The main orders of the Russian Empire. Award Medals of Peter I Order of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine
Vasily Klimov (? - 1782) came out of the number of mint students who did not study with foreign masters. Working at the Moscow Mint, he cut copies of medals and coin stamps. In 1762 he was appointed medal master. The medalist signed his early works with the monogram “V. TO.". Independent work Klimov - two retrospective medals in memory of the accession to the throne of Peter I and the founding of the fleet - made according to the designs of Lomonosov and Shtelin. The medal for Peter's accession to the throne betrays the hand of a self-taught person. There is no portrait resemblance, the torso, flattened on the surface of the medal circle, is poorly molded. The perspective of the composition of the reverse side is clumsily constructed, the clumsy figure of the foreground is Peter leading Russia to the Temple of Glory. The second medal has no signature, but undoubtedly belongs to the same master, as Yu. B. Iversen pointed out in his time. The authorship of Klimov is evidenced by the similarity of the portrait of Peter with the previous medal, the high horizon line on the reverse side, and finally, the almost identical figure of Russia on both medals, with the same gesture right hand. The spatial solution, new for the medal, with the development of a wide perspective, came into conflict with the capabilities of the carver himself. Later, when the stamps of these medals were renewed, Samoila Yudin significantly corrected the existing shortcomings.
Information from the partners of the site: If your collection has copies that have become unnecessary and you want to sell them, then keep in mind that the well-known Internet store numizmatik.ru is engaged in buying up silver coins and medals. Experienced experts will evaluate your items and pay out the money without unnecessary hassle and formalities.
Our presentation tells in detail and in an interesting way about medals and orders during the time of Peter the Great. But first, a little history.
Rewards in ancient times.
From the most ancient times, tribal leaders, and then princes and kings, rewarded heroes who distinguished themselves in battles, their especially close servants, artists and poets who sang of their exploits. The awards were different from land allotments to brooches 
(fasteners on capes), from the presentation of laurel wreaths and the right of triumph (the solemn meeting of the victorious generals by the inhabitants of Rome) to the right that gave ordinary soldiers to rob the cities they captured for three days and nights.
Our ancestors of the Slavs did not differ in great variety of awards: lands and forest lands for hunting were granted to close associates, “borzoi” horses, swords, iron plaques on a leather shield were given to combatants - metal was in price ...
Rewards under Christianity.
With the adoption of Christianity, the princes began to reward their subjects with gold and silver chains for special merits, and the money used in Russia at that time - grivnas (oblong pieces of silver) were attached to them. They were stigmatized by the prince, in whose possessions these hryvnias were cast.
During the reign of Ivan III, when the Muscovite state was just beginning to form, each award for a feat accomplished for the good of the state began to come only from the sovereign. Therefore, the seal itself on the insignia became state.
Around this time, the tradition of awarding caftans to the king, and for Muslims - dressing gowns, which were officially ranked as insignia, was born. Peasants, merchants, and townspeople also complained with robes and caftans.
In 1469, the "Ustyug Ship's Army", which consisted of enterprising residents of the city of Veliky Ustyug, who were looking for military success in risky campaigns, undertook the most difficult campaign along the Volga against the Kazan Khanate, which constantly raided the eastern outskirts of Muscovite Russia. With triumph, the warriors who returned to Nizhny Novgorod noted: “The Great Prince sent twice gold dengue, they gave both dengas to priest Ivan, who was with them near Kazan, and ordered God to pray for the Sovereign and all his army.”
The appearance of medals-coins.
At the same time, the so-called "moskovki" appeared - gold and silver coins with the image of St. George on a horse, they were usually worn on sleeves or a hat.
Gold coins became the prototype of future medals and orders.
The first special gold "coin-medal" was established by Princess Sofya Alekseevna in order to perpetuate two campaigns of her favorite, Prince Vasily Golitsyn, against the Crimean Tatars. 
On the front side, she herself was depicted in the imperial diadem, and on the reverse side, both minor tsars: Ivan V and Peter I. The medal was equipped with a special eyelet for a ribbon in order to wear it around the neck. True, none of the ordinary soldiers of the Crimean campaigns wore this award, and it was very willingly used for exchange in pubs. Sophia was soon dethroned by Peter and imprisoned in the Novodevichy Convent, and Prince Golitsyn was exiled. Peter gave the order to melt down this mountain of gold, which has now become unnecessary. New medals - but without portraits, with double-headed eagles on both sides - he used to reward the soldiers of the Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky regiments and his entourage.
Russian insignia under Peter 1.
At the very beginning of the Northern War, a special medal "For the Capture of Shlisselburg" was established for "hunters" (i.e., volunteers) who were not afraid to take the Swedish island fortress in October 1702.
The very first mass award during this war was the medal "For Loyalty and Courage" introduced in 1706, which was awarded to all officers who participated in the battle of Kalisz with the Swedish troops, which outnumbered the Russian ones. The next most significant was the medal "For the Battle of Poltava", which was minted from gold for officers and from silver for soldiers and non-commissioned officers of the guards regiments. Everyone was supposed to wear such medals on blue ribbons.
True, there were some historical anecdotes. After the Narva catastrophe in 1700, any victory over the Swedes was valued as a huge success. In 1703, largely due to a happy accident, two Swedish warships were taken prisoner. Peter I, who personally took part in the battle, rashly established a medal on this occasion. 
The difficulty was to come up with a motto that was supposed to explain the incomprehensible image on the badge of the medal, where the main place was occupied by beautiful puffs of smoke. In the end, Peter ordered the words to be stamped on it: "The impossible happens." These gold medals never received recognition, and among the nobles they were jokingly called "never-before". After such an embarrassment, the tsar never again made such rash decisions in award matters, especially since he himself was awarded this medal in the heat of the moment.
Order of Peter the Great
Order of Peter the Great- an award established public organization- Academy of Defense Security and Law Enforcement Problems.
Image of the Order
Orders of the I, II and III degrees are awarded to Russian and foreign citizens “for selfless deed, courage, courage and heroism committed in the performance of military, service and civic duty. For high achievements in state, industrial, research, social, cultural, public and charitable activities aimed at strengthening the Russian state.
The attitude of the state to the order
The General Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation and the FSB of Russia, the Federal Tax Service, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation and the Heraldic Council under the President of the Russian Federation revealed serious violations of the law.
In a message from the Prosecutor General's Office Russian Federation says:
“... In particular, the ABOP and the National Committee, contrary to the current legislation, established 73 types of identical state awards, including orders, medals, badges, and also established academic degrees, introduced uniforms similar to military uniforms, as well as military ranks ... ".
Notes
Links
- State surrogate. Prosecutors expose false law enforcement officers
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See what the "Order of Peter the Great" is in other dictionaries:
Military Orders of Lenin, the October Revolution, the Suvorov Academy of the Strategic Missile Forces named after Peter the Great (VA Strategic Missile Forces) ... Wikipedia
Order of Alexander Nevsky- is the only award that existed (with certain changes) in the award systems Russian Empire, Soviet Union and the Russian Federation. June 1 (old style May 21), 1725, according to the will of Peter I by Empress Catherine ... Encyclopedia of Newsmakers
Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called Sign on the order chain and the star of the order Date of establishment 1699 Founder Tsar Peter I Status Highest Order of the Russian Empire ... Wikipedia
Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called Sign on the order chain and the star of the order Date of establishment 1699 Founder Tsar Peter I Status Highest Order of the Russian Empire ... Wikipedia
The sign on the order chain and the star of the order Date of establishment ... Wikipedia
- (Order of St. Anne), state award of the Russian Empire; Established on February 14, 1735, Holstein by the Duke of Gottorp Karl Friedrich in memory of his wife Anna Petrovna (see ANNA Petrovna), daughter of Peter I the Great, who died from childbirth. The order was... encyclopedic Dictionary
- (Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called (see ANDREY the First-Called)), the oldest Russian order, the highest award in Russia until 1917 and since 1998; established by Peter I the Great on March 20 (according to the new style), 1699 ( exact date known from the diary ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary
Order of St. Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia, I degree ... Wikipedia
Order of St. Alexander Nevsky ... Wikipedia
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Order of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga
Year of foundation - 1914
Founder - Nicholas II
Status - ladies' order, the award of which is associated with military events
Tape color - white
Number of degrees - 3
Established on July 11, 1915 by Emperor Nicholas II to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the reign of the Romanov dynasty "taking into account the merits of women in various fields of state and public service, as well as their exploits and labors for the benefit of their neighbor." Designed exclusively for rewarding females. Has three degrees.
Badges of the order: Byzantine-type cross covered with light blue enamel, white ribbon 2.22 cm wide.
Wearing rules:
I degree - a golden Cross on a bow on the left shoulder;
II degree - a silver Cross on a bow on the left shoulder;
III degree - a smaller silver Cross on a bow on the left shoulder.
Signs of lower degrees are not removed when awarding a sign of the highest degree.
With the name of the Grand Duchess of Kyiv Olga, ruling in Ancient Russia after the death of her husband, Prince Igor, during the regency of the young son Svyatoslav, significant transformations are associated, including the establishment of the amount of tribute and the arrangement of graveyards: "Go Olga to Novgorod and set graveyards and tributes on Msta, and along Luza, dues and tributes, and her traps are all over the earth and signs and places and graveyards." But without a doubt, her main step in life was her acceptance of Christianity. In 955, during a trip to Constantinople, the sacrament of Orthodox baptism was performed on her: “Olga went to the Greeks and came to Tsaryugorod. mother of Emperor Constantine the Great and having comprehended the Rule of God, Princess Olga actively contributed to the spread of Christianity in Russia. It is no coincidence that the council, convened by the great Kyiv prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich in 987, after the legendary "test of faith", spoke in favor of the adoption of Orthodoxy in Russia, referring to Princess Olga: "If the Greek law was bad, then your grandmother Olga would not have accepted it, who was the wisest of men." Canonized Russian Orthodox Church The Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga became a true symbol of piety and wisdom.
Founded in 1907, the Society of St. Olga in January 1913, on the eve of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty, proposed to establish an order bearing the name of the ancient Russian princess. On February 21, 1913, by a special clause of the Manifesto "On the monarch's favors to the population" on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty, a special Badge of Distinction was established "in the form of encouraging merit rendered by females in various fields of state and public service". However, neither the name, nor the statute, nor the description of this new phaleronym for that time existed, and only in connection with the outbreak of the First World War did they remember it. In the autumn of 1914, work began on the development of a draft of his statute and drawing. One of them, proposed by the head of the Tsarskoye Selo Palace Administration, Major-General Prince M.S. Putyatin, was approved on July 11, 1915 by Nicholas II: “Having now approved the Statute of Onago, We recognized it for the good to assign the name “Insignia of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga”, in memory of the first Russian Princess, who accepted the Light of the Christian Faith and thereby laid the foundation for the holy work of the Baptism of Russia, completed under Her Grandson, Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir. raised for the benefit and prosperity of our Fatherland, dear to our hearts".
The insignia of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga had three degrees. The first degree was a gold cross of the Byzantine type, on the front side covered with light blue enamel, framed by a gold chased border. In the middle of the cross in a round gold chased field was given the image of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga. On the reverse side of the cross was an inscription in Slavic letters: "February 21st day, 1613-1913". The second degree of the sign consisted of a silver cross with the same images as on the first degree cross, and the third degree consisted of the same silver cross as the second degree, but smaller and placed in a chased silver rim. All three degrees of the insignia were to be worn on the left shoulder on a white ribbon bow. Moreover, the signs of the lower degrees should not have been removed when awarding the sign of the highest degree.
According to the statute, the awarding of the Badge of St. Olga had to go sequentially, starting with the lowest degree, and the interval between awards was supposed to be five years. It was also envisaged that the awarding of the Badge of St. Olga was to be carried out at the direct discretion of "His Imperial Majesty, with the permission of the Sovereign Emperor, the Sovereign Empress or according to the Highest Approved Journals of the Committee on the Service of the Ranks of the Civil Department and on Awards." Each person awarded with the Badge of St. Olga received badges and a special letter from the Chapter of the Russian Imperial and Royal Orders. The awarding of the Badge of St. Olga was timed to coincide with April 23 - the Name Day of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and November 14 - the birthday of Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. The statute listed in detail "the types of merit for which the St. Olga Distinction complains:
a) merits testifying to selfless devotion to the Church, Throne, Fatherland;
b) exploits of personal self-denial, associated with a clear danger to life;
c) serving the cause of helping others;
d) continuous and useful activities in public education, contributing to the religious and moral education of the people and the rise of their productive forces;
e) merit agriculture, handicrafts and other branches of folk labor;
e) excellent service in state and public institutions, certified by the appropriate authorities and
g) outstanding activity in the service of the sciences and arts. "Those in the state or public service had to have at least 10 years of service for awarding the third degree of the Badge of St. Olga, the second degree - 20 years and the first - 30 years. A special eighth clause of the statute provided that "The insignia of St. Olga can also be granted to the mothers of heroes who have shown feats worthy of perpetuation in the annals of the Fatherland. "It was on the basis of this point that the first and only award of the Insignia of St. Olga took place on April 2, 1916. Nicholas II in the "Highest Rescript" , given in the name of the then Minister of War D.S. Shuvaev, wrote: "Dmitry Savelyevich. In the current great war our army showed an endless series of examples of high valor, fearlessness and heroic deeds of both whole units and individuals. My particular attention was drawn to the heroic death of the three Panaev brothers, officers of the 12th Hussar Akhtyrsky General Denis Davydov, now Her Imperial Majesty Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna of the regiment of captains Boris and Lev and staff captain Guria, who valiantly fell on the battlefield. The Panaev brothers, imbued with a deep consciousness of the holiness of this oath, dispassionately fulfilled their duty to the end and gave their lives for the Tsar and the Motherland. All three brothers were awarded the Order of St. George of the 4th degree and their death in open battle is an enviable lot of soldiers who have become their breasts to protect Me and the Fatherland. I fully attribute such a correct understanding of their duty by the Panaev brothers to their mother, who raised her sons in the spirit of selfless love for the Throne and Motherland. The consciousness that her children honestly and courageously fulfilled their duty, may it fill the mother's heart with pride and help her steadfastly endure the test sent down from above. Recognizing it as a blessing to note the merits to me and the Fatherland of the widow of Colonel Vera Nikolaevna Panaeva, who raised the heroes of her sons, I pity her in accordance with Art. The 8th Statute of the Insignia of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga with this badge of the 2nd degree and a lifetime annual pension of 3,000 rubles. "Thus, the Insignia of St. Olga adequately crowned the maternal feat of a wonderful Russian woman, and we remember the wisest of Russian wives, Blessed Olga, who "She was the forerunner of the Christian land... She shone like the moon in the night, and she shone among the pagans, like pearls in the mud... She was the first of the Russians to enter the kingdom of heaven, she is praised by the Russian sons - their initiator."
Until the end of the 17th century, monarchs celebrated the merits of their subjects either with donated lands or memorable gifts - “a fur coat from the royal shoulder”. Returning from a European tour, Peter I decided not to scatter estates and "fur coats" and introduce the practice of awarding honored people with awards.
Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called
In the spring of 1698, during the famous Great Embassy, Peter I visited England and met with the local king, William III. Apparently, something bribed the English king in the ambitious Russian ruler, and he invited him to become a member of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. On the one hand, it was a great honor: the members of the oldest knightly order in Europe were the most respected and influential people on the planet - in the amount of 24 people. On the other hand, having accepted the “English garter”, the Russian sovereign formally became a subject of the British king. Peter refused. This was the first and last refusal of the Tsar of the Romanov dynasty from “British citizenship”: Alexander I, Nicholas I, Alexander II, Alexander III and Nicholas II were holders of this order.
However, the tsar-reformer liked the idea. Upon his return to the Russian Land, in August 1698, Peter established his own order - the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called, the patron saint of Russia. The monarch even independently created sketches of the award order, which were very reminiscent of the emblem of the Scottish Order of the Thistle. From now on, the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called (with a break from 1917-1997) has become the main award of Russia.
Motto of the Order
"For Faith and Loyalty"
Some Russian Knights of the Order
Alexander Suvorov, Pyotr Bagration, Mikhail Kutuzov, Alexander Ermolov, Pyotr Semenov-Tyan-Shansky.
Some foreign holders of the order
Napoleon I, Prince Talleyrand, Duke of Wellington.
Interesting Facts
At the same time, no more than 12 people from Russians could be holders of the order. The total number of holders of the order (Russian and foreign subjects) should not exceed twenty-four people.
At Sotheby's in 2008, a diamond star to the Order of St. Andrew, made around 1800, was sold for 2,729,250. It was an absolute record not only for Russian awards, but for orders in general.
Order of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine
In 1711, the Prut campaign of the Russian army against the Turks ended in failure: 38,000 Russian soldiers were surrounded. Only the bribery of the Turkish commanders saved our troops from complete disaster. Interestingly, the lion's share of the bribe to the "Ottoman generals" was the jewelry of Empress Catherine I, the wife of Peter I. The king, mindful that " best friends girls are diamonds”, two years later established the Order of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine (another name is the Order of Liberation), generously trimmed with precious stones, and awarded it to his wife. From now on, this order has become the highest "female" award of the Russian State: it had two degrees, and it was awarded to all princesses of royal blood (by birth), the most noble ladies of the country and the most deserved (merits and spouses of ladies were taken into account).
Motto of the Order
"For Love and Fatherland"
Interesting Facts
In 1727, the son of Alexander Menshikov, Alexander Alexandrovich, became a cavalier of the order, becoming the only man awarded. He received the order for his shy, "ladies'" character.
The custom of bandaging baby girls with a pink ribbon goes back to the aforementioned custom of awarding each born Grand Duchess the Order of St. Catherine. The color of the sash is pink.
Imperial Military Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George
The main military award of the Russian Empire. It was established by Catherine II in 1769 during Russian-Turkish war. The order was divided into 4 degrees, and was intended to be awarded purely for distinction in military exploits.
The establishment of a military order was supposed to be a moral incentive for the entire officer corps, and not just the generals, as previously established orders. In order to increase the significance of the order, Catherine II took over her successors “of this order, the Grandmastership”, as a sign of which she placed on herself the signs of the 1st degree.
Motto of the Order
"For Service and Courage".
Pyotr Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky, Alexander Suvorov, Mikhail Kutuzov, Mikhail Barclay de Tolly.
Duke of Wellington, Karl-John, aka Jean Bernadotte (later King Karl XIV Johan of Sweden), Wilhelm I, King of Prussia, Louis de Bourbon.
Interesting Facts
Order of Saint Vladimir
The order in 4 degrees was established by Catherine II in 1782 on the 20th anniversary of her reign. for awarding both military officials and civil servants. The number of gentlemen was not limited. The statute of the order says: “The Imperial Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir was established as a reward for feats performed in the field public service, and in recompense of labor, for the benefit of the public lifted.
Motto of the Order
Benefit, honor and glory.
Some Russian cavaliers of the order of the 1st degree
Vladimir Dal, Ivan Gannibal, Thaddeus Bellingshausen, Mikhail Miloradovich, Metropolitan Ambrose (Podobedov)
Some foreign cavaliers of the order of the 1st degree
August I, Duke of Oldenburg, Josef Radetzky, Austrian commander,
Interesting Facts
In the entire history of the order, only four people have become full cavaliers: Mikhail Kutuzov, Mikhail Barclay de Tolly, Ivan Paskevich-Erivan Prince of Warsaw and Ivan Dibich-Zabalkansky.
The 4th degree of the order until 1855 was also given for length of service in officer ranks (subject to participation in at least one battle).
Since 1845, those who were awarded only the orders of St. Vladimir and St. George of any degrees received the rights of hereditary nobility, while other orders required the highest 1st degree.
Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky
Peter I planned to make this order the main military award. But he didn't. After his death, Catherine I implemented the idea of the deceased husband and established in honor of St. Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky. However, St. Alexander Nevsky did not succeed in becoming a truly main military award: the order became a purely court order. For example, Catherine II awarded them to almost all of her favorites.
Motto of the Order
"For Labor and Fatherland".
Some Knights of the Order
Alexander Menshikov, Mikhail Golitsyn, Alexander Suvorov, Mikhail Kutuzov.
Interesting Facts
On July 29, 1942, a new Order of Alexander Nevsky was established in the USSR to reward the command staff of the Red Army.
Order of the White Eagle
At the beginning, this was the highest state award in Poland. After most of The Commonwealth passed to the Russian Empire, the Russian emperor decided to include the "White Horde" in the list of Russian orders.
Motto of the Order
"For faith, the king and the law."
Some Knights of the Order
Hetman Mazepa, Ivan Tolstoy, Dmitry Mendeleev.
Interesting Facts
In 1992, the order was restored as the highest state award in Poland. The Grand Master of the Order is the President of Poland. The first restored orders were awarded to King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Pope John Paul II.
Order of Saint Anne
The prehistory of the order began in 1725, when Anna, daughter of Peter I, married Duke Karl Friedrich of Holstein-Gottorp. After the wedding, they left for the duchy, where in 1728 a boy was born, who was named Peter Ulrich. Soon after the birth of her son, on the day of the celebrations arranged in Kiel on this occasion, Anna fell seriously ill and died. In memory of her, in 1735, the duke established the Order of St. Anne (named after the righteous Anna, mother Holy Mother of God). The first awarding of this order was carried out only as an imperial dynastic award. The right to award gave the rank of colonel and above. On the day of Paul's coronation on April 16, 1797, the Order of St. Anne was added to the state orders of the Russian Empire and was divided into three degrees (later there were four).
Motto of the Order
"To those who love truth, piety and fidelity"
Some Knights of the Order
Vasily Golovnin, Alexander Suvorov, Sergei Volkonsky, Izmail Semenov.
Interesting Facts
Those awarded with any degree of the Order of St. Anne automatically became hereditary nobles, but since 1845 this position has been changed. It was found that henceforth only the 1st degree of the order gives hereditary nobility, and the remaining degrees - only personal. The exceptions were those of the merchant class and Muslim foreigners, who, when awarded any of the degrees of the order, except for the 1st, did not become nobles, but received the status of "honorary citizens".