The first state award in Russian history for mothers of many children appeared at a difficult time - at the height of the Great Patriotic War.

The establishment of such an award pursued two goals at once. First, the authorities wanted to celebrate mothers of many children whose sons died at the front. Secondly, the new award was aimed at stimulating childbearing - a country that had suffered the most severe losses needed new citizens.

On July 8, 1944, the order and the title of "Mother Heroine" were established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. At the same time, the title "Mother Heroine" was declared the highest title assigned to mothers of many children.

According to the Regulations on the title of "Mother Heroine", it was awarded to mothers who gave birth and raised ten or more children after the last child reached the age of one year and if the remaining children of this mother were alive.

It was also stipulated that children adopted by the mother in the manner prescribed by law, as well as those who died or went missing in the defense of the USSR or in the performance of other duties of military service, or in the performance of the duty of a citizen of the USSR to save human life, to protect socialist property and socialist law and order are taken into account. , as well as those who died as a result of injury, concussion, mutilation or illness received under the specified circumstances, or as a result of a labor injury or occupational disease.

From the “Mother Heroine” to the Motherhood Medal

Organizational issues related to the clarification of various nuances took several months, so the first official assignment of the title "Mother Heroine" by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR took place on October 27, 1944.

The list of the first awarded included 14 women. Some historians argue that the hitch with the award was due to the fact that the authorities were trying to find a communist mother with many children, but they did not solve this problem.

Be that as it may, the order "Mother Heroine" No. 1 and the Diploma of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR No. 1 were awarded on November 1, 1944 in the Kremlin to a resident of the village of Mamontovka, Moscow Region Anna Aleksakhina who raised 12 children. 4 sons of Anna Aleksakhina died at the front.

Not everyone knows, but along with the order and the title of "Mother Heroine" in the USSR, junior awards for mothers were also approved - the Order of "Maternal Glory", as well as the Medal of Motherhood.

The Maternity Medal had two degrees. The 2nd degree award was given to mothers who gave birth and raised five children, the 1st degree award was given to mothers who gave birth and raised six children.

Between the medal of Motherhood and the order "Mother Heroine" was the Order of "Maternal Glory" of three degrees, which was awarded to women who gave birth and raised 7, 8 and 9 children, respectively.

Soviet awards for mothers of many children lasted about half a century. During this time, more than 13 million women have been awarded the Motherhood medals, and about 5.5 million women have been awarded the Order of Maternal Glory.

And, finally, a little over 430 thousand Soviet women were awarded the order and title of "Mother Heroine", most of whom lived in the regions of Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

Such different mothers

The last assignment of the title "Mother Heroine" in the Soviet Union took place on November 14, 1991, after which the state let demographic issues in the country take its course for many years.

Nevertheless, out of inertia, mothers of many children were awarded, but not on the same scale and on the same scale. Mothers were awarded the Order of Friendship, or medals of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland. In total, less than 400 women received these awards.

It should be noted that in Soviet times, especially in the late Soviet period, the attitude towards “heroine mothers” was ambiguous. Someone admired them, someone considered them “producers of poverty”, and someone even reproached them for trying to get additional social benefits, privileges and better living conditions from the state with the help of children.

Among the women who bore the title of "Mother Heroine", there were extremely different personalities.

Epistinia Stepanova, who raised nine sons and one daughter, lost all her sons in the war. The last, Nikolai, who returned from the war as an invalid, died from the consequences of his wounds in 1963.

Ninel Ovechkina, who raised 7 sons and 4 daughters, became the organizer of a family gang that planned to hijack an airplane in order to move to the West. On March 8, 1988, the capture of a Tu-154 by the Ovechkin family led to tragedy. Flight attendant killed when police attempted to storm the plane Tamara Hot and three passengers. Four sons of Ninel Ovechkina and she herself committed suicide.

"Parental glory" instead of maternal

They switched from words to deeds in May 2008, when by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev The Order of Parental Glory was established, the prototype of which was the Soviet Order of Maternal Glory.

But, unlike the Soviet predecessor, both spouses were awarded the Order of Parental Glory, and only in the case of an incomplete family, only one parent was awarded.

In 2008, the statute of the new order prescribed to reward families that gave birth and raised four or more children and ensured “an appropriate level of care for the health, education, physical, spiritual and moral development of children, the full and harmonious development of their personality.”

Two years later, in 2010, the statute was revised - now "Parental Glory" can only be awarded to families with seven or more children.

As a result, over the six years of the order's existence, 250 families were awarded it, and the peak of awards occurred in 2009, after which the number of new holders of Parental Glory began to decline.

However, many public and political figures believe that the Order of Parental Glory is not enough. Since 2013, the issue of reviving the title of “Mother Heroine” has been actively discussed in the Russian parliament.

Orders for mothers: neighbors are ahead of Russia

Moreover, Russia's neighbors have already returned to this practice. In Uzbekistan, there is an order “For a healthy generation”, in Kazakhstan, mothers of large families receive gold and silver pendants that have the status of an order.

In fact, they returned to Soviet practice in Belarus and Ukraine. In Belarus, among the state awards, there is the Order of the Mother, which is awarded to women who have given birth and raised five or more children. In Ukraine, for ten years now, the honorary title “Mother Heroine” has again existed, which over this period has been awarded to more than 130,000 women. It is awarded to women who have given birth and raised five or more children up to the age of eight.

In Kyrgyzstan, since 1996, there has been an order of the "Mother Heroine", which, according to its statute, was initially closest to the Soviet award. This award was awarded to mothers who had and fully raised ten or more children after the tenth child reached seven years old and with the rest of the children alive. However, since 2009, the "award threshold" has become significantly lower in this country as well - now the order is awarded to mothers who have and fully raise seven or more children.

The award was established as an honorary badge, awarded when a woman was awarded the title of "mother heroine" for the birth and upbringing of 10 or more children.

The award was established on July 8, 1944, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union. In accordance with the charter, the honorary title and the order "Mother Heroine" are awarded to mothers after the tenth child reaches the age of 1 year, provided that the remaining 10 children are alive.

Price of the Order Mother Heroine

To date, prices for the Order of the Mother Heroine start from:
1944 Stamp stamped quantity ≈10000 pcs. - 25000 rub.
1945-91 quantity ≈450000 pcs. - 17000 rub.
Price updated as of 04/21/2019

In addition, children adopted in accordance with the laws of the USSR were taken into account, as well as children who died defending the USSR, went missing during a combat mission, were injured, led to death in a hospital, and died as a result of injuries or occupational diseases. in production.

Along with the assignment of the title and the receipt of the order, the Mother Heroine received a number of benefits and allowances in pensions, payment of utility bills, queues for rare goods, etc.

Description of other awards of the USSR: The badge of the Excellent Sanitary Service is an award for medical workers who courageously fought for every life, both military and civilian residents of the Soviet country, and the Order For Personal Courage.

Order of the Mother Heroine in the award system of the USSR

Description of the order Mother heroine

The award is made in the form of a five-pointed gold star, the symbol of the Soviet Union. From under the stars, silver rays diverge, forming a pentagon. The height of the pentagon is 28 mm. The total height of the award with the block is 46 mm. The order is made of 950 gold, the weight of gold is 4.5 g, silver - 17.6 g.

The award with the help of an eyelet and a ring is attached to a figured block made of silver. On the block there is a stylized red ribbon (made in red enamel) on which there is an inscription in capital letters "MOTHER-HEROINE". The inscription and the edges of the block are gilded, a pin is built into the reverse for attaching the order to clothes.

The award is worn on the left side of the chest, and similarly to the star of the hero of the USSR, it is located above other orders and medals.

In total, during its existence, about 431,000 women were awarded the Order of the Mother Heroine.

The status of "Mother-heroine" can be obtained by a woman who is raising several children. This includes both born and adopted children. Such families are provided with various benefits and awards.

Mother heroine: how to get status and benefits?

Despite the fact that modern women can lead the country, serve in the army, be ambassadors and peacekeepers, they still remain mothers in the first place.

This is the main vocation and mission of a woman in this world. According to statistics, most have two children, and some have three, five or more.

And if there are quite a lot of large families, then mothers-heroines, perhaps, can be counted on the fingers.

Mother-heroine in Russia: how many children should there be?

What kind of mother can be called a heroine? Since 2008, this status can be obtained by a woman with seven or more children. A necessary condition for obtaining such a title is the fact that the youngest child reaches the year, while all other children must be alive. The status is awarded to a woman not only for born, but also for adopted babies.

Until 2008, heroine mothers were not encouraged at the government level, although in some subjects of the federation they received insignia. However, the awards did not imply material incentives and did not correspond to the contribution that the woman made to the life of the country.

Mother heroine: how many children are there in the USSR?

This title was first used in 1944. The period of the war was marked by great loss of life. At that time, the reward was offered as an encouragement of fertility, since many people died in the war and it was necessary to restore the nation.

During the Soviet Union, women received, in addition to the title of heroine, also an award - an order. The purpose of its appropriation was to emphasize the invaluable contribution of mothers to the process of birth and education of new citizens. To be granted heroine status, a woman had to have ten or more children. Before the end of the existence of the USSR, almost 500 women received the Order of the Mother Heroine.

Privileges

Today, mothers with heroine status receive monetary rewards in the amount established by federal law. In some cases, along with the award, they give out housing or a car.

The following benefits are also provided:

In addition, women with more than 10 children and living in Moscow can open a kindergarten in their home. They are given the position of educator and paid wages.

Awards for mothers of many children: how to get?

In our time, both mother and father can receive an award for having many children, since they raise children together. Before assigning, the guardianship authorities carefully check whether the family meets all the necessary requirements.

To receive an award, the following conditions must be met:

• full provision of children, education in spiritual and moral terms;
• compliance of the family with the normative rules enshrined in legislation;
• acceptable lifestyle;
• education for children;
• parents are fully concerned about the health of children;
• the family can be considered an example for others to follow in terms of maintaining and respecting family values.

Order of Parental Glory

If the family meets all the above requirements, then the order is granted when the seventh child turns three years old.

In addition, the rule regarding the remaining children alive remains. The dead guys are taken into account only if they died in the line of civic duty, or died while performing military service.

The Order of Parental Glory is a straight equilateral cross made of silver with gilding and enamel, the ends of which are concave on the sides.

Medal "Parental Glory"

It has the same power as the Motherhood reward. It is awarded to parents raising more than 4 children. As with other awards, adopted children also count. The medal is awarded when the youngest child turns three years old.

As is the case with other similar awards, this medal is given only to pre-screened families who need to do more than just give birth or adopt a child. They are obliged to provide him with a full-fledged upbringing and harmonious development, instill human values ​​and ideals, set an example of a strong marriage.

To receive the award, the spouses must be legally married, be in a marriage registered with the relevant authorities. All living conditions must be created for children, including a home, education and all-round development. Also, family members must be citizens of the country and permanently reside in its territory.

Due to the low birth rate and the unwillingness of couples to have more than one child, now, unfortunately, orders and awards are practically not issued to anyone. According to statistics, in each region of the state, only 2-3 families receive the award. However, all the actions of the authorities are aimed at encouraging the birth rate in large numbers, reviving the right traditions. All this is supported by the promise of various benefits to couples.

Useful video

You can talk endlessly about the role of mother in human life. Many autobiographical stories confirm this significant role. Not only to give birth, support, but also to educate a worthy citizen of the state is not an easy task.

USSR medals

Not every woman in the Soviet years and now is awarded the title of "Mother Heroine". One of the categories of "Medals of the USSR" - the medal of motherhood appeared in 1944 thanks to the Decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. This date coincided with the Orthodox family holiday, which in modern Russia has regained relevance. In addition to the medal of motherhood, the title "Mother Heroine" was awarded, a system of awards of the Soviet Union, extraordinary for the union of 15 republics. In the early 1940s, this honor was awarded to those who gave life and education to five or more children.

Awards classification

In the case of a woman giving birth to five children, she was entitled to the award "Medal of Maternity 2nd Degree". Those who have 7-9 children were awarded the Order of Maternal Glory of the third, second, first degrees. Provided that the woman gave birth and raised 6 children - "Medal of motherhood of the 1st degree."

The peak of the mother's feat was proclaimed the birth of ten babies or more. In such cases, the Soviet woman was awarded the Order "Mother Heroine" with the assignment of the honorary title of the same name. The authors of the art projects of orders for mothers were:

1. N.N. Zhukov (project of the USSR medal - "Medal of Motherhood").
2. I.I. Dubasov ("Maternal Glory").
3. I.A. Ganf is the author of the order "Mother Heroine".

Orders for mother-heroines

The order "Mother Heroine" was a convex five-pointed star against the background of silver rays. The Order of Maternal Glory has an oval shape and a silver tint. A red banner with the words "Maternal Glory" and the number of the degree flutters on the upper section. In the left sector - a woman with a child and roses. Below the banner is a white enamel shield with the words "USSR". The metal block is made in the form of a bow, painted with white enamel with a blue stripe. Order of the second degree of bright blue.

The Order of "Maternal Glory" had 3 degrees. Simultaneously with the assignment of these awards, a system of measures came into force. This consisted of helping women on maternity leave, single mothers. A lot of funds were directed to the establishment of benefits and allowances, lump-sum payments, the protection of childhood and motherhood, the creation of a network of kindergartens, schools, etc.

Mothers are heroes. Who are they

The title of "Mother Heroine" was awarded for the first time on October 27, 1944. This title was awarded to 14 Soviet women. Mom-heroine No. 1 was A.S. Aleksakhin. All her eight sons were at the front, 4 of them died, 2 died of wounds, having already come from the front. The second order bearer was the Tula housewife M.M. Ryzhkov. Of her ten children, 7 were in the war - six sons and a daughter.

A resident of the city on the Neva, S.V. Ignatieva, also deserved the title of “Mother Heroine”. Four sons of Serafima Vasilievna fought for their Motherland. 3 daughters remained in the besieged city. The entire Ignatiev family worked at the defense enterprise of the besieged city. All 7 children were awarded "For the Defense of Leningrad".

Few people know that A.A. Derevevskaya. She is the only mother-heroine in the USSR who raised 48 children! And the basis of the family was not kinship, but love and compassion. While the First World War was going on, she worked in a hospital. There, her fate brought her together with the Red Guard Emelya Derevsky. Soon they got married, but Emelyan was shot by the White Guards.

In 1918, young Alexandra became a foster mother. Her adopted firstborn was ten-year-old Timothy, the brother of her late husband. The second adopted baby was also a boy, Derevskaya picked him up right on the street. The baby lay wrapped in swaddling clothes near the body of the dead mother. The autobiography of the Derevsky family, like a mirror, reflected all the tragic events experienced by the Soviet state over half a century. In the interval between the Civil War and the war with Nazi Germany, Alexandra Derevskaya raised 14 children.

In the period 1941-1945. 17 Leningrad orphans and 18 children from other parts of the USSR acquired a new parental home. In 1950, 36 children were brought up in the Derevsky house. All children from the Derevsky family grew up to be good people. The legendary mother-heroine died in 1959, she was 57 years old. The following epitaph is engraved on her grave: "You are our conscience, our prayer is mother."

The last time in history the title was awarded to heroine mothers on November 14, 1991 (by decree of President M.S. Gorbachev). Medals of the USSR (medal of motherhood of the first and second degrees) also went down in history. In just 47 years, 431,000 mothers have been awarded this order.

In the 90s in Russia they were awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland or the Order of Friendship. In 2009, the Order of Parental Glory was established. They are awarded to parents raising 4 or more children.

Raising a new generation in the post-war years was a difficult task for mothers, especially in those families where the number of mouths that had gone from childhood and adolescence to adolescence, there were more than ten.

In 1944, by the Decree of the Supreme Presidium of the USSR, it was established that those mothers who went through this hard work, devoted their lives to their families and their children, raised a new generation for their homeland - were awarded the title "Mother Heroine" with the award of the same name - the Order, external something similar to the award "Hero of the USSR".

When conferring the title and presenting the award, legally adopted children, who died and went missing during the Great Patriotic War or other armed conflict in the post-war years, were also taken into account.

It is noteworthy that the order "Mother Heroine", adopted during the Second World War, was the first award that a mother could be awarded. Previously, this kind of title and award did not exist in the USSR. After the war, the Soviet Union lost a huge number of its compatriots. For this reason, the country needed young people in the descendants of a heroic people who would be ready to raise the Soviet Union and restore not only infrastructure, but also build a new communist society.

The first award - the order "Mother Heroine" was presented on November 1, 1944 to a resident of the village of "Mamontovka" in the Moscow region Aleksakhina Anna Savelyevna. She raised 12 children.

Award Description:

The Order of the Mother Heroine is a relatively rare award. Over the entire period of the existence of the Soviet Union, 431 thousand women became the favorites of the order. was the highest award and had no degrees. Produced at the Moscow Mint, it consisted of an award, which was attached with an eyelet and a ring to a metal block. The width of the award is 28mm, with a height of 46mm, and the total weight is 17.55g.

The front side of the award is represented by a convex five-pointed star made of precious metal - 950 gold, against the background of a five-pointed order silver substrate with parallel rays diverging from the center to the edges (each face of the five-pointed substrate is decorated with a thickened beam, which also makes it a little convex). The block is represented by a figured plate made of silver with gilding, most of the field is covered with red enamel. There is also a legend here: “Mother Heroine”, letters with gilding.

The reverse side of the order is flat, in the center there is an inscription - "Mint", below - the number of the certificate (registry number) with which the award was issued. The block is flat with a pin fastening element.

The cost of a genuine award with a certificate on the black market is from 18,000 to 30,000 rubles, depending on the quality of preservation and serial number. In accordance with Article 324 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, “Acquisition or sale of official documents and state awards” is prohibited. Copies of the award are available to falerists at lower prices.