Mesic presented the decoration at a ceremony in Moscow, where on Monday he will attend an event marking the 60th anniversary of victory over fascism with some 50 other world leaders.
Tereshkova was also decorated for the contribution she gave as head of the Russian Centre for International Scientific and Cultural Cooperation to the establishment of the first Russian-Croatian Friendship Society in Moscow and the establishment of cooperation with the Croatian-Russian Friendship Society in Zagreb in the 1990s, immediately after Croatia gained independence and international recognition.
President Mesic thanked Tereshkova for her contribution to the development of Russian-Croatian relations and friendship, inviting her to visit Croatia.
Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova was the first woman to see the Earth from space. She was launched into space from the Baikonur cosmodrome on June 16, 1963 in the spaceship Vostok 6, which circled the Earth 49 times with an average 88.3 minutes for each orbit.
Tereshkova was 26 of age at the time and this was her only space travel.
After her return, she became something of an ambassador for her country and received a UN Gold Peace Medal for her merits.
Russian President Vladimir Putin decorated her with the highest state award for her pioneer flight to space 40 years ago.