Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana

Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana
The Collar of the Cross of Terra Mariana
Awarded by President of Estonia
Country	Estonia
Type	six class order
Awarded for	To honour the independence of the Estonian state. The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana is bestowed by the President of the Republic on foreigners who have rendered special services to the Republic of Estonia.
Statistics
Established	1995
Precedence
Next (higher)	Order of the National Coat of Arms
Next (lower)	The Order of the White Star
5th Class of the Order

The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (Estonian: Maarjamaa Risti teenetemärk) was instituted in 1995 to honour the independence of the Estonian state.^[1] The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana is bestowed upon the President of the Republic. Presidents of the Republic who have ceased to hold office shall keep the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana. The Collar of the Order was used de facto as the badge of office of the President of the Republic, since the original Presidential collar, that of the Order of the National Coat of Arms was taken from Estonia to the Kremlin after the Soviet occupation of the country in 1940, where it remains to this day. However a new collar of that order was made in 2008.^[2] The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana is also given as a decoration of the highest class on foreigners who have rendered special services to the Republic of Estonia. As such it is the highest and most distinguished order granted to non-Estonian citizens.

Classes

The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana comprises six classes:

• One special class – The Collar of the Cross of Terra Mariana;
• Five basic classes – 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th class.

The crosses and shields of all the classes of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana have the same design and are of the same size.

The blue colour tone of the moiré ribands belonging to the decorations of all the classes of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana is determined according to the international PANTONE colour-table as 300 C.

Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana ribbon bars
1st Class	2nd Class	3rd Class	4th Class	5th Class

Recipients of the Collar

• Nursultan Nazarbayev, 2011
• Traian Băsescu, 2011
• Valdis Zatlers, 2009
• Albert II of Belgium, 2008
• Beatrix of the Netherlands, 2008
• Aníbal Cavaco Silva, 2008
• Juan Carlos I, 2007
• Akihito, 2007
• Mikheil Saakashvili, 2007
• Elizabeth II, 2006
• Toomas Hendrik Ilves, 2006
• László Sólyom, 2006
• Ivan Gašparovič, 2005
• Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, 2004
• Tassos Papadopoulos, 2004
• Ion Iliescu, 2003
• Georgi Parvanov, 2003
• Jorge Sampaio, 2003
• Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, 2003
• Ahmet Necdet Sezer, 2002
• Arnold Rüütel, 2001
• Jacques Chirac, 2001
• Mary McAleese, 2001
• Guido de Marco, 2001
• Ferenc Mádl, 2000
• Johannes Rau, 2000
• Tarja Halonen, 2000
• Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, 2000
• Valdas Adamkus, 1999
• Konstantinos Stephanopoulos, 1999
• Harald V, 1998
• Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, 1998
• Aleksander Kwaśniewski, 1998
• Algirdas Brazauskas, 1997
• Süleyman Demirel, 1997
• Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, 1997
• Árpád Göncz, 1997
• Milan Kučan, 1997
• Guntis Ulmanis, 1996
• Václav Havel, 1996
• Margrethe II, 1995
• Carl XVI Gustaf, 1995
• Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León, 1995
• Martti Ahtisaari, 1995

^[3]

See also

• Category:Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana

References

1. ^ The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana. President of the Republic of Estonia, Estonian State Decorations. Retrieved 2011-01-22
2. ^ http://www.president.ee/et/ametitegevus/ametlikud_teated.php?gid=109326
3. ^ "Bearers of decorations: Maarjamaa Risti ketiklassi teenetemärk". president.ee. http://www.president.ee/en/estonia/decorations/bearers.php?o=d&c=3&tm=Maarjamaa%20Risti%20ketiklassi%20teenetem%C3%A4rk. Retrieved 18 January 2011. 

External links

• The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, president.ee
• List of recipients