The most expensive and coveted military award for officers of the Red Army has always been and remains the Order of the Red Star. As a mark of distinction in combat battles and victories, this star first appeared in 1918 on the military uniform of the soldiers of the Moscow garrison. In the Civil War, a five-pointed star was worn on the chest under the heart, but since 1943 the metal order was moved to the right side. This award was worn only on a festive officer uniform. In everyday and field form, the order looked like a small bar with 2.4 cm ribbons. The ribbon had a burgundy shade with a strip of pale gray in the middle.
Officially and publicly, the Order of the Red Star was established by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee in 1930 on April 6. The authors of the award were sculptor V. Golenetsky and artist Kupriyanov V.K. She looked like a silver star, five rays of which were covered with ruby red enamel. In the center of the star was a silver round plate depicting a Red Army fighter with a rifle. On the shield there was also an engraving "Workers of all countries, unite" and just below the "USSR", and under it there was a symbolic sickle and hammer. All emblems, as well as the edges of the award, have been oxidized.
The Order of the Red Star weighed about 34 g, the proportion of silver of the total weight was almost 28 g. The size of the star between its opposite vertices was about 5 cm. The back side was engraved with a personal number, a pin with a nut was placed on it for attaching to clothes.
On May 5, 1930, the first Statute of the Order was drawn up. According to this document, the order was awarded to military officers of the commanding and rank-and-file composition of the Red Army, ships and military units, as well as their formations, enterprises, institutions, collectives and public organizations that rendered outstanding services in the defense of the USSR from the enemy, both during the war and in Peaceful time.
Fighters who had such an important award to them proudly wore the title of Knight of the Order of the Red Star. The first such holder in May 1930 was Vasily Konstantinovich Blucher, who at that time commanded the Special Far Eastern Army. He received his star for a beautifully conducted military operation on the Sino-East Railway, which took place in the summer of 1929.
Among those awarded the order it is often possible to meet those who have two or even more awards. So, for example, Army General A. Gribkov and Admiral Amelko N.N. they have three stars, and four stars for their services to the fatherland were received by Colonel General of Aviation, Hero of the Soviet SSR G. Baidukov and twice the hero of the USSR V.K. Kokkinaki Five awards were awarded to Major General of Aviation, twice hero of the Union of Socialist Republics Stepanenko I.N.
The first collective to receive the Order of the Red Star was a newspaper with the symbolic name “Red Star”. She was gifted with honors in honor of her decade in December 1933. Later, magazines such as Aviation and Cosmonautics, Military Knowledge, Naval Collection, Military Herald, and Soviet Warrior were gifted with a badge of honor .
In all, for the entire existence of the award, the Order of the Red Star was awarded to more than 3.8 million Soviet and foreign citizens. In the last years of the "life" of the Soviet Union, a ruby star was given out to the soldiers of Afghanistan for feats and wounds on the battlefield. And today this symbol of courage can be seen not only on the chest of an elderly veteran, but also on a young soldier who has managed to experience fear, pain, despair and such a pleasant taste of victory over his years.