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The Order of Maternal Glory (USSR)

The Order of Maternal Glory was established on 8 July 1944 and awarded to all mothers bearing and raising 9 children.

The Order of Maternal Glory (or Орден «Материнская слава», Orden «Materinskaja slava» in Russian) was established on 8 July 1944 and awarded to all mothers bearing and raising 9 children. It was awarded upon the first birthday of the last child, provided that eight other children (natural or adopted) remained alive. Children who had perished under heroic, military, or other respectful circumstances were also counted.

The order was divided into three classes: first, second and third class. It was conferred to:

  • First class: mothers bearing and raising nine children.
  • Second class: mothers bearing and raising eight children.
  • Third class: mothers bearing and raising seven children.

The award was created simultaneously with the Mother Heroine order and the Maternity Medal and it was situated in between them. The first decree for bestowing the award was issued on 6 December 1944, when the first class order was conferred to 21 women, the second class to 26 and the third class to 27. In total the order was awarded in the first class to 753,000 women, 1,508,000 received the second class award and 2,786,000 received the third class award.

The Order of Maternal Glory Design

The first class medals were made of silver in a convex egg-shape and measured 36 mm (1.4 in) high and 29 mm (1.1 in) wide.

The upper part of the medal contained a red enamel flag with the phrase “Материнская слава” (“Maternal Glory”) and the Roman number showing the order’s class. Below the flag, there was a white enamel shield with the CCCP (USSR) inscription. The upper part of the shield was decorated with a five-pointed star and the lower part with the hammer and sickle symbol. On the left side, there was a figure of a mother holding a son in her arms covered with roses on her lowest part. The lower part of the medal contains a flag and gilded lettering.

In second class medals, the flag’s enamel was dark-blue and there were not gilded parts while in the third class ones enamel disappeared from the flag, shield, and star. The back of the medals was in white enamel. First-class medals were suspended to a single light-blue fringe while second class had two light-blue fringes and third-class three of them.

The Honored Navigator of the USSR Medal

The Honored Navigator of the USSR Medal was awarded to qualified civilian navigators for special merit in the development of modern aircraft.

The Honored Navigator of the USSR Medal (or Заслуженный штурман СССР, Zaslužennyj šturman SSSR in Russian) was established on 30 September 1965 and awarded to qualified civilian navigators 1st class for special merit in the development of modern aircraft, in the use of the most advanced navigating techniques, for the highest standards in education and training of flight personnel, for long-term trouble-free flying and for outstanding achievements in the use of aviation in the national economy.

The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was the main conferring authority of the award based on recommendations of the Minister for Civil Aviation of the USSR.

The chest badge “Honoured Navigator of the USSR” was worn on the right side of the chest and in the presence of other orders, placed over them.

The Honored Navigator of the USSR Medal Design

The medal is a polygon with raised edges struck in silver and nickel and measuring 27mm wide by 23mm high.

At the top of the obverse, the relief inscription in two lines covered to the left ЗАСЛУЖЕННЫЙ ШТУРМАН (“HONOURED NAVIGATOR”), in the center, the gilt tombac image of a jet transport aircraft climbing diagonally towards the right, at the bottom, the relief inscription СССР (“USSR”) superimposed over a laurel branch.

The badge was secured to a standard Soviet square mount by a silver-plated ring through the suspension loop. The mount was covered by a silk moiré red ribbon.

The Honored Pilot of the USSR Medal

The Honored Pilot of the USSR Medal was awarded for outstanding achievements in the use of aviation in the national economy.

The Honored Pilot of the USSR Medal (or Заслуженный пилот СССР, Zaslužennyj pilot SSSR in Russian) was established on 30 September 1965 and awarded to qualified civilian pilots 1st class for special merit in the development of modern aircraft, in the use of the most advanced piloting techniques, for the highest standards in education and training of flight personnel, for long-term trouble-free flying and for outstanding achievements in the use of aviation in the national economy.

The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was the main conferring authority of the award based on recommendations of the Ministry for Civil Aviation of the USSR.

The chest badge “Honored Pilot of the USSR” was worn on the right side of the chest and in the presence of other orders, placed over them.

The Honored Pilot of the USSR Medal Design

The medal is a polygon with raised edges struck in silver and nickel and measuring 27mm wide by 23mm high.

At the top of the obverse, the relief inscription in two lines covered to the left ЗАСЛУЖЕННЫЙ ПИЛОТ (“HONOURED PILOT”), in the center, the gilt tombac image of a jet transport aircraft climbing diagonally towards the right, at the bottom, the relief inscription СССР (“USSR”) superimposed over a laurel branch.

The badge was secured to a standard Soviet square mount by a silver-plated ring through the suspension loop. The mount was covered by a silk moiré red ribbon.

The Honored Military Navigator of the USSR Medal

The Honored Military Navigator of the USSR Medal was awarded for outstanding achievements in the development of aviation technology.

The Honored Military Navigator of the USSR Medal (or Заслуженный военный штурман СССР, Zaslužennyj voennyj šturman SSSR in Russian) was established on 26 January 1965 and awarded to members of military flying units, military agencies, military schools, military organizations, and other military or federal authorities, having qualified military navigators 1st class or military navigator-instructors 1st class, for outstanding achievements in the development of aviation technology, high performance in education and training of flight personnel and long-term trouble-free flight operations in military aviation.

The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was the main conferring authority of the award based on recommendations from the Ministry of Defence of the USSR.

The breast badge “Merited Military Navigator of the USSR” was worn on the right side of the chest and in the presence of other orders, placed over them.

The Honored Military Navigator of the USSR Medal Design

The medal is a polygon with raised edges struck in silver and nickel and measuring 27mm wide by 23mm high,

At the top of the obverse, the relief inscription in three lines covered to the left ЗАСЛУЖЕННЫЙ ВОЕННЫЙ ШТУРМАН (“MERITED MILITARY NAVIGATOR”), in the center, the gilt tombac image of a jet plane climbing diagonally towards the right its nose and tail slightly protruding over the edges, at the bottom, the relief inscription СССР (“USSR”) superimposed over a laurel branch.

The badge was secured to a standard Soviet square mount by a silver-plated ring through the suspension loop. The mount was covered by a silk moiré red ribbon.

The Honored Military Pilot of the USSR Medal

The Honored Military Pilot of the USSR Medal was awarded for outstanding achievements in the development of aviation technology and training.

The Honored Military Pilot of the USSR Medal (or Заслуженный военный лётчик СССР, Zaslužennyj voennyj lëtčik SSSR in Russian) was established on 26 January 1965 and awarded to members of military flying units, military agencies, military schools, military organizations, and other military or federal authorities, having qualified military pilots 1st class or military pilot-instructors 1st class, for outstanding achievements in the development of aviation technology, high performance in education and training of flight personnel and long-term trouble-free flight operations in military aviation.

The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was the main conferring authority of the award based on recommendations from the Ministry of Defence of the USSR. The chest badge “Honored Military Pilot of the USSR” was worn on the right side of the chest and in the presence of other orders, placed over them.

The Honored Military Pilot of the USSR Medal Design

The medal is a polygon with raised edges struck in silver-and-nickel and measuring 27-millimetre-wide by 23-millimetre-high.

At the top of the obverse is the relief inscription in three lines covered to the left ЗАСЛУЖЕННЫЙ ВОЕННЫЙ ЛËТЧИК (“Honored MILITARY PILOT”), in the center, the gilt tombac image of a jet plane climbing diagonally towards the right its nose and tail slightly protruding over the edges, at the bottom, the relief inscription СССР (“USSR”) superimposed over a laurel branch.

The badge was secured to a standard Soviet square mount by a silver-plated ring through the suspension loop. The mount was covered by a silk moiré red ribbon.

The Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR Medal

The Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR Medal was established on 14 April 1961 and awarded to all cosmonauts who flew for the Soviet Space Agency.

The Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR Medal (or Заслуженный военный лётчик СССР, Zaslužennyj voennyj lëtčik SSSR in Russian) was established on 14 April 1961 and awarded by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet to all cosmonauts who flew for the Soviet Space Agency. Usually accompanying the distinction was the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the highest title that could be awarded to a Soviet citizen for performing heroic deeds while in service of the state.

The award was given until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 where it was retained by the Law of the Russian Federation 2555-1 dated 20 March 1992 with a few slight amendments and renamed Pilot-Cosmonaut of the Russian Federation. The insignia of Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR is worn on the right side of the chest above orders and decorations.

The Pilot-Cosmonaut of the USSR Medal Design

The medal is a 25mm wide by 23.8mm high convex pentagon with a gilt silver rim.

In the center is an image of the terrestrial globe with the territory of the Soviet Union enameled in red. A gold star denotes Moscow as the point of origin of a gilt orbital path going around the globe once to reach a silver satellite at the upper left of the globe. A second orbital path, this time enameled in red, starts at the bottom center of the globe going up in an arc narrowing along the way to reach a gilt spacecraft above the globe.

Along the upper-left edge of the pentagon above the globe, the gilt relief inscription ЛЕТЧИК (“PILOT”), along the upper-right edge of the pentagon above the globe, the gilt relief inscription КОСМОНАВТ (“COSMONAUT”), along the bottom edge of the pentagon under the globe, the gilt inscription СССР (“USSR”), along the left and right lower edges of the pentagon, prominent gilt laurel branches. The reverse of the insignia is plain except for the award serial number.

The insignia is secured to a standard Russian square mount by a ring through the suspension loop. The award is secured to clothing with a threaded stud and nut behind the mount. The mount is covered by a silk moiré red ribbon.

The Honored Test Navigator of the USSR Medal

The Honored Test Navigator of the USSR Medal was established in 1958 and awarded to military and civilian test-navigators 1st class.

The Honored Test Navigator of the USSR Medal (or Заслуженный штурман-испытатель СССР, Zaslužennyj šturman-ispytatel’ SSSR in Russian) was established on 14 August 1958 and awarded to military and civilian test-navigators 1st class of the civilian aircraft industry and of the Ministry of Defence of the USSR, for multiple years of creative work in the field of testing and research of new aviation technologies.

Its statute was confirmed on August 22, 1988, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet № 9441-XI. The title ceased to be awarded following the December 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union. The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was the main conferring authority of the award based on recommendations from the Ministry of Defence of the USSR (Министерство обороны СССР) or from the Ministry of Aviation Industry of the USSR (Министерство авиационной промышленности СССР).

The Honored Test Navigator of the USSR Medal Design

The badge is a silver and nickel polygon with raised edges and measures 27mm wide by 23mm high.

At the top of the obverse, the relief inscription in three lines covered to the left ЗАСЛУЖЕННЫЙ ШТУРМАН-ИСПЫТАТЕЛЬ (“MERITED TEST NAVIGATOR”), in the center, the gilt tombac image of a jet plane climbing diagonally towards the right its nose and tail slightly protruding over the edges, at the bottom, the relief inscription CCCP (“USSR”) superimposed over a laurel branch.

The badge was secured to a standard Soviet square mount by a silver-plated ring through the suspension loop. The mount was covered by a silk moiré blue ribbon. It was secured to clothing by a threaded stud and nut or by a pin attachment.

The Honored Test Pilot of the USSR Medal

The Honored Test Pilot of the USSR Medal was established on 14 August 1958 and awarded to military and civilian test-pilots 1st class.

The Honored Test Pilot of the USSR Medal (or Заслуженный лётчик-испытатель СССР, Zaslužennyj Lëtčik-Ispytatel’ SSSR in Russian) was established on 14 August 1958 and awarded to military and civilian test-pilots 1st class of the civilian aircraft industry and of the Ministry of Defence of the USSR, for multiple years of creative work in the field of testing and research of new aviation technologies.

The state award of the Soviet Union was established on August 14, 1958, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet № 2523-X to recognize courage and excellence of military and civilian test pilots in flight research and testing of aircraft. Its statute was confirmed on August 22, 1988, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet № 9441-XI. The title ceased to be awarded following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The Honored Test Pilot of the USSR Medal Design

The badge is a silver and nickel polygon with raised edges and measures 27mm wide by 23mm high.

At the top of the obverse, the relief inscription in three lines covered to the left ЗАСЛУЖЕННЫЙ ЛËТЧИК-ИСПЫТАТЕЛЬ (“HONOURED TEST PILOT”), in the center, the gilt tombac image of a jet plane climbing diagonally towards the right its nose and tail slightly protruding over the edges, at the bottom, the relief inscription CCCP (“USSR”) superimposed over a laurel branch.

The badge was secured to a standard Soviet square mount by a silver-plated ring through the suspension loop. The mount was covered by a silk moiré blue ribbon. It was secured to clothing by a threaded stud and nut or by a pin attachment.

The People’s Architect of the USSR Medal

The People’s Architect of the USSR Medal was established in 1967 and awarded for stunning results in urban planning or building design.

The People’s Architect of the USSR Medal (or Медаль Народный архитектор СССР, Narodnyj architektor SSSR in Russian) was established on 12 August 1967 by Leonid Brezhnev and awarded for stunning results either in urban planning or in the design of important buildings.

The honorary title was granted to architects of the Soviet Union and bestowed by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR owing proposals addressed by the State Construction Committee or by the Soviet Architects’ Union. The Supreme Soviet had the ability to refuse these designations.

A diploma was given to those who were appointed jointly with the medal and its concerning certificate. The title was bestowed to architects who had achieved stunning results in Soviet architecture’s development either applying their expertise and creativity to urban planning or to the design of important building compounds for civil, industrial, or rural use.

Following the Dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1990, the title of Meritorious Architect of the Russian Federation was created by a decree of the Russian presidency.

The People’s Architect of the USSR Medal Design

The medal was made of tombac and its shape was quadrangular with twisted corners. It measures 22.5 by 23.5 mm.

The central part is occupied by the inscription “Народный архитектор СССР” and, below, the hammer and sickle symbol. Both the symbol and inscription are embossed, with convex letters.

The medal is suspended to a single red silk fringe measuring 18 mm by 21 mm with an attached metallic buckle decorated with bay laurel leaves.

The People’s Painter of the USSR Medal

The People’s Painter of the USSR Medal was established on 16 July 1943 and awarded for exceptional achievements in visual arts.

The People’s Painter of the USSR Medal (or Медаль Народный художникin CCCP, Narodnyj chudožnik SSSR in Russian) was established on 16 July 1943 and awarded for exceptional achievements in visual arts as painting, sculpture, drawing, and photography.

The People’s Painter of the USSR Medal Design

The medal is made of tombac and its shape was quadrangular with twisted corners. It measures 22.5 by 23.5 mm.

The central part is occupied by the inscription “Медаль Народный художник СССР” and, below, the hammer and sickle symbol. Both the symbol and inscription are embossed, with convex letters.

The medal is suspended to a single red silk fringe measuring 18 mm by 21 mm with an attached metallic buckle decorated with bay laurel leaves.