The battle for Moscow in the Great Patriotic War holds a special place in the memory of the Russian people. It was she who proved that the German army, which had not previously known defeat, could be defeated. For Hitler, the capture of Moscow was of great importance, which was equated with a complete victory over the Soviet Union. And as a result, this was the beginning of the collapse of the Wehrmacht. All those who defended the capital of our Motherland, both military and civilian, showed selflessness, heroism and courageous fortitude. Medals "For the Defense of Moscow" were received by those whose valor and courage became an obstacle to the Nazis on the way to conquering the world.
Defense of Moscow
The battle of Moscow is conditionally divided into two stages: defensive and offensive.
The historical starting point of the battle for the capital of the USSR, or, in other words, the first day of the defense of Moscow, is September 30, 1941. The countdown is carried out after the offensive of the German army began under the codename "Typhoon" in the direction of Bryansk and Vyazma. The fights were tough. 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 get closer to Moscow.
The inhabitants of the city stood up to defend the city. Back 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 semicircle, which was located 20 kilometers from the city. In addition, defensive lines are also being created within the city, for example, in the area of the Garden Ring and the bypass railway. In addition, repair shops are being equipped to restore damaged equipment and weapons. All these structures were called the Moscow defensive zone, and the head of the Moscow military district, General Artemyev P. A., led their defense. The military units of the city garrison, the reserve divisions of the Headquarters and the formed people's militia were assigned under his command.
Moscow Offensive
The long heroic defense of Moscow made it possible to tighten and strengthen the reserves. And already on December 5 of the same year, an offensive operation was launched on three fronts at once: Kalinin, Western and Southwestern. 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 significantly exhausted constantlyongoing battles. In addition, due to severe weather conditions, the supply of weapons and food to the German army was disrupted, which led to a retreat.
The retreat of the Nazis from Moscow was accompanied by heavy losses, both in people and in weapons and equipment. By the beginning of January 1942, the front line was moved 250 kilometers away from Moscow, which eliminated the threat of its capture.
Until now, the offensive operation near Moscow, which was developed by G. K. Zhukov, study in military academies. The commander himself subsequently received the medal "For the Defense of Moscow", like many other ordinary participants in this battle. This award was marked by their courage and heroism in the struggle for the freedom of the motherland.
The history of the creation of the medal "For the Defense of Moscow"
To reward the defenders of Moscow on June 29, 1943, it was decided to create an award medal. The quartermaster of the Red Army, Colonel-General P. I. Drachev, was appointed responsible for its development. By his order, an art group was created, which already on July 12 provided several ready-made sketches. On July 15, 1943, these sketches were submitted to Stalin for consideration. But at that moment no final decision was made. However, in January 1944, work on the sketch of the medal was resumed. The final stage of its refinement is entrusted to the artists Moskalev N. I. and Romanova E. M. By the end of January, the final draft of the medal "For the Defense of Moscow" was ready.
Adjustments and approval of the final form of the award
After trial sample,made in metal by the engraver Sokolov N. A., a number of changes were made to the appearance of the award:
- originally it was supposed to place a group of Moscow defenders 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,
- A picture of flying planes was placed in the left corner.
This is how the final version of the award sign, the medal "For the Defense of Moscow", was obtained, the photo of which testifies to its splendor and solemnity.
The official approval date for this award is May 01, 1944.
According to the memoirs of the author of the medal, the artist N. Moskalev, he began work on this award long before the official order of the country's leadership, back in the fall of 1941. Then there was a real threat of the occupation of the capital. Subsequently, this sketch formed the basis of another award badge - the Order of Glory, which was also designed by Moskalev.
What the medal looks like
The award badge was brass, rounded, 32 mm in diameter. The obverse (this is the name of the front side of any award badge) depicts the wall of the Kremlin. Behind it is the domed roof of the government building with the banner of the Land of the Soviets flying. In the foreground is a pedestal to the heroes who liberated the city in the old days - Minin and Pozharsky. Nearby - 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 on top, and on the reverse they were awarded a medalfor 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 the defenders of the capital should receive this award:
- military of all types of troops who participated in the battle for Moscow for at least 1 month in the period from 10/19/41 to 01/25/42,
- civilians of the city and the region who built defensive structures and repaired military equipment, and also 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 are active participants in the air defense of the capital in the period from 22.07.41 to 25.01.42,
- partisans who fought in the Moscow region.
In addition, this honor was awarded to the servicemen who liberated the city of Tula.
Possible options for the appearance of the medal "For the Defense of Moscow"
As you know, the award was given both during the war and after it. At the same time, the general pattern was preserved, but changes were made that distinguished the military and post-war versions of this award:
- the eye 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 eye was poured out along with the medal, and the block was single-layer, aluminum.
Educational Facts
The first person towas awarded 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, a total of 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, for Moscow is the heart of our Motherland). If there are other medals, then "For the Defense of Moscow" should be placed after the award medal "For the Defense of Leningrad".
Sometimes in the historical literature the order for the defense of Moscow is mentioned, but this is an incorrect wording. There has never been an Order, it was and is precisely the award medal "For the Defense of Moscow".
