The distinction is given to cities of foreign states whose residents provided substantial humanitarian protection and other kinds of assistance to citizens of Ukraineforced to leave the nation during the invasion, as well as for those who gave significant support to the nation of Ukraine in its defense of its national identity, culture, and self-determination.[1]
History
The "Rescuer City" honorary distinction was established on 22 May 2022 by the decree of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Polish city of Rzeszów was the first to be honored with the distinction on 22 May 2022.
On 4 April 2023, a decree by Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved of specific regulations towards how cities are selected and how the honorary distinction is granted, as well as regulations for the design of the award including drawings and the basic model of the award's commemorative plaque.[2]
The medal is made of copper alloys. The image of the cartouche and the crown are covered with galvanic plated gold, while the acanthus leaves are covered with nickel.
On the reverse side of the medal, the cartouche bears the inscription "<city name> МІСТО-РЯТІВНИ". (English: "<city name> RESCUER CITY")
Images of the cartouche, crown and acanthus leaves are carved in relief.
The size of the medal is: height — 50 mm, width — 47.5 mm.
The medal of honor is connected to a block made of copper alloys with a coating of galvanic plated gold. The upper and lower parts of the block have slots through which the surface of the block is covered with tape. The block's size is: height — 23 mm, width — 32 mm. On the reverse side of the block, there is a fastener for attaching the city flag to the medal.
The ribbon of the medal is silk moiré, with longitudinal stripes of blue and yellow colors. The width of the tape is 28 mm, while the width of each strip is 14 mm.
The commemorative plaque for the honor has the shape of a horizontal rectangle. The base of the plaque is made of laminatedcomposite material, on which a rectangular plate of white metal is placed.
The right half of the plate depicts an unfolded scroll with the text of the Decree of the President of Ukraine on the awarding of the honorary designation.
In the left half of the plate, an honorary designation without a block is depicted, below it is an inscription in two lines in blue letters: "<city name> МІСТО-РЯТІВНИ". (English: "<city name> RESCUER CITY").
On the edge of the plate, there is an ornament shaped like golden laurel leaves.
The size of the commemorative plaque is 220×300 mm.
^ a bDecree of the President of Ukraine from 22 травня 2022 year № 355/2022 «Про встановлення почесної відзнаки «Місто-рятівник» (in Ukrainian)
^Decree of the President of Ukraine from 4 квітня 2023 year № 195/2023 «Питання почесної відзнаки «Місто-рятівник»» (in Ukrainian)
^Decree of the President of Ukraine from 11 липня 2022 year № 484/2022 «Про присвоєння почесної відзнаки «Місто-рятівник» місту Перемишль (Республіка Польща)» (in Ukrainian)
^Decree of the President of Ukraine from 28 жовтня 2022 year № 742/2022 «Про присвоєння почесної відзнаки «Місто-рятівник» місту Прага (Чеська Республіка)» (in Ukrainian)
^Decree of the President of Ukraine from 24 січня 2023 year № 30/2023 «Про присвоєння почесної відзнаки «Місто-рятівник» місту Вільнюс (Литовська Республіка)» (in Ukrainian)
^Decree of the President of Ukraine from 3 квітня 2023 year № 193/2023 «Про присвоєння почесної відзнаки «Місто-рятівник» містам Люблін і Хелм (Республіка Польща)» (in Ukrainian)
^Decree of the President of Ukraine from 18 квітня 2023 year № 232/2023 «Про присвоєння почесної відзнаки «Місто-рятівник» місту Париж (Французька Республіка)» (in Ukrainian)
