The battle for Moscow in World War II in a memory of the Russian people occupies a special place. It was she who proved that the previously undefeated German army could be defeated. For Hitler, the capture of Moscow was of great importance, which amounted to a complete victory over the Soviet Union. And as a result, this was the beginning of the collapse of the Wehrmacht. Everyone who defended the capital of our country, both military and civilian, showed dedication, heroism and courageous stamina. The medals “For the Defense of Moscow” were received by those whose valor and courage became an obstacle to the Nazis on the road to conquering the world.
Moscow defense
The Moscow battle is conditionally divided into two stages: defensive and offensive.
The historical reference point of the battle for the capital of the USSR, or, in other words, the first day of Moscow’s defense, is September 30, 1941. The countdown is carried out after the German offensive, codenamed "Typhoon", began in the direction of Bryansk and Vyazma. The fights were heavy. With heavy losses, the enemy made his way to the Volga-Moscow canal and was stopped on the southern border of the city of Kashira. He could not come closer to Moscow.
To protect the city stood its inhabitants. In the summer, 12 volunteer divisions and 56 battalions were formed, which went to defend the capital. In addition, according to the GKO decree of September 12, 1941, the construction of defensive structures around Moscow began. The main line of defense covered the city in a half ring, which was located 20 kilometers from the city. In addition, defensive lines are also being created in the city, for example, in the Garden Ring and the bypass railway. In addition, repair shops are being equipped to repair damaged equipment and weapons. All these structures were called the Moscow defensive zone, and the defense was headed by the head of the Moscow military district, General Artemyev P.A. Under his leadership were assigned the military units of the city garrison, reserve divisions of the General Headquarters and the formed people's militia.
Moscow offensive
The long heroic defense of Moscow allowed to tighten and strengthen the reserves. And already on December 5 of the same year, an offensive operation was launched at once by three fronts: Kalinin, West and South-West. Army General G.K. was appointed commander of this offensive. Zhukov. For the German army, this was a complete surprise. By this time, the enemy was essentially exhausted by constantly ongoing battles. In addition, due to severe weather conditions, the supply of arms and food to the German army was disrupted, which led to the retreat.
The Nazi retreat from Moscow was accompanied by heavy losses, both in people and in weapons and equipment. By early January 1942, the front line was moved away from Moscow by 250 kilometers, thereby eliminating the threat of its capture.
Until now, the offensive operation near Moscow, which was developed by G.K. Zhukov, studied at military academies. The commander himself subsequently received the medal "For the Defense of Moscow", as well as many other ordinary members of this battle. This award marked their courage and heroism in the struggle for freedom of the motherland.
The history of the creation of the medal "For the Defense of Moscow"
To award the defenders of Moscow on June 29, 1943, it was decided to create an award medal. The commander of the Red Army, Colonel General Drachev P.I., was appointed responsible for its development. By his order, an art group was created, which already on July 12 provided several ready-made sketches. July 15, 1943, these sketches were submitted to Stalin. But at that moment a final decision was not made. However, in January 1944, work on the sketch of the medal was resumed. The final stage of its completion is entrusted to the artists N. Moskalev and Romanova E.M. By the end of January, the final draft of the medal "For the Defense of Moscow" was already ready.
Amendments and approval of the final form of the award
After a test sample made in metal by the engraver Sokolov N.A., a number of changes were made to the appearance of the award:
- initially it was planned to place a group of defenders of Moscow against the backdrop of the Kremlin wall , but it was replaced by a tank with fighters on its armor,
- reduced the size of the dome of the Government building,
- in the left corner placed an image of flying aircraft.
Thus, the final version of the award badge medal "For the Defense of Moscow" was obtained, a photo of which testifies to its splendor and solemnity.
The date of approval of this award is May 01, 1944.
According to the memoirs of the author of the medal of the artist N. Moskalev, he began work on this award long before the official order of the country's leadership, in the fall of 1941. Then there was a real threat to the occupation of the capital. Subsequently, this sketch formed the basis of another award badge - the Order of Glory, which was also developed by Moskalev.
What does the medal look like
The award was brass, rounded in shape, with a diameter of 32 mm. The obverse (the so-called front side of any award badge) depicts the Kremlin wall. Behind it is a domed roof of a government building with a flying banner of the Land of Soviets. In the foreground is a pedestal for the heroes who in the old days liberated the city - Minin and Pozharsky. Nearby are the defenders of the capital on the armor of the tank. Aircraft are engraved in the left corner, the inscription “For the Defense of Moscow” is inscribed on the top, and on the reverse, those awarded with a medal for the defense of Moscow could read “For Our Soviet Motherland”.
Who was awarded the medal "For the Defense of Moscow"?
According to the decision of the government, all defenders of the capital should receive this award:
- military personnel of all military branches who participated in the battle for Moscow for at least 1 month from October 19, 1941 to January 25, 42,
- civilians of the city and region who built defenses and repaired military equipment, as well as directly participated in defensive and offensive battles for at least 1 month in the same period - from 10.19.41 to 01.25.42,
- military and civilians - active participants in the air defense of the capital from July 22, 1941 to January 25, 42,
- partisans who conducted military operations in the Moscow region.
In addition, the servicemen who liberated Tula were awarded this honor.
Possible options for the appearance of the medal "For the Defense of Moscow"
As you know, the award was presented both during the war and after its end. At the same time, the overall picture was preserved, but changes were made that distinguished the military and post-war versions of this award:
- the ear of the medal, which was issued during the war, is soldered to the base, and the block is two-layer, heavy,
- in the post-war sample, the ear poured along with the medal, and the block was single-layer, aluminum.
Cognitive facts
The first person to receive the medal "For the Defense of Moscow" was Joseph Stalin. He was awarded on 07.20.44 and received the corresponding certificate No. 000001.
Until January 1, 1995, in total, about 1,028,600 people received the medal "For the Defense of Moscow". I would like to note that more than twenty thousand teenagers were awarded the medal "For the Defense of Moscow".
It is correct to wear the medal “For the Defense of Moscow” on the left side of the chest (where the heart beats, because Moscow is the heart of our Motherland). If other medals are present, then "For the Defense of Moscow" should be placed after the award medal "For the Defense of Leningrad".
Sometimes the order for the defense of Moscow is mentioned in historical literature, but this is an incorrect statement. There was never an order, it was and is precisely the award medal "For the Defense of Moscow".