Military Virtue Medal Мэдаль за баявыя заслугі
Abverse of the medal
Type	Medal
Awarded for	Personal bravery shown in circumstances involving risk to life and the protection of freedom, independence and the democratic constitutional order of Belarus on the basis of the ideals of the Belarusian Democratic Republic, in particular, while conducting military and official duties, in battle and while conducting special tasks in the national interests of Belarus
Country	Belarusian Democratic Republic
Presented by	the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic
Motto	"Virtute et Gladio"
Status	Currently awarded
Established	2023
First awarded	9 March 2023
Total	22
Ribbon of the Military Virtue Medal
Precedence
Next (higher)	Order of the Iron Knight

The Military Virtue Medal (Belarusian: Мэдаль за баявыя заслугі) is a military decoration awarded by the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic in exile.

History

The medal was established in 2023. Its design is derived from the design of Virtuti Militari, a military award established in 1792 in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which is referred to as "the oldest historical Belarusian military award, taking into account the status of Belarus as one of the successor states of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania".^[1]

The phrase Virtute et Gladio (“With courage and sword”) is carved on the reverse of the medal.

Recipients

The first recipients of the medal were 22 soldiers of the Belarusian Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment, who demonstrated bravery on the battlefield when fighting on Ukraine's side in the Russo-Ukrainian War,^[1][2] among them former Olympic athlete Pavel Shurmei.

References