WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.859 Welcome back to another deep dive. I am I'm just 00:00:03.859 --> 00:00:05.740 thrilled you could join us today. Absolutely. 00:00:05.879 --> 00:00:07.559 It's great to be here. Because if you're anything 00:00:07.559 --> 00:00:10.019 like me, you occasionally find yourself wandering 00:00:10.019 --> 00:00:13.439 down these these really fascinating paths of 00:00:13.439 --> 00:00:15.560 research. Oh, down the rabbit hole. Exactly. 00:00:15.759 --> 00:00:18.160 Looking at the ways different cultures and countries 00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:21.480 choose to, you know, honor their absolute best 00:00:21.480 --> 00:00:24.160 and bravest. It's a universal human impulse, 00:00:24.260 --> 00:00:27.199 but the specifics are always so revealing. They 00:00:27.199 --> 00:00:30.079 really are. And today we're focusing on one specific, 00:00:30.260 --> 00:00:33.219 incredibly compelling piece of history. We're 00:00:33.219 --> 00:00:36.219 looking at a Wikipedia article detailing the 00:00:36.219 --> 00:00:39.020 Gold Star Medal. Or the Qazil -Ulduz Medal. Right, 00:00:39.079 --> 00:00:41.579 the Qazil -Ulduz Medal. This is the physical 00:00:41.579 --> 00:00:43.899 award given to someone who holds the title of 00:00:43.899 --> 00:00:46.880 National Hero of Azerbaijan. The absolute highest 00:00:46.880 --> 00:00:49.500 honor. The highest. And our mission for this 00:00:49.500 --> 00:00:52.039 deep dive is to explore the complete anatomy 00:00:52.039 --> 00:00:54.700 of this nation's ultimate symbol of bravery. 00:00:54.979 --> 00:00:56.640 We're going to tear it down to the stuff. We 00:00:56.640 --> 00:00:58.600 are. We're going to examine exactly who gets 00:00:58.600 --> 00:01:00.820 it because the rules there might genuinely surprise 00:01:00.820 --> 00:01:03.299 you. They surprise me, I'll admit. Right. And 00:01:03.299 --> 00:01:05.700 we'll look at what it literally looks and feels 00:01:05.700 --> 00:01:08.000 like down to the millimeter and how its specific 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:11.120 design has evolved. And to help synthesize all 00:01:11.120 --> 00:01:14.040 this pretty dense information, I've got our resident 00:01:14.040 --> 00:01:16.560 expert here. Always ready to help unpack these 00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:19.730 things. Whenever we examine a nation's highest 00:01:19.730 --> 00:01:22.349 honors, we aren't just looking at stamped metal. 00:01:22.489 --> 00:01:25.349 No, not at all. We're looking at a physical manifestation 00:01:25.349 --> 00:01:29.290 of a country's highest ideals. A society deciding, 00:01:29.530 --> 00:01:33.209 in concrete terms, what it values above all else. 00:01:33.390 --> 00:01:35.329 Okay, let's unpack this. We need to start at 00:01:35.329 --> 00:01:37.129 the inception of the award to really understand 00:01:37.129 --> 00:01:39.349 its context. The timeline is crucial here. It 00:01:39.349 --> 00:01:41.870 is. The Gold Star Medal was established on March 00:01:41.870 --> 00:01:45.569 25, 1992. Spring of 92. Brought into existence 00:01:45.569 --> 00:01:48.290 by the former president, Abolfaz Eltubi, through 00:01:48.290 --> 00:01:51.549 a specific government directive, Decree No. 201. 00:01:51.849 --> 00:01:54.269 And we really should pause to consider that timeline. 00:01:54.989 --> 00:01:57.109 Established in late March, and the very first 00:01:57.109 --> 00:02:00.230 award was bestowed shortly after. June 7, 1992. 00:02:00.609 --> 00:02:02.370 Right, less than three months later. That is 00:02:02.370 --> 00:02:04.450 a wildly fast turnaround for a government to 00:02:04.450 --> 00:02:07.189 invent, design, manufacture, and award a medal. 00:02:07.640 --> 00:02:09.300 It tells you everything about the environment 00:02:09.300 --> 00:02:11.919 of that era. When a newly independent nation 00:02:11.919 --> 00:02:14.280 creates its highest honor and issues it that 00:02:14.280 --> 00:02:17.020 fast, they aren't making a theoretical award 00:02:17.020 --> 00:02:20.000 for some distant future. No, they're formalizing 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:23.199 a way to immediately recognize acts of ultimate 00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:25.680 sacrifice. Sacrifice is happening in real time. 00:02:25.840 --> 00:02:28.939 That speed really underscores the necessity of 00:02:28.939 --> 00:02:32.560 the award. They needed a symbol quickly. Which 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:34.960 brings us to the core of the medal. what actually 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:37.759 qualifies someone to wear it. The criteria. Right, 00:02:37.860 --> 00:02:41.060 the criteria. It's awarded for bravery and courage 00:02:41.060 --> 00:02:43.659 shown in defense of the sovereignty and territorial 00:02:43.659 --> 00:02:46.539 integrity of Azerbaijan Republic. Which is pretty 00:02:46.539 --> 00:02:49.759 standard for a national honor. It is. But alongside 00:02:49.759 --> 00:02:52.620 that, it explicitly mandates the protection of 00:02:52.620 --> 00:02:54.639 the civil population. This raises an important 00:02:54.639 --> 00:02:56.740 question, though. Oh, about the discrepancy in 00:02:56.740 --> 00:02:58.759 the text. Yes, the scope of that protection. 00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:01.360 There is a fascinating discrepancy in the source 00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:04.199 material that forces a rather profound thought 00:03:04.199 --> 00:03:05.800 experiment. I know exactly what you're talking 00:03:05.800 --> 00:03:07.979 about. In the info box, the summary of the article, 00:03:08.460 --> 00:03:11.139 the medal is listed as being awarded for the 00:03:11.139 --> 00:03:13.479 protection of the world population. World population. 00:03:13.740 --> 00:03:16.930 But in the detailed text of the criteria. It 00:03:16.930 --> 00:03:19.909 specifies the civil population. That is a massive 00:03:19.909 --> 00:03:22.729 distinction in language. Because civil population 00:03:22.729 --> 00:03:27.030 feels very grounded. localized. It paints a picture 00:03:27.030 --> 00:03:30.550 of protecting everyday citizens within a specific 00:03:30.550 --> 00:03:33.229 conflict zone. Right. Within the borders of the 00:03:33.229 --> 00:03:36.110 republic. But world population that elevates 00:03:36.110 --> 00:03:38.789 the concept entirely. It shifts the scale from 00:03:38.789 --> 00:03:42.030 national defense to global humanitarianism. Like 00:03:42.030 --> 00:03:45.770 even if it just originated as a drafting inconsistency 00:03:45.770 --> 00:03:48.789 or a minor variation in translation. Having the 00:03:48.789 --> 00:03:51.069 phrase world population attached to a national 00:03:51.069 --> 00:03:54.300 honor. asks us to think about heroism on a planetary 00:03:54.300 --> 00:03:57.259 scale. It really does. It suggests an ideal where 00:03:57.259 --> 00:03:59.659 defending human life is recognized as a universal 00:03:59.659 --> 00:04:03.419 good. Regardless of borders, it is a lofty philosophical 00:04:03.419 --> 00:04:05.919 concept to have embedded in a national award. 00:04:06.379 --> 00:04:08.900 And speaking of that eligibility, the pool of 00:04:08.900 --> 00:04:10.819 people who can actually receive the gold star 00:04:10.819 --> 00:04:13.800 medal is shockingly broad. This is the part that 00:04:13.800 --> 00:04:15.659 really stood out. Because when we think of a 00:04:15.659 --> 00:04:18.259 nation's highest honor for defending its sovereignty, 00:04:18.620 --> 00:04:21.439 our minds naturally default to the military. 00:04:22.089 --> 00:04:25.029 Soldiers, generals, frontline defenders. Exactly. 00:04:25.209 --> 00:04:27.649 And while this medal certainly covers military 00:04:27.649 --> 00:04:31.589 acts of bravery, it explicitly extends much further. 00:04:31.769 --> 00:04:34.649 It includes the Azerbaijani government's civilian 00:04:34.649 --> 00:04:37.509 personnel. Which makes sense. It includes everyday 00:04:37.509 --> 00:04:40.529 citizens. It includes non -citizens. That's getting 00:04:40.529 --> 00:04:43.370 broad. And perhaps most surprisingly of all, 00:04:43.470 --> 00:04:46.290 it includes foreign civilians. I really want 00:04:46.290 --> 00:04:49.610 you, the listener. to pause and visualize that 00:04:49.610 --> 00:04:52.050 scenario for a moment. It's wild to think about. 00:04:52.149 --> 00:04:54.170 Think about a sequence of events that would lead 00:04:54.170 --> 00:04:57.089 to a foreign civilian being awarded another nation's 00:04:57.089 --> 00:05:00.329 highest possible honor. You don't hold citizenship. 00:05:00.470 --> 00:05:02.949 You aren't in their military. You do not officially 00:05:02.949 --> 00:05:04.970 belong to their state apparatus at all. Yet. 00:05:05.399 --> 00:05:07.699 You find yourself in a situation where your actions 00:05:07.699 --> 00:05:11.220 are so overwhelmingly courageous. So vital to 00:05:11.220 --> 00:05:13.220 the defense of that republic's people. That the 00:05:13.220 --> 00:05:15.740 president pins their highest national honor to 00:05:15.740 --> 00:05:18.500 your chest. The inclusivity of that criteria 00:05:18.500 --> 00:05:21.779 is profound. It completely strips away the requirements 00:05:21.779 --> 00:05:24.399 of a specific passport or uniform. It distills 00:05:24.399 --> 00:05:27.319 the qualification down to the pure act of bravery 00:05:27.319 --> 00:05:30.360 itself. It creates a definition of a national 00:05:30.360 --> 00:05:33.439 hero based entirely on action rather than identity. 00:05:33.949 --> 00:05:36.589 That is a uniquely powerful way to structure 00:05:36.589 --> 00:05:39.110 a national honor. If your actions defend the 00:05:39.110 --> 00:05:41.810 people, the state will recognize you as their 00:05:41.810 --> 00:05:44.910 hero, regardless of where you were born. It really 00:05:44.910 --> 00:05:47.149 is fascinating, but I want to shift our focus 00:05:47.149 --> 00:05:49.569 from the invisible weight of those ideals to 00:05:49.569 --> 00:05:52.649 the tangible, physical object itself. The literal 00:05:52.649 --> 00:05:54.709 metal. Right, because the source text goes into 00:05:54.709 --> 00:05:57.610 incredible, almost architectural detail about 00:05:57.610 --> 00:06:00.209 what this metal actually looks and feels like. 00:06:00.370 --> 00:06:02.379 Down to the millimeter. Let's start with the 00:06:02.379 --> 00:06:04.420 original form, the one established back in that 00:06:04.420 --> 00:06:07.720 rapid time frame of 1992. It is referred to as 00:06:07.720 --> 00:06:10.939 the Ai -Ulduz. Which translates to crescent and 00:06:10.939 --> 00:06:13.819 star. Exactly. The geometry mandated for this 00:06:13.819 --> 00:06:16.839 design is incredibly precise. They weren't just 00:06:16.839 --> 00:06:19.699 asking for a generic star shape. They were dictating 00:06:19.699 --> 00:06:23.240 a highly specific piece of metallurgical craftsmanship. 00:06:23.459 --> 00:06:25.839 So let's build this original metal in our minds. 00:06:26.629 --> 00:06:29.670 Initially, the central element was a gold filled 00:06:29.670 --> 00:06:33.050 crescent facing to the right. Okay. And enclosed 00:06:33.050 --> 00:06:35.329 entirely within the curve of that crescent was 00:06:35.329 --> 00:06:38.680 an eight pointed star. But this was not a flat, 00:06:38.819 --> 00:06:41.060 two -dimensional shape stamped out of a sheet 00:06:41.060 --> 00:06:43.699 of metal. No, it wasn't. The specifications dictate 00:06:43.699 --> 00:06:46.839 that the star featured flat dihedral rays on 00:06:46.839 --> 00:06:49.339 its front face. What's fascinating here is the 00:06:49.339 --> 00:06:52.220 technical specificity of that term. Dihedral. 00:06:52.379 --> 00:06:54.720 Right. For those who aren't familiar with geometric 00:06:54.720 --> 00:06:57.459 or architectural jargon, a dihedral angle essentially 00:06:57.459 --> 00:07:00.019 means the intersecting angle between two planes. 00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:02.560 So in the context of a metal... It means that 00:07:02.560 --> 00:07:05.699 each point of the star isn't flat. There is a 00:07:05.699 --> 00:07:07.720 distinct ridge running right down the center 00:07:07.720 --> 00:07:10.360 of each point, sloping downward on either side. 00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:12.600 Like, think of the way a classic diamond kite 00:07:12.600 --> 00:07:14.639 is bowed out in the middle to catch the wind. 00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:18.339 Yes, great analogy. That three -dimensional intersecting 00:07:18.339 --> 00:07:21.480 peak creates a ridge texture across the entire 00:07:21.480 --> 00:07:23.920 star. And the purpose of mandating that specific 00:07:23.920 --> 00:07:26.779 geometry is entirely visual, right? Absolutely. 00:07:26.860 --> 00:07:29.420 A flat star reflects light uniformly. It can 00:07:29.420 --> 00:07:33.259 look a bit dull. But dihedral rays create facets. 00:07:33.920 --> 00:07:36.959 When a person wearing this metal moves, those 00:07:36.959 --> 00:07:40.100 angled planes catch the ambient light in a very 00:07:40.100 --> 00:07:43.339 dynamic, distinct way. It draws the eye immediately 00:07:43.339 --> 00:07:46.060 to the gold surface. The craftsmanship requirements 00:07:46.060 --> 00:07:49.180 go even deeper, too. The rear side of the original 00:07:49.180 --> 00:07:52.160 metal is a flat surface, but it's bounded by 00:07:52.160 --> 00:07:54.240 a thin fillet running right along the cutout. 00:07:54.399 --> 00:07:56.839 A soleil in this sense is like the tiny raised 00:07:56.839 --> 00:07:59.660 rim you feel around the edge of a coin. Exactly. 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:02.279 And on the upper edge of the medal, the design 00:08:02.279 --> 00:08:05.319 mandates two distinct shapes measuring exactly 00:08:05.319 --> 00:08:08.220 one millimeter in size. One millimeter. Mandating 00:08:08.220 --> 00:08:10.680 one millimeter shapes on a national honor speaks 00:08:10.680 --> 00:08:12.779 to an incredible level of precision required 00:08:12.779 --> 00:08:14.819 from the jewelers. And then there's the suspension 00:08:14.819 --> 00:08:17.060 system, how it actually attaches to the uniform. 00:08:17.259 --> 00:08:19.819 There is a ring connecting the crescent to four 00:08:19.819 --> 00:08:22.439 connected rhomboids. Diamond -like shapes. Right. 00:08:22.500 --> 00:08:25.019 And those attach to a gold -filled pentagonal 00:08:25.019 --> 00:08:27.040 plate. We even have the exact measurements of 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:29.560 that plate. 20 millimeters in height and 20... 00:08:29.579 --> 00:08:32.059 six millimeters in width. Framed by that raised 00:08:32.059 --> 00:08:34.539 fillet along its perimeter. The pentagonal plate 00:08:34.539 --> 00:08:37.299 features two slits on the sides to hold the ribbon, 00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:40.100 and the ribbon itself is a vital part of the 00:08:40.100 --> 00:08:42.519 visual identity. It's a tricolor moiré ribbon. 00:08:42.679 --> 00:08:45.559 Perfectly matching the blue, red, and green colors 00:08:45.559 --> 00:08:48.779 of the flag of Azerbaijan. The term moiré is 00:08:48.779 --> 00:08:51.139 another great detail to unpack. Oh, definitely. 00:08:51.399 --> 00:08:54.220 A moiré ribbon isn't just dyed fabric. It's a 00:08:54.220 --> 00:08:57.679 specific textile finishing technique. The silk 00:08:58.059 --> 00:09:00.960 is treated so that it has a wavy, rippled appearance. 00:09:01.320 --> 00:09:03.360 It almost looks like the reflection of water 00:09:03.360 --> 00:09:05.580 shimmering across the fabric. Adding another 00:09:05.580 --> 00:09:08.370 layer of visual texture to the award. But out 00:09:08.370 --> 00:09:11.090 of all these meticulous details, the gold -filled 00:09:11.090 --> 00:09:14.070 crescents, the dihedral rays, the rhomboids, 00:09:14.129 --> 00:09:16.750 the moiré silk, the measurement that stood out 00:09:16.750 --> 00:09:18.929 to me the most was the total weight. The total 00:09:18.929 --> 00:09:21.710 weight of the original Ayolduz design is exactly 00:09:21.710 --> 00:09:26.070 21 .5 grams. Just 21 .5 grams. To put that into 00:09:26.070 --> 00:09:28.129 perspective for you listening, that is incredibly 00:09:28.129 --> 00:09:30.309 light. It is roughly the equivalent weight of 00:09:30.309 --> 00:09:33.210 a single standard AA battery. It creates a brilliant 00:09:33.210 --> 00:09:36.029 philosophical contrast. It really does. You have 00:09:36.029 --> 00:09:37.889 a person who has earned the... title of national 00:09:37.889 --> 00:09:41.570 hero, which carries a massive, likely crushing 00:09:41.570 --> 00:09:44.809 symbolic burden. The public expectation, the 00:09:44.809 --> 00:09:46.850 memory of the conflict, the grief for those protected. 00:09:47.519 --> 00:09:49.519 All of that is attached to the title. Yet the 00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:52.440 physical manifestation of that title. The object 00:09:52.440 --> 00:09:54.960 the state actually pins to your chest to represent 00:09:54.960 --> 00:09:57.580 all of that courage. Barely weighs enough to 00:09:57.580 --> 00:09:59.860 pull down the fabric of your lapel. It is deeply 00:09:59.860 --> 00:10:02.919 poetic. All of that chaotic human courage and 00:10:02.919 --> 00:10:06.639 sacrifice distilled down into 21 .5 grams of 00:10:06.639 --> 00:10:09.460 gold -filled muddle and rippled silk. However, 00:10:09.539 --> 00:10:11.759 as with many national symbols, the design did 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:14.799 not remain frozen in that original 1992 blueprint. 00:10:15.100 --> 00:10:17.759 They rarely do. Here's where it gets really interesting. 00:10:18.039 --> 00:10:20.960 The Gold Star Medal underwent a significant visual 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:24.659 evolution. Which was legally outlined in Decree 00:10:24.659 --> 00:10:27.759 No. 429. It introduced deliberate modifications 00:10:27.759 --> 00:10:30.320 that completely altered the silhouette of the 00:10:30.320 --> 00:10:32.669 medal. The most immediate and striking change 00:10:32.669 --> 00:10:35.210 is the complete removal of the crescent. It's 00:10:35.210 --> 00:10:37.429 just gone. That gold -filled crescent facing 00:10:37.429 --> 00:10:40.590 right, which originally cradled the star, is 00:10:40.590 --> 00:10:43.149 entirely gone in the current description. What 00:10:43.149 --> 00:10:45.750 remains is the prominent eight -pointed star 00:10:45.750 --> 00:10:48.909 standing entirely on its own. It still features 00:10:48.909 --> 00:10:51.250 those light -catching flat dihedral rays, though. 00:10:51.370 --> 00:10:54.169 Right, but now the size is explicitly specified. 00:10:54.889 --> 00:10:58.210 The star is mandated to be 31 .5 millimeters 00:10:58.210 --> 00:11:00.809 in diameter. And the suspension plate evolved 00:11:00.809 --> 00:11:04.029 alongside the star. It remains a pentagonal plate. 00:11:04.210 --> 00:11:06.350 And the inner side is still covered with that 00:11:06.350 --> 00:11:09.490 shimmering tricolor moiré ribbon. But the bordering 00:11:09.490 --> 00:11:12.389 was modified. It is now framed by a larger 28 00:11:12.389 --> 00:11:14.889 by 20 millimeter fillet along the perimeter, 00:11:15.090 --> 00:11:17.529 and it features two eye rings for suspension. 00:11:17.909 --> 00:11:19.950 So the metal evolved into a more streamlined, 00:11:20.230 --> 00:11:24.090 singular geometric profile. a standalone 31 .5 00:11:24.090 --> 00:11:26.129 -millimeter golden star. But the front of the 00:11:26.129 --> 00:11:28.789 medal is only half the story. The rear side of 00:11:28.789 --> 00:11:30.730 the current design contains elements that carry 00:11:30.730 --> 00:11:32.690 an immense amount of meaning. The rear inscription 00:11:32.690 --> 00:11:35.470 is the ideological anchor of the object. Placed 00:11:35.470 --> 00:11:37.009 right in the center of the rear side are the 00:11:37.009 --> 00:11:41.169 words, which translates directly to National 00:11:41.169 --> 00:11:44.549 Hero of Azerbaijan. But sitting above that inscription, 00:11:44.889 --> 00:11:46.950 etched into the upper ray of the star itself, 00:11:47.350 --> 00:11:50.509 is a detail that creates a truly jarring contrast. 00:11:51.049 --> 00:11:53.509 with the concept of heroism. The serial number. 00:11:53.669 --> 00:11:56.110 The specifications mandate that a serial number 00:11:56.110 --> 00:11:58.429 must be etched onto that upper ray. A serial 00:11:58.429 --> 00:12:01.009 number. When you deeply consider what a serial 00:12:01.009 --> 00:12:04.049 number represents, it introduces a profound tension 00:12:04.049 --> 00:12:07.389 into the award. It is the ultimate tool of cold 00:12:07.389 --> 00:12:09.909 administrative bureaucracy. It's a system designed 00:12:09.909 --> 00:12:13.190 purely to sequence, to track, to categorize inventory. 00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:16.279 to impose order on physical objects. It is the 00:12:16.279 --> 00:12:18.539 kind of sequential tracking you expect to see 00:12:18.539 --> 00:12:21.580 on an assembly line part or a banknote? Precisely. 00:12:21.620 --> 00:12:24.240 It is sterile by design. But in this instance, 00:12:24.340 --> 00:12:26.980 that sterile, cold sequencing method is being 00:12:26.980 --> 00:12:29.059 permanently applied to the most deeply individual, 00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:32.860 intensely personal and chaotic act a human being 00:12:32.860 --> 00:12:35.240 can perform. Because ultimate heroism is not 00:12:35.240 --> 00:12:38.220 orderly. Not at all. A person who, in a moment 00:12:38.220 --> 00:12:40.879 of extreme danger, makes a selfless choice to 00:12:40.879 --> 00:12:43.159 risk their own life to defend a civil population, 00:12:43.480 --> 00:12:46.820 they are acting on human passion. It is an unquantifiable, 00:12:46.960 --> 00:12:49.629 unpredictable burst of courage. That creates 00:12:49.629 --> 00:12:51.970 a really fascinating paradox. You are taking 00:12:51.970 --> 00:12:54.970 the wildly unpredictable instinct of human sacrifice 00:12:54.970 --> 00:12:58.570 and forcing it into the most rigid bureaucratic 00:12:58.570 --> 00:13:01.370 format possible. The state recognizes a beautiful, 00:13:01.490 --> 00:13:04.450 terrifying moment of bravery by edging a sequential 00:13:04.450 --> 00:13:08.230 digit onto a star. Number one, number 12, number 00:13:08.230 --> 00:13:10.809 50. It grounds the mythology of heroism into 00:13:10.809 --> 00:13:13.990 a documented. historical reality it anchors it 00:13:13.990 --> 00:13:16.649 the chaotic act of bravery is solidified into 00:13:16.649 --> 00:13:19.210 a permanent numbered record in the archives of 00:13:19.210 --> 00:13:22.230 the nation behind every single one of those individually 00:13:22.230 --> 00:13:25.669 etched digits is an entire unwritten story of 00:13:25.669 --> 00:13:28.389 survival immense risk and in many cases profound 00:13:28.389 --> 00:13:31.710 tragedy the serial number anchors the myth to 00:13:31.710 --> 00:13:34.169 a specific person in a specific moment in time 00:13:34.440 --> 00:13:37.399 Let's visualize where this numbered 31 .5 millimeter 00:13:37.399 --> 00:13:39.860 star actually sits on the person who earned it. 00:13:39.940 --> 00:13:42.080 Because the protocol for wearing the gold star 00:13:42.080 --> 00:13:44.740 medal is rigidly defined by the state. It must 00:13:44.740 --> 00:13:46.639 be pinned to the left side of the chest. Which 00:13:46.639 --> 00:13:48.320 traditionally places it right over the heart. 00:13:48.500 --> 00:13:50.759 And crucially, the protocol mandates that it 00:13:50.759 --> 00:13:52.860 is pinned above all other decorations and medals. 00:13:53.340 --> 00:13:55.779 If we connect this to the bigger picture, we 00:13:55.779 --> 00:13:58.320 have to understand the sheer volume and complexity 00:13:58.320 --> 00:14:01.779 of the honors that exist within the broader Azerbaijani 00:14:01.779 --> 00:14:04.419 award system. We are not talking about a state 00:14:04.419 --> 00:14:06.460 with only one or two medals to give out. Not 00:14:06.460 --> 00:14:08.840 at all. The documentation lists an extensive, 00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:12.200 highly granular hierarchy of civil and military 00:14:12.200 --> 00:14:15.059 orders and medals. The list is massive. It covers 00:14:15.059 --> 00:14:17.559 almost every facet of service. You have awards 00:14:17.559 --> 00:14:20.490 like the Brave Warrior Medal. You have medals 00:14:20.490 --> 00:14:24.110 strictly for military services for specific distinctions 00:14:24.110 --> 00:14:27.570 in battle. The faultless service medal. Furthermore, 00:14:27.889 --> 00:14:30.509 there's an entire series of campaign medals dedicated 00:14:30.509 --> 00:14:33.750 to the liberation of specific geographic regions. 00:14:33.889 --> 00:14:36.070 Oh, right. Like the medal for the liberation 00:14:36.070 --> 00:14:38.450 of Shusha. And for the liberation of Fazuli, 00:14:38.610 --> 00:14:42.210 Agdam, Gubadli, Jabrail. Kalbajar, Kojavind, 00:14:42.330 --> 00:14:45.710 Lachin, Sugubushan, and Zangalin. Imagine a veteran 00:14:45.710 --> 00:14:48.629 walking into a room. This individual could potentially 00:14:48.629 --> 00:14:51.389 have a very crowded chest of honors. Their uniform 00:14:51.389 --> 00:14:54.029 could be heavy with ribbons and metal, representing 00:14:54.029 --> 00:14:56.610 decades of faultless service, extreme bravery 00:14:56.610 --> 00:14:59.690 in various battles. Active participation in multiple 00:14:59.690 --> 00:15:03.309 major historical liberations. Their uniform is 00:15:03.309 --> 00:15:05.929 a literal tapestry of their military career. 00:15:06.350 --> 00:15:08.470 But no matter how many of those impressive medals 00:15:08.470 --> 00:15:11.590 a person earns, no matter how full that hotel 00:15:11.590 --> 00:15:14.809 gets. The gold star medal, the Kizil Ulduz, is 00:15:14.809 --> 00:15:17.590 pinned above them all. It takes absolute visual 00:15:17.590 --> 00:15:20.330 and symbolic precedence over almost everything 00:15:20.330 --> 00:15:22.710 else on that uniform. It stands apart from the 00:15:22.710 --> 00:15:24.990 campaign medals and the service awards, resting 00:15:24.990 --> 00:15:27.389 at the very top of the hierarchy. But there is 00:15:27.389 --> 00:15:30.370 one vital clarification to ensure we are painting 00:15:30.370 --> 00:15:34.159 the most accurate picture. Right. While the Gold 00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:36.679 Star Medal sits above the massive list of medals 00:15:36.679 --> 00:15:39.299 we just discussed, the documentation notes its 00:15:39.299 --> 00:15:42.100 exact precedence in the overall national ecosystem 00:15:42.100 --> 00:15:45.580 of awards. It explicitly lists the hero of the 00:15:45.580 --> 00:15:48.279 Patriotic War Medal as the next higher award. 00:15:48.559 --> 00:15:50.879 That is a crucial detail for understanding how 00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:53.559 states structure prestige. Even an award as deeply 00:15:53.559 --> 00:15:55.980 revered as the Gold Star Medal, recognizing a 00:15:55.980 --> 00:15:58.759 national hero, exists within a meticulously defined 00:15:58.759 --> 00:16:01.679 ecosystem. The state has carefully calibrated 00:16:01.679 --> 00:16:04.299 exactly where the gold star sits, placing the 00:16:04.299 --> 00:16:06.980 hero of the patriotic war medal just above it 00:16:06.980 --> 00:16:09.659 in precedence. It shows that honor is not a flat 00:16:09.659 --> 00:16:12.559 concept. It is a highly structured ladder of 00:16:12.559 --> 00:16:14.759 national values. It is a fascinating ecosystem 00:16:14.759 --> 00:16:17.580 of prestige. So what does this all mean? That's 00:16:17.580 --> 00:16:20.019 the big question. We started this deep dive looking 00:16:20.019 --> 00:16:21.980 at a summary of a piece of metal and ribbon. 00:16:22.240 --> 00:16:24.919 But by unpacking the criteria, the measurements, 00:16:25.000 --> 00:16:27.000 and the design evolution, we found something 00:16:27.000 --> 00:16:29.919 much more profound. We found a meticulously designed 00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:33.120 emblem of a nation's ultimate gratitude. We uncovered 00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:36.220 the story of a newly independent nation in 1992, 00:16:36.700 --> 00:16:39.440 almost immediately needing to forge a tangible 00:16:39.440 --> 00:16:42.019 way to recognize the ultimate sacrifices being 00:16:42.019 --> 00:16:44.259 made for its sovereignty. We explored an award 00:16:44.259 --> 00:16:46.899 whose eligibility rules are so remarkably broad 00:16:46.899 --> 00:16:49.940 that they theoretically invite a foreign civilian 00:16:49.940 --> 00:16:52.120 to be recognized as a nation's greatest defender. 00:16:52.730 --> 00:16:54.889 We tracked an evolution of design from the original 00:16:54.889 --> 00:16:58.210 21 .5 gram crescent and star to the prominent 00:16:58.210 --> 00:17:01.690 standalone 31 .5 millimeter eight point star 00:17:01.690 --> 00:17:04.609 worn today. It is a physical object that was 00:17:04.609 --> 00:17:07.349 born out of necessity and evolved right alongside 00:17:07.349 --> 00:17:09.970 the country it represents. Reflecting the shifting 00:17:09.970 --> 00:17:12.450 aesthetic and structural priorities of the state. 00:17:12.920 --> 00:17:15.200 And it leaves us with so much to consider about 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:17.960 how we attempt to quantify the unquantifiable 00:17:17.960 --> 00:17:20.460 nature of human courage. I completely agree. 00:17:20.660 --> 00:17:23.460 The tension between the act of bravery and the 00:17:23.460 --> 00:17:27.140 metal itself is captivating. And as we wrap up 00:17:27.140 --> 00:17:29.319 today's deep dive, I know you have a final thought 00:17:29.319 --> 00:17:31.359 for the listener to take with them as they go 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:34.140 about their day. I do. I want you to reconsider 00:17:34.140 --> 00:17:36.420 the permanence of that etching we spent time 00:17:36.420 --> 00:17:39.220 on. The serial number cards into the upper ray 00:17:39.220 --> 00:17:41.359 on the back of the metal. Such a striking detail. 00:17:41.700 --> 00:17:44.240 A hero's actions are, by their very nature, a 00:17:44.240 --> 00:17:47.119 fleeting moment in time. It's a sudden explosive 00:17:47.119 --> 00:17:50.220 burst of adrenaline and bravery to defend a population 00:17:50.220 --> 00:17:52.720 or protect a border. The act itself is over in 00:17:52.720 --> 00:17:55.240 minutes, maybe even seconds. Yet that fleeting 00:17:55.240 --> 00:17:58.380 moment is forever captured in an unchanging 31 00:17:58.380 --> 00:18:02.380 .5 millimeter geometric star. It is immortalized 00:18:02.380 --> 00:18:05.259 in a rigid, sequential serial number. I want 00:18:05.259 --> 00:18:07.920 you to ponder what serial number of bravery society 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:11.680 might be on today. Think about what acts of extreme 00:18:11.680 --> 00:18:15.420 courage by everyday civilians, perhaps even foreign 00:18:15.420 --> 00:18:17.460 ones protecting people who aren't their own, 00:18:17.559 --> 00:18:20.079 might go completely unmeddled and undocumented 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:23.079 by the state. Yet still carry that exact same 00:18:23.079 --> 00:18:26.140 golden weight in the real world. Exactly. That 00:18:26.140 --> 00:18:29.200 is a powerful question to leave off on, a reminder 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:31.799 to look for the invisible metals worn every day 00:18:31.799 --> 00:18:34.759 by the people around us. Thank you so much for 00:18:34.759 --> 00:18:37.019 joining us on this deep dive. We hope you walk 00:18:37.019 --> 00:18:39.559 away looking at the concepts of heroism, architectural 00:18:39.559 --> 00:18:42.359 design, and even state bureaucracy in a completely 00:18:42.359 --> 00:18:44.480 different light. Thanks for listening. Until 00:18:44.480 --> 00:18:46.319 next time, keep exploring, keep questioning, 00:18:46.440 --> 00:18:47.059 and take care.