Winners get the award for an outstanding contribution to the matter of strengthening Russian statehood, unity and accord among Slavic peoples, the alliance of the states that are friendly towards Russia and a revival of spirituality.
The Awards Ceremony takes place every year on December 13, on the Day of Apostle Andrew the First-Called and is held at the State Kremlin Palace. The International Award is granted by Vladimir Yakunin, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Center of National Glory and the Foundation of Saint Andrew the First-Called, Metropolitan of Omsk and Tara Vladimir, and Oleg Atkov, Chairman of the Awards Committee for the International Award of Saint Andrew the First-Called.
During the awards ceremony, the winners are given a winner’s diploma, decorations of “All-Praised Apostle Andrew the First-Called Award” and “Star Medal”, a winner’s moire ribbon and a hand-painted icon depicting Apostle Andrew the First-Called.
Winners of the Award include Russian political figures such as Vladimir Putin, Victor Zubkov and Sergey Shoigu, Honored Artists such as Vladimir Zeldin, Alisa Freindlich, Alexey Batalov and Lyudmila Zykina, academicians Mikhail Perelman and Yury Gulyajev, film directors Stanislav Govorukhin and Sergey Bondarchuk, Patriarch Alexis II and Patriarch Kirill, historian Lev Gumilyov and many others.
The winners from other countries include His Eminence Amfilohije Archbishop of Cetinje, Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral, bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church; Ivana Žigon, the leading actress at the National Theatre of Belgrade, Chairperson of the Russian-Serbian Friendship Association (The Republic of Serbia and Montenegro); Hélène Carrère d’Encausse, Permanent Secretary at the Academy of France, Doctor of Philology, professor; Metropolitan Chrysostom of Patras; Adamkus Valdas, President of the Republic of Lithuania.