Anyone heard of the rewards. From ancient times, it was customary to celebrate those who distinguished themselves in any business. Awarded warriors, poets, artists. The man came up with special signs that would show others how the carrier distinguished itself. Some of them have sunk into oblivion, some have transformed in accordance with the spirit of the times, and some, having only slightly changed, have reached the modern era. The last signs include medals.
Medal in Russia
The first medals in Russia appeared during the time of Ivan III. From those times until the XVII century, they used a three-copeck coin suspended on a blue ribbon. Peter the Great instituted a slightly different order. He ordered the minting of silver medals for the soldiers, which were equivalent in value to a stack of silver coins. After the Azov campaign, the emperor ordered all participants to be awarded with a gold award badge, which could also be used as a means of payment.
In any state there are people whose fortitude affects others, and their actions are ready to be sung for centuries. In Russia there are a huge number of such examples, each era gives birth to its heroes, and they are awarded with special signs of their time. There are such medals, the fact of which a person speaks for itself. It is about such an award that will be discussed below.
Medal "For Courage" (USSR)
We can safely say that this Soviet award was the most important for any soldier. In addition, she performed the highest in the award system. This military insignia was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of October 17, 1938. The award statement says:
The “For Courage” medal was established for rewarding for personal courage and courage shown in the defense of the socialist Fatherland and the performance of military duty.
Until 1977, in the event of the death of the awarded, the medal was handed over to the military commissariat, in accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of July 7, 1941.
If certain symbols were awarded for participation in the battle, then the medal “For Courage” in the USSR had a different role. This award was a distinctive mark on the strength of personal contribution to the Victory.
In the photo - Semen Gretsov, Soviet warrior, the only holder of six medals "For Courage".
Marked with a medal
The turbulent political situation, provocations, and attacks by enemies are the realities of the young USSR. Very soon, the award found its first heroes. It was the border guards N. Gulyaev and F. Grigoriev, who stopped several Japanese saboteurs at Lake Hassan. Then a military conflict - again with Japan, but already on the Mongolian river Khalkhin-Gol. The ensuing Soviet-Finnish war replenished the list of 26 thousand soldiers and sergeants noted with this award.
The fact that the medal is awarded for personal achievement, and led to the fact that most of the awarded were either from the rank-and-file, or from the junior command staff. Although there have been cases of rewarding junior officers.
The approaching Great Patriotic War gave the world a lot of heroes. A sergeant is known to history, who was six times assigned to this insignia - he is a military serviceman of the medical service Semyon Gretsov. Only according to documented cases, he managed to remove 130 people with their personal weapons from the battlefield.
But not only men became the owners of this highest award, among the awarded women also participated in the battles. Five medals for saving the wounded during the battle received Vera Ippolitova.
And a very remarkable case - the six-year-old Sergey Aleshkov was nominated for the award for saving the commander. The order also highlighted his cheerfulness, which was transmitted to tired and exhausted soldiers and officers.
The history of the Great Patriotic War is full of real feats of ordinary people. The eternal reminder of such acts are rewards. Over the entire period of the Second World War, the medal "For Courage" was noted over 4 million 230 thousand people.
What does the award sign look like?
The signs "For Courage" and "For Military Merit" were practically the first Soviet medals. The award, according to historical traditions, has a silver color. The unique medal number “For Courage” is engraved on the reverse side. Each sign is accompanied by a book indicating the name and surname of the gentleman. The obverse of the award is decorated with the image of three flying airplanes, under which there is a red inscription "For Courage". Below these words is an image of the Soviet T-35 heavy tank.
During the Second World War, the medal "For Courage" somewhat changed, more precisely - the block changed its appearance. Initially, it was rectangular, and since 1943 took the form of a pentagon. Also on the first medals, the numbers on the reverse were written by hand.
War in Afghanistan
The USSR medal “For Courage” was very dear to it, during the war it was not scattered, there were fewer awards only with the Order of Lenin. The terrible price of blood, crazy courage made it especially significant for everyone.
Years passed, but the reverent attitude towards her did not change. Those who served during the war in Afghanistan took a fresh look at the feats of their fathers and grandfathers. The limited contingent of troops that was deployed to this eastern country to help build a socialist state more than once showed miracles of courage, unexpected even for the Mujahideen.
On December 24, 1980, by decree of the Presidium of the Revolutionary Council of the Republic, an order was issued to issue the medal “For Courage”. Afghanistan, with its fiery roads of war, thus marked the participants in hostilities on its territory.
The DRA government issued an award for personal heroism and courage, similar to the corresponding document of the Soviet government in 1938. A medal in Afghanistan was awarded until 1992. The brass medal in the color of scarlet silver has an inscription in the Pashtun language, framed by a floral wreath. A tank was minted on the obverse against the backdrop of the mountains, airplanes proudly fly over the letter script.
Award in modern Russia
With the collapse of the USSR, the medal "For Courage" has not lost its significance. They continued to award special distinguished decrees of 1992 for two more years, then the Russian version of the mark was released. The modern medal repeats the Soviet, with the exception of the inscription "USSR". So that at the highest level they approved an almost complete repetition of the sketch of the artist Dmitriev, I had to wait two years. The medals of Belarus and Moldova, which also established this award, have the same design.