The title of Hero of Ukraine (Template:Lang-ua, Russian: Герой Украины, pronounced Heroy Ukrayiny) is the highest title of distinction that can be presented by the state of Ukraine. Created in 1998, it is awarded in two grades; one for heroism and other for great service in labor. These heroes are given special benefits, which are kept until the hero passes away. Similar decorations presented by other former Soviet republics to this title are the Russia's Hero of the Russian Federation and Belarus's Hero of Belarus. Various political, military and labor leading figures, writers, atheletes and ordinary citizens were awarded with either grade of the title.
Creation
The title was created on 23 August 1998 with a decree issued by President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma.
While the decree, numbered #944/98, created the title "The Hero of Ukraine, award of the President of Ukraine," this decree established that there are two grades of the award. The first grade is called "The Order of the Gold Star," which is awarded for acts of heroism performed by the recipient. The second grade is called "The Order of the State," which is awarded for great achievements in labor.
The two tier system may have been influenced by the two titles issued by the Soviet Union, which the Ukraine was part of until 1991: Hero of the Soviet Union and Hero of Socialist Labor. Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded for acts of heroism while Hero of Socialist Labor was awarded for great achievements in labor.
Regulations
While President Kuchma was creating the title of Hero of Ukraine, Kuchma also began to issue regulations on how to award someone the title and how it is worn. Only the President of Ukraine has the power to confer the title, based on recommendation of various government officials, which is comfirmed by a secret ballot. This statute also allows for the Government of Ukraine to provide the hero with benefits and priveleges, all of which the hero can use until they pass away. New regulations were issued in 2002, also issued by Kuchma, and those regulations are currently in force. [1]
The first article of the decree layed out the general guidelines of the award itself. The Hero of Ukraine, as stated in Chapter 1, that the title, in full called The Hero of Ukraine, was created for "awarding citizens of Ukraine for their personal heroism and great labor achievements." The hero title is one of many awards that are awarded by the President of the Ukraine and it can only be awarded by a decree by the president. This article also declares the two grades mentioned above and for what reasons they should be awarded for. However, Chapter 5 only allows for a person to receive either grade only once, but is eligable to receive the other order. This means that a holder of the Order of the State performs a heroic action, they can be presented with the other grade, Order of the Gold Star. And if a holder of the Order of the Gold Star performs a great deed in the labor force, they can be eligible to receive the Order of the Nation. Either grade can be presented posthumously and a hero cannot have their title deprived, or taken away from them.
Procedure
In order for a person to be awarded either grade, a recommendation must be made to the president by either Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada (parliament of Ukraine), the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Attorney General of Ukraine, Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, Chairman of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, Ministers, and Heads of other central executive bodies, the government of the Autonomous Republic of the Crimea, regional administrations or the Kiev and Sevastopol city administrations. If the title is going to be confered to a member of the Ukrainian military, security services, national and border guards and civil defense services needed to be recommended by one of the following ministries: the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, the Ministry of Home Affairs of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Guard of Ukraine, the National Border Guards Committee of Ukraine, the Ministry of Extraordinary Situations and Protection of the Population from Aftermath of the Chernobyl Catastrophe. [2] The recommendations are then sent to the President, along with a package detailing the person's deeds and other recommendations. If the President agrees with the recommendation, he will issue a decree to that effect. [3] The President will award the person a medal, a miniture badge and also a certificate at the Presidential Palace in Kiev.
Display
The medal is always worn on the right breast above any other Ukrainian decoration. If a person has been awarded both the Order of the Gold Star and Order of the State, both are worn side by side. However, the Order of the Gold Star is worn first. A copy of the medal, made out of non-precious metals, can be presented to the hero for daily wear, called the "wearer's copy." If the use of the medal is not permitted, a ribbon bar (top, right) is worn above all decorations or ribbons.
Construction
Presidental decrees have created designs of both medals, though each are similiar in design. Both use the blue and yellow ribbon, which is in the same shade and patter that is used on the Flag of Ukraine. Below the ribbon is a suspension device, with connects the ribbon with the medallion, made out of gold. On the back of both medals, the name of the Order and a serial number is inscribed. [4]
Order of the Gold Star
On the suspension device, the Coat of Arms of Ukraine is present. Below the arms, is a star medallion with the width of 35 mm from one end to the other. The star, which is pentagonal shaped and polished, is super-imposed on a wreath of oak leaves. Inside the star, there are two smaller stars etched inside. The size of the ribbon (boot tree) is 45 mm long, with the width being 28 mm. Each color of the ribbon bar is 45 mm long, but the width is half of the total width, or 14 mm. The miniature badge has the same design as the ribbon, but the total measurements are only 28 by 12 mm. And the ribbon bar is made out of a metallic plate. [5]
Order of the State
The Order of the State has similar aspects as the Order of the Gold Star, such as the same ribbon bar and same size for the minature medal. However, instead of having the gold star on top of the oak leaves, the trident of Prince Volodymyr is used . The size of the medallion is 35 mm high and 36 mm wide. [6]
Wearer's copy
This is the medal those who been awarded either grade wears in public, also known as the wearer's copy. The design of the medal is a modification of the Hero of Socialist Labor medal. The red ribbon was replaced by the blue and yellow ribbon used on the two grades of the hero title and the hammer and sickle that was on the Hero of Socialist Labor has been removed. This medal is made out of non-precious metals and it is worn on the left breast, unlike the other medals. [7]
| Order of the Gold Star | Order of the State | Wearer's copy |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
Example recipients
- Andrei Shevchenko - Footballer, grade "Order of the Gold Star" in 2005 [8] [9]
- Yana Klochkova - Swimmer, won the Olympic gold medals at the Athens and Sydney Olympic Games. The title was given to her in "recognition of Klochkova's outstanding services to Ukraine and her efforts to build up the country's reputation in the Olympic arena." [10]
- Vitali Klitschko - Vitali was given the hero title, grade "Order of the Gold Star" in 2005. [11]
- A case of a posthumous awarding was when President awarded the title to Valery Lobanovsky, the trainer of the football club FC Dynamo Kyiv (Dinamo Kiev). Lobanovsky died May 13 2002 on the operating table to treat an "acute abnormality of circulation of the blood in the brain, against the background of hypertensive crisis" after he passed out during the football game of his team. Kuchma awarded the title to Lobanovsky for his years of service to Ukraine for the development of football inside the nation and also causing the national prestige to rise. [12]
- Pavlo Zagrebelny - writer, for "self-sacrifice for Ukraine, and for many years of writing and significant personal contributions toward the enrichment of the national spiritual treasury." [13]
References
- ^ http://zakon.rada.gov.ua/cgi-bin/laws/main.cgi?nreg=1114%2F2002 - New regulations issued in 2002 (now in force)
- ^ http://www.elitprofi.com.ua/en/hero.shtm Hero of Ukraine decree, No. #944/98
- ^ http://www.president.gov.ua/ru/documents/2973.html Decree by Victor Yushchenko awarding a person with the title
- ^ http://www.mil.gov.ua/index.php?lang=en&part=decoration&sub=1 Ukraine Ministry of Defense - Hero of Ukraine
- ^ http://www.president.gov.ua/ru/content/10404_r.html President of the Ukraine - Medal desgns (Russian)
- ^ http://dancor.sumy.ua/articles_img/2167_1.jpg AP photo of the wearer's copy of the medal
- ^ http://english.pravda.ru/main/2002/05/16/28808.html Pravda article on Lobnovsky funeral and title
External links
- President of the Ukraine - Ukrainian, Russian
- Hero of Ukraine decree - (English), Decree in Ukrainian
- Ribbon bars of Ukrainian Decorations - Ukrainian