Order of the Red Star

Order of the Red Star
The Order of the Red Star (obverse)
Awarded by the Soviet Union
Type	Single-grade order
Eligibility	Soviet military personnel
Awarded for	Great contribution to the defense of the USSR in war and in peacetime and for ensuring public safety
Status	No longer awarded
Statistics
Established	6 April 1930
First awarded	September 1930
Last awarded	19 December 1991
Total awarded	3,876,740
Ribbon of the Order of the Red Star

Reverse of the Order of the Red Star

Lieutenant Colonel Anatoly Lebed wearing his three Orders of the Red Star earned in Afghanistan

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Major General Georgi Zakharov wearing one of his two Orders of the Red Star

Afghanistan veteran Igor Vladimirovich Vysotsky wearing his Order of the Red Star and other awards on civilian attire

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Lieutenant General Alexey Anastasovich Mikoyan (as a captain on photo) wearing his first of three Orders of the Red Star

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A Soviet boy soldier wearing the Order of the Red Star surrounded by his admirers

1946 Soviet 60 kopek stamp bearing the Order of the Red Star

The Order of the Red Star (Russian: Орден Краснoй Звезды) was a military decoration for bravery of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of April 6, 1930 but its statute was only defined in decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 5, 1930. That statute was amended by decrees of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 7, 1936, of June 19, 1943, of February 26, 1946, of October 15, 1947, of December 16, 1947 and by decree No 1803-X of March 28, 1980.

Award statute

The Order of the Red Star was awarded to soldiers of the Soviet Army, Navy, border and internal security forces, employees of the State Security Committee of the USSR, as well as NCOs 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 2nd class. If worn in the presence of Orders or medals of the Russian Federation, 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 September 14, 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 January 25, 1958 decree of the Ministers of Defence, of Internal Affairs and of the Chairman of the Committee on State Security of the USSR establishing the Medal "For Impeccable Service" 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, 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 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
• Colonel General Georgy Baydukov
• Colonel General Alexander Ivanovich Babaev

Three times

• Lieutenant Colonel Naum Shusterman
• Lieutenant Colonel Anatoly Lebed
• Army General Alexei Yepishev
• Army General Gennady Ivanovich Obaturov
• Captain (navy) Asaf Abdrakhmanov
• Lieutenant General Alexander Vasilyevich Belyakov
• Rear Admiral Aksel Berg
• Admiral Nikolai Sergeyev

Twice

• Major General Georgy Beregovoy
• Sergey Ilyushin
• Colonel Ivan Kozhedub
• Marshal of Aviation Alexander Pokryshkin
• Marshal of the Soviet Union Boris Shaposhnikov
• Marshal of the Soviet Union Sergey Akhromeyev
• Senior Sergeant Yakov Pavlov
• Admiral Arseniy Golovko
• Colonel General Igor Rodionov
• Rear Admiral Vladimir Konovalov
• Admiral Gordey Levchenko
• Admiral Ivan Stepanovich Yumashev
• Army General Ivan Yefimovich Petrov
• Marshal of the Soviet Union Nikolai Bulganin

Singles

• Admiral Nikolay Gerasimovich Kuznetsov
• Astronaut Vladimir Komarov
• Ivan Gevorkian, famous Soviet Armenian surgeon and scientist.
• Pavel Sukhoi
• Andrei Tupolev
• Astronaut Andriyan Nikolayev
• Astronaut Pavel Popovich
• Major General Valery Bykovsky
• Major Pavel Belyayev
• Major General Alexey Leonov
• Mikhail Mil
• Heydar Aliyev
• Astronaut Vladimir Dzhanibekov
• Lieutenant General Alexander Lebed
• Vasily Degtyaryov
• Marshal of the Soviet Union Vasily Chuikov

Units

• Alexandrov Ensemble
• 89th Rifle Division
• 9th Infantry Division
• 80th Airmobile Regiment
• 8th Army Corps
• 7th Guards Airborne Division
• 10th Guards Motor Rifle Division

External links

• Legal Library of the USSR
• Soviet-Awards.com A non-commercial website
• Russian language, non-commercial website