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Heroic story. The first hero of the USSR was a pilot, and the last was a diver

The Hero of the Soviet Union was 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.

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

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

This USSR medal is made of 950 gold. The medal block is made of silver. As of September 18, 1975, the gold content in the medal was 20.521 ± 0.903 grams, the silver content was 12.186 ± 0.927 grams. The weight of the medal without the block is 21.5 grams. The total weight of the medal is 34.264 ± 1.5 g.

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was established by the Decree of the USSR Central Executive Committee of April 16, 1934. The resolution established that “Heroes of the Soviet Union are issued a distinctive certificate.” No other attributes or insignia were introduced for the Heroes of the Soviet Union at that time.

The regulations on the title of Hero of the Soviet Union were 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. Those who were awarded the title of Hero before the release of this Resolution were also given it retroactively; there were 11 of them. From this stage, all Heroes of the Soviet Union received almost until the collapse of the USSR in 1991.

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

On 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 soldiers, 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 then five of them turned out to be alive and received “Gold Stars”.

On May 18, 1943, all the 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. From March 2, 1943, for five days, 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 Panfilov men. The enemy lost 11 armored vehicles and up to a hundred soldiers. When other units came to the rescue of the Shironinites, only six heroes survived, including the seriously wounded commander. All 25 platoon soldiers were awarded the title of GSS.

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

Former Chief of Operations General Staff 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 received this honor twice, and three times.

GSS Guard Captain Nedorubov K.I. (1889-1978) - commander of the people's militia squadron of the 41st Guards Cavalry Regiment of the 11th Guards Cavalry Division of the 5th Guards Cavalry Corps of the North Caucasus Front. Participant of the 1st World and Civil War. Full Knight of St. George. He wore the Gold Star of the Hero along with the Crosses of St. George.

Of all those awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War and the war with Japan, the most a large number of consisted of ground forces fighters - over 8 thousand (1800 artillerymen, 1142 tank crews, 650 sappers, more than 290 signalmen and 52 logistics soldiers). 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”, and a number of other pilots with the second “Golden Star”, but none of them received awards because of the brawl they caused in a Moscow restaurant on the eve of receiving the awards. These decrees were annulled.
The number of Air Force Heroes is about 2,400 people.
In the Navy, 513 people received the title of Hero (including naval pilots and soldiers Marine Corps those who fought on the shore).
From among the border guards, fighters internal troops and security troops - over 150 Heroes of the Soviet Union.
234 partisans were awarded the title of GSS.
There are more than 90 representatives of the fairer sex among the Heroes of the Soviet Union. More than half of them were awarded the title of GSS posthumously.
Of all the Heroes of the Soviet Union, 35% were privates and non-commissioned officers (soldiers, sailors, sergeants and foremen), 61% were officers and 3.3% (380 people) were generals, admirals and marshals.
By national composition the bulk of the Heroes were Russians - 7998 people; Ukrainians - 2021 people, Belarusians - 299, Tatars - 161, Jews - 107, Kazakhs - 96, Georgians - 90, Armenians - 89, Uzbeks - 67, Mordvins - 63, 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, etc.

Hero of the Soviet Union - how proudly these words sound. This honorary title could only be received by a select few who distinguished themselves by certain merits or accomplished a feat. On April 16, 1934, the Central Executive Committee first established the title “Hero of the USSR.” The recipient was given the star of the Hero of the Soviet Union. Let's remember how many heroes there were, who was the first to receive a medal and much more.

All about the highest award

The most important award of the USSR - the star - appeared in 1939. At first it was like an additional badge of honor for those who were awarded highest degree differences. Then it was called differently: “Golden Star”. It is made of gold, 950 standard, and on it back side written "Hero of the USSR".

A gold medal was given for special merits and for accomplished feats. Those who shot down planes (at least 15 of them) and saved people were called heroes. Air gunners-bombers could receive a “Golden Star” for 8 enemy aircraft shot down in the air.

The youngest Hero of the Soviet Union is partisan Valentin Kotik. He was 14 years old at that time, but he was a brave pioneer. In 1943, Kotik was able to kill an officer and raise the alarm. Thanks to him, enemies were discovered and defeated.

Today, the Star" - "Hero of the Soviet Union" - can even be found on sale at shady antiques dealers. Of course, it is not cheap.

Anatoly Lyapidevsky is a famous Soviet pilot. He was an aviation major general. Today almost no one remembers about him, but in vain. After all, he was the first Hero of the Soviet Union. Anatoly Lyapidevsky received the Gold Star medal - "Hero of the Soviet Union" - had 3 Orders of Lenin and many other awards. He received the star in April 1934 for saving the Chelyuskin polar explorers. He searched for them, making 29 flights in bad weather (there was a terrible snowstorm ) In March, he finally found them, landed the plane on a thin ice floe and saved 12 people, including women and two children.Then he participated in the Great Patriotic War, where he received the rest of his awards.

Many believe that the first Hero of the Soviet Union passed away in a too trivial manner. He walked such a difficult and thorny path and survived. And then I was at a colleague’s funeral, where I caught a bad cold. They could not cure him, and on April 29, 1983 he died.

In honor of Lyapidevsky A.V. released postage stamp USSR in 1935. In Russia and Ukraine, many streets are named after his surname. At the school where the first Hero of the Soviet Union studied, a monument was erected in his honor in 1990 in the village of Belaya Glina.

There were few of them, only 95 people who were awarded this title. Some women - Heroes of the Soviet Union were even able to receive the title twice. Some were awarded posthumously, others still live today. Let's remember who had the Golden Star award for Hero of the Soviet Union.

The first woman to receive the high title of Hero of the USSR is Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya. She was awarded the medal posthumously. Zoya managed to burn down the Germans’ communications, thanks to which they were unable to interact with their units. The next time Zoya also tried to start an arson, but she failed. She was caught and began to be brutally tortured. However, Zoya did not even say her name. She turned out to be a real partisan. When they led her to the gallows, all beaten and covered in blood, she walked with her head held high. When she was being prepared for hanging, she managed to shout that the Germans would not defeat the Soviet Union, and that her comrades would avenge their fighting friend. And so it happened. And after her, other heroic women received high ranks.

Maria Baida - worked as a sanitary instructor in the second battalion. It was the 514th Infantry Regiment.

Nina Gnilitskaya was a scout in the 383rd Infantry Division.

Kovshova Natalya - was a very good sniper in the 528th Infantry Regiment (Red Army soldier, awarded posthumously).

Tatiana Kostyrina - Lance Sergeant, an excellent sniper of the 691st Infantry Regiment.

Elena Stempkovskaya - junior sergeant, awarded posthumously. She was a radio operator in the 216th Infantry Regiment.

Maria Semyonovna Polivanova - Red Army soldier, was a sniper in the 528th Infantry Regiment.

Svetlana Savitskaya - she was awarded twice. This is the first female astronaut to go into outer space. - Aviation Major. In 1993 she retired.

All these women are Heroes of the Soviet Union who deserve respect. After all, they have traveled a very difficult and glorious path.

Leonid Mikhailovich Solodkov, commander of a group of divers, turned out to be the last hero who was awarded the “Gold Star” of the Hero for the successful completion of a special task. Leonid showed himself to be courageous, showed heroism, and in December 1991 he was awarded the title “Hero of the Soviet Union.”

After Solodkov received a high rank, the next day the Soviet Union disappeared. Thus, Leonid Mikhailovich turned out to be the last Hero. They gave him the award 22 days after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Unfortunately, the “Golden Star” of the Hero of the Soviet Union was never awarded to anyone again.

During the entire existence of the USSR, about 13,000 people were awarded the honorary title “Hero of the Soviet Union.” Some were deprived of this privilege for defamatory acts (72 cases). 154 people were awarded twice. Kozhedub, Pokryshkin and Budyonny received awards three times. There are two people who were awarded 4 times for services to the Motherland - L. I. Brezhnev and G. K. Zhukov.

All these heroes distinguished themselves by their services to the Soviet Union and the public. They, to one degree or another, performed feats that are worthy of respect. They received the Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union fairly.

Even before this, 626 citizens received this honorary title. All other heroes appeared since the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. These were not only Russian or Ukrainian citizens, but also representatives of other nationalities, of which 44 people received the “Gold Star”.

You can give examples of other names that may not be heard so often.

Pavel Shcherbinko is a lieutenant colonel who was a commander in an anti-tank artillery regiment.

Vladimir Aksenov - engineer on board spaceship. He has two Gold Stars.

Stepan Artemenko - was a commander in a rifle battalion, twice awarded for military exploits.

Leonid Beda - at first he was an assistant commander, and then he himself began to command the 75th Guards Regiment. He was awarded the Hero's Gold Medal twice.

Afanasy Pavlantyevich Beloborodov - he commanded the 43rd Army and was twice awarded a medal.

Mikhail Bondarenko was a commander and navigator in an aviation regiment, for which he was twice awarded a high rank.

Anatoly Brandys - at first he was deputy commander, and then he himself began to head the squadron of the aviation regiment. He earned the Gold Medal twice.

Vladislav Volkov - was an engineer on board the spacecraft, awarded twice.

Arseniy Vorozheikin - commanded a squadron in a fighter aviation regiment, had two Gold medals..

Vasily Glazunov was a commander in the Guards Rifle Corps. He was awarded two times with a Gold Medal and a high rank.

Sergei Denisov - commanded a detachment of fighter aviation brigades.

Vasily Zaitsev is a navigator and commander in the Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment. He was a guard major and twice received the title “Hero of the USSR.”

That's how many Heroes of the Soviet Union there are. And that is not all. We have listed the most famous ones who became famous for their courage and heroism.

What benefits were provided to citizens who received the honorary title?

Today there are certain privileges for citizens who have this title. Benefits for Heroes of the Soviet Union who were under the USSR:

1. They are freed from different types taxes, fees and other contributions to the budget.

2. B medical institutions Heroes of the USSR have the right to be treated for free.

3. Free travel on all types of urban and suburban transport (taxi is not included).

4. The state must provide them with free medicines delivered to their homes (if the doctor has made the necessary conclusion).

5. Free dental treatment and prosthetics (only in public dentistry).

6. Every year they should be given a free voucher to a sanatorium or dispensary.

7. Heroes are entitled to discounts on payment for public utilities and housing.

8. They have the right to receive telephone service without waiting in line.

9. Children of heroes have the right to provide the funeral service with the appropriate documents in order to bury their parent at the expense of the state.

10. If the Hero dies and his child is a full-time student, then the state is obliged to pay the child a cash reserve.

Conclusion

The “Hero of the Soviet Union” award was received by those citizens who truly deserved it. They are the ones who teach us to love our Motherland. They served her and were ready to risk their lives so that everything would be fine with their compatriots. How can we forget Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, who until her last breath screamed in the Germans’ faces how much she hated them and knew that the Soviet Union would win. They beat her with sticks and rods, tore off her nails, but the Germans did not even know her real name. There were thousands of such heroes. They knew who they were fighting for and what they stood for. The heroes who received the award under the USSR were brave, decisive and they deserve great respect.

Today there are fewer and fewer patriots who are ready to give their lives for their Motherland. People's thoughts and views have become completely different. Perhaps this is because the time is calmer, not like during the Great Patriotic War. Yes, many do not understand why fight if you can live peacefully. But, as they say, to each his own.

Since August 1939, the highest distinctive state award of the USSR has been the star of the Hero of the Soviet Union, which was awarded to those who were awarded this high title. The title itself existed since 1936, but without insignia, only a certificate from the Central Executive Committee was attached to it. The first Heroes of the Soviet Union received, in addition to a certificate, the Order of Lenin, which was enshrined in the Decree of the Central Executive Committee. In 1939, a Decree was issued, according to which a medal was established - the star of the Hero of the Soviet Union. After its approval appearance in October 1939 it received a new name. Now the award has become known as the "Golden Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union."

Award procedure

In 1939, the very Regulations on this title changed. Now there is an opportunity to receive such an award multiple times. The second star of the Hero of the Soviet Union gave the right to fellow countrymen of the distinguished person to erect his bronze bust in the area where he was born. Three times the Hero, along with the third Golden Star, received a bronze bust in Moscow, near the Palace of the Soviets. And now the Order of Lenin was not awarded to heroes. This Decree did not provide for a four-time Hero, and therefore there were no instructions in this regard, however, the star of the Hero of the Soviet Union was subsequently awarded four times - to Marshal Georgy Zhukov and Leonid Brezhnev. In total, during the existence of the USSR, 12,776 people were awarded this title. Of these, one hundred and fifty-four were those to whom the star of the Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded twice, and Semyon Budyonny, Alexander Pokryshkin and Ivan Kozhedub - three times. Among the Heroes are forty-four foreign citizens and ninety-five women.

The "Golden Star" of the Hero of the Soviet Union was most often awarded during the Second World War - the Great Patriotic War. Almost ninety percent of the Heroes accomplished their feats at the fronts. Eleven thousand six hundred fifty-seven Heroes received their Gold Star, only more than three thousand of them - posthumously. The Gold Star medal of the Hero of the Soviet Union was taken to Poland and Czechoslovakia ten times, to France four times (the Normandie-Niemen air regiment distinguished itself). One hundred seven people received this title twice. Of the more than eleven thousand Heroes, ninety are women. Now there are about a hundred people living in the capital who have received such a medal - the “Gold Star” of the Hero of the Soviet Union. And in addition to the benefits they are entitled to, they are currently paid monthly about fifty thousand rubles each.

Position

What was the hero supposed to do when he received the star of the Soviet Union - the main one of its stars? This had to be a real feat or a special, outstanding merit either in war or in peacetime. Who are these people who proudly wore the amazingly beautiful medal created by the architect Miron Ivanovich Merzhanov? However, the medal did not begin to be worn immediately, but feats were celebrated even before its creation. The regulations for conferring this title in 1934 stated about personal or collective merits to the country, about heroic feats, and the red star of the Hero of the Soviet Union turned into gold. The first, second and third awards were given separate numbers, and after the war, since it prevented the completion of the grandiose Palace of the Soviets, all the bronze busts of the three times Heroes were installed directly in the Kremlin.

In 1973, a new edition of the 1936 Regulations was approved by a separate decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces. In particular, it says that the second star of the Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin, when awarded, will be combined with the installation of a bronze bust in the Hero’s homeland. The third star of the Hero for new exploits brings the second Order of Lenin, where the Star is a sign of special distinction, and the order is the highest award. The Hero also receives a certificate from the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces. This medal is worn on the left side, above all orders and medals of the USSR. However, the high title of Hero could be deprived, which happened more than once. Only the Supreme Council and its Presidium had the right to do this.

First Heroes

The first star of the Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to the polar pilot Anatoly Lyapidevsky in April 1934, or rather, it was only a title for now, and medal No. 1 was awarded later. He was not the only one - the Chelyuskin epic prompted the idea of instituting such an award, because the feat of the rescuers - the polar pilots - was unprecedented. At the same time, Sigismund Levanevsky, Vasily Molokov, Nikolai Kamanin, Mavriky Slepnev, Mikhail Vodopyanov, Ivan Doronin became Heroes of the country. Did these wonderful pilots think that a Hero of the Soviet Union star awaited each of them? Photos from that time show that no, this is not what the heroes were thinking about. This feat was too difficult for them.

They still saved the crew members and passengers of the sunken steamship Chelyuskin, which was covered in ice. In fact, the enterprise itself was a complete bungling. After the icebreaker Sibiryakov sailed through the seas along the Northern Route for the first time in history in 1932 and managed to complete it in one navigation, some irresponsible comrades decided that an ordinary steamship could do it. I couldn't. But the pilots accomplished a feat by removing people from a drifting ice floe in unimaginable conditions Far North. Seven highly qualified pilots, of whom there were so few in the country at that time, risked their lives for the sake of their fellow citizens.

In the footsteps

For military services, the Order of the Golden Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to internationalist soldiers who fought in Spain. The award ceremony took place on New Year's Eve 1937. Among the sixty people awarded the Gold Star were Volkan Goranov from Bulgaria and Primo Gibelli from Italy. In 1938, new military exploits were accomplished - on Lake Khasan and on Khalkin Gol, and ninety-six people received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Most of them are pilots. And the pilot was the first woman to receive the order. The Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union in 1938 was awarded to pilot Valentina Grizodubova. A the only woman twice Hero - Svetlana Savitskaya, cosmonaut.

The youngest Hero of the Soviet Union became - posthumously - partisan Valentin Kotik, who, before he was fourteen years old, managed to blow up six German trains, scout out a lot of extremely important information for the partisans, and receive many awards, the number of which not every adult had, even in active army. And as soon as he turned fourteen, there was a battle where, while defending his comrades, Valya Kotik received a mortal wound. The oldest among the Heroes was a peasant born under serfdom, also a partisan - Matvey Kuzmin, who died heroically at the age of eighty-three, repeating the feat of Ivan Susanin. There is a monument in Moscow, and people going down the metro to the Partizanskaya station see it every day: an elderly, bearded, calm man who is confident in his choice.

More facts

Among the heroic defenders of the Motherland in the Great Patriotic War, 8,160 people were Russians, three hundred and nine Belarusians, two thousand and sixty-nine Ukrainians, one hundred and sixty-one Tatars, one hundred and thirty-one Jews, seven Ingush and Chechens. The war in Afghanistan brought post-war Heroes of the Soviet Union. There are eighty-five of them, and twenty-eight of them received the Gold Star posthumously. Everyone remembers famous movie Bondarchuk "9th company". This is about them, when for twelve hours a height with our paratroopers was attacked without a break by the Mujahideen, many times outnumbering them, but they never managed to capture this bridgehead. Then six soldiers died, twenty-eight soldiers were wounded, nine seriously. And private Alexander Melnikov and junior sergeant Vyacheslav Alexandrov became posthumous Heroes of the Soviet Union.

But not all heroes appear in wars; heroic deeds always have a place in peaceful life. Thirty-five Soviet cosmonauts received the Gold Star, four of them twice. Moreover, Georgy Beregovoy earned his first Hero star during the war, where he made one hundred and eighty-six sorties, storming the enemy effectively and efficiently. Twice more Heroes - Svetlana Savitskaya, Alexey Eliseev and Vladimir Shatalov. The last twice Hero of the Soviet Union was the brigade commander, tanker Azi Aslanov, who died back in 1945. The second Gold Star found the Hero posthumously in 1991. And the most the last star received in December 1991 captain of the third rank, diver Leonid Solodkov - for courage and unparalleled resourcefulness in overcoming dangerous situation(a very complex underwater experiment was carried out). The Soviet Union no longer existed at the time the award was presented.

Three destinies of twice heroes

In 1939 they began fighting on Khalkin Gol (a river in Mongolia), which, in terms of the number of troops and equipment thrown into battle, were quite equivalent to some battles of the Great Patriotic War. Then the Heroes appeared twice - the wonderful ace pilots Yakov Smushkevich, Grigory Kravchenko and Sergei Grinevets, who earned the first such awards in battles in the territories of China and Spain. Grinevets did not manage to receive a single Gold Star: he died from an absurd accident, having already safely landed the plane in the most difficult conditions. meteorological conditions, and his comrade, who was landing next, could not control the plane. He died in September, and the first, recently established medals were awarded in November.

Yakov Smushkevich in Spain was called “General Douglas”; his fame thundered on both sides of the front. He managed to receive both Gold Stars: and for spanish war, and for Khalkin-Gol. In 1941, Smushkevich was the commander of the Air Force, and that’s how he started the war. But already in October he was convicted and executed. And Grigory Kravchenko received the first title of Hero and the Order of Lenin in February, and the second in August 1939. He was a truly fearless and exceptionally skillful ace. He participated in all the wars and conflicts waged by the Soviet Union, and always won. But sometimes luck turns away from real heroes. In February 1943, having shot down another Focke-Wulf, Kravchenko drove his damaged and caught fire La-5 home, but did not make it. Having left the plane, I pulled the parachute ring and realized that it would not open: the backpack's pull cable had been broken by a piece of shrapnel. This is how the very first twice Hero of the Soviet Union died.

Finnish War

The “small” war with a small country gave the Soviet Union four hundred and twelve Heroes (this, by the way, is more than for the great battle of Moscow). Of course, the war with Finland required enormous courage and heroism: you had to run to the machine guns in waist-deep snow. Our losses were very, simply disproportionately large, despite all the superiority in technology and fighting qualities of the troops. But the victory was won, and the high command was confident that this experience of warfare was certainly valuable and would certainly come in handy. A shower of awards then poured on Soviet army, new appointments, new titles. The people were convinced that a very formidable enemy had been defeated, and “with just one left,” and now they were able to turn anyone into a ram’s horn. The summer of 1941 showed all the harm of such capricious sentiments, especially on the eve of a huge war.

And there were real heroes in the Soviet-Finnish war! This is Grigory Hayrapetyan, who with a small unit captured an enemy trench with two pillboxes and held these positions for two days with continuous counterattacks; this is Alexander Andriyanov, who not only completed the most difficult combat missions, but also retained his own fighters in almost full strength; this is the elusive and fearless intelligence officer Kesar Andreev, who died in open battle and was posthumously awarded the Gold Star of the Hero. This is Ivan Alyaev, twice wounded and refusing to leave the battlefield. This is the hero-artilleryman Semyon Alpeev, the legendary brigade commander Stepan Chernyak... And another twice Hero of the Soviet Union - ace pilot Sergei Denisov, who received the first award for courage in battles in Spain, and now suppressed enemy resistance on the Mannerheim Line. Everyone who received awards from the hands of the “All-Union Elder” Mikhail Kalinin for their exploits on the Soviet-Finnish border are, of course, real heroes.

Stars "for experience"

Anniversary or, as people aptly put it, “Danish” Golden Star awards began after Stalin’s death. Georgy Zhukov was the first to receive his fourth Hero award on his sixtieth birthday. Andrei Grechko, Sergei Gorshkov, Kliment Voroshilov went through the entire war, but they were not called Heroes, but they received two Gold Stars each in peacetime.

Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev received his first star during the war on the Fourth Ukrainian Front. Apparently he liked it. Three more Gold Hero Stars and one - Socialist Labor he received it when he was already General Secretary. Konstantin Chernenko was afraid he would not live to see seventy-five, when he could receive the third star (he was not in vain to worry, and it happened), so he received it on his seventy-third birthday - a slightly out-of-round anniversary.

Before the revolution

The same order, destroyed by Lenin and Stalin, existed in the pre-revolutionary Russian Empire(unlike the Soviet Union - absolutely officially). The law clearly stipulated what rank was required and how much time of impeccable service was required in order to receive one or another order. Even the names of pre-revolutionary awards clearly denoted social types.

Order of St. Vladimir, third degree ("Vladimir in the buttonhole") - an official or military man under thirty years of age, an eligible bachelor or a promising careerist; Order of St. Anne of the second degree (“Anna on the neck”) - a man of about fifty, already fully established; and if two stars is highest rank, before whom one is supposed to be shy. The only difference is that not a single one of the tsar’s officials laid claim to the most a small share heroism.

In Russian federation

The Golden Star of the Hero of Russia, established in 1992 by Boris Yeltsin, is no different from the previous star, except for the mounting block - it has become three-colored, like a flag. This title is awarded only to Russian citizens and only once. Star No. 1 went to cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev for a particularly long flight ( orbital station"Peace"), and the second such award was awarded posthumously to the relatives of the Hero, Major General Sulambek Oskanov, who did not eject from the damaged MiG-29 so that the plane would not fall on the city.

As of 2013, there were nine hundred and eighty-three Heroes of Russia. Of these, fifteen are women. Four hundred and sixty Heroes were awarded posthumously. Most of them are participants Chechen campaigns: three hundred four - the second war and one hundred seventy five - the first. Seventy-five more were involved in other counter-terrorism operations. One hundred and twenty-two Heroes are testers of underwater and aviation equipment. One hundred and eight did not receive the awards due to them during the Great Patriotic War, and this was corrected. Forty-one astronauts. Twenty-two rescuers. Fourteen scouts. Fifteen weapon designers. And twenty-six participants in the October events in 1993.

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 new edition.

Regulations on the title of Hero 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.

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.

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

When a Hero of the Soviet Union is awarded the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal, he is 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.

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

Deprivation of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union can only be 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 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.

The medal is made of 900 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.

From the history of the medal.

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union is the highest degree of distinction 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 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 Heroes of the Soviet Union 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 had been 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 stated: “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 deed.” What was new about it was that during the repeated and subsequent awards of the Hero of the Soviet Union with the Gold Star medal, he was 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.

In total, over the entire history of the USSR, 12,745 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

About 150 people became twice Heroes (as of January 1, 1982 - 141 people).

Three Gold Star medals were awarded to three people: Marshal of the Soviet Union Budyonny S.M. (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. (05/24/1943, 08/24/1943, 08/19/1944).

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 of 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 may be awarded Foreign citizens in accordance with the provision of awarding the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The medal can be awarded posthumously.

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

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 the back of the block there was 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

The Gold Star medal and the title Hero of the Soviet Union are the highest degree of distinction of the 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:

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.
With a rectangular block measuring 15x19.5 mm and an intermediate connecting link (ring).
On the reverse there is a Roman numeral II and a number. To award twice Heroes of the Soviet Union.
On the reverse there is a Roman numeral III and a number. To award three times Heroes of the Soviet Union.
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 Northern Fleet sailor, 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, 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. 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 the entire personnel of a unit was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Among those who received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for military exploits during the war 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, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to 14 soldiers of the allied armies, mainly Polish and Czechoslovak military personnel, as well as 4 pilots of the French Normandy-Niemen air regiment.

During the fighting in Afghanistan, 85 internationalist soldiers became Heroes of the Soviet Union, 28 of them were awarded this high title posthumously. In total, during the existence of the USSR, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to 12,776 people (excluding 72 deprived of the title for 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 participating 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)

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.