Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky

Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky
Order on ribbon
Awarded by Head of the House of Romanov
Type	Dynastic Order
Royal house	House of Romanov
Religious affiliation	Russian Orthodox
Ribbon	Bright Red.
Motto	"For Labor and the Fatherland"
Awarded for	Military and Civil Merit
Status	Rarely constituted
Sovereign	Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia
Grades (w/ post-nominals)	Knight Grand Cordon, Special Class Knight/Dame Grand Cordon Knight/Dame Grand Officer Knight/Dame Grand Commander Knight/Dame Commander Knight/Dame Officer Knight/Dame Medal
Established	1 June [O.S. 21 May] 1725 1725 – 1918 (National Order) 1918 - Present (House Order)
Precedence
Next (higher)	Imperial Order of St. Catherine
Next (lower)	Imperial Order of the White Eagle
The Ribbon of the Order

Portrait of the first Russian Minister of Finance, Alexei Vasiliyev, wearing the sash and badge of the Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky

The Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was an order of chivalry of the Russian Empire first awarded on 1 June [O.S. 21 May] 1725 by Empress Catherine I of Russia.^[1]

History

The introduction of the Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was envisioned by Emperor Peter I of Russia 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]

It was first awarded on the occasion of the wedding of Grand Duchess Anna Petrovna of Russia and Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp in 1725. A dozen guests received the reward, and the order quickly fell far behind the Order of Saint Andrew and the Order of Saint Catherine in prestige.^[2][1]

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. 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.

In 1942, the Soviet Union revived the order as a purely military decoration and renamed it the more secular Order of Alexander Nevsky, and the Russian Federation revived it in 2010.

The heads of the Russian Imperial House in exile have continued to award the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. HIH 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 (fron)
• 
  ... version (front)
• 
  ... (reverse)
• 
  ... edition 1865 in gold on black enamel
• 
  Staer version from silver-thread embroidery on white leather, edition ca 1840
• 
  ... version

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Order of St. Alexander Nevsky.

Orders, decorations, and medals of Russia
Honorary titles	Hero of the Russian Federation Hero of Labour of the Russian Federation Pilot-Cosmonaut of the Russian Federation Honoured Military Pilot of the Russian Federation Honoured Military Navigator of the Russian Federation Honored Cultural Worker of the RSFSR
Orders	Order of St. Andrew Order of St. George Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" Order of St. Catherine Order of Alexander Nevsky Order of Suvorov Order of Ushakov Order of Zhukov Order of Kutuzov Order of Nakhimov Order of Courage Order "For Military Merit" Order "For Naval Merit" Order of Honour Order of Friendship Order of Parental Glory
Decorations	Cross of St. George Decoration "For Beneficence" Decoration For Impeccable Service
Medals	Medal of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" Medal "For Courage" Medal of Suvorov Medal of Ushakov Medal of Zhukov Medal of Nesterov Medal of Pushkin Medal Defender of a Free Russia Medal "For Distinction in the Protection of Public Order" Medal "For Distinction in the Protection of the State Borders" Medal "For Life Saving" Medal "For Work in Agriculture" Medal "For the Development of Railways" Medal "For Merit in Space Exploration" Medal of the Order of Parental Glory
Jubilee medals	Jubilee Medal "50 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" Jubilee Medal "60 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" Jubilee Medal "65 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" Jubilee Medal "70 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" Jubilee Medal "300 Years of the Russian Navy" Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow" Jubilee Medal "100 Years of the Trans-Siberian Railway" Medal "In Commemoration of the 300th Anniversary of Saint Petersburg" Medal "In Commemoration of the 1000th Anniversary of Kazan"
Presidential certificates	Russian Federation Presidential Certificate of Honour Russian Federation Presidential Certificate of Gratitude
Defunct dynastic orders	Order of Saint Catherine Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky Order of the White Eagle Order of Saint Vladimir Order of Saint Anna Order of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker Order of Saint Anastasia Order of Saint Stanislaus Order of Saint Michael the Archangel (Insignia of Saint Olga)
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