This medal is considered more honorable than all the others. It was mainly privates, foremen and sergeants who received it, although it was not forbidden by the statute to award officers to it either. It just so happened that, unlike other medals, which could be obtained simply by participating in some large-scale front-line operation, this was given for very specific heroic actions, which, according to the command of the military unit, for some reason ā not reached. " About what they gave the medal āFor Courageā, and what is the history of this government award, there will be a short story, offered to the attention of the reader.
New Award, 1938
In the late thirties, Soviet Red Army soldiers had already fought with various opponents. One of them managed to take part in the Spanish Civil War, first meeting with the Nazis. It fell to others to fight the Japanese militarists, who were trying to squeeze the position of the country of the Soviets in the Far East. At the outer near borders it was restless - there groups of saboteurs and spies tried to leak out. Border guards often died and were injured while performing their military duty. There is a need for a new award, prestigious enough to appreciate the outstanding courageous actions of the Red Army and Navy. In the fall of 1938, the sketch of the medal was approved with the motto written on its front side, eloquently (large and really red letters) saying what it would be honored with. There are other details in the image, but the main thing is the inscription. It is designed so that the descendants do not have questions, for which they gave the medal āFor Courageā. To understand, just read.
Other design elements
The front side reflects the general aesthetics of the time taken to award the sample. The T-35 tank was considered the most powerful Soviet ground weapon, it was multi-towered and very heavy, so it found its place on the obverse. It was used quite rarely during the Winter Campaign on the Karelian Isthmus, was not used at all at Khalkhin-Gol and proved to be ineffective in the first months of World War II, but even after that it was not changed to "thirty-four", IP or HF.
At the top, three planes are visible, in silhouette similar to the I-16. In 1941, these machines also left the Red Army aviation, but managed to fight for some time. Victor Talalikhin did such a ram that glorified him.
In the lower part of the award, the nationality of the insignia is indicated: the USSR, and in the center in large ruby-red enamel letters it is written, for which they gave a medal. For courage. That is, for selfless courage.
On the smooth back side, only the copy number is stamped.
Production material
The medal is cast from highly purified silver corresponding to the 925th sample. This means that the proportion of impurities in the alloy is only seven and a half percent. The mass of the award fluctuated, depending on the year of issue, from 27.9 to 25.8 grams. The permissible deviation from the norm when casting a workpiece also changed (from one and a half to 1.3 grams). The medal is quite large, its diameter is 37 mm. The recesses of the inscriptions āFor Courageā and āUSSRā were filled with enamel, which hardened after firing. In many instances, it exfoliated from mechanical stress, fighters wore awards for many years, they were covered with scratches and other injuries. It happened that they saved the life of a fighter. Lumbago, rejecting the deadly bullet, without any words, explained why they gave the medal "For Courage".
Execution options
The initial sketch implied the rectangular shapes of a small suspension block (25 x 15 mm), to which the medal was attached with a ring threaded into the eye, also quadrangular. The tape is silk, moire, red. On clothes she was fixed by means of a round nut on a threaded pin.
The āFor Courageā medal of 1943 and later years of release was brought into line with the traditions and standards of state awards established in the USSR. The eyelet became round, and the pentagonal block, it was equipped with a pin. The color of the ribbon was also changed (to gray with two blue stripes), so that it was easier to distinguish it on the order slats .
First gentlemen
The list of those awarded the medal āFor Courageā over the time elapsed since its inception has long exceeded four million. And this despite the fact that an unspoken rule applied to her - to honor only the desperate daredevils who really did something special. And the frontier guards got it first, there were two of them.
History is silent about who received the first medal āFor Courageā - F. Grigoriev or N. Gulyaev, although this can be found out by finding copies of award sheets in the archive. But this, in essence, does not matter, because both of them became heroes at the same time, delaying a sabotage group in the area of Lake Hassan , trying to penetrate the country from neighboring territory.
Prewar period
Then there was the Finnish winter war, during which the Red Army had a very difficult time. It is possible to evaluate its character in different ways from a political point of view, but heroism and self-sacrifice were undoubtedly shown by Soviet soldiers. In the conditions of the Arctic winter, terrible frosts and polar night, the Red Army stormed the Mannerheimās super-fortified defensive line, breaking several echelons of fortifications. The list of those awarded with the medal āFor Courageā in the so-called āpre-warā period reached 26 thousand fighters who proudly wore it on the left side of their chests.
War
There was no test in the history of our country heavier than the Great Patriotic War. In its first months, few awards were given. But soon heroism became so widespread that it required its visible official recognition. One of the most common was the medal "For Courage". 1941 went down in history as the date of victory near Moscow, of many other heavy and bloody battles that did not always lead to success. At that time many people were awarded the medal - soldiers, nurses, snipers, scouts, men and women, and even fighters of the penal battalions who needed to do something for this, for which the high rank of the Hero was supposed to be different. She didnāt get to those who took part in ādust-freeā posts, even if they had very good relations with their superiors. Another medal, which was also very serious, could have crossed this way, for example, āFor Military Meritā (āservicesā - real front-line soldiers insultingly teased in such cases). Cavaliers of the medal "For Courage" in the eyes of relatives and just met on the street citizens looked like real heroes. The prestige of the award was not in doubt.
Sometimes she was honored with a soldier many times. It is difficult to explain, because there are other awards - orders, for example. Most likely, there was a usual frontal confusion.
Nowadays
There were plenty of reasons for courage during the Afghan war and other regional conflicts of the late 20th century, in which our soldiers took part.
This medal became so beloved and respected by the people that they did not want to abandon it even after Russia gained independence. In 1992, she was restored to her rights, however, the letters of the USSR disappeared from the obverse. Cavaliers of the medal āFor Courageā, our contemporaries, received it for the same as our glorious ancestors. All explanations are written on it in large red letters. These daredevils who defend their homeland in the very difficult situation prevailing in the world today do not like to talk about their exploits. In this, as in many other things, they look like veterans of the Second World War. They are said for military awards worn on holidays.
There is a medal "For Courage" in Belarus. Well, a common victory, and common rewards.