People's Artist of Russia

People's Artist of the Russian Federation (Народный артист Российской Федерации Narodny artist Rossiiskoi Federatii), also sometimes translated as National Artist of the Russian Federation, is an honorary and the highest title awarded to citizens of the Russian Federation, all outstanding in the performing artists, whose merits are exceptional in the sphere of the development of the performing arts (theatre, music, dance, circus, cinema, etc.).

It succeeded both the all-Soviet Union "People's Artist of the USSR" award (Народный артист СССР), and more directly the local republic's "People's Artist of the RSFSR" award (Народный артист РСФСР), after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Now, the status of the People's Artist of the Russian Federation has risen above that of the earlier RSFSR award.

There are presently two levels to this award:

Receiving the lower Honored... (Заслуженный, Zasluzhenniy artist) award makes the recipient eligible to receive the higher People's... (Народный, Narodny) award at a later time. For example, the light entertainment singer Sergei Georgievich Zakharov was awarded Honored Artist of the RSFSR (Заслуженный артист РСФСР) in 1988, then People's Artist of Russia (Народный артист России) in 1996.