Order of St. Alexander Nevsky
Encyclopedia
The Imperial Order of St. Alexander Nevsky was an order of chivalry of the Russian Empire
.
. It was established by Empress Catherine I of Russia
on May 21, 1725 in memory of the deeds of Saint Alexander Nevsky
in 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. Among the most prominent recipients of the order were Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov
, Alexander Suvorov
, Nikolay Adlerberg
, Mikhail Kutuzov, Fyodor Ushakov, and Count Peter de Lacy
.
Tolstoy
states in Anna Karenina
that the Order of St. Vladimir
and Order of St. Andrew
were higher honors.
After the 1917 Russian Revolution the order continued to be bestowed by the heads of the House of Romanov. Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia claims to be the current Grand Mistress. On January 27, 2006, she bestowed the order on Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk (later Patriarch Kirill I of Moscow).
In 1942, the Soviet Union
revived the order as a purely military decoration
, and renamed it the Order of Alexander Nevsky
.
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
.
History
The introduction of the Imperial Order of St. Alexander Nevsky was planned by Emperor Peter I of RussiaPeter I of Russia
Peter the Great, Peter I or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov Dates indicated by the letters "O.S." are Old Style. All other dates in this article are New Style. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother, Ivan V...
. It was established by Empress Catherine I of Russia
Catherine I of Russia
Catherine I , the second wife of Peter the Great, reigned as Empress of Russia from 1725 until her death.-Life as a peasant woman:The life of Catherine I was said by Voltaire to be nearly as extraordinary as that of Peter the Great himself. There are no documents that confirm her origins. Born on...
on May 21, 1725 in memory of the deeds of Saint Alexander Nevsky
Alexander Nevsky
Alexander Nevsky was the Prince of Novgorod and Grand Prince of Vladimir during some of the most trying times in the city's history. Commonly regarded as the key figure of medieval Rus, Alexander was the grandson of Vsevolod the Big Nest and rose to legendary status on account of his military...
in 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. Among the most prominent recipients of the order were Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov
Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov
Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov was a Russian statesman, whose official titles included Generalissimus, Prince of the Russian Empire and Duke of Izhora , Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, Duke of Cosel. A highly appreciated associate and friend of Tsar Peter the Great, he was the de facto ruler of...
, Alexander Suvorov
Alexander Suvorov
Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov , Count Suvorov of Rymnik, Prince in Italy, Count of the Holy Roman Empire , was the fourth and last generalissimo of the Russian Empire.One of the few great generals in history who never lost a battle along with the likes of Alexander...
, Nikolay Adlerberg
Nikolay Adlerberg
Count Nikolay Vladimirovich Adlerberg , Councilor of State, Chamberlain, governor of Taganrog, Simferopol and Finland.-Biography:Nikolay Adlerberg was born into a Swedish noble family of Adlerberg on May 19, 1819 in Saint Petersburg...
, Mikhail Kutuzov, Fyodor Ushakov, and Count Peter de Lacy
Peter Lacy
Count Peter von Lacy, or Pyotr Petrovich Lacy , as he was known in Russia , was one of the most successful Russian imperial commanders before Rumyantsev and Suvorov...
.
Tolstoy
Tolstoy
Tolstoy, or Tolstoi is a prominent family of Russian nobility, descending from Andrey Kharitonovich Tolstoy who served under Vasily II of Moscow...
states in Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina is a novel by the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, published in serial installments from 1873 to 1877 in the periodical The Russian Messenger...
that the Order of St. Vladimir
Order of St. Vladimir
The Cross of Saint Vladimir was an Imperial Russian Order established in 1782 by Empress Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptizer of the Kievan Rus....
and Order of St. Andrew
Order of St. Andrew
The Order of St. Andrew the First-Called is the first and the highest order of chivalry of the Russian Empire.- Russian Empire :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...
were higher honors.
After the 1917 Russian Revolution the order continued to be bestowed by the heads of the House of Romanov. Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia claims to be the current Grand Mistress. On January 27, 2006, she bestowed the order on Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk (later Patriarch Kirill I of Moscow).
In 1942, the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
revived the order as a purely military decoration
Military decoration
A military decoration is a decoration given to military personnel or units for heroism in battle or distinguished service. They are designed to be worn on military uniform....
, and renamed it the Order of Alexander Nevsky
Order of Alexander Nevsky
The Order of Alexander Nevsky is an order of merit bestowed by the Russian Federation. It is named in honour ofAlexander Nevsky's struggle with the Teutonic Knights....
.
See also
- Soviet Union Order of Alexander NevskyOrder of Alexander NevskyThe Order of Alexander Nevsky is an order of merit bestowed by the Russian Federation. It is named in honour ofAlexander Nevsky's struggle with the Teutonic Knights....