Orders, decorations, and medals of Russia
The State Award System of the Russian Federation has varied and distinct origins. The first being pre-1917 orders of the Russian Empire re-established after the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union, the second is from former Soviet orders that were slightly modified and retained post 1991, we also find many completely new awards resembling Imperial awards in basic design since the reintroduction of Russian heraldry.
Originally set up following the dissolution of the Soviet Union by Decision of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation № 2557-I of March 20, 1992, the statutes of all state awards was later ratified in Presidential Decree № 442 of March 2, 1994. The entire state awards' system of the Russian Federation was amended on September 7, 2010 by presidential decree № 1099, this all encompassing decree distanced modern Russian awards from their Soviet roots. Presidential Decree № 1631 of December 16, 2011 amended and finalized the order of precedence of all modern Russian awards. Awards can be revoked by the State Duma if the recipient is not deemed fit to receive the award.
Honorary titles of the Russian Federation
| Award | Name | Presidential Decree | Inception or Amendment Date | Award Criteria |
| Hero of the Russian Federation Герой Российской Федерации Geroj Rossijskoj Federatsii | № 2553-l | 1992-03-20 | Awarded to those committing actions or deeds that involve conspicuous bravery while in the service of the state. | |
| Hero of Labour of the Russian Federation Герой Труда Российской Федерации Geroj Truda Rossijskoj Federatsii | № 294 | 2013-03-29 | Awarded for special labor services to the state and the people associated with the achievement of outstanding results in public, social and economic activities aimed at ensuring the welfare and prosperity of Russia. | |
| Pilot-Cosmonaut of the Russian Federation Летчик-космонавт Российской Федерации Letchik-Kosmonavt Rossijskoj Federatsii | № 2555-l | 1992-03-20 | Awarded to all cosmonauts who have flown for the Russian space programme. | |
| Merited Military Pilot of the Russian Federation Заслуженный военный летчик Российской Федерации Zacluzhennyj Voennyj Letchik Rossijskoj Federatsii | № 2555-l | 1992-03-20 | Awarded for special merits in the development of aviation technology, high performance in education and training of flight personnel and a multi-year accident-free flying period in military aviation. | |
| Merited Military Navigator of the Russian Federation Заслуженный военный штурман Российской Федерации Zacluzhennyj Voennyj Shturman Rossijskoj Federatsii | № 2555-l | 1992-03-20 | Awarded for learning special and complicated flight technique and/or long period of flying planes without incident. |
Orders of the Russian Federation
State decorations of the Russian Federation
Medals of the Russian Federation
State commemorative medals of the Russian Federation
NOTE: Presidential Decree № 1099 of September 7, 2010, states the following: "In order to improve the state award system of the Russian Federation that commemorative medals of the Russian Federation, awards established by federal authorities and other federal government agencies, public authorities of the Russian Federation, public and religious associations were not state awards of the Russian Federation". This serves to clarify who can be recommended for the higher state awards of the Russian Federation, many of them requiring the previous award of lower state awards to be eligible. Commemorative awards and ministerial or departmental awards do not qualify as such.| Award | Name | Presidential Decree | Inception or Amendment Date | Award Criteria |
| Jubilee Medal "50 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" Юбилейная медаль «50 лет Победы в Великой Отечественной войне 1941–1945 гг.» Jubilejnaja Medal «50 let Pobedy v Velikoj Otchestvennoj vojne 1941–1945 gg.» | № 296 - № 1099 | 1995-03-22 ---------- 2010-09-07 | Awarded to veterans of the Armed Forces of the USSR who participated in the fighting in the Great Patriotic War, guerrillas, the Underground, those awarded the Medal for victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 or For the Victory over Japan. Wartime workers who were decorated for their dedicated work during the Great Patriotic War. Veterans of the Soviet Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. This medal was issued by all the governments of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Presidential decree № 1099 of July 7, 2010 removed it from the list of Russian Federation awards, it is no longer awarded. | |
| Jubilee Medal "60 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" Юбилейная медаль «60 лет Победы в Великой Отечественной войне 1941–1945 гг.» Jubilejnaja Medal «60 let Pobedy v Velikoj Otchestvennoj vojne 1941–1945 gg.» | № 277 - № 533-rp - № 1099 | 2004-02-28 ---------- 2004-11-10 ---------- 2010-09-07 | Awarded to veterans of the Armed Forces of the USSR who participated in the fighting in the Great Patriotic War, guerrillas, the Underground, those awarded the Medal for victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 or For the Victory over Japan. Wartime workers who were decorated for their dedicated work during the Great Patriotic War. Veterans of the Soviet Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Presidential decree № 1099 of July 7, 2010 removed it from the list of Russian Federation awards, it is no longer awarded. | |
| Jubilee Medal "65 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" Юбилейная медаль «65 лет Победы в Великой Отечественной войне 1941–1945 гг.» Jubilejnaja Medal «65 let Pobedy v Velikoj Otchestvennoj vojne 1941–1945 gg.» | № 238 - № 1099 | 2009-03-04 ---------- 2010-09-07 | Awarded to soldiers and civilian employees of the Armed Forces of the USSR for participation in hostilities in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945, guerrillas and members of underground organisations operating in occupied territories of the USSR, persons who were awarded the medal "For Victory over Germany" or "For Victory over Japan”, persons awarded for their selfless work the medal "For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War” or "For Labour Merit" or any of the "Defence" medals of the cities or regions of the USSR; to persons who worked in the period from 22 June 1941 to May 9, 1945 for no less than six months, excluding the period of work in the temporarily occupied territories; former under-age prisoners of concentration camps, ghettos and other places of detention established by the Nazis and their allies; foreign nationals from outside the Commonwealth of Independent States, who fought in the national military forces in the USSR, as part of guerilla units, underground groups, and other anti-fascist groups who have made significant contribution to victory in the Patriotic War and who were awarded state awards of the USSR or Russian Federation. Presidential decree № 1099 of July 7, 2010 removed it from the list of Russian Federation awards, it is no longer awarded. | |
| Jubilee Medal "70 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" Юбилейная медаль «70 лет Победы в Великой Отечественной войне 1941–1945 гг.» Jubilejnaja Medal «70 let Pobedy v Velikoj Otchestvennoj vojne 1941–1945 gg.» | № 931 - № 175-rp | 2013-12-21 ---------- 2014-06-04 | Awarded to soldiers and civilian employees of the Armed Forces of the USSR for participation in hostilities in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945, guerrillas and members of underground organisations operating in occupied territories of the USSR, persons who were awarded the medal "For Victory over Germany" or "For Victory over Japan”, persons awarded for their selfless work the medal "For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War” or "For Labour Merit" or any of the "Defence" medals of the cities or regions of the USSR; to persons who worked in the period from 22 June 1941 to May 9, 1945 for no less than six months, excluding the period of work in the temporarily occupied territories; former under-age prisoners of concentration camps, ghettos and other places of detention established by the Nazis and their allies; foreign nationals from outside the Commonwealth of Independent States, who fought in the national military forces in the USSR, as part of guerilla units, underground groups, and other anti-fascist groups who have made significant contribution to victory in the Patriotic War and who were awarded state awards of the USSR or Russian Federation. | |
| Jubilee Medal "75 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" Юбилейная медаль «75 лет Победы в Великой Отечественной войне 1941–1945 гг.» Jubilejnaja Medal «75 let Pobedy v Velikoj Otchestvennoj vojne 1941–1945 gg.» | № 277 | 2019-06-13 | Awarded to soldiers and civilian employees of the Armed Forces of the USSR for participation in hostilities in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945, guerrillas and members of underground organisations operating in occupied territories of the USSR, persons who were awarded the medal "For Victory over Germany" or "For Victory over Japan”, persons awarded for their selfless work the medal "For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War” or "For Labour Merit" or any of the "Defence" medals of the cities or regions of the USSR; to persons who worked in the period from 22 June 1941 to May 9, 1945 for no less than six months, excluding the period of work in the temporarily occupied territories; former under-age prisoners of concentration camps, ghettos and other places of detention established by the Nazis and their allies; foreign nationals from outside the Commonwealth of Independent States, who fought in the national military forces in the USSR, as part of guerilla units, underground groups, and other anti-fascist groups who have made significant contribution to victory in the Patriotic War and who were awarded state awards of the USSR or Russian Federation. | |
| Jubilee Medal "300 Years of the Russian Navy" Юбилейная медаль «300 лет Российскому флоту» Jubilejnaja Medal «300 let Rossijskomu flotu» | № 176 - № 304-rp - № 1099 | 1996-02-10 ---------- 1996-06-07 ---------- 2010-09-07 | Awarded for naval service if previously decorated with a state award and faultless service on ships or as part of a Naval Aviation crew for 10 years, or in other parts of the navy for 20 years, to naval veterans of the Great Patriotic War, naval researchers and members of expeditionary fleets who were awarded state awards and worked flawlessly for 15 years or more, designers, developers, managers of design offices, research institutions and organisations, educational institutions, heads of the central government shipbuilding industries, any major professions directly involved in the construction and repair of ships and vessels, heads of research institutes, marine academic institutions, who were awarded state awards and worked flawlessly for more than 20 years. Presidential decree № 1099 of July 7, 2010 removed it from the list of Russian Federation awards, it is no longer awarded. | |
| Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow" Медаль «В память 850-летия Москвы» Medal «V pamjat 850-letija Moskvy» | № 132 - № 1099 | 1997-02-26 ---------- 2010-09-07 | Awarded to participants in the defence of Moscow who were awarded a medal for the defence of Moscow, wartime workers who worked in Moscow during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945, persons who were awarded the medal "In Commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of Moscow"; citizens who have made a significant contribution to the development of Moscow. Presidential decree № 1099 of July 7, 2010 removed it from the list of Russian Federation awards, it is no longer awarded. | |
| Jubilee Medal "100 Years of the Trans-Siberian Railway" Юбилейная медаль «100 лет Транссибирской магистрали» Jubilejnaja Medal «100 let Transsibirskoj magistrali» | № 777 - № 1099 | 2001-07-27 ---------- 2010-09-07 | Awarded to employees of the railways who worked flawlessly in the industry for 20 years or more, as well as other citizens who have made a significant contribution to the development of the Trans-Siberian railway. Presidential decree № 1099 of July 7, 2010 removed it from the list of Russian Federation awards, it is no longer awarded. | |
| Medal "In Commemoration of the 300th Anniversary of Saint Petersburg" Медаль «В память 300-летия Санкт-Петербурга» Medal «V pamjat 300-letija Sankt-Peterburga» | № 210 - № 1099 | 2003-02-19 ---------- 2010-09-07 | Awarded to participants of the wartime defence of Leningrad, persons awarded a medal for the defence of Leningrad; residents who were blockaded in Leningrad; wartime workers who worked during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 years in Leningrad and awarded state awards; citizens who have made a significant contribution to the development of St. Petersburg. Presidential decree № 1099 of July 7, 2010 removed it from the list of Russian Federation awards, it is no longer awarded. | |
| Medal "In Commemoration of the 1000th Anniversary of Kazan" Медаль «В память 1000-летия Казани» Medal «V pamjat 1000-letija Kazani» | № 762 - № 1099 | 2005-06-30 ---------- 2010-09-07 | Awarded to Kazan residents who fought in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945, wartime workers who worked during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 in the city of Kazan for at least six months or that were awarded orders and medals of the Soviet Union for their dedicated work in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945, veterans of labour; citizens who have made a significant contribution to the development of the city of Kazan. Presidential decree № 1099 of July 7, 2010 removed it from the list of Russian Federation awards, it is no longer awarded. |
Russian dynastic orders
Royal dynastic orders of the House of Romanov. Defunct since Soviet Union; conferred in exile.- Order of Saint Catherine
- Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky
- Order of the White Eagle
- Order of Saint Vladimir
- Order of Saint Anna
- Order of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker
- Order of Saint Anastasia
- Order of Saint Stanislaus
- Order of Saint Michael the Archangel