Most of the recipients of the former title received it for heroic military action (with Soviet cosmonauts being a notable exception), while those awarded the latter were recognized for their contributions to national economy and culture.

[3] After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, similar awards were created in the resulting independent countries,[4][5] including Ukraine.

[8] Below the ribbon of the Order of the Gold Star, the golden suspension device contains a small engraving of the trident representing the Ukrainian Coat of Arms.

In contrast, the medallion for the Order of the State has the trident of Prince Volodymyr of Kyiv (St. Vladimir) placed on top of a wreath of oak leaves.

The edict also allowed for special benefits, including increased pay, social security, and health care, which heroes could use until their death.

Another copy of the decoration, called the miniature badge, is worn above the ribbon bars on the left side of the uniform.

If the President agrees with the recommendation, he will issue a decree to award the person the title, which includes receiving a medal, miniature badge and certificate at a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Kyiv.

Vitali Klitschko, a heavyweight boxing champion was given the level "Order of the Gold Star" in 2004[15] as was Andriy Shevchenko, 2004 European Footballer of the Year and two-time winner of the Serie A scoring title.

[16][17] Valeriy Lobanovskyi, the former coach of the football club FC Dynamo Kyiv, died on 13 May 2002 in hospital after he passed out during a game.

[20] Sofia Rotaru, arguably the best-known popular singer from Ukraine in the former Soviet Union, received her award "for outstanding personal merits in the sphere of art".

[21] Writer Pavlo Zahrebelnyi was awarded in 2004 "for "self-sacrifice for Ukraine, and for many years of writing and significant personal contributions toward the enrichment of the national spiritual treasury".

[28][29] On 24 February 2022 during the attack on Snake Island, 13 Ukrainian State Border Guards were ordered by the Russian warship Moskva to surrender or the ship would open fire.

The Russian warship opened fire soon after, with a bombardment that was initially believed to have killed all 13 guards;[30] President Zelenskyy then announced that all 13 soldiers would receive the title of "Hero of Ukraine" posthumously, although the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine said a few days later that it had a "strong belief" that the men had survived to receive the award.

[37][38] On 2 April 2010, a district administrative court in Donetsk cancelled the presidential decree that had granted the Hero of Ukraine title to Bandera.

Bandera was not a Ukrainian citizen, as he was in exile after World War II, and was killed in 1959 in Germany before the 1991 Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine.

[39] For the same reasons the Donetsk Administrative Court of Appeals on 21 April 2010 declared unlawful a decree of 12 October 2007 by then–Ukrainian President Yuschenko to award the Hero of Ukraine title to Roman Shukhevych, the commander of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.