By a decree of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR of July 29, 1936, the Regulations on the title of Hero of the Soviet Union were approved.

Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of August 1, 1939, in order to distinguish citizens awarded the title of Hero Soviet Union and performing new heroic deeds, establish a medal " Golden Star”, which has the shape of a five-pointed star.

The first medal was awarded to the Hero of the Soviet Union, polar pilot A.S. Lyapidevsky. During the years of the Great Patriotic War fighter pilots M.P. were among the first to receive the highest degree of distinction. Zhukov. S.I. Zdorovtsev and P.T. Kharitonov, who accomplished their feats in the sky near Leningrad.

Regulations on the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union is the highest degree of distinction and is awarded for personal or collective services to the Soviet state and society associated with the accomplishment of a heroic deed.

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union is awarded by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

The Hero of the Soviet Union is awarded:

A Hero of the Soviet Union who has accomplished a heroic feat for the second time, no less than the one for which others who have accomplished a similar feat are awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, is awarded the Order of Lenin and the second Gold Star medal, and in commemoration of his exploits a bronze bust of the Hero is erected with the appropriate inscription, installed in his homeland, which is recorded in the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the award.

Hero of the Soviet Union, awarded two medals "Gold Star", for new heroic deeds, similar to those previously accomplished, can be again awarded the order Lenin and the Gold Star medal.

When a Hero of the Soviet Union is awarded the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal, he is simultaneously presented with the Order and Medal by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

In the event that the Hero of the Soviet Union is awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor, then, in commemoration of his heroic and labor deeds, a bronze bust of the Hero with a corresponding inscription is erected, installed in his homeland, which is recorded in the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on conferring the title of Hero of Socialist Labor.

Heroes of the Soviet Union enjoy the benefits established by law.

The medal "Gold Star" of the Hero of the Soviet Union is worn on the left side of the chest above the orders and medals of the USSR.

Deprivation of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union can only be done by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

More than 11,600 soldiers, officers and generals of the Red Army, partisans and underground fighters were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for their heroic deeds committed during the Great Patriotic War.

The first three medals were awarded to military pilot Hero of the Soviet Union A.I. Pokryshkin.

There are many foreigners among those awarded the highest degree of distinction. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was given to four French pilots of the Normandie-Niemen regiment: Marcel Albert. Rolland de la Puap, Jacques André, Marcel Lefebvre. The title was posthumously awarded to Jan Nelspke, the commander of a partisan detachment consisting of Czechs and Slovaks.

Among the post-war Heroes of the Soviet Union were the pilots of the 64th Fighter Aviation Corps, who fought in North Korea against American and South Korean aces.

On June 8, 1960, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to the Spaniard Ramon Msrkader, who arrived in the USSR from Mexico after serving a 20-year sentence for the murder of Leon Trotsky, committed by him in 1940 on the orders of Stalin. A year later, Fidel Castro and Egyptian President Nasser became Heroes of the USSR.

For feats accomplished during the war years. the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to the defender of the Brest Fortress, Major P.M. Gavrilov, hero of the French Resistance Lieutenant Porik (posthumously), holder of the Italian medal of the Resistance Polezhaev (posthumously). Pilot Lieutenant Devyatayev in 1945 escaped from captivity by stealing a German bomber. Instead of a reward, he was sent to the camp as a "traitor". In 1957 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. In 1964, the scout Richard Sorge became a hero (posthumously). Under M.S. Gorbachev was awarded the title of Hero by the famous submariner Marinesko, undeservedly forgotten after the war. source

How many heroes were in the USSR during the Great Patriotic War

What dry statistics can tell about the number of those awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and full holders of the Order of Glory

Heroes of the Soviet Union of the 5th Army, awarded this title for battles in East Prussia. Photo: waralbum.ru

How many heroes of the Great Patriotic War were in the Soviet Union? It seemed like a strange question. In a country that survived the terrible tragedy of the 20th century, everyone who defended it with arms in hand at the front or at the bench and in the field in the rear was a hero. That is, each of its 170 million multinational people, who bore the brunt of the war on their shoulders.

But if we ignore the pathos and return to the specifics, then the question can be formulated differently. How was it noted in the USSR that a person is a hero? That's right, the title of "Hero of the Soviet Union." And 31 years after the war, another sign of heroism appeared: they equalized with the Heroes of the Soviet Union full cavaliers Order of Glory, that is, awarded all three degrees of this award. It turns out that the question "How many heroes of the Great Patriotic War were in the Soviet Union?" more precisely formulated as follows: "How many people in the USSR were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and became full holders of the Order of Glory for the exploits committed during the Great Patriotic War?".

You can get a very specific answer to such a question: a total of 14,411 people, of which 11,739 are Heroes of the Soviet Union and 2,672 are full holders of the Order of Glory.

The number of Heroes of the Soviet Union who received this title for exploits during the Great Patriotic War is 11,739. This title was awarded posthumously to 3,051 of them; 82 people were stripped of their titles in the future by a court decision. 107 heroes were awarded this title twice (seven posthumously), three - three times: Marshal Semyon Budyonny (all awards occurred after the war), Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Pokryshkin and Major Ivan Kozhedub. And only one - Marshal Georgy Zhukov - became four times Hero of the Soviet Union, and he earned one award even before the Great Patriotic War, and received it for the fourth time in 1956.

Among those awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War were representatives of all branches and types of troops in ranks from private to marshal. And each branch of the military - whether it be infantrymen, pilots or sailors - is proud of the first colleagues who received the highest honorary title.

Pilots

The first titles of Hero of the Soviet Union were awarded to pilots on July 8, 1941. And here, too, the pilots maintained the tradition: six pilots were the first Heroes of the Soviet Union in the history of this award - and three pilots were the first to be awarded this title during the Great Patriotic War!

On July 8, 1941, it was assigned to fighter pilots of the 158th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 41st Mixed Air Division of the Air Force of the 23rd Army of the Northern Front. Junior lieutenants Mikhail Zhukov, Stepan Zdorovtsev and Pyotr Kharitonov received awards for rams made in the first days of the war. Stepan Zdorovtsev died the day after the award, Mikhail Zhukov died in January 1943 in a fight with nine German fighters, and Pyotr Kharitonov, seriously wounded in 1941 and returned to duty only in 1944, ended the war with 14 destroyed enemy aircraft.

Foot soldiers

On July 22, 1941, the commander of the 1st Moscow Motorized Rifle Division of the 20th Army became the first Hero of the Soviet Union among infantrymen. Western front Colonel Yakov Kreizer. He was awarded for the successful containment of the Germans on the Berezina River and in the battles for Orsha. It is noteworthy that Colonel Kreizer was also the first among the Jewish soldiers who received the highest award during the war years.

Tankers

On July 22, 1941, three tankmen received the highest awards of the country at once - the tank commander of the 1st Tank Regiment of the 1st tank division Senior Sergeant Alexander Borisov of the 14th Army of the Northern Front, Squad Leader of the 163rd Reconnaissance Battalion of the 104th Infantry Division of the 14th Army of the Northern Front Junior Sergeant Alexander Gryaznov (he was awarded the title posthumously) and Deputy Commander of the Tank Battalion of the 115th Tank Regiment Captain Iosif Kaduchenko of the 57th Panzer Division of the 20th Army of the Western Front. Senior Sergeant Borisov, a week and a half after the award, died in the hospital from severe wounds. Captain Kaduchenko managed to be on the list of the dead, in October 1941 he was captured, unsuccessfully tried to escape three times and was released only in March 1945, after which he fought until the Victory.

sappers

Among the fighters and commanders of sapper units, on November 20, 1941, the assistant platoon commander of the 184th separate sapper battalion of the 7th Army of the Northern Front, Private Viktor Karandakov, became the first Hero of the Soviet Union. In the battle near Sortavala against the Finnish units, he repulsed three enemy attacks with fire from his machine gun, which actually saved the regiment from encirclement, the next day he led the counterattack of the squad instead of the wounded commander, and two days later he carried the wounded company commander out of the fire. In April 1942, a sapper who lost his arm in battle was demobilized.

Artillerymen

On August 2, 1941, the first artilleryman - Hero of the Soviet Union was the gunner of the "magpie" of the 680th Infantry Regiment of the 169th Infantry Division of the 18th Army of the Southern Front, Red Army soldier Yakov Kolchak. On July 13, 1941, in an hour of battle, he managed to hit four enemy tanks from his cannon! But about assignment high rank Yakov did not recognize: on July 23 he was wounded and taken prisoner. He was released in August 1944 in Moldova, and Kolchak reached victory as part of a penal company, where he fought first as a shooter, and then as a squad leader. And the former penalty box, on whose chest was already adorned with the Order of the Red Star and the medal "For Military Merit", received a high award only on March 25, 1947.

partisans

The first Heroes of the Soviet Union from among the partisans were the leaders of the Red October partisan detachment operating on the territory of Belarus: the commissar of the detachment Tikhon Bumazhkov and commander Fyodor Pavlovsky. The decree on their award was signed on August 6, 1941. Of the two heroes, only one survived to the Victory - Fedor Pavlovsky, and the commissar of the Red October detachment Tikhon Bumazhkov, who managed to receive his award in Moscow, died in December of the same year, leaving the German encirclement.

Marines

On August 13, 1941, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to the commander of the Marine Volunteer Detachment Northern Fleet Senior Sergeant Vasily Kislyakov. He received a high award for his actions in mid-July 1941, when he led a platoon instead of the killed commander and, first, together with his comrades, and then alone held an important height. By the end of the war, Captain Kislyakov had several landings on the Northern Front, participation in the Petsamo-Kirkenes, Budapest and Vienna offensive operations.

Politruks

The first decree on awarding the title of Hero of the Soviet Union to political workers of the Red Army was issued on August 15, 1941. This document awarded the highest award to the deputy political officer of the radio company of the 415th separate communications battalion of the 22nd Estonian Territorial rifle corps Northwestern Front Arnold Meri and Secretary of the Party Bureau of the 245th Howitzer Artillery Regiment of the 37th Infantry Division of the 19th Army of the Western Front Senior Political Officer Kirill Osipov. Meri was awarded for the fact that, twice wounded, he managed to stop the retreat of the battalion and led the defense of the corps headquarters. Osipov in July-August 1941 actually worked as a liaison command of the division fighting in the encirclement, and several times crossed the front line, delivering important information.

Medics

Among the army doctors who received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the first was the sanitary instructor of the 14th motorized rifle regiment of the 21st motorized rifle division of the NKVD troops of the Northern Front, Private Anatoly Kokorin. The high award was awarded to him on August 26, 1941 - posthumously. During the battle with the Finns, he was the last in the ranks and blew himself up with a grenade so as not to be captured.

border guards

Although the Soviet border guards were the first to take the enemy strike on June 22, 1941, the Heroes of the Soviet Union appeared among them only two months later. But six people at once: junior sergeant Ivan Buzytskov, lieutenant Kuzma Vetchinkin, senior lieutenant Nikita Kaimanov, senior lieutenant Alexander Konstantinov, junior sergeant Vasily Mikhalkov and lieutenant Anatoly Ryzhikov. Five of them served in Moldova, senior lieutenant Kaimanov - in Karelia. All six received awards for their heroic actions in the early days of the war - which, in general, is not surprising. And all six reached the end of the war and continued to serve after the Victory - in the same border troops.

Signalers

The first Hero of the Soviet Union among signalmen appeared on November 9, 1941 - he was the commander of the radio department of the 289th anti-tank regiment of the Western Front, junior sergeant Pyotr Stemasov. He was awarded for his feat on October 25 near Moscow - during the battle he replaced a wounded gunner and, together with the crew, knocked out nine enemy tanks, after which he led the soldiers out of the encirclement. And then he fought until the Victory, which he met as an officer.

cavalrymen

On the same day as the first signalman hero, the first cavalry hero appeared. On November 9, 1941, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was posthumously awarded to Major Boris Krotov, Commander of the 134th Cavalry Regiment of the 28th Cavalry Division of the Reserve Army of the Southern Front. He was awarded the highest award for his exploits during the defense of Dnepropetrovsk. How difficult those battles were can be imagined from one episode: the last feat of the regimental commander was to undermine an enemy tank that had broken through into the depths of defense.

Paratroopers

The Winged Infantry received its first Heroes of the Soviet Union on November 20, 1941. They were the commander of the reconnaissance company of the 212th airborne brigade of the 37th army Southwestern Front Sergeant Yakov Vatomov and shooter of the same brigade Nikolai Obukhov. Both received awards for heroic deeds in August-September 1941, when the paratroopers fought hard battles in eastern Ukraine.

Sailors

Later than all - only on January 17, 1942 - the first Hero of the Soviet Union appeared in the Soviet Navy. Posthumously, the highest award was awarded to the shooter of the 2nd volunteer detachment of sailors of the Northern Fleet, Red Navy sailor Ivan Sivko. Ivan accomplished his feat, which was so highly appreciated by the country, as part of the infamous landing in the bay of Bolshaya Zapadnaya Litsa. Covering the retreat of his colleagues, he, already fighting alone, destroyed 26 enemies, and then blew himself up with a grenade along with the Nazis who surrounded him.

Generals

On July 22, 1941, the commander of the 19th Panzer Division of the 22nd Mechanized Corps of the 5th Army of the Southwestern Front, Major General Kuzma Semenchenko, became the first general of the Red Army to be awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. His division took Active participation in the largest tank battle of the Great Patriotic War - the battle of Dubno - and after heavy fighting was surrounded, but the general was able to withdraw his subordinates across the front line. By mid-August 1941, only one tank remained in the division, and in early September it was disbanded. And General Semenchenko fought until the end of the war and in 1947 he retired in the same rank in which he began to fight.

VICTORY PARADE! June 24, 1945. Moscow. Red Square:

"The fight is not for glory..."

During the Great Patriotic War, there was the most honorable soldier's award - the Order of Glory. Both her ribbon and her statute were very reminiscent of another soldier's award - the insignia of the Order of St. George, "soldier Yegoriy", which was especially revered in the army Russian Empire. In total, over a year and a half of the war - from the moment of its establishment on November 8, 1943 until the Victory - and in the post-war period, more than a million people were awarded the Order of Glory. Of these, almost a million - the order of the third degree, over 46 thousand - the second, and 2672 people - the first degree, they became full holders of the order.

Of the 2672 full cavaliers of the Order of Glory, 16 people were subsequently deprived of their awards for various reasons by a court decision. Among the deprived was the only holder of five Orders of Glory - 3rd, three 2nd and 1st degrees. In addition, 72 people were presented to the four Orders of Glory, but, as a rule, did not receive an "excessive" award.

The first full cavaliers of the Order of Glory were the sapper of the 1134th Infantry Regiment of the 338th Infantry Division, Corporal Mitrofan Pitenin and the squad leader of the 110th Separate Reconnaissance Company of the 158th Infantry Division, Senior Sergeant Shevchenko. Corporal Pitenin was presented to the first order in November 1943 for battles in Belarus, to the second - in April 1944, and the third - in July of the same year. But he did not manage to receive the last award: on August 3 he died in battle. And senior sergeant Shevchenko received all three orders in 1944: in February, April and July. He ended the war in 1945 with the rank of foreman and was soon demobilized, returning home not only with three Orders of Glory on his chest, but also with the Orders of the Red Star and the Order of the Patriotic War of both degrees.

And there were four people who received both signs of the highest recognition of military heroism - both the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and the title of full cavalier of the Order of Glory. The first is senior pilot of the 140th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment of the 8th Guards Assault Aviation Division of the 1st Assault Aviation Corps of the 5th Air Army of the Guards Senior Lieutenant Ivan Drachenko. He received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union in 1944, and became a full holder of the Order of Glory after being re-awarded (double awarding the Order of the 2nd degree) in 1968.

The second is the gun commander of the 369th separate anti-tank artillery battalion of the 263rd rifle division of the 43rd army of the 3rd Belorussian Front, foreman Nikolai Kuznetsov. In April 1945, he received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and after being re-awarded in 1980 (double awarding the Order of the 2nd degree), he became a full holder of the Order of Glory.

The third was the commander of the gun crew of the 175th Guards Artillery and Mortar Regiment of the 4th Guards Cavalry Division of the 2nd Guards Cavalry Corps of the 1st Belorussian Front, Senior Sergeant Andrei Aleshin. He became a Hero of the Soviet Union at the end of May 1945, and a full holder of the Order of Glory after being re-awarded (double awarding the Order of the 3rd degree) in 1955.

Finally, the fourth is foreman of the company of the 293rd Guards Rifle Regiment of the 96th Guards Rifle Division of the 28th Army of the 3rd Belorussian Front of the Guards, Petty Officer Pavel Dubinda. He has, perhaps, the most unusual fate of all four heroes. A sailor, he served on the cruiser "Chervona Ukraine" on the Black Sea, after the death of the ship - in the marines, defended Sevastopol. Here he was taken prisoner, from which he escaped and in March 1944 was again enrolled in the army, but already in the infantry. He became a full holder of the Order of Glory by March 1945, and in June of the same year he received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. By the way, among his awards was a rare Order of Bohdan Khmelnitsky 3rd degree - a kind of "soldier" military order.

The Soviet Union was indeed a multinational country: in the data of the last pre-war census of 1939, 95 nationalities appear, not counting the column "others" (other peoples of the North, other peoples of Dagestan). Naturally, among the Heroes of the Soviet Union and the full holders of the Order of Glory were representatives of almost all Soviet nationalities. Among the first - 67 nationalities, among the second (according to obviously incomplete data) - 39 nationalities.

The number of heroes marked with the highest ranks among one or another nationality generally corresponds to the ratio of the number of fellow tribesmen to the total number of the pre-war USSR. So, the leaders in all lists were and remain Russians, followed by Ukrainians and Belarusians. But then the situation is different. For example, in the top ten awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians are followed (in order) by Tatars, Jews, Kazakhs, Armenians, Georgians, Uzbeks and Mordovians. And in the top ten full cavaliers of the Order of Glory, after Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians, there are (also in order) Tatars, Kazakhs, Armenians, Mordovians, Uzbeks, Chuvashs and Jews.

But judging by these statistics which people were more heroic and which were less, is meaningless. Firstly, many nationalities of the heroes were accidentally or even deliberately indicated incorrectly or were absent (for example, the nationality was often hidden by the Germans and Jews, and the “Crimean Tatar” option was simply not in the 1939 census documents). And secondly, even today far from all the documents relating to the awarding of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War have been brought together and taken into account. This colossal topic is still waiting for its researcher, who will surely confirm that heroism is a property of each individual person, and not of this or that people.

The national composition of the Heroes of the Soviet Union who received this title for their exploits during the Great Patriotic War *

Russians - 7998 (including 70 - twice, 2 - three times and 1 - four times)

Ukrainians - 2019 (including 28 - twice),

Belarusians - 274 (including 4 - twice),

Tatars - 161

Jews - 128 (including 1 - twice)

Kazakhs - 98 (including 1 - twice)

Armenians - 91 (including 2 - twice)

Georgians - 90

Uzbeks - 67

Mordva - 66

Chuvash - 47

Azerbaijanis - 41 (including 1 - twice)

Bashkirs - 40 (including 1 - twice)

Ossetians - 34 (including 1 - twice)

Mari - 18

Turkmen - 16

Lithuanians - 15

Tajiks - 15

Latvians - 12

Kyrgyz - 12

Karely - 11 (including 1 - twice)

Komi - 10

Udmurts - 11

Estonians - 11

Avars - 9

Poles - 9

Buryats and Mongols - 8

Kalmyks - 8

Kabardians - 8

Adygs - 7

Greeks - 7

Germans - 7

Komi - 6

Crimean Tatars - 6 (including 1 - twice)

Chechens - 6

Yakuts - 6

Moldovans - 5

Abkhazians - 4

Laks - 4

Lezgins - 4

French - 4

Czechs - 4

Karachays - 3

Tuvans - 3

Circassians - 3

Balkars -2

Bulgarians - 2

Dargins - 2

Kumyks - 2

Finns - 2

Khakas - 2

Abaza - 1

Adzharians - 1

Altai - 1

Assyrian - 1

Veps - 1

Spaniard - 1

Chinese (Dungan) - 1

Korean - 1

Kurd - 1

Svan - 1

Slovak - 1

Tuvan - 1

Tsakhur - 1

Gypsy - 1

Shorets - 1

Evenk - 1

The national composition of the full cavaliers of the Order of Glory, who received this title for their exploits during the Great Patriotic War**

Russians - 1276

Ukrainians - 285

Belarusians - 62

Tatars - 48

Kazakhs - 30

Armenians - 19

Mordva - 16

Uzbeks - 12

Chuvash - 11

Jews - 9

Azerbaijanis - 8

Bashkirs - 7

Kyrgyz - 7

Udmurts - 6

Turkmen - 5

Buryats - 4

Georgians - 4

Komi - 4

Mari - 3

Poles - 3

Adygs - 2

Karely - 2

Latvians - 2

Moldovans - 2

Ossetians - 2

Tajiks - 2

Khakas - 2

Abaza - 1

Greek - 1

Kabardian - 1

Kalmyk - 1

Chinese - 1

Crimean Tatar - 1

Kumyk - 1

Lithuanian -1

Romanian - 1

Meskhetian Turk - 1

Chechen - 1

Yakut - 1

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"To establish the highest degree of distinction - the award for personal or collective services to the state associated with the accomplishment of a heroic deed, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union."

In April 1934, 85 years ago, the Decree of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR established the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. It was awarded for special merits or feats before the country and people. Until now, there are those among us who, not sparing their lives, defended the right of our great country to existence, defended it and performed a feat. And as long as we have the opportunity to talk with living heroes or talk about them, we should cherish this and use this opportunity.

The first heroes of the USSR - polar pilots

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org

A special resolution of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, and since 1937 - a resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, established special rules for awarding and conferring the honorary status of Hero of the Soviet Union. It is interesting that initially there were no insignia that are familiar to us now, that is, such as the Golden Star or, were not provided. The recipient was given only certificate of honor from the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, which contained a description of the feat and the name of the hero.

Nevertheless, with the very first award, a year before the official introduction of the title, an interesting incident occurred. All seven famous pilots who participated in the rescue of the crew of the Chelyuskin ship received the Order of Lenin. Especially for them, the provision on awarding was approved, according to which it was supposed to issue the Order of Lenin to all awarded the title of Hero. Moreover, they became Heroes back in 1934, when there was no official position and resolution. Pilots A. Lyapidevsky, M. Vodopyanov, V. Molokov, I. Doronin, M. Slepnev, N. Kamanin and S. Levanevsky became not only the first Heroes of the Soviet Union, they became truly folk heroes. Thousands of young men and women, following their example, went to flying clubs and aircraft manufacturing to help the country conquer such an inaccessible sky.

The first female heroes. Source: https://www.pnp.ru

Participants in the Spanish Civil War were awarded next. The USSR then actively helped the Republicans, and 60 people were awarded awards. Among them appeared the first foreign soldiers who fought in the ranks of the Soviet units - the Italian Primo Gibelli and the Bulgarian Volkan Goranov.

There were also conflicts on the eastern borders of the USSR. The Japanese militarists tested the power of our country and tasted the Soviet bayonet on and. As a result of these battles, the Japanese were defeated, and the number of Heroes of the USSR increased by 70 people, and the first twice Heroes appeared. However, despite this, the Golden Star that we all know has not yet appeared.

Birth of a Star

On August 1, literally a month before the start of the armed Japanese provocation on the Khalkhin Gol River in September 1939, a special distinguishing sign for the Heroes of the Soviet Union was introduced by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR - the Gold Star medal. A resolution of August 16, 1939 approved her appearance. The first awards with new medals were made after the end of the conflict with the Japanese on the Khalkhin Gol River. Then 421 soldiers of the Red Army received the Star for distinction during the Soviet-Finnish War.

Order of Lenin and Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union. Source: https://www.pinterest.ru

The medal is a gold five-pointed star with smooth dihedral rays on the front side. With the help of an eyelet and a ring, a golden star is connected to a gilded rectangular plate, which is covered with a red moiré ribbon. The plate has on the reverse side a threaded pin with a nut for attaching to clothing. On the reverse side of the medal there is an inscription "Hero of the USSR". All those heroes who received their honorary titles before the star was introduced received it, and those who did not have the Order of Lenin received it. Since that moment, a stable and unchanging tradition of honorary presentation of the highest award has appeared in our country. The star could be awarded several times, but the Order of Lenin was issued only at the first award. During subsequent awards, the numbers on the reverse side of the medal were not in a row, but corresponded to the serial numbers of the stars being produced. When the award was repeated in the homeland of the hero, a bronze bust was installed. And since 1967, the government of the USSR has established special benefits in everyday life for the awarded. Of course, most of the awards fall on the period of the Great Patriotic War.

Heroes of the Fatherland

Heroes are victorious. Source: https://pinterest.com

By the beginning, 626 people were listed as Heroes of the Soviet Union, among them were three women - Marina Raskova, Valentina Grizodubova and Polina Osipenko. Five people became Heroes twice. When the enemy attacked our homeland, all the people rose to its defense. The exploits of such heroes as Gastello, Maresyev, Matrosov are on everyone's lips ... Pilots, tankers, artillerymen, sappers and sailors - perhaps there was not a single branch of the army that would not have distinguished itself with a whole galaxy of its heroes. Numerous civilians and partisans have also received this high award. No wonder the period of the war accounts for 91% of all awards with the title of Hero in the entire history of the award. A total of 11,657 people received the medal during the war years, over 3,000 of them posthumously. Over 100 of them were awarded this title twice, and Georgy Zhukov, Ivan Kozhedub and Alexander Pokryshkin - three times.

44 people from the armies allied to us, including 4 French pilots, also became heroes. The 167th twice Red Banner Rifle Division distinguished itself. In its ranks, there were the most awarded the honorary title of hero - 108 people.

Astronaut heroes.

Medal "Gold Star"

A country	USSR
Type	medal
Date of establishment	August 1, 1939
First award	November 4, 1939
Last award	December 24, 1991
Awards	12776
Status	not awarded
To whom is awarded	persons awarded the title "Hero of the Soviet Union"
Who is awarded	Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR
Grounds for awarding	for personal or collective services to the Soviet state and society associated with the accomplishment of a heroic deed
Options	weight without block 21.5 g, total 34.264 ± 1.5 g.

Medal "Gold Star"- State award of the USSR. Established in 1939 as a distinctive sign for citizens who were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

History of the award

Initially, the USSR abandoned the medals and orders of the tsarist era and introduced new awards. One of them was the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, adopted by the Decree of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR of April 16, 1934, which was awarded for personal or collective services to the state associated with the accomplishment of a heroic deed. Initially, the Heroes of the Soviet Union were awarded a diploma from the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, but three years later, when there were already 122 of them, it was decided to create a distinctive sign. On August 1, 1939, a decree was adopted by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR establishing the medal "Hero of the Soviet Union", which, in accordance with the changes of October 16, 1939 in Articles 2-4 of the Decree of August 1, it became known as the Gold Star medal. Initially, the inscription on the front side was "Hero of the SS", which evoked associations with the Nazi "SS" detachments and was replaced by "Hero of the USSR.

All those who before October 16, 1939 were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union were awarded a new medal.

Award Statute

Reasons for the award

The Gold Star medal is awarded to Heroes of the Soviet Union.

“The title of Hero of the Soviet Union (GSS) is the highest degree of distinction and is awarded for personal or collective services to the Soviet state and society associated with the accomplishment of a heroic deed. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union is awarded by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. From the Regulations on the title of Hero of the Soviet Union:

The medal can be awarded to foreign citizens in accordance with the provision of conferring the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The medal may be awarded posthumously.

The medal "Gold Star", for the heroic actions of the defenders and residents during the Great Patriotic War, was awarded to 13 hero cities.

Wearing order

The medal is connected by means of an eyelet and a link to a rectangular gilded silver block covered with a red silk moire ribbon. On the reverse side of the block there was a pin with a nut, which was intended for attaching the medal to uniforms and other clothing. The Gold Star medal is supposed to be worn on the left side of the chest above the orders and medals of the USSR.

Place in the hierarchy of awards

Medal "Gold Star" and the title of Hero of the Soviet Union - the highest degree of distinction Soviet period, the most honorary title and award.

Description of the award

Many sketches were present at the competition for designing a new medal, most of which contained portraits of Lenin and Stalin, as well as symbols of the country, the Red Banner, the Red Star, etc. Best works made in metal, and presented to Stalin for evaluation, he immediately pointed to the Golden Star.

Appearance

The author of the sketch of the new medal was the artist I.I. Dubasov. The medal is a five-pointed star with smooth dihedral rays located on the front side. The distance from the center of the star to the tops of the beam is 15 mm. The distance between opposite ends of the star is 30 mm. The reverse side of the award is smooth and limited along the contour by a small protruding rim. In the center on the reverse side there is an inscription in raised letters "Hero of the USSR" (letters 4 by 2 mm), in the upper beam is the serial number of the issued medal, the height of the number is 1 mm.

There are several options for making the Gold Star medal:

1. With a rectangular block measuring 15×25 mm without an intermediate link. The medal was attached to the block through rigid connecting rings (lugs). Awarded until October 1943.
2. With a rectangular block measuring 15 × 19.5 mm and an intermediate connecting link (ringlet).
3. Roman numeral II and number on the reverse. For awarding twice Heroes of the Soviet Union.
4. Roman numeral III and number on the reverse. For awarding three times Heroes of the Soviet Union.
5. Roman numeral IV and number on the reverse. For awarding four times Heroes of the Soviet Union.

Manufacturing materials

The Gold Star medal was made of 950 pure gold. The block of the medal was made of silver. The total weight of the medal for September 1975 was 34.264 ± 1.5 g. The gold content in the award was 20.521 ± 0.903 g, the silver content was 12.186 ± 0.927 g.

Award examples

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was first awarded on April 20, 1934 for saving the polar expedition and the crew of the Chelyuskin icebreaker. Soviet pilots Vodopyanov M.V., Doronin I.V., Kamanin N.P., Levanevsky S.A., Lyapidevsky A.V., Molokov V.S. and Slepnev M.T. those who performed flights to evacuate people from the ice floe were the first to be awarded this title. Diploma No. 1 was awarded to Lyapidevsky A.V. and after the introduction of the medal, he was awarded the "Gold Star" at No. 1. Starting from December 1936, when conferring the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the Gold Star medal was also immediately awarded. For the first time for military exploits, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and the Gold Star medal were awarded to eleven commanders of the Red Army participating in the Spanish Civil War. Among them were the first foreigners awarded this medal - Italian Primo Gibelli, German Ernst Schacht and Bulgarian Zahari Zahariev. Three of the eleven "Spanish" Heroes were awarded posthumously for the first time in the USSR.

By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of October 25, 1938, the first mass conferment of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union took place: it was awarded to 26 participants in the battles with Japanese troops that invaded the territory of the USSR in the area of ​​Lake Khasan. For the first time, ordinary Red Army soldiers (four out of twenty-six) became Heroes.

For the first time, women were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union by decree of November 2, 1938. Pilots Grizodubova V.S., Osipenko P.D. and Raskov M.M. were awarded for a non-stop flight from Moscow to the Far East. Subsequently, before the start of the Great Patriotic War, the number of Heroes of the Soviet Union increased significantly after the Soviet-Finnish war and amounted to 626 people in January 1941.

The largest number of people who received this award fell on the period 1941-1945. about 91% of the total number of awardees. For the feats accomplished during the Great Patriotic War, 11 thousand 657 people were awarded the high title (3051 of them posthumously), including 107 twice (7 of them posthumously). Among the Heroes of the Soviet Union, participants in the Great Patriotic War - 90 women (49 of them posthumously).

During the Great Patriotic War, the title of HERO OF THE SOVIET UNION was first awarded to fighter pilots, junior lieutenants M.P. Zhukov, S.I. Zdorovtsev. and Kharitonov P.T., who distinguished themselves in air battles with enemy bombers rushing towards Leningrad. On June 27, these pilots on their I-16 fighters used ramming strikes against enemy Ju-88 bombers. The title of HERO OF THE SOVIET UNION was awarded to them by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of July 8, 1941. The first Hero of the Soviet Union in the ground forces was the commander of the 1st Moscow Motorized Rifle Division, Colonel Kreizer Ya.G. (Decree of July 15, 1941) for organizing defense along the Berezina River.

IN Navy The title of Hero was first awarded to a sailor of the Northern Fleet, squad leader Senior Sergeant V.P. Kislyakov, who distinguished himself during the landing in Motovsky Bay in the Arctic in July 1941. The title of HERO OF THE SOVIET UNION was awarded to him by the Decree of the PVS of the USSR of 14 (according to other sources 13) August 1941.

Among the border guards, the first Heroes were the fighters who entered the battle on the Prut River on June 22, 1941: Lieutenant Konstantinov A.K., Sergeant Buzytskov I.D., Junior Sergeant Mikhalkov V.F. They were awarded the title of HERO OF THE SOVIET UNION by Decree of August 26, 1941.

The first Hero-partisan was the Belarusian secretary of the district committee of the party Bumazhkov T.P. - commander and commissar of the partisan detachment "Red October" (Decree of the USSR PVS of August 6, 1941).

By decree of February 16, 1942, the 18-year-old partisan Zoya Anatolyevna Kosmodemyanskaya was awarded the highest degree of distinction of the USSR (posthumously). She became the first of 87 women - Heroes of the Soviet Union during the war years.

By decree of July 21, 1942, all 28 heroes - “Panfilovites”, participants in the defense of Moscow, became Heroes. In total, according to the results of the battle near Moscow, more than 100 people became Heroes.

In 1943, the participants of the Battle of Stalingrad became the first Heroes.

In 1943, 9 people were awarded the title twice Hero. Of these, 8 were pilots: 5 from fighter, 2 from attack and 1 from bomber aircraft and were awarded one Decree of August 24, 1943. Of these eight pilots, two received the first "Gold Star" in 1942, and six received both "Gold Stars" ” for several months in 1943. Among these six was Pokryshkin A.I., who a year later became the first three times Hero of the Soviet Union in history.

In 1944, the number of Heroes of the Soviet Union increased by more than 3 thousand people, mostly infantrymen.

In the history of the Great Patriotic War, there were unique cases when the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to the entire personnel of the unit.

Among those who received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for feats of arms during the war years were representatives of different peoples of the multinational Soviet Union: Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Tatars, Jews, Azerbaijanis, Kazakhs, Georgians, Armenians, Greeks, Uzbeks, Mordvins, Dagestanis, Chuvashs, Bashkirs, Ossetians, Mari, Assyrians, Turkmens, Lithuanians, Tajiks, Latvians, Kirghiz, Udmurts, Karelians, Estonians, Meskhetian Turks, Kalmyks, Buryats, Kabardians, Laks, Kumyks, Adyghes, Crimean Tatars, Abkhazians, Yakuts, Moldavians, Tuvans. During the war, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to 14 soldiers of the allied armies, mainly Polish and Czechoslovak military personnel, as well as 4 pilots of the French Normandie-Niemen air regiment.

During the fighting in Afghanistan, 85 internationalist soldiers became Heroes of the Soviet Union, 28 of them were awarded this high title posthumously. In total, during the existence of the USSR, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to 12,776 people (excluding 72 deprived of the title for discrediting acts and 13 canceled Decrees as unfounded), including twice - 154 (9 posthumously), three times - 3 and four times - 2. IN total number Heroes of the Soviet Union 95 women. Among the Heroes of the Soviet Union, 44 people are citizens of foreign countries. The titles of the Hero of the Soviet Union for one reason or another (mostly for crimes) were deprived of 72 people.

The last person to be awarded the Gold Star medal of the Hero of the Soviet Union (for participation in a diving experiment simulating long-term work at a depth of 500 meters under water) was on December 24, 1991, junior researcher - diving specialist, captain of the 3rd rank Leonid Mikhailovich Solodkov. Upon receiving the "Gold Star" of the Hero, he, as an officer, according to the charter, was supposed to answer: "I serve the Soviet Union!" However, at the time of the award (January 16, 1992), the USSR had not existed for 22 days. The charter had not yet been rewritten, and Solodkov considered it inappropriate to mention the USSR, so he only said to Air Marshal E. I. Shaposhnikov, who presented him with the award: “Thank you.” After the collapse of the USSR, the title "Hero of the Soviet Union" was abolished. Instead, on March 20, 1992, the title "Hero of Russian Federation”, also awarded for outstanding feats. Legally, the Heroes of the Soviet Union have the same rights as the Heroes of Russia.

Multiple awards

• military pilot major Gritsevets S. I. (02/22/1939 and 08/29/1939)
• military pilot Colonel Kravchenko G.P. (02/22/1939 and 08/29/1939)
• military pilot of the Guard Lieutenant Colonel Safonov B. F. (09/16/1941 and 06/14/1942)

In total, 154 people were awarded the title twice Hero of the Soviet Union.

• Air Marshal A. I. Pokryshkin (05/24/1943, 08/24/1943, 08/19/1944)
• Air Marshal I. N. Kozhedub (02/04/1944, 08/19/1944, 08/18/1945)
• Marshal of the Soviet Union Budyonny S. M. (02/01/1958, 04/24/1963, 02/22/1968)

• Marshal of the Soviet Union Zhukov G.K. (08/29/1939, 07/29/1944, 06/01/1945, 12/01/1956)
• Marshal of the Soviet Union Leonid Brezhnev (12/18/1966, 12/18/1976, 12/19/1978, 12/18/1981)

see also

Literature and sources of information

S. Shishkov "Awards of the USSR 1918-1991"

Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Brief Biographical Dictionary / Prev. ed. Collegium I. N. Shkadov. - M .: Military Publishing House, 1987. - T. 1 / Abaev - Lyubichev /. - 911 p. - 100,000 copies. - ISBN out., Reg. No. in RCP 87-95382.

Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Brief Biographical Dictionary / Prev. ed. Collegium I. N. Shkadov. - M.: Military Publishing, 1988. - T. 2 / Lyubov - Yashchuk /. - 863 p. - 100,000 copies. - ISBN 5-203-00536-2.

Links to Internet resources

• - Military orders and medals of the Soviet Union. Medal "Gold Star"

Image Gallery

The Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded:
- the highest award of the USSR - the Order of Lenin;
- badge of special distinction - the medal "Gold Star";
- Diploma of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

In honor of the Hero of the Soviet Union, who was awarded the 2nd Gold Star medal, a bronze bust of the Hero with a corresponding inscription was erected, which was installed in his homeland.

The medal "Gold Star" of the Hero of the Soviet Union was worn on the left side of the chest over the USSR. The Gold Star medal is a five-pointed star with smooth dihedral rays on the front side. The reverse side of the medal has a smooth surface and is limited in silhouette by a protruding narrow rim. On the reverse side, in the center of the medal, there is an inscription in raised letters "Hero of the USSR".

This USSR medal is made of 950 gold. The medallion is made of silver. As of September 18, 1975, the gold content in the medal is 20.521 ± 0.903 grams, the silver content is 12.186 ± 0.927 grams. The weight of the medal in the absence of a block is 21.5 grams. The total weight of the medal is 34.264± 1.5 g.

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was established by the Decree of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR of April 16, 1934. The resolution established that "Heroes of the Soviet Union are issued a distinctive diploma." Other attributes and insignia were not introduced to the Heroes of the Soviet Union at that time.

The regulation on the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was established on July 29, 1936. It introduced the procedure for awarding the Heroes of the Soviet Union, in addition to the diploma of the Central Executive Committee, also the Order of Lenin - the highest award of the USSR. Received it retroactively and those to whom the title of Hero was awarded before the release of this Decree, there were 11 of them. From this stage, all Heroes of the Soviet Union received almost until the collapse of the USSR in 1991.

On August 1, 1939, the medal "Hero of the Soviet Union" was established, which is awarded simultaneously with the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin. The issuance of the “Gold Star” medals was carried out similarly to those persons who were awarded the title before the establishment of this medal.

On July 21, 1942, all the fighters of the tank destroyer unit from the 1075th regiment of the 316th rifle division under Major General Panfilov became Heroes. 27 soldiers, led by political instructor Klochkov, at the cost of their lives stopped the advanced tank units of the Germans at the Dubosekovo junction, rushing to the Volokolamsk highway. All of them were awarded the title posthumously, but then five of them were alive and received the Golden Stars.

On May 18, 1943, all soldiers of the platoon of Lieutenant Shironin P.N. were awarded the title of GSS. from the 78th Guards Rifle Regiment of the 25th Guards Rifle Division, General Shafarenko P.M. From March 2, 1943, for five days, the platoon, reinforced by a 45-mm gun, defended the railway crossing near the village of Taranovka, south of Kharkov, and repeated the feat of the Panfilovites. The enemy lost 11 armored vehicles and up to a hundred soldiers. When other units came to the rescue of the "Shironintsy", only six heroes survived, including the seriously wounded commander. All 25 platoon fighters were awarded the title of GSS.

On April 2, 1945, the last for the Great Patriotic War, the assignment of the title of the GSS to all personnel of one unit took place. On March 28, 1944, during the liberation of the city of Nikolaev, a heroic feat was performed by 67 soldiers of the landing detachment (55 sailors and 12 soldiers), led by Senior Lieutenant Olshansky K.F. and his deputy for political affairs, Captain Golovlev A.F. The landing force was landed in the port of Nikolaev to facilitate the capture of the city by the advancing units. Against the paratroopers, the Germans threw 3 infantry battalions with the support of 4 tanks and artillery. Before the approach of the main forces, 55 out of 67 people died, but the paratroopers managed to destroy about 700 Nazis, 2 tanks and 4 guns. All the dead and surviving paratroopers were awarded the title of GSS. In addition to the paratroopers, the conductor also fought in the detachment, but the title of Hero was awarded to him only after 20 years.

Former Chief of Operations General Staff Soviet army Marshal Shtemenko cites the following data: for exploits during the Great Patriotic War, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (as of September 1, 1948) was awarded to 11,603 people, 98 people were awarded this honor twice, and three times.

GSS Guard Captain Nedorubov K.I. (1889-1978) - squadron commander militia 41st Guards Cavalry Regiment of the 11th Guards Cavalry Division of the 5th Guards Cavalry Corps of the North Caucasian Front. Member of the 1st World and civil war. Full St. George Cavalier. He wore the Golden Star of the Hero along with the St. George Crosses.

Of all those awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War and the war with Japan, the most a large number of were soldiers of the ground forces - over 8 thousand (1800 artillerymen, 1142 tankmen, 650 sappers, more than 290 signalmen and 52 rear soldiers). the third "Gold Star", and a number of pilots the second "Gold Star", but none of them received awards because of the brawl they arranged in a Moscow restaurant on the eve of receiving awards. These decrees have been annulled.
The number of Heroes of the Air Force soldiers is about 2400 people.
In the Navy, 513 people received the title of Hero (including naval pilots and marines who fought on the coast).
From among the border guards, fighters of internal troops and security forces - over 150 Heroes of the Soviet Union.
The titles of the GSS were awarded to 234 partisans.
There are more than 90 representatives of the weaker sex among the Heroes of the Soviet Union. More than half of them were awarded the title of GSS posthumously.
Of all the Heroes of the Soviet Union, 35% were privates and sergeants (soldiers, sailors, sergeants and foremen), 61% were officers and 3.3% (380 people) were generals, admirals and marshals.
By national composition the bulk of the Heroes were Russians - 7998 people; Ukrainians - 2021 people, Belarusians - 299, Tatars - 161, Jews - 107, Kazakhs - 96, Georgians - 90, Armenians - 89, Uzbeks - 67, Mordvins - 63, Chuvashs - 45, Azerbaijanis - 43, Bashkirs - 38, Ossetians - 31, Mari - 18, Turkmen - 16, Lithuanians - 15, Tajiks - 15, Latvians - 12, Kyrgyz - 12, Komi - 10, Udmurts - 10, Estonians -9, Karelians - 8, Kalmyks - 8, Kabardians - 6 , Adyghes - 6, Abkhazians - 4, Yakuts - 2, Moldavians - 2, Tuvinian - 1, etc.

Medal Gold Star Hero of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics established as a distinctive sign for citizens awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Description of the medal Gold Star of the Hero of the USSR

Dimensions Star - 30 mm. Weight - 34.2 g.
materials gold - 20.5 g, silver - 12.2 g.
Artist Dubasov Ivan Ivanovich
To whom is awarded Citizens who were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
Grounds for awarding Citizens who have reached the highest degree of distinction - the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

The price of the Gold Star medal

To date, prices for the Gold Star medal start at 270,000 rubles.
Price updated as of 03/27/2020

Awarded with the medal "Gold Star" of the Hero of the USSR

The award was established on August 1, 1939, changes to the description of the medal were made on October 16, 1939 and June 19, 1943. First award Medal "Gold Star" Hero of the Soviet Union took place on November 4, 1939. medal number 1 was received by the hero of the Soviet Union Anatoly Vasilyevich Lyapidevsky, who was awarded this title back in 1934 for successful actions during the operation to rescue the Chelyuskinites. In history, there are multiple cavaliers of the hero's star, three times this award was awarded to: Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny; Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub and Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin, four times Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, and later Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev. During the Second World War, 11,144 citizens were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and, accordingly, the gold star.

Medal Gold Star of the Hero of the USSR in the award system of the USSR

senior award

junior award

Description of other awards of the Second World War of the USSR: The Medal For Courage of the USSR is the highest medal in the award system of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Medal for the Defense of the Caucasus for rewarding Red Army soldiers and civilians who took part in the defense of the Caucasus.

Gold Star Hero medal of the USSR

The appearance of this award is directly related to the appearance of the highest degree of distinction for accomplishing a heroic deed - the Hero of the Soviet Union. Initially, along with the title of Hero of the USSR, the Order of Lenin was awarded. Later, the question arose of how to distinguish heroes from other order bearers, because the Order of Lenin could be received for various merits. As a result, this award was established as a distinctive sign for citizens who were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

The competition was attended by many sketches, most of them contained portraits of Lenin and Stalin, as well as symbols of the country, the Red Banner, the Red Star, etc. the best of them were selected and made in metal, and presented to Stalin for evaluation, the leader of the USSR immediately pointed to the Golden Star. Initially, the medal was called that and contained the inscription "Hero of the SS", but in October 1939 it was renamed and received its official name. Medal "Gold Star" Hero of the Soviet Union, also in order not to evoke associations with the Nazi "SS" detachments, the inscription was changed to "Hero of the USSR".