The Order for Personal Courage was established by Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on December 28, 1988.
This decoration could be awarded to any USSR citizen showing outstanding courage and bravery during life-saving, keeping of public order and safeguard of State property, as well as for fighting crime, environmental catastrophes, and other exceptional events.
The award was designed by A.B.Zhuk and represents a silver gilded silver star with the words "For Personal Courage" and "USSR" written on it. It was replaced in Russia by the Order of Courage in 1994, which has different look.
The order was first awarded on February 3, 1989, to a teacher of school No. 42 in the city of Ordzhonikidze (now Vladikavkaz) Natalia Efimova. Her class was taken hostage and later freed in a police operation.
Famous quotes containing the words order, personal and/or courage:
“There is no instant of time when one creature is not being devoured by another. Over all these numerous races of animals man is placed, and his destructive hand spares nothing that lives. He kills to obtain food and he kills to clothe himself; he kills to adorn himself; he kills in order to attack and he kills to defend himself; he kills to instruct himself and he kills to amuse himself; he kills to kill. Proud and terrible king, he wants everything and nothing resists him.”
—Joseph De Maistre (1753–1821)
“[The election] ... was an event in which, so far as the personal side is concerned, the victory was to him who lost and the defeat to him who won. I can say that never in the last fifteen years have I had the peace of mind that I have since the election. I have almost a feeling of elation.”
—Herbert Hoover (1874–1964)
““Shall I tell you what you have that other men don’t?.... It’s the courage of your own tenderness.””
—D.H. (David Herbert)