Order of the Three Stars is order awarded for merits in service for Latvia

Latvia

Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...

. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of founding of Latvia. Its motto is "Per aspera ad astra

Per Aspera Ad Astra

Per aspera ad astra is a Latin phrase meaning "through hardships to the stars" and is the motto of many organizations. It may also refer to:* Per Aspera Ad Astra , a 1981 Soviet science fiction film...

". The Order has five ranks and three grades of medals of honour.

The ranks

• Commander Grand Cross with Chain (1st class with Chain) see below
• Commander Grand Cross (1st class)
• Grand Officer (2nd class)
• Commander (3rd class)
• Officer (4th class)
• Knight (5th class)

The cross

The cross of the order is white enamel cross within gilded edges. In the center of the front side of the cross there is blue enamel medallion with three golden five-point stars on it. The reverse side has gilded medallion with inscriptions "Per aspera ad astra" and "Latvijas Republika — 1918.g.18. novembris" (Republic of Latvia - 18 November 1918). The order has five classes:

The Stars

The Stars are first and second rate orders. The first rate order and the second rate order, (the great star and the small star, respectively) have similar design and differ only in size. The stars are in shape of five point star made of silver with blue enamel medallion with three golden five-point stars in its center. On its edge there is inscription "Par Tēviju" (For Fatherland).

Chain of the Order

Chain of the Order is awarded to Commander of the Grand Cross in exceptional cases. It has ten gilded links with alternately chiseled images of three stars, fire-cross

Swastika

The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...

, lion and griffin.

Medal of honour

Medal of honour is a round medal on front of which the cross of the order is depicted. The reverse side has inscription "Par Tēviju" with flaming heart below the inscription. It has wreath of oak leaves on its edge. The medal of honour has three grades - gold, silver and bronze.