Award of heroes. Medals for military achievements

The USSR Medal "For Military Merit" became one of the first award regalia of the country. Together with it, another well-known medal was created - For Courage. Establishment of the medal "For Military Merit" occurred on October 19, 1938. Until the mid-thirties, the Party leadership still had serious concerns about the counter-revolution. A From the second half of the decade on the map of Europe, another dangerous opponent for the country - Hitler's Germany - was designated. Heroes in this period were simply necessary for the state, experiencing the most difficult years of its history since the Civil War.

The provisions of the medal "For Military Merit"

According to the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the following persons could be awarded this award:

• They showed courage during the defense of state borders.
• Those who showed initiative, courageous and skillful actions in combat that contributed to the successful accomplishment of the combat mission by the unit or Military unit.
• Distinguished by special success during the political and combat training, in the development of new military equipment.

History of the medal "For Military Merit"

The first of those who received this award from the hands of high-ranking officials in the prewar years were the participants in the fighting on Lake Khasan, who distinguished themselves in the defense of these territories from encroachments by Japanese military forces. Six months later, Soviet soldiers had to defend the area of the Khalkhin-Gol River, located in modern Mongolia, from the same Japanese who had occupied China at that time.

Before the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, medals "For Military Merit" were awarded in the amount of more than 21 thousand copies. Of course, during the Great Patriotic War, the list of heroes awarded this award, began to multiply sharply. In the postwar history of the Soviet state, on the contrary, almost no one was awarded a medal until 1991. Until 1958, there was still a procedure for awarding a medal for long service, but this year it was canceled. The only episode of military clashes, for which soldiers in more or less mass order were awarded this regalia, was the suppression of the mutiny in Hungary in 1956. By 1995, the awarding of this medal to servicemen of the Union, and later the Russian state were awarded more than five million times. However, there have been cases when foreigners have received a regalia, who have served good service to our state.

Appearance of the award

The medal has the shape of a disc with a diameter of 31-32 mm (in different years there were different versions). On the front side there is a fringing border with a width of 1 millimeter. On the front side of the product there is an inscription "USSR" on the circumference with dented letters. Below is an image of a rifle with a bayonet, crossed with a sword, complements the medal "For Military Merit". The product number is engraved on its reverse side. If you do not count the number, the reverse side of the coin is absolutely smooth. According to the regulations, the medal should be worn on the left side of the chest and placed immediately after the Ushakov medal.