ru/nagrady-sssr/medali-sssr/medal-za-otvagu
http://milday.ru/ussr/ussr-uniform-award/362-medal-za-otvagu.html
http://ordenrf.ru/su/medali-su/medal-za-otvagu.php
http://www.rusorden.ru/?nr=su&nt=mw1

In the history of the USSR there is large number badges and awards that were awarded to citizens of the state who made a personal contribution to the prosperity of the USSR. Separately, it is worth considering the awards that the military received, since the USSR throughout its existence was considered a superpower with an exemplary developed military-industrial complex. Also in the history of the USSR there is such a difficult period as the Great Patriotic War, in which the state and its allies managed to defeat Nazi Germany. As for military awards, one of the most significant is the medal “For Courage”.

Medal "For Courage"

All about the reward

This medal was established in the fall of 1938, when the corresponding decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was issued. The medal was awarded to the military of the Red Army, border guards and internal troops, as well as military Navy. The award “For Courage” was received for displaying courage and bravery in the performance of military duty to the Fatherland. More precisely, the medal was awarded to ordinary soldiers and sergeants. However, there were cases when junior officers received such an award.

The first medals “For Courage” were awarded to 1,332 USSR military personnel. These soldiers showed honor, valor and courage during the defense of the Lake Khasan area. A year later, medals were awarded to 9,234 soldiers and commanders. Afterwards, the USSR military personnel participating in the Finnish war. Until 1941, over 26 thousand soldiers received the award.

During the Great Patriotic War, the awarding of the medal “For Courage” was widespread, which is understandable. At least 4 million soldiers performed such honorable military exploits. By the way, most fighters were awarded such medals several times. For example, junior sergeant, commander of the submachine gunner squad M. Menshov received 3 medals “For Courage”. The latter was awarded to Menshov for fighting in Gdansk, Poland.

The owner of a record number of medals (5 pieces) was S. Zolnikov, a sergeant-mortarman of the eighth separate Guards Rifle Brigade. This man was also awarded the Order of Glory, third degree. The first medal was received by the hero of the USSR for the battle taking place in the Sinyavinsky swamps in the fall of 1942. The fifth medal was awarded to Zolnikov in May 1945 for the battle on the Courland Peninsula.

Also, P. Gribkov, a veteran of the Great Patriotic War - intelligence officer, V. Potapova (Ippolitova) - a guard sergeant, was awarded five medals.

Among the recipients of medals “For Courage” there are many women - paramedics, telephonists, etc. Awards were presented to minor participants in the Great Patriotic War, as well as to foreign citizens who contributed to the victory of the USSR over fascism.

The second wave of mass awards occurred during the War in Afghanistan. The medal was awarded to officers and soldiers who brilliantly fulfilled their military duty to their Motherland.

Medals “For Courage” exist in the following versions:

1938-1943: the medal itself was made of a silver alloy. The award block had the shape of a rectangle. The block itself was represented by a red ribbon. The award was attached to the clothing using a round nut located on the back of the block.
Since 1943: the medal block began to be made in the shape of a pentagon. The medallion itself has remained virtually unchanged.

Nowadays in the Russian Federation the purchase and sale of medals “For Courage” is prohibited by law. Still, many collectors are interested in the question of the approximate cost of such an award. An idea of the price can be obtained from reports from foreign auctions and online auctions. The most valuable are the medals that were made before 1943, that is, those that had a rectangular block. The approximate cost of such a medal at a foreign auction is $100, but this is not the limit.

Medal "For Courage" and certificate

The most expensive medals, the price of which can reach $300, are those with numbers stamped on them. As for medals with pentagonal blocks, their cost ranges from 5 to 10 dollars.

Order of the Patriotic War

In the history of the Russian Federation, one can highlight not only the medal, which is called “For Courage,” but also the Order of the Patriotic War. It was the first award that appeared during the War. In addition, this is the first order in the USSR, which was divided into degrees depending on the characteristics of the military feat.

In April 1942, I. Stalin ordered Colonel General A. Khrelev (chief of the rear of the Red Army) to begin creating a new order. It was planned that it would be called “For Military Valor.” Work on the sketches of the order was entrusted to A. Kuznetsov, a specialist in the development of military insignia.

As a result, about 30 sketches were submitted for consideration, but Stalin preferred two options by Kuznetsov and two more by S. Dmitriev. Nevertheless, Kuznetsov’s sketch became the basic model. The new order began to be called “Patriotic War”. In addition, a system was built according to which 2 degrees of the order were distinguished. All units that made up the order:

a relief five-pointed star with rays covered with ruby red enamel;
a rifle and saber protrude from behind a red star;
a red star was superimposed on a star made of genuine gold;
the central part of the order is represented by a ruby-red circle with a hammer and sickle;
The central part of the award badge is framed by a circle of white enamel.

As for the differences between the orders of the first and second degree, there was one. In the order of the second degree, a red star was attached to a silver star.

The statute of the order of the first degree provided for about three dozen military situations (350 thousand soldiers were awarded). The Order of the second degree, which included 25 combat situations, was awarded to about 900 thousand military personnel.

The first orders were received in 1942 by soldiers of the artillery division, commanded by Captain I. Krikliy. As a result of two weeks of fighting, the soldiers were able to destroy over 30 units of military equipment of the fascist troops. Among those awarded the Order of the Patriotic War there are many foreigners - military personnel from Czechoslovakia, Poland, France and Great Britain.

The awarding of the Order of the Patriotic War was officially discontinued in 1947, but in 1985 the order was resumed as a commemorative award given to veterans of the Great Patriotic War. The Order of the Patriotic War, like other insignia of the Order of the USSR, is prohibited from being sold or bought on the territory of the Russian Federation.

The cost of the USSR medal “For Courage” in Russia today varies approximately from 590 to 59 thousand rubles. The price of a medal is determined based on many factors: the type, serial number and year of issue of the item are taken into account. The product is in high demand both in Russia and abroad, based on information from foreign auctions, despite the fact that the sale and purchase of medals on the territory of the Russian Federation is strictly prohibited.

Award Features

The Medal “For Courage” was established by order of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in 1938 and was awarded to military personnel for their courage and valor during battles with the enemies of the Soviet Union. During the war, the award was popular among military personnel, as it was proof of devotion to their homeland, true heroism, and at the same time a family heirloom.

Types of medals and their cost

The award has not lost its popularity to this day, reaching quite decent prices at auction. Below is a list with the relationship between the year of issue and the approximate price of medals today:

1938-1940 - with handwritten number - 47300 rubles(number of medals 23500 pieces)
1940-1943 — made on a plank — 7100 rubles(309500 pieces)
1943-1956 - issued on a block with the number - 590 rubles(3844000 pieces)
1956-1991 - on block without number - 880 rubles(1,000,000 pieces)

Price information is exclusively informational in nature and is based on analysis of online auctions.

Products with pentagonal blocks, in turn, are divided into two categories: the most valuable are the original versions, published before 1943. Their main distinctive feature: the awards pads were covered with red ribbon. The price for such samples reaches 5900 rubles; Early examples, where the number is carved out using a graver, are even more expensive - similar orders at foreign auctions come off the tray in the area 17700 rubles.

Awards with a standard block made of a pentagon can be purchased in the range from 300 to 590 rubles, based on the overall safety of the product.

External characteristics of the product

The medal "For Courage" is made in a round shape, the diameter of which is 37 millimeters. On the obverse of the award there is an image of three aircraft, under which there is the inscription “For Courage” and a Soviet tank. The abbreviation “USSR” is visible below. The medal number was often indicated on the reverse, but numberless series are also found in everyday use.

The price of a product is determined, among other things, by the material - 925 silver. For example, one copy contains up to 25 grams of pure silver. The weight of the award, excluding the pads, reaches 27 grams.

Using rings, the medal is connected to a pentagonal block, the surface of which is framed by a gray ribbon, and decorated at the edges with two blue stripes. The width of the ribbon is 24 mm, the width of the stripes is 2 mm. The medal “For Courage” is supposed to be worn on the left chest; if there are other awards of the USSR, place them in front of the orders.

Who was awarded

The award was given to both soldiers and sergeants, as well as senior officers and generals. Junior officers were less likely to suffer this fate. In total, over 4 million people were awarded the medal between 1941 and 1945. Complete lists It is difficult even for prominent historians to compile all those awarded for military merit, but thanks to the services of the World Wide Web, you can find a number of resources with military orders, where many of the names and surnames of awarded people appear, as well as the degree of merit for which a particular soldier was distinguished. This, in many ways, eliminates speculation related to the forgery of military orders, and also helps to establish specific historical facts regarding unidentified medals.

To date, the USSR medal for courage is not issued or reissued. It can only be found in personal collections and at auctions. Despite the fact that experienced experts recommend not purchasing an award from resellers, but completing the transaction only if you have all the necessary papers that ensure the legality and transparency of the purchase of the product.