By Cotroceni National Museum
Administrația Prezidențială/Cancelaria Ordinelor/Muzeul Național Cotroceni
Willing to
totally erase the past, the communists cancelled the National Decorations
System and set up a new one, according to the Soviet Union pattern. But the
former system was restored with the fall of the totalitarian regime.
Decorations and medals in Romanian space
In Romania, the medals and decorations have been established in modern history time. There is only one case recorded in the period of the Middle Ages, when Prince Vlad Dracul, father of Vlad Țepeș, has been anointed as Knight of the Dragon Order by the German Emperor Sigismund of Luxembourg. Following the 1859 Union, the Romanian leaders, led by Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, have raised the issue of establishing national decorations, to reward the citizen’s actions towards the homeland and the ruler. In 1860, Prince Cuza established “Pro Virtute Militari” medal, but for some political reasons, he never awarded it to anyone.
The royal heritage
Three honours that have been established during Alexandru Ioan Cuza’s reign – The Order of the Union, the Order of the Romanian Star and the Military Virtue medal –, were taken over and officially rewarded by King Carol I. The first distinctions granted by the young Romanian state had military character. The recognition of the state’s independence by the Great Powers of the time, following the participation of the Romanian army in the Russian-Turkish war (1877-1878), has legally liberated the Romanian state. Accordingly, under the reigns of King Carol I, King Ferdinand I and King Carol II, a system of war and peace decorations has been established, which included orders, medals, crosses and badges.
The decoration system erased by the communists
After King Mihai I was forced to abdicate, on December 30, 1947, all the traditional symbols of the Romanian state were abolished, altogether with the entire system of civil and military decorations in use up to that date. All the new decorations of the Romania People’s Republic were, basically, reproductions of the ones used by the Soviet Union. At first, the decoration system established after 1948 was not meant to grant ”honour” to the recipients, but to offer certain material benefits that were very welcomed by a poor society, which proclaimed a relative egalitarianism of earnings. Starting with the constitution of the Socialist Republic in Romania, in 1964, the form of the new created distinctions and some of the already existing decorations are being changed, „modernized”, partially abandoning the preponderance of the five-cornered red star and the crossed sickle and hammer symbol.
Symbols recovered with sacrifices
After the Revolution in 1989, which led to the falling of the communist regime, the new political apparatus could no longer offer the soviet inspired distinctions of the totalitarian period. Therefore, starting with 1990, during almost 15 years, the entire medal system was restored to the present form. One of the priorities of the new governments has always been the symbolic relink with the modern Romanian state of the monarchy period. Consequently, names, shapes and design elements from that period have been integrated in the new forms of the distinctions, asserting a historical continuity with the democratic past.
NATIONAL ORDERS
The order shall be worn as follows: on the left side of the chest, for the ranks of Knight and Officer; with the sign around the neck and the plate of the rank on the left side of the chest, fot the rank of Grand Officer; with the sash over the bust – from the right shoulder towards the left hip, where the sign is fixed – and with the plate of the rank on the right side of the chest, for the rank of Grand Cross. The Collar of the Star of Romania Order shall be worn with the chain around the neck.
Star of Romania - Order Collar (Foto2) (1998/2019) by Presidential Administration of Romania/ Chancery of OrdersCotroceni National Museum
The rank consists of a chain 840 mm long and the sign of the rank. The chain consists of six cartridges each representing the marked coat of arms of Romania. Between 1998 and 2017, a total of 77 distinctions were awarded.
The National “Star of Romania”, civilian, grade of the Great Cross (Foto2) (1877/2019) by Presidential Administration of Romania / Chancery of OrdersCotroceni National Museum
The rank of Grand Cross consists of the sign of the border and the plate of the rank. The sign has a diameter of 60 mm and is gold plated. The central medallion has a diameter of 16 mm, and the order is 3 mm wide. Between 1999 and 2018, a total of 124 distinctions were awarded.
The National Order of Faithful Service, civilian, Grand Cross (1878/2019) by Presidential Administration of Romania / Chancery of OrdersCotroceni National Museum
The rank of Grand Cross is made of sign and the plate of the rank. The sign has a diameter of 60 mm and is gold plated. The central medallion has a diameter of 20 mm, and the marked coat of arms of Romania is 18 mm high. Between 2000 and 2018, 89 distinctions were awarded.
The Order For Merit, civilian, Grand Cross (1931/2019) by Presidential Administration of Romania / Chancery of OrdersCotroceni National Museum
The rank of Grand Cross consists of the sign and the plate of the rank. The sign is gold plated and has the diameter of 60 mm. The diameter of the central medallion is of 19 mm. The shield is 12 mm high. Between 2000 and 2019, 128 distinctions were awarded
The National Order „Star of Romania”, civilian, grade Grand Officer (1998/2019) by Presidential Administration of Romania / Chancery of OrdersCotroceni National Museum
The plate of the rank is in the shape of a star, with eight groups of rays in studded diamonds and has a diameter of 75 mm. On the obverse of the plate the enamelled cross of the order is applied, having a diameter of 55 mm. Between 1999 and 2018, 144 distinctions were awarded.
The National Order of Faithful Service, civilian, Grand Officer (1878/2019) by Presidential Administration of Romania / Chancery of OrdersCotroceni National Museum
The plate of the rank is in the shape of a square star with rays in relief and has a diameter of 75 mm. The enamelled cross of the order is applied on the plate, on the obverse, having a diameter of 40 mm. Between 2000 and 2018, 100 distinctions were awarded.
The Order For Merit, military division, grade Knight (1931/2019) by Presidential Administration of Romania / Chancery of OrdersCotroceni National Museum
The sign of the rank of Knight has the natural colour of silver and the diameter of 40 mm. The border in the colour of the metal of the rank, both of the cross and of the medallion, is 2.5 mm wide. The diameter of the central medallion is 16 mm. Between 2000 and 2019, 1308 distinctions were awarded.
THE CIVIL ORDERS PER FIELDS OF ACTIVITY
The national orders per fildes of activity and the military ones, of all ranks, shall be presented under three forms of equal hierarchical value: the sign, the rosette for civilians and the bar for the military.
The Agricultural Merit Order, Grand Officer (1932/2019) by Presidential Administration of Romania / Chancery of OrdersCotroceni National Museum
The Agricultural Merit Order is presented in the form Malta`s cross made of silver.
It is given to the Romanian or foreign citizens with special merits in the fields of agriculture, food industry, forestry, water and environmental protection.
The Culture Merit Order, Commander (1932/2019) by Presidential Administration of Romania / Chancery of OrdersCotroceni National Museum
The sign of the Cultural Merit Order is a cross with equal arms, made of silver, blue-violet enamelled, having on the obverse a circular medallion on which the coat of arms of Romania is marked.
The Industrial and Commercial Order - Grand Officer (1932/2019) by Presidential Administration of Romania / Chancery of OrdersCotroceni National Museum
The sign of Industrial and Commercial Merit Order is a cross with equal arms and spikes at the tips, made of silver, black enamelled, having in center, on the obverse, a similar, smaller, silver-polished cross.
The Educational Merit Order, Knight (1932/2019) by Presidential Administration of Romania / Chancery of OrdersCotroceni National Museum
Established for the first time on October 3, 1898, at the initiative of Spiru Haret – the parent of Romanian education system - the order is granted to foreign and Romanian citizens, teaching staff, scientific research and other categories of staff with special merits.
The Medical Merit Order, Grand Officer (1932/2019) by Presidential Administration of Romania/ Chancery of OrdersCotroceni National Museum
The Medical Merit Order can be granted to civilian or military doctors and to persons with higher education, to Romanian or foreign citizens who have had great merits in the field of health protection of the population, in the field of medical research and practice.
The Sports Merit Order, Class I (1932/2019) by Presidential Administration of Romania / Chancery of OrdersCotroceni National Museum
The Sports Merit Order is a decoration given both to Romanian and foreign citizens, amateur or professional athletes, as well as to Romanian and foreign clubs, which have achieved outstanding results in international and national sports competitions.
THE CIVIL MEDALS PER FIELDS OF ACTIVITY
All crosses and medals, irrespective of class, shall be worn on the left side of the chest.
The Industrial and Commercial Medal, Class III (1912/2000) by Presidential Administration of Romania / Chancery of OrdersCotroceni National Museum
The Industrial and Commercial Merit Medal is a decoration given to Romanian or foreign citizens with meritorious results in the following fields: industry, energy, minerals, defense production, trade in goods and services.
The Sports Merit Medal, Class III (1966/2000) by Presidential Administration of Romania / Chancery of OrdersCotroceni National Museum
The sign of the Sports Merit Medal is a circular piece made of tombac, on which it is rendered, in bas-relief, the miniature replica of the antique statue of the discobolus.
MILITARY ORDERS IN PEACETIME
The decorations shall be worn, as a rule, on the occasion of the National Day of Romania and of the other national or religious holidays, on festival of official character and on various activities of scientific, anniversary or commemorative character.
The Aeronautical Virtue Order, Grand Officer (in peacetime) (1930/2019) by Presidential Administration of Romania / Chancery of OrdersCotroceni National Museum
The peace sign Aeronautical Virtue Order is a cross made of silver, enamelled blue, with a longer vertical arm in the shape of a lily flower, and the shorter horizontal arm in the shape of a stylized wing.
The Maritime Virtue Order, Grand Officer (in peacetime) (1936/2019) by Presidential Administration of Romania/ Chancery of OrdersCotroceni National Museum
The peace sign of the Maritime Virtue Order is a cross made of silver, enamelled blue, with its longer vertical arm in the shape of a stylized anchor, and the shorter horizontal arm in the form of a lily of the valley.
The Valour and Faith Order, military division, Grand Officer (1903/2004) by Presidential Administration of Romania / Chancery of OrdersCotroceni National Museum
The sign of the Valour and Faith Order is a Malta`s cross with equal, split, enamelled red translucid arms, surrounded by a white border and having the ends of the arms of the cross finished with spheres.
MILITARY MEDALS IN PEACETIME
The holder of one or two decorations – orders, crosses, medals – or honorary, insignia shall wear them separately and one near the other, in the same line; starting from three decorations, these shall be attached on a bar.
The Maritime Virtue Medal, Class III, for military (obverse) and civilian (reverse) (1936/2000) by Presidential Administration of Romania/ Chancery of OrdersCotroceni National Museum
The peace and war sign of the Maritime Virtue Medal is a circular piece that has a sailboat and the statue of Jesus Christ stands on its feet.
MILITARY ORDERS IN WARTIME
The wartime decorations shall be worn before those of peacetime, per categories of distinctions, irrespective of the hierarchical level or the rank or class of the eartime decoration as compared to those of peacetime.
The National Order Faithful Service, military division, Grand Officer (in wartime) (1878/2019) by Presidential Administration of Romania / Chancery of OrdersCotroceni National Museum
The war sign of the Faithful Service Order two cross-swords, 41mm long, between the arms of the cross.
MILITARY MEDALS IN WARTIME
The military shall wear the decorations in accordance with the specific regulation.
Faithful Service Cross, Class I, militaries, war (1878/2019) by Presidential Administration of Romania / Chancery of OrdersCotroceni National Museum
The Faithful Service Cross war sign has two cross-swords, 43 mm long, between the arms of the cross and a the ribbon has a 2 mm wide strip of gilt yarn.
The Revolution in December, 1989, started by the people’s uprising in Timisoara and continued in Bucharest and other important cities of the country (with thousands of dead, injured and arrested persons) was a crucial moment in Romanian history, gaining the freedom from the communist regime and leading to the establishment of the much-desired democracy. After 1990, the first decorations were established, to honour the memory of those who sacrificed their lives and to reward those who fought and ensured the Revolution's victory. Subsequently, the entire National Decoration System was renewed, fixing somewhat of the past communist mistakes.
PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION
The General Secretariat
Presidential Adviser - George Vladimir Duhan
Chancery of Orders
State Adviser - Gheorghe Angelescu
COTROCENI NATIONAL MUSEUM
Liviu Sebastian Jicman - General Director
dr. Ștefania Dinu - Deputy General Director
dr. Ioana Drăgulin, author of the text
Dan Țălnaru, project coordinator
dr. Mariana Lazăr. historian
