The Order of Lenin (russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina, ), named after the leader of the Russian

October Revolution The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key mom ...

, was established by the Central Executive Committee on April 6, 1930. The order was the highest civilian

decoration Decoration may refer to: * Decorative arts * A house painter and decorator's craft * An act or object intended to increase the beauty of a person, room, etc. * An award that is a token of recognition to the recipient intended for wearing Othe ...

bestowed by the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

. The order was awarded to: * Civilians for outstanding services rendered to the State * Members of the armed forces for exemplary service * Those who promoted friendship and cooperation between people and in strengthening peace * Those with meritorious services to the Soviet state and society From 1944 to 1957, before the institution of a specific length of service medals, the Order of Lenin was also used to reward 25 years of conspicuous military service. Those who were awarded the titles "

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...

" and "

Hero of Socialist Labour The Hero of Socialist Labour (russian: links=no, Герой Социалистического Труда, Geroy Sotsialisticheskogo Truda) was an honorific title in the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact countries from 1938 to 1991. It repre ...

" were also given the order as part of the award. It was also bestowed on cities, companies, factories, regions, military units, and ships. Various educational institutions and military units who received the said Order applied the full name of the order into their official titles.

Design

The first design of the Order of Lenin was sculpted by

Pyotr Tayozhny Pyotr (Cheshuin) Tayozhny () (1887 – 1952) was a Russian sculptor. He studied at the Artistic Industrial School in Yekaterinburg together with his close friend, sculptor Ivan Shadr. Later he worked with Faberge in Moscow. Discouraged by th ...

and

Ivan Shadr Ivan Shadr (russian: Иван Шадр), pseudonym of Ivan Dmitriyevich Ivanov (russian: Ива́н Дми́триевич Ивано́в; — 3 April 1941) was a Russian/Soviet sculptor and medalist who took his pseudonym after his hometo ...

based on sketches by

Ivan Dubasov Ivan Ivanovich Dubasov (russian: Иван Иванович Дубасов) (30 November 1897, Odintsovo, Moscow Governorate, Russian Empire – 15 March 1988, Moscow, Russian SFSR, USSR) was a Russian artist active in the Soviet Union. He was ...

. It was made by

Goznak Joint Stock Company "Goznak" (short for ''Государственный знак'', or State Insignia) is a Russian joint-stock company responsible for research and development as well as manufacturing security products including banknotes, coin ...

of silver with some lightly gold-plated features. It was a round badge with a central disc featuring

Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1 ...

's profile surrounded by smokestacks, a tractor and a building, possibly a power plant. A thin red-enamelled border and a circle of wheat panicles surrounded the disc. At the top was a gold-plated "

hammer and sickle The hammer and sickle (Unicode: "☭") zh, s=锤子和镰刀, p=Chuízi hé liándāo or zh, s=镰刀锤子, p=Liándāo chuízi, labels=no is a symbol meant to represent proletarian solidarity, a union between agricultural and industr ...

" emblem, and at the bottom were the Russian initials for "USSR" (russian: СССР) in red enamel. Only about 800 of this design were minted. It was awarded between 1930–1932. The second design was awarded from 1934 until 1936. This was a solid gold badge, featuring a silver plated disc bearing Lenin's portrait. The disc is surrounded by two

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...

en panicles of

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

, and a red

flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...

with "LENIN" in Cyrillic script (russian: ЛЕНИН). A

red star A red star, five-pointed and filled, is a symbol that has often historically been associated with communist ideology, particularly in combination with the hammer and sickle, but is also used as a purely socialist symbol in the 21st century. I ...

is placed on the left and the "hammer and sickle" emblem at the bottom, both in red enamel. The third design was awarded from 1936 until 1943. The design was the same as previous, but the central disc was gray enamelled and Lenin's portrait was a separate piece made of

platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...

fixed by

rivet A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed, a rivet consists of a smooth cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite to the head is called the ''tail''. On installation, the rivet is placed in a punched ...

s. The fourth design was awarded from 1943 until 1991. Design was the same as previous, but was worn as a medal suspended from a ribbon (all previous were screwback). The badge was originally worn by screwback on the left chest without a ribbon. Later it was worn as a medal suspended from a red ribbon with pairs of yellow stripes at the edges (see image above). The

ribbon bar A medal ribbon, service ribbon or ribbon bar is a small ribbon, mounted on a small metal bar equipped with an attaching device, which is generally issued for wear in place of a medal when it is not appropriate to wear the actual medal. Each cou ...

is of the same design. The portrait of Lenin was originally a riveted

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

piece. For a time it was incorporated into a one-piece gold badge, but finally returned as a separate

piece until the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. File:Type 1 Order of Lenin replica.jpg, Order of Lenin type 1 (1930–32) File:Order of Lenin type2.jpg, Order of Lenin type 2 (1934–36) File:Order of Lenin type3.jpg, Order of Lenin type 3 (1936–43) File:Order of Lenin badge with ribbon.png, Order of Lenin type 4 (1943–91)

Recipients

The first Order of Lenin was awarded to the newspaper ''

Komsomolskaya Pravda ''Komsomolskaya Pravda'' (russian: link=no, Комсомольская правда; lit. " Komsomol Truth") is a daily Russian tabloid newspaper, founded on 13 March 1925. History and profile During the Soviet era, ''Komsomolskaya Pravda'' w ...

'' on 23 May 1930. Also among the first ten recipients were five industrial companies, three pilots, and the Secretary to the Central Executive Committee

Avel Enukidze Avel Safronovich Yenukidze ( ka, აბელ ენუქიძე, ''Abel Enukidze'', ; russian: А́вель Сафронович Енуки́дзе; – 30 October 1937) was a prominent Georgian "Old Bolshevik" and, at one point, a member of ...

. The first person to be awarded a second Order of Lenin was the pilot

Valery Chkalov Valery Pavlovich Chkalov ( rus, Валерий Павлович Чкалов, p=vɐˈlʲerʲɪj ˈpavləvʲɪtɕ ˈtɕkaləf; – 15 December 1938) was a test pilot awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union (1936). Early life Chkalov was bo ...

in 1936. Another pilot, Vladimir Kokkinaki, became the first to receive a third Order in 1939. The first five foreign recipients – who were presented with the Order on May 17, 1932 – comprised a German and four

US citizens Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constitu ...

, one of whom was

Frank Bruno Honey Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Cur ...

. They received the award for helping in the reconstruction of Soviet industry and agriculture, during 1931–1934. 431,418 orders were awarded in total, with the last on 21 December 1991.

Most frequent

* 11 times: **

Nikolay Patolichev Nikolai Semyonovich Patolichev (russian: Николай Семёнович Патоличев; 23 September 1908 – 1 December 1989) was a Soviet statesman who served as Minister of Foreign Trade of the USSR from 1958 to 1985. Prior to that, he wa ...

, longtime Minister for Foreign Trade of the USSR **

Dmitriy Ustinov Dmitriy Fyodorovich Ustinov (russian: Дмитрий Фёдорович Устинов; 30 October 1908 – 20 December 1984) was a Marshal of the Soviet Union and Soviet politician during the Cold War. He served as a Central Committee se ...

, Defence Minister in 1976–1984 * 10 times: ** Efim Slavsky, Head of Sredmash, the ministry responsible for nuclear industry, in 1957–1986 **

Alexander Sergeyevich Yakovlev Alexander Sergeyevich Yakovlev (russian: Алекса́ндр Серге́евич Я́ковлев; 22 August 1989) was a Soviet aeronautical engineer. He designed the Yakovlev military aircraft and founded the Yakovlev Design Bureau. Yakovlev ...

, aircraft designer * 9 times: ** , Minister of Aviation Industry 1953–1977 ** Vasily Ryabikov, defence industry official, co-head (together with

Sergey Korolev Sergei Pavlovich Korolev (russian: Сергей Павлович Королёв, Sergey Pavlovich Korolyov, sʲɪrˈɡʲej ˈpavləvʲɪtɕ kərɐˈlʲɵf, Ru-Sergei Pavlovich Korolev.ogg; ukr, Сергій Павлович Корольов, ...

) of the first

Sputnik Sputnik 1 (; see § Etymology) was the first artificial Earth satellite. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957 as part of the Soviet space program. It sent a radio signal back to Earth for ...

project **

Nikolay Semyonov Nikolay Nikolayevich Semyonov (or Semënov), (russian: Никола́й Никола́евич Семёнов; – 25 September 1986) (often referred to in English as Semenoff, Semenov, Semionov, or Semyonova) was a Soviet physicist and chem ...

, winner of 1956

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...

in chemistry ** Anatoly Petrovich Alexandrov; president of the

Soviet Academy of Sciences The Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union was the highest scientific institution of the Soviet Union from 1925 to 1991, uniting the country's leading scientists, subordinated directly to the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union (until 1946 ...

(1975–1986) **

Vasily Chuikov Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov (russian: link=no, Васи́лий Ива́нович Чуйко́в; ; – 18 March 1982) was a Soviet military commander and Marshal of the Soviet Union. He is best known for commanding the 62nd Army which saw h ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

commander ** Ivan Papanin, polar explorer * 8 times: **

Leonid Brezhnev Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev; uk, links= no, Леонід Ілліч Брежнєв, . (19 December 1906– 10 November 1982) was a Soviet politician who served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union between 1964 and 1 ...

General Secretary of the Soviet Union A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED On ...

Kliment Voroshilov Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov (, uk, Климент Охрімович Ворошилов, ''Klyment Okhrimovyč Vorošylov''), popularly known as Klim Voroshilov (russian: link=no, Клим Вороши́лов, ''Klim Vorošilov''; 4 Februa ...

, Marshal of the Soviet Union

Notable collective recipients

* All fifteen

republics of the Soviet Union The Republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or the Union Republics ( rus, Сою́зные Респу́блики, r=Soyúznye Respúbliki) were National delimitation in the Soviet Union, national-based administrative units of ...

Komsomol The All-Union Leninist Young Communist League (russian: link=no, Всесоюзный ленинский коммунистический союз молодёжи (ВЛКСМ), ), usually known as Komsomol (; russian: Комсомол, links=n ...

, the Young Communist League *

LOMO LOMO (russian: Ленинградское Oптико-Mеханическое Oбъединение, Leningradskoye Optiko-Mekhanicheskoye Obyedinenie, Leningrad Optical Mechanical Association) is a manufacturer of medical and motion-picture lens ...

, Leningrad Optical-Mechanical Corporation *

ZIL OJSC AMO ZiL, known fully as the Public Joint-Stock Company – Likhachov Plant () and more commonly called ZiL (, was a major Russian automobile, truck, military vehicle, and heavy equipment manufacturer that was based in Moscow, Russia. The la ...

, automobile manufacturer (for their manufacturing of weapons and ammunition) *

Kryvorizhstal ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih (former Kryvorizhstal ( uk, Криворіжсталь) is Ukraine's largest integrated steel company, founded in 1934 and located in Kryvyi Rih, in central Ukraine. Bought in 2005 by Mittal Steel, the steel plant is ...

, massively successful and profitable steel mill *

Moscow Region Moscow Oblast ( rus, Моско́вская о́бласть, r=Moskovskaya oblast', p=mɐˈskofskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ), or Podmoskovye ( rus, Подмоско́вье, p=pədmɐˈskovʲjə, literally " under Moscow"), is a federal subject of Ru ...

* ''

'' newspaper * ''

Pravda ''Pravda'' ( rus, Правда, p=ˈpravdə, a=Ru-правда.ogg, "Truth") is a Russian broadsheet newspaper, and was the official newspaper of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, when it was one of the most influential papers in the ...

'' newspaper * Cities of

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

Donetsk Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: cities' alternative names), is an industrial city in eastern Ukraine loc ...

, and

Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg ( ; rus, Екатеринбург, p=jɪkətʲɪrʲɪnˈburk), alternatively romanized as Ekaterinburg and formerly known as Sverdlovsk ( rus, Свердло́вск, , svʲɪrˈdlofsk, 1924–1991), is a city and the administra ...

* 62nd Army for extraordinary valor in the defence of Stalingrad *

Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University Saint Petersburg Electrotechnical University "LETI" (ETU, ETU "LETI", russian: Санкт-Петербургский государственный электротехнический университет «ЛЭТИ» им. В.И. Ульян� ...

"LETI" *

Soviet ship Stary Bolshevik Soviet ship ''Stary Bolshevik'' (russian: Старый Большевик, translated as ''Old Bolshevik'') was a Soviet lumber steamship. It took part in several arctic convoys of World War II as a general-purpose cargo ship. For the heroic action ...

, for the courage in

Convoy PQ 16 Convoy PQ 16 (21–30 May 1942) was an Arctic convoy of British, United States and Allied ships from Iceland to Murmansk and Archangelsk in the Soviet Union during the Second World War. The convoy was the largest yet and was provided with a co ...

(

Notable individual recipients

* Sergey Afanasyev (Soviet "Space Minister", awarded 7 times) *

Aziz Aliyev Aziz Mammad Karim oghlu Aliyev ( az, Əziz Məmməd Kərim oğlu Əliyev; 20 December 1896 – 27 July 1962) was an Azerbaijani, Dagestani, and Soviet politician, scientist, and member of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He was the father-in-law o ...

(Azerbaijani and Dagestani politician and scientist, awarded 2 times) *

Sona Akhundova-Bagirbekova Sona Abdul gizi Akhundova-Bagirbekova (1886 – 1982) was an Azerbaijani and Soviet ophthalmologist, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor (1952), Honored Doctor of the Azerbaijan SSR (1960), Honored Scientist of the Azerbaijan SSR (1964). Earl ...

(Azerbaijani ophthalmologist) * Clyde G. Armistead and William Latimer Lavery (

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

air mechanics awarded for participation in

search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

operations of the

steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamship ...

'' Cheliuskin'') * George Avakian American record producer who promoted international musical exchange between Russian and American musicians. *

Valeriy Borzov Valeriy Pylypovych Borzov ( uk, Валерій Пилипович Борзов; russian: Валерий Филиппович Борзов, Valeriy Filippovich Borzov; born 20 October 1949) is a former Soviet sprinter. He is a two-time Olympian, ...

(Soviet Ukrainian sprinter) * Gertrude Boyarski (Polish partisan during WWII) *

Emilian Bukov Emilian Bucov or Bukov (; in Kiliya, Odessa Oblast, Ukraine – 17 October 1984) was a Soviet and Moldavian writer and poet, recognized with the State Prize of the Moldavian SSR and honorary title of People's Writer of the Moldavian SSR (1982 ...

(Soviet writer for the Moldavian SSR, awarded 2 times) *

Bill Booth Bill Booth (born 1946 in Coral Gables, Florida) is an American engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur in the skydiving equipment manufacturing industry. His invention of the 3-ring release safety device has enhanced skydiving safety. He founded ...

(for parachuting into the North Pole) * Lyudmila Byakova (Russian seamstress) *

Sukarno Sukarno). (; born Koesno Sosrodihardjo, ; 6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of ...

(President of Indonesia) *

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 20 ...

(President of Cuba) * Konstantin Chelpan (Chief designer of the T-34 tank engine) *

Luis Corvalán Luis Nicolás Corvalán Lepe (14 September 1916, in Puerto Montt – 21 July 2010) was a Chilean politician. He served as the general secretary of the Communist Party of Chile (PCCh). Corvalán joined the Communist Party of Chile at the age of fi ...

(secretary general of the

Communist Party of Chile The Communist Party of Chile ( es, Partido Comunista de Chile, ) is a communist party in Chile. It was founded in 1912 as the Socialist Workers' Party () and adopted its current name in 1922. The party established a youth wing, the Communist Youth ...

) *

Álvaro Cunhal Álvaro Barreirinhas Cunhal (; 10 November 1913 – 13 June 2005) was a Portuguese communist revolutionary and politician. He was one of the major opponents of the dictatorial regime of the '' Estado Novo''. He served as secretary-general of the ...

(Portuguese politician and writer; instrumental in the overthrow of the fascist dictatorial regime of Estado Novo) * Sripat Amrit Dange (Indian Communist leader who had strongly endorsed pro-Soviet views) He was a founding member of the

Communist Party of India Communist Party of India (CPI) is the oldest Marxist–Leninist communist party in India and one of the nine national parties in the country. The CPI was founded in modern-day Kanpur (formerly known as Cawnpore) on 26 December 1925. H ...

(CPI). He also worked as Chairman of

(CPI) for 19 years, was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1974. * Valentina Dimitrieva (farm worker) *

Chandra Rajeswara Rao Chandra Rajeshwara Rao (June 6, 1914 – April 9, 1994) was an Indian communist politician. He was one of the leaders of the Telangana Rebellion (1946–1951). He also worked as Communist Party of India (CPI) general secretary for 28 years bef ...

(He was one of the leaders of the Telangana Rebellion (1946–1951). He also worked as

(CPI) General Secretary for 28 years, was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1974.) * Joseph Davies (American diplomat who strongly supported Stalin and the Soviet Union) *

Sergei Eisenstein Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (russian: Сергей Михайлович Эйзенштейн, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪtɕ ɪjzʲɪnˈʂtʲejn, 2=Sergey Mikhaylovich Eyzenshteyn; 11 February 1948) was a Soviet film director, scree ...

(film director) *

Roza Eldarova Roza Abdulbasirovna Eldarova (russian: Роза Абдулбасировна Эльдарова; 21 December 1923 – 4 July 2021) was a Soviet and Russian journalist of Kumyk ethnicity, writer, and politician who was the first woman to hold th ...

(Chairwoman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Dagestan ASSR, member of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR) *

Zinaida Yermolyeva Zinaida Vissarionovna Yermolyeva (russian: Зинаида Виссарионовна Ермольева) ( – December 2, 1974) was a Soviet microbiologist of Don Cossack origin most notable for independently synthesizing penicillin for the Sovie ...

(

biochemist Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. They study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. Biochemists study DNA, proteins and cell parts. The word "biochemist" is a portmanteau of "biological ch ...

, independently synthesized

penicillin Penicillins (P, PCN or PEN) are a group of β-lactam antibiotics originally obtained from '' Penicillium'' moulds, principally '' P. chrysogenum'' and '' P. rubens''. Most penicillins in clinical use are synthesised by P. chrysogenum usin ...

for the Soviet military during

) * Muhammed Faris (Syrian research cosmonaut, July 30, 1987) *

Yuri Gagarin Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin; Gagarin's first name is sometimes transliterated as ''Yuriy'', ''Youri'', or ''Yury''. (9 March 1934 – 27 March 1968) was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut who became the first human to journey into outer space. T ...

(

Cosmonaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...

, first human being in outer space) *

Israel Gelfand Israel Moiseevich Gelfand, also written Israïl Moyseyovich Gel'fand, or Izrail M. Gelfand ( yi, ישראל געלפֿאַנד, russian: Изра́иль Моисе́евич Гельфа́нд, uk, Ізраїль Мойсейович Гел� ...

(Soviet mathematician, awarded 3 times) * Mikhail Girshovich (Major-General) * Kim Pen Hwa (collective farm manager, awarded 4 times) *

Enver Hoxha Enver Halil Hoxha ( , ; 16 October 190811 April 1985) was an Albanians, Albanian communist politician who was the authoritarian ruler of Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was Secretary (title)#First secretary, First Secretary of t ...

(Leader of the People's Republic of Albania) * Pinkhus Turjan (Soviet Captain) *

Otto Grotewohl Otto Emil Franz Grotewohl (; 11 March 1894 – 21 September 1964) was a German politician who served as the first prime minister of the German Democratic Republic (GDR/East Germany) from its foundation in October 1949 until his death in Septembe ...

(former prime minister of GDR) *

Armand Hammer Armand Hammer (May 21, 1898 – December 10, 1990) was an American business manager and owner, most closely associated with Occidental Petroleum, a company he ran from 1957 until his death. Called "Lenin's chosen capitalist" by the press, ...

(American businessman and philanthropist) *

Erich Honecker Erich Ernst Paul Honecker (; 25 August 1912 – 29 May 1994) was a German communist politician who led the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) from 1971 until shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989. He held the posts ...

(former leader of GDR) * Sergey Ilyushin (Soviet pilot and aircraft designer, awarded 8 times) *

Wojciech Jaruzelski Wojciech Witold Jaruzelski (; 6 July 1923 – 25 May 2014) was a Polish military officer, politician and ''de facto'' leader of the Polish People's Republic from 1981 until 1989. He was the First Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party b ...

(former leader of

People's Republic of Poland The Polish People's Republic ( pl, Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was a country in Central Europe that existed from 1947 to 1989 as the predecessor of the modern Republic of Poland. With a population of approximately 37.9 million ne ...

) *

Mikhail Kalashnikov Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov ( rus, Михаи́л Тимофе́евич Кала́шников, p=kɐˈlaʂnʲɪkəf; 10 November 1919 – 23 December 2013) was a Soviet and Russian lieutenant general, inventor, military engineer, writer, ...

(designer of the

AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms d ...

, AKM,

AK-74 The AK-74 ( Russian: , tr. ''Avtomat Kalashnikova obraztsa 1974 goda'', lit. 'Kalashnikov assault rifle model 1974) is an assault rifle designed by small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1974. While primarily associated with the Soviet ...

and AK-100 assault rifles along with

RPK The RPK (russian: Ручной пулемёт Калашникова/РПК, Ruchnoy Pulemyot Kalashnikova, link=no, English: "Kalashnikov hand-held machine gun"), sometimes retroactively termed the RPK-47, is a Soviet 7.62×39mm light machine ...

and PK machine guns)# *

Juho Kusti Paasikivi Juho Kusti Paasikivi (; 27 November 1870 – 14 December 1956) was the seventh president of Finland (1946–1956). Representing the Finnish Party until its dissolution in 1918 and then the National Coalition Party, he also served as Prime Minister ...

(

President of Finland The president of the Republic of Finland ( fi, Suomen tasavallan presidentti; sv, Republiken Finlands president) is the head of state of Finland. Under the Constitution of Finland, executive power is vested in the Finnish Government and the p ...

1946-1956) *

Urho Kekkonen Urho Kaleva Kekkonen (; 3 September 1900 – 31 August 1986), often referred to by his initials UKK, was a Finnish politician who served as the eighth and longest-serving president of Finland from 1956 to 1982. He also served as prime minister ...

(President of Finland 1956-1982) *

Mauno Koivisto Mauno Henrik Koivisto (; 25 November 1923 – 12 May 2017) was a Finnish politician who served as the ninth president of Finland from 1982 to 1994. He also served as the country's prime minister twice, from 1968 to 1970 and again from 1979 to ...

(President of Finland 1982-1994) *

Raïssa Koublitskaïa Raïssa Vladimirovna Koublitskaïa ( be, Раіса Уладзіміраўна Кубліцкая; 10 April 1928 – June 2021) was a Soviet Belarusian agricultural worker and politician who was the head of the cultivation of flax at the Kalinin ...

(Soviet Belarusian agricultural worker and politician, awarded twice) *

Nikita Khrushchev Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and chairman of the country's Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964. During his rule, Khrushchev s ...

(Chairman of the Council of Peoples Commissars, Soviet Union) *

Klavdiya Kildsheva Klavdiya Sergeyevna Kildisheva (russian: Клавдия Сергеевна Кильдишева; 6 March 1917 2 May 1994) was a Soviet and Russian test and aerospace engineer. She was awarded the Hero of Socialist Labour medal in 1981, the hi ...

(1917 - 1994), aviation engineer and Hero of Socialist Labor *

Kim Il-sung Kim Il-sung (; , ; born Kim Song-ju, ; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he ruled from the country's establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of ...

(President of North Korea, awarded 2 times) *

Yevheniia Kucherenko Yevheniia Markiianivna Kucherenko ( uk, Євгенія Маркіянівна Кучеренко; 27 December 1922 – 29 December 2020) was a Soviet Ukrainian pedagogue of the Ukrainian language and literature at the No. 74 Lviv Secondary Compreh ...

(Ukrainian pedagogue of the Ukrainian language and literature) *

Igor Kurchatov Igor Vasil'evich Kurchatov (russian: Игорь Васильевич Курчатов; 12 January 1903 – 7 February 1960), was a Soviet physicist who played a central role in organizing and directing the former Soviet program of nuclear weapo ...

(physicist, leader of the

Soviet atomic bomb project The Soviet atomic bomb project was the classified research and development program that was authorized by Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union to develop nuclear weapons during and after World War II. Although the Soviet scientific community disc ...

, awarded 5 times) * Yanka Kupala ( Belarusian poet, for the book «Ад сэрца» rom the heart *

Vladimir Komarov Vladimir Mikhaylovich Komarov ( rus, Влади́мир Миха́йлович Комаро́в, p=vlɐˈdʲimʲɪr mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪtɕ kəmɐˈrof; 16 March 1927 – 24 April 1967) was a Soviet test pilot, aerospace engineer, and cosmonaut. ...

(Cosmonaut, first cosmonaut to fly in space twice and first man to die on a space mission, awarded twice) *

Vladimir Konovalov Rear Admiral Vladimir Konstantinovich Konovalov, Владимир Константинович Коновалов ( – 29 November 1967) was a Soviet Navy distinguished submarine commander during World War II. Born as Vulf Kalmanovich Konov ...

(sub-commander and admiral, awarded 3 times) *

Alexei Krylov , birth_date = O.S. (August 15, 1863 N.S.) , death_date = , image = Alexey Krylov 1910s.JPG , image_size = 200px , caption = Official portrait (1910) , birth_place = Alatyrsky uezd of Simbirsk Gubernia, Russian ...

(Russian naval engineer, applied mathematician and memoirist, awarded 3 times) *

Luigi Longo Luigi Longo (15 March 1900 – 16 October 1980), also known as Gallo, was an Italian communist politician and secretary of the Italian Communist Party from 1964 to 1972. He was also the first foreigner to be awarded an Order of Lenin. Early ...

(

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

; Political commissar of the XII International Brigade in Spain (1936–1938), deputy commander of the Freedom Volunteers Corp (1943–1945) and secretary (1964–1972) and president (1972–1980) of the Italian Communist Party) * Fariza Magomadova ( Chechen boarding school director and pioneer for

women's education Female education is a catch-all term of a complex set of issues and debates surrounding education (primary education, secondary education, tertiary education, and health education in particular) for girls and women. It is frequently called girls ...

) *

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid activist who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the ...

(South African leader) *

Leila Mardanshina Leila Hanipovna Mardanshina (russian: Ляйла Ханиповна Марданшина; 15 May 1927 – 10 September 2017) was a Soviet and Russian oil and gas operator who worked at the No. 2 oil field of the Tuimazaneft Oil Production Departm ...

(Soviet gas and oil operator) * Kirill Mazurov (Belarusian Soviet politician) *

Ramón Mercader Jaime Ramón Mercader del Río (7 February 1913 – 18 October 1978),Photograph oMercader's Gravestone/ref> more commonly known as Ramón Mercader, was a Spanish communist and NKVD agent, who assassinated Russian Bolshevik revolutionary Leon Tr ...

(Spanish NKVD agent, assassinated Leon Trotsky) *

Boris Mikhailov Boris Mikhailov may refer to: * Boris Mikhailov (Comintern), representative of the Communist International to the US in 1929-30 * Boris Mikhailov (photographer) (born 1938), fine art photographer * Boris Mikhailov (ice hockey) (born 1944), former ...

(Soviet ice hockey team captain in the 1970s and 1980s) * Shoista Mullodzhanova (

Bukharian Jew Bukharan Jews ( Bukharian: יהודיאני בוכארא/яҳудиёни Бухоро, ''Yahudiyoni Bukhoro''; he, יהודי בוכרה, ''Yehudey Bukhara''), in modern times also called Bukharian Jews ( Bukharian: יהודיאני בוכאר ...

ish

Shashmakom Shashmaqam (russian: Шашмаком; uz, shashmaqom; tg, шашмақом; fa, شش‌مقام) is a Central Asian musical genre (typical of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) which may have developed in the city of Bukhara. Shashmaqam means the s ...

singer) * Alexander Morozov (designer of the

T-64 tank The T-64 is a Soviet tank manufactured in Kharkiv, and designed by Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau. The tank was introduced in the early 1960s. It was a more advanced counterpart to the T-62: the T-64 served in tank divisions, while ...

) *

Yelena Mukhina Elena Vyacheslavovna Mukhina (russian: Елена Вячеславовна Мухина; first name sometimes rendered "Yelena", last name sometimes rendered "Muchina"; 1 June 196022 December 2006) was a Soviet gymnast who won the all-around t ...

(gymnast, 1960–2006) *

Rahmon Nabiyev Rahmon Nabiyevich Nabiyev, also spelled Rakhmon Nabiev ( tg, Раҳмон Набиев; russian: Рахмон Набиевич Набиев), (5 October 1930 – 11 April 1993) was a Tajik politician who served as the First Secretary of the Comm ...

(First Secretary of the Communist party of Tajikistan, later president of Tajikistan) *

Alexander Nadiradze Aleksandr Davidovich Nadiradze ( ka, ალექსანდრე ნადირაძე, russian: Александр Давидович Надирадзе 20 August 1914 – 3 September 1987) was a Soviet engineer of Georgian ethnicity who ...

(Soviet Georgian scientist who developed the first mobile

ICBM An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range greater than , primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more thermonuclear warheads). Conventional, chemical, and biological weapons ...

systems) *

Gamal Abdel Nasser Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, . (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian politician who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and introduced far-r ...

(Egyptian president) * Vilyam Genrikhovich Fisher (Soviet spy) *

Fyodor Okhlopkov Fyodor Matveyevich Okhlopkov (russian: Фёдор Матве́евич Охло́пков; 3 March 1908 – 28 May 1968) was a Soviet sniper during World War II credited with 429 kills. Nominated for the title Hero of the Soviet Union in 1944 aft ...

(

hero) *

Nikolai Ostrovsky Nikolai Alexeevich Ostrovsky (russian: Никола́й Алексе́евич Остро́вский; uk, Мико́ла Олексі́йович Остро́вський; 29 September 1904 – 22 December 1936) was a Soviet socialist realist w ...

(Soviet author, 1904–1936) * Lyudmila Pavlichenko (Soviet sniper World War II, two times) * Mausuza Vanakhun (Soviet military officer, Dungan national hero) * Yevgeny Pepelyaev (fighter pilot in the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...

) * Maya Plisetskaya (Prima Ballerina Bolshoi Ballet Company, one time 1964) *

Kim Philby Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby (1 January 191211 May 1988) was a British intelligence officer and a double agent for the Soviet Union. In 1963 he was revealed to be a member of the Cambridge Five, a spy ring which had divulged British s ...

(British/Soviet

double agent In the field of counterintelligence, a double agent is an employee of a secret intelligence service for one country, whose primary purpose is to spy on a target organization of another country, but who is now spying on their own country's organ ...

) * Neville Ramsbottom-Isherwood (commander of Operation Benedict, an RAF fighter wing that defended Murmansk in late 1941) *

Konstantin Rokossovsky Konstantin Konstantinovich (Xaverevich) Rokossovsky ( Russian: Константин Константинович Рокоссовский; pl, Konstanty Rokossowski; 21 December 1896 – 3 August 1968) was a Soviet and Polish officer who bec ...

(World War II

Marshal of the Soviet Union Marshal of the Soviet Union (russian: Маршал Советского Союза, Marshal sovetskogo soyuza, ) was the highest military rank of the Soviet Union. The rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union was created in 1935 and abolished in 19 ...

, awarded 7 times) *

Arnold Rüütel Arnold Rüütel OIH () (born 10 May 1928) is an Estonian politician and agricultural scientist. He has served as the last chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR from 8 April 1983 to 29 March 1990, Chairman of the Su ...

(Estonian communist leader, later president of the independent Estonia) * Anatoly Sagalevich (underwater explorer, creator of the MIR DSV) *

Belisario Sanchez Mateos ''Belisario'' (''Belisarius'') is a ''tragedia lirica'' (tragic opera) in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian libretto after Luigi Marchionni's adaptation of play, ''Belisarius'', first staged in Munich in 182 ...

(Spanish painter, sculptor and social activist) * Aleksandr Sergeyevich Senatorov *

Dmitri Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, , group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his First Symphony in 1926 and was regarded throughout his life as a major compo ...

(Soviet composer, awarded three times) *

Mikhail Shumayev Mikhail Petrovich Shumayev (22 April 1924 - 5 February 1995) was a Soviet nuclear physicist, engineer and chemist. He was a co-developer of the RDS-37, the Soviet Union's first two-stage thermonuclear bomb. He was born in Bol'shiye Alabukhi, Gr ...

(nuclear physicist, engineer and chemist) * Ivan Sidorenko (Soviet sniper in World War II) *

Sergey Spasokukotsky Sergey Ivanovich Spasokukotsky (russian: Серге́й Иванович Спасокукоцкий, , Kostroma—December 17, 1943, Moscow) was a Russian Empire and Soviet surgeon and a member of the Soviet Academy of Sciences since 1942. He was ...

(surgeon and member of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, 1870–1943) *

Nikolay Sutyagin Nikolai Vasilyevich Sutyagin (russian: Николай Васильевич Сутягин; 5 May 1923 – 12 November 1986) was a Soviet fighter pilot in the Second World War and the Korean War. He is considered by most Russian sources to be the to ...

(fighter pilot in World War II and Korean War) *

Max Taitz Max Taitz (Max Arkadyevich Taitz, russian: Макс Аркадьевич Тайц; 1904-1980) was a scientist, an engineer, and one of the founders of Gromov Flight Research Institute (1941). He was a doctor of engineering, a professor, and a r ...

(scientist in

aerodynamics Aerodynamics, from grc, ἀήρ ''aero'' (air) + grc, δυναμική (dynamics), is the study of the motion of air, particularly when affected by a solid object, such as an airplane wing. It involves topics covered in the field of fluid dy ...

, theory of jet engines and flight testing of

aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining support from the Atmosphere of Earth, air. It counters the force of gravity by using either Buoyancy, static lift or by using the Lift (force), dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in ...

, one of the founders of the

Gromov Flight Research Institute The Gromov Flight Research Institute or GFRI for short (russian: link=no, Лётно-исследовательский институт имени М. М. Громова, russian: link=no, ЛИИ) is an important Russian State Researc ...

, recipient of the

Stalin Prize Stalin Prize may refer to: * The State Stalin Prize in science and engineering and in arts, awarded 1941 to 1954, later known as the USSR State Prize The USSR State Prize (russian: links=no, Государственная премия СССР, ...

(1949 and 1953), Honoured Scientist of the

RSFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...

, awarded twice) *

Valentina Tereshkova Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova ( rus, Валентина Владимировна Терешкова, links=no, p=vɐlʲɪnʲˈtʲinə vlɐˈdʲimʲɪrəvnə tʲɪrʲɪʂˈkovə, a=Valentina Tereshkova.ogg; born 6 March 1937) is an engine ...

(Cosmonaut, first woman in space, awarded twice) *

Semyon Timoshenko Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko (russian: link=no, Семён Константи́нович Тимоше́нко, ''Semyon Konstantinovich Timoshenko''; uk, Семе́н Костянти́нович Тимоше́нко, ''Semen Kostiantyno ...

(World War II general, awarded 5 times) *

Josip Broz Tito Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito (; sh-Cyrl, Тито, links=no, ), was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman, serving in various positions from 1943 until his death ...

(President of Yugoslavia 1945–1980) *

Gherman Titov Gherman Stepanovich Titov (russian: Герман Степанович Титов; 11 September 1935 – 20 September 2000) was a Soviet cosmonaut who, on 6 August 1961, became the second human to orbit the Earth, aboard Vostok 2, preceded by Y ...

(Cosmonaut, awarded twice) *

Vladislav Tretiak Vladislav Aleksandrovich Tretiak, MSM ( rus, links=no, Владислав Александрович Третьяк, p=trʲɪˈtʲjak; born 25 April 1952) is a Russian former goaltender for the Soviet Union national ice hockey team. Considere ...

(Soviet ice hockey goaltender) * Aleksandr Vasilevsky (Soviet marshal, awarded 8 times) * Alina Vedmid (Ukrainian politician and agronomist) * Pyotr Vershigora (Soviet major general and writer, Soviet partisan leader during World War II) * Pham Tuan (Vietnamese cosmonaut) * Vladislav Volkov (Cosmonaut) * Sergei Novokov (Soviet sniper during Battle of Stalingrad, and liberation of Chelmno and Majdanek camps) * Lev Yashin (Soviet football goalkeeper) * Vasily Grigoryevich Zaitsev (Soviet sniper during the Battle of Stalingrad, awarded 4 times) * Yakov Zeldovich (Soviet physicist) * Georgy Zhukov (Marshal of the Soviet Union) * Lyudmila Zykina (folk singer) * Michał Rola-Żymierski (Marshal of Poland) * Liya Shakirova, Soviet linguist * Joseph Stalin (1949) * Anatoly Karpov (World Chess Champion) * Sergei Krikalev (Cosmonaut, person with most time in space) * Vasili Mikhailovich Blokhin (Soviet executioner; most prolific official executioner in recorded world history) * Vladimir Pravik (firefighter who died in the Chernobyl disaster) * Semyon Nomokonov (Soviet sniper of Buryat descent) * Dora Lazurkina (Old Bolshevik, Soviet Politician) * Vladimir Tokarenko (liquidator of Chernobyl disaster) * Clara Zetkin (member of the Communist Part of Germany and women's rights activist.) * Anatoly Solovyev (Soviet cosmonaut and pilot) * Leonid Telyatnikov (Chief of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Fire Brigade, first responder to the Chernobyl disaster. Died of cancer in 2004) * Viktor Kibenok (Chief of the Pripyat Fire Department, first responder to the Chernobyl disaster, Chernobyl explosion. Died of Acute radiation syndrome, radiation sickness on May 11th 1986) * Faina Kotkowa (Soviet weaver)

Fictional recipients

* In the James Bond film ''A View to a Kill'', Bond is awarded the Order of Lenin, and is described as the first foreign recipient; the first real foreign recipient was

. * In IPC Publication's ''Battle Picture Weekly'', a character, "Johnny Red", is awarded the Order of Lenin for saving the life of a political commissar from a German air ace. * In the 1990 film adaption of Tom Clancy's first novel, ''The Hunt for Red October (film), The Hunt for Red October'', following an order to surrender by a US Navy ship, Captain Ramius (Sean Connery) of ''Red October'' tells Dr. Petrov, the Chief Medical Officer (Tim Curry), "you will go with the crew; the officers and I will submerge beneath you and scuttle the ship." Dr. Petrov responds "You will receive the Order of Lenin for this, Captain." * In the movie ''Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'', Jones's adversary Col. Irina Spalko was awarded the Order of Lenin three times. * In the Singularity (video game), video game ''Singularity'', Viktor Barisov is awarded the Order of Lenin for his work on the fictional element E99. * In Ian Fleming's novel ''From Russia With Love'', Colonel Rosa Klebb was awarded the order once and Colonel General Grubozaboyschihov was awarded it twice. * In the 2004 video game ''Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater'', weapons designer Alexander Leonovitch Granin received the Order of Lenin for his inventions. * In the Person of Interest (TV series), ''Person of Interest'' List of Person of Interest episodes#Season 3 (2013-14), season 3 episode ''Razgovor'', Genrika Zherova, a Russian immigrant in New York City, New York, keeps an Order of Lenin earned by her grandfather for his services in the KGB. * In a satirical political advertisement by The Lincoln Project, Fox News host Tucker Carlson was awarded the Order of Lenin for supporting Russia in its 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

References

External links

Legal Library of the USSR
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lenin, Order of Recipients of the Order of Lenin, Civil awards and decorations of the Soviet Union, Lenin, Order of Military awards and decorations of the Soviet Union Awards established in 1930 Awards disestablished in 1991 1930 establishments in the Soviet Union 1991 disestablishments in the Soviet Union Long service medals