Order of the Yugoslav Star (Croatian: Orden jugoslavenske zvijezde; Serbian: Orden jugoslovenske zvezde; Slovene: Red jugoslovanske zvezde; Macedonian: Орден југословенска ѕвезда) was the highest National order of merit awarded in Yugoslavia. It was divided into four classes. The highest class, the Yugoslav Great Star was the highest state decoration awarded in Yugoslavia. The order was mostly awarded to foreign heads of state for the development and strengthening of peace and cooperation between nations.
The Order of the Yugoslav Star was also the second highest order of merit in Serbia and Montenegro.
Order of the Yugoslav Star was founded by the President of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito on 1 February 1954 and had three Classes. Law on Decorations was amended on 1 March 1961, so from then on, the Order had four Classes:
Yugoslav Great Star — highest decoration in SFR YugoslaviaYugoslav Star with Sash (before 1961 Order of the Yugoslav Star, I Class) — 6th highest decoration in SFR YugoslaviaYugoslav Star with Golden Wreath (before 1961 Order of the Yugoslav Star, II Class) — 14th highest decoration in SFR YugoslaviaYugoslav Star on Cravat (before 1961 Order of the Yugoslav Star, III Class) — 24th highest decoration in SFR YugoslaviaAfter the dissolution of SFR Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (and later Serbia and Montenegro) continued to use some of the decorations of former Yugoslavia, among them Order of the Yugoslav Star. In the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Order of the Yugoslav Star was the second highest order after the Order of Yugoslavia. During this time the four Classes of the order were named:
Yugoslav Great Star — 2nd highest decoration in FR Yugoslavia (after the Order of Yugoslavia)Yugoslav Star, I Class — 7th highest decoration in FR YugoslaviaYugoslav Star, II Class — 20th highest decoration in FR YugoslaviaYugoslav Star, III Class — 31st highest decoration in FR YugoslaviaThe Order was usually awarded to foreign heads of state and other distinguished foreigners who visited Yugoslavia. Up to 1985, the Yugoslav Great Star was awarded 127 times of which 115 to foreigners and 12 to Yugoslav citizens. Some of the notable recipients of the Yugoslav Great Star (or Yugoslav Star, I Class before 1961) are:
Josip Broz Tito, President of Yugoslavia - awarded on 1 February 1954 Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia - awarded on 21 July 1954 Mohammed Zahir Shah, King of Afghanistan - awarded on 1 November 1960 Hassan II, King of Morocco - awarded on 1 April 1961 Leonid Brezhnev, Soviet leader - awarded in 1962 Sukarno, president of Indonesia - awarded in on 16 October 1963 Elena Ceaușescu, wife of President of Romania and Deputy Prime Minister of Romania - awarded 1964 Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran - awarded in on 3 June 1966 Nicolae Ceaușescu, President of Romania awarded 1966 Norodom Sihanouk, King of Cambodia - awarded on 17 January 1968 Jacques Chaban-Delmas, Prime Minister of France Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom - awarded on 19 October 1972 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh - awarded on 19 October 1972 Ziaur Rahman, President of Bangladesh Olav V, King of Norway Harald V, King of Norway Margrethe II, Queen of Denmark Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden Urho Kekkonen, President of Finland Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal, Prime Minister of Mongolia Kurt Waldheim, Secretary-General of the United Nations Todor Zhivkov, President of Bulgaria Jean-Bédel Bokassa, Emperor of Central Africa Gaafar Nimeiry, President of the Sudan Edward Gierek, First Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party Birendra, King of Nepal - awarded on 2 February 1974 Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait - awarded on 3 February 1979 Juliana, Queen of the Netherlands Bernhard, Prince consort of the Netherlands Beatrix, Queen of the Netherlands Hussein I, King of Jordan - awarded on 11 February 1979Recipients of FRY / Serbia and Montenegro
Muammar al-Gaddafi, leader of Libya - awarded on 26 October 1999 Igor Sergeyev, Marshal of the Russian Federation, Defence Minister - awarded on 23 December 1999 Li Peng, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress - awarded on 12 June 2000 Akihito, Emperor of Japan Ion Iliescu, President of Romania - awarded on 8 September 2004