Russia confers highest award on PM Modi, he dedicates it to nation

In a special ceremony in St. Andrew Hall in the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin conferred Russia's highest national award - Order of St. Andrew the Apostle - on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his contribution to fostering India-Russia ties. The award was announced by the Russian govt in 2019. This was Modi's first visit to Russia since 2019.
"Honoured to receive the The Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle.I thank Russian govt for conferring the award. This award is dedicated to my fellow 140 crore Indians," PM Modi wrote in a post on X.
Home minister Amit Shah said this was a glorious honour to the nation, which stands as a testament to the formidable stature attained by Bharat in the global arena under the leadership of PM Modi. "The new award in the list of global accolades garnered by Modi-ji over the last 10 years not only boosts every Indian's pride but also immortalises the India-Russia friendship," Shah said.
Govt, in a statement, said that while accepting the award, the PM dedicated it to the people of India and to traditional bonds of friendship between India & Russia. "He further stated the recognition illuminates the special and privileged strategic partnership between the two countries," govt said.
The Order was instituted in 1698 by Tsar Peter the Great, in honour of Saint Andrew, the first apostle of Jesus and patron saint of Russia. It was bestowed in a single class and was only awarded for most outstanding civilian or military merit.
The ceremony took place in the grand hall of the Order of Saint Andrew. During the Tsarist era, it housed the throne of the incumbent monarch. Recently, it has been used to hold inaugurations of Russian President. "Awarding the leader of another country within these historic walls is a great honour," a govt functionary said.