Order of St. Andrew

Order of St. Andrew
The Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called is the highest order conferred by both the Russian Imperial Family (as an Order of Knighthood) and by the Russian Federation (as a state order).
Established as the first and highest order of chivalry of the Russian Tsardom and the Russian Empire in 1698, it was removed from the honours system under the USSR before being re-established as the top Russian civil and military order in 1998.
Russian Empire
Origins
The Order was established in 1698 by Tsar Peter the Great, in honour of Saint Andrew, the first apostle of Jesus and patron saint of Russia. It was bestowed in a single class and was only awarded for the most outstanding civilian or military merit.
Peter learned of the practice of bestowing awards from his travels in the West during the Great Embassy. In the past, service to the Russian state was rewarded with money or large estates. He witnessed first hand the awards ceremonies for England's Order of the Garter and Austria's Order of the Golden Fleece and noticed the loyalty and pride of the awardees. It also saved the state land and money.
Count Fyodor Golovin was the first Knight of the order. Until the Russian Revolution of 1917, just over one thousand awards had been made. During the monarchy, Knights of the Order of St. Andrew also automatically were granted hereditary nobility and received the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, the Order of the White Eagle, the Order of Saint Anna and the Order St. Stanislaus Knight Grand Cross. Moreover, recipients of lower ranks were automatically promoted to the rank of lieutenant general or vice admiral. The Order of Saint Andrew continues to be awarded by the Russian Imperial House in exile, with most recent investitures having been conferred in 2021. The first post-revolutionary presentation was to Prince Georgy Konstantinovich of Russia on attaining his dynastic majority in April 1923.
Due to a of the order, the French phrase Cordon Bleu, initially associated with Order of the Holy Spirit, also referred to knights St Andrew's order.
Insignia
The insignia of the order consisted of:
Badge: an enameled crowned black double-headed eagle bearing a blue St. Andrew's Cross (saltire) with St. Andrew crucified upon it; on the arms of the saltire were the Latin letters 'SAPR' ('St. Andrew, Patron of Russia'). It was worn on a pale blue sash over the right shoulder, or on special occasions on an elaborate 'collar' (chain).
Star: eight-pointed silver star bearing a miniature of the badge on a golden background at the center, surrounded by the motto "For Faith and Loyalty" (Russian: Za Veru i Vernost') on a blue ring. It was worn on the left chest.
The insignia of the order could be awarded "with diamonds" as a special distinction. Saint Andrew's Cathedral in Saint Petersburg was the chapter church of this order of chivalry.
Knights
List of notable Knights
Sir John Acton, 6th Baronet
Prince Adalbert of Prussia (1811–1873)
Prince Adalbert of Prussia (1884–1948)
Adolf Frederick, King of Sweden
Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge
Adolphus Frederick V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Alois Lexa von Aehrenthal
Ahmad Shah Qajar
Albert I of Belgium
Prince Albert of Prussia (1809–1872)
Prince Albert of Prussia (1837–1906)
Albert, King of Saxony
Albert, Prince Consort
Archduke Albrecht, Duke of Teschen
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Serbia
Alexander I of Yugoslavia
Alexander II of Russia
Alexander III of Russia
Alexander Kurakin (1697)
Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine
Duke Alexander of Oldenburg
Prince Alexander of Prussia
Prince Alexander of the Netherlands
Duke Alexander of Württemberg (1771–1833)
Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia
Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia
Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich of Russia
Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia
Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia
Alfonso XIII of Spain
Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Alfred, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Alfred I, Prince of Windisch-Grätz
Amadeo I of Spain
Gyula Andrássy
Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich of Russia
Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark
Anna Leopoldovna
Anna I of Russia
Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick
Anton II of Georgia
Anton Egon, Prince of Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg
Fyodor Apraksin
Stepan Fyodorovich Apraksin
Nikolai Arkharov
Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt
Prince Arnulf of Bavaria
Prince Arthur of Connaught
Prince August, Duke of Dalarna
Prince August of Württemberg
Augustus II the Strong
Augustus III of Poland
Prince Augustus of Prussia
Augustus, Grand Duke of Oldenburg
Pyotr Bagration
Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly
Aleksandr Baryatinsky
Maximilian de Beauharnais, 3rd Duke of Leuchtenberg
Vasili Bebutov
Alexander von Benckendorff
Levin August von Bennigsen
Prince Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1792–1862)
Louis-Alexandre Berthier
Andrew Bertie
Alexey Bestuzhev-Ryumin
Mikhail Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin
Ivan Betskoy
Alexander Bezborodko
Aleksandr Bibikov
Ernst Johann von Biron
Peter von Biron
Otto von Bismarck
Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher
Yevgeny Bolkhovitinov
Boris III of Bulgaria
Constantin Brâncoveanu
Franciszek Ksawery Branicki
George Browne (soldier)
Jacob Bruce
Duke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Bernhard von Bülow
Alexander Buturlin
Friedrich Wilhelm von Buxhoeveden
Leo von Caprivi
Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland
Carlos I of Portugal
Infante Carlos María Isidro of Spain
Carol I of Romania
William Cathcart, 1st Earl Cathcart
Catherine I of Russia
Catherine the Great
Charles I of Württemberg
Charles X
Charles XIII
Charles XIV John
Charles XV
Charles Albert of Sardinia
Charles Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Charles Augustus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1844–1894)
Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp
Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden
Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden
Charles Michael, Duke of Mecklenburg
Prince Charles of Hesse and by Rhine
Prince Charles of Prussia
Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen
Charles, Grand Duke of Baden
Alexandra Feodorovna (Charlotte of Prussia)
Alexey Cherkassky
Zakhar Chernyshev
Ivan Chernyshyov
Piotr Grigoryevich Chernyshev
Vasily Chichagov
Chlodwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst
Joachim Chreptowicz
Christian VIII of Denmark
Christian IX of Denmark
Christian X of Denmark
Chulalongkorn
Andrzej Ciechanowiecki
Constantine I of Greece
Constantine II of Greece
Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski
Ivan Delyanov
Grand Duke Dmitry Konstantinovich of Russia
Vasily Dolgorukov-Krymsky
Alexey Grigoryevich Dolgorukov
Vasily Andreyevich Dolgorukov
Vasily Vladimirovich Dolgorukov
Mikhail Dragomirov
Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza
John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham
Edward VII
Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia
Elizabeth I of Russia
Johann Martin von Elmpt
Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover
Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick
Prince Ernest Augustus, 3rd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale
Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse
Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
Archduke Ernest of Austria (1824–1899)
Fredrik von Essen
Peter Essen
Archduke Eugen of Austria
Prince Eugen, Duke of Närke
Fuad II of Egypt
Ferdinand I of Austria
Ferdinand I of Bulgaria
Ferdinand I of Romania
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand II of Portugal
Ferdinand VII of Spain
Archduke Ferdinand Karl of Austria
Archduke Ferdinand Karl Joseph of Austria-Este
Prince Ferdinand of Bavaria
Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
William Fermor
Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis IV, Duke of Modena
Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Archduke Franz Karl of Austria
Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg
Frederick the Great
Frederick III, German Emperor
Frederick IV of Denmark
Frederick VI of Denmark
Frederick VII of Denmark
Frederick VIII of Denmark
Frederick IX of Denmark
Frederick August I, Duke of Oldenburg
Frederick Augustus III of Saxony
Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony
Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Frederick Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Frederick I, Grand Duke of Baden
Frederick II, Grand Duke of Baden
Prince Frederick of Prussia (1794–1863)
Frederick I of Württemberg
Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
Frederick William II of Prussia
Frederick William III of Prussia
Frederick William IV of Prussia
Frederick William, Elector of Hesse
Frederick William, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Prince Frederick of the Netherlands
Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia (1828–1885)
Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia
Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Friedrich of Austria (1821–1847)
Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu
Prince Fushimi Sadanaru
Gavriil Gagarin
Duke Georg Alexander of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
George I of Greece
George IV
George V
George XII of Georgia
Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia
Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia (1863–1919)
Prince George of Greece and Denmark
Prince George, Duke of Cambridge
George, King of Saxony
Duke George of Oldenburg
Prince George of Prussia
Alexander von Güldenstubbe
August Neidhardt von Gneisenau
Alexander Mikhailovich Golitsyn
Dmitry Mikhailovich Golitsyn the Elder
Dmitry Mikhailovich Golitsyn the Younger
Fyodor Alexeyevich Golovin
Gavriil Golovkin
Agenor Maria Gołuchowski
Alexander Gorchakov
Ivan Goremykin
Daniil Granin
Aleksey Greig
Guangxu Emperor
Samuel Greig
Ivan Gudovich
Iosif Gurko
Gustaf V
Gustaf VI Adolf
Gustav IV Adolf
Gustav III
Gustav, Prince of Vasa
Haakon VII of Norway
Wilhelm von Hahnke
Prince Heinrich of Hesse and by Rhine
Prince Henry of Prussia (1862–1929)
Heinrich VII, Prince Reuss of Köstritz
Prince Henry of Prussia (1781–1846)
Prince Henry of the Netherlands (1820–1879)
Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Heraclius II of Georgia
Prince Hermann of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1825–1901)
Iosif Igelström
Irakli Bagration of Mukhrani
Ivan VI of Russia
Archduke John of Austria
Prince Johann of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
Johann I of Saxony
John VI of Portugal
Duke John Albert of Mecklenburg
Archduke Joseph of Austria (Palatine of Hungary)
Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
Archduke Joseph Karl of Austria
Mikhail Kakhovsky
Karl Anton, Prince of Hohenzollern
Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Karl Heinrich von Nassau-Siegen
Karl Leopold, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria
Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg
Prince Karl Theodor of Bavaria
James Francis Edward Keith
Hermann Karl von Keyserling
Jan Hendrik van Kinsbergen
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow
Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia
Pavel Kiselyov
Karl Friedrich von dem Knesebeck
Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich of Russia
Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia
Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia
Konstantin of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst
Apostol Kostanda
Wincenty Krasiński
Prince Kuni Kuniyoshi
Alexander Kurakin
Alexey Kurakin
Boris Kurakin
Mikhail Kutuzov
Jacques-Joachim Trotti, marquis de La Chétardie
Peter Lacy
Louis Alexandre Andrault de Langeron
Jean Lannes
Sergey Stepanovich Lanskoy
Leonida Bagration of Mukhrani
Leopold I of Belgium
Leopold II of Belgium
Leopold IV, Duke of Anhalt
George Maximilianovich, 6th Duke of Leuchtenberg
Sergei Georgievich, 8th Duke of Leuchtenberg
Nikolai Linevich
Mikhail Loris-Melikov
Émile Loubet
Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse
Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt
Louis XVIII
Louis Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia
Louis I, Grand Duke of Baden
Prince Louis of Battenberg
Louis Rudolph, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême
Karl Gustav von Löwenwolde
Ludwig I of Bavaria
Ludwig II of Bavaria
Ludwig III of Bavaria
Prince Ludwig August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Archduke Ludwig Viktor of Austria
Luís I of Portugal
Luitpold, Prince Regent of Bavaria
Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel
Manuel II of Portugal
Maria Feodorovna (Dagmar of Denmark)
Maria Feodorovna (Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg)
Maria Theresa I, Holy Roman Empress
Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia
Maximilian I of Mexico
Prince Maximilian of Baden
Emperor Meiji
Michael I of Romania
Ivan Mazepa
Duke William of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Duke Charles of Mecklenburg
Emperor Meiji
Pyotr Melissino
Alexander Danilovich Menshikov
Klemens von Metternich
Peter von Meyendorff
Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich of Russia
Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia
Johann von Michelsohnen
Miguel I of Portugal
Mikhail Volkonsky
Sergey Mikhalkov
Milan I of Serbia
Mikhail Miloradovich
Hugh Henry Mitchell
Helmuth von Moltke the Elder
Nikolay Mordvinov (admiral)
Prince Moritz of Saxe-Altenburg
Arkady Morkov
Burkhard Christoph von Münnich
Joachim Murat
Mikhail Muravyov-Vilensky
Valentin Musin-Pushkin
Ivan Nabokov
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon III of France
Napoléon, Prince Imperial
Karl Heinrich von Nassau-Siegen
Ivan Neplyuyev
Karl Nesselrode
Leka, Crown Prince of Albania (1982)
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas Alexandrovich, Tsesarevich of Russia
Grand Duke Nicholas Konstantinovich of Russia
Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia (1831–1891)
Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia (1856–1929)
Nicholas I of Montenegro
Prince Nikolaus Wilhelm of Nassau
Peter Obolyaninov
Michał Kazimierz Ogiński
Grigol Orbeliani
Alexey Fyodorovich Orlov
Oscar I of Sweden
Oscar II
Fabian Gottlieb von der Osten-Sacken
Alexander Ivanovich Ostermann-Tolstoy
Andrey Osterman
Mikhail Nikolayevich Ostrovsky
Archduke Otto of Austria (1865–1906)
Otto I of Bavaria
Palladius (Rayev)
Nikita Ivanovich Panin
Petr Ivanovich Panin
Ivan Paskevich
Paul I of Russia
Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich of Russia
Duke Paul Frederick of Mecklenburg
Pavel Yaguzhinsky
Pedro V of Portugal
Pavel Pereleshin
Peter I, Grand Duke of Oldenburg
Peter the Great
Peter I of Serbia
Peter II of Russia
Peter III of Russia
Peter August, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck
Duke Peter of Oldenburg
Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia
Philaret Drozdov
Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders
Hans von Plessen
Konstantin Pobedonostsev
Stanisław August Poniatowski
Grigory Potemkin
Antoni Michał Potocki
Stanisław Szczęsny Potocki
Carlo Andrea Pozzo di Borgo
Prince Frederick William of Hesse-Kassel
Alexander Prozorovsky
Yevfimiy Putyatin
Bahman Mirza Qajar
Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar
Mohammad Shah Qajar
Mohammad Taqi Mirza Rokn ed-Dowleh
Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar
Naser al-Din Shah Qajar
Karol Stanisław Radziwiłł (1734–1790)
Archduke Rainer Ferdinand of Austria
Kirill Razumovski
Alexei Razumovsky
Michel-Louis-Étienne Regnaud de Saint-Jean d'Angély
Anikita Repnin
Nikolai Vasilyeich Repnin
Armand-Emmanuel de Vignerot du Plessis, duc de Richelieu
Roman Vorontsov
Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia
Christopher Roop
Fyodor Rostopchin
Prince Rudolf of Liechtenstein
Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria
Alexander Rumyantsev
Pyotr Rumyantsev
François-Emmanuel Guignard, comte de Saint-Priest
Nikolai Saltykov
Pyotr Saltykov
Alexander Samoylov
Jan Kazimierz Sapieha the Elder
Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia
Yakov Shakhovskoy
Boris Sheremetev
Pyotr Sheremetev
Alexander Shuvalov
Ivan Shuvalov
Peter Ivanovich Shuvalov
Jacob von Sievers
Simeon II of Bulgaria
Mikhail Speransky
Afrikan Spir
Grigory Spiridov
Gustav Ernst von Stackelberg
Curt von Stedingk
Archduke Stephen of Austria (Palatine of Hungary)
Alexander Suvorov
Emperor Taishō
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord
Pyotr Aleksandrovich Tolstoy
Alexander Tormasov
Jean Baptiste, marquis de Traversay
Ivan Trubetskoy
Nikita Trubetskoy
Umberto I of Italy
Umberto II of Italy
Vakhtang VI of Kartli
Prince Valdemar of Denmark
Adam Veyde
Victor Amadeus of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia
Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich of Russia
Pyotr Mikhailovich Volkonsky
Illarion Vorontsov-Dashkov
Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov
Prince Waldemar of Prussia (1817–1849)
Alfred von Waldersee
Karl Ivanovich Weber
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Prince Wilhelm of Prussia (1783–1851)
Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Södermanland
Wilhelm I, German Emperor
Wilhelm II, German Emperor
Wilhelm, German Crown Prince
William I of Württemberg
William II of Württemberg
William II of the Netherlands
William III of the Netherlands
William IV
Prince William of Baden (1829–1897)
William, Prince of Hohenzollern
William Ernest, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Peter Wittgenstein
Friedrich Graf von Wrangel
Duke Eugen of Württemberg (1788–1857)
Duke Eugen of Württemberg (1846–1877)
Aleksey Petrovich Yermolov
Józef Zajączek
Zera Yacob Amha Selassie
August zu Eulenburg
Nikolay Alexandrovich Zubov
Platon Zubov
Valerian Zubov
Russian Federation
An order with the same name but with different insignia and statutes was first unofficially re-established by the Orthodox Church of Russia on December 27, 1988. The order was officially re-instated as the highest Russian civilian and military award by Presidential Decree No.757 on June 1, 1998. The Order's award criteria were modified by Presidential Decree 1099 of September 7, 2010.
Statute of the Order
The Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called is used to award prominent statesmen and public figures, eminent representatives of science, culture, the arts and various industries for exceptional services, for promoting the prosperity, grandeur and glory of Russia.
The Order may also be awarded to foreign heads of states for outstanding service to the Russian Federation.
Insignia
The design of the insignia of the modern Order of St. Andrew has changed very little from the imperial design. It consists of:
a badge (double-headed eagle) attached to a chain (called a "collar") worn around the neck for very special circumstances, or more commonly on a 100 mm-wide blue sash worn over the right shoulder
a star worn on the left breast
The colour of the sash differs from the colour of the Imperial era, and resembles the shade of the sash of the British Order of the Garter. Members of the military division of the Order have crossed swords added below the crown above the two eagles' heads. On the reverse of the eagle on a white ribbon the motto of the Order appears inscribed in gold letters: «За веру и верность» ("For faith and loyalty").
Recipients
List of notable recipients
Heydar Aliyev
Rasul Gamzatov
Mikhail Gorbachev
Daniil Granin
Mikhail Kalashnikov
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow
Sergey Mikhalkov
Narendra Modi
Nursultan Nazarbayev
Valery Shumakov
Xi Jinping
Lyudmila Zykina
Gallery
Select recipients:
See also
Awards and decorations of the Russian Federation
References
External links
The Commission on State Awards to the President of the Russian Federation
Order of St Andrew ARCHONS of the Ecumenical Patriarch
Orders of chivalry of the Russian Empire
Saint Andrew, Order of
Military awards and decorations of Russia
Civil awards and decorations of Russia
Awards established in 1998
17th-century establishments in Russia
1698 establishments in Russia
1998 establishments in Russia