Highest Awards
Gold Star Hero of the
Soviet Union
Established on October
16, 1939. It is presented to an individual or a collective
for actions in service to the state that are considered to be
heroic. It is always awarded with the Order of Lenin and
has been conferred over 12,700 times.
The medal consists
of a 21.5 gram gold star with the word "HERO" inscribed
in Cyrillic letters on the reverse. It is suspended by a
15 x 20mm solid red ribbon.
Marina Raskova, a record-breaking aviatrix, was awarded a Gold Star Hero of the Soviet Union. She organized a regiment of women pilots to fly night combat missions of harassment bombing. From mechanics to navigators, pilots and officers, the 588th regiment was composed entirely of women. The 588th was so successful and deadly that the Germans came to fear them, calling them Nachthexen -- night witches. They flew the mass-produced Po-2 biplanes, top speed, 94MPH, slower than the stall speed of the German Bf 109s and Fw 190s.
Gold Star Hammer and
Sickle Hero of Socialist Labour
Established on May
22, 1938. It is presented to an individual or a collective
for outstanding achievements in socialist labour that improved
production and the might and prestige of the USSR. It is
always awarded with the Order of Lenin and has been conferred over
19,000 times.
The medal consists of a 15.25 gram gold star
superimposed with the hammer and sickle on the obverse. The
title of "Hero of Socialist Labour" is inscribed in
Cyrillic letters on the reverse. The medal is suspended
by a 15 x 20mm solid red ribbon.
Alexey Stakhanov (1906-1977) was a miner in the Soviet Union, Hero of Socialist Labor (1970), and a member of the CPSU (1936). He became a celebrity in 1935 as part of a movement that was intended to increase worker productivity and demonstrate the superiority of the socialist economic system. On August 31, 1935, it was reported that he had mined a record 102 tons of coal in 5 hours and 45 minutes (14 times his quota). On September 19, Stakhanov was reported to have set a new record by mining 227 tons of coal in a single shift. This action gave birth to the "Stakhanovite movement", where workers sought to exceed production targets. He was even featured on the cover of TIME magazine in 1935.
Order of Lenin
Established on April
6, 1930. The Order of Lenin is the highest award given by
the USSR for both military and civilian people and collectives.
It is awarded for outstanding services to the revolutionary
movement, labour activity, defence of the Homeland, and strengthening
peace between peoples. The Order has been awarded over 400,000
times.
Early issues of the Order (1930-1934) were made of
silver followed by gold (1934-1936). Modern issues contain
a platinum bust of Lenin surrounded by gold bands of wheat. Above
the bust is a red enameled flag with Lenin's name in gold Cyrillic
letters. The bottom of the Order contains the hammer and
sickle in red enamel. The medal is suspended on a pentagonal
device with a ribbon consisting of three 2mm stripes on the edges
(yellow-red-yellow) and a center red stripe.
Ivan Papanin, a Russian Polar Explorer and Scientist, was awarded nine Orders of Lenin. He took part in the Russian Civil War on the Soviet side, fighting in Ukraine. In 1931 he took part in the expedition of the icebreaker Malygin to Franz Josef Land, and headed up two more polar teams in the next few years. In 1937-1938 he was the head of the famous expedition North Pole-1. Four researchers: Ivan Papanin, Ernest Krenkel, Evgeny Fedorov and Petr Shirshov flew to and landed on the Arctic drifting ice-floes. For 234 days, the Papanin team carried out a wide range of scientific observations in the near-polar zone, until taken back by icebreaker Krasin. It was the world first of such expeditions.
Order of Victory
Established on November
8, 1943. This is the highest military decoration in the
USSR. It has been 
awarded to generals and marshals only
for successful operations on more than one front which resulted
in a radical change in the tide of battle in favor of the USSR
and has only been awarded 21 times.
The Order is a 72mm star
made of platinum and studded with 150 diamonds (16 carat total
weight) with the five arms of the star containing rubies. In
the center of the star is a medallion of blue enamel with the
Kremlin wall and Lenin's mausoleum in gold surrounded by gold bands
of wheat. The ribbon of the order combines the colors of
several Soviet orders. The red center stripe is 13mm wide
for the Order of Lenin. The edges contain five 3mm stripes
separated by a 0.5mm white stripe. The colors are green
for the Order of Suverov, blue for the Order of
Kutuzov, red for the Order of Alexander
Nevsky, light blue for the Order of Bogden Khmelnitsky, and orange
with a black center thread for the Order of Glory.
BEARERS OF THE ORDER OF VICTORY
ZHUKOV, Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgi Konstantinovich. .
Awarded twice, 10 April 1944 and 30 March 1945
VASILEVSKY, Marshal of the Soviet Union Alexsander
Michailovish. Awarded twice, 10 April 1944 and 19 April 1945
STALIN, Joseph Vissarionovich. Awarded Twice, 29 July 1944
and 26 June 1945
ROKOSSOVSKY, Marshal of the Soviet Union Konstantin
Konstantinovich. 30 March 1945
KONEV, Commander of Troops, 1st Ukrainian Front, Marshal of
the Soviet Union Ivan Stepanovich. Awarded 30 March 1945
TOLBUKHIN, Commander of Troops, 3rd Ukrainian Front, Marshal
of the Soviet Union Fedor Ivanovich. Awarded 26 April 1945
MALINOVSKY, Commander of Troops, 2nd Ukrainian Front, Marshal
of the Soviet Union Rodion Yakovlevich. Awarded 26 April 1945
GOVOROV, Marshal of the Soviet Union Leonid Aleksandrovich.
Awarded 31 May 1945
TIMOSHENKO, Marshal of the Soviet Union Semyen
Konstantinovich. Awarded 4 June 1945
ANTONOV, Commander of General Staff of the Red Army, General
of Army Aleksey Innokentevich. Awarded 4 June 1945
MERETSKOV, Commander of 1st Far Eastern Front, Marshal of the
Soviet Union Kirill Afanasevich. Awarded 8 September 1945
BREZHNEV, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet and
General Secretary of the Communist Party Leonid Iiyich. Awarded 20
February 1978
EISENHOWER, General of the U.S. Army Dwight D. Awarded 5 June
1945
MONTGOMERY, Field Marshal Bernard Law. Awarded 5 June 1945
MICHAEL I, King of Romania. Awarded 6 July 1945
ROLA-ZYMIERSKI, Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army,
General. Awarded 9 August 1945
TITO, Commander of the Yugoslav People's Liberation Army,
Marshal Josip Broz. Awarded 9 September 1945
