Gold Star
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robot Modifying: [[et:Kuldtähe medal]]
{{otheruses}}
:''For the Israeli beer, see [[Goldstar (beer)|Goldstar]].
The '''Gold Star''' is the highest [[state decoration]] in the [[Soviet Union]] and several [[post-Soviet states]]. Titles that came with the decoration were the formerly [[Hero of the Soviet Union]] and the current [[Hero of Belarus]], [[Hero of the Russian Federation]] and [[Hero of Ukraine]].
<gallery>
Image:GoldStarOfTheHeroOfTheSovietUnion.jpg|[[Hero of the Soviet Union|Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union]]
Image:Hero of Belarus medal obverse.jpg|[[Hero of Belarus|Gold Star of the Hero of Belarus]]
Image:Hero of the Russian Federation obverse.jpg|[[Hero of the Russian Federation|Gold Star of the Hero of the Russian Federation]]
Image:Order of Golden Star Ukraine.jpg|[[Hero of Ukraine|Gold Star of the Hero of Ukraine]]
</gallery>
The Gold Star was established by the [[decree]] of the [[Presidium of the Supreme Soviet]] on August 1, [[1939]] (it was called "Hero of the Soviet Union" until October 16, 1939). This medal is a gold star hanging from a ribbon of the colour(s) of the flag of the country that issued it (red for the USSR; white/blue/red for the Russian Federation). It is worn on the left side of the chest above other [[Order (decoration)|orders]] and [[medal]]s.
The medal is awarded for extraordinary achievements in either the military or the [[MVD|Ministry of Internal Affairs]] (MVD), often posthumously. Multiple medals can be awarded; [[Aleksandr Pokryshkin]] and [[Ivan Kozhedub]] (the top-scoring Allied air aces of [[World War II]] with 59 and 62 kills, respectively) were famous for earning three Gold Stars each. Marshal Zhukov received four. In the late Soviet years, it was mainly [[cosmonaut]]s who received the award, as Soviet cosmonauts all served in the [[Russian Air Force|Air Military Forces]] (VVS).
The award lost some of its meaning when Soviet leaders after [[Joseph Stalin|Josef Stalin]] began giving themselves Gold Stars. [[Leonid Brezhnev]] was "awarded" five over his lifetime. In recent years the two [[Chechen War]]s (1994–1996 and 1999—) have created many Heroes of the Russian Federation, mainly among the [[Militsiya|militsiya]] and MVD servicemen.
[[Category:Orders, decorations, and medals of the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Russian military decorations]]
[[et:Kuldtähe medal]]
[[es:Estrella de Oro]]
[[pl:Złota Gwiazda]]
[[ru:Медаль «Золотая Звезда»]]
[[vi:Huân chương Sao vàng (Liên Xô)]]
[[uk:Золота зірка (медаль)]]