In the 1920s After graduation civil war there was a need to create the highest award Soviet Union awarded not only for military merit. In the first years after the revolution in Russia, the Order of the Red Banner (since 1932 - the Order of the Red Banner) was established, which was awarded for military exploits, but there were no awards for peaceful merits.

At the beginning of 1930, work began on a project for a new order, called the "Order of Lenin". The artists of the Goznak factory in Moscow were given the task of creating a drawing of the order, the main image on the sign of which was to be a portrait of Lenin. From the many sketches, the work of the artist was chosen, who took as the basis for the portrait a photograph of Lenin taken at the Second Congress of the Comintern in Moscow by photographer Viktor Bulla in July-August 1920. On it, Lenin was captured in profile to the left of the viewer.

In the spring of 1930, a sketch of the order was handed over to sculptors Ivan Shadr and Pyotr Tayozhny to create a model. The first signs of the Order of Lenin were made at the Goznak factory.

The work on the sketches was still underway, when on April 6, 1930, the decision of the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR on the establishment of the Order of Lenin was issued, and on May 5, 1930, the statute of the order was approved by the decision of the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR.

Subsequently, changes were made to the statute of the order and its description by a resolution of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR of September 27, 1934, by decrees of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of June 19, 1943 and of December 16, 1947. By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of March 28, 1980, approved The Statute of the Order in the new edition.

According to the statute, the Order of Lenin is the highest award of the USSR for especially outstanding services in the revolutionary movement, labor activity, the defense of the socialist fatherland, the development of friendship and cooperation among peoples, the strengthening of peace, and other especially outstanding services to the Soviet state and society.

The Order of Lenin was awarded to: citizens of the USSR; enterprises, associations, institutions, organizations, military units, warships, formations and associations, union and autonomous republics, territories, regions, autonomous regions, autonomous regions, districts, cities and others settlements.

They could also be awarded to persons who are not citizens of the USSR, as well as enterprises, institutions, organizations and settlements of foreign states.

It was the first order of the Soviet Union, which was awarded for both labor and combat distinctions.

The Order of Lenin was awarded:
- for exceptional achievements and successes in the field of economic, scientific, technical and socio-cultural development Soviet society, increasing the efficiency and quality of work, for outstanding services in strengthening the might of the Soviet state, fraternal friendship of the peoples of the USSR;
- for especially important merits in the defense of the socialist Fatherland, strengthening the defense capability of the USSR;
- for outstanding revolutionary, state and socio-political activity;
- for especially important merits in the development of friendship and cooperation between the peoples of the Soviet Union and other states;
- for particularly outstanding services in strengthening the socialist community, developing the international communist, workers' and national liberation movement, in the struggle for peace, democracy and social progress;
- for other especially outstanding services to the Soviet state and society.

To be awarded the Order of Lenin for labor merits, as a rule, persons were presented whose selfless work had previously been awarded by other orders. The Order of Lenin was awarded to persons awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the title of Hero of Socialist Labor, as well as cities and fortresses, which were awarded the title of Hero City and Hero Fortress respectively.

The Order of Lenin is worn on the left side of the chest and, in the presence of other orders of the USSR, is located in front of them.

The appearance, dimensions and materials used to make the order changed many times, both during the creation process and after its establishment.

The variants of the Order of Lenin awarded to the recipients can be divided into four main types.

The first Orders of Lenin, issued from 1930 to September 1934, were made of 925 silver.

In a round medallion, framed by a wreath of two rows of wheat ears, against the background of industrial buildings, there is a bas-relief portrait of Lenin, looking to the left of the viewer. At the bottom of the medallion is a machine operator on a tractor moving to the left. The medallion was surrounded by a soldered double gold rim filled with ruby ​​enamel inside. Above the medallion, on the wreath, there is a gilded hammer and sickle; below the medallion, on a rectangular plate, there are gold overlaid letters "USSR" filled in with ruby ​​enamel in the middle. The order for attaching to clothing had a pin with a special nut on the reverse side of the badge.

About 700 orders of the first type were issued.

Since the Order of Lenin of the first type did not have images of the main proletarian symbols - the red star and the red banner, it was decided to change appearance sign.

The Order of Lenin was now made not from silver, but from 650 gold. From the obverse of the order, the images of the tractor and the industrial landscape disappeared, and the inscription "USSR" also disappeared.

On the new type of order appeared a red banner with the inscription "LENIN" and a red star. The hammer and sickle moved from the top of the order to the bottom. The red banner, red star, hammer and sickle on the badge of the second type are covered with ruby-red enamel. The central round portrait-medallion with the image of Lenin is silver-plated. The surface of the ears around the medallion has a natural golden surface.

The Order of Lenin of the second type was awarded from September 1934 to June 1936.

Compared with the previous type, the main change was that the Lenin bas-relief was a separate piece and was made of platinum (the weight of the bas-relief ranged from 2.4 to 2.75 g). The bas-relief was attached to the order with three rivets.
The surface of the central medallion of orders of the third type was covered with gray-blue enamel. Another change was to increase the fineness of the gold. Now the order was made of 950 gold.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of June 19, 1943, the wearing of the Order of Lenin attached to the clothes of the recipient was introduced with a pentagonal block, covered with an order ribbon.

The Order of Lenin is a sign depicting a portrait-medallion of V. I. Lenin made of platinum, placed in a circle framed by a golden wreath of ears of wheat.
The dark gray enamel background around the portrait-medallion is smooth and bordered by two concentric gold rims, between which ruby ​​red enamel is laid. On the left side of the wreath there is a five-pointed star, at the bottom there is a sickle and a hammer, on the right in the upper part of the wreath there is an unfolded panel of a red banner. The star, the hammer and sickle, and the banner are covered with ruby-red enamel and bordered with gold rims. On the banner there is an inscription in gold letters "LENIN".
The Order of Lenin is made of gold, the laid on bas-relief of Lenin is made of platinum. Pure gold in the order 28.604 ± 1.1 g, platinum 2.75 g (as of September 18, 1975). Total weight orders 33.6±1.75 g.
The order, with the help of an eyelet and a ring, is connected to a pentagonal block covered with a silk moiré ribbon 24 mm wide, in the middle of the ribbon there is a longitudinal red stripe, 16 mm wide, along the edges middle lane two golden stripes 1.5 mm wide, then two red stripes 1.5 mm wide, and two golden stripes 1 mm wide.
On the reverse side of the block there is a device for attaching to clothing.
Dimensions: height - 43-45 mm (including the eyelet in the upper part), width - 38 mm, diameter of the portrait medallion - 25 mm.

The badges of the Order of Lenin of the old type were exchanged by the awarded for the badges of the new type by the Department for Registration and Registration of the Awarded under the Secretariat of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR upon presentation of the awarded order book and identity document.

The signs of the Order of Lenin began to be issued in July 1931, but the first Decree of the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR on awarding them to the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper is dated May 23, 1930.

Among the first recipients of the Order of Lenin were major military leaders Vasily Blyukher, Semyon Budyonny, Kliment Voroshilov, Mikhail Tukhachevsky, as well as the heroes of the first five-year plans, miner Alexei Stakhanov, locomotive driver Pyotr Krivonos, workers Agriculture Maria Demchenko, Mamlakat Nakhangova, Mark Ozerny and others.

After the establishment on April 16, 1934 of the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (GSS), the Order of Lenin began to be awarded to everyone who received this honorary title. Since the Gold Star medal was established only in 1939, the Order of Lenin was the only distinction for the GSS. After the establishment of the Golden Star of the Hero, the Order of Lenin automatically continued to be issued with it.

Starting from June 4, 1944 and until September 14, 1957, the Order of Lenin was awarded to officers for long service (25 years of impeccable service). Also, since the early 1950s. The order of Lenin could also be received by civilians for long-term and fruitful work.

Many of the foreign leaders of the communist movement, such as Georgy Dimitrov (Bulgaria), Gustav Husak (Czechoslovakia), Janos Kadar (Hungary), Dolores Ibarruri (Spain), Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam), Walter Ulbricht (GDR), Fidel Castro (Cuba) ) and others received the Order of Lenin.

Almost all Soviet leaders and military leaders were awarded the Order of Lenin highest rank. A number of them repeatedly. So, 12 times the Order of Lenin was awarded to the Minister foreign trade USSR Nikolay Patolichev, 11 times - Marshal of the Soviet Union Dmitry Ustinov, 10 times - Minister of Medium Machine Building of the USSR Yefim Slavsky and Colonel General of Aviation Academician Alexander Yakovlev.

Another 20 autonomous republics, eight autonomous regions, six territories, more than 100 regions and some cities have been awarded the Order of Lenin. Moscow (1947, 1965), Leningrad (1945, 1957), Kiev (1954, 1961) each have two Orders of Lenin. The Moscow Region has three Orders of Lenin (1934, 1956, 1966).

More than 380 industrial and construction enterprises and about 180 agricultural enterprises and organizations have received this award.

The last in the history of the USSR to be awarded the Order of Lenin was the director of the Maslyaninsky brick factory Novosibirsk region Jacob Mule. He was awarded this award "for his great personal contribution in the reconstruction and technical re-equipment of the enterprise and the achievement of high performance in labor" (Decree of the President of the USSR of December 21, 1991).

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, no new submissions were made for the Order of Lenin. Nevertheless, two cases of issuing orders deserved before 1991, but not previously received, took place in 1994 and 1996. Taking into account these two awards, 431 thousand 418 awards have been made since the establishment of the Order of Lenin.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources

The Order named after Lenin became the highest award of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics for especially outstanding services for rewarding both individuals and enterprises, institutions, organizations.

History of the Order of Lenin

By 1930, there were only two orders in the award system of the USSR, these were the orders of the Red Banner and the Red Banner of Labor, which led to a large number of awards of these orders. Back in 1926, the idea of ​​a higher award, then called the "Order of Ilyich", was proposed. The project was in limbo for 4 years, until at the beginning of 1930 it was decided, in addition to the existing ones, to create another, higher award - the Order of Lenin.

The award was established on April 6, 1930, on May 5 of the same year the statute of the Order of Lenin was approved, changes were made to the charter and description: 09/27/1934; 06/19/1943; December 16, 1947

The bas-relief of Lenin was created from a photograph by Viktor Bulla in 1921, from the III Congress of the Comintern. The artist Ivan Dubasov and sculptors Ivan Shadr and Pyotr Taezhny worked on the creation of the first version of the Order of Lenin, the second version of the order was created by the medalist A. Vasyutinskiy.

Knights of the Order of Lenin

The first Order of Lenin was received not by a person, but by the publication Komsomolskaya Pravda, the image of the order still flaunts on the title page of Komsomolskaya Pravda.

First during the Great Patriotic War the Order of Lenin was awarded to the soldiers of the 98th border detachment Babenko F.T. and Lieutenant Gusev F.I.

The youngest holder of the Order of Lenin was Mamlakat Nakhangova, a cotton picker from Tajikistan, who was 11 years old at the time of the award.

The oldest gentleman was the Polish-Ukrainian composer S. F. Lyudkevich (01/23/1979). He was awarded in connection with the 100th anniversary.

There are two 11-fold holders of the Order of Lenin. These are the Minister of Foreign Trade of the USSR Nikolai Patolichev and Soviet military leader and statesman Dmitry Ustinov. In addition, three people are 10 times holders of the Order of Lenin, and 8 more, nine times.

Prior to the establishment of the Gold Star of the Hero of the USSR and the Hammer and Sickle medals, along with the titles of Hero of the Soviet Union and Hero of Socialist Labor, the Order of Lenin was awarded. After the establishment of the medals, this tradition was not broken, and the Order of Lenin automatically continued to be issued to all persons awarded the title of Hero, as well as to cities and fortresses that were awarded the corresponding title of "Hero City" or "Hero Fortress".

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, there were two cases of awarding the Order of Lenin for merit committed before 1991. Taking into account these two awards, over the years of its existence, the Order of Lenin has made 431,418 awards.

Only 51 cases of deprivation of this award are known. Among the deprived: Nikolai Yezhov, Lavrenty Beria, Nikolai Shchelokov, Heinrich Yagoda, Nicolae Ceausescu.

Description of other awards of the Second World War of the USSR: The Order of the Red Star is the second exclusively military order in the USSR, the Order of Kutuzov for awarding officers ground forces Soviet army.

Order of Lenin in the award system of the USSR

The price of the Order of Lenin

The cost of the Order of Lenin depends on its type, safety and availability of documents. To date, the price of the order in collectible condition with documents starts from:
1930-34 Type 1 "Tractor" on propeller ≈800 pcs. - 3230000 rub.
1934-36 Type 2 "Silver Head" on screw ≈2000 pcs. - 520,000 rubles.
1936-43 Type 3 "Platinum head" on screw ≈11000 pcs. - 260,000 rubles.
1943-56 Type 4 "Round" on a block ≈160,000 pcs. - 78000 rub.
1957-91 Type 5 "Oval" on a block ≈400,000 pcs. - 65000 rub.
Price updated as of 03/21/2019

Varieties of the Order of Lenin

Type 1 "Tractor" 1930-1934

Dimensions - height - 38 mm, width - 37.5 mm.

Numbers: 1-800

The Order of Lenin is a portrait medallion with the image of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin against the background of factory pipes, under the portrait is an image of a tractor with a tractor driver, the portrait is placed in a gold circle filled with red enamel. The central medallion is framed with a wreath of ears of wheat, under the medallion there is an inscription "USSR", at the top there is a hammer and sickle.

On the reverse of the order, in the center is a bronze flange with a threaded screw. Above the screw, the number of the order is stamped in digits 1.5 mm high, below the screw is the stamp "GOSZNAK". The obverse and reverse are two separate parts, connected by soldering, inside the order is hollow. The clamping nut is made of silver, has a diameter of 32 mm, on inside soldered bronze washer with thread.

Most of the orders of the first type were subsequently replaced with newer types, while maintaining the serial number, so there are awards of later types with numbers corresponding to the first type of the Order of Lenin.

Type 2 "Silver Head" 1934-1936

Dimensions - height - 38.5 mm, width - 38 mm.

Numbers: 700-2700

In 1932, the country's leadership drew attention to the fact that the country's highest state award lacks the main symbols of the state, the award was urgently finalized. In the final version, factory chimneys and a tractor were removed from the background, a five-pointed star was placed on the left side of the wreath, a red banner with a gold inscription "LENIN" was now on the top right, the sickle and hammer were moved to the lower part of the order. The material of the order was gold, and a silver coating was applied to the central medallion of the order.

The sign has become one-piece stamped. A silver threaded screw is soldered in the center of the obverse. Below the screw, the number of the order is stamped, and below it is a convex rounded inscription "MONDVOR". The clamping nut is made of silver, and can have a diameter of 28-33mm.

In the early versions of the second type of order, the silver coating was too thin and of poor quality, which gave rise to the myth of the existence of a type of order without a central medallion covered with silver, the so-called "Golden Head". This is a mistake, there was no order without a silver central medallion. On the later versions of the order, the thickness and quality of the silver coating of the medallion was increased, and this problem disappeared.

Type 3 "Platinum Head" 1936-43

Dimensions - height - 38-39 mm, width - 38 mm.

Numbers: 2600-13800

The main difference from the previous type is that the bas-relief of Lenin was made by a separate element of platinum, and was attached to the order with three rivets. The very surface of the central medallion, instead of silvering, began to be covered with gray-blue enamel.

On the reverse of the order, three rivets are visible that secure the bas-relief. The number of the order is located above the screw, and can be either knocked out or applied with a engraver. The mark of the manufacturer "MONDVOR", and on later versions, presumably after the evacuation Mint from Leningrad to Krasnokamsk "MONETNY DVOR".

Type 4 "Round" 1943-56

Dimensions - height (including eyelet) - 43 mm, width - 38 mm.

Numbers: 13800-192000

The appearance of the fourth type is associated with a decree of June 19, 1943, according to which orders with an oval or round shape, was prescribed to be worn on the left side of the chest on a pentagonal block, covered with a silk moire ribbon. As a result, the Order of Lenin received an eyelet in the upper part for fastening to the block, and, accordingly, lost the screw on the reverse.

Some of the already made orders were remade to be worn on a block. A screw was removed from the reverse of the badge, and a ring was added with the help of soldering, this option was called “dovetail” by collectors. In addition, early versions of the fourth type have a round recess on the reverse, in the place where the screw was located, on later versions, it is absent.

The maker's mark on all orders of the fourth type "MINET" in a semicircle at the bottom. The number of the Order of Lenin can be either applied with a engraver or stamped with a punch.

Type 5 "Oval" 1957-91

Dimensions - height (including eyelet) - 45 mm, width - 38 mm.

Numbers: 191500-465000

On the reverse of the order, a recessed round plane with a diameter of more than 20 mm appeared in the center. The maker's mark has moved to upper part. Possible options: above the top rivet in a semicircle "LENINGRAD", below the top rivet "MINET" in two lines; or only "MINT" in two lines, below the top rivet. The number can be both knocked out and applied with a engraver, and located both above and below the bottom two rivets, there are also options with a number printed at the bottom of the reverse, below the round recess.

Statute of the Order of Lenin

1. The Order of Lenin is the highest award of the USSR for particularly outstanding services in the revolutionary movement, labor activity, defense of the socialist Fatherland, development of friendship and cooperation between peoples, strengthening of peace, and other particularly outstanding services to the Soviet state and society.
2. The Order of Lenin is awarded to:
   citizens of the USSR;
   enterprises, associations, institutions, organizations, military units, warships, formations and associations, union and autonomous republics, territories, regions, autonomous regions, autonomous districts, districts, cities and other settlements.
   The order can also be awarded to persons who are not citizens of the USSR, as well as enterprises, institutions, organizations, settlements of foreign states.
3. Awarding the Order of Lenin is made:
   for exceptional achievements and successes in the field of economic, scientific, technical and socio-cultural development of Soviet society, for raising the efficiency and quality of work, for outstanding services in strengthening the might of the Soviet state, and for the fraternal friendship of the peoples of the USSR;
   for especially important merits in the defense of the socialist Fatherland, strengthening the defense capability of the USSR;
   for outstanding revolutionary, state and socio-political activity;
   for especially important services in the development of friendship and cooperation between the peoples of the Soviet Union and other states;
   for particularly outstanding services in strengthening the socialist community, developing the international communist, workers' and national liberation movement, in the struggle for peace, democracy and social progress;
   for other especially outstanding services to the Soviet state and society.
4. As a rule, persons whose selfless work has previously been awarded by other orders can be presented for awarding the Order for Labor Merit.
5. The Order of Lenin is awarded to persons awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the title of Hero of Socialist Labor, as well as to cities and fortresses that have been awarded the title of "Hero City" and the title of "Hero Fortress" respectively.
6. The Order of Lenin is worn on the left side of the chest and, in the presence of other orders of the USSR, is located in front of them.

The Order of Lenin was the highest award of the USSR, they were awarded for particularly outstanding services in the revolutionary movement, labor activity, defense of the socialist fatherland, the establishment of friendship and cooperation between peoples, the strengthening of peace, and other particularly outstanding services to the state and society.

This award of the USSR is a portrait-medallion of V. I. Lenin made of platinum on a dark gray enamel background, placed in a circle framed by a gold wreath of ears of wheat. On the left side of the wreath there is a five-pointed star, below - a sickle and a hammer, on the right in the upper part of the wreath - a red banner. The star, the hammer and sickle, and the banner are covered with ruby-red enamel and bordered with gold rims. On the banner is the inscription in gold letters "LENIN".

The height of the order is 40.5 mm, the width of the order is 38 mm, the diameter of the portrait medallion is 25 mm.

This order of the USSR was made of gold, the laid on bas-relief of Lenin was made of platinum. Pure gold in the order is 28.604 ± 1.1 g, platinum - 2.75 g (as of September 18, 1975). The total weight of the order is 33.6±1.75 g.

The order, with the help of an eye and a ring, is connected to a pentagonal block covered with a moire ribbon 24 mm wide, in the middle of the ribbon there is a longitudinal red strip 16 mm wide, on the sides of the central strip there are two golden stripes 1.5 mm wide, then two red stripes 1.5 mm each , and two golden stripes 1 mm wide.

The Order of Lenin is worn on the left side of the chest and placed in front of others and.

The Order of Lenin was modified several times. Initially, this was proposed to be called the "Order of Ilyich". The artist I. Dubasov and the sculptor I. D. Shadr participated in the creation of the project for the order. The basis for creating the image of Lenin on the sign of the order was a photograph of 1921 from the III Congress of the Comintern. In 1934, medalist A. Vasyutinskiy carried out work on changing the design of the order.

Among the first awarded the Order of Lenin were major military leaders Blucher V.K., Budyonny S.M., Voroshilov K.E., Tukhachevsky M.N., also heroes of the first five-year plans - miner Alexei Stakhanov, locomotive driver Pyotr Krivonos, agricultural workers Mamlakat Nakhangova, Mark Ozerny, Maria Demchenko and others.

On September 10, 1934, foreigners were awarded the Order of Lenin for the first time. For participation in the search and rescue of Chelyuskinites, this award was received by citizens of the United States, flight mechanics Levari Williams and Clyde Armistet.

In the summer of 1939, for participation in the defeat of the Japanese militarists on the Khalkhin Gol River, the Orders of Lenin were awarded to the 24th motorized rifle regiment of Colonel Fedyuninsky, the 36th motorized rifle division of brigade commander Petrov, the 11th tank brigade of brigade commander Yakovlev, the 7th motorized armored brigade of major Lesovoy, the 100th high-speed bomber aviation brigade of Colonel Shevchenko, the 175th artillery regiment of Colonel Polyansky, a separate anti-tank division of the 36th motorized rifle division and a separate tank company for special purposes.

In total, before the Great Patriotic War, about 6,500 people became holders of the Order of Lenin (including Heroes of the Soviet Union and Heroes of Socialist Labor).

On June 22, 1941, the Great Patriotic War began. The first to repulse the Nazis, for which they were awarded, were the border guards. Soldiers of the 98th border detachment, political instructor Babenko F.T. (8th outpost) and Lieutenant Gusev F.I. (commander of the 9th outpost) were among the first to accomplish feats, subsequently awarded the Orders of Lenin.

Foreman Surkov M.I. (1921-1953). The best Soviet sniper of the Great Patriotic War, the number of destroyed opponents - 702 people. He was awarded the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Red Star and the medal "For Courage".

In August-September 1941, the crew of the Verny gunboat (Dneprovsky detachment of the Pinsk military flotilla) distinguished themselves in battles in the defense of Kiev. The crew of the gunboat destroyed the Pechkinsky bridge and disrupted the crossing of the German troops to the Okuninovsky bridgehead. During the mission, the commander of the ship, Senior Lieutenant Terekhin A.F., was killed. and boatswain foreman of the 1st article Shcherbina L.S. Both heroes were posthumously awarded the Order of Lenin.

During the war years, the Order of Lenin was also awarded to military educational institutions for the training of command personnel. For example, the 1st Kiev Red Banner Artillery School named after S.M. Kirov in May 1945 was awarded the Order of Lenin. During the years of the Great Patriotic War, the school trained over 6,000 officers.

In total, during the Great Patriotic War, about 41 thousand people were awarded this award (of which about 36 thousand were awarded for military merit), and 207 military units attached the Order of Lenin to their banners.

From June 4, 1944 to September 14, 1957, the Order of Lenin was awarded to officers for 25 years of impeccable service. Among other things, from the beginning of the 50s, civilians could also receive the Order of Lenin for long-term and constructive work. The Order of Lenin was awarded to almost all Soviet leaders of the highest rank. This state of affairs contributed to the fact that over the last 40 years of the existence of the USSR, the Order of Lenin was awarded more than 360 thousand times.

A number of Soviet military personnel of the highest rank were awarded the Order of Lenin several times. Thus, Marshals of the Soviet Union I.Kh. Bagramyan, L.I. Brezhnev, S.M. Budyonny, A.M. Vasilevsky, V.D. .N., Lysenko T.D., Ilyushin S.V., Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers Tikhonov N.A.

Marshal of the Soviet Union Chuikov V.I., polar explorer Papanin I.D., colonel-general-engineers Dementyev P.V. had 9 orders of Lenin. (Minister of the Aviation Industry) and Ryabikov V.M. (1st Deputy Chairman of the State Planning Committee of the USSR).

Academician Alexandrov A.P. had 10 Orders of Lenin. and aircraft designer Yakovlev A.S.
Eleven times awarded the Order of Lenin Marshal of the Russian Union Ustinov D.F.
The Minister of Foreign Trade of the USSR Patolichev N.S. had twelve Orders of Lenin.

The Order of Lenin was awarded to all Soviet republics, some of them several times. The Azerbaijan SSR (1935, 1964, 1980), the Armenian SSR (1958, 1968, 1978), the Kazakh SSR (1956, 1979, 1982), the Uzbek SSR (1939, 1956, 1980) had 3 Orders of Lenin. ).

20 autonomous republics, 8 autonomous regions, 6 territories, more than 100 regions and some cities have been awarded the Order of Lenin. Moscow (1947, 1965), Leningrad (1945, 1957), Kiev (1954, 1961) each have two Orders of Lenin. The Moscow region has 3 orders of Lenin (1934, 1956, 1966).

More than 380 industrial and construction enterprises and about 180 agricultural enterprises and organizations have received this award. Many enterprises were awarded the Order of Lenin several times. For example, 3 orders of Lenin were awarded to the Moscow Automobile Plant. Likhachev - "ZIL" (1942, 1949, 1971).
Lenin Komsomol (VLKSM) was awarded 3 Orders of Lenin.

The last recipient of the Order of Lenin in the history of the USSR was the director of the Maslyaninsky brick factory in the Novosibirsk region, Yakov Yakovlevich Mul. He was awarded this award by Decree of the President of the USSR No. UP-3143 of December 21, 1991 "for his great personal contribution to the reconstruction and technical re-equipment of the enterprise and the achievement of high performance in labor."

The order of Lenin

The order of Lenin- the highest award of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, for exceptional achievements and outstanding services - established on April 6, 1930.

History of the award

The history of the award dates back to July 8, 1926, when the head of the Main Directorate of the Red Army, V.N. Levichev, proposed the creation of a new award, which was to become the highest combat insignia - the “Order of Ilyich”. It was supposed to be issued to persons who already had four orders of the Red Banner. The initial design of the order was not accepted, but the need for the creation of the highest award of the Soviet Union, awarded both for military and civilian merit, became clear.

Work on the Order of Lenin was resumed in early 1930. The work was entrusted to the Moscow factory Goznak. The sketch of the project was based on a photograph of Lenin taken at the II Congress of the Comintern in Moscow by photographer Viktor Bulla in July - August 1920, where Vladimir Ilyich was captured in the left profile. In the same year, the first signs of the Order of Lenin were made at the Goznak factory.

The order was established by a decree of the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR on April 6, and its statute on May 5, 1930. The statute of the order and its description were amended by the Decree of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR of September 27, 1934, the Decrees of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of June 19, 1943 and December 16, 1947. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of March 28, 1980, the statute of the order was approved in its final version.

Award Statute

The Order of Lenin is awarded

citizens of the USSR, enterprises, associations, institutions, organizations, military units, warships, formations and associations, union and autonomous republics, territories, regions, autonomous regions, autonomous districts, districts, cities and other settlements. The Order of Lenin can also be awarded to persons who are not citizens of the USSR, as well as enterprises, institutions, organizations, and settlements of foreign states.

Reasons for the award

• for exceptional achievements and successes in the field of economic, scientific, technical and socio-cultural development of Soviet society, for raising the efficiency and quality of work, for outstanding services in strengthening the might of the Soviet state, and for the fraternal friendship of the peoples of the USSR;
• for especially important merits in the defense of the socialist Fatherland, strengthening the defense capability of the USSR;
• for outstanding revolutionary, state and socio-political activity;
• for especially important services in the development of friendship and cooperation between the peoples of the Soviet Union and other states;
• for particularly outstanding services in strengthening the socialist community, developing the international communist, workers' and national liberation movement, in the struggle for peace, democracy and social progress;
• for other especially outstanding services to the Soviet state and society.

Wearing order

The Order of Lenin is worn on the left side of the chest and, in the presence of other orders of the USSR, is located in front of them.

Description of the award

For more than 70 years of the history of the order, its appearance, materials and manufacturing parameters have changed many times. Among various options orders distinguish five main types.

I type

The first type of the Order of Lenin was approved on May 23, 1930. The badge of the Order of Lenin, model 1930, was a round medallion portrait with a bas-relief of Lenin in the center and an industrial landscape in the background. An image of a tractor was placed under the bas-relief of Lenin. The medallion was surrounded by an overlaid gold rim, which was fastened by soldering. On the front side, the gold rim had a groove filled with ruby ​​red enamel. Around the medallion, outside of the gold rim, there were wheat ears, on which a gilded hammer and sickle were superimposed in the upper part of the badge, and the inscription "USSR" in the lower part. The letters of the inscription are made of gold and covered with red enamel.

The badge was made of 925 sterling silver. Dimensions: height - 38 mm, width - 37.5 mm.

The Order of Lenin of the first type was issued until February 1932. One of the reasons for the termination of the issuance of orders of this type The reason was that other awards of the USSR and even some badges were decorated with richer colored enamels than the main award of the country.

About 700 orders of the first type were issued

II type

Due to the absence of the main proletarian symbols on the order - the red star and the red banner, it was decided to slightly change the appearance of the badge.

The new statute of the Order of Lenin was approved by the Decree of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR of September 27, 1934. The main material of manufacture was replaced with gold 750. From the front side, the images of a tractor, an industrial landscape and the inscription "USSR" were removed. On the new type of order appeared a red banner with the inscription "LENIN" and a red star. The hammer and sickle moved from the top of the order to the bottom. The red banner, red star, hammer and sickle on the badge of the second type are covered with ruby-red enamel. The central round portrait-medallion with the image of the leader is silver-plated. The spikes around the medallion have a natural golden surface.

Dimensions: height - 38.5 mm, width - 38 mm.

III type

The main change compared to the previous version of the order was that now the bas-relief of Lenin was made of platinum as a separate part (the weight of the bas-relief ranged from 2.4 to 2.75 g) and was attached to the order with three rivets. The surface of the main medallion of the order was covered with gray-blue enamel. Also, 950 gold was used to make the order.

Dimensions: height - 38-39 mm, width - 38 mm.

IV type

A decree of June 19, 1943 established the procedure for wearing orders that had an oval or round shape - on the left side of the chest on pentagonal blocks covered with the ribbon of the order. At the same time, due to a sharp increase in the number of orders of the USSR and the number of awards, they introduced the wearing of straps with moire ribbons instead of orders. Thus, after June 19, 1943, the Order of Lenin acquired an eyelet in the upper part of the badge of the order, into which a ring was inserted, connected to a pentagonal block. From the new wearing order, it followed that all old orders were to be replaced while maintaining the serial number indicated in the order book. The main part of orders of I-III types was replaced after the end of the Great Patriotic War.

V type

The fifth type of the order was awarded to those awarded from the 50s until the collapse of the USSR in 1991. The vertical size of the order is somewhat larger than that of the previous type, the shape of the order approaches an oval. The height of the order is 45 mm (including the eyelet in the upper part), the width of the order is 38 mm. On the reverse of the order, in its central part, there is a shallow depression in the form of a regular circle with a diameter of more than 20 mm.

The appearance of the Order of Lenin from the statute of the last edition of March 28, 1980

The Order of Lenin is a sign depicting a portrait-medallion of V. I. Lenin made of platinum, placed in a circle framed by a golden wreath of ears of wheat. The dark gray enamel background around the medallion portrait is smooth and bordered by two concentric gold rims with ruby ​​red enamel between them. On the left side of the wreath there is a five-pointed star, at the bottom - a sickle and a hammer, on the right in the upper part of the wreath - an unfolded panel of a red banner. The star, the hammer and sickle, and the banner are covered with ruby-red enamel and bordered with gold rims. On the banner is the inscription in gold letters "LENIN".

Award examples

• The first awarding of the Order of Lenin was made on May 23, 1930. The Order of Lenin No. 1 was awarded to the newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda for "active assistance in strengthening the pace of socialist construction and in connection with the fifth anniversary of its founding."
• The first person to be awarded was Avel Sofornovich Yenukidze.
• The first awarded military team was the 23rd Red Banner Rifle Division on August 5, 1932, in connection with its tenth anniversary and "for the Bolshevik examples of active assistance in the construction of the Kharkov Tractor Plant named after Sergo Ordzhonikidze."
• The first to be awarded for military merit was the Red Army soldier of the 1st division of the 11th Khorezm cavalry regiment of the OGPU Roman Panchenko, who distinguished himself in battles with the Basmachi in the spring of 1933. The order was awarded to him on October 29 of the same year.
• I. V. Michurin became the first of the scientists to be awarded the Order of Lenin in June 1931, Maxim Gorky (September 17, 1932) from cultural figures, and Isaak Brodsky (March 28, 1934) from painters.
• On April 20, 1934, the participants in the operation to rescue the expedition of the steamer Chelyuskin were awarded the Order of Lenin.
• For the first time, members of the crew of the Osoaviakhim-1 balloon were awarded the Order of Lenin posthumously. On January 30, 1934, the balloon reached a record height of 22,000 meters, but as a result of extremely difficult weather conditions the apparatus iced over and fell in Mordovia. All three crew members - commander P.F. Fedoseenko, balloon designer A.B. Vasenko and physicist I.D. Usyskin died in the crash.
• Pilot V.P. Chkalov became the first holder of two Orders of Lenin on July 24, 1936.

Order of Lenin and Gold Star Medal

The highest degree of distinction of the USSR - the title of Hero of the Soviet Union was established on April 16, 1934. However, there was no insignia for this title, and the award of the title was initially accompanied only by the presentation of the Diploma of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. On July 29, 1936, those awarded this title began to be awarded the Order of Lenin, but since they outwardly continued to be no different from the rest of the recipients, on August 1, 1939, the Gold Star medal was established. In the future, the practice of awarding the Diploma, the Star and the Order of Lenin continued until the collapse of the USSR; (The same practice was introduced when conferring the title of Hero of Socialist Labor with the presentation of a Diploma, the Order of Lenin and the star "Hammer and Sickle").

Order of Lenin in the Armed Forces of the USSR

In the 1930s, the orders of Lenin were awarded to military units and divisions. In 1932, the 25th Rifle Division named after V.I. was awarded the Order of Lenin. Chapaev "for heroic deeds in socialist construction and excellent successes in combat and political training." In the same year, the 23rd Rifle Division was awarded the Order of Lenin "for active participation in the construction of KhTZ (Kharkov Tractor Plant) and labor heroism personnel". In 1934, the 30th Irkutsk Rifle Division named after the All-Russian Central Executive Committee was awarded the Order of Lenin. In 1935, the 44th Cavalry Division of the First Cavalry Army was awarded the Order of Lenin. Zhukov G.K., who at that time commanded the 44th Cavalry Division, was also awarded the Order of Lenin.

For participation in the defeat of the Japanese militarists on the Khalkhin Gol River in the summer of 1939, the Orders of Lenin were awarded to the 36th motorized rifle division of brigade commander Petrov, the 11th tank brigade of brigade commander Yakovlev, the 7th motorized armored brigade of Major Lesovoy, the 100th high-speed bomber aviation brigade of Colonel Shevchenko, the 24th motorized rifle regiment of Colonel Fedyuninsky, the 175th artillery regiment of Colonel Polyansky, a separate anti-tank division of the 36th motorized rifle division and a separate tank company for special purposes.

During the Great Patriotic War, about 41 thousand people were awarded high awards (of which about 36 thousand - for military merit), and 207 military units attached the Order of Lenin to their banners. During the war years, the Order of Lenin was also awarded to military educational institutions for the training of command personnel. On June 4, 1944, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was issued on awarding orders and medals for long service in the Red Army and the Red Army, and on September 16, an instruction appeared on the procedure for awarding, which was held twice a year - by May 1 and November 7. The Order of Lenin was awarded to commanding officers, officers and conscripts who served impeccably in the Red Army and the Red Army for 25 years. This order was maintained until September 14, 1957, when the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was issued, abolishing the award for long service, but as an exception, the awarding of the Order of Lenin upon retirement "for exceptional merit" was retained. But after some time, awarding orders for anniversaries and anniversaries came into practice.

Sailors awarded the Order of Lenin

Afanasiev Ivan Ivanovich was awarded the Gold Star medal, 2 orders of Lenin, etc. During the Great Patriotic War, he was the captain of the Old Bolshevik timber carrier attached to the Northern Fleet. At the end of May 1942, a timber carrier loaded military equipment, ammunition and gasoline, moved from Reykjavik (Iceland) to Murmansk as part of an allied convoy and was attacked and set on fire by Nazi aircraft. One of the bombs hit the ship. On the proposal of the British command to leave the ship, the captain refused. The convoy left, leaving a burning timber truck behind. The crew saved their ship from fire, repaired the damage and delivered the cargo to Murmansk.

Vershinin Fedor Grigoryevich was awarded 2 Orders of Lenin, the Order of the Red Banner, etc. Awarded during the Soviet-Finnish war. He commanded the submarine "Shch-311". He made 1 military campaign during which he sank 2 ships, another one was probably damaged. On February 7, 1940, he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.

Kalinin Fedor Alekseevich was awarded the Gold Star medal and the Order of Lenin. November 17, 1943 was for the heroic deed shown during the crossing of the Kerch Strait, the capture of a bridgehead on the Kerch Peninsula.

Petrovsky Konstantin Maksimovich was awarded the Gold Star medal, the Order of Lenin, the Order of the Red Star. In May 1942, as part of the crew of the ship "Old Bolshevik", he participated in the convoy PQ-16, en route from the port of Reykjavik to Murmansk. For 3 days, the crew repelled 47 attacks by German aircraft. Bombs hit the hold, a fire broke out, threatening to explode ammunition and destroy the ship. For many hours in a row, P., in fire and smoke, fought for the survivability of the ship along with the sailors. The ship was rescued and independently arrived at the port.

Shumsky Alexey Denisovich was awarded the Gold Star medal and the Order of Lenin. On November 1, 1943, at the head of a platoon, together with the 386th separate battalion of marines, he landed on the northern outskirts of the village of Eltigen. The platoon captured Hill 47.7 by storm, which provided cover for the left flank of the battalion. During the day, they kept the height, reflecting a large number of enemy counterattack. In this battle, Shumsky died.

Image Gallery