Gold stars are also used by several militaries to denote multiple decorations of a single award. In the United States Navy and Marine Corps, gold stars are known as "award stars".

The Gold Star is the highest decoration of excellence in the Soviet Union and Russia. Titles that came with the decoration were formerly "Hero of the Soviet Union" (Герой Советского Союза) and now "Hero of the Russian Federation" (Герой Российской Федерации).

The Gold Star was established by the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on August 1, 1939 (it was called "Hero of the Soviet Union" until October 16, 1939). This medal is a gold star hanging from a ribbon of the colour(s) of the flag of the country that issued it, i.e. red for the USSR and white/blue/red for the Russian Federation. It is worn on the left side of the chest above other orders and medals.

The medal is awarded for extraordinary achievements in either the military or the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD), often posthumously. Multiple medals can be awarded: Aleksandr Pokryshkin and Ivan Kozhedub (the top-scoring Allied air aces of World War II with 59 and 62 kills, respectively) were famous for earning three Gold Stars each. In the late Soviet years, it was mainly cosmonauts who received the award as Soviet cosmonauts all served in the Air Military Forces (VVC).

The award lost some of its meaning when Soviet leaders after Iosif Stalin began giving themselves Gold Stars. Leonid Brezhnev was 'awarded' five over his lifetime. In recent years the two Chechen Wars (1994-1996 and 1999-) have created many Heroes of the Russian Federation, mainly among the militia and MVD servicemen.