Orders, decorations, and medals of Romania


The National Decorations System of Romania is divided into six categories, listed below. It was re-established in 1998 after a 50-year period in which Romania used a Soviet-style system of decorations. It is very similar to the system used in Romania during the interwar period.
The list is ordered in descending order of the awards' rank in the National System of Decorations.
= The system =

National decorations

  1. Order of the Star of Romania
  2. Ordinul naţional "Serviciul Credincios" — ;
  3. Ordinul naţional "Pentru Merit" — ;
  4. Crucea naţională "Serviciul Credincios" — ;
  5. Medalia naţională "Serviciul Credincios" — ;
  6. Medalia naţională "Pentru Merit" —.

    Commemorative decorations

  7. Ordinul "Victoria Revoluţiei Române din Decembrie 1989" — ;
  8. Crucea Comemorativa a celui de-al doilea Război Mondial, 1941-1945 — ;
  9. Crucea Comemorativa a Rezistenţei Anticomuniste — ;
  10. Medalia Comemorativă "150 de ani de la naşterea lui Mihai Eminescu" —.

    Military decorations in time of peace

  11. Ordinul "Virtutea Militară" — ;
  12. Ordinul "Virtutea Aeronautică" — ;
  13. Ordinul "Virtutea Maritimă" — ;
  14. Ordinul "Bărbăţie şi Credinţă" — ;
  15. Medalia "Virtutea Militară" — ;
  16. Medalia "Virtutea Aeronautică" — ;
  17. Medalia "Virtutea Maritimă" — ;
  18. Medalia "Bărbăţie şi Credinţă" —.

    Civil decorations on domains of activity

  19. Ordinul "Meritul Agricol" — ;
  20. Ordinul "Meritul Cultural" — ;
  21. Ordinul "Meritul Diplomatic" — ;
  22. Ordinul "Meritul Industrial şi Comercial" — ;
  23. Ordinul "Meritul pentru Învăţământ" — ;
  24. Ordinul "Meritul Sanitar" — ;
  25. Ordinul "Meritul Sportiv" — ;
  26. Medalia "Meritul Agricol" — ;
  27. Medalia "Meritul Cultural" — ;
  28. Medalia "Meritul Diplomatic" — ;
  29. Medalia "Meritul Industrial şi Comercial" — ;
  30. Medalia "Meritul pentru Învăţământ" — ;
  31. Medalia "Meritul Sanitar" — ;
  32. Medalia "Meritul Sportiv" —.
"The Cultural Merit" Order and medal are divided into nine equal classes, corresponding to the cultural field it is awarded in. The ribbon of both the Order and the Medal have the same general design but stripes of different colors, to identify respective class:

Wartime military decorations

  1. Ordinul "Mihai Viteazul" — ;
  2. Ordinul naţional "Steaua României" — ;
  3. Ordinul naţional "Serviciul Credincios" — ;
  4. Ordinul naţional "Pentru Merit" — ;
  5. Crucea naţională "Serviciul Credincios" — ;
  6. Medalia naţională "Serviciul Credincios" — ;
  7. Medalia naţională "Pentru Merit" — ;
  8. Ordinul "Virtutea Militară" — ;
  9. Ordinul "Virtutea Aeronautică" — ;
  10. Ordinul "Virtutea Maritimă" — ;
  11. Ordinul "Bărbăţie şi Credinţă" — ;
  12. Ordinul "Meritul Sanitar" — ;
  13. Medalia "Virtutea Militară" — ;
  14. Medalia "Virtutea Aeronautică" — ;
  15. Medalia "Virtutea Maritimă" — ;
  16. Medalia "Bărbăţie şi Credinţă" — ;
  17. Medalia "Meritul Sanitar" —.

    Honorific signs

  18. Honorific Sign "The Eagle of Romania";
  19. Honorific Sign "The Reward for the Work in the Public Service";
  20. Honorific Sign "In the Service of the Country" for officers and special statute public functionaries;
  21. Honorific Sign "In the Service of the Country" for warrant officers and special statute public functionaries.
=Community medals=

Romanian Jewish community">History of the Jews in Romania">Romanian Jewish community

=Kingdom of Romania=

Orders

Order of Michael the Brave

See Order of Michael the Brave

Order of Carol I

See Order of Carol I

Order of the Star of Romania

See Order of the Star of Romania

Order of the Crown

See Order of the Crown

Order of Ferdinand I

The Order of Ferdinand I was instituted on 10 May 1929 by the Regency of the minor-King Michael I in memory of the late King Ferdinand I. It was created to reward those who contributed to the building of The Greater Romania. The Order was the fifth highest ranking of the Romanian Decorations of the Kingdom of Romania until the abolishment of the monarchy in 1947. The Order wasn't reinstated as Dynastic Order by the Romanian Royal Family as they had done with two other Orders.
During its time as a National Order it was widely awarded to members of the Romanian Royal Family, Romanian Prime Ministers, Romanian politicians, people who contributed to the union of all Romanians through national activity or military deeds, those who would have contribute extraordinary merits to the country in the future, and those thought to be worthy of receiving the order by the King of the Romanians.
With the death of the former King Michael I, there are currently no living members of the Order.

Grades

See Order For Merit

Romanian House Order of Hohenzollern

See House Order of Hohenzollern

Order of Bene Merenti of the Royal House

The Order of Bene Merenti of the Royal House was instituted as a Decoration on 20 February 1876 by Prince Carol I during his tenth year of reign as Domnitor or Sovereign Prince of the United Principalities of Romania. The Decoration was changed into an Order on 16 December 1915 by King Carol I's nephew King Ferdinand I of Romania. On 8 September 1940, the Order was abolished and replaced with the Order of St. George by King Ferdinand I's grandson King Michael I.

Decoration

The Order, previously a Decoration Medal known as the Decoration of Bene Merenti of the Royal House, was based as a separate Romanian version of the House Order of Hohenzollern of the House of Hohenzollern of which Prince Carol I belonged to.
Although intended to honour Civilians, military figures, and foreigners with achievements in the fields of Culture, Science, Industry, Agriculture and also Services to the King, the Decoration was barely bestowed.
The Decoration was in two types:
The Decoration transformed into an Order under the reign of King Carol I's nephew King Ferdinand I on 16 December 1915.
On 8 September 1940, the Order was abolished and replaced by the Order of St. George under the reign of King Ferdinand I's grandson King Michael I.

Grades

Order

The Order was instituted by King Michael I of Romania on 15 September 1940, 9 days after his second accession as King of Romania. The Order replaced the Order of Bene Merenti of the Royal House.
The Order was the second highest Military award after the Order of Michael the Brave and was intended for Military figures who attained "Achievements of Service in time of war." However, the Order was never awarded.
The Order was abolished during the abolishment of the Romanian Monarchy in 1947 and wasn't reinstated as a Dynastic Order of the Decorations of the Romanian Royal House by Former King Michael I.

Grades

The Order was established with the intention of awarding Romanian and Foreign Civilians who made "Outstanding contributions to Agriculture," especially after the Great Depression that Romania was steadily recovering from.
The Order was abolished during the abolishment of the Romanian Monarchy in 1947.
The Order was reinstated during the Socialist Republic of Romania and abolished after the Romanian Revolution.
On 31 March 2000, the Order was reinstated again.

Order of Faithful Service

See Order of Faithful Service

Order of Military Virtue

See Order of Military Virtue

Order of Aeronautical Virtue

Order

The Order was established on 31 July 1930 by Carol II as the fourth highest Military Award after the Order of Michael the Brave and the Order of St. George
The Order was intended to award Civilian and Military air personnel, as well as Members of the Royal Romanian Air Force and Air Cadets in times of Peace and War.
The Order was abolished during the abolishment of the Romanian Monarchy in 1947.
On 31 March 2000, the Order was re-established, See .

Grades

The badge of the Order was based on the same design of the Order of Michael the Brave, but contains a small shield of the Lesser Coat of arms of Romania in the middle of the badge.

Order of the Cross of Queen Marie

The Order of the Cross of Marie was instituted on 15 February 1917 by King Ferdinand I of Romania as the fifth and lowest Military Award for Grand Mastership of his wife Princess Marie of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Edinburgh, who was a Nurse in Military hospitals as well as led The Romanian Red Cross in World War I.
The Order was established to award Civil and Military Personnel of Merit in Medical work in Wars and in Peacetime working in the same field as Queen Marie.
The Order was abolished during the abolishment of the Romanian Monarchy in 1947 and wasn't reinstated as a Dynastic Order of the Decorations of the Romanian Royal House by Former King Michael I.

Grades

Knight Commanders
See Order of the Eagle of Romania

Decorations

Decoration of the Cross of Queen Elisabeth

The Decoration of the Cross of Queen Elisabeth was a Decoration established by Prince Carol I of Romania by Royal Decree 2270 on 6 October 1878 for his wife, Princess Elisabeth of Wied, to award Romanian women she deemed to have achieved outstanding service for caring for the wounded and sick, whether directly in ambulances and hospital campaigns, or indirectly through donations or other actions.
The Decoration was abolished during the abolishment of the Romanian Monarchy in 1947 and wasn't reinstated as a Dynastic Decoration of the Decorations of the Romanian Royal House by Former King Michael I.

Decoration of the Cross of Sanitary Merit

The Decoration of the Cross of Sanitary Merit was a Decoration established by King Carol I of Romania by Royal Decree 6471 on 25 November 1913 for his wife, Princess Elisabeth of Wied, to award Romanian men, women, and organisations deemed to be working outstandingly to improve the health status of the country.
The Decoration was abolished during the abolishment of the Romanian Monarchy in 1947 and wasn't reinstated as a Dynastic Decoration of the Decorations of the Romanian Royal House by Former King Michael I.

Decoration of the Cross of The Danube

The Crossing of the Danube Cross was a Decoration established by Prince Carol I of Romania by Royal Decree 617 on 23 March 1878 to award individuals for outstanding leadership and contributions in the Romanian War of Independence.
The Decoration was later awarded to very few individuals who were deemed to have proven great leadership.
The Decoration was named after the Danube River where the Romanian Army fought the Ottoman Imperial Army.
The Decoration was abolished during the abolishment of the Romanian Monarchy in 1947 and wasn't reinstated as a Dynastic Decoration of the Decorations of the Romanian Royal House by Former King Michael I.
= Socialist Republic of Romania =
= See also =
= References =