The Medal "For Courage" was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on October 17, 1938, to award personal bravery and courage displayed in defending the socialist Motherland and fulfilling military duties.

 

The medal was awarded to service members of the Soviet Army, the Navy, border and internal troops, other citizens of the USSR, and also to non-citizens.

 

The Medal "For Courage" was worn on the left side of the chest, and when other orders and medals were present, it was placed after the orders. It was primarily awarded to privates and sergeants, while junior officers received it only rarely. Senior officers and generals were practically never awarded this medal.

 

The medal was awarded en masse to service members who distinguished themselves in:

the battles in the Far East (1938–1939),

the Soviet-Finnish War (1939–1940),

the Great Patriotic War (1941–1945),

the suppression of the counterrevolutionary uprising in Hungary in 1956,

the Afghan War (1979–1989).

 

In total, 4,569,893 medals "For Courage" were awarded.

 

Each medal came with a personalized certificate including a photograph, medal number, and personal information. In the postwar years, a standard "Medal Certificate" of a new design was issued.

 

In case of medal loss, a replacement was generally not issued, although there were rare exceptions (duplicates were marked with the letter “Д”).

 

There were several types of the medal, each with multiple variants.

 

Type 1. Issued from October 17, 1938, to June 19, 1943. This version featured a rectangular suspension with a red ribbon. On the reverse of the suspension was a threaded pin and a circular nut for attaching the medal to clothing. The loop of the medal was made of silver and soldered to the body. The serial number was engraved horizontally on the lower part of the reverse. The highest known serial number for this type is 490828.

 

Type 2. Issued after the decree of June 19, 1943, came into force. The appearance of the medal changed slightly: the suspension became pentagonal, and the ribbon color was changed. The medal was attached using a pin located on the back of the suspension. The lowest known serial number for this type is 450826. Starting from January 1947, this type began to be produced without serial numbers.