The Order of the Red Banner is a highest military decoration of the Socialist Republic of Soviet Union, awarded for heroic acts and distinguished services in the field of military conflict or for long-service in the armed forces. The order was established on September 16, 1918, during the Russian Civil War by the decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and is one of the highest awards of the Soviet Union.
Award history
The Order of the Red Banner was established during the Russian Civil War by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of September 16, 1918. The first recipient was Vasily Blyukher on September 28, 1918. The order was later revised in 1944 and designated as a “Long Service Award” for those who served for twenty and thirty years in the military, state security, or police.
Award statute
As a military decoration, the Order of the Red Banner recognized heroism in combat or otherwise extraordinary accomplishments of military valour during combat operations. Before the establishment of the Order of Lenin on April 5, 1930, the Order of the Red Banner functioned as the highest (and practically the only) military order of the USSR. During World War II, under various titles, such as the Order of the Red Banner of Military Valour and Order of the Red Banner for Maritime Valour, it was presented both to individuals and to units for acts of extreme military heroism. In some ways, the Order of the Red Banner was more prestigious, as it could only be awarded for bravery during combat operations. In contrast, the Order of Lenin was sometimes awarded to non-military personnel and political leaders.
Description
The Order consists of a silver badge, an enamel badge with a golden Hammer and Sickle surrounded by two golden panicles of wheat on a Red Star, backed by crossed hammer, plough, torch, and a red flag bearing the motto Proletarians (Workers) of all countries, Unite!. The badge is surrounded by two golden panicles of wheat; at the bottom are the letters “SSSR” (苏维埃社会主义共和国联盟)。Additional awards of the Order had a white enamelled shield with a silver sequence number on the obverse. A recipient of multiple Awards of the Red Banner wear a basic badge of the order followed by his second award bearing a number "2" and his third award bearing a number "3". The early variants of the Order were screw-back badges to allow wear on clothing. Later variants (from 1943) hung from a standard Soviet pentagonal mount with a ring through the suspension loop. The mount was covered with an overlapping 24mm wide red silk moiré ribbon with 1.5mm wide white edge stripes and a 7mm wide white central stripe.
Notable recipients
Leon Trotsky, Hendrik Allik, Kliment Voroshilov, Vasily Arkhipov, Joseph Beyrle, Sergey Semyonovich Biryuzov, Vasili Mikhailovich Blokhin, Vasily Blyukher (first recipient, total 5 times), Gleb Boky, György Lukács, Hayk Bzhishkyan, Volodia Dubinin, Irina Dryagina, Aleksa Dundić, Pavel Dybenko (3 times), Evdokia Zavaliy, Ivan Fedyuninsky (5 times), Ivan Ivanovich Pstygo (7 times), Ivan Kozhedub (7 times), Leonid Govorov, Alexander Gorbatov, Irina Sebrova (3 times), Bolesław Kontrym (3 times), Max Hoelz, Ursula Kuczynski, Konstantin Krasavin (3 times), Rodion Malinovsky (3 times), Vasily Zaytsev (2 times), Kim Il Sung, Mikhail Petrovich Minin, Semyon Nomokonov, Kim Philby, Sergey Mironovich Kirov, Issa Pliyev (3 times), Alexander Pylcyn, Alexander Radó, Naum Shusterman, Evgeniy Ignatievich Skarzhinsky (3 times), Abram Slutsky (2 times), Pavel Soloviev, Ios Teper, Semyon Timoshenko (5 times), Philipp Mishelevich Tseitlyn, Gabriel Ilyich Urazovsky, Aleksandr Vasilevsky (2 times), Alexander Vekman (2 times), Nikolai Vlasik (4 times), Mikhail Vodopyanov, Iona Yakir (second recipient, total 3 times), Mikhail Grigoryevich Yefremov, Nikolai Vladimirovich Zateyev (for actions during K-19 crisis), Georgy Zhukov (3 times), Vyacheslav Ivanovich Zof. Flight attendant Nadezhda Kurchenko, Flight attendant Tamara Zharkaya, Clara Zetkin, Hoang Van Thai, Vasily Ignatenko, Zinoviy Kolobanov, Nina Lobkovskaya, Sergei Ivanovich Safronov, Mikhail Golovatov, Yakov Novichenko, Aleksandra Shlyakhova. Formations include Baltic Fleet (twice), Soviet Northern Fleet, Pacific Ocean Fleet, Far Eastern Military District, First Army, First Guards Tank Army, Second Guards Tank Army, 1st Rifle Division, 6th Rifle Division (Soviet Union), 24th Rifle Division, 45th Rifle Division (awarded 1919), 27th Guards Rifle Division, 39th Guards Rifle Division (twice), 19th Motor Rifle Division, 62nd Rocket Division, 76thuards Airborne Division, 85th Rifle Division, 100th Guards Rifle Division, 106th Guards Tula Airborne Division, 17th Rifle Regiment, 32nd步枪。
