The school gold medal has always been a privilege, to which we have sought since the first years of our studies. As children, having been to graduation parties, we watched with what joy the student received a golden award from the director for high achievements in science and excellent discipline. Involuntarily, he himself had a desire to earn this valuable prize.
The history of the emergence of school gold medals
The gold medal dates back to the time of the reign of Nicholas the First. In 1835, the king approved the award of a medal for excellence in science. Moreover, it could get exclusively male representatives. The gold medal had nothing to do with women. On the front side of the award was depicted a coat of arms - an eagle with two heads under the royal headdress. And on the other, of course, Minerva (the patroness of sciences) was portrayed, and also the inscription "Succeeding" appeared. With her left hand the goddess raised the lamp, and with her right held a laurel wreath, an owl sat at her feet with the attributes of science: a scroll and a globe. The silver medal looked similar, only it was made of another material. The woman was awarded the title of "gold medalist" only during the reign of Alexander the Second. Moreover, two types of medals were issued, since half of the women's gymnasiums were under the auspices of the Empress Maria Alexandrovna, and the Ministry of Education was in charge of the second half. On the reverse side of the empress’s medal was the inscription “The most worthy of those who completed the course in girls’s gymnasiums”, which appeared in a plexus of vines, and on the ministerial medals the same Minerva with the attributes of science was depicted.
The front side of both medals was the same: a profile image of the queen with the inscription "Empress Empress Maria Alexandrovna." After the patroness of female successes in science, became the wife of Nikolai the Second, Maria Fedorovna, and since then her image has been knocked out on one side of the coin.
Medals in the USSR
In this, almost unchanged, form, gold medals were preserved until 1917, and then such awards ceased until 1945. After the war, by the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, gold and silver medals were again started to be made in the form of a round coin of precious metal. In 1954, it was decided to use lower-grade gold (for lower costs). Until 1960, precious metal was used only as a sputtering, and the rewarding with a silver medal generally ceased since 1968. Since 1977, in connection with a change in the coat of arms of the USSR, new awards have also begun to be issued. Now the medal (a golden star adorned its upper part) was awarded to successful students.
Modern gold medals
After the collapse of the USSR, each republic introduced its own gold medals, with its own emblem and images. During the entrance exams at the university, the holders of the gold medal had significant privileges, since they had the right to do only an interview or provided the first exam was excellent. After changing the examination procedure (the introduction of the exam), the gold medal continued to "warm the soul" to its owners, but did not play any role in admission. Will modern schoolchildren strive for them?
