The Medal for Courage (Russia)

• Time Period: Interwar Medals
• Year of Institution: 17 October 1938
• Country: Russia & USSR

The Medal “For Courage” or Medal “For Valour” (or Медаль «За отвагу» in Russian) is a state decoration of the Russian Federation that was awarded to soldiers of the Soviet Army, Navy, border and internal troops and other citizens (and in some cases non-citizens) of the USSR. The medal was retained from the Soviet awards system following the dissolution of the USSR.

It was created by the decision of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on October 17, 1938. The first three Medals for Courage were awarded only three days later to three border guards for acts of bravery during the Battle of Lake Khasan. More than 4,2 million were awarded during the Great Patriotic War.

The award criteria was amended on three occasions by three separate Presidential Decrees, № 19 of January 6, 1999, № 444 of April 17, 2003 and № 1099 of September 7, 2010.

From its creation in 1938 to the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, 4,569,893 medals were awarded, many posthumously.

The Medal for Courage Medal Design

The Medal for Courage measures 34mm in diameter and is a circular silver medal with a raised rim on both the obverse and reverse.

On the obverse are three aircraft flying from right to left. Below the aircraft is the impressed and red enameled inscription in two lines “FOR COURAGE” («ЗА ОТВАГУ») and below is a (T-35) tank with its forward left corner closest to the front.

The medal’s reverse is plain except for an embossed letter “N” followed by an horizontal line in the lower half reserved for the award serial number, and a maker’s mark below it. The medal is secured to a standard Russian pentagonal mount by a ring through the medal suspension loop. The mount is covered in a silk moiré 24mm wide grey ribbon with a blue 2mm edge stripe on each side.

The Medal “For Courage” was retained by the Russian Federation after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, with the same basic design save for the caption “USSR” (CCCP) on the lower obverse.