The French National Order of Merit has been awarded to Konstantin Belik, chairman of a district court in Primorye Territory in the Russian Far East, who did not think twice before saving a two-year-old French girl, the press service of Primorye Territory's court department reported.
Established by President Charles de Gaulle on December 3, 1963 and known as France's fourth most significant order, the National Order of Merit was handed to Belik by Frederic Mondoloni, chargé d'affaires of the French Embassy in Russia.
The incident took place in 2009, when Belik and his family were on tour in France. While walking the streets of Paris, he suddenly heard someone crying for help.
Shortly afterwards, he saw a small girl desperately clinging to the window-ledge of the sixth floor of an apartment building. When she finally slipped off, Belik swiftly rushed in to catch her in his arms.
