| Order of Playa Girón | |
|---|---|
 The Order of Playa Girón | |
| Type | Single-grade order |
| Presented by | the Republic of Cuba |
| Eligibility | Citizens of Cuba, foreigners |
| First award | 1961 |
_ribbon.svg) Ribbon bar of the order | |
TheOrder of Playa Girón[1] is a national order conferred by theCouncil of State ofCuba on Cubans or foreigners. It was established in 1961 and is named after thePlaya Girón (Girón beach), site of the Cuban victory in theBay of Pigs Invasion.
The order takes the form of a gold medal with pin and ribbon. The obverse of the medal depicts a soldier in fighting attitude, with one foot on the Cuban archipelago and the other on the North American mainland.[2] Earlier versions included the Cuban motto, "Patria o Muerte" (Homeland or Death), while later versions include the Cuban colours above, a wreath below, and the words "Orden Playa Girón" (Order of Playa Girón). The reverse depicts thecoat of arms of Cuba and the wording "Consejo de Estado" and "República de Cuba" (Council of State, Republic of Cuba).
The first recipient was thecosmonautYuri Gagarin, who travelled to Cuba to receive the award on 26 July 1961, theDay of the National Rebellion, from PresidentOsvaldo Dorticos, just over three months after becoming the first human in space.[3]
All recipients of theHero of the Republic of Cuba also receive the Order of Playa Girón.[4] Recipients have included prominent international figures includingLeonid Brezhnev,Yasser Arafat,Angela Davis andNelson Mandela, as well as a number of other cosmonauts, Soviet military leaders, and independence fighters.
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