On 9 December 2007, on St. George's Day, in the St. George (Grand Throne) Hall of the Winter Palace a ceremony was held by the President of the Russian Federation granting letters of merit.

For an important contribution in providing a unified state policy in the sphere of heraldry the following people were awarded: the Chairman of the Heraldic Council attached to the Office of the President of the Russian Federation G.V. Vilinbakhov, Deputy Chariman of the Heraldic Council A.G. Tsvetkov, Secretary of the Heraldic Council G.V. Kalashnikov, Council members A.B. Derevenshchikov, S.V.Dumin, P.K. Kornakov, O.G. Kupnetsov, M.U. Medvedev, S.V. Mironenko, I.V. Sakharov, N.A. Soboleva, L.N. Tokar, E.I. Ukhnalev and L.E. Shepelev.

In 2007 the Heraldic Service of the Russian Federation celebrated its 15th birthday. The conference Heraldry in Contemporary Space was dedicated to this event in February this year, held in the State Hermitage Museum. The main themes were the questions of priority in the role of heraldry in a contemporary state and society, its functions and the peculiarities of its development in today's world, and also problems of heraldic terminology, the development and function of the language describing heraldry.

The awards ceremony on 9 December traditionally features a concert by the Admiralty Orchestra of the Leningrad Naval Base conducted by honoured Russian Artist, Captain Alexei Karabanov.

In the evening at the Hermitage Theatre the opening of the eight international festival of Admiralty Music was held. The Admiralty Orchestra performed a musical programme The Music of the Heart dedicated to the 85th anniversary of Vartan Barsgyan (1922-1980), a bright and original composer and military conductor, who ran the orchestra from 1960 until 1976. The works of V.M. Barsgyan even now are part of the golden treasury of the Admiralty Orchestra.

At the ceremony in the St George (Large Throne) Hall

At the distribution of certificates ceremony in the St George (Large Throne) Hall

Members of the ceremony

At the opening of the Eight International Festival of Admiralty Music