| Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" | |
|---|---|
 First Class Civilian Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" | |
| Type | Two grade medal in civil and military divisions |
| Awarded for | Outstanding contributions to the state |
| Presented by |  Russian Federation |
| Eligibility | Russian citizens |
| Status | Active |
| Established | 2 March 1994[1] |
 Ribbon of the medal 1st class  Ribbon of the medal 2nd class | |
| Order of Wear | |
| Next (higher) | Cross of St. George[2] |
| Next (lower) | Medal "For Courage"[2] |
| Related | Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" |
TheMedal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (Russian:Медаль ордена «За заслуги перед Отечеством»,romanized: Medal ordena "Za zaslugi pered Otechestvom") is a Russian medal. It was established on 2 March 1994 byPresidential Decree No.442.[1] Its award criteria were modified on 6 January 1999 by Presidential Decree 19[3] and again on 7 September 2010 by Presidential Decree 1099.[4] The medal of the Order is divided into two classes, the first and the second, it is further divided into a civilian and a military division, the medal of the military division is awarded "with swords" and its criteria differ from those of the civilian division.[5]
The Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" is 32mm in diameter and made of silver, the medal first class is gold plated. Theobverse bears a likeness of the Order, a crowned double headed eagle over a red-enamelcross pattée. On the reverse, the motto of the Order: "BENEFIT, HONOUR AND GLORY" (Russian:ПОЛЬЗА, ЧЕСТЬ И СЛАВА,romanized: POLZA, CHEST I SLAVA). At the bottom, laurel leaves, the year of establishment "1994" and the award serial number. In the case of the military division, the sword device is added between the medal suspension ring and the pentagonal mount. The medal hangs from a standard Russian pentagonal mount covered by an overlapping scarlet ribbon.[5]
