History

This Title was instituted by the Presidium of the Great National Assembly, and it was conferred upon foreign citizens and Bulgarians for outstanding achievements in the fields of agriculture, education, culture, economics, science, the arts, and technological advancement.

It was also awarded in recognition of meritorious services rendered in the defence of communism, socialism, and other socialist countries.

Recipients of this Title were given the label “Hero of the Republic of Bulgaria,” and also awarded the Order of Georgi Dimitrov.

They were also awarded an official “wearer" copy of the award that was meant to be used as an everyday wearable decoration. These copies are stamped “R” on the reverse, and they were officially produced by the Bulgarian Mint from Gilt materials.

The Title was originally known as the Hero of Labour, but it was renamed on December 13, 1950.

The reverse inscription translates to "Hero of Socialist Labour."

The Gold Star was awarded to approximately 1700 recipients before the Title was discontinued in November 1990.