| Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" | |
|---|---|
 Star and Badge of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" | |
| Type | Four grade order |
| Awarded for | Outstanding contributions to the state |
| Presented by |  Russian Federation |
| Eligibility | Russian citizens |
| Status | Active |
| Established | 2 March 1994[1] |
 Ribbon of the Order 1st Class  Ribbon of the Order 2nd Class  Ribbon of the Order 3rd Class  Ribbon of the Order 4th Class | |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Order of St. George |
| Next (lower) | Order of Saint Catherine[2] |
| Related | Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" |
The Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (Russian: Орден «За заслуги перед Отечеством», Orden "Za zaslugi pered Otechestvom") is a state decoration of the Russian Federation. It was instituted on 2 March 1994 by Presidential Decree 442.[1] Until the re-establishment of the Order of St. Andrew in 1998, it was the highest order of the Russian Federation. The order's status was modified on 6 January 1999 by Presidential Decree 19[3] and again on 7 September 2010 by Presidential Decree 1099.[4]
- ^ a b "Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of March 2, 1994 No. 442" (in Russian). Commission under the President of the Russian Federation on state awards. December 15, 1999. Archived from the original on February 5, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
- ^ "Подписан Указ "Об учреждении ордена Святой великомученицы Екатерины и знака отличия «За благодеяние"". kremlin.ru (in Russian). President of Russia. May 3, 2012. Retrieved May 5, 2012.
- ^ "Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of January 6, 1999 No. 19" (in Russian). Commission under the President of the Russian Federation on state awards. December 15, 1999. Archived from the original on February 5, 2012. Retrieved February 11, 2012.
- ^ "Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of September 7, 2010 No 1099" (in Russian). Russian Gazette. September 7, 2010. Retrieved February 7, 2012.