History

This award was conferred to foreign or native citizens in recognition of heroic deeds in the service of the Soviet state or society.

Recipients of the Hero of the Soviet Union received a Gold Star Medal, documentation, the Order of Lenin, and an identification booklet. The Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest award in the USSR. Prior to the institution of the Gold Star Medal, individuals were only conferred the Order of Lenin, and so the Gold Star Medal was created to distinguish those individuals who had been awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union specifically.

The Gold Star Medal could also be conferred a second time for heroic feats, along with a second Order of Lenin. A second awarded Gold Star Medal features a Roman numeral II on the reverse of the star.

The type I medal was awarded from August 1 1939 to June 19, 1943 when it was replaced by the type II medal. Also the type I model features a rectangular suspension while the type II model has a square suspension.

The reverse inscription translates to: "Hero USSR".