The Russian Federation system of orders and medals was already quite mature by the turn of the century, however some felt that further changes had to be made in order to distance themselves from their Soviet past.  The most sweeping of these changes took place in 2010 (further amended in 2011).  In addition to state awards, the various ministries of the Russian Federation were also authorized to issue awards.  One of the most prolific departments has been the Ministry of Defense, which has been responsible for issuing campaign medals and other awards of special distinction.

Another major change during this period affected how the medals and orders were produced.  During the Soviet era the medals were produced by the government.  This meant a small supply of medals, and those that were seen publically generally had been issued to a specific individual.  By the early twenty first century the Russian government changed this to a contract production system in a manner similar to Western countries.  The medals were made by private companies to fulfill specific government contract requirements.  These companies often sell equally authentic medals on the open market, making them more common and severely limiting their collectability.

Here we will discuss the orders and medals of the Russian Federation during the 21st century.  Documentation, when available, will be pictured along with the medals themselves.  The list below is not complete and omits many orders and medals at the present time.