Awarded the Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union. Gold Star Medal - what you need to know

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.

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

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

The Hero of the Soviet Union is awarded:
- the highest award of the USSR - the Order of Lenin;
— a sign of special distinction - the “Gold Star” medal;
- Certificate of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

A Hero of the Soviet Union, who has accomplished a second heroic feat, no less than that for which others who have accomplished a similar feat are awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, is awarded the Order of Lenin and a second Gold Star medal, and in commemoration of his exploits, a bronze bust of the Hero is built with an appropriate inscription, established in his homeland, which is recorded in the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the award.
A Hero of the Soviet Union, awarded two Gold Star medals, for new heroic deeds similar to those previously accomplished, may again be awarded the Order of 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.

More than 11,600 soldiers, officers and generals of the Red Army, partisans and underground fighters were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for their feats committed during the Great Patriotic War.
The author of the medal project is the artist I. I. Dubasov.
The first three medals were awarded to the military pilot Hero of the Soviet Union A.I. Pokryshkin.
There are many foreigners among those awarded the highest degree of distinction. Four French pilots of the Normandie-Niemen regiment received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union: Marcel Albert. Rolland de la Poype, Jacques Andre, Marcel Lefebvre. The title was posthumously awarded to Jan Nelspka, the commander of a partisan detachment consisting of Czechs and Slovaks.
Among the post-war Heroes of the Soviet Union were pilots of the 64th Fighter Aviation Corps, who fought in North Korea against American and South Korean aces.
On June 8, 1960, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to the Spaniard Ramon Mercader, who arrived in the USSR from Mexico after serving a 20-year sentence for the murder of Leon Trotsky, committed in 1940 on the orders of Stalin. A year later, Fidel Castro and Egyptian President Nasser became Heroes of the USSR.
For feats accomplished during the war. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to people who received the stigma of “traitor to the Motherland” under Stalin. Justice was restored to the defender of the Brest Fortress, Major P. M. Gavrilov, the hero of the French Resistance, Lieutenant Porik (posthumously), holder of the Italian Resistance Medal Polezhaev (posthumously). In 1945, pilot-lieutenant Devyatayev escaped from captivity by hijacking a German bomber. Instead of a reward, he was put in a camp as a “traitor.” In 1957 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. In 1964, intelligence officer Richard Sorge became a Hero (posthumously). Under M.S. Gorbachev, the famous submariner Marinesko, undeservedly forgotten after the war, was awarded the title of Hero.

The resolution of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR dated April 16, 1934 established the highest degree of distinction - the awarding of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for personal or collective services to the state associated with the accomplishment of a heroic feat.

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

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of August 1, 1939, in order to specially distinguish citizens awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and performing new heroic deeds, to establish the “Gold Star” medal, shaped like a five-pointed star.

By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated May 14, 1973, the Regulations on the title of Hero of the Soviet Union in a new edition were approved.

Regulations on the 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, awarded two Gold Star medals, for new heroic deeds similar to those previously accomplished, may again be awarded the Order of 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 of the Soviet period, the most honorable title in the Soviet award hierarchy. However, to call this title rare would be wrong: there were much more Heroes of the Soviet Union than gentlemen of any degree of any “commander” order.

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union 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).

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 used as an additional badge of honor for those who had received the highest degree of distinction. Then it was called differently: “Golden Star”. It is made of gold, 950 standard, and on its reverse side is 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., a USSR postage stamp was issued 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).

Tatyana Kostyrina - junior sergeant, 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 Aksyonov is an engineer on board the spacecraft. 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 exempt from various types of taxes, fees and other contributions to the budget.

2. Heroes of the USSR have the right to be treated free of charge in medical institutions.

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 have the right to benefits for 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.

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

This USSR medal is made of 950 gold. The 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. On March 28, 1944, during the liberation of the city of Nikolaev, 67 soldiers of the landing detachment (55 sailors and 12 soldiers), led by senior lieutenant K.F. Olshansky, performed a heroic feat. and his deputy for political affairs, Captain A.F. Golovlev. The landing force was landed in the Nikolaev port to 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.

The former head of the operational department of the General Staff of the Soviet Army, Marshal Shtemenko, provides the following data: for exploits during the Great Patriotic War, 11,603 people were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (as of September 1, 1948), 98 people were awarded this honor twice, and three times - three.

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 largest number were ground forces soldiers - 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 marines who fought ashore).
Among the border guards, internal troops and security forces - 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.
In terms of 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.

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.

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

Regulations on the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

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

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

The Hero of the Soviet Union is awarded:

A 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 of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.

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.

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

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

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

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

For feats accomplished during the war. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to the defender of the Brest Fortress, Major P.M. Gavrilov, hero of the French Resistance Lieutenant Porik (posthumously), holder of the Italian Resistance Medal Polezhaev (posthumously). In 1945, pilot-lieutenant Devyatayev escaped from captivity by hijacking a German bomber. Instead of a reward, he was put in a camp as a “traitor.” In 1957 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. In 1964, intelligence officer Richard Sorge became a Hero (posthumously). Under M.S. Gorbachev was awarded the title of Hero to the famous submariner Marinesko, undeservedly forgotten after the war.

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

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

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

How many heroes of the Great Patriotic War were there in the Soviet Union? It would seem a strange question. In a country that survived the worst tragedy of the 20th century, everyone who defended it with weapons in their hands at the front or at the machine tool and in the field in the rear was a hero. That is, each of its 170 million multinational people who bore the weight of the war on their shoulders.

But if we ignore the pathos and return to the specifics, the question can be formulated differently. How was it noted in the USSR that a person is a hero? That’s right, the title “Hero of the Soviet Union.” And 31 years after the war, another sign of heroism appeared: full holders of the Order of Glory, that is, those awarded all three degrees of this award, were equalized with the Heroes of the Soviet Union. It turns out that the question “How many heroes of the Great Patriotic War were there in the Soviet Union?” It would be more precise to formulate this way: “How many people in the USSR were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and became full holders of the Order of Glory for exploits performed during the Great Patriotic War?”

This question can be answered with a very specific answer: a total of 14,411 people, of which 11,739 are Heroes of the Soviet Union and 2,672 full holders of the Order of Glory.

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

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

Pilots

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

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

Infantrymen

The first Hero of the Soviet Union among infantrymen on July 22, 1941 was the commander of the 1st Moscow Motorized Rifle Division of the 20th Army of the Western Front, Colonel Yakov Kreizer. He was awarded for successfully holding back the Germans on the Berezina River and in the battles for Orsha. It is noteworthy that Colonel Kreizer became the first among Jewish military personnel to receive the highest award during the war.

Tankers

On July 22, 1941, three tankmen received the country's highest awards: the tank commander of the 1st Tank Regiment of the 1st Tank Division of the 14th Army of the Northern Front, Senior Sergeant Alexander Borisov, and the squad commander of the 163rd Reconnaissance Battalion of the 104th Infantry Division of the 14th Army of the Northern Front, junior sergeant Alexander Gryaznov (his title was awarded posthumously) and deputy commander of the tank battalion of the 115th tank regiment of the 57th tank division of the 20th army of the Western Front, captain Joseph Kaduchenko. Senior Sergeant Borisov died in hospital from severe wounds a week and a half after the award. Captain Kaduchenko managed to be on the lists of the dead, was captured in October 1941, tried unsuccessfully to escape three times and was released only in March 1945, after which he fought until the Victory.

Sappers

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

Artillerymen

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

Partisans

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

Marines

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

Political instructors

The first decree conferring the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on political workers of the Red Army was issued on August 15, 1941. This document awarded the highest award to the deputy political instructor of the radio company of the 415th separate communications battalion of the 22nd Estonian Territorial Rifle Corps of the North-Western Front, Arnold Meri, and the secretary of the party bureau of the 245th howitzer artillery regiment of the 37th rifle division of the 19th Army of the Western Front, Sr. political instructor Kirill Osipov. Meri was awarded for the fact that, twice wounded, he managed to stop the retreat of the battalion and led the defense of the corps headquarters. In July-August 1941, Osipov actually worked as a liaison officer for the command of a division fighting in encirclement, and crossed the front line several times, delivering important information.

Doctors

Among the army doctors who received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the first was the medical instructor of the 14th motorized rifle regiment of the 21st motorized rifle division of the NKVD troops of the Northern Front, Private Anatoly Kokorin. The high award was awarded to him on August 26, 1941 - posthumously. During the battle with the Finns, he was the last one left in the ranks and blew himself up with a grenade to avoid being captured.

Border guards

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

Signalmen

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

Cavalrymen

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

Paratroopers

The “Winged Infantry” received its first Heroes of the Soviet Union on November 20, 1941. They were the commander of the reconnaissance company squad of the 212th Airborne Brigade of the 37th Army of the Southwestern Front, Sergeant Yakov Vatomov, and the rifleman of the same brigade, Nikolai Obukhov. Both received awards for their exploits in August-September 1941, when the paratroopers fought heavy battles in eastern Ukraine.

Sailors

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

Generals

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

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

“The fight is not for glory...”

During the Great Patriotic War, there was the most honorable soldier's award - the Order of Glory. Both her ribbon and her statute were very reminiscent of another soldier's award - the insignia of the Order of St. George, the “soldier's Egor,” especially revered in the army of the Russian Empire. In total, more than a million people were awarded the Order of Glory during the year and a half of the war - from its establishment on November 8, 1943 until the Victory - and in the post-war period. Of these, almost a million received the order of the third degree, over 46 thousand - the second, and 2,672 people - the first degree; they became full holders of the order.

Of the 2,672 full holders of the Order of Glory, 16 people were subsequently deprived of the award by court decision for various reasons. Among those deprived was the only holder of five Orders of Glory - 3rd, three 2nd and 1st degrees. In addition, 72 people were nominated for four Orders of Glory, but, as a rule, did not receive an “excess” award.

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

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

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

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

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

The Soviet Union was truly a multinational country: in the data of the last pre-war census of 1939, 95 nationalities appear, not counting the column “others” (other peoples of the North, other peoples of Dagestan). Naturally, among the Heroes of the Soviet Union and full holders of the Order of Glory there were representatives of almost all Soviet nationalities. Among the former there are 67 nationalities, among the latter (according to clearly incomplete data) there are 39 nationalities.

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

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

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

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

Ukrainians - 2019 (including 28 - twice),

Belarusians – 274 (including 4 twice),

Tatars - 161

Jews - 128 (including 1 twice)

Kazakhs - 98 (including 1 twice)

Armenians - 91 (including 2 twice)

Georgians - 90

Uzbeks - 67

Mordva - 66

Chuvash - 47

Azerbaijanis - 41 (including 1 twice)

Bashkirs - 40 (including 1 - twice)

Ossetians - 34 (including 1 twice)

Mari - 18

Turkmens - 16

Lithuanians - 15

Tajiks - 15

Latvians - 12

Kyrgyz - 12

Karelians - 11 (including 1 twice)

Komi - 10

Udmurts - 11

Estonians - 11

Avars - 9

Poles - 9

Buryats and Mongols - 8

Kalmyks - 8

Kabardians - 8

Adygs - 7

Greeks - 7

Germans - 7

Komi - 6

Crimean Tatars - 6 (including 1 twice)

Chechens - 6

Yakuts - 6

Moldovans - 5

Abkhazians - 4

Laktsy - 4

Lezgins - 4

French - 4

Czechs - 4

Karachais - 3

Tuvans - 3

Circassians - 3

Balkars -2

Bulgarians - 2

Dargins - 2

Kumyks - 2

Finns - 2

Khakass - 2

Abazinets - 1

Adjaran - 1

Altaian - 1

Assyrian - 1

Veps - 1

Spaniard - 1

Chinese (Dungan) - 1

Korean - 1

Kurd - 1

Svan - 1

Slovak - 1

Tuvinian – 1

Tsakhur - 1

Gypsy - 1

Shorets - 1

Evenk - 1

National composition of full holders of the Order of Glory, who received this title for their exploits during the Great Patriotic War**

Russians - 1276

Ukrainians - 285

Belarusians - 62

Tatars - 48

Kazakhs - 30

Armenians - 19

Mordva - 16

Uzbeks - 12

Chuvash - 11

Jews - 9

Azerbaijanis - 8

Bashkirs - 7

Kyrgyz - 7

Udmurts - 6

Turkmens - 5

Buryats - 4

Georgians - 4

Komi - 4

Mari - 3

Poles - 3

Adygs - 2

Karelians - 2

Latvians - 2

Moldovans - 2

Ossetians - 2

Tajiks - 2

Khakass - 2

Abazinets - 1

Greek - 1

Kabardian - 1

Kalmyk - 1

Chinese - 1

Crimean Tatar - 1

Kumyk - 1

Lithuanian -1

Romanian - 1

Meskhetian Turk - 1

Chechen - 1

Yakut - 1

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