- Time Period: Post-WW2
- Year of Institution: 25 May 1979
- Country: Russia & USSR
The Medal for Strengthening of Brotherhood in Arms (or Медаль «За укрепление боевого содружества», Medal «Za ukreplenie boevogo sodruzhestva» in Russian) was established on 25 May 1979 by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet and awarded to military personnel, to employees of state security, of internal affairs, and to other citizens of the states that participated in the Warsaw Pact, as well as other socialist and other friendly nations for merit in strengthening military “Brotherhood in Arms“.
The conferring authority was the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR based on recommendations from the Minister of Defence or the USSR, the Minister of Internal Affairs of the USSR, or from the Chairman of the State Security Committee of the USSR. The medal could be earned multiple times. Its statute was later confirmed and slightly amended by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet № 2523-X of July 18, 1980.
The Medal for Strengthening of Brotherhood in Arms Design
The medal is circular, struck in gilt tombac, and measures 32 millimeters in diameter.
On the obverse, a red enameled five-pointed star with a shield at its center. The shield is not enameled and bears the relief inscription in five rows «ЗА УКРЕПЛЕНИЕ БОЕВОГО СОДРУЖЕСТВА» )“FOR STRENGTHENING MILITARY COOPERATION”) and «СССР» (“USSR”). Two relief laurel branches follow the left and right circumference of the medal passing under the points of the star. At the bottom of the obverse, crossed swords, their hilts below the star, their blades passing under the lower arms of the star and protruding over the laurels to the medal rim. The reverse of the medal is plain.
The medal is secured to a standard Russian pentagonal mount by a ring through the suspension loop. The mount is covered by a 24 mm wide silk moiré ribbon in the colors of the flags of the Warsaw Pact countries.: The stripes alternate from left to right in the following widths: green 4 mm, white 1 mm, red 5.5 mm, yellow 1 mm, black 1 mm, yellow 1 mm, red 5.5 mm, white 1 mm, and blue 4 mm.
