December 23, 2008. From left: President Dmitry Medvedev, Nikolai Petrov, pianist with the Moscow State Philharmonic Hall, and actor Vladimir Etush after a ceremony of presenting state awards in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365758
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, center, after presenting state awards in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365757
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, center, after presenting state awards in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365756
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, left, presenting the Order for Service to the Fatherland, Second Class, to poet Andrei Voznesensky in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365752
Poet Andrei Voznesensky was presented Order for Service to the Fatherland, Second Class, by the President Dmitry Medvedev in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365751
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, left, presenting the Order of Merit to fashion designer Valentin Yudashkin in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365750
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, left, presenting the Order of Merit to film director Karen Shakhnazarov, director general of the Mosfilm studio, in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365749
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev awarded title of Merited Teacher of Russia to Lyubov Polishchuk, teacher at the Tobolsk Litsman School, at a ceremony in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365748
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, left, presenting the Order of Merit to Nikolai Petrov, a pianist with the Moscow State Academic Philharmonic Hall, in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365747
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, left, awarding the title of People's Artist of Russia to film director Pavel Lungin in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365746
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, left, presenting the Order for Service to the Fatherland, Second Class, to poet Andrei Voznesensky in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365745
Poet Andrei Voznesensky was awarded the Order for Service to the Fatherland, Second Class, by President Dmitry Medvedev in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365739
Poet Andrei Voznesensky was awarded the Order for Service to the Fatherland, Second Class, by President Dmitry Medvedev in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365738
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev awarded title of Merited Teacher of Russia to Lyubov Polishchuk, teacher at the Tobolsk Litsman School, in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365737
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev presenting state awards in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365736
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, left, presenting the Order for Service to the Fatherland, Fourth Class, to conductor Valery Gergiyev, artistic director of the Mariinsky Theater, in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365735
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, left, presenting the Order for Service to the Fatherland, Second Class, to actor Vladimir Etush in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365734
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, left, presenting the Gold Star of the Hero of Russia to Air Force Capt. Nikolai Shpitonkov for his outstanding courage and bravery in the line of duty during the war in South Ossetia, in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365733
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, right, and actor Vladimir Etush, who was awarded the Order for Service to the Fatherland, Second Class, in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365732
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, left, presenting the Order for Service to the Fatherland, Fourth Class, to artist Boris Messerer in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365731
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, left, presenting the Order of Merit to singer Alexander Malinin in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365730
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev presenting the Order for Services to the Fatherland, Fourth Class, to actor Olga Ostroumova in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365729
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, left, presenting the Order for Services to the Fatherland, Second Class, to actor Vladimir Etush in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365699
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, left, presenting the Order for Services to the Fatherland, Second Class, to actor Leonid Bronevoi in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365698
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, left, presenting the Order for Services to the Fatherland, Second Class, to actor Alexei Batalov, in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365697
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev presenting the Order for Services to the Fatherland, First Class, to theater director Galina Volchek, artistic director of the Moscow Sovremennik Theater, in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365696
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, left, presenting the Order for Services to the Fatherland, Third Class, to Vladimir Matorin, singer with the Bolshoi Theater opera, in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365695
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, left, presenting the Order for Services to the Fatherland, Third Class, to poet Andrei Dementyev, in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365694
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev presenting the Order for Services to the Fatherland, Third Class, to Lyudmila Shvetsova, first deputy Moscow mayor and head of the city's social services complex, in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365693
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, left, presenting the Gold Star of the Hero of Russia to Air Force Capt. Nikolai Shpitonkov for his outstanding courage and bravery in the line of duty during the war in South Ossetia, in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365678
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, left, presenting the Gold Star of the Hero of Russia to Air Force Maj. Vladimir Sergeev for his outstanding courage and bravery in the line of duty during the war in South Ossetia, in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365677
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, left, presenting the Gold Star of the Hero of Russia to Air Force Col. Sergei Kobylash for his outstanding courage and bravery in the line of duty during the war in South Ossetia, in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365676
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, left, presenting the Gold Star of the Hero of Russia to cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, commander of the International Space Station crew, in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365675
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, left, presenting the Gold Star of the Hero of Russia to Air Force Lieut. Col. Vladimir Bogodukhov for his outstanding courage and bravery in the line of duty during the war in South Ossetia, in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365674
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev, left, presenting the Gold Star of the Hero of Russia to Air Force Col. Oleg Storozhuk for his outstanding courage and bravery in the line of duty during the war in South Ossetia, in the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365673
December 23, 2008. President Dmitry Medvedev presenting state awards at the Kremlin's Catherine Hall.23.12.2008#365661
