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30-826: The award was established on 16 April 1934, by the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union . The first recipients of the title originally received only the Order of Lenin , the highest Soviet award, along with a certificate (грамота, gramota ) describing the heroic deed from the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Because the Order of Lenin could be awarded for deeds not qualifying for

60-458: A 20-year sentence in a Mexican prison for the assassination of Leon Trotsky , Ramón Mercader moved to the Soviet Union in 1961 and as Ramon Lopez was awarded the Order of Lenin and the Hero of the Soviet Union medal "for the special deed" by KGB head Alexander Shelepin . The only individuals to receive the title four times were Marshal Georgy Zhukov and Leonid Brezhnev . The original statute of

90-570: A bronze bust of his or her likeness with a commemorative inscription erected in his or her hometown. Fighter pilots Aleksandr Pokryshkin and Ivan Kozhedub were three times Heroes of the Soviet Union. A third award entitled the recipient to have their bronze bust erected on a columnar pedestal in Moscow, near the Palace of the Soviets , but the palace was never built. After his release from serving

120-572: A second "Hammer and Sickle" medal and bronze busts of the Heroes were to be constructed in their hometowns to mark the occasion. Thrice Heroes of Socialist Labour were to have their busts placed near the planned Palace of the Soviets , but this was never implemented as the Palace of Soviets was never built. Only the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union could deprive a person of this title. The insignia "Hero of Socialist Labour", like

150-436: Is some speculation that Zhukov's fourth Hero medal was for his participation in the arrest of Lavrentiy Beria in 1953, but this was not entered in the records. Brezhnev's four awards further eroded the prestige of the award because they were all birthday gifts, on the occasions of his 60th, 70th, 72nd and 75th birthdays. Such practices halted in 1988 due to a decision of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, which formally ended it. By

180-486: Is still used both in surviving current Communist states such as Cuba and in some non-Communist post-Soviet countries such as Russia, Ukraine, and others. Individuals who received the award were entitled to special privileges, including: In total, during the existence of the USSR, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to 12,777 people (excluding 72 stripped of the title for defamatory acts and 13 awards annulled as unwarranted), including 154 people who received

210-595: The First All-Union Congress of Soviets , and was replaced by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet in 1938. Initially the committee had four co-chairs, after 1925 there were seven. The Kazakh and Kirghiz SSRs were created in 1936 and did not have co-chairs in the committee, as it dissolved just two years later. The Central Executive Committee was created with the adoption of the Treaty on

240-478: The " Hammer and Sickle " gold medal was introduced by decree of the Presidium on 22 May 1940, to accompany the Order of Lenin and diploma. The first recipient of the award was Joseph Stalin, awarded by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on December 20, 1939. The second recipient was machine gun designer Vasily Degtyaryov (2 January 1940). The third (and the last before the onset of Operation Barbarossa )

270-492: The "Hero of the Soviet Union" Gold Star Medal, is always worn in full on the left side of the chest and in the presence of other orders and medals, placed above them. If worn with honorific titles of the Russian Federation, the latter have precedence. The title "Hero of Socialist Labour" was designed by the artist A. Pomansky. Its gold hammer and sickle insignia was a five-pointed star with smooth dihedral rays on

300-507: The 1970s, the award had been somewhat devalued. Important political and military persons had been awarded it on the occasions of their birthdays rather than for any immediate heroic activity. All Soviet cosmonauts , starting from Yuri Gagarin , as well as foreign citizens from non-capitalist countries who participated in the Soviet space program as cosmonauts, received a Hero award for each flight, but no more than twice. Apart from individuals,

330-742: The Creation of the USSR in December 1922. The Central Executive Committee was elected by the Congress of Soviets to govern on its behalf whenever the Congress of Soviets was not in session. The Central Executive Committee was convened by the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee, which was elected by the Central Executive Committee to govern on its behalf whenever it was not in session. The Central Executive Committee of

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360-448: The Hero of the Soviet Union, however, did not provide for a fourth title; its provisions allowed for a maximum of three awards regardless of later deeds. Both Zhukov and Brezhnev received their fourth titles under controversial circumstances. Namely, Zhukov was awarded a fourth title in direct violation of the statute. He was awarded the fourth time "for his large accomplishments" on the occasion of his 60th birthday on December 1, 1956. There

390-460: The Presidium, which, like its parent body, was the delegated governing authority when the other was not in session. The chairman of the Presidium, served as the ceremonial head of state of the USSR. The Central Executive Committee also elected the Council of People's Commissars which was its executive and administrative organ. The Central Executive Committee of the USSR was established in 1922 by

420-408: The Russian Federation ". The Honorific title "Hero of Socialist Labour" was awarded by the Presidium to citizens who made significant contributions to the advancement of Soviet industry , agriculture, transportation, trade, science and technology , or otherwise served as exemplary models of the Soviet worker. Heroes of Socialist Labour who attained further exceptional achievements were awarded

450-719: The Soviet Union The Central Executive Committee of the USSR ( Russian : Центральный исполнительный комитет СССР , romanized :  Tsentralʹnyĭ ispolnitelʹnyĭ komitet SSSR ), which may be abbreviated as the CEC ( Russian : ЦИК , romanized :  TsIK ), was the supreme governing body of the USSR in between sessions of the All-Union Congress of Soviets from 1922 to 1938. The Central Executive Committee elected

480-655: The USSR should not be confused with the Central Executive Committees that operated in each of the Soviet Union's constituent republics. These were: The Presidium of the Central Executive Committee consisted of 21 members and included the Presidia of the Soviet of the Union and the Soviet of Nationalities . A representative of each constituent republic (initially four) was elected one of the directors of

510-442: The award twice (nine posthumously), three who received it three times, and two who received it four times. Ninety-five women were awarded the title. Among the Heroes of the Soviet Union, 44 people are citizens of foreign states. The great majority of them received it during World War II (11,635 Heroes of the Soviet Union, 101 twice Heroes, three thrice Heroes, and two four-time Heroes). Eighty-five people (28 posthumously) were awarded

540-564: The collapse of the Soviet Union, this title was succeeded in Russia by the title " Hero of the Russian Federation ", in Ukraine by " Hero of Ukraine " and in Belarus by " Hero of Belarus ". Azerbaijan's successor order is that of National Hero of Azerbaijan and Armenia's own hero medal is that of National Hero of Armenia , both modeled on the Soviet one. Central Executive Committee of

570-411: The days following his death stemmed from Colonel General Nikolai Berzarin 's pledge to nominate the discoverer of Hitler's corpse for the award. (Despite Soviet claims to the contrary , only Hitler's dental remains were ever certainly identified.) Over 100 people received the award twice. A second Hero title, either Hero of the Soviet Union or Hero of Socialist Labour , entitled the recipient to have

600-526: The first-ever Trans-polar flight, was awarded the title on 24 July 1936. Valentina Grizodubova , a female pilot, was the first woman to become a Hero of the Soviet Union (2 November 1938) for her international women's record for a straight-line distance flight. Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya , a Soviet partisan , was the first woman to become a Hero of the Soviet Union during World War II (February 16, 1942), posthumously. According to Soviet war interpreter Elena Rzhevskaya , reports of several dead Hitler lookalikes in

630-410: The obverse, the diameter of the circumscribed star was 33.5 mm. In the centre of the obverse, a relief hammer and sickle respectively of 14 and 13 mm. It weighed 15.25 grams. The reverse was plain and was surrounded by a slightly raised rim. In the centre, the relief inscription "Hero of Socialist Labour" ( Russian : "Герой Социалистического Труда" ) in 2mm high letters, the award serial number

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660-575: The presidium. As more entities (usually previously Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics ) were promoted to the status of constituent republics of the USSR, they received representation among the directors of the Presidium: The 1924 Soviet Constitution defined the powers of the CEC as: Hero of Socialist Labour The Hero of Socialist Labour (Russian: Герой Социалистического Труда , romanized:  Geroy Sotsialisticheskogo Truda )

690-641: The title for actions related to the Soviet-Afghan War , which lasted from 1979 until 1989. The first recipients of the award were the pilots Anatoly Liapidevsky (certificate number one), Sigizmund Levanevsky , Vasily Molokov , Mavriky Slepnyov , Nikolai Kamanin , Ivan Doronin , and Mikhail Vodopianov , who participated in the successful aerial search and rescue of the crew of the steamship Cheliuskin , which sank in Arctic waters, crushed by ice fields, on 13 February 1934. Valery Chkalov , who made

720-448: The title of Hero of Socialist Labour. One hundred and five people (80 men, 25 women) have been awarded multiple "Hammer and Sickle" medals. By 1991, at the dissolution of the Soviet Union , over 20,000 people had been awarded the title. In the history of the USSR, 16 people became Heroes of Socialist Labour three times: In March 2013, Vladimir Putin issued a decree establishing a title considered to be its successor, " Hero of Labour of

750-466: The title of hero, and to distinguish heroes from other Order of Lenin holders, the Gold Star medal was introduced on 1 August 1939. Earlier heroes were retroactively eligible for these items. A hero could be awarded the title again for a subsequent heroic feat with an additional Gold Star medal and certificate. The practice of awarding additional Orders of Lenin when the title was awarded multiple times

780-468: The title was also awarded to twelve cities ( Hero City ) as well as the fortress of Brest ( Hero-Fortress ) for collective heroism during the War. The last recipient of the title "Hero of the Soviet Union" was a Soviet diver , Captain of the 3rd rank Leonid Mikhailovich Solodkov on 24 December 1991 for his leadership and participation in a series of unprecedented extreme depth diving experiments. Following

810-443: Was abolished by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in 1988 during perestroika . Forty-four foreign citizens were awarded the title. The title was also awarded posthumously, though often without the actual Gold Star medal presented. The title could be revoked only by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet . Most Soviet-bloc countries followed the Soviet example and instituted their own "Hero" awards. The Soviet-style "Hero" title

840-506: Was an honorific title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries from 1938 to 1991. It represented the highest degree of distinction in the USSR and was awarded for exceptional achievements in Soviet industry and culture. It provided a similar status to the title of Hero of the Soviet Union , which was awarded for heroic deeds, but differed in that it was not awarded to foreign citizens. The Title "Hero of Socialist Labour"

870-406: Was introduced by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union on December 27, 1938. Originally, Heroes of Socialist Labour were awarded the highest decoration of the Soviet Union , the Order of Lenin , and a diploma from the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. In order to distinguish the Heroes of Socialist Labour from other Order of Lenin recipients,

900-458: Was issued to nine weapons designers, including Fedor Tokarev , Boris Shpitalniy , Nikolai Polikarpov , Alexander Yakovlev and Vladimir Klimov  [ ru ] . Post-1945 recipients include Mikhail Koshkin , Mikhail Kalashnikov , Nikolai Afanasyev , Emilian Bucov , Alexander Tselikov , Dmitri Shostakovich , Peter Andreevich Tkachev , and Andrei Tupolev . By September 1, 1971, 16,245 people (11,748 men, 4,497 women) had been awarded

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