The Order of the Red Banner of Labour () was an order of the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

established to honour great deeds and services to the Soviet state and society in the fields of production, science, culture, literature, the arts, education, sports, health, social and other spheres of labour activities. It is the labour counterpart of the military Order of the Red Banner. A few institutions and factories, being the pride of Soviet Union, also received the order. The Order of the Red Banner of Labour was the third-highest civil award in the Soviet Union, after the Order of Lenin and the

Order of the October Revolution The Order of the October Revolution (, ''Orden Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii'') was instituted on 31 October 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was conferred upon individuals or groups for services furthering communis ...

. The Order of the Red Banner of Labour began solely as an award of the

Russian SFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...

on December 28, 1920. The all-Union equivalent was established by Decree of the

Presidium of the Supreme Soviet The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet () was the standing body of the highest organ of state power, highest body of state authority in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).The Presidium of the Soviet Union is, in short, the legislativ ...

on September 7, 1928, and approved by another decree on September 15, 1928. The Order's statute and regulations were modified by multiple successive decrees of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, on May 7, 1936, on June 19, 1943, on March 28, 1980, and on July 18, 1980.

Award statute

The Order of the Red Banner of Labour can be awarded to citizens of the USSR, to businesses, associations, institutions, organizations, and allied autonomous republics, territories, autonomous regions, districts, cities and other localities; it may not be awarded to persons who are not citizens of the USSR, as well as to enterprises, institutions and organizations located in foreign countries: *for great achievements in the development of industry, agriculture, farming, construction, transport and other sectors of the economy, to improve the efficiency of social production; *for the highest growth rates in labour productivity, improved product quality, development and introduction of more advanced manufacturing processes; *for consistently high results in the implementation and overfulfillment of planned assignments and socialist obligations undertaken; *for major advances in increasing the productivity of agricultural crops and the productivity of livestock breeding, increasing manufacturing output and sales of state agricultural products; *for contributions in the development of science and technology, the introduction of the latest achievements in the national economy, for inventions and innovations which are of great technical – economic significance; *for contributions in strengthening national defense; *for very fruitful activities in Soviet culture, literature and the arts; *for contributions in education and communist political education to the younger generations, in highly specialised training, health, trade, catering, housing, utilities, housing, public services; *for special achievements in the development of physical culture and Sports; *for important achievements in the field of state and public activities, the strengthening of socialist legality and the rule of law; *for great achievements in economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation between the USSR and other states. The Order of the Red Banner of Labour could be awarded multiple times to the same recipient for successive deeds and long time merit. The Order of the Red Banner of Labour was worn on the left side of the chest and in the presence of other awards of the USSR, was located immediately after the Order of the Red Banner. If worn in the presence of Orders or medals of the

Russian Federation Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, the latter have precedence.

Award description

The design of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour evolved over the years. Its original design, called "type 1" was amended in 1936, this new variant will be identified as "type 2".

Type 1

The "type 1" Order consisted of a 38 mm wide by 43 mm high silver badge in the shape of a cogwheel, at center, a disc bordered along its entire outer diameter by panicles of wheat. Protruding from under the lower half of the central disc, a red enamelled triangle pointing downwards. On the central disc in the background, a hydro electric dam, at center, a gilded hammer and sickle, at the top, a waving red banner bearing the inscription "

Proletarians The proletariat (; ) is the social class of wage labor, wage-earners, those members of a society whose possession of significant Value (economics), economic value is their labour power (their capacity to work). A member of such a class is a pro ...

of the World, unite!" (). At the very bottom of the cogwheel, the relief inscription "USSR" () on a stylised horizontal shield bisected by a smaller cogwheel meshing into the larger one. On the otherwise plain reverse, a recess at center bearing a threaded post, two rivets used to secure the hammer and sickle and the award serial number engraved on the lower portion opposite the "USSR" inscription. The Order was secured to clothing with a threaded screw and nut arrangement. The earlier nuts were 28 mm in diameter, later ones measured 32 mm.

Type 2

The "type 2" Order also consisted of a silver badge in the shape of a cogwheel, it measured 38 mm wide by 44 mm high. On the lower circumference of the cogwheel, the relief inscription "

of the World, unite!" (), below the cogwheel, a red enamelled relief five pointed star superimposed on a shield from which four short panicles of wheat protrude left and right. At the center, a disc surrounded by a gilded wreath of oak leaves bearing the relief image of a hydro electric dam, below the dam, blue enamelled water, at the center of the disc, the gilded hammer and sickle, from the inner left side of the disc, a gilded mast bearing a waving red enamelled banner protruding from the central disc, covering the upper portion of the cogwheel and protruding past its outer upper edge on which "USSR" () is inscribed in gilded letters. Along the outer circumference of the central disc's wreath, white enamelled slots spaced equally on the cogwheel. On the otherwise plain reverse, a concave recess at center bearing a threaded post, eight rivets (only three rivets on the post 1943 variant) used to secure the various parts to the badge and the award serial number engraved on the lower portion below the recess. The Order was secured to clothing with a threaded screw and a 33 mm in diameter nut until 1943 when it was secured by a ring through the medal suspension loop to a pentagonal mount covered by an overlapping 24 mm wide light blue silk moiré ribbon with 4 mm wide dark blue edge stripes.

Recipients (partial list)

The individuals listed below were recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour. The first recipient of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour of the RSFSR was Nikita Menchukov for saving an important bridge from being destroyed by flowing ice. Order of the Red Banner of Labour of the USSR number 1 was presented to the Putilov (later Kirov) Works in

Leningrad Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

. The first individual awardees were V. Fedetov, A. Shelagin and M. Kyatkovsky for the rescue of a polar expedition.

Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet and Russian politician who served as the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country's dissolution in 1991. He served a ...

received the Order of the Red Banner of Labour for harvesting a record crop on his family's collective farm in 1949 at age 17, an honor which was very rare for someone so young. He is one of the Order's youngest recipients.

Six-time recipients

* Nikolay Maksimovich Belyaev, founder and head of the optical industry * Nikolay Stepanovich Beznosov, deputy minister of Defense Industry of the USSR * Mikhail Aleksandrovich Brezhnev, engineer * Makar Fyodorovich Goryainov, general * Alexander Konstantinovich Protazanov, first secretary of the East Kazakhstan Party organisation * Nikolay Nicholaevich Smelyakov, Minister of General Machine Building of the USSR, director of the factory "Red Sormovo" * Leonid Nikolaevich Solovyev, politician * Aleksey Ivanovich Sorokin, politician * Suleyman Azad oğlu Vazirov, Minister of Oil Industry in the Azerbaijani SSR

Five-time recipients

* Arnold Green, Soviet diplomat, Party and State figure * Mikhail Alexandrovich Leontovich, physicist and academician *Gennady Vasilevich Alekseenko, a specialist in the field of energy *Aleksandr Fedorovich Belov, metallurgy academician *Pavel Semyonovich Vlasov, Hero of Socialist Labour, director of the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant *Leonid Efimovich Grafov, Deputy Minister of the Coal Industry *Ivan Timofeevich Grishin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade *Nikolai Alekseevich Gundobin, Hero of Socialist Labour, 1st Deputy Minister of Transport of the USSR *Aleksandr Viktorovich Dokukin, Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences *Leonid Fedorovich Ilichev, secretary of the CPSU Central Committee *Vladimir Alekseevich Karlov, Hero of Socialist Labour, department head of the CPSU Central Committee *Boris Vasilevich Kurchatov, doctor of chemical sciences *Pavel Andreevich Maletin, Deputy Minister of Finance of the USSR (1939–1945, 1960–1969) *Konstantin Dmitrievich Petukhov, Hero of Socialist Labour, General Director of PEMSO "Dynamo" * Rasizade, Shamil Alievich, deputy prime-minister of Azerbaijan SSR (1970–1984) *Aleksey Vladimirovich Romanov, editor of the newspaper "Soviet Culture" *Ivan Dmitrievich Sosnov, Minister of Transport Construction of the USSR *

Tamara Khanum Tamara Khanum (June 30, 1991, born Tamara Artyemi Petrosyan) was a dancer, singer, actress, and choreographer. She was honored as a People's Artist of the USSR in 1956 and received the Stalin Prize, second degree, in 1941. Biography Tamara Petro ...

, People's Artist of USSR (1956), Uzbek dancer *Konstantin Chibisov, Corresponding Member of USSR Academy of Sciences (1946)

Four-time recipients

* Rasul Gamzatovich Gamzatov, poet * Levko Mykolajovych Revutskyi, composer, teacher, and activist * Sabit Atayevich Orujev, Deputy Prime-minister of Azerbaijan SSR (1957–1959) * Andrey Melitonovich Balanchivadze, composer * Augusts Eduardovich Voss, politician and party functionary * Natalia Mikhailovna Dudinskaya, prima ballerina * Eugen Arturovich Kapp, composer and music educator * Patriarch Alexy I, patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church * Galina Sergeyevna Ulanova, prima ballerina

Three-time recipients

* Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko, fifth General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union * Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov, fourth General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union * Alexander Naumovich Frumkin, electrochemist, Hero of Socialist Labour * Alexander Nikolaevich Yakovlev, politician and historian * Grigory Naumovich Chukhray, film director and screenwriter * Sopubek Begalievich Begaliev, politician * Matvey Alkunovich Kapelyushnikov, mechanical engineer, Hero of Socialist Labour * Georgy Nikolayevich Flyorov, nuclear physicist * Boris Borisovich Pyotrovsky, academician, historian-orientalist and archaeologist * Isaak Markovich Khalatnikov, physicist * Max Arkadyevich Taitz, scientist in

aerodynamics Aerodynamics () is the study of the motion of atmosphere of Earth, air, particularly when affected by a solid object, such as an airplane wing. It involves topics covered in the field of fluid dynamics and its subfield of gas dynamics, and is an ...

, theory of

jet engines A jet engine is a type of reaction engine, discharging a fast-moving jet (fluid), jet of heated gas (usually air) that generates thrust by jet propulsion. While this broad definition may include Rocket engine, rocket, Pump-jet, water jet, and ...

and flight testing of aircraft, one of the founders of the Gromov Flight Research Institute, recipient of the Stalin Prize (1949 and 1953), Honoured Scientist of the

RSFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...

* Takey Esetovich Esetov, economist

Two-time recipients

* Isaak Zaltsman, Known as "King of Tanks" while manager of Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant and Kirov Plant. * Andrey Nikolayevich Tupolev, aircraft designer * Konstantin Petrovich Feoktistov, cosmonaut and eminent space engineer * Aram Ilyich Khachaturian, composer * Ginzburg, Vitaly Lazarevich, theoretical physicist, astrophysicist, Nobel laureate * Kollontai, Alexandra Mikhailovna, first female government minister in Europe, one of the first female diplomats in modern times * Khrennikov, Tikhon Nikolayevich, composer and pianist * Klavdiya Sergeevna Kildsheva, aviation engineer and Hero of Socialist Labor * Yakov Borisovich Zeldovich, physicist * Nikolai Ivanovich Ryzhkov, politician * Irina Konstantinovna Rodnina, Olympic gold medalist figure skater * Züleyxa Seyidməmmədova, fighter pilot * Ilyushin, Vladimir Sergeyevich, test pilot * Yuli Mikhailovich Vorontsov diplomat and ambassador * Arkady Ilyich Ostashev laureate of the

Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...

and

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

prizes of the, senior test pilot of

missile A missile is an airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight aided usually by a propellant, jet engine or rocket motor. Historically, 'missile' referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a target; this ...

s and space-rocket complexes of

OKB-1 S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation "Energia" () is a Russian manufacturer of spacecraft and space station components. Its name is derived from the Russian word for energy and is also named for Sergei Korolev, Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, th ...

, the disciple and companion of Sergei Pavlovich Korolev. * Dimitry Dmitrievich Venediktov Deputy Health Minister of the USSR * Shamama Hasanova, Azerbaijani cotton producer and politician. * Kim Pen Hwa, collective farm manager * Aleksey Vasilievich Shubnikov crystallographer * Khalimakhon Suleymanova, cotton farmer

Single awards

* Leila Abashidze, actor and writer * Alisa Aksyonova, museum director *

Pavel Alexandrov Pavel Sergeyevich Alexandrov (), sometimes romanized ''Paul Alexandroff'' (7 May 1896 – 16 November 1982), was a Soviet mathematician. He wrote roughly three hundred papers, making important contributions to set theory and topology. In topol ...

, mathematician * Araxie Babayan, chemist * Fyokla Bezzubova, folklore writer * Kateryna Boloshkevich, weaver and statesperson * Mariya Borodayevskaya, geologist * Lyudmila Byakova, seamstress * Viktor Stepanovich Chernomyrdin, Prime Minister of Russia (1992–1998) * Clementine Churchill * Ilya Devin, writer * Valentina Dimitrieva, farm worker * Glafira Dorosh, chef, the only recipient of a Soviet order for a recipe * Lev Dyomin, cosmonaut * Lydia Fotiyeva, personal secretary of

Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...

* Ivan Gevorkian, prominent Soviet Armenian surgeon and scientist *

Äxmät İsxaq Äxmät İsxaq (1905–1991) was a Soviet Tatar poet, translator and journalist. Biography Äxmät İsxaq was born in Kazan. He received his professional education at the Möxämmädiä madrasa and the Tatar State University of Humanities an ...

, Tatar poet and translator * Saima Karimova, Russian geologist *

Anatoly Karpov Anatoly Yevgenyevich Karpov (, ; born May 23, 1951) is a Russian and former Soviet Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster, former World Chess Championship, World Chess Champion, ⁣and politician. He was the 12th World Chess Champion from 1975 ...

, World Chess Champion * Faina Kotkowa, weaver * Valentina Khetagurova (1914–1992), founder of the Khetagurovite Campaign * Marcus Klingberg, Israeli scientist and Soviet spy * Boris Kozo-Polyansky,

botanist Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

and evolutionary biologist. * Elizaveta Lastochkina, teacher of the deaf * Jack Littlepage, US mining expert and

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

Deputy

Commissar Commissar (or sometimes ''Kommissar'') is an English transliteration of the Russian (''komissar''), which means ' commissary'. In English, the transliteration ''commissar'' often refers specifically to the political commissars of Soviet and ...

* Vladimir Lobashev, physicist * Natalia Martirosyan, engineer * Mikhail Mil, aerospace engineer * Mariya Orlyk, teacher and politician * Sergei Orlov, sculptor and painter * Nicolay Paskevich, painter * Ivan Poddubny, professional wrestler * Vladimir Rvachev, mathematician *

Yevgeny Primakov Yevgeny Maksimovich Primakov (29 October 1929 – 26 June 2015, ) was a Russian politician and diplomat who served as Prime Minister of Russia from 1998 to 1999. During his long career, he also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1996 to ...

, Speaker of the Soviet of the Union of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union * Sergiu Rădăuțanu, Moldovan physicist * Leonid Rogozov, physician who took part in the sixth Soviet Antarctic Expedition in 1960–1961 and performed his own

appendectomy An appendectomy (American English) or appendicectomy (British English) is a Surgery, surgical operation in which the vermiform appendix (a portion of the intestine) is removed. Appendectomy is normally performed as an urgent or emergency procedur ...

* Arnold Rüütel, ex-president of

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

* Nikolay Semyonov, physicist and chemist * Yuri Levitan, Soviet radio announcer * Lyudmila Shevtsova – athlete, Olympic champion and 800 m world record holder * Mikhail Shuisky, opera singer * Vasily Shukshin, actor, writer, screenwriter and film director * Alexander Yakovlev, aeronautical engineer * Alexander Yanshin, geologist *

Yevgeny Yevtushenko Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Yevtushenko (; 18 July 1933 – 1 April 2017) was a Soviet and Russian poet, novelist, essayist, dramatist, screenwriter, publisher, actor, editor, university professor, and director of several films. Biography Early lif ...

, poet, novelist, essayist, dramatist, screenwriter, actor, editor, and film director * Melita Stedman Norwood Spy USSR - Work 1930–1972. * Hugh Lincoln Cooper American Engineer * Olga Avilova, surgeon * Barno Itzhakova, Shashmaqam folk singer * Sergi Jikia, Georgian historian and orientalist, founder of the Turkology in Georgia. * Nina Pigulevskaya, Soviet historian and orientalist. * Leonid Kirensky, physicist * Boris Miller, Iranianist scholar * Alexey Dobryden, metallurgist and party leader

Institutions, organisations, localities

* Komsomol * Vilnius University * City of Kovrov *

Saint Petersburg State University Saint Petersburg State University (SPBGU; ) is a public research university in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Russia. Founded in 1724 by a decree of Peter the Great, the university from the be ...

* City of Mykolaiv * City of Podolsk * Bolshevichka clothes factory * Zvyazda state newspaper * East Siberian Railway * National Library of Russia * Kuban State University of Technology * Moscow State University of Fine Chemical Technologies * 8th Soviet Rifle Division * Kamensk-Uralsky Metallurgical Works, in 1978 * Sovetskaya Entsiklopediya * Trolza trolleybus factory * Ural State Medical University * Uraltransmash *

Yerevan State University Yerevan State University (YSU; , , ), also simply University of Yerevan, is the oldest continuously operating public university in Armenia. Founded in 1919, it is the largest university in the country. It is thus informally known as Armenia's ...

* Estonian Drama Theatre

References

Works cited

External links

Legal Library of the USSR The Russian Gazette
{{DEFAULTSORT:Labour, Order of the Red Banner of Awards established in 1920 Awards established in 1928 Awards disestablished in 1991 Red Banner of Labour, Order of the 1920 establishments in Russia 1928 establishments in the Soviet Union 1991 disestablishments in the Soviet Union