Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov To Be Awarded Russia's Highest State Award, The Order of St. Andrew The First-Called

Moscow: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has been honoured with Russia's highest state award, The Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called, by President Vladimir Putin .

Russia’s top diplomat and foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, was conferred with the prestigious award for his outstanding service to the fatherland, significant contributions to developing and implementing Russia’s foreign policy, and decades of dedicated activity as a statesman.

Lavrov, who turned 75 on Friday, has served as the country’s top diplomat for the last 22 years, making him Russia’s longest-serving government official. His diplomatic career began in 1972. Lavrov also served as Russia’s foreign minister from 1992 to 1994 and represented the country as its permanent representative to the United Nations for nearly a decade, starting in 1994.

What is the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle the First-Called?

Russia’s highest state award, the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle the First-Called, is the most prestigious recognition conferred by the Russian Imperial Family as an ‘order of chivalry’ and by the Russian Federation as a ‘state order.’

The Order was established in 1698 as the first and highest order of chivalry. However, it was discontinued during the USSR period before being reinstated as Russia’s top civilian and military honour in 1998.

The award was initially established by Tsar Peter the Great in honour of Saint Andrew, the first apostle of Jesus and the patron saint of Russia, in 1698.

In June 2024, Sergey Lavrov was also honoured with the highest state award of the Republic of Burkina Faso by President Ibrahim Traore. He was recognised for his exceptional achievements in civil and military service, including contributions to foreign relations.

Some prominent figures honoured with Order of Saint Andrew

Some prominent figures in Russia who have been honoured with Order of Saint Andrew The Apostle The First-Called include military engineer Mikhail Kalashnikov, author Sergey Mikhalkov, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, and leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Notable foreign recipients including Prime Minister Narendra Modi was honoured with Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle in July 2024 while President Xi Jinping and former Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev received the award previously.