Virtus et Fraternitas Medal
The Virtus et Fraternitas Medal (Polish name: Medal Virtus et Fraternitas; Latin for "Courage and Brotherhood") is a Polish state decoration established on 9 November 2017.
| Virtus et Fraternitas Medal Medal Virtus et Fraternitas | |
|---|---|
 Obverse | |
| Type | Commemorative decoration of merit |
| Country |  Poland |
| Presented by | the President of Poland |
| Status | Currently awarded |
| Established | 9 November 2017 |
| First awarded | 19 June 2019 |
 Ribbon of the cross | |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Cross of Freedom and Solidarity |
| Next (lower) | Gold Cross of Merit |
| Related | Order of the Cross of Independence Cross of Independence |
It is awarded by the President of Poland on recommendation of the director of the Pilecki Institute as a token of commemoration and gratitude to those who provided aid and assistance to Polish citizens against Soviet and Nazi Germany war crimes as well as other crimes motivated by nationalism committed between 1917–1990.[1] It is also bestowed to honor individuals who voluntarily keep alive the memory of those who did not survive the war or the forced deportations, and found their graves abroad.[2]
The medal has been conceptually compared to Yad Vashem's Righteous Among the Nations Awards.[3]
Design
The medal is round and silver. On the obsverse it is inscribed "VIRTUS ET FRATERNITATIS" (virtue and brotherhood). In the center of the medal carved stylized image of the White Eagle. The cross is 36 mm in diameter.[4]
The Virtus et Fraternitas Medal is suspended from a purple ribbon, 36 mm wide. Symmetrically arranged along the edges of the ribbon are gold stripes each 4 mm wide, both 4 mm from the edge.[4]
Recipients
The medal was awarded for the first time on 19 June 2019. Among the awarded were:[5]
- Tassybay Abdikarimov
- Oleksandra Vaseyko
- Chaim Eiss
- Zinaida Giergiel
- Anatolij Giergiel
- Władysław Konopczyński
- Juliusz Kühl
- Aleksander Ładoś
- Władysława Nagórka
- Antoni Nagórka
- Konstanty Rokicki
- Stefan Ryniewicz
- Adolf Henryk Silberschein
- Lóránd Utassy
The second awarding of medals took place on June 2, 2021 at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw. They were given to the following persons:[6]
- Maria Bazeluk
- Petro Bazeluk
- Ecaterina Caradja
- Petro Hrudzewycz
- Jenő Etter
- Anna Jelínková
- Jan Jelínek
- Jozef Lach
- Žofia Lachová
The third award ceremony of medals took place on June 15, 2022 at the Belweder Palace in Warsaw. They were given to the following persons:[7]
- Raymond Voegeli
- Marie Gorius
- Eugène Gorius
- Rosalie Fogel
- Jeanine Humbert
- Léon Humbert
- Hélène Pionstka
- Peter Fraser
- Janet Fraser
- Aristides de Sousa Mendes
- César de Sousa Mendes
- Pedro Correia Marques
- Ján Klinovský
- Julien Bryan
- Paul Super
- Elna Gistedt-Kiltynowicz
- Kateryna Bojmistruk
- Fedor Bojmistruk
- Mykhailo Susla
- Józsefné Margit Károlyi
- Edith Weiss
- Erzsébet Szapáry
- Antal Szapáry
On 20 December 2022 were decorated:[8]
- Ilona Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznahorka
- Trofim Danieluk
- Zinaida Samczuk
- Hanna Skakalska (1905–1987)
- Hanna Skakalska (1887–1966)
- Musij Skakalski
On 6 July 2023 were decorated:[9][10]
- Semen Biliczuk
- Ustyna Kowtoniuk
- Sawa Kowtoniuk
- Paraskewa Padlewska
- Lubow Parfeniuk
- Anton Parfeniuk
- Piotr Parfeniuk
- Oksana Karpiuk
- Jewhenia Bondaruk
- Prokop Bondaruk
- Anastasija Koreń
- Mykoła Koreń
- Sofia Kyc
- Pawło Kyc
- Herasym Łukiańczuk
- Wołodymyr Kryżuk
See also
References
- "Obwieszczenie Marszałka Sejmu Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 17 stycznia 2019 r. w sprawie ogłoszenia jednolitego tekstu ustawy o Instytucie Solidarności i Męstwa imienia Witolda Pileckiego". prawo.sejm.gov.pl (in Polish). 2019-01-17. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
- "Virtus et Fraternitas Medal - Instytut Pileckiego". instytutpileckiego.pl. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
- Mrozek, Witold (8 February 2018). "Rząd tworzy "polskie Yad Vashem". Instytut Solidarności i Męstwa będzie walczył o dobre imię Polski i honorował pomagających Polakom". wyborcza.pl. Retrieved 2023-01-08.
- "Rozporządzenie Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 22 października 2018 r. zmieniające rozporządzenie w sprawie opisu, materiału, wymiarów, wzorów rysunkowych oraz sposobu i okoliczności noszenia odznak orderów i odznaczeń". prawo.sejm.gov.pl (in Polish). 2018-10-22. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
- "Prezydent wręczył Medale Virtus et Fraternitas". www.prezydent.pl (in Polish). 2019-06-19. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
- "Ważna uroczystość! Prezydent odznaczył medalami Virtus et Fraternitas osoby ratujące Polaków. "Umieli pomóc, niezależnie od narodowości"". prezydent.pl. 19 June 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-03.
- "Gala wręczenia Medali "Virtus et Fraternitas" 2022". gov.pl (in Polish). 15 June 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
- "Medale Virtus et Fraternitas wręczone po raz kolejny". prezydent.pl. 2022-12-20. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
- "Gala wręczenia Medali "Virtus et Fraternitas" 2023". Ministerstwo Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego (in Polish). 2023-07-06. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
- Stuart Dowell (7 July 2023). "Poland awards Ukrainians who saved Poles during Wołyń massacre". thefirstnews. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
