Three Russian cosmonauts awarded Belgian Order

MOSCOW, April 6 (Itar-Tass) - Belgium's Crown Prince Philippe, the
Duke of Brabant, presented theOrder of the Crown (Ordre de la Couronne),
Commander Class, to Russian cosmonauts Sergei Zaletin, Roman Romanenko,
and Gennady Padalka at a reception at the Embassy of Belgium on Tuesday.
The three cosmonauts, together with Belgian astronaut Franc De Winne,
had flown a six-month space mission aboard the International Space Station
in 2009.
The Order of the Crown was instituted by King Leopold II in 1887. The
Order was awarded for distinguished artistic, literary or scientific
achievements or for commercial or industrial services to the kingdom
subjects in the Belgian Congo. In 1908, the Order was granted the status
of a state award. The presentation of the Ortder to foreigner nationals
began in the 20th century. In particular, during the Second World War, the
Order was bestowed upon allies who participated in the liberation of the
country from the invaders.
The Order of the Crown is made from gold-edged whie enamel. The
reverse side bears a representation of Leopold II. A maroon ribbon is
appplied to the Order. All the five classes have a similar design and
differ only in size.