USSR State Prize

The USSR State Prize (Russian: Государственная премия СССР, romanized: Gosudarstvennaya premiya SSSR) was the Soviet Union's state honor. It was established on 9 September 1966. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the prize was followed up by the State Prize of the Russian Federation.

USSR State Prize
State Prize badge
Country	Soviet Union
Formerly called	State Stalin Prize
Reward(s)	5000 Soviet rubles (in 1967)
First awarded	1941 (as Stalin Prize) 1967 (as State Prize)
Last awarded	1991
Precedence
Next (higher)	Lenin Prize
Equivalent	State Prize of the Russian Federation
Next (lower)	Lenin Komsomol Prize

The State Stalin Prize (Государственная Сталинская премия, Gosudarstvennaya Stalinskaya premiya), usually called the Stalin Prize, existed from 1941 to 1956. It essentially played the same role; therefore upon the establishment of the USSR State Prize, the diplomas and badges of the recipients of Stalin Prize were changed to that of USSR State Prize.

In 1944 and 1945, the last two years of the Second World War, the award ceremonies for the Stalin Prize were not held. Instead, in 1946 the ceremony was held twice: in January for the works created in 1943–1944 and in June for the works of 1945.

USSR State Prize of 1st, 2nd and 3rd degrees was awarded annually to individuals in the fields of science, mathematics, literature, arts, and architecture to honor the most prominent achievements which either advanced the Soviet Union or the cause of socialism. Often the prize was awarded to specific works rather than to individuals.

Each constituent Soviet republic (SSR) or (SFSR) and autonomous republic (ASSR) also had a State Prize (or Stalin Prize).

The Stalin Prize was an honor different from the Stalin Peace Prize. The latter was created on 21 December 1949 and was usually awarded to foreign recipients rather than to Soviet citizens.

It should also not be confused with the Lenin Prize.

References

1. Volkov, Solomon, tr. Bouis, Antonina W., Shostakovich and Stalin: The Extraordinary Relationship Between the Great Composer and the Brutal Dictator (New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 2004). ISBN 0-375-41082-1, Chapter 5.

See also

• List of recipients of the USSR State Prize
• List of recipients of the Stalin Prize