History

This medal was conferred for the Defence of Kiev. It was established on June 21, 1961, an was awarded in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the German invasion. This was the only campaign medal to be established after 1945. Unfortunately when it was eventually created many of the Kiev participants had died. It was awarded roughly 180,000 times.

The medal was composed of brass and has a ring at 12 o'clock to connect it to the 5 sided suspension. The obverse presents a soldier, sailor, partisan and a women in a line facing the left, the first three holding rifles with bayonets. In the background is the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist. The reverse is different depending on the variation.

Variation I has the reverse with the inscription which translates to "For Our Soviet Motherland" with a hammer and sickle at the top.

Variation II has the reverse inscription for the "Capture of Vienna" medal due to a manufacturing mistake.

The obverse Russian inscription translates to: "For the Defense of Kiev". The reverse of the first variation medal translates to: "For Our Soviet Motherland".