History

This Order was originally an Imperial Russian award. It was later re-instated in March 1992, after the fall of the Soviet Union.

It is conferred upon soldiers, sailors, and officers in recognition of distinction in battle, both on the home front and in other territories.

If the medal is not worn, a ribbon bar with the Roman numeral for "one" is worn.

The I Class cross features a reverse Russian inscription translated to: "first class". The reverse also features the initials "SG" in Cyrillic script (for Saint George).