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Order Of The Red Star




Established on 6 April 1930 , the Order of the Red Star was an Order (decoration) of the Soviet Union , given to Red Army and Navy personnel for "exceptional service in the cause of the Defense of the Soviet Union in both war and peace."

The Order consisted of an enamelled red pentagonal star, with a white metal image of a soldier bearing a rifle in the center. Below the soldier are the letters CCCP (USSR), and surrounding him is the Communist motto, "Proletariats of the World Unite." At the bottom of the star is the hammer and sickle. The Order was worn on the right chest without ribbon; on less formal occasions a ribbon bar, dark red with a silver central stripe, may be worn instead.

The Order of the Red Star was one of the most common military decorations during the Great Patriotic War , with almost 3 million awards made to more than 2 million individuals, many of whom being junior officers. The Order was also used as a long service award, until the establishment of the Irreproachable Service Medal in 1958 .