The emergence of the highest degree of distinction of the USSR is directly related to the rescue of passengers and crew members of the Chelyuskin steamship.
Considering that to evacuate the people on the lost ship, Soviet pilots carried out an operation that had no analogues in world history, the Soviet government began to think about the need to especially note this feat.
On April 16, 1934, the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, by a special resolution, established “the highest degree of distinction - the awarding of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for personal or collective services to the state associated with the commission of the Soviet Union.”
It should be especially noted that no insignia was initially intended for the Heroes of the Soviet Union. The conferment of the title was celebrated exclusively by the presentation of a special diploma from the Central Executive Committee of the USSR.
The first award of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union took place on April 20, 1934, when it was awarded to the pilots who participated in the rescue of the Chelyuskinites: Anatoly Lyapidevsky, Sigismund Levanevsky, Vasily Molokov, Nikolay Kamanin, Mauritius Slepnev, Mikhail Vodopyanov And Ivan Doronin.
Pilots in the USSR in the 1930s were held in special esteem. It is no wonder that the first 11 Heroes of the Soviet Union represented aviation.
Initially, Heroes of the Soviet Union received only a certificate. Photo: Public Domain
Order and medal
The tradition, along with conferring the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, to present the Order of Lenin practically developed by itself. The fact is that the first 11 Heroes, along with the title, also received an order, which was the highest award of the USSR.
In July 1936, this practice was legalized by a decision of the USSR Central Executive Committee - from now on, the Hero of the Soviet Union, along with a diploma, automatically received the Order of Lenin.
The number of Heroes grew - along with the “Stalinist falcons”, military men who fought in Spain, as well as participants in the battles on Lake Khasan, were honored.
The more Heroes there were, the more the need grew for the appearance of some kind of distinctive sign by which anyone could recognize an outstanding person.
This is how the “Gold Star” medal appeared, the author of which was architect Miron Merzhanov. The Golden Star medal as an insignia of Heroes of the Soviet Union was approved on August 1, 1939, and the first Heroes to receive both the Golden Star and the Order of Lenin were participants in the battles near the Khalkhin Gol River.
Medal "Gold Star". Photo: Public Domain
Zhukov, Brezhnev and Savitskaya
In total, from 1934 to 1991, 12,776 people received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and the vast majority of awards were awarded to those who distinguished themselves in the battles of the Great Patriotic War: more than 91 percent of all those awarded.
The absolute record holders for “heroism” are Georgy Zhukov And Leonid Brezhnev. Both the outstanding commander and the Secretary General are four times Heroes of the Soviet Union. At the same time, Brezhnev also has the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. However, Brezhnev’s awards were always treated with a fair amount of humor. Suffice it to say that three titles of Hero of the Soviet Union were awarded to Brezhnev in the period from 1976 to 1981, when the country's leader was rapidly losing his ability to work and his ability to think critically about the surrounding reality.
Oddly enough, despite the heroism of Soviet women, only one of them was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union twice. However, we are talking about a more than worthy person - an astronaut pilot Svetlana Savitskaya, the first woman to walk into outer space.
Pilot-cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya. Photo: www.russianlook.com
Just thank you"
The very last Hero of the Soviet Union was an extremely unusual person - diving specialist, captain 3rd rank Leonid Solodkov. The decree conferring the title for participation in a diving experiment simulating long-term work at a depth of 500 meters under water was signed on December 24, 1991.
The newly-minted Hero was invited to the Kremlin on January 16, 1992 to receive the award. The situation was extremely strange - the state of which Leonid Solodkov became the Hero had not existed for more than three weeks by this time. But the most interesting thing is that, according to the military regulations, Solodkov, as an officer, had to say “I serve the Soviet Union!”
It is impossible to quickly change the Charter, and Solodkov decided to act on his own. After Marshal Shaposhnikov presented the Hero with an award, he simply replied: “Thank you!” With this “Thank you,” the story of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union ended, three years before his 60th birthday.
Many at that moment believed that there would be no more Heroes in our country. They say that nowhere except the USSR and the countries of the socialist bloc has such a system of distinction been practiced, despite the fact that it exists in almost all countries of the world.
Tradition is stronger than ideology
However, tradition turned out to be stronger than ideological changes in society. Already on March 20, 1992, the Supreme Council of Russia approved the establishment of the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.
The fundamental difference between the title of Hero of Russia and its Soviet predecessor is that it is awarded only once.
At the same time, the continuity of the two highest degrees of distinction is confirmed by the fact that four Heroes of the Soviet Union simultaneously became Heroes of the Russian Federation - this astronauts Sergey Krikalev And Valery Polyakov, polar scientist Arthur Chilingarov And military pilot Nikolay Maidanov.
Among the Heroes of the Soviet Union were representatives of many nationalities of a large country - Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Tatars, Jews, Azerbaijanis, Chechens, Yakuts and many others.
It is no wonder that in many republics of the former USSR that became independent states, a similar title was established. Including Russia, it exists in 11 of the 15 states in the former USSR.
Gold Star of Hero of the Soviet Union
Hero of the Soviet Union is an honorary title, the highest degree of distinction in the USSR for services to the state associated with the accomplishment of a heroic deed. Established by the Decree of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the USSR dated April 16, 1934, assigned by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (since March 1990 - by the President of the USSR).
The initial awarding of the Hero of the Soviet Union was marked by the presentation of the highest award of the USSR - the Order of Lenin and a special diploma of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR (since 1937 - diplomas of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR).
Certificate of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR conferring the title Hero of the Soviet Union
To specially distinguish citizens awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated August 1, 1939, a gold medal “Hero of the Soviet Union” was established, shaped like a five-pointed star with the inscription on the reverse: “Hero of the USSR.” It was established that the medal was awarded together with the Order of Lenin. When conferring this high rank for the second and third time, the award was provided only with a medal; the Order of Lenin was not awarded.
In commemoration of the exploits of the twice Hero of the Soviet Union, as well as the Hero of the Soviet Union, who was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor, a bronze bust of him was installed in the recipient’s homeland.
Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin, awarded along with the title
The Resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated August 22, 1988 “On improving the procedure for awarding state awards of the USSR” stated that the re-awarding of the Hero of the Soviet Union with the Gold Star medal is not carried out, and bronze busts are not installed during the heroes’ lifetime.
The first Heroes of the Soviet Union were seven polar pilots: A.V. Lyapidevsky, S.A. Levanevsky, V.S. Molokov, N.P. Kamanin, M.T. Slepnev, M.V. Vodopyanov, I.V. Doronin. They were awarded this honorary title for rescuing passengers and crew members of the Chelyuskin steamship in distress on April 20, 1934. In the same year, test pilot M.M. became a Hero of the Soviet Union for setting a world record in flight distance. Gromov, and two years later - pilots, and. In 1938, the first female pilots, V.S., were awarded the highest degree of distinction. Grizodubova, P.D. Osipenko and M.M. Raskova.
The first Heroes of the Soviet Union (from left to right): S.A. Levanevsky, V.S. Molokov, M.T. Slepnev, N.P. Kamanin, M.V. Vodopyanov, A.V. Lyapidevsky, I.V. Doronin. 1934
Among those awarded in the 1930s were many Arctic explorers. The most famous of them were four polar explorers: the head of the North Pole research station (SP-1) I.D. Papanin, radio operator E.T. Krenkel, oceanographer P.P. Shirshov and astronomer-magnetologist E.K. Fedorov.
The first award of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for military exploits took place on December 31, 1936. This award was awarded to 11 commanders of the Red Army who took part in the Spanish Civil War. Among the internationalist soldiers of that time, Lieutenant S.I. became famous. Gritsevets and Major G.P. Kravchenko, who then received a second Gold Star in the battles at Khalkhin Gol (August 1939). They became the first twice Heroes of the Soviet Union.
By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of October 25, 1938, 22 commanders and 4 Red Army soldiers were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for military merits and military valor.
In total, from April 1934 to April 1941, 626 people were awarded the highest degree of distinction. Including, for military exploits in providing international assistance in China - 14 people, Spain - 59 people, for heroism shown in defending the state border at Lake Khasan - 26, on the river. Khalkhin Gol - 70, during the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939 - 1940. - 412 people, as well as 45 pilots and aviation navigators, scientists and researchers of the Arctic and Far East, participants in high-latitude expeditions. During this period, five people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union twice.
During the Great Patriotic War, the first - on July 8, 1941 - were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union to the pilots of the 158th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 7th Air Defense Fighter Corps M.P. Zhukov, S.I. Zdorovtsev, P.T. Kharitonov, who rammed fascist planes on the outskirts of Leningrad. During the first period of the war alone, over 600 people earned the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
The crushing blows of the Red Army against Hitler's troops were accompanied by examples of mass heroism and dedication of the Soviet people. In February 1943, the name of Guard Private A.M. was heard throughout the world. Matrosova. All major military operations of the second period were accompanied by examples of courage and bravery. At this time, more than 3,650 Soviet soldiers and 30 partisans and underground fighters were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
More than 7 thousand new Heroes of the Soviet Union came to their glory and immortality during the third period of the Great Patriotic War, and more than 2800 of them were awarded a high title for feats accomplished during the final liberation of Soviet land.
The courage of the Soviet soldiers who distinguished themselves in carrying out the great international mission to liberate the peoples of Europe from Nazi slavery deserved high praise.
No less striking examples are included in the heroic chronicle of the events of the apotheosis of the war - the Berlin operation. The capture of the Seelow Heights, the crossing of the Oder and Spree, fierce battles on the streets of Berlin and the storming of the Reichstag became new steps in the ascent to the mass heroism of Soviet soldiers. The dedication of the Soviet people resulted in feats not only of individuals, but also of entire squads, crews and units (the platoon of guard Lieutenant P.N. Shironin, the feat of 68 participants under command and many others). Families also became heroic: brother and sister Kosmodemyansky, brothers Ignatov, Kurzenkov, Lizyukov, Lukanin, Panichkin, Glinka, uncle and nephew Gorodovikov...
Several times, famous commanders and prominent military leaders were awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Marshal of the Soviet Union was awarded four times. Twice - Marshals of the Soviet Union, P.K. Koshevoy, I.I. Yakubovsky, Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union, chief air marshals - P.S. Kutakhov, A.I. Koldunov, army generals - A.P. Beloborodov, etc.
In total, for heroic deeds accomplished during the Great Patriotic War, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to over 11,600 people, 115 of them twice, and two were subsequently air marshals A.I. Pokryshkin and I.N. Kozhedub - three times. The legendary commander of the 1st Cavalry Army during the Civil War, Knight of St. George and Marshal of the Soviet Union was also awarded three Gold Stars. Marshal of Victory - Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov was first awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union in 1939 for leading the operation to encircle and destroy a group of Japanese troops in the Khalkhin Gol River area, and was awarded the fourth Gold Star in December 1956.
Three times Heroes of the Soviet Union Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov (center), aviation major general A.I. Pokryshkin (left) and I.N. Kozhedub (right) on the territory of the Kremlin during the session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Moscow, November 1957
Among the Heroes of the Soviet Union are representatives of more than 60 nationalities and nationalities of the USSR. Among them are 88 women. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was also awarded to a number of foreign citizens who distinguished themselves in the fight against the Nazi invaders.
Heroes of the Soviet Union - representatives of more than 60 nationalities
| Russians | 8182 | Lithuanians | 15 | Dungans | 4 | Balkar | 1 |
| Ukrainians | 2072 | Tajiks | 14 | Lezgins | 4 | Veps | 1 |
| Belarusians | 311 | Latvians | 13 | Germans | 4 | Darginets | 1 |
| Tatars | 161 | Kyrgyz | 12 | French people | 4 | Hispanic | 1 |
| Jews | 108 | Komi | 10 | Chechens | 3 | Korean | 1 |
| Kazakhs | 96 | Udmurts | 10 | Yakuts | 3 | Koeman | 1 |
| Georgians | 91 | Karelians | 9 | Altaians | 2 | Kurd | 1 |
| Armenians | 90 | Poles | 9 | Bulgarians | 2 | Moldavian | 1 |
| Uzbeks | 69 | Estonians | 9 | Greeks | 2 | Nanaets | 1 |
| Mordvins | 61 | Kalmyks | 8 | Karachais | 2 | Nogaets | 1 |
| Chuvash | 44 | Kabardians | 7 | Kumyks | 2 | Swan | 1 |
| Azerbaijanis | 43 | Adyghe people | 6 | Laktsy | 2 | Tuvinian | 1 |
| Bashkirs | 39 | Czechs | 6 | Khakassians | 2 | Gypsy | 1 |
| Ossetians | 32 | Abkhazians | 5 | Circassians | 2 | Evenk | 1 |
| Mari | 18 | Avars | 5 | Finns | 2 | ||
| Turkmens | 18 | Buryats | 5 | Assyrian | 1 |
In the post-war years, the exploits of the Soviet people were associated with the development of the latest military equipment, peaceful penetration into space, protection of state interests and borders, and fulfillment of international duty. Among the test pilots who stood at the origins of the development of Soviet jet aviation were Heroes of the Soviet Union G.Ya. Bakhchivandzhi, M.I. Ivanov, M.L. Gallai, I.E. Fedorov, I.T. Ivashchenko, G.A. Sedov, G.K. Molosov and many others. From the biography of one of them, P.M. Stefanovsky is known that during his 30 years of service in aviation, he mastered 317 types of aircraft and made 13.5 thousand flights.
The first Hero of the Soviet Union of the nuclear submarine fleet was the commander of the Leninsky Komsomol submarine, Captain 1st Rank L.G. Osipenko. For the conquest of the North Pole by the same submarine in the early 1960s, Rear Admiral A.I. Petelin, captain 2nd rank L.M. Zhiltsov, engineer-captain 2nd rank R.A. Timofeev were also awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 23, 1966, for the successful completion of a group transoceanic transition underwater from Zapadnaya Litsa Bay (Murmansk region) to Krasheninnikov Bay (Kamchatka) through Cape Horn (South America), a group of Soviet submariners: Rear Admiral A .AND. Sorokin, captains 2nd rank V.T. Vinogradov, L.N. Stolyarov, N.V. Usenko, was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
On April 12, 1961, the whole world learned the name of the Soviet citizen officer who made an orbital flight around the Earth. Over the next quarter century, 60 Soviet cosmonauts visited space. All of them are Heroes of the Soviet Union, and more than half of them were awarded this title twice.
Meeting of the first Heroes of the Soviet Union with cosmonauts. Sitting: M.V. Vodopyanov, M.T. Slepnev, N.P. Kamanin, A.V. Lyapidevsky, V.S. Molokov. Standing: V.F. Bykovsky, G.S. Titov, Yu.A. Gagarin, V.V. Tereshkova, A.G. Nikolaev, P.R. Popovich
Selfless devotion to the Motherland even in peacetime nominated new Heroes of the Soviet Union from among the military personnel. Among them, officers D.V. who showed courage and bravery in defending the state border of the USSR in the area of Damansky Island. Leonov, I.I. Strelnikov and V.D. Bubenin, junior sergeant Yu.V. Babansky. The soldiers who performed their international duty in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan also forever inscribed themselves in the heroic chronicle of the country. Among them are Colonels V.L. Neverov and V.E. Pavlov, Lieutenant Colonel E.V. Vysotsky, Major A.Ya. Oparin, captain N.M. Akramov, senior lieutenant A.I. Demakov, guard private N.Ya. Anfinogenov and many others. In total, during the war in Afghanistan, 86 military personnel were awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
In peacetime, many military leaders were awarded the highest degree of distinction for their great contribution to the construction and strengthening of the Armed Forces of the USSR, increasing the level of their combat readiness. The titles of Hero of the Soviet Union were received by: Marshals of the Soviet Union, P.F. Batitsky, S.K. Kurkotkin, V.I. Petrov, ; army generals A.L. Getman, A.A. Epishev, M.M. Zaitsev, E.F. Ivanovsky, P.I. Ivashutin, P.G. Lushev, Yu.P. Maksimov, I.G. Pavlovsky, I.N. Shkadov; Fleet admirals G.M. Egorov, V.A. Kasatonov, V.N. Chernavin; Colonel General A.S. Zheltov and others.
After the collapse of the USSR, the title “Hero of the Soviet Union” was abolished. Instead, on March 20, 1992, the title “Hero of the Russian Federation” was established in Russia, also awarded for outstanding feats. Currently, Heroes of the Soviet Union have the same rights as Heroes of the Russian Federation.
“To establish the highest degree of distinction - the awarding of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for personal or collective services to the state associated with the accomplishment of a heroic feat.”
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 exploits before the country and people. Until now, there are those among us who, without sparing their lives, defended the right of our great country to exist, defended it and accomplished feats. 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 explorers
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org
A special resolution of the USSR Central Executive Committee, 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 no insignia that we are familiar with now, that is, such as the Gold Star or, was not provided. The recipient was given only a 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 motor ship received the Order of Lenin. A regulation on awards was approved especially for them, according to which it was necessary to issue the Order of Lenin to all those awarded the title of Hero. Moreover, they became Heroes back in 1934, when there was no official position or resolution at all. Pilots A. Lyapidevsky, M. Vodopyanov, V. Molokov, I. Doronin, M. Slepnev, N. Kamanin and S. Levanevsky became not just the first Heroes of the Soviet Union, they became truly national heroes. Thousands of boys and girls, following their example, went to flying clubs and aircraft production to help the country conquer such an inaccessible sky.
The first female heroes. Source: https://www.pnp.ru
The next to be awarded were the participants in the Spanish Civil War. The USSR then actively helped the Republicans, and 60 people were awarded. Among them appeared the first foreign soldiers who fought in the ranks of Soviet units - the Italian Primo Gibelli and the Bulgarian Volkan Goranov.
Conflicts also occurred 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 familiar Golden Star 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, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, a special distinctive sign was introduced for Heroes of the Soviet Union - the Gold Star medal. The decree of August 16, 1939 approved its appearance. The first awards of new medals were made after the end of the conflict with the Japanese on the Khalkhin Gol River. Then 421 Red Army soldiers received the Star for distinguished service 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. The gold star, using an eyelet and a ring, is connected to a gilded rectangular plate, which is covered with a red moire ribbon. The plate has a threaded pin with a nut on the reverse side for attaching to clothing. On the reverse side of the medal there is the 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 too. From that moment on, a stable and unchanging tradition of honorary presentation of the highest award 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 back of the medal were not consecutive, but corresponded to the serial numbers of the stars being issued. When the hero was re-awarded, a bronze bust was installed in his homeland. And since 1967, the USSR government has established special benefits in everyday life for those awarded. Of course, most of the awards took place during the Great Patriotic War.
Heroes of the Fatherland
Victorious heroes. 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, the entire people rose up to defend it. On everyone's lips are the exploits of such heroes as Gastello, Maresyev, Sailors... Pilots, tank crews, artillerymen, sappers and sailors - perhaps there was not a single branch of the military that was not distinguished by a whole galaxy of its heroes. Many civilians and partisans were also awarded this high honor. It is not for nothing that the war period accounts for 91% of all awards with the title of Hero in the entire history of the award. In total, 11,657 people received the medal during the war, over 3 thousand 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 our allied armies, including 4 French pilots, also became heroes. The 167th Twice Red Banner Rifle Division especially distinguished itself. In its ranks there were the most people awarded the honorary title of hero - 108 people.
Heroes-astronauts.
August 1 marked the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Gold Star medal. This award is still used today. Previously, it was awarded to persons awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and currently - to persons awarded the title of Hero of Russia.
The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was established on April 16, 1934, but until 1939, Heroes of the Soviet Union did not have insignia - evidence of the conferment of the honorary title was a special diploma.
On August 1, 1939, an insignia was established for the Heroes of the Soviet Union - the Gold Star medal, which was a five-pointed star with smooth dihedral rays on the front side. The distance from the center of the star to the top of the beam is 15 mm. The distance between the opposite ends of the star is 30 mm.
The reverse side of the medal had a smooth surface and was limited along the contour by a protruding thin rim. On the reverse side in the center of the medal there was an inscription in raised letters “Hero of the USSR”. The size of the letters is 4x2 mm. The medal number, 1 mm high, was located in the upper beam.
The medal, using an eyelet and a ring, was connected to a gilded metal block, which was a rectangular plate 15 mm high and 19.5 mm wide, with frames in the upper and lower parts. There were slits along the base of the block; its inner part was covered with a red silk moiré ribbon 20 mm wide. The block had a threaded pin with a nut on the reverse side for attaching the medal to clothing.
The medal was made of 950 gold. The medal block was made of silver. On September 18, 1975, the gold content in the medal was 20.521 ± 0.903 g, silver - 12.186 ± 0.927 g. The weight of the medal without the block was 21.5 g. The total weight of the medal was 34.264 ± 1.5 g.
The medal was supposed to be worn on the left side of the chest above all other awards.
In the USSR, awards with the title “Hero of the Soviet Union” could be made more than once: the recipient of this award was called “Twice Hero of the Soviet Union” twice, “Thrice Hero of the Soviet Union” three times, and “Four times Hero of the Soviet Union” four times. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union could also be awarded posthumously.
The first Heroes of the Soviet Union were pilots Mikhail Vodopyanov, Ivan Doronin, Nikolai Kamanin, Sigismund Levanevsky, Anatoly Lyapidevsky, Vasily Molotkov and Mavriky Slepnev, who were awarded this title on April 20, 1934 for rescuing the crew of the icebreaker "Chelyuskin" in the polar winter, which perished in the Arctic ice.
In total, from 1934 to 1991, 12,745 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Of this number, 153 people became twice Heroes, 3 people (pilots Ivan Kozhedub, Alexander Pokryshkin and Marshal Semyon Budyonny) - three times Heroes, 2 people (Marshal Georgy Zhukov and General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Leonid Brezhnev) - four times Heroes.
The last conferment of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union in the history of the USSR took place according to the decree of December 24, 1991. The title was awarded to diving specialist Captain 3rd Rank Leonid Solodkov, who showed courage and heroism while carrying out a special command assignment to test new diving equipment.
The title of Hero of the Russian Federation was the first state award established after the collapse of the USSR and took place on March 20, 1992.
The title Hero of Russia is not the highest state award. The subject of the award is an exceptional feat, but not merit. Secondary awards with the title of Hero of Russia are not made.
The title of Hero of the Russian Federation is awarded by the President of the Russian Federation.
Those awarded the title “Hero of the Russian Federation” are awarded a diploma and a sign of special distinction - the medal “Gold Star” (the establishment of the medal and the title was established by the law of the Russian Federation “on the establishment of the title of Hero of the Russian Federation and the establishment of a sign of special distinction - the medal “Gold Star” dated March 20 1992 No. 2553).
The Gold Star medal of the Hero of Russia resembles a similar medal of the Hero of the Soviet Union and is a five-pointed star with smooth dihedral rays on the front side. Beam length - 15 mm.
The reverse side of the medal has a smooth surface and is limited along the contour by a protruding thin rim.
On the reverse side in the center of the medal there is an inscription in raised letters: “Hero of Russia.” Letter size 4x2 mm. In the upper ray is the medal number, 1 mm high.
The medal, using an eyelet and a ring, is connected to a gilded metal block, which is a rectangular plate 15 mm high and 19.5 mm wide with frames in the upper and lower parts.
There are slits along the base of the block; its inner part is covered with a moiré tricolor ribbon in accordance with the colors of the State Flag of the Russian Federation.
The block has a threaded pin with a nut on the reverse side for attaching the medal to clothing. The medal is gold, weighing 21.5 grams.
The first person awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation and the Gold Star medal was cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev. He is also the first holder of the highest honors of both the USSR and Russia at the same time: he became a Hero of the Soviet Union back in April 1989. The second Gold Star medal for feat in the performance of military duty was posthumously awarded to Aviation Major General Sulambek Askanov.
Many of those who, being worthy of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for front-line exploits during the Great Patriotic War, nevertheless did not become such in their time, receive the award today as heroes of Russia. Three front-line women were the first to receive this title in 1994, two of them posthumously: intelligence officer Vera Voloshina, who was shot by the Nazis, and aviation commander Ekaterina Budanova, who shot down 10 fascist planes. Another Hero was Lydia Shulaikina, who fought in the attack aviation of the Baltic Fleet.
Four Heroes of Russia are also Heroes of the Soviet Union, and the total number of recipients exceeded 870 people, of which 408 were awarded posthumously.
The material was prepared based on information from open sources
The resolution of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR dated April 16, 1934 established the highest degree of distinction - the awarding of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for personal or collective services to the state associated with the accomplishment of a heroic feat.
By resolution of the USSR Central Executive Committee of July 29, 1936, the Regulations on the title of Hero of the Soviet Union were approved.
By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of August 1, 1939, in order to specially distinguish citizens awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and performing new heroic deeds, to establish the Gold Star medal, shaped like a five-pointed star.
By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated May 14, 1973, the Regulations on the title of Hero of the Soviet Union in a new edition were approved
Regulations on the medal.
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 feat.
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:
- the highest award of the USSR - the Order of Lenin;
- a sign of special distinction - the Gold Star medal;
- Certificate of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
A Hero of the Soviet Union, who has accomplished a second heroic feat, no less than that 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 a second Gold Star medal, and in commemoration of his exploits, a bronze bust of the Hero is built with an appropriate inscription, established in his homeland, which is recorded in the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the award.
A Hero of the Soviet Union, awarded two Gold Star medals, may again be awarded the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal for new heroic deeds similar to those previously accomplished.
When a Hero of the Soviet Union is awarded the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal, he is presented with a certificate of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR simultaneously with the order and medal.
If the Hero of the Soviet Union is awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor, then in commemoration of his heroic and labor exploits, a bronze bust of the Hero with the appropriate inscription is built, 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 benefits established by law.
Medal "Gold Star" 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 carried out by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR
Description of the medal.
The Gold Star medal is a five-pointed star with smooth dihedral rays on the obverse. The distance from the center of the star to the top of the beam is 15 mm. The distance between the opposite ends of the star is 30 mm.
The reverse side of the medal has a smooth surface and is limited along the contour by a protruding thin rim. On the reverse side in the center of the medal there is an inscription in raised letters “Hero of the USSR”. The size of the letters is 4 by 2 mm. In the upper beam is the medal number 1 mm high.
The medal, using an eyelet and a ring, is connected to a gilded metal block, which is a rectangular plate 15 mm high and 19.5 mm wide, with frames in the upper and lower parts. There are slits along the base of the block; its inner part is covered with a red silk moiré ribbon 20 mm wide. The block has a threaded pin with a nut on the reverse side for attaching the medal to clothing.
The medal is made of 950 gold. The medal block is made of silver. As of September 18, 1975, the gold content in the medal was 20.521 ± 0.903 g, the silver content was 12.186 ± 0.927 g. The weight of the medal without the block was 21.5 g. The total weight of the medal was 34.264 ± 1.5 g.
History of the medal.
The title of Hero of the Soviet Union is the highest degree of distinction of the Soviet period, the most honorable title in the Soviet award hierarchy. However, to call this title rare would be wrong: there were much more Heroes of the Soviet Union than gentlemen of any degree of any “commander” order.
The title of Hero of the Soviet Union is the first award of its kind in the world. Although some countries had the concept of “national hero,” it was not an official award. After the end of the Second World War, in a number of socialist-oriented countries, by analogy with the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, national highest degrees of distinction were established: “Hero of the Mongolian People’s Republic” (Mongolian People’s Republic), “Hero of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic” (Czechoslovak Soviet Socialist Republic), “Hero of the People’s Republic of Belarus” ( People's Republic of Bulgaria), "Hero of Syria", etc.
The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was established by the Decree of the USSR Central Executive Committee of April 16, 1934. The resolution established that “Heroes of the Soviet Union are given a special certificate.” No other attributes or insignia were introduced to the Heroes of the Soviet Union at that time.
The regulations on the title of Hero of the Soviet Union were first established on July 29, 1936. It introduced the procedure for awarding Heroes of the Soviet Union, in addition to the CEC diploma, also the Order of Lenin - the highest award of the USSR. From that moment on, all Heroes of the Soviet Union received the Order of Lenin until the abolition of the USSR in 1991. Those who were awarded the title of Hero before the release of this Resolution were also given it retroactively - there were only 11 of them.
The need for a special insignia for the State Air Force appeared three years later, when there were already 122 Heroes of the Soviet Union (two of them - pilots Levanevsky S.A. and Chkalov V.P. had died by that time, and 19 titles were awarded posthumously).
On August 1, 1939, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR “On additional insignia for Heroes of the Soviet Union” was issued. Articles 1 and 2 of the Decree read: “For the purpose of special distinction of citizens awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the medal “Hero of the Soviet Union” is established, which is awarded simultaneously with the conferment of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and the presentation of the Order of Lenin.” Article 3 of the Decree introduced a major change to the Regulations on the title of Hero of the Soviet Union of 1936, according to which the title of Hero of the Soviet Union could be awarded only once: “A Hero of the Soviet Union who performed a secondary heroic feat ... was awarded the second medal “Hero of the Soviet Union”, and... a bronze bust is being built in the Hero’s homeland.” The presentation of the second Order of Lenin upon re-awarding was not envisaged.
The issuance of Gold Star medals was carried out in the order in which the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded, including to those persons who were awarded the title before the establishment of the Gold Star medal, and the number of the medal corresponded to the number of the certificate of the Central Executive Committee or the Presidium of the Supreme Council.
The regulations on the title of Hero of the Soviet Union in a new edition appeared on May 14, 1973, some changes were made to it by the Decree of July 18, 1980. It stated that the title of Hero of the Soviet Union "is awarded for personal or collective services to the Soviet state and society associated with the accomplishment of a heroic feat." What was new about it was that when the Hero of the Soviet Union is repeatedly and subsequently awarded the Gold Star medal, he is awarded the Order of Lenin each time. In addition, the previous limit on the number of awards of the “Gold Star” to one person (three times) was lifted, thanks to which Brezhnev was able to become a Hero of the Soviet Union four times (Zhukov became a Hero four times in 1956, bypassing the then-current Decree of August 1, 1939).
In 1988, this provision was changed, and the procedure for awarding the Order of Lenin to a Hero of the Soviet Union was established only upon the first presentation of the Gold Star medal. There is information that after the war, copies of the Gold Star medal made of base metals for everyday wear began to be awarded to Heroes of the Soviet Union.
The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was first awarded on April 20, 1934 by the Decree of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR for the rescue of the polar expedition and the crew of the icebreaker "Chelyuskin" to the brave Soviet aviators M.V. Vodopyanov, I.V. Doronin, N.P. Kamanin, S.A. Levanevsky. , Lyapidevsky A.V., Molokov V.S. and Slepnev M.T. . All of them received special certificates from the Central Election Commission. In addition, they were awarded the Order of Lenin, which was not provided for by the Decree establishing the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Certificate No. 1 was awarded to A.V. Lyapidevsky. With the introduction of a special insignia, Lyapidevsky was awarded the “Gold Star” No. 1 (Order of Lenin No. 515). During the Great Patriotic War, Colonel (since 1946 - Major General) Lyapidevsky headed the aircraft plant. He was also awarded two Orders of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner, the Order of the Patriotic War I and II degrees, two Orders of the Red Star and the Order of the Red Banner of Labor. Died in 1983.
The eighth GSS rank in 1934 was awarded to the outstanding pilot M.M. Gromov, who completed a record non-stop flight of 12,411 km in 75 hours. Members of his crew received only orders.
The next GSS in 1936 were pilots V.P. Chkalov, G.F. Baidukov, A.V. Belyakov, who made a non-stop flight from Moscow to the Far East.
On December 31, 1936, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was first awarded for military exploits. Eleven commanders of the Red Army - participants in the civil war in the Spanish Republic - became heroes. It is noteworthy that all of them were also pilots, and three of them were foreigners by origin: the Italian Primo Gibelli, the German Ernst Schacht and the Bulgarian Zakhari Zahariev. Among the eleven “Spanish” Heroes was Lieutenant of the 61st Fighter Squadron Chernykh S.A. In Spain, he was the first Soviet pilot to shoot down the newest Messerschmitt Bf 109B fighter. On June 22, 1941, he commanded the 9th Mixed Air Division. On the first day of the war, the division suffered huge losses (out of 409 aircraft of the division, 347 were destroyed). Chernykh was accused of criminal inaction and executed on June 27. Hero of the Soviet Union Rychagov P.V. He also received the title of GSS for his participation in Spanish events. His battle path is interesting. In the summer of 1938, during the conflict with the Japanese at Lake Khasan Rychagov, he commanded the Air Force of the Primorsky Group of the Far Eastern Front. In 1939, he was appointed commander of the 9th Army Air Force. He took part in battles in the Soviet-Finnish War, then was appointed to the Main Directorate of the Air Force. In June 1941, Rychagov was accused of treason and shot along with his wife Maria in the village of Barbysh near Kuibyshev on October 28, 1941.
For the first time in the USSR, three of the eleven “Spanish” Heroes were awarded the title of GSS posthumously. Among the three Heroes awarded the high title posthumously was Lieutenant of the Red Army Air Force Karp Ivanovich Kovtun. On November 13, 1936, Kovtun was shot down in an air battle over Madrid. The wounded pilot jumped out with a parachute, however, the wind blew him to the Franco positions. On November 15, a box containing the hero’s body was dropped by parachute onto the airfield where Kovtun’s unit was based. There was a note in the box that read, “A gift from General Franco.” The hero pilot was buried in a rural cemetery 12 km from Madrid, with Kovtun’s Spanish pseudonym “Yan” indicated on the gravestone.
In June 1937, the title of Hero was awarded to a group of people for organizing and delivering by plane to the North Pole the crew of the world's first polar drifting weather station. The heroes were the leader of the landing, Academician O.Yu. Schmidt, the head of the USSR polar aviation, M.M. Shevelev, and the head of the organized station, I.D. Papanin. and 5 pilots, including the famous Mazuruk I.P. and Babushkin M.S.
After 2 months, two more Heroes appeared - pilots Yumashev A.B. and Danilin S.A. - members of the crew of M.M. Gromov, who made a record-breaking flight from Moscow to the USA via the North Pole.
In the summer of 1937, the title of GSS was first awarded to a group of tankers led by brigade commander D.G. Pavlov. for participation in battles in Spain. Among them were lieutenants G.M. Skleznev. and Bilibin K., who were awarded the title posthumously.
During the war in Spain (1936 - 1939), the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to 59 participants. Among them were two military advisers: pilot commander Smushkevich Ya.V. and infantryman captain Rodimtsev A.I. (both of them later became twice Heroes of the Soviet Union). One of the “Spanish” Heroes - Pavlov D.G., after 3 years he was already an army general, commander of the Western (Belarusian) Military District, and a year later he was shot by order of Stalin, placing all the blame on him for the failures of the Red Army in the summer of 1941 of the year.
In March 1938, the ice drift of the crew of the North Pole station, which had been engaged in scientific research for 274 days, ended. To three crew members (in addition to N.D. Papanin): E.T. Krenkel, P.P. Shirshov, and E.K. Fedorov. also awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. They were the first to receive Certificates of Heroes not on behalf of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, but from the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, elected shortly before.
Soon the famous pilot Kokkinaki V.K. became a Hero. for testing aircraft and setting world flight altitude records. At the same time, several Heroes appeared, awarded the title for battles in China against the Japanese invaders. The first of them was also the pilot, commander of the aviation group F.P. Polynin.
By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated October 25, 1938, the first mass conferment of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union took place: it was awarded to 26 soldiers and commanders who took part in the battles with the Japanese invaders who invaded the territory of the USSR in the area of Lake Khasan near Vladivostok. For the first time, not only the command staff of the Red Army, but also ordinary Red Army soldiers (four out of twenty-six) became Heroes.
By decree of November 2, 1938, for the first time, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to women. Pilots Grizodubova V.S., Osipenko P.D. and Raskova M.M. were awarded for carrying out a non-stop flight from Moscow to the Far East on a Rodina aircraft over a distance of 5908 km. Two of them soon died in plane crashes. Osipenko died a year later, having shot down one of the first Heroes of the Soviet Union, pilot brigade commander A. Serov, and Raskova died in 1942, having managed to form the world’s first women’s aviation regiment before her death.
In 1939, another mass conferment of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union took place. For military exploits shown in battles with Japanese invaders on the Khalkhin Gol River on the territory of the Mongolian Republic, friendly to the Soviet Union, 70 people were awarded the title of Hero (20 of them posthumously). Among the Heroes of Khalkhin Gol there were 14 infantrymen and combined arms commanders, 27 pilots, 26 tank crews and 3 artillerymen; 14 out of 70 belonged to the junior command staff (i.e., sergeants), and only 1 was a simple Red Army soldier (Evgeniy Kuzmich Lazarev), the rest were commanders. For distinction in the battles of Khalkhin Gol, among others, commander G.K. Zhukov became heroes. and second-rank army commander G.M. Stern (was shot without trial in the fall of 1941). In addition, for Khalkhin Gol, three more soldiers became twice Heroes of the Soviet Union for the first time. All three of the first two heroes were pilots: Major S.I. Gritsevets. (Awarded the title of GSS by Decrees of February 22, 1939 and August 29, 1939), Colonel G.P. Kravchenko. (Decrees of February 22, 1939 and August 29, 1939), as well as Corporal Commander Smushkevich Y.V. (Decrees of June 21, 1937 and November 17, 1939). None of these three twice-heroes lived to see the end of the Great Patriotic War.
Gritsevets shot down 12 enemy aircraft in the sky of Khalkhin Gol. He died in a plane crash on September 16, 1939 (less than a month after the award). Kravchenko, who commanded the 22 IAP (fighter aviation regiment) at Khalkhin Gol and shot down 7 Japanese aircraft during the conflict, in 1940 became the youngest lieutenant general of the Red Army (at 28 years old). He fought well on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, commanded an air division, but on February 23, 1943, he died after jumping out of a downed plane and failing to use a parachute (his pilot cable was broken by shrapnel). Smushkevich was arrested in the spring of 1941, deprived of all awards and shot in the fall of 1941 (together with Stern and another former Hero - pilot P.V. Rychagov, awarded the title for the war in Spain).
The heroes of Khalkhin Gol became the first to receive the newly introduced insignia - the Gold Star medal.
At the beginning of 1940, a mass conferment of the title of Hero, unique in its kind, took place: “Golden Stars” were awarded to all 15 crew members of the icebreaking steamship “Georgiy Sedov”, which had been drifting in the ice of the Arctic Ocean for 812 days since 1937! Later, the awarding of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union to the entire crew of the ship or the entire personnel of the unit was never repeated, not counting three cases of awarding combined detachments during the Great Patriotic War (see below). In addition, the head of the rescue expedition on the icebreaker "I. Stalin" to remove the "G. Sedov" from the ice, Hero of the Soviet Union I.D. Papanin. became a Twice Hero, and it is not entirely clear why: his activities as a boss were not at all associated with a risk to his life. Papanin became the only one of the five “pre-war” twice Heroes who was not a pilot.
Following the results of the Soviet-Finnish War (winter of 1939-1940), 412 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Among those awarded for the “Finnish” war were the commander of the North-Western Front, Army Commander 1st Rank Timoshenko S.K. and Army Commander 1st Rank G.M. Kulik, who was stripped of this rank two years later after the failures of the Red Army in Crimea. Pilot Major General Denisov S.P. for fights in Finland he received a second “Gold Star”, becoming the last of the five “pre-war” Twice Heroes.
By the end of 1940, another Hero of the Soviet Union appeared - the Spaniard Ramon Mercader, awarded this title for the murder in Mexico of the “worst enemy of communism” Trotsky L.D., the former Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the RSFSR and a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks. Mercader was given the title by secret decree under someone else's name, since after his murder he was arrested and kept in a Mexican prison. Only twenty years later, after leaving prison, he was able to receive his “Gold Star”. He became the last Hero of the Soviet Union in the pre-war period.
In total, before the start of the Great Patriotic War, the title of Hero was awarded to 626 people (including 3 women). By June 22, 1941, five became twice Heroes: military pilots Gritsevets S.I. (02/22/1939 and 08/29/1939), Denisov S.P. (07/04/1937 and 03/21/1940), Kravchenko G.P. (02/22/1939 and 08/29/1939), Smushkevich Ya.V. (06/21/1937 and 11/17/1939) and polar explorer I. D. Papanin (06/27/1937 and 02/03/1940). Before the war, some of the Heroes died, including Chkalov, Osipenko, Serov and twice GSS Gritsevets. Another twice Hero, Smushkevich, was under investigation as an “enemy of the people.”
The overwhelming number of Heroes of the Soviet Union appeared during the Great Patriotic War: 11,635 people (92% of the total number of people awarded this title).
During the Great Patriotic War, the first fighter pilots to be awarded the title of GSS were junior lieutenants M.P. Zhukov and S.I. Zdorovtsev. and Kharitonov P.T., who distinguished themselves in air battles with enemy bombers rushing towards Leningrad. On June 27, these pilots, using their I-16 fighters, used ramming attacks against enemy Ju-88 bombers. The title of GSS was awarded to him by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated July 8, 1941.
Flight commander of the 46th Fighter Regiment (IAP) of the 14th Mixed Aviation Division (SmAD), Senior Lieutenant Ivanov I.I. carried out a ramming of an enemy aircraft in the first minutes of the war. Having taken off on alert, Ivanov entered into battle with enemy aircraft in the Lutsk area. Having used up the ammunition, he used the propeller of his I-16 to damage the tail of the German He-111 bomber. The enemy plane crashed, but Ivanov also died. The low altitude prevented him from using a parachute. The title of GSS was posthumously awarded to the brave pilot by Decree of August 2, 1941. However, the primacy of the ram strike in the Great Patriotic War belongs to D.V. Kokorev. from the 124th IAP (9th SMAD). Using his MiG-3 fighter, he rammed a Ju-88 bomber near the city of Zambrów at 4 hours 15 minutes, while Ivanov carried out the ram at 4 hours 25 minutes. In total, on the first day of the war, the Red Army Air Force pilots fired 15(!) rams. Of these, only one, Ivanov, became a Hero of the Soviet Union.
On July 4, 1941, the commander of the 401st Special Fighter Aviation Regiment, GSS, Lieutenant Colonel Suprun S.P., covering a group of bombers, single-handedly entered into battle with six enemy fighters, was mortally wounded and died, having managed to land the damaged fighter. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of July 22, 1941, for courage and heroism shown in air battles with superior enemy aviation forces, Suprun S.P. was the first to be awarded a second Gold Star medal (posthumously) during the Great Patriotic War.
By decree of August 13, 1941, the title of GSS was awarded to ten bomber pilots who participated in the first raids on Berlin and other German cities. Five of them belonged to naval aviation - Colonel E.N. Preobrazhensky, captains V.A. Grechishnikov, A.Ya. Efremov, M.N. Plotkin. and Khokhlov P.I. Five more officers represented long-range aviation - Majors V.I. Shchelkunov. and Malygin V.I., captains Tikhonov V.G. and Kryukov N.V., Lieutenant Lakhonin V.I.
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 the Navy, the title of Hero was first awarded to a sailor of the Northern Fleet, squad commander, senior sergeant V.P. Kislyakov, who distinguished himself during the landing in Motovsky Bay in the Arctic in July 1941. The title of GSS was awarded to him by the Decree of the PVS of the USSR dated 14 (according to other sources, 13) August 1941.
Among the border guards, the first Heroes were the soldiers who entered the battle on the Prut River on June 22, 1941: Lieutenant A.K. Konstantinov, Sergeant I.D. Buzytskov, Junior Sergeant V.F. Mikhalkov. They were awarded the title of GSS by Decree of August 26, 1941.
The first Hero-Partisan was the Belarusian secretary of the district party committee T.P. Bumazhkov. - commander and commissar of the partisan detachment "Red October" (Decree of the USSR PVS of August 6, 1941).
In total, in the first war year, only a few dozen people were awarded the title of Hero, and all of them in the period from July to October 1941. Then the Germans approached Moscow, and the issues of rewarding soldiers were forgotten for a long time.
The awarding of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union resumed in the winter of 1942 after the expulsion of the Germans from the Moscow region. By decree of February 16, 1942, 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 - “Panfilov’s men”, participants in the defense of Moscow - became Heroes (see below). In total, as a result of the battle of Moscow, more than 100 people became Heroes.
In June of the same year, the first twice Hero of the Soviet Union appeared, both times awarded the high title during the war. He became the commander of the 2nd Guards Red Banner Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Northern Fleet, Lieutenant Colonel B.F. Safonov. (Decrees of September 16, 1941 and June 14, 1942, posthumously). He was also the first twice Hero among the soldiers of the Navy since the establishment of the title of Hero. Safonov died on May 30, 1942 while protecting an Allied convoy heading to Murmansk. During his short combat career, Safonov carried out about 300 combat missions, shot down 25 enemy aircraft personally and 14 in the group.
The next twice Hero of the Soviet Union during the war years was a bomber aviation pilot, squadron commander, Captain A.I. Molodchiy. (Decrees of October 22, 1941 and December 31, 1942).
In general, in 1942, the awarding of the title of Hero was almost as sparing as in 1941, not counting the aforementioned awards for participants in the Battle of Moscow.
In 1943, the first Heroes were the participants in the Battle of Stalingrad.
In 1943, 9 people were awarded the title of Hero twice. 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 A.I. Pokryshkin, who a year later became the first three times Hero of the Soviet Union in history.
During the offensive operations of the Soviet Army in the second half of 1943, military units had to overcome many water obstacles in battle. In this regard, the directive of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command dated September 9, 1943 is curious. In particular, it said:
“For crossing a river such as the Desna in the Bogdanovo region (Smolensk region) and below, and rivers equal to the Desna in terms of the difficulty of crossing, be awarded:
- Army commanders - to the Order of Suvorov, 1st degree.
- Commanders of corps, divisions, brigades - to the Order of Suvorov, II degree.
- Regimental commanders, commanders of engineering, sapper and pontoon battalions - to the Order of Suvorov, III degree.
For crossing a river such as the Dnieper River in the Smolensk region and below, and rivers equal to the Dnieper in terms of the difficulty of crossing the above-mentioned commanders of formations and units should be awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union."
In October, the Red Army crossed the Dnieper - an offensive operation in 1943. For crossing the Dnieper and displaying courage and heroism, 2,438 people received the title of Hero (47 generals and marshals, 1,123 officers, 1,268 sergeants and privates). This amounted to almost a quarter of all Heroes of the Soviet Union during the war. One of 2438 was awarded the second “Gold Star” - the commander of the rifle division Fesin I.I., who became the first twice Hero in history not from the Air Force.
In the same year, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded for the first time to a person who was neither a soldier of the Red Army nor a citizen of the USSR. He became second lieutenant Otakar Jaros, who fought as part of the 1st Czechoslovak infantry battalion (see below).
In 1944, the number of Heroes of the Soviet Union increased by more than 3 thousand people, mostly infantrymen.
The first three times Hero of the Soviet Union was the commander of the fighter aviation division, Colonel A.I. Pokryshkin. (Decree of August 19, 1944). The commander of the fighter squadron, V.D. Lavrinenkov, attached his second Hero Star to his tunic in the summer of 1944. (awarded by Decrees of May 1, 1943 and July 1, 1944).
By decree of April 2, 1944, it was announced that the youngest Hero of the Soviet Union during the Patriotic War would be awarded (posthumously). He became 17-year-old partisan Lenya Golikov, who died in battle a few months before the Decree.
Back in 1941, during the defense of Kyiv, the commissar of the 206th Infantry Division, Regimental Commissar Oktyabrsky I.F., died heroically, having personally led the counterattack. Having learned about the death of her husband, Maria Vasilievna Oktyabrskaya vowed to take revenge on the Nazis. She entered a tank school, became a tank driver and heroically fought the enemy. In 1944, Oktyabrskaya M.V. posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
In 1945, the awarding of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union continued during the fighting and then for several months after Victory Day following the war. So, before May 9, 1945, 28 appeared, and after May 9 - 38 twice Heroes. At the same time, two of the twice Heroes were awarded the third “Gold Star”: the commander of the 1st Belorussian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov. (Decree of June 1, 1945) for the capture of Berlin and the deputy commander of the air regiment, Major I.N. Kozhedub. (Decree of August 18, 1945), as the most successful fighter pilot of the Soviet Air Force, having shot down 62 enemy aircraft.
In the history of the Great Patriotic War, there were unique cases when the entire personnel of a unit was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Personally, I know of only three such awards.
By decree of July 21, 1942, all fighters of the tank destroyer unit from the 1075th regiment of the 316th Infantry Division of Major General Panfilov became Heroes. 27 fighters, led by political instructor Klochkov, at the cost of their lives stopped the advanced tank units of the Germans, rushing to the Volokolamsk highway, at the Dubosekovo crossing. All of them were awarded the title posthumously, but subsequently five of them were alive and received Gold Stars.
By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated May 18, 1943, all soldiers of the platoon of Lieutenant P.N. Shironin were awarded the title of GSS. from the 78th Guards Rifle Regiment of the 25th Guards Rifle Division under General P.M. Shafarenko. For five days, starting on March 2, 1943, a platoon, reinforced with a 45-mm gun, defended a railway crossing near the village of Taranovka south of Kharkov and repeated the feat of the legendary Panfilov men. The enemy lost 11 armored vehicles and up to a hundred soldiers. When other units approached the Shironinites to help, only six heroes survived, including the seriously wounded commander. All 25 platoon soldiers, including Lieutenant Shironin, were awarded the title of GSS.
By decree of April 2, 1945, the last award in the history of the Great Patriotic War of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union to the entire personnel of one unit took place. During the liberation of the city of Nikolaev on March 28, 1944, 67 soldiers of the landing detachment (55 sailors and 12 army men), led by senior lieutenant K.F. Olshansky, performed a heroic feat. and his deputy for political affairs, Captain A.F. Golovlev. The landing force was landed in the Nikolaev port to make it easier for the advancing troops to capture the city. The Germans threw three infantry battalions, supported by 4 tanks and artillery, against the paratroopers. Before the main forces arrived, 55 out of 67 people died in the battle, but the paratroopers were able to destroy about 700 fascists, 2 tanks and 4 guns. All dead and surviving paratroopers were awarded the title of GSS. In addition to the paratroopers, a conductor also fought in the detachment, however, he was awarded the title of Hero only 20 years later.
For the liberation of the Czech Republic, the title of GSS was awarded 88 times, for the liberation of Poland - 1667 times, for the Berlin operation - more than 600 times.
For their exploits during the capture of Koenigsberg, about 200 people were awarded the title of GSS, and the commander of the 43rd Army, Lieutenant General A.P. Beloborodov. and guard pilot senior lieutenant Golovachev P.Ya. became Twice Heroes.
For their exploits during the war with Japan, 93 people were awarded the title of GSS. Of these, 6 people became Twice Heroes:
- Commander-in-Chief of Soviet troops in the Far East, Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky;
- commander of the 6th Guards Tank Army, General Kravchenko A.G.;
- commander of the 5th Army, General N.I. Krylov;
- Air Chief Marshal A.A. Novikov;
- commander of the cavalry mechanized group, General Pliev I.A.;
- Senior Lieutenant of the Marine Corps Leonov V.N. .
In total, 11,626 soldiers were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for military exploits during the Great Patriotic War. 101 people were awarded two Gold Star medals. Three became three times Heroes: Zhukov G.K., Kozhedub I.N., Pokryshkin A.I.
It must be said that in 1944, Decrees were promulgated on awarding the navigator of the fighter aviation regiment, Major N.D. Gulaev. the third "Golden Star", as well as a number of pilots with the second "Golden Star", but none of them received awards due to the brawl they staged in a Moscow restaurant on the eve of receiving the awards. These decrees were canceled.
The former head of the operational department of the General Staff of the Soviet Army, Marshal Shtemenko, provides the following data: for exploits during the Great Patriotic War, 11,603 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (as of September 1, 1948), 98 people were awarded this honor twice, and three times - three.
Among the twice Heroes were three Marshals of the Soviet Union (Vasilevsky A.M., Konev I.S., Rokossovsky K.K.), one Chief Marshal of Aviation Novikov A.I., (a year later demoted and spent 7 years in prison until death of Stalin), 21 generals and 76 officers. There were not a single soldier or sergeant among the twice-Heroes. Seven of the 101 twice Heroes received a second Star posthumously.
Of all those awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War and the war with Japan, the largest number were ground forces - over 8 thousand (1,800 artillerymen, 1,142 tank crews, 650 sappers, more than 290 signalmen and 52 rear servicemen).
The number of Heroes - Air Force warriors was significantly smaller - about 2,400 people.
There were 513 people in the GSS Navy (including naval pilots and Marines who fought ashore).
Among the border guards, internal troops and security forces there are over 150 Heroes of the Soviet Union.
The title of GSS was awarded to 234 partisans, including S. A. Kovpak and A. F. Fedorov, who were awarded two Gold Star medals.
There are over 90 women among the Heroes of the Soviet Union. Among the Heroes are women representatives of almost all branches of the military, except border and internal ones. Most of them were pilots - 29 people. During the war, the 46th Taman Guards Air Regiment, awarded with the Order of the Red Banner and Suvorov III degree, became famous, equipped with Po-2 light night bombers. The air regiment was staffed with female crews, and many female pilots were awarded Gold Stars. For example, I will name the regiment commander, Lieutenant Colonel E.D. Bershanskaya, the squadron commander, Major M.V. Smirnova, the navigator E. Pasko, the pilot, Senior Lieutenant N.F. Meklin. Many female heroes were underground partisans - 24 people. More than half of the women were awarded the title of GSS posthumously.
Among all the Heroes of the Soviet Union, 35% were privates and non-commissioned officers (soldiers, sailors, sergeants and foremen), 61% were officers and 3.3% (380 people) were generals, admirals and marshals.
In terms of national composition, the majority of Heroes were Russians - 7998 people; There were 2,021 Ukrainians, Belarusians - 299, Tatars - 161, Jews - 107, Kazakhs - 96, Georgians - 90, Armenians - 89, Uzbeks - 67, Mordvins - 63, Chuvash - 45, Azerbaijanis - 43, Bashkirs - 38, Ossetians - 31, Mari - 18, Turkmens - 16, Lithuanians - 15, Tajiks - 15, Latvians - 12, Kyrgyz - 12, Komi - 10, Udmurts - 10, Estonians - 9, Karelians - 8, Kalmyks - 8, Kabardians - 6 , Adygeis - 6, Abkhazians - 4, Yakuts - 2, Moldovans - 2, Tuvans - 1 and others.
One of the Heroes of the Soviet Union, a participant in the Great Patriotic War, Don Cossack K. Nedorubov, is also a full Knight of St. George: he received four soldiers' St. George's Crosses during the First World War.
The titles of Hero of the Soviet Union and Hero of Socialist Labor were awarded to 11 people: Stalin I.V., Brezhnev L.I., Khrushchev N.S., Ustinov D.F., Voroshilov K.E., famous pilot V.S. Grizodubova. , General of the Army Tretyak I.M., 1st Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus P.M. Masherov, chairman of the collective farm Orlovsky K.P., director of the state farm Golovchenko V.I., mechanic Trainin P.A.
The title of Hero of the Soviet Union is borne by four full holders of the Order of Glory: guard artilleryman senior sergeant Aleshin A.V., attack pilot junior aviation lieutenant Drachenko I.G., guard marine sergeant major Dubinda P.Kh., artilleryman senior sergeant N.I. Kuznetsov . . The title of Hero of the Soviet Union is also held by 80 holders of the Order of Glory, II degree, and 647 holders of the Order of Glory, III degree.
Five Heroes were subsequently awarded the Order of Labor Glory, III degree: captains Dementiev Yu.A. and Zheltoplyasov I.F., foreman Gusev V.V. and Tatarchenkov P.I., senior sergeant Chernoshein V.A. .
During the Great Patriotic War, more than 20 foreign citizens were awarded the title of GSS. The first of them was a soldier of the 1st Czechoslovak separate battalion, commander of the 1st company, second lieutenant (posthumously awarded the rank of captain) Otakar Jaros. He was awarded the title of Hero on April 17, 1943 posthumously for his feat near the village of Sokolovo on the left bank of the Mzha River near Kharkov in early March 1943.
Six more Czechoslovak citizens became Heroes of the Soviet Union. In the battles for the city of Ovruch in November 1943, the commander of the Czechoslovak partisan detachment, Jan Nalepka, distinguished himself. On the approaches to the station he was mortally wounded, but continued to command the detachment. By decree of May 2, 1945, Nalepka was posthumously awarded the title of GSS. The commander of the Czechoslovak submachine gunner battalion, Lieutenant Sokhor A.A., and the commanders of the tank battalions of the tank brigade of the 1st Czechoslovak Corps, Tessarzhik R.Ya., also received Gold Stars. and Burshik I., 23-year-old tank officer Vaida S.N. (posthumously) , . In November 1965, the legendary commander of the 1st Czechoslovak Separate Battalion (and subsequently the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps), Army General Ludwig Svoboda, was awarded the title of Hero.
Three soldiers of the Polish Army who fought against the Nazis as part of the 1st Polish Infantry Division named after became heroes of the Soviet Union. Tadeusz Kosciuszko (this division was formed in the summer of 1943 and was part of the 33rd Army). The names of the Polish heroes are Wladyslaw Wysocki, Juliusz Gübner and Anelja Krzywoń.
Four pilots of the French Normandie-Niemen air regiment, which fought against German troops on the Soviet-German front, were awarded Gold Star medals. Their names: Marquis Rolland de la Poype, his wingman Marcel Albert, Jacques Andre and Marcel Lefebvre.
The commander of the machine gun company of the 35th Guards Division, Captain Ruben Ruiz Ibarruri (son of the Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Spain, Dolores Ibarruri), distinguished himself in a battle with German tanks at the Kotluban station near the village of Samofalovka near Stalingrad. He was posthumously awarded the title of GSS.
The Bulgarian general Vladimir Stoyanov-Zaimov, an anti-fascist who had republican views and was executed in 1942, became the Hero of the Soviet Union. He was awarded the title of Hero posthumously in 1972.
The German anti-fascist patriot Fritz Schmenkel, who fought the Nazis in a Soviet partisan detachment and died in battle, also became a Hero of the Soviet Union. He was awarded the high rank posthumously on October 6, 1964.
The title of GSS was awarded extremely rarely from 1945 to 1953. In 1948, the second “Gold Star” was awarded to fighter pilot Lieutenant Colonel (later Air Marshal) A.I. Koldunov. for 46 fascist planes shot down during the war.
Among the few post-war Heroes of the Soviet Union, one should name the pilots of the 64th Fighter Aviation Corps, who fought in the skies of North Korea in 1950 - 1953 against American and South Korean aces, jet test pilot P.M. Stefanovsky. and Fedotova I.E. (1948) and the head of the polar weather station "North Pole - 2" Samov M.M. (expedition 1950-1951). Such a high reward for the scientist is explained by the extreme importance of the polar expedition: it explored the possibilities of reaching the shores of America under the ice of the Arctic and, unlike the “Papanin” expedition of 1937, was deeply classified.
The second, post-war wave of repression also affected many Heroes of the Soviet Union. Three times Hero Zhukov G.K. in 1946, he was removed from his post as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Armed Forces and sent to command the secondary Odessa Military District. Hero of the Soviet Union, Fleet Admiral N.G. Kuznetsov, who spent the entire war as Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, was also removed from his post and demoted in rank in 1947. Heroes of the Soviet Union Colonel General V.N. Gordov and Major General (until 1942 - Marshal of the Soviet Union) Kulik G.I. in the early 50s they were shot.
After Stalin's death, the first Heroes appeared in 1956, at the beginning of Khrushchev's "thaw". One of the first acts was the awarding of the USSR Minister of Defense, Marshal of the Soviet Union, G.K. Zhukov in 1956. fourth "Golden Star". There are a few points to note here. Firstly, he was formally awarded on the 60th anniversary of his birth, which was not provided for by the Regulations on the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Secondly, this Regulation determined the awarding of one person with only three “Gold Stars”. Thirdly, he was awarded a month after the “rebellion” in Hungary, the suppression of which by the forces of the Soviet Army he personally organized, i.e. merits in the Hungarian events were the real reason for the award.
For the suppression of the rebellion in Hungary in 1956, the title of GSS was awarded posthumously. For example, in the 7th Guards Airborne Division, out of four recipients, three received the high award posthumously.
In the same 1956, Marshal K.E. Voroshilov became Hero of the Soviet Union. (Decree of February 3, 1956). In 1968, under Brezhnev, he received a second “Star” (Decree of February 22, 1968).
Marshal Budyonny S.M. Khrushchev made him a Hero twice (Decrees of February 1, 1958 and April 24, 1963), and Brezhnev continued this tradition by awarding the 85-year-old Marshal the third “Gold Star” in 1968 (Decree of February 22, 1968).
Khrushchev awarded the title of GSS to Cuban leader Fidel Castro and Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, and a little later to the head of the Algerian government, Ahmed Ben Bell (overthrown by his own people a year later) and the communist leader of the GDR, Walter Ulbricht.
During the Khrushchev “thaw”, for the exploits performed during the war, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to people who under Stalin were branded as “traitors to the Motherland” and “collaborators of the fascists” only because they had been in captivity. Justice was restored to the defender of the Brest Fortress, Major P.M. Gavrilov, the hero of the French resistance, Lieutenant Vasily Porik (posthumously), and the Yugoslav partisan Lieutenant M.G. Gusein-Zade. (posthumously), holder of the Italian Resistance Medal Poletaeva F.A. (posthumously) and others. Former pilot Lieutenant Devyataev M.P. in 1945, he escaped from a fascist concentration camp by hijacking a bomber from an enemy airfield. For this feat, Stalin's investigators "rewarded" him with a camp term as a "traitor", and in 1957 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
In 1964, intelligence officer Richard Sorge became a Hero (posthumously).
On the day of the twentieth anniversary of the victory, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated May 9, 1965, the title of GSS was posthumously awarded to Major General Rakhimov. He was the first general to emerge from among the Uzbek people. Knight of four Orders of the Red Banner, Rakhimov S.U. commanded the 37th Guards Division and died on March 26, 1945 from a direct hit by a German shell on the divisional observation post.
Under Khrushchev, there were many cases of conferring the title of Hero for exploits in peacetime. Thus, in 1957, test pilot V.K. Kokkinaki received the second “Golden Star”. (Decree of September 17, 1957), awarded the first Hero star back in 1938 (Decree of July 17, 1938). In 1953 and 1960, his fellow test pilots S.N. Anokhin became Heroes. and Mosolov G.K.
In 1962, three sailors from the nuclear submarine Leninsky Komsomol, which made a voyage to the North Pole under the eternal ice, became Heroes: Rear Admiral Petemin A.I., Captain 2nd Rank Zhiltsov L.M. and captain-lieutenant Timofeev R.A.
Since 1961, the tradition of awarding the title of Hero to Soviet cosmonauts began. The first of them was cosmonaut No. 1 Yu.A. Gagarin. This tradition was maintained until the abolition of the USSR - the cosmonauts became the last Heroes of the Soviet Union in 1991 (see below).
In 1964, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to the First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee N.S. Khrushchev. for his 70th birthday. To his three gold medals “Hammer and Sickle” of the Hero of Socialist Labor, a “Gold Star” medal was also added.
Brezhnev, L.I., who took his post. continued the awards. In 1965, on the 20th anniversary of the Victory, a provision on Hero Cities appeared, according to which these cities (at that time only five) and the heroic fortress of Brest were awarded the Gold Star medal and the Order of Lenin.
In 1968, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Soviet Army, Voroshilov K.E. received the second “Gold Star”, and Budyonny S.M. - third.
Under Brezhnev, Marshals S.K. Timoshenko and I.Kh. Bagramyan became Heroes twice. and Grechko A.A., and Grechko received the first “Golden Star” also in peacetime - in 1958.
In 1978, the title of Hero was awarded to the Minister of Defense D.F. Ustinov. - a man who was at the head of the People's Commissariat of Armaments during the war, but who had never been to the front. For his work during the war and peacetime, Ustinov, by the way, was already twice awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor (in 1942 and 1961).
In 1969, the first cosmonauts appeared - twice Heroes, who received both "Stars" for space flights: Colonel V.A. Shatalov. and candidate of technical sciences Eliseev A.S. They received both “Golden Stars” within one year (Decrees of January 22, 1969 and October 22, 1969).
Two years later, they were both the first in the world to make a space flight for the third time, but they were not given third “Golden Stars”: perhaps because this flight was unsuccessful and was interrupted on the second day. Subsequently, cosmonauts who made the third and even fourth flight into space did not receive a third “Star”, but were awarded the Order of Lenin.
Cosmonauts - citizens of socialist countries also became Heroes of the Soviet Union, and citizens of capitalist states who flew on Soviet technology were awarded only the Order of Friendship of Peoples.
In 1966, Brezhnev L.I., who already had the Hammer and Sickle gold medal, received the first Golden Star for his 60th birthday, and in 1976, 1978 and 1981, also on his birthdays, three more, becoming the first and only in history four times Hero of the Soviet Union and Hero of Socialist Labor.
Brezhnev's successors continued to award the title of Hero of the Soviet Union to cosmonauts, as well as participants in the war in Afghanistan, which began under Brezhnev. At the same time, the future first ever vice-president of the Russian Federation, A.V. Rutskoy, became Heroes from among the “Afghans”. and the future Minister of Defense of Russia P.I. Grachev.
One of the last GSS titles in the history of the USSR was awarded by Decree of the President of the USSR of May 5, 1990. By his Decree, Mikhail Gorbachev posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union to Ekaterina Ivanovna Zelenko (Gold Star medal No. 11611, Order of Lenin No. 460051). On September 12, 1941, Senior Lieutenant Zelenko rammed a German Me-109 fighter in her Su-2 bomber. Zelenko died after destroying an enemy plane. It was the only ram in aviation history performed by a woman.
By the same Decree of May 5, 1990, the title of GSS was awarded (posthumously) to the legendary submariner Marinesko A.I., who sank the German liner Wilhelm Gustlov with thousands of Nazis on board in January 1945 (for more details, see the article on the Order of the Red Banner ), the most successful female fighter Lidia Vladimirovna Litvyak (in total she destroyed 11 enemy aircraft and died in an air battle on August 1, 1943), a member of the underground organization "Young Guard" Ivan Turkenich (a political department officer of the 99th Infantry Division, Captain Turkenich was mortally wounded in Poland on the approaches to the Wisłoka River on August 13, 1944) and others - only about 30 people.
After the “putsch” of 1991, there was an obscure posthumous awarding of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union to three participants in the events who attacked an armored personnel carrier leaving the White House. By decree of August 24, 1991, Dmitry Komar, Ilya Krichevsky and Vladimir Usov posthumously received the “Golden Stars” of the Hero with numbers 11658, 11659 and 11660. The incident is that they were awarded the highest degree of distinction of the state for an attack on the troops of this very state, who were carrying out government order. In addition, an attack on retreating units cannot in any way be qualified as “committing a heroic feat,” for which, according to the Regulations, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union should be awarded.
The last cosmonaut awarded the title of GSS was Artsebarsky A.P. - commander of the Soyuz TM-13 spacecraft. Starting on May 18, 1991, Artsebarsky, together with Krikalev S.K. and the English cosmonaut H. Sharman docked with the Mir orbital station, spent over 144 days in orbit, and performed 6 spacewalks. He returned to Earth on October 10, 1991, together with T.O. Aubakirov. and the Austrian F. Viebeck. Artsebarsky was awarded the title of Hero by Decree of October 10, 1991.
One of the last assignments of a high rank took place according to Decree of the President of the USSR No. UP-2719 of October 17, 1991. The title of GSS was awarded to Lieutenant Colonel Valery Anatolyevich Burkov “for the heroism and courage shown in carrying out tasks to provide international assistance to the Republic of Afghanistan and selfless actions to protect the constitutional system of the USSR.”
The last conferment of the title of GSS in the history of the Soviet Union took place according to the Decree of December 24, 1991. The last Hero of the Soviet Union was diving specialist Captain 3rd Rank Leonid Mikhailovich Solodkov, who showed courage and heroism while carrying out a special command assignment to test new diving equipment.
154 people became twice Heroes. Of these, five were awarded a high rank even before the war, 103 people were awarded the second Star for exploits during the Great Patriotic War, 1 person (tank brigade commander Major General A.A. Aslanov) was awarded the second Star posthumously by Decree of June 21, 1991 , 1 person (Kokkinaki V.K.) was awarded for testing aircraft technology, 9 people became twice Heroes after the war in connection with various anniversaries, and 35 people received the high rank of GSS twice for space exploration.
In general, over the entire history of the USSR, 12,745 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
154 people became twice Heroes.
Three Gold Star medals were awarded to three people: Marshal of the Soviet Union S.M. Budyonny. (02/01/1958, 04/24/1963, 02/22/1968), Colonel General of Aviation Kozhedub I.N. (02/04/1944, 08/19/1944, 08/18/1945) and Air Marshal A.I. Pokryshkin. (24.05.1943, 24.08.1943, 19.08.1944).
Two people were awarded four Gold Star medals: Marshal of the Soviet Union L.I. Brezhnev. (12/18/1966, 12/18/1976, 12/19/1978, 12/18/1981) and Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov. (08/29/1939, 07/29/1944, 06/01/1945, 12/01/1956).
You can learn about the features and types of medals on the USSR Medals website
Approximate cost of the medal.
How much does a Gold Star medal cost? Below we give the approximate price for some rooms:According to the current legislation of the Russian Federation, the purchase and/or sale of medals, orders, documents of the USSR and Russia is prohibited; this is all described in Article 324. Purchase or sale of official documents and state awards. You can read about this in more detail in, in which the law is described in more detail, as well as those medals, orders and documents that do not relate to this ban are described.