In the Soviet Union, working people enjoyed great respect and honor. One of the recognition of labor merits was considered the highest government awards, which were awarded to the foremost workers of production and those who selflessly worked for the good of society in other spheres of the national economy. One of the most honorable awards of the USSR is the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.
Labor Valor Award
The Order of the Red Banner of Labor was introduced in 1928 by a special decree of the USSR government. But even before that, there was a corresponding order established in the RSFSR, which was introduced in 1920. There were similar awards in other republics of the Land of Soviets ("Orders and Medals of the USSR", GA Kolesnikov, AM Rozhkov, 1983).
The first to be awarded the RSFSR Labor Order was Nikita Menchukov, a peasant from one of the districts of the Gomel province. He was awarded this high honor for his selfless actions during the protection of the bridge from ice drift, which was associated with the risk to his life.
Whole collectives were also awarded the order. An example is the Tula Arms Plant, whose collective in 1921 received this high award, having exceeded the task of producing rifles for the front.
In that difficult period, the well-coordinated work of the gunsmiths made it possible to remove the threat of the capture of Tula by Denikin's troops.
After the appearance of such an order within the framework of the USSR, the awarding of the corresponding orders of the union republics was canceled. But those who were previously awarded such awards have retained all their advantages, rights and privileges.
Who was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor
In the decree of the government of the USSR, which introduced this order into circulation, it was said that this award was established to commemorate special services to the country in the industrial field, in the field of scientific activity, as well as public service. Not only individuals, but also institutions, enterprises and whole labor collectives could be presented to the order.
The reason for the presentation of the award was the presentation of the central departments and institutions of the Soviet Union or public organizations.
For the first time, mechanics of the country's air fleet M. Kvyatkovsky, V. Fedotov and A. Shelagin were awarded this high labor award of the USSR. They actively participated in the search for the airship, which crashed in the area adjacent to the North Pole. Among the first to be awarded was the staff of the Putilov plant, located in Leningrad.
During the pre-war period, more than eight thousand people and teams were nominated for the high award. These were the best representatives of the peasantry, the working class and the intelligentsia, as well as the collectives of advanced enterprises, state farms and collective farms. More than twenty thousand people who worked in the rear were awarded this order during the war against fascism. This is how the state celebrated the feat of the people who selflessly worked for the defense of the Soviet Union.
By the beginning of the 90s of the last century, more than a million people were awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor. The last among the awardees was the theatrical art worker I. G. Sharoev, who was awarded the order in December 1991.
