- Time Period: Second World War
- Year of Institution: 9 June 1945
- Country: Russia & USSR
The Medal for the Capture of Vienna (or Медаль «За взятие Вены», Medal «Za vzjatie Veny» in Russian) was established on 9 June 1945 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and awarded to Soviet service personnel who took part in the capture of Vienna from the armed forces of Nazi Germany between 16 March and 13 April 1945.
The medal was awarded to soldiers of the Red Army, Navy, and troops of the NKVD, direct participants of the heroic assault and capture of Vienna as well as to the organizers and leaders of combat operations in the capture of this city. Serving military personnel received the medal from their unit commander, retirees from military service received the medal from a regional, municipal, or district military commissioner in the recipient’s community.
The medal’s statute was amended on July 18, 1980, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR № 2523-X.
The Medal for the Capture of Vienna Design
The medal was 32mm in diameter, circular, and made of brass, with a raised rim on the obverse. It was worn on the left side of the chest.
On its pebbled obverse at the top, a relief five-pointed star. Below the star, the relief inscription in bold letters on three rows «ЗА ВЗЯТИЕ ВЕНЫ» (“FOR THE CAPTURE OF VIENNA”). At the bottom, the relief image of a laurel branch going up the left circumference of the medal up to the second row of the inscription. On the reverse at the top, a relief plain five-pointed star, below the star, the relief date in three rows «13 АПРЕЛЯ 1945» (“13 APRIL 1945”).
The medal was secured by a ring through the medal suspension loop to a standard Soviet pentagonal mount covered by a 24mm wide silk moiré light blue ribbon with an 8mm wide central dark blue stripe.
