Ордена России - страница 4

His transformations entailed changes in the Russian decoration system, too, originating new national orders. 1698 saw the institution of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, which at that time was Russia's highest award, and General-Admiral and Field Marshal F. A. Golovin was the first to receive officially the Order No. 1 on March 10, 1699.

Initially, it was intended to award maximum 24 persons, but already in Peter the Great's reign the Order was awarded to 38 heroes and subsequently the number of those decorated became unlimited. The Tsar himself, holding the rank of a bombardier-captain, won the Order only in 1703 for capturing two Swedish warships in the mouth of the Neva River becoming the seventh order-bearer. The first-class Order with the motto "For Faith and Devotion " consisted of an oblique gold cross, a blue ribbon, a star and a gold chain. The cross was worn at the waist on a broad ribbon over the right shoulder and on festive occasions-on the chest round the neck on a chain decorated with multi-coloured enamel. The chain had an alternating links of three kinds-double-headed eagles, ornamented frames with Peter the Great's monogram and St. Andrew crosses. The Order's insignias bestowed with diamond decorations signified the Order's highest class.

Members of the tsar's family, heads of foreign states, high officials, generals and diplomats were among the first to receive the first Russian order. Starting with 1797, those awarded with the Order of St Andrew the First-Called at the same time became the bearers of the minor orders of St. Alexander Nevsky and of St. Anne first class. In the 19th century added to them were the Order of the White Eagle and the Order of St. Stanislaus. Early in the 18th century gold decoration insignias-crowned miniature of Peter the Great's portraits decorated with enamel and diamonds were introduced alongside with the medals and the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. Attaching paramount importance to this award, Peter the Great himself awarded these panagias to his closest associates and generals who had distinguished themselves on battlefields.

The Russian women's Order of St. Catherine with the motto "For Love and the Motherland" was instituted in 1714. Wife of Peter the Great was the first to receive the Order on a festive occasion of her name-day and until 1726 was the only woman to bear this decoration. In later years the Order was awarded to court ladies for charity work.

The appearance of the third Russian order was also linked with the name of Peter the Great. He decided to institute a military award in memory of Prince Alexander Nevsky famous for his victories over the Swedes. However, officially the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky was instituted on May 21, 1725 directly after the death of Peter the Great. Catherine I instituted the Order, the motto of which was "For Feats and the Motherland", as a reward for military feats and civil service to the Homeland. The Order's insignias, adorned with diamonds, signified its highest class. The bearer of this Order with diamonds was the famous ataman of the Cossack Don Army M. I. F4atov, who had been awarded the same order but without diamond decorations for the 1806-1807 campaign.

However, the idea about the award presented for combat feats persisted and 45 years later Catherine II decreed the statute of the highest military order of the Russian Empire. The Order of St. George was instituted on November 26, 1769 in St. Petersburg. During a festive ceremony Catherine If awarded herself wizh the first class of this order, the most honoured in pre-Revolutionary Russia. The four-class Order of St. George with the motto "For Service and Courage" was intended exceptionally for decorating officers in wartime for valour and courage displayed in battle. The Order was named in honour of St. George the

Victor, who from time immemorial was looked up to as the protector of Russian troops. In early Rus the picture of St. George on horseback with a spear was attached to the helmets, shields, banners and seals. The Order included a gold cross covered with white enamel with a picture of St. George in the centre, a gold star bearing the Order's motto and a black and orange ribbon. The statute forbode to decorate the insignias with precious stones. The Order was awarded starting with the fourth class upwards. Over the 150 years from the day of its, institution and until 1917 only 25 people were awarded with the Order of St. George first class. Heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812 Generals M. I. Kutuzov and Barclay de Tolly and somewhat later general Field Marshals I. F. Paskevich and I. I. Dibich were awarded Orders of all the four classes. Instituted in 1807 was a combat award for soldiers and non-commissioned officers-a sign of favour of the Military Order-a silver cross with the picture of St. George.