Memorial medal of the War of Liberation

The Medal of Remembrance of the Finnish War of Liberation is a Finnish medal of merit made of iron, established on 10 September 1918. It was designed by Akseli Gallen-Kallela.

After the Finnish Civil War, the medal was awarded to everyone who had fought on the side of the government, that is, the Whites. It was officially awarded until 1937 and, with permission, until the 1960s. The medal could also be awarded as a decoration to a person who had not received decorations of the Order of the Cross of Liberty for wartime merits. In that case, a silver heraldic rose was attached to the medal’s ribbon.

The obverse of the medal depicts the Cross of Liberty, with armoured hands holding the swords of the coat of arms of Karelia on either side of its vertical arm. The lower arm bears the year 1918, and the reverse features the Finnish Lion. Numerous variations of the medal exist, differing in minor details, as it was produced by several manufacturers at different times and in different places.