The Medal of Nesterov () is a

state decoration A state decoration is an object, such as a medal or the insignia of an Order (distinction), order, that is awarded by a sovereign state to honor the recipient. The term includes civil awards and decorations, as well as military awards and decorat ...

of the

Russian Federation Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

named in honour of Pyotr Nikolayevich Nesterov, an early pioneer of Russian military aviation and World War I fighter pilot.

Award History

The Medal of Nesterov was established to fill a gap in the Russian Federation award system following the formation of an independent

Russian Air Force The Russian Air Force () is a branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces, the latter being formed on 1 August 2015 with the merging of the Russian Air Force and the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the reb ...

. It is the aviation equivalent of the naval Medal of Ushakov and the Medal of Suvorov for ground troops. It was established by

Presidential Decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state, judge, royal figure, or other relevant authorities, according to certain procedures. These procedures are usually defined by the constitution, Legislative laws, or customary l ...

№ 442 of March 2, 1994 and first awarded the following year. Its statute was amended on two occasions, by presidential decrees № 19 of January 6, 1999, and № 1099 of September 7, 2010.

Award Statute

The Medal of Nesterov is awarded to soldiers of the

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

, of other air arms of the

Armed Forces of the Russian Federation The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military of Russia. They are organized into three service branches—the Ground Forces, Navy, and Aerospace Forces—two independent comba ...

, of the

Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation �СБ, ФСБ России (FSB) is the principal security agency of Russia and the main successor agency to the Soviet Union's KGB; its immediate predecessor was the Federal Counteri ...

and to troops of the

Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation (MVD; , ''Ministerstvo vnutrennikh del'') is the interior ministry of Russia. The MVD is responsible for law enforcement in Russia through its agencies the Police of Russia, Migration ...

, to aircrews of civil aviation and of the aviation industry for bravery and personal courage displayed in defending the Fatherland and state interests of the Russian Federation, during the performance of combat duties, in exercises and manoeuvres; for excellent performance in combat training and in maintaining readiness of aerial assets, for special merit in the development, operation and maintenance of aircraft, professional excellence in piloting skills, for excellent performance in combat training and air combat training. The Medal of Nesterov is to be worn on the left breast with other medals immediately after the

Medal of Zhukov The Medal of Zhukov () is a state award of the Russian Federation initially awarded to veterans of the Great Patriotic War but now awarded to serving members of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. It is named in honour of Marshal of the ...

Award Description

The Medal of Nesterov is a 32mm diameter circular silver medal with a raised rim on both the

obverse The obverse and reverse are the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ''obverse'' ...

and reverse. On the obverse is the forward-facing bust of Pyotr Nesterov in military uniform wearing tunic, peaked cap and medals, over two laurel branches. Above his head, the inscription in relief "PETER NESTEROV" (Russian: «ПЕТР НЕСТЕРОВ»). On the reverse, in the upper half, a triple crowned, double-headed eagle with its wings spread out horizontally clutching in its talons a propeller crossing a sword under a flaming grenade. In the lower half, a letter "N" with an horizontal line reserved for the award serial number. Below the line, a maker's mark. The medal hangs from a standard Russian pentagonal mount from a ring though the medal's suspension loop. The mount is covered with an overlapping 24mm wide blue silk moiré ribbon with 3mm yellow edge stripes.

Numbers Awarded

Numbers of the Medal of Nesterov awarded to date:Based on information from the site of the President of the Russian Federation and the legal systems of reference, "Consultant", "Guarantor", the "Code"

References

External links