Order of the Red Star

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

The Order of the Red Star (Russian: Орден Красной Звезды, romanized: Orden Krasnoy Zvezdy) was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 1930^[1] but its statute was only defined in decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 5 May 1930.^[2] That statute was amended by decrees of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 7 May 1936,^[3] of 19 June 1943,^[4] of 26 February 1946, of 15 October 1947, of 16 December 1947^[5] and by decree No 1803-X of 28 March 1980.^[6]

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:^[6]

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.^[6]

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.^[4] If worn in the presence of Orders or medals of the Russian Federation, the latter have precedence.^[7]

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^[8] 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, 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.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[2]

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.^[4]

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
Colonel Valentin Gavrilov
General Gaysin, V.B.

Three times

Captain Zelig Fisher
Lieutenant Colonel Naum Shusterman
Lieutenant Colonel Anatoly Lebed
Lieutenant Colonel Korolev Alexey Denisovich
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
Aviator Olga Yamshchikova
Major Marina Chechneva
Major Samuil Kovner
Major General Лукашев, Василий Васильевич
Skarzhinsky, Nikolai Vladimirovich a Soviet serviceman, who served in the Soviet 327th anti-tank battalion of the 253rd Rifle Division

Twice

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

Singles

Major General Isaak Zaltsman
Admiral Nikolay Gerasimovich Kuznetsov
Astronaut Vladimir Komarov
Ivan Gevorkian, famous Soviet Armenian surgeon and scientist.
Pavel Sukhoi
Natalya Kovshova, Red Army sniper. First Woman to receive the Red Star.
Andrei Tupolev
Astronaut Andriyan Nikolayev
Astronaut Pavel Popovich
Philosopher Grigori Pomerants
Major General Valery Bykovsky
Major Pavel Belyayev
Major General Alexei Leonov
Senior Lieutenant Simon Alexandrovich Marcus^[9]
Mikhail Mil
Heydar Aliyev
Evdokia Zavaliy
Astronaut Vladimir Dzhanibekov
Pilot Khiuaz Dospanova
Major Yakov Drob
Lieutenant General Alexander Lebed
Vasily Degtyaryov
Marshal of the Soviet Union Vasily Chuikov
Manhattan Project spy Harry Gold (secret)^[10]
World War II Soviet spy Elizabeth Bentley (secret)^[11]
Cold War Nuclear Submariner, Seaman Sergei Preminin
Guards Sergeant Mariya Borovichenko
Vice Admiral Vasily Arkhipov
Tamara Pamyatnykh, female fighter pilot
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn commander of a sound-ranging battery in the Red Army^[12] and Nobel laureate for literature.^[13]
Aleksandra Shlyakhova

Mikhail Konstantinovich Kudryavtsev^[14]
Colonel Nikolai Petrov, Deputy head of Moscow Anti-Aircraft Defences
Olga Avilova, surgeon^[15]
Ilya Devin, writer
Lieutenant Mikhail Golobokov
Victor Stern
Cosmonaut Valentin Bondarenko, who died as the result of burns sustained in a fire during a 15-day low-pressure endurance experiment as a part of the Soviet space program.

Units

In 2015 the Order of the Red Star award awarded to Ukrainian army units were removed as part of a removal of Soviet awards and decorations from Ukrainian military units.^[16]