The Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" is a state decoration of the Russian Federation. It was instituted on 2 March 1994 by Presidential Decree 442. 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 and again on 7 September 2010 by Presidential Decree 1099.

The Order of Saint George is the highest military decoration of the Russian Federation. It was originally established on 26 November 1769 Julian as the highest military decoration of the Russian Empire for commissioned officers and generals by Empress Catherine the Great. After the October Revolution in 1917, it was awarded by the White movement under Alexander Kolchak until their collapse in 1921. The order was revived in the Russian Federation on 20 March 1992 by Decree No.1463 of the President of Russia. The current award criteria were amended on 7 September 2010 by Presidential Decree 1099.