The introduction of the Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was envisioned by Emperor Peter I of Russia (r. 1682–1721) for rewarding military bravery in battle. However, he died before he could create the order. It was established by Empress Catherine I of Russia, in memory of the deeds of Saint Alexander Nevsky, patron Saint of the Russian capital of Saint Petersburg, for defending Russia against foreign invaders. The order was originally awarded to distinguished Russian citizens who had served their country with honor, mostly through political or military service.[2]
The Empress Catherine complained about the situation and by September 1725, she took it upon herself to determine who would receive the award. The Order of Saint Alexander was granted the highest esteem and was not usually bestowed upon people below the rank of Lieutenant-General or an equal political status. It also granted hereditary nobility. Additionally it was, including Polish King Augustus II the Strong and King Frederick IV of Denmark–Norway[1]
Legacy
The Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was abolished after the 1917 Russian Revolution, along with all other orders and titles of the Russian Empire.
The heads of the Russian Imperial House in exile have continued to award the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, a pretender to the Russian throne and to the headship of the Russian Imperial House, continues to award a Russian Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky as a dynastic order of knighthood.[3] These actions are disputed by some members of the Romanov family.[4]
In 2010, researchers in Saint Petersburg and Moscow published a book of all the names of the recipients of the original order. The combined number of honorees spanning the years 1725 to 1917 totaled 3,674.[5]
Insignia Order St Alexander Nevsky
Cross version, edition 1820–1830 (front)
version issued in 1865 in gold on black enamel
Staer version from silver-thread embroidery on white leather, edition ca 1840
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Order of St. Alexander Nevsky.
^ a b cОрден Святого Александра [Order of Saint Alexander] (in Russian). Retrieved 5 February 2015.
^ a b"Order of St. Alexander Nevsky". Kaiserzeit. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
^"Официальный сайт Российского Императорского Дома". Archived from the original on 2009-05-19. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
^"The Romanov Fund for Russia".
^Полный список кавалеров ордена святого Александра Невского издан в виде словаря [The Complete List of Recipients of the Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky Compiled in a Dictionary] (in Russian). Retrieved 5 February 2015.