Medal "Gold Star"

A country USSR
Type medal
Establishment date August 1, 1939
First award November 4, 1939
Last award December 24, 1991
Awards 12776
Status not awarded
Who is it awarded to? persons awarded the title “Hero of the Soviet Union”
Awarded by Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR
Reasons for the award for personal or collective services to the Soviet state and society associated with the accomplishment of a heroic feat
Options weight without pad 21.5 g, total 34.264±1.5 g.

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

History of the award

Initially, the USSR abandoned 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 feat. Initially, the Heroes of the Soviet Union were awarded a certificate from the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, but three years later, when there were already 122 of them, a decision was made to create a distinctive sign. On August 1, 1939, a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was adopted establishing the “Hero of the Soviet Union” medal, which, in accordance with the amendments of October 16, 1939 to 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 units and was replaced by “Hero of the USSR.

Everyone who was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union before October 16, 1939 was awarded a new medal.

Statute of the award

Reasons for awarding

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

“The title of Hero of the Soviet Union (GUS) 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 provisions for conferring the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The medal can be awarded posthumously.

Medal "Gold Star" for the heroic actions of defenders and residents during the Great Patriotic War, 13 hero cities were awarded.

Wearing order

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

Place in the hierarchy of awards

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

Description of the award

At the competition for the design of a new medal, there were many sketches, most containing portraits of Lenin and Stalin, as well as symbols of the country, the Red Banner, the Red Star, etc. Best works They made it in metal and presented it to Stalin for evaluation, he immediately pointed to the Gold 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 the 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 ray there is the serial number of the issued medal, the height of the number is 1 mm.

There are several known options for making the Gold Star medal:

  1. With a rectangular block measuring 15x25 mm without an intermediate link. The medal was attached to the block through rigid connecting rings (ears). Awarded until October 1943.
  2. With a rectangular block measuring 15x19.5 mm and an intermediate connecting link (ring).
  3. On the reverse there is a Roman numeral II and a number. To award twice Heroes of the Soviet Union.
  4. On the reverse there is a Roman numeral III and a number. To award three times Heroes of the Soviet Union.
  5. On the reverse there is a Roman numeral IV and a number. To award four times Heroes of the Soviet Union.

Manufacturing materials

The Gold Star medal was made of pure 950 gold. The medal block was made of silver. The total weight of the medal as of 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.

Examples of awards

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was first awarded on April 20, 1934 for the rescue of a polar expedition and the crew of the icebreaker Chelyuskin. 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 carried out flights to evacuate people from the ice floe were the first to be awarded this title. Certificate No. 1 was awarded to A.V. Lyapidevsky. and after the introduction of the medal, he was awarded the “Gold Star” No. 1. Beginning in December 1936, when conferring the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the Gold Star medal was also 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 Red Army commanders participating in civil war in Spain. Among them were the first foreigners awarded this medal - the Italian Primo Gibelli, the German Ernst Schacht and the Bulgarian Zakhari 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 dated 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 who 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, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to a woman by decree of November 2, 1938. 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. 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 occurred in the period 1941-1945. about 91% of the total number of awardees. For exploits accomplished during the Great Patriotic War, 11 thousand 657 people were awarded the high title (of which 3051 were posthumous), including 107 twice (of which 7 were posthumous). Among the Heroes of the Soviet Union, participants in the Great Patriotic War, there are 90 women (49 of them posthumously).

During the Great Patriotic War, the first fighter pilots to receive the title of HERO OF THE SOVIET UNION 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 HERO OF THE SOVIET UNION was awarded to him by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated July 8, 1941. The first Hero of the Soviet Union in ground forces became 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 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 HERO OF THE SOVIET UNION was awarded to him by the Decree of the PVS of the USSR of August 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 HERO OF THE SOVIET UNION 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).

By decree of February 16, 1942 highest degree The USSR distinction was awarded to 18-year-old partisan Zoya Anatolyevna Kosmodemyanskaya (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. In total, as a result of the battle of Moscow, more than 100 people became Heroes.

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.

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 everything personnel units were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

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

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 discreditable acts and 13 canceled Decrees as unfounded), including twice - 154 (9 posthumously), three times - 3 and four times - 2. The total number of Heroes of the Soviet Union is 95 women. Among the Heroes of the Soviet Union, 44 people are citizens of foreign countries. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union for one reason or another (overwhelmingly for crimes) was 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 3rd rank Leonid Mikhailovich Solodkov. When receiving the “Golden Star” of the Hero, he, as an officer, according to the regulations, was supposed to answer: “I serve the Soviet Union!” However, at the time the award was presented (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, “Thank you,” to Air Marshal E. I. Shaposhnikov, who presented him with the award. After the collapse of the USSR, the title “Hero of the Soviet Union” was abolished. Instead, on March 20, 1992, the title “Hero” was established in Russia Russian Federation", also awarded for outstanding feats. Legally, Heroes of the Soviet Union have the same rights as 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 of twice Hero of the Soviet Union.

  • Air Marshal Pokryshkin A. I. (05/24/1943, 08/24/1943, 08/19/1944)
  • Air Marshal Kozhedub I. N. (02/04/1944, 08/19/1944, 08/18/1945)
  • Marshal of the Soviet Union S. M. Budyonny (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 Brezhnev L. I. (12/18/1966, 12/18/1976, 12/19/1978, 12/18/1981)

see also

Literature and sources of information

S. Shishkova “Awards of the USSR 1918-1991”

Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Brief Biographical Dictionary / Prev. ed. collegium I. N. Shkadov. - M.: Voenizdat, 1987. - T. 1 /Abaev - Lyubichev/. - 911 p. - 100,000 copies. - ISBN ex., Reg. No. in RKP 87-95382.

Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Brief Biographical Dictionary / Prev. ed. collegium I. N. Shkadov. - M.: Voenizdat, 1988. - T. 2 /Lubov - 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

Gold Star Medal was established by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on August 1, 1939 as an insignia of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union called the medal “Hero of the Soviet Union.” By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated October 16, 1939, it was renamed “Golden Star”, and the drawing and description were also approved.

Regulations on the Gold Star medal

The medal is made in the shape of a five-pointed star with polished dihedral fifteen millimeter rays on the front side. The reverse was a smooth surface bordered along the contour by a thin rim. In its center, in raised letters, was written: “Hero of the USSR.” The number was in the upper beam. Spring awards 21.5 grams, with the help of an eyelet and a link, the medal was attached to a rectangular gilded block covered with a red moire ribbon, the width of which was 22 millimeters. The provision provided for the possibility of repeated awards. Such a hero was awarded the Order of Lenin and a second medal, and to commemorate the feats of the recipient, a bronze bust with an appropriate inscription was built in his homeland.

According to the first statute (August 1939), the award was called the “Medal of the Hero of the Soviet Union” and was declared the highest award of the USSR, awarded for special valor shown in defending the Motherland as well as for special services to the party and government. Initially, it was planned to place on the front side the inscription “Hero of the SS” (meaning Hero of the Soviet Union), however, due to unwanted associations that arose (with German SS units), the inscription was removed already in November of the same year, and instead the inscription “ “ Hero of the USSR." The statute of November 1939 changed the very name of the award; from now on until the end of its existence it was called the “Gold Star Medal.” In addition, rules for repeated and third awards were added to the statute. It was established that the second and third star on the reverse should have serial numbers II and III respectively (Roman numerals). The cavaliers were also celebrated by installing bronze busts: at the second award - in their homeland and at the third - in the courtyard of the Palace of the Soviets. Special mention should be made about the last rule: at the time the statute was approved, the Palace of Soviets was just beginning to be built, it was assumed that it would be a huge 420-meter skyscraper, topped with a 100-meter statue of Lenin. The location is on the bank of the Moscow River; the famous Cathedral of Christ the Savior was demolished especially for this construction. However, with the outbreak of the war, construction was frozen and was never resumed, so busts of three times heroes of the Soviet Union were placed in the Kremlin, although a corresponding change to the award statute was made only in 1967.

The medal could be awarded not only to individuals who committed a heroic feat and were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, but also to cities that were awarded the title “Hero City” and fortresses awarded the title “Hero Fortress”.

When the Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded the Order of Lenin, he was also presented with a diploma from the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. The medal is worn on the left side of the chest above all other USSR awards. Twice Hero of the Soviet Union for new heroic deeds similar to those performed earlier could be awarded the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star for the third time.

The first Heroes of the Soviet Union were not awarded the Golden Star, because at that time the title of Hero did not yet have external attributes. Later, the highest insignia of this title was awarded to the rescuers of the crew of the sunken Chelyuskin. The first on the list to receive this medal is S. Levanevsky, who did not have time to receive it during his lifetime, as he died in the North Pole region while making a direct flight to the USA.

In 1939-1940 Many received the “Gold Star” soviet soldiers, who fought on the side of the Republican Army of Spain and took part in the defeat of Japanese troops in the area of ​​Lake Khasan and the Khalkhin Gol River, and also distinguished themselves in battles on the Karelian Isthmus during the Soviet-Finnish armed conflict.

In total, before 1941, it was awarded to more than 600 people. The “Gold Star” medal was awarded to the hero cities of Leningrad, Stalingrad, Odessa, Sevastopol, Moscow, Kyiv, Novorossiysk, Kerch, Minsk, Tula, Murmansk and Smolensk, as well as the hero fortress of Brest.


More than 90% of awards occurred during the Great Patriotic War: 11,657 soldiers and officers received the Gold Star Medal, 3,051 of them posthumously. The large number of awards is explained, first of all, by massive displays of heroism Soviet people, The Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union was never given to anyone “for beautiful eyes.” Both experienced warriors and completely green boys, yesterday’s schoolchildren and students, did not spare their lives for the sake of ridding the Motherland of the fascist infection. The Medal of the Hero of the Soviet Union was deservedly received by the pilot Stepan Zdorovtsev, who rammed a fascist bomber on the first night of the war, and Sergeant Vasily Kislyakov, who single-handedly held the heights from the advancing Germans for 7 hours, and Alexander Matrosov, who covered the enemy embrasure with his body, and thousands more selfless men, women and even children who fought the brown plague to the last drop of blood.

After 1945, the Hero of the Soviet Union Medal was awarded to participants in the Korean (1950-1953) and Afghan (1979-1989) wars: 22 and 86 gentlemen, respectively, and until the 80s, awards continued for heroes of the Great Patriotic War, which for various reasons have not previously received a well-deserved award. Soviet cosmonauts also received the Hero Star (84 awards in total).

The “Hero of the Soviet Union” medal is one of the highest insignia, which was awarded for the corresponding rank. It was established during the formation of the USSR, but remained an award badge in the Russian Federation. Initially, the title appeared, and then it was decided to award all Heroes of the USSR with the “Gold Star”.

The title appeared in 1934. The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR decided that all citizens who distinguished themselves in military operations should be awarded the title of Hero of the USSR. Initially, the award and title had no common ground. Everyone who received the title was awarded another insignia - the Order of Lenin.

This went on for two years, after which it was decided that the title would receive a corresponding award, which was considered one of the most valuable. The “Golden Star” of the Union appeared in 1936; architect Miron Merzhanov participated in the development of the design.

Medal "Golden Star" of the Hero of the Soviet Union

The medal was considered an additional badge; initially there was no information about how many times the title and medal could be awarded to one person. There was no information about whether the recipients should also be awarded the Order of Lenin. But later these points were clarified.

The title of Hero of the USSR could be awarded to any citizen who lived on the territory of the USSR. A hero could be awarded twice; in addition, receiving a medal and being awarded a title allowed a person to receive certain benefits and enjoy them throughout his life.

It is natural that greatest number medals were received during the Second World War. In addition, in addition to the title, the citizen received:

  1. Order of Lenin or Gold Star medal, depending on the year of presentation.
  2. Certificate of honor.

In addition, a bronze bust was erected to the hero in his homeland; if a person was awarded the title twice, if three times, then a bronze bust was installed in the Kremlin.

The idea that distinguished citizens should be awarded a title was so popular with the leaders of countries under the influence of the USSR that similar awards were established in many of them.

The award badge was of particular value among collectors; today the Gold Star medal is a good exhibit for any collection. But the sale and purchase of medals from the USSR era on the territory of our country is prosecuted by law. Therefore, it is rare to find such a lot.

Considering that the title was awarded only before the collapse of the USSR, and after that the award was already called differently, it is difficult to say exactly how much it costs at auction. Assessing its market value, we can say that the price ranges from one to two thousand dollars. But collectors will likely offer a higher price.

The title is priceless and for this reason the people to whom it was awarded were entitled to a number of benefits. The title was also often combined with other awards and medals. Hero of Socialist Labor and Hero of the Soviet Union - these titles were often awarded together. Cosmonauts and pilots were especially loved by the secretaries general, so they were awarded the award more often than other representatives of military structures.

Title deprivation statistics:

  • a total of 72 people were deprived of the title of Hero for one reason or another, mainly criminal offenses;
  • 15 people from this list were subsequently shot;
  • 13 people never received the title due to the fact that the decrees on assignment were revoked, the reason for this was unjustified assignment;
  • 61 people for one reason or another were deprived of the title of Hero, but were later restored to the title;
  • 11 of those who were stripped of their rank and shot were subsequently rehabilitated.

The last person to receive the award was Leonid Solodkov, but at the time he was awarded the title, the Soviet Union itself no longer existed. Less than a month had passed since the collapse, so when presented, the newly-made hero, instead of answering “I serve the Soviet Union,” limited himself to only the phrase: “Thank you.”

Certificate for the medal

It is also noteworthy that four Heroes of the Soviet Union, after its collapse, received the title of Heroes of the Russian Federation. Two of them were astronauts.

During the Soviet era, only two people became Heroes four times. Only Marshal Zhukov received such an honor and, of course, Leonid Brezhnev, who had a love for orders and medals, for this reason he awarded them to himself without any apparent reason.

There were also women among the Heroes; before the start of the Great Patriotic War, three representatives of the fair sex were awarded the title. During the Second World War, the number of women among those awarded increased significantly and reached 90 people. But 47 of them were awarded the title posthumously.

Hero Medal in the USSR

The “Golden Star” of the Union did not immediately receive the name “Golden Star”, initially the medal was called similarly to the title, but due to the design and shape of the star, the award was renamed. It was considered the highest and most prestigious, awarded for special services to the Fatherland, for military exploits, courage and bravery in the performance of official or military duties.

And also the title and, accordingly, the award was awarded not only to people, but also to cities, and also to fortresses.

After the establishment of the award, it was decided to build the Palace of the Soviets, which would contain busts made of bronze of citizens - three times Heroes. In order to build a palace on the banks of the Moscow River, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was demolished, but the war intervened in the communist plans and construction was frozen. It is noteworthy that it was never resumed; the planned skyscraper with a height of more than 400 meters was never built. Therefore, all the busts of Heroes who received the medal three times were in the Kremlin.

The award badge was made of gold and had the shape of a five-pointed star (the rays are sharp, visually divided into two halves). The weight of the medal was 21.5 grams. Quite a lot, considering that high 950 gold was used to make the star.

On the reverse of the sign there was the inscription “To the Hero of the Soviet Union”; the inscription was initially written in an abbreviated version, replacing the Soviet Union with the abbreviation SS, but later it was decided to change the abbreviation. The reason for the change was the negative associations of citizens: the SS was associated with a fascist organization and occupying troops.

It was also necessary to make a mark on the star indicating which time the medal was awarded to the citizen; it was made in Roman numerals. If the award badge was lost for a good reason, then the owner was given a duplicate, it had a corresponding mark in the form of the letter “D”. The country's leadership considered military actions to be a valid reason.

If a citizen already had the title of Hero and an award badge, but at the same time he was re-awarded the title for an accomplished heroic deed, then in addition to the Gold Star medal, the hero could be awarded the Order of Lenin.

Since the “Gold Star” is considered one of the highest and most honorable awards, it should be worn above other medals and orders on the chest on the left side. The award badge has a block and a ring; the year of presentation of the badge must be indicated on the reverse.

The rules for re-awarding did not appear immediately; clarifications regarding the possible number of awards of the title did not appear. But here are the clarifications that concerned appearance medals, awarded for the third and second time, appeared only in 1939. In addition, the mention that busts of heroes should be in the Kremlin appeared only in the 1960s.

Despite the fact that the award appeared after the title was established, its cultural and historical value is quite high. IN different years The following citizens were awarded the Gold Star medal:

  1. Rescuers of the sunken crew "Chelyuskin", the first name on the list was the name of the pilot S. Levanevsky, but during his lifetime he did not have time to receive the award. The pilot died while flying over the North Pole to the United States.
  2. In the 40s of the 20th century, the awards were awarded mainly to participants in the fighting on the Karelian Isthmus.
  3. Until 1941, about 600 people received the medal.
  4. Cosmonauts were especially popular with the authorities: 84 people received awards.
  5. The awarding of heroes of the Great Patriotic War continued after its end, the reason being that some citizens were unable to receive a medal for one reason or another.

Today at auctions you can find quite a lot a large number of awards made of gold. If the authenticity of the star has not been established, then its price will not exceed $20. In order to conduct a profitable transaction, it is necessary to prove the authenticity of the mark. This is done through a series of examinations, they are carried out in accordance with the rules of the auction. But by proving the authenticity of the award, its value can be significantly increased. In this case, collectors will be ready to purchase the Star at a better price.

It’s difficult to say exactly how much the insignia costs, but under unfavorable circumstances the seller may have problems with the law.

Similar auctions take place at various auctions, but do not forget that all orders and medals have an identification number by which they can be recognized by finding out information about the owner. The authorities may prevent the transaction from being completed. Particular attention is paid to rare orders and medals, as well as collected collections that are of great value as historical and cultural heritage.

Rosokhrankultura is involved in resolving issues; the organization monitors such lots. If necessary, officials may send a request to remove a lot from sale until the identity of the seller is established. The reason is that the sale of award badges is prohibited in Russia, but the ban does not apply to other countries. According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, an enterprising seller may face a fine or correctional labor.

When selling award badge on the territory of another state it is necessary to confirm its authenticity. Only the owner can do this, but if government officials have questions about the authenticity and true owner of the medal, the lot can be withdrawn from auction until the owner is identified.

The issue is quite controversial, and if problems arise when selling a medal or putting a lot up for auction, they must be resolved as soon as possible. Otherwise, problems with the law may arise. But this does not mean that the Gold Star medal cannot be sold or bought at auction.

Organizers of auctions do not have the right to disclose information about the owners of lots; this information is kept secret. Therefore, finding out the names of sellers is not so easy. And to establish the authenticity of award badges, you need to meet with their owners. Using identification numbers, one can obtain information about who originally owned the awards, but the authorities have no information about who is the owner of orders and medals today.

Hero of Russia

After the fall of the Union, the tradition of awarding the Gold Star medal as a badge of honor did not disappear. The country's leadership decided to continue presenting awards, but since the country of the USSR no longer existed, the title of Hero of the Russian Federation and the corresponding award appeared.

The insignia, like the title, is considered the highest award in Russia, awarded to citizens for special services to the Fatherland, bravery and courage when performing military tasks.

The appearance of the sign has remained virtually unchanged, only now it is customary to decorate the star with a ribbon in the color of the Russian tricolor. The medal also has five sharp rays, each 1.5 cm long.

The reverse of the star has a smooth, even surface, it is limited by a rim, and the inscription “To the Hero of Russia” is applied to the surface of the reverse of the sign. The medal also has an identification number that allows you to identify the owner.

The title can be awarded to one person several times; there are no restrictions on this matter in the legislation of the Russian Federation. There is a certain similarity here with the presentation of the insignia during the Soviet era.

In the upper ray of the award badge there is a mark in the form of a number; it is convex, indicating the time the badge was awarded to the citizen. And also in raised letters there is an inscription on the reverse of the medal. The weight of the star has not changed, it is also 21.5 grams.

During the Soviet era, it was customary to decorate the Kremlin with busts of heroes, and the bust had to be installed in the person’s homeland. Partially this tradition has survived to this day. Now, in order for his bronze bust to be installed in the hero’s homeland, it is necessary to receive two titles: Hero of the Russian Federation and Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation.

But to receive the title and award badge, you must have grounds. In most cases the following were noted:

  • combatants;
  • participants of the Great Patriotic War;
  • aviation equipment testers;
  • citizens who have distinguished themselves in the fight against terrorism;
  • participants of the first Chechen war;
  • sailors, submariners and naval equipment testers;
  • astronauts;
  • persons who distinguished themselves in saving someone else's life, including rescuers from the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

If we evaluate the market value of the award, then it is not as high as that of orders and medals from the times of the USSR. Undoubtedly, the sign has a certain value, since it is made of precious metal, but its sale on the territory of Russia cannot be carried out in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation. Since the insignia has an identification number, identifying the owner is not difficult.

The highest rank of the USSR - Hero of the Soviet Union- was established on April 16, 1934. According to the Regulations, “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 feat.” The uniqueness of this award was that it was neither an order nor a title.

For the first time, the country's highest rank was awarded three days later to the pilots who distinguished themselves in rescuing the crew of the icebreaker "Chelyuskin" - Anatoly Lyapidevsky, Sigismund Levanevsky, Vasily Molokov, Nikolai Kamanin, Mavriky Slepnev, Mikhail Vodopyanov and Ivan Doronin. The destinies of the first Heroes turned out well for the most part. Only Levanevsky went missing in 1937 during an attempt to make a non-stop flight to the United States on the newest DB-A bomber (numerous attempts to find the missing plane have so far led to nothing). Slepnev and Doronin died shortly after the Great Patriotic War. Vodopyanov (died in 1980), Molokov (1982), Lyapidevsky (1983, he died after catching a cold at Molokov’s funeral) and Kamanin (1984) lived to old age.

Initially, the Heroes were only entitled to a special certificate of honor from the USSR Central Executive Committee. But from July 29, 1936, when the Regulations on the title of Hero were issued, their holders were also automatically awarded highest award countries - Order of Lenin. Thus, the Hero of the Soviet Union of the 1934-36 model has no external differences. there were none, and the Hero of the Soviet Union of the 1936 model was no different in appearance from the “ordinary” holder of the highest order of the USSR.

In the same year, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded for the first time for military feats. On December 31, 1936, 11 Red Army commanders who distinguished themselves in Spain received it. Among them was the first foreigner Hero of the Soviet Union - Bulgarian Volkan Goranov (real name Zakhari Zahariev). He subsequently became commander of the Bulgarian Air Force and was awarded the title of Hero in 1974 People's Republic Bulgaria. At the same time, the title was awarded posthumously for the first time; it was awarded to three pilots who fell in Spain.

The fates of some heroes from this “Spanish” cohort of 1936 were tragic. So, Lieutenant S.A. Chernykh, one of the first Soviet pilots, who shot down the then-newest Messerschmitt-109 in the skies of Spain, at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War he commanded the 9th Mixed Air Division, which was practically destroyed at the airfields on the very first day of the war (out of 409 aircraft, 347 were killed). Hero, accused of criminal inaction, was shot on June 27, 1941.

On October 25, 1938, the first mass conferment of the title of Hero took place: 26 people received it for their bravery shown in the battles near Lake Khasan. It was then that not only the commanders, but also four ordinary soldiers of the Red Army became Heroes for the first time. And soon after that, on November 2, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to women for the first time - pilots Valentina Grizodubova, Polina Osipenko and Marina Raskova, who were awarded for a non-stop flight from Moscow to the Far East.

The year 1939 was marked by an important innovation. In order to outwardly distinguish the Heroes of the Soviet Union, of whom there were already 122, from ordinary holders of the Order of Lenin, On August 1, 1939, a special medal “Hero of the Soviet Union” was established. However, already on October 16 of the same year it was renamed medal "Gold Star". At the same time it was clarified that it could be awarded more than once, but no more than three times. Moreover, the Order of Lenin was issued only with the first star, but not with subsequent ones. The first presentation of the Golden Star took place on November 4, 1939, when Hero of the Soviet Union No. 1 Lyapidevsky received Star No. 1.

The description of the medal is as follows: "Medal "Gold Star" is 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 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.”

It must be said that the medal block measuring 15 by 19.5 mm existed for a very short time - from August 1, 1939 to June 19, 1943. About a thousand such “Gold Stars” were awarded (the maximum currently known number is 717). From June 19, 1943 until the collapse of the USSR, the dimensions of the block on which the medal was worn were already 26 by 21.5 mm. The medal was made of 950 gold and weighed 34.2 grams together with the block.

For participation in the battles on the Khalkhin Gol River, 70 people received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, 20 of them posthumously. And on August 29, 1939, the first twice Heroes of the Soviet Union appeared in the country. These were military pilots Major Sergei Gritsevets and Major (later the youngest in the Red Army, Lieutenant General) Grigory Kravchenko. They did not live to see the Victory: Gritsevets died in a plane crash less than a month after the award, and Kravchenko died in battle in February 1943.

In 1940, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to 15 crew members of the icebreaking steamship Georgy Sedov, which drifted in the ice for 812 days. This award remains unique - no other entire crew of a ship has ever received this title. Following the results of the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-40. 412 people became heroes.

In total, until June 22, 1941, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to 626 people, including three women. Five people became twice Heroes - pilots S.I. Gritsevets, S.P. Denisov, G.P. Kravchenko, Ya.V. Smushkevich and polar explorer I.D. Papanin.

It is easy to notice that the vast majority of pre-war Heroes were military pilots, among whom were real legends - Valery Chkalov, Mikhail Gromov, Vladimir Kokkinaki... This was easily explainable - in the 1930s, the profession of a pilot was surrounded by an aura of romance; they were genuine national idols. And it is not surprising that the first Heroes of the Soviet Union in the Great Patriotic War were also the pilots: junior lieutenants M.P. Zhukov, S.I. Zdorovtsev and P.T. Kharitonov, who rammed their I-16 fighters on June 27, 1941 enemy bombers. They were awarded the high rank on July 8. The first twice Hero during the war was also a pilot, Lieutenant Colonel S.P. Suprun, who was mortally wounded in an unequal air battle on July 4, 1941 and received the second title of Hero posthumously on July 22.

In the ground forces, the first Hero was the commander of the 1st Moscow Motorized Rifle Division, Colonel Ya.G. Kreiser, who received the title on July 15, 1941 for organizing the defense on the Berezina River. The first partisan to be awarded the highest rank of the country was the commander and commissar of the Belarusian detachment “Red October” T.P. Bumazhkov (August 6). The first sailor - Hero of the Soviet Union fought in the Northern Fleet, it was senior sergeant V.P. Kislyakov, who distinguished himself during the landing (the title was awarded on August 14). But border guards Lieutenant A.K. Konstantinov, Sergeant I.D. Buzytskov and Junior Sergeant V.F. Mikhalkov, who courageously met the enemy on the first day of the war, June 22, 1941, received their well-deserved “Gold Stars” only on August 26. The first woman awarded a high rank during the war (posthumously) was Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya on February 19, 1942.

During 1942, the first twice Heroes of the Soviet Union appeared, receiving both titles during the war: pilots Lieutenant Colonel B.F. Safonov and Captain A.I. Molodchiy. The next year, 1943, nine twice-Heroes appeared. The awarding of this title for crossing the Dnieper became widespread - then 2,438 people became Heroes, of which 1,268 were privates and sergeants, 1,123 officers and 47 generals and marshals. In 1943, the first Hero of the Soviet Union appeared - a foreigner who was neither a citizen of the USSR nor a soldier of the Red Army. This was second lieutenant of the Czechoslovak army Otakar Jaros, awarded the title posthumously on April 17.

On August 19, 1944, in the USSR, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded for the third time to fighter pilot Colonel A.I. Pokryshkin. Two more people became three times Heroes after the war. This is Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov, who received the third “Gold Star” on June 1, 1945, and fighter pilot Major I.N. Kozhedub (awarded on August 18, 1945). By the way, in 1944 another one three times Hero - the third most effective pilot after Kozhedub and Pokryshkin, Major N.D. Gulaev, but, having learned about the upcoming award, he went on such a joyful spree in a Moscow restaurant that he was stripped of his rank, without even receiving the “Gold Star”, and so and remained twice a Hero...

In the entire history of the Great Patriotic War, there were only three cases when the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to all soldiers of one unit. On July 21, 1942, 28 Panfilov heroes from the 1075th Rifle Regiment became heroes, on May 18, 1943 - a platoon of the 78th Guards Rifle Regiment under the command of Lieutenant P.N. Shironin, and on April 2, 1945 - paratroopers of the senior detachment Lieutenant K.F. Olshansky, who fought courageously during the liberation of the city of Nikolaev.

Children have also been repeatedly awarded the title of Hero for their exploits on the battlefield. – 14-year-old Marat Kazei and Lenya Golikov, 16-year-old Sasha Chekalin, 17-year-old Zina Portnova. The last young Hero to receive this title for a feat accomplished in the war was a motor mechanic separate detachment semi-gliders of the 1st Bobruisk brigade of river ships of the Dnieper military flotilla, Red Navy man Vladimir Cherinov. He died during the storming of the German capital on April 24, 1945 with the words: “Tell my mother that I finally reached Berlin.”

The destinies of the Heroes of the Soviet Union during the war sometimes developed very unusually. This was Hero of the Soviet Union No. 1733 (title awarded on October 10, 1943), Guard Senior Lieutenant Ivan Ivanovich Datsenko, flight commander of the 10th Long-Range Aviation Regiment. The official biographical reference book “Heroes of the Soviet Union” says that he “did not return from a combat mission on April 12, 1944.” However, in fact, Datsenko managed to jump with a parachute, landed on enemy territory and was able to cross the front line, after which he was arrested and sent to a filtration camp. Datsenko fled along the way and later emigrated to Canada, where he married the daughter of an Indian chief and eventually... he himself became the leader of the tribe.

During the Great Patriotic War, the absolute majority of all Heroes of the Soviet Union received their titles - 11,657 people, or 91 percent of 100. Among them were 2,400 pilots, 1,800 artillerymen, 1,142 tank crews, approximately 650 sappers, 513 sailors, more than 290 signalmen, 234 partisans and underground fighter, more than 150 border guards, officers and soldiers internal troops, 52 rear soldiers. 3051 people were awarded the high rank posthumously.

Twice Hero of the Soviet Union in 1941-45. 107 people became victims (seven were posthumous) , of which four are Marshals of the Soviet Union (G.K. Zhukov, A.M. Vasilevsky, I.S. Konev and K.K. Rokossovsky), one Chief Marshal aviation, 21 generals and 76 officers. And as already mentioned, only A.I. Pokryshkin ended the war three times as a Hero.

Most of the Gold Star recipients were officers - 61 percent, followed by privates and non-commissioned officers(35 percent, with twice Heroes - none), but there were very few generals, admirals and marshals among the Heroes - 380 people, or more than 3 percent. During the war, the high rank was awarded to 90 women (49 posthumously) and 18 foreign citizens, including one woman.

At the end of 1945, the number of Heroes of the Soviet Union in the USSR increased by 93 people. They received the country's highest rank for exploits performed during the war with Japan, with six people receiving this title twice.

During 1945-53. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union, again, as before the war, was awarded very infrequently and only for outstanding military exploits. 22 people received the rank for the Korean War, including pilot Major S.P. Subbotin, who in 1951 was the first in the world to successfully ram a MiG-15 jet fighter. However, no noise was made about these exploits in the USSR. For example, if they said on the radio that Subbotin was a Hero of the Soviet Union, they immediately clarified that he was awarded the title in... 1944.

After the death of I.V. Stalin, the attitude towards the title of Hero of the Soviet Union among the ruling elite of the country began to gradually change. Now it was appropriated not only for outstanding military exploits, but for a variety of reasons. So, on February 3, 1956, the “Gold Star” was awarded for the first time... for his birthday. On his 75th birthday, it was received by the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Marshal of the Soviet Union K.E. Voroshilov. And already on December 1 of the same year, the first four-time Hero of the Soviet Union appeared in the USSR. In honor of his 60th anniversary, the Minister of Defense of the USSR, Marshal of the Soviet Union and three times Hero of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov received the heroic title. Thus, the Title Regulations of 1939 were violated, which clearly indicated the maximum number of possible awards - three. In addition, along with the fourth “Gold Star”, Zhukov also received the Order of Lenin, and according to the rules of 1939, it was awarded only with the first medal, but not with subsequent ones.

Subsequently, after these precedents, cases of assignment highest rank countries as a “gift” for anniversaries or memorable dates honored military leaders and statesmen have become more frequent and have practically become the norm. Thus, Marshal of the Soviet Union K.E. Voroshilov received his second “Gold Star” on the eve of his 50th anniversary Soviet army, February 22, 1968. And Marshal of the Soviet Union S.M. Budyonny overtook Voroshilov in the number of “gift” “Golden Stars”, becoming the fourth three-time Hero in the history of the USSR (February 1, 1958, April 24, 1963 and February 22, 1968) The initiator of this practice The First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee N.S. Khrushchev did not forget himself: on his 70th birthday, he added the Hero of Socialist Labor and the “Gold Star” of the Hero of the Soviet Union to the three stars he already had...

Khrushchev's reign was also marked by the fact that the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, in addition to the “anniversary”, also became a “diplomatic” award. It was generously distributed " to the right people» of very different political orientations. Among these Heroes of the Soviet Union are the Prime Minister of Algeria Ahmed Ben Bell, the head of Cuba Fidel Castro, the President and Vice President of Egypt Gamal Abdel Nasser and Amer Abdel Hakim. Of the heads of European states, six became Heroes of the Soviet Union - Walter Ulbricht and Erich Honecker (GDR), Janos Kadar (Hungary), Ludwik Svoboda and Gustav Husak (Czechoslovakia), Todor Zhivkov (Bulgaria). The awarding of heroic titles to them evoked quite understandable feelings among the people - from irony to outright indignation. The general opinion was expressed in the song by Vladimir Vysotsky:

I'll lose my true faith

It hurts me for our USSR:

Take the order from Nasser,

Does not fit into the Nasser order!

You can even curse from the podium,

Give out gifts at random,

Calling Nasser our brother,

But giving a Hero is a no-brainer!

Why is there no gold in the country?

They gave away, you bastards, they gave away.

It would be better if they gave it in war,

And the Nassers would forgive us later!

“Secret” assignments of high ranks continued. Ramon Ivanovich Lopez became such a “secret” Hero of the Soviet Union No. 11,089 on May 31, 1960 - by this name Ramon Mercader was known in the USSR, who received this award for the murder of L.D. Trotsky in 1940.

During the 1960-70s. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union has been awarded more than once to foreigners who distinguished themselves during the Great Patriotic War. In 1964, it was awarded to Wehrmacht soldier Friedrich Schmenkel, who during the war defected to the USSR, fought in a partisan detachment, was captured by the Nazis and executed. In 1972, General of the Bulgarian Army Vladimir Zaimov became a posthumous Hero, in 1938-42. actively collaborated with Soviet intelligence and was shot for it. And in general, in the 1960s and 70s in the USSR they actively tried to “catch up” for lost time by posthumously assigning high titles to heroes who had been underestimated in the past. Among them are intelligence officer R. Sorge, who made a daring escape from enemy captivity M.P. Devyatayev, defender of the Brest Fortress Major P.M. Gavrilov, partisan in Italy F.A. Poletaev, underground fighter M.T. Kislyak. Pskov peasant M.K. Kuzmin, who repeated the feat of Ivan Susanin during the war and was awarded the “Gold Star” posthumously in 1965, became the oldest holder of this title (he accomplished the feat at the age of 83). By the way, the most young hero Soviet Union - 14-year-old partisan Valya Kotik - also received the title posthumously, in 1958.

Since 1961, the “Golden Stars” of Heroes of the Soviet Union have invariably been awarded to everyone Soviet cosmonauts starting with Yuri Gagarin. The first cosmonauts - twice Heroes appeared in 1969, these were V.A. Shatalov and A.S. Eliseev, and both “Golden Stars” were earned by them within one year (January 22 and October 22, 1969) Only twice 35 cosmonauts became heroes. However, later, when cosmonauts appeared who made the third and fourth flights, they were no longer awarded the heroic title for these exploits; the award in this case was the Order of Lenin. Cosmonauts from socialist countries who flew together with Soviet ones were also awarded the heroic title, but cosmonauts who were “capitalists” received the youngest Soviet order, the Friendship of Peoples.

On the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the Victory, in 1965, the title “Hero City” was established in the USSR, intended for cities whose population distinguished themselves during the Great Patriotic War. Such cities were awarded the “Golden Star” and the Order of Lenin. In total, 12 cities and one fortress received this title; the last award of the title took place in 1985 (Smolensk and Murmansk).

May 14, 1973 The regulations on the title “Hero of the Soviet Union” were revised. The new edition indicated that from now on the title could be awarded an unlimited number of times, and the Order of Lenin was now awarded to each “Golden Star”, and not just to the first. In the “Brezhnev era,” which was marked by a large number of “anniversary” awards, such clarifications were most welcome. The anniversary “Heroes” (in this case, writing the word in quotation marks is completely justified) were, for example, the Ministers of Defense of the USSR Marshals of the Soviet Union A.A. Grechko (1958 and 1973) and D.F. Ustinov (1978), Marshals of the Soviet Union S. K. Timoshenko (1965) and N.V. Ogarkov (1977), Air Marshal I.I. Pstygo (1978), Army General I.S. Tyulenev (1978) ... “For their birthday” they awarded heroic titles even to foreigners (so , already at the height of “perestroika”, in December 1987, the minister became Hero of the Soviet Union in connection with his 80th anniversary state security GDR Erich Mielke). But he outdid everyone, of course. Secretary General Central Committee of the CPSU L.I. Brezhnev, who in peacetime received as many as four (!) titles of Hero of the Soviet Union, all on his birthday. “Gold Stars” were awarded to him on December 18, 1966, December 18, 1976, December 19, 1978 and December 18, 1981 - respectively on his 60th, 70th, 72nd and 75th anniversaries. Of course, no one took such awards seriously - everyone in the country understood perfectly well what was happening. But the fact that the very title of Hero of the Soviet Union is rapidly devalued with each such anniversary award, that each such “Golden Star” insults those who paid for their award with blood, and discredits the memory of those whose feat was immortalized posthumously, it seems that few people thought about it.

The last military campaign for which the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded was the Afghan one. 86 people became “Afghan” heroes, the first in 1980 was Sergeant Nikolai Chepik, who blew himself up along with the dushmans surrounding him. Among the “Afghan” Heroes of the Soviet Union are two soldiers from the legendary 9th company - Vyacheslav Alexandrov and Anatoly Melnikov, who received the title posthumously in June 1988. That same year in last time The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to a foreigner - Afghan cosmonaut Abdul Mohmand.

On the eve of Victory Day on May 5, 1990, the posthumous awarding of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union took place to a large group of war heroes whose exploits were not appreciated in their time. Thus, the commander of the S-13 submarine A.I. Marinesko, who torpedoed the German liner “Wilhelm Gustlov” in 1945, became posthumous Heroes; pilots E.I. Zelenko, who rammed an enemy plane at the cost of her life, and L.V. Litvyak, who shot down 11 enemy fighters, member of the underground organization “Young Guard” I.V. Turkenich and others. By the same decree, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to the battalion's medical instructor Marine Corps E.I. Mikhailova, who had already been nominated for this title twice in 1944, but did not receive it then. She became the last woman in the history of the USSR to be awarded the Gold Star.

A striking example of what happened to the title of Hero of the Soviet Union towards the end of its existence is the posthumous assignment of “Golden Stars” to participants in the August 1991 events in Moscow. Then Dmitry Komar, Ilya Krichevsky and Vladimir Usov became Heroes of the Soviet Union. These three young people were chosen as “icons of democracy” solely because they died due to their own negligence while trying to prevent the column from leaving military equipment. What exactly constitutes a “heroic feat” here, especially if directed against the army of one’s own country, is now difficult to understand, but then, in 1991, it was clear to everyone that awarding the heroic title to the dead was simply “required by the political moment.”

The last Hero of the Soviet Union on December 24, 1991 was a sailor - 33-year-old 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. He received the “Gold Star” No. 11664. Moreover, the award was presented to him only on January 16, 1992, when the USSR no longer existed.

Total titles of Hero of the Soviet Union in 1934-91. 12,776 people were awarded, including 154 twice, 3 three times and 2 four times. Among the Heroes of the Soviet Union there are 95 women (one, pilot-cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya, became a twice Hero in 1982 and 1984).

The holders of the highest rank of the USSR were 44 foreigners, including 9 Czechs, 5 Germans, French and Bulgarians, 4 Poles, two each Spaniards, Cubans, Hungarians and Egyptians and one Italian, Romanian, Mongolian, Vietnamese, Indian, Syrian and Afghan. .

The total number of awardees does not include 73 people who were deprived of their title, and 13 for whom the Decree on awarding was canceled as unfounded. Of the 73 deprived of their rank, 55 were subsequently reinstated. 15 Heroes of the Soviet Union were executed, 11 of them were then rehabilitated and restored to rank. That is, the total number of Heroes of the Soviet Union is 12,862 people.

The title “Hero of the Soviet Union” ceased to exist with the collapse of the USSR. However, it served as a prototype for numerous similar titles that arose mainly in socialist and post-Soviet states. And the current medals “Hero of the Russian Federation” and “Hero of Belarus” even outwardly replicate the design of the “Gold Star” medal.

Vyacheslav Bondarenko

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

Description of the medal Gold Star of 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.
Who is it awarded to? Citizens who have been awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
Reasons for the award Citizens who have achieved the highest degree of distinction - the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Gold Star medal price

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

Recipients of the Gold Star medal of 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 presentation Gold Star medal of Hero of the Soviet Union took place on November 4, 1939. Medal No. 1 was awarded to 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 recipients of the hero's star; this award was awarded three times: 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 Hero of the Soviet Union and, accordingly, a gold star.

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

senior award

junior award

Description of other awards of the Second World War of the USSR: 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 Defense of the Caucasus to award 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 performing a heroic feat - Hero of the Soviet Union. Initially, along with the awarding of 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, since 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 Hero of the Soviet Union.

There were many sketches at the competition, 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 manufactured in metal, and presented to Stalin for evaluation; the leader of the USSR immediately pointed to the Gold 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" of Hero of the Soviet Union, also in order not to evoke associations with the Nazi SS units, the inscription was changed to “Hero of the USSR”.