Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday officially received the Order of St Andrew the Apostle the First-Called, Russia’s most prestigious civilian honour, bestowed upon him in 2019. During the ceremony, President Vladimir Putin expressed his heartfelt congratulations to Prime Minister Modi. "Dear friend, from the bottom of my heart, I would like to congratulate you for this highest Russian award and wish you good health, success and all the best. To the friendly people of India, I wish peace and prosperity," Russian President Putin stated, as quoted by news agency ANI.
In response, Prime Minister Modi expressed his gratitude, saying, "I am heartily grateful to you for conferring me with the highest civilian honour of Russia. This isn't just my honour, this is an honour of 140 crore Indians. This is an honour of the old and deep friendship and mutual trust between India and Russia", as reported by news agency PTI.
PM Modi also took to X and stated, "Honoured to receive The Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle. I thank the Russian Government for conferring the award. This award is dedicated to my fellow 140 crore Indians."
The accolade was initially announced in 2019 by the Russian Embassy in India. "On April 12, @narendramodi was decorated with the Order of St Andrew the Apostle for exceptional services in promoting special & privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India and friendly relations between the Russian and Indian peoples," the embassy had tweeted.
President Putin had also taken to social media to commend the Prime Minister. “Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the Order of St Andrew for outstanding achievements in promoting partnership with Russia,” he posted on Twitter.
What Is The 'Order Of St Andrew The Apostle'?
The Order of St Andrew the Apostle, established by Tsar Peter the Great in 1698, is the highest order of chivalry in Russia. Named in honour of Saint Andrew, the patron saint of Russia, the order recognises outstanding civilian and military merit. The insignia includes a blue sash, a badge featuring a cross of St Andrew, and a star worn on the chest. The badge depicts Saint Andrew crucified on an X-shaped cross. After being abolished post the Russian Revolution in 1917, the order was revived in the post-Soviet era and continues to be awarded for exceptional service to the state.