The Order of the Red Star (russian: Орден Красной Звезды, Orden Krasnoy Zvezdy) was a military decoration of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

. It was established by decree of the

Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (russian: Президиум Верховного Совета, Prezidium Verkhovnogo Soveta) was a body of state power in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). but its statute was only defined in decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 5 May 1930. That statute was amended by decrees of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 7 May 1936, of 19 June 1943, of 26 February 1946, of 15 October 1947, of 16 December 1947 and by decree No 1803-X of 28 March 1980.

Award statute

The Order of the Red Star was awarded to soldiers of the

Soviet Army uk, Радянська армія , image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg , alt = , caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army , start_date ...

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...

and

internal security Internal security is the act of keeping peace within the borders of a sovereign state or other Self-governance, self-governing territories, generally by upholding the national law and defending against internal security threats. Responsibility fo ...

forces, employees of the State Security Committee of the USSR, as well as

NCOs A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...

and officers of the bodies of internal affairs; to units, warships, associations, enterprises, institutions and organizations; as well as to military personnel of foreign countries: *for personal courage and bravery in battle, for the excellent organization and leadership in combat that contributed to the success of our troops; *for successful operations of military units and formations which resulted in the enemy suffering considerable casualties or damage; *for outstanding service in ensuring public safety and the security of the State Border of the USSR; *for courage and valour displayed during the performance of military duties, or, in circumstances involving a risk to life; *for exemplary performance of special command tasks and other outstanding deeds committed in peacetime; *for great contribution in maintaining the high combat readiness of troops, excellent performance in combat and political training, in the mastery of new combat equipment and other services associated with strengthening the defensive might of the USSR; *for merit in the development of military science and technologies used in training of the Armed Forces of the USSR; *for merit in strengthening the defence capabilities of the socialist community. The Order of the Red Star is worn on the right side of the chest and when in the presence of other orders of the USSR, placed immediately after the

Order of the Patriotic War The Order of the Patriotic War (russian: Орден Отечественной войны, Orden Otechestvennoy voiny) is a Soviet military decoration that was awarded to all soldiers in the Soviet armed forces, security troops, and to partisan ...

2nd class. If worn in the presence of Orders or medals of the

Russian Federation Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

, the latter have precedence.

Long service award

The Order of the Red Star was also used as a long service award from 1944 to 1958 to mark fifteen years of service in the military, state security, or police. Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 14 September 1957 emphasised the devaluation of certain Soviet high military Orders used as long service awards instead of their originally intended criteria. This led to the joint 25 January 1958 decree of the Ministers of

Defence Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense industr ...

, of Internal Affairs and of the Chairman of the Committee on State Security of the USSR establishing the

Medal "For Impeccable Service" The Medal "For Impeccable Service" (russian: Медаль «За безупречную службу») was a Soviet military award for long service awarded to deserving members of the military personnel of the armed forces of the USSR, of the Int ...

putting an end to the practice.

Award description

The Order of the Red Star is a red enamelled 47mm to 50mm wide (depending on the variant) silver five pointed star. In the center of the

obverse Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ''o ...

, an oxydised silver shield bearing the image of an erect soldier wearing an overcoat and carrying a rifle, along the shield's entire circumference, a narrow band bearing the Communist motto in relief, "Workers of the world, unite!" (russian: «Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь!»), the band below the soldier bore the relief inscription "USSR" (russian: «СССР»). Below the shield, the

hammer and sickle The hammer and sickle (Unicode: "☭") zh, s=锤子和镰刀, p=Chuízi hé liándāo or zh, s=镰刀锤子, p=Liándāo chuízi, labels=no is a symbol meant to represent proletarian solidarity, a union between agricultural and industri ...

also of oxydised silver. The otherwise plain reverse bore the maker's mark and the award serial number. The Order was attached to clothing by a threaded stud and screw attachment. When the order wasn't worn, a ribbon could be worn in its stead on the ribbon bar on the left side of the chest. The ribbon of the Order of the red Star was a 24mm wide silk moiré dark red with a 5mm wide central silver stripe.

Noteworthy recipients (partial list)

The Order of the Red Star was awarded 6 times to 5 people, 5 times to more than 15 people, four times to more than 150 people, three times to more than 1,000 people. Below is a short partial list of such multiple recipients:

Six times

* Colonel Philip Petrovich Onoprienko * Colonel Peter Petrovich Panchenko * Lieutenant Colonel Vasily Vasilevich Silantyev

Five times

* Colonel Konstantin Ivanovich Malkhasyan * Major General Ivan Nikiforovich Stepanenko * Colonel Alexey Petrovich Yakimov

Four times

* Lieutenant General

Galaktion Alpaidze russian: Галактио́н Елисе́евич Алпаи́дзе , birth_date = , death_date = , image = Galaktion Alpaidze.jpg , imagesize = , caption = , birth_place = Kursebi, Russian Empire , death_plac ...

* Colonel General

Georgy Baydukov Georgy Filippovich Baydukov (russian: Гео́ргий Фили́ппович Байдуко́в; – 28 December 1994) was a Soviet test pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union (1936), writer and hunter. Early years Baydukov was born at the Tar ...

* Colonel General Alexander Ivanovich Babaev * Colonel Valentin Gavrilov * General Gaysin, V.B.

Three times

* Captain Zelig Fisher * Lieutenant Colonel

Naum Shusterman Naum Semyonovich Shusterman (18 August 1912 – 25 April 1976) was a lieutenant colonel of the Soviet Union, who served as the chief engineer of the 43rd Soviet Fighter Aviation Regiment during the Great Patriotic War. Biography Early life Shuste ...

* Lieutenant Colonel

Anatoly Lebed Anatoly Vyacheslavovich Lebed (russian: Анатолий Вячеславович Лебедь; 10 May 1963 – 27 April 2012), was a Hero of the Russian Federation, Guards lieutenant colonel in Special Airborne Forces, and an officer of the 45 ...

* Lieutenant Colonel

Korolev Alexey Denisovich Korolyov, also transliterated as Korolev or Korolov (russian: Королёв), or its feminine variant Korolyova, Koroleva, Korolova (), is a common Russian surname, and the name of multiple places in Russia. It is derived from the word ''korol'' ( ...

* Army General

Alexei Yepishev Alexei Alexeyevich Yepishev, also spelled Epishev (Russian: ''Алексей Алексеевич Епишев''; – September 15, 1985) was a Soviet political officer, politician and diplomat. He served as the Chief of the Main Political Direct ...

* Army General

Gennady Ivanovich Obaturov Gennady Ivanovich Obaturov (russian: Геннадий Иванович Обатуров; – 29 April 1996) was a Soviet Army General. Childhood and youth Born in a peasant family in the village of Maloe Zarecheno, then part of the Marakuli ...

* Captain (navy)

Asaf Abdrakhmanov Asaf Kutdusovich Abdrakhmanov (russian: Аса́ф Кутду́сович Абдрахма́нов tt-Cyrl, Асаф Котдус улы Габдерахманов ; 20 December 1918 — 3 September 2000) was a Soviet naval officer awarded t ...

* Lieutenant General

Alexander Vasilyevich Belyakov Alexander Vasilyevich Belyakov (russian: Алекса́ндр Васи́льевич Беляко́в; – 28 November 1982) was a Soviet flight navigator who, together with command pilot Valery Chkalov and co-pilot Georgy Baydukov, set a record ...

* Rear Admiral

Aksel Berg Aksel Ivanovich Berg (russian: Аксель Иванович Берг; – 9 July 1979) was a Soviet scientist in radio-frequency engineering and Soviet Navy Admiral, Hero of Socialist Labour. He was a key figure in the introduction of cybernetic ...

* Admiral Nikolai Sergeyev * Aviator

Olga Yamshchikova Olga Nikolaevna Yamshchikova (russian: Ольга Николаевна Ямщикова; 1914–1982) was Soviet fighter pilot squadron commander during World War II who became a test pilot after the war; she has been credited with as many as thr ...

* Major Marina Chechneva * Major Samuil Kovner * Major General Лукашев, Василий Васильевич

Twice

* Marshal of the Soviet Union

Sergey Akhromeyev Sergey Fyodorovich Akhromeyev (russian: Серге́й Фёдорович Ахроме́ев; May 5, 1923 – August 24, 1991) was a Soviet military figure, Hero of the Soviet Union (1982) and Marshal of the Soviet Union (1983). When he was ...

* Marshal of the Soviet Union

Nikolai Bulganin Nikolai Alexandrovich Bulganin (russian: Никола́й Алекса́ндрович Булга́нин; – 24 February 1975) was a Soviet politician who served as Minister of Defense (1953–1955) and Premier of the Soviet Union (1955–1 ...

* Major General

Georgy Beregovoy Georgy Timofeyevich Beregovoy (russian: Гео́ргий Тимофе́евич Берегово́й, ua, Гео́ргій Тимофі́йович Берегови́й; 15 April 1921 – 30 June 1995) was a Soviet cosmonaut who commanded the s ...

* Colonel General

Igor Rodionov Igor Nikolayevich Rodionov (russian: Игорь Николаевич Родионов; 1 December 1936 – 19 December 2014) was a Russian general and Duma deputy. He is best known as a hardline politician, and for his service heading the Defen ...

Sergey Ilyushin Sergey Vladimirovich Ilyushin (russian: Серге́й Владимирович Илью́шин; – 9 February 1977) was a Soviet aircraft designer who founded the Ilyushin aircraft design bureau. He designed the Il-2 Shturmovik, which mad ...

Semyon Nomokonov Semyon Danilovich Nomokonov (; 12 August 1900 – 15 July 1973) was a Soviet sniper during World War II credited with 367 kills. An ethnic Hamnigan Evenk, Nomokonov was among the indigenous peoples of Russia who fought in the war. He received th ...

* Colonel

Ivan Kozhedub Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub (Russian: Иван Hикитович Кожедуб; Ukrainian: Іван Микитович Кожедуб; 8 June 1920 – 8 August 1991) was a Soviet World War II fighter ace. Universally credited with over 60 solo vict ...

* Colonel Dmitry Loza * Marshal of Aviation

Alexander Pokryshkin Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

* Marshal of the Soviet Union

Boris Shaposhnikov , birth_name = Boris Mikhailovitch Shaposhnikov , birth_date = , death_date = , birth_place = Zlatoust, Ufa GovernorateRussian Empire , death_place = Moscow, Soviet Union , placeofburial = Kremlin Wall Necropolis , placeofbu ...

* Senior Sergeant

Yakov Pavlov Yakov Fedotovich Pavlov (russian: Я́ков Федо́тович Па́влов; 17 October 191728 September 1981) was a Soviet Red Army soldier who became a Hero of the Soviet Union for his role in defending the eponymous "Pavlov's House" duri ...

* Admiral

Arseniy Golovko Arseny Grigoryevich Golovko (; 10 June 1906 – 17 May 1962) was a Soviet admiral, whose naval service extended from the 1920s through the early Cold War. Service He entered the Soviet Navy in 1925 and graduated in 1928 from the M.V. Frunze ...

* Rear Admiral

Vladimir Konovalov Rear Admiral Vladimir Konstantinovich Konovalov, Владимир Константинович Коновалов ( – 29 November 1967) was a Soviet Navy distinguished submarine commander during World War II. Born as Vulf Kalmanovich Konov ...

* Admiral

Gordey Levchenko Gordey Ivanovich Levchenko (russian: Гордей Иванович Левченко, 1 February 1897 – 26 May 1981) was a Soviet naval commander and admiral from 1944. Born at Dubrovka, Ukraine, a part of the Russian Empire, in 1897, Levc ...

* Admiral

Ivan Stepanovich Yumashev Ivan Stepanovich Yumashev (russian: Иван Степанович Юмашев; – 2 September 1972) was a Soviet Navy admiral, Hero of the Soviet Union (14 September 1945), and Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet Navy from January 1947 to July ...

* Army General

Ivan Yefimovich Petrov Ivan Yefimovich Petrov (russian: Иван Ефимович Петров; – 7 April 1958) was a Soviet Army General from 1941. Early military career Born in Trubchevsk in 1896, he began his military service in the Red Army in 1918, the year whe ...

Singles

* Admiral

Nikolay Gerasimovich Kuznetsov Nikolay Gerasimovich Kuznetsov (russian: Никола́й Гера́симович Кузнецо́в; 24 July 1904 – 6 December 1974) was a Soviet naval officer who achieved the rank of Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union and served as ...

* Astronaut

Vladimir Komarov Vladimir Mikhaylovich Komarov ( rus, Влади́мир Миха́йлович Комаро́в, p=vlɐˈdʲimʲɪr mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪtɕ kəmɐˈrof; 16 March 1927 – 24 April 1967) was a Soviet test pilot, aerospace engineer, and cosmonaut. ...

Ivan Gevorkian Ivan Khristoforovich Gevorkian, born Hovannes Khachaturi Gevorkian Armenian: Հովհաննես Խաչատուրի Գևորգյան; Russian: Иван Христофорович Геворкян; (March 28, 1907 – October 19, 1989) was a Soviet ...

, famous Soviet Armenian surgeon and scientist. *

Pavel Sukhoi Pavel Osipovich Sukhoi (russian: Па́вел О́сипович Сухо́й; be, Па́вел Во́сіпавіч Сухі́, ''Paviel Vosipavič Suchi''; 2 July 1895 – 15 September 1975) was a Soviet aerospace engineer and aircraft design ...

Natalya Kovshova Natalya Kovshova (Russian: Наталья Ковшова; 26 November 1920 – 14 August 1942) was a Soviet female sniper who fought in World War II. She fought with her friend Mariya Polivanova who acted as her spotter. Natalya fought bravely t ...

, Red Army sniper. First Woman to receive the Red Star. *

Andrei Tupolev Andrei Nikolayevich Tupolev (russian: Андрей Николаевич Туполев; – 23 December 1972) was a Russian Empire, Russian and later Soviet Union, Soviet aeronautical engineer known for his pioneering aircraft designs as Di ...

* Astronaut

Andriyan Nikolayev Andriyan Grigoryevich Nikolayev ( Chuvash and russian: Андриян Григорьевич Николаев; 5 September 1929 – 3 July 2004) was a Soviet cosmonaut. In 1962, aboard Vostok 3, he became the third Soviet cosmonaut to fly into s ...

* Astronaut

Pavel Popovich Pavel Romanovich Popovich (russian: Па́вел Рома́нович Попо́вич, uk, Павло Романович Попович, Pavlo Romanovych Popovych) (5 October 1930 – 29 September 2009) was a Soviet cosmonaut. Popovich was the ...

* Philosopher Grigori Pomerants * Major General

Valery Bykovsky Valery Fyodorovich Bykovsky (russian: Вале́рий Фёдорович Быко́вский; 2 August 1934 – 27 March 2019) was a Soviet cosmonaut who flew on three space flights: Vostok 5, Soyuz 22, and Soyuz 31. He was also backup for Vo ...

* Major

Pavel Belyayev Pavel Ivanovich Belyayev (russian: Павел Иванович Беляев; 26 June 1925 – 10 January 1970) was a Soviet fighter pilot with extensive experience in piloting different types of aircraft. He was the first commander of the cosmona ...

* Major General

Alexei Leonov Alexei Arkhipovich Leonov. (30 May 1934 – 11 October 2019) was a Soviet and Russian cosmonaut, Air Force major general, writer, and artist. On 18 March 1965, he became the first person to conduct a spacewalk, exiting the capsule during th ...

* Senior Lieutenant Simon Alexandrovich Marcus *

Mikhail Mil Mikhail Leontyevich Mil (russian: Михаи́л Лео́нтьевич Миль; 22 November 1909 – 31 January 1970) was a Russian aerospace engineer and scientist. He was the founder and general designer of the Mil Moscow Helicopter Pla ...

Heydar Aliyev Heydar Alirza oghlu Aliyev ( az, Һејдәр Әлирза оғлу Әлијев, italic=no, Heydər Əlirza oğlu Əliyev, ; , ; 10 May 1923 – 12 December 2003) was a Soviet and Azerbaijani politician who served as the third president of Aze ...

* Evdokia Zavaliy * Astronaut

Vladimir Dzhanibekov Vladimir Aleksandrovich Dzhanibekov (russian: Владимир Александрович Джанибеков, born 13 May 1942) is a former cosmonaut who made five flights. Biography Dzhanibekov was born Vladimir Aleksandrovich Krysin (russian ...

* Pilot

Khiuaz Dospanova Khiuaz Qayrkyzy Dospanova (russian: Хиуаз Каировна Доспанова, kk, Хиуаз Қайырқызы Доспанова; 15 May 1922 – 20 May 2008) was a Kazakh pilot and navigator who served during World War II in the 588th ...

* Major Yakov Drob * Lieutenant General

Alexander Lebed Lieutenant General Alexander Ivanovich Lebed (russian: Алекса́ндр Ива́нович Ле́бедь, link=no; 20 April 1950 – 28 April 2002) was a Soviet and Russian military officer and politician who held senior positions in the Ai ...

Vasily Degtyaryov Vasily Alekseyevich Degtyaryov (russian: Васи́лий Алексе́евич Дегтярёв; 2 January 1880, Tula – 16 January 1949, Moscow) was a Soviet and Russian engineer who specialized in weapons design. He was awarded the title ...

* Marshal of the Soviet Union

Vasily Chuikov Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov (russian: link=no, Васи́лий Ива́нович Чуйко́в; ; – 18 March 1982) was a Soviet military commander and Marshal of the Soviet Union. He is best known for commanding the 62nd Army which saw he ...

Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was a research and development undertaking during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States with the support of the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the project w ...

spy

Harry Gold Harry Gold (born Henrich Golodnitsky, December 11, 1910 – August 28, 1972) was a Swiss-born American laboratory chemist who was convicted as a courier for the Soviet Union passing atomic secrets from Klaus Fuchs, an agent of the Soviet Union, ...

(secret) * World War II Soviet spy

Elizabeth Bentley Elizabeth Terrill Bentley (January 1, 1908 – December 3, 1963) was an American spy and member of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA). She served the Soviet Union from 1938 to 1945 until she defected from the Communist Party and Soviet intelligenc ...

(secret) * Cold War Nuclear Submariner, Seaman

Sergei Preminin Sergey Anatolievich Preminin (russian: Сергей Анатольевич Преминин; 18 October 1965 – 3 October 1986) was a Soviet Russian sailor who, after an explosion aboard nuclear submarine '' K-219'', prevented an impending nuclea ...

* Guards Sergeant

Mariya Borovichenko Guards Sergeant Mariya Sergeyevna Borovichenko (October 21, 1925 – July 14, 1943) was a Soviet medical officer of the Soviet 32nd Guards Artillery Regiment, awarded the Medal for Combat Service, Medal For Courage, Order of the Red Star and ...

* Vice Admiral

Vasily Arkhipov Vasily Aleksandrovich Arkhipov ( rus, Василий Александрович Архипов, p=vɐˈsʲilʲɪj ɐlʲɪkˈsandrəvʲɪtɕ arˈxʲipəf, 30 January 1926 – 19 August 1998) was a Soviet Naval officer credited with preventing a ...

Tamara Pamyatnykh Tamara Ustinovna Pamyatnykh (russian: Тамара Устиновна Памятных; 30 December 1919 – 26 July 2012) was a fighter pilot for the Soviet Air Forces during the Second World War. Following an action while on patrol on 19 March 1 ...

, female fighter pilot *

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn. (11 December 1918 – 3 August 2008) was a Russian novelist. One of the most famous Soviet dissidents, Solzhenitsyn was an outspoken critic of communism and helped to raise global awareness of political repress ...

commander of a sound-ranging battery in the Red Army and Nobel laureate for literature. *

Mikhail Konstantinovich Kudryavtsev Mikhail Konstantinovich Kudryavtsev (russian: Михаил Константинович Кудрявцев, translit=Mikhail Konstantinovich Kudryavtsev; January 12, 1911 – March 4, 1992) was a Soviet ethnographer and Indologist. He began his ...

* Colonel Nikolai Petrov, Deputy head of Moscow Anti-Aircraft Defences *

Olga Avilova Olga Matveyevna Avilova (10 September 1918, Bezhitsa, Bryansk — 27 December 2009, Kyiv) was a Soviet Russian and Ukrainian surgeon, medical researcher in the area of cardiothoracic surgery and pulmonology, pedagogue, Doctor of Sciences, Doctor o ...

, surgeon * Ilya Devin, writer * Lieutenant Mikhail Golobokov *

Victor Stern Victor Stern (29 October 1885 – 27 March 1958) was an Austrian philosopher, teacher and communist politician. He was active in communist parties in Austria and Germany until 1923 when he was forced to exile. He settled first in Czechoslovakia a ...

Units

Alexandrov Ensemble The Alexandrov Ensemble ( rus, Ансамбль Александрова, r=Ansambl' Aleksandrova; commonly known as the Red Army Choir in the West) is an official army choir of the Russian armed forces. Founded during the Soviet era, the e ...

* 89th Rifle Division * 9th Infantry Division * 80th Airmobile Regiment * 8th Army Corps * 7th Guards Airborne Division *

10th Guards Motor Rifle Division The 10th Guards Motor Rifle Division was a division of the Soviet Ground Forces. The full name of its predecessor division was the ''10th Guards Rifle Pechengskii, Twice Order of the Red Banner, Order of Alexander Nevsky, Order of the Red Star ...

In 2015 the Order of the Red Star award awarded to

Ukrainian army The Ukrainian Ground Forces ( uk, Сухопу́тні військá Збрóйних сил Украї́ни), also known as the Ukrainian Army, are the land forces of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. They we ...

units were removed as part of a removal of Soviet awards and decorations from Ukrainian military units.

References

External links

Legal Library of the USSR

{{DEFAULTSORT:Star, Order of The Red Awards established in 1930 Awards disestablished in 1991 1991 disestablishments in the Soviet Union

Red star A red star, five-pointed and filled, is a symbol that has often historically been associated with communist ideology, particularly in combination with the hammer and sickle, but is also used as a purely socialist symbol in the 21st century. I ...

Long service medals