The Order of Merit for the Fatherland became the first highest award in the new Russian state after the collapse of the USSR. Awarding was made for merits in strengthening the state, developing the socio-economic sphere, strengthening defense capabilities and international cooperation, as well as for merits in sports, culture, art and science.
A bit of history
The Order of Merit to the Fatherland is rooted in the 18th century. This connection can be traced in the motto “Benefit, Honor and Glory”, available at the award. Under the same motto in 1782, Empress Catherine the Great introduced the Order of St. Vladimir, which had 4 degrees (the first was considered the highest). The award was dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the reign of the Empress.
"St. Vladimir" was awarded to both military and civilians. At the same time, there was a priority in his awarding. In 1789, the order of the fourth degree, issued for feats, received a distinctive feature: a red-black bow.
The Order of Merit to the Fatherland was introduced in March 1994.
Thus, the state began to restore legal order in the confusion regarding the awards resulting from the collapse of the USSR.
The award continued the tradition of “St. Vladimir”: it has the same motto, four degrees, the order in which the award is awarded (the fourth degree is awarded to the first), and the military order differs in the form of crossed swords.
In the future, the reward system was improved, and the statute of the order was supplemented with some changes. The first award of the highest degree was awarded to Jacques Chirac - President of France - in 1997. The Order No. 1 was awarded in June 2001 to Russian President Boris Yeltsin. Interestingly, only Chirac, Yeltsin and Kuchma (President of Ukraine) were awarded the first degree of the order, without having received the lowest degrees. The highest degree was awarded to the head of the Russian Orthodox Church Alexy II in 2004. In 1997, the patriarch was awarded the 2nd degree of the order.
For what the order is given
The award "For Merit to the Fatherland" is awarded to persons who have made a significant contribution to various fields of activity of the state and society. First of all, it is awarded for merits in the development of statehood. This question is the most important for the new state, the new community of the Russian Federation, because statehood characterizes the state of this community, the path of its development. That is, a person who has outstanding merit in pursuing a solid national policy aimed at territorial unity deserves an order.
This award may be awarded to persons who have contributed to the cause of peace and good neighborliness between countries and peoples, since only peace can contribute to the development of the state. Outstanding achievements in work can also be marked with an order. The term “work” can mean achievements in science, art, culture and sport. Therefore, high results in these areas of activity can be noted with this award. The Order is also awarded for a significant contribution to strengthening the defense capability of the Russian Federation, protecting its borders, law and order.
Statute
In 2010, the award system in the Russian Federation was improved. According to the latest version of the statute, the award has 4 degrees. The first is the highest. Awarding is carried out starting from the lowest, while the person awarded the order for the first time should have a medal “For Merit to the Fatherland”. The exception is:
- Heroes of Russia;
- Heroes of labor of the Russian Federation;
- Heroes of the Soviet Union;
- Heroes of social work.
Citizens with the title of “People’s” and the Order also fall under the exception:
- Ushakova;
- Alexander Nevsky;
- Suvorov;
- St. George
Also, the President of the Russian Federation may decide to present the order to a person who has not previously received state awards of the Russian Federation. When a person is awarded the highest degree, the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" of the 2nd degree is no longer worn. In other similar cases, a mark or tape of a higher degree should be worn. The exception is the sign of the order issued for military merit (with swords).
Each award, depending on the degree, has features in appearance.
The ceremony of awarding the Order of the 1st and 2nd degree is held twice a year: December 12 and June 12.
Award Badge Description
The Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 1st degree, includes a sign and a star. The same applies to the order of the second degree. The third and fourth degrees have only a sign.
The order sign of all degrees is made of silver and coated with gold. It is a symmetrical cross with extended ends. The front part of the ruby-colored cross is enameled.
Signs of each degree have differences from each other:
- 1st degree - a cross with 60 mm between the ends;
- 2nd and 3rd degrees - a cross with 50 mm between the ends.
The Order of Merit to the Fatherland, 4th class, has the smallest sign: 40 mm between its ends.
In addition, the badge of the order awarded for merit in hostilities has two crossed swords covered with gilding. Each sword has a length of 28 mm, a width of 3 mm. In the center of the front side is the State Emblem of the Russian Federation.
On the reverse side of the sign there is a medallion on which the motto of the award and the date of its establishment (1994) are embossed. The lower part of the medallion is framed by laurel branches. At the lower end of the cross is the number of the mark.
The Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 4th class, has a miniature copy of the mark, which is worn on a pentagonal block. The length of the cross is 15.4 mm.
Star description
The award star is made of silver without gilding. It has eight polished rays - shtralov. In the center of the front side there is a medallion with a gilded image of the coat of arms of the Russian Federation, framed by the motto of the order on a red field covered with enamel.
The star "For Merit to the Fatherland" of the 2nd degree differs from the star of the order of the highest degree by the length of the rays: the 2nd degree has rays with a length of 72 mm, and the 1st degree has 82 mm.
The star is attached to clothes with a pin.
Order wearing order
The statute of the order determines the order of its wearing for each degree.
The highest degree (first) is worn:
- star - on the left side of the chest;
- sign - on a shoulder tape running from right to left, 10 cm wide.
The second degree is worn:
- star - on the left side of the chest;
- sign - on a ribbon passing through the neck, 45 mm wide;
The third degree of the sign is worn similarly to the sign of the 1st degree, but the tape is 24 mm wide.
The sign of the lowest degree is located on the block on the left side of the chest in front of the other orders and medals.
If there is an order of the highest degree, the order of the lower degrees, the medal "For Merit to the Fatherland" should not be worn. Exceptions are signs with crossed swords.
There are some features of wearing awards by military and civilians. For example, the ribbon of an order received for military merit is fastened with a strap. If the recipient has already been awarded the Order of St. George, then in this case his ribbon is worn first, only then the ribbon of the sign of the order in question.
Full Knights of the Order
Over the 22 years of the existence of the Order, more than twenty people have received the full award package of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland." First of all, these are prominent figures in politics, science, art and culture.
The full cavaliers of the order include:
- Viktor Chernomyrdin - head of the first government of Russia;
- Mintimer Shaimiev - former president of Tatarstan;
- Valentina Matvienko - speaker of the Council of the Federation of Russia;
- Sergey Lavrov - Head of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
- Zhores Alferov - physicist, Nobel laureate;
- Leonid Bronevoy - theater and film actor;
- Galina Vishnevskaya - soloist of the opera;
- Maya Plisetskaya is a ballerina.
Benefits of an award
The status of a high state award implies certain social and material privileges to the owners of the order. Persons awarded for services to the Fatherland by the same name order receive monthly additional cash security from the state budget, the amount of which depends on the degree of the order received.
Awarded with the highest degree will receive 415% of the basic component of an old-age pension. 330% will receive persons awarded the order of the second or third degrees.
Collateral is not provided for working owners of the order. The right to it, as well as to other benefits, comes only upon retirement.
In addition, the benefits of the Order of Merit to the Fatherland Order include:
- use of medical services at the expense of the state budget or compulsory medical insurance in clinics to which the awarded person is attached;
- free medical care in public health institutions;
- free prosthetics, in addition to the cost of the material, in public health institutions;
- annual leave (labor) at a time convenient for the order bearer, as well as leave without saving a salary of up to thirty working days throughout the year;
- free use of transport (except taxi) of any city in the country, as well as travel in intercity vehicles;
- 50% discount on utility bills and housing.
Other benefits are also provided for persons awarded the Order of Merit to the Fatherland.
Value
The status of a high state award, which is personally presented by the head of state in the Kremlin, in the Catherine’s Hall, is a serious incentive to continue activities for the good of their Fatherland. In fact, the state officially recognizes the merits of its citizens in the development of statehood, the socio-economic sphere, and defense capability.
