The medal is awarded for significant contribution to the study of the Russian language, the preservation of cultural heritage and the bringing together and mutual enrichment of different peoples’ and nations’ cultures.
The award’s recipients include Czech President Vaclav Klaus, President of Guyana Bharrat Jagdeo, President of Mongolia Nambaryn Enkhbayar, President of Croatia Stjepan Mesic, former President of China Jiang Zemin, former Chinese Premier Li Peng, first Deputy Foreign Minister of China Dai Bingguo, Chinese Defence Minister Cao Gangchuan, President of the Romanian Academy of Sciences Ionel Haiduc, Director of the Crimean Republic A.S. Pushkin Museum in Gurzuf Natalia Bogdanova, Director of the A. Humboldt Association’s Guatemalan Cultural Institute Irina Darlei, Director of the A.S. Pushkin Literary Memorial Museum in Odessa Alla Nirsha, Chief Editor of Chilean magazine Rosinante Jose Miguel Varas Morel, Cuban writer Julio Antonio Travieso Serrano, Deputy Director of the Tokyo Russian Language Institute Yoshihiko Mori, and Thomas Graham, a staff member of U.S. company Kissinger McLarty Associates.
The medal was awarded to 40 people in all.