| Order of the Lion of Finland Suomen Leijonan ritarikunta |
|
|---|---|
Commander Grand Cross breast star of the order |
|
| Awarded by the President of Finland | |
| Country | Finland |
| Type | Order |
| Eligibility | Civilians and military personnel |
| Awarded for | Civil and military merit |
| Statistics | |
| Established | September 11, 1942 |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Order of the White Rose of Finland |
| Next (lower) | Cross of Merit for Finnish Physical Education and Sports |
Commander's Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland |
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There are three official orders in Finland: the Order of the Cross of Liberty, the Order of the White Rose of Finland and the Order of the Lion of Finland (Finnish: Suomen Leijonan ritarikunta; Swedish: Finlands Lejons orden). The President of Finland is the Grand Master of all three orders. The orders are administered by boards consisting of a chancellor, a vice-chancellor and at least four members. The orders of the White Rose of Finland and the Lion of Finland have a joint board.
The Order of the Lion of Finland was founded on September 11, 1942. It was introduced in an effort to preserve the prestige of the Order of the White Rose of Finland, which could have been diminished if granted too frequently, and to facilitate the awarding of honours for various types of merit. The Lion of Finland is awarded for civilian and military merit. The ribbon for all classes of insignia is dark red.
The President of Finland wears the Star of the Order of the Lion of Finland.
The classes of the Order of the Lion of Finland are: