Hero of the Soviet Union

Hero of the Soviet Union (Russian: ????? ?????????? ?????) was the highest honorary title and the superior degree of distinction of the former USSR. It included the Order of Lenin (the highest Soviet award) and, as the sign of excellence, the Gold Star medal with the certificate of the heroic deed (gramota) from the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (highest executive body of the land). The award was established on April 16, 1934. If a person was a recipient of several Hero awards, the Lenin Order was given only once, with some exceptions in later times.

Sample List of Recipients

Once

• Nikolai Kuznetsov
• Otto Schmidt
• Richard Sorge
• Vasily Zaitsev
• Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya

Twice

• Ivan Bagramian
• Sydir Kovpak
• Amet Khan Sultan

Thrice

• Ivan Kozhedub
• Aleksandr Pokryshkin
• Semyon Budyonny (awarded the title in 1958, 1963 and 1968)

Four times

• Leonid Brezhnev
• Georgy Zhukov

Foreign Recipients

• Pham Tuan
• Gamal Abdel Nasser