In his decree, the president said he was establishing the title Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation “with the goals of raising the social significance and prestige of selfless and honest labor.”
The award should be given to Russian citizens who “make a significant contribution to the social and economic development of the country, including development of industrial and agricultural production, transport, construction, science, culture, education and health care, and also other spheres of activity,” the decree states.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev says that candidates to receive the award can be suggested by the United Russia party. “I believe the party is fully capable of deciding who are worthy state awards and merits”, he said according to Interfax.
This is not the first time Putin has turned to Soviet practices to address the problems of Russia today. Earlier this month, he called for the revival of a Soviet-era physical evaluation program that required all schoolchildren to pass fitness tests called GTO, the Russian acronym for Ready for Labor and Defence, AP reported. He has also called for children once again to wear uniforms to school as they did in Soviet times.
The new Hero of Labor medal is now Russia’s highest state award and as such is to be worn on the left side of the chest and above all other Russian and Soviet awards. The medal is to be made from gold with a weight of 15.25 grams.
