The Hero of Ukraine Medal (Герой України) is the highest national title conferred upon an individual citizen by the President of Ukraine. The award was created in 1998 by President Leonid Kuchma.
The title is granted to two different order recipients: the civilian Order of the State, and the military Order of the Gold Star. These are the highest national award to citizens for accomplishing a remarkable work achievement and for accomplishing a remarkable heroic act.
The “Hero of Ukraine” medal can be traced to the Soviet medals Hero of the Soviet Union (established 16 April 1934) and the Hero of Socialist Labor (established 27 December 1938), which were the highest decorations in the Soviet Union. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, similar awards were created in the resulting independent countries, including Ukraine
The Hero of Ukraine Medal Design
Two medals were created by Ukrainian law to differentiate between the titles. Both medals have a ribbon measuring 45 mm (1.8 in) long and 28 mm (1.1 in) wide, divided equally into two bands (a blue band on the left and a yellow band on the right, matching the colors of the Ukrainian flag).
The Order of State and Order of Gold Star are as follows:
