August 30, 1724 the remains of Alexander Nevsky were transported from Vladimir to St. Petersburg and interred in the monastery, which has since been called the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

It was founded by Peter I in 1710. on the left bank of the Neva, in the place where almost half a millennium before, on July 15, 1240, the troops under the leadership of Prince Alexander utterly defeated the Swedes. According to legend, for this battle Alexander, who distinguished himself personally in it, received the honorary nickname "Nevsky", and in 1380. for a heroic deed of patience and endurance he was canonized by the church. Peter also decided to commemorate his memory on August 30, the day of the conclusion of a victorious peace with Sweden.

Alexander (1221-1263) was born into the family of Prince Yaroslav Vsevolodovich and Princess Feodosia, daughter of Prince Mstislav Udatny (Udatny). His grandfather was Vsevolod the Big Nest. In 1236. Alexander was imprisoned in the Novgorod reign. In 1239. married the Polotsk princess Alexandra Bryachislavna.

By the beginning of the 18th century, a forest surrounded by swamps grew on the former battlefield. Having decided to found a monastery here, on a sacred place for Russians, Peter ordered to cut down the forest and drain the swamps. They were transferred here in 1724. the remains of Prince Alexander. At the same time, or somewhat earlier, the emperor conceived to establish a new order - named after Alexander Nevsky to be awarded exclusively for military merits. But at the very beginning of 1725. Peter died before he could fulfill his intention.

Set of badges of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky with diamonds. St. Petersburg. Rudolf Trymen's workshop. The beginning of the twentieth century.

1) Badge of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. Gold, silver, enamel, roses, rhinestones. Size 60x55 mm.
2) Star of the Order. Silver, enamel, roses, rhinestones. Size 88x87 mm.
3) Order moire ribbon.
Signs of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky from the Cabinet of His Majesty "with diamonds" were awarded mainly to Russian subjects. It was a sign of the emperor's special favor and favor, and, at the same time, a very valuable gift, which the recipient could dispose of at his own discretion.

In view of such sad circumstances, the Order of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky was established already under Catherine I (in May 1725) and began to be used to encourage both military and civilians. It was one of the highest awards of the Russian Empire and the second most important after the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. For the first time, 18 people became holders of the order on the wedding day of the daughter of Catherine and Peter I, Princess Anna and the Duke of the German principality Karl-Friedrich.

Star of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. St. Petersburg. First half of the 19th century Unknown workshop. Silver, silk, tinsel, paper. Size 80 mm.

Star of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. Western Europe. Unknown workshop. First half of the 19th century Silver, gold, enamel. The size is 90x89 mm. An early type of "forged" star, which the gentleman, instead of the embroidered star received from the chapter, ordered through the English store on Nevsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg. The pattern of the rays of this star repeats the "sewing" of the chapter.

Star of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky with swords (for military services). Unknown workshop, St. Petersburg, 1860s Silver 84, gilding, enamel. Weight, 50.58 gr. The size is 88x89 mm. Hallmarks: assay "84" ", the coat of arms of St. Petersburg and the master's name (unreadable) on the reverse side.

Star of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. Firm "Edward", St. Petersburg, 1899-1908 Silver, enamel, gilding. Weight 59.47 gr. Size 87x87 mm. Stamps on the reverse side: assay “84” with a female head to the left, a personalized master “IL” and a firm “Eduard”, as well as a certificate sign, a female head to the left on a needle from assay inspector S.А. Romanov.

Star of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. Unknown workshop, 1880-1900s Silver, enamel, gilding. Weight 69.47 gr. Size 87x86 mm.

Silver, gold, diamonds. Size 81x82 mm. St. Petersburg, workshop of the court supplier K. Ghana (?). Late 19th - early 20th centuries
Beginning in 1844, medal insignia were awarded for persons of non-Christian faith in the center of which (in a medallion), the image of the saint or his monogram was replaced with the state eagle of black enamel. The cabinet award in diamonds, being in essence a special distinction, noted personally by the Emperor, is one of the main rarities, the highest collection level. This is due to the fact that, firstly, from 1890 to 1917. only 33 orders for non-Christians were awarded, decorated with diamonds from the Cabinet of His Imperial Majesty, and secondly, almost all of them were taken out of collection circulation and are in state collections of foreign countries (Turkey, Korea, Siam, Japan, etc.) or in families awarded.

The official statute of the order appeared only in 1797. under Paul I, according to which, the order was not divided into degrees, it was worn on a neck ribbon and, only in special cases, on a wide red ribbon over the left shoulder and with a star on the left side of the chest. The establishment of 1797. it was forbidden to independently decorate the insignia of the order. Diamond signs were allowed only by special order as the highest grade of the order.

Badge of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. Gold, silver, enamel, roses, rhinestones. Size 60x55 mm. Brands: on the ear - assay "56", female head in a kokoshnik, to the left, nameplate "TR", on the earring under the ribbon - nameplate "TR".

Badge of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. St. Petersburg. Firm "Keibel and Kemmerer". Gold, enamel. Size 61x54 mm. Brands: an annual (1848) stamp on the ear, an assay stamp with the coat of arms of the city of St. Petersburg, small identification marks - "The coat of arms of the city of St. Petersburg in a circle", under the enamel the State coat of arms is a sign of the supplier of the Imperial Court.

Badge of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. St. Petersburg. Firm "Edward". After 1908. Gold 56 ave., Enamel. Size 55x60.5 mm.

Since 1855 the statute provided for the attachment of swords to the star and the sign - as a sign of rewarding for participation in hostilities. If the recipient of the badges with swords was rewarded with diamond badges for civil merits, then the swords were attached to the upper crossbar of the cross and the upper beam of the star.

In total, during the existence of the order, about 3 thousand awards were made, the most generous award was distributed in 1916. (105 awards). As a state award, the order was abolished in 1917.

July 29, 1942 By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the order was restored as a military award with the name Order of Alexander Nevsky. It was awarded to the commanders of the Red Army who showed personal courage, courage and bravery in the battles for the Motherland in the Second World War. The statute of the order was supplemented by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of November 10, 1942. Partial changes were made to the description of the order by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated June 19, 1943. The Order of Alexander Nevsky No. 1 was awarded to the commander of the Marine Corps battalion of the 154th Marine Rifle Brigade, Senior Lieutenant (later Lieutenant Colonel) I.N. Ruban.

It is known that the order was awarded to commanders for showing initiative in choosing the right moment for a sudden and rapid attack on the enemy and inflicting a major defeat on him with small losses for his troops. For completing a combat mission, persistent and accurate organization of interaction between troops and the destruction of the existing superior enemy forces. For swift actions and initiative to disrupt or destroy the enemy's engineering structures and ensure the development of success in the offensive impulse of our units, etc. In total, 42165 awards were made for feats and merits in the Great Patriotic War.

Among those awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky were about 70 foreign generals and officers. Women officers were also awarded this order of command.

The Order of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky was a state award of the Russian Empire in the period from 1725 to 1917. It was established by Empress Catherine I, becoming the third Russian order, after the orders of St. Andrew the First-Called and the female order of St. Catherine the Great Martyr. Initially, the idea of ​​creating this order was proposed by Peter I, who planned to make it the country's main military award. But he did not have time to carry out his plans; Catherine I had to implement the idea of ​​the deceased husband.

The order, which was established on May 21 (June 1), 1725, after the death of Peter I, did not become the highest military award. The first awards took place on May 26, 1725, on the wedding day of Princess Anna Petrovna and Duke Karl-Friedrich of Schleswig-Holstein. Among the awardees there were 18 people representing not only the military, but also civilians. Thus, from the very beginning, the new Russian Order of Alexander Nevsky became an award for both military service and government service. On August 30, 1725, on the anniversary of the transfer of the relics of the Holy Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky, the Russian Empress Catherine I took upon herself the badge of the order in his honor, which significantly raised the status of this state award.

The statute of the award was not published until April 5, 1797. Starting this year, the insignia of the Order of Alexander Nevsky began to be decorated with diamonds. Orders with diamonds could be awarded to both Russian and foreign citizens. The statute did not regulate the maximum number of holders of the order. The motto of the new state award was the phrase "For Labor and Fatherland." The Order Day was celebrated on August 30 (September 12 in a new style). The order consisted of the following elements: a badge in the form of a golden cross with the image of Alexander Nevsky, an eight-pointed star and a red ribbon. The order had one step, the knights of the order wore the badge of the order on a red moire ribbon 10 cm wide, which was worn over the left shoulder.

The badge of the order was an enamel cross (until 1820, instead of enamel, this cross was covered with red polished glass). In the center of the cross in the medallion was placed the image of the holy prince Alexander Nevsky, who was depicted on horseback. The prince was blessed with a hand coming out of the clouds. On the reverse side of this sign, the monogram of the saint was placed in the medallion: SA. Between the ends of the cross were two-headed eagles made of gold, which were crowned with three crowns. The star of the order was eight-pointed and was made of silver. It was worn on the left side of the chest. In the central medallion of the star was the saint's monogram - SA under the princely crown, placed on a white field. On a red enamel background, around the medallion, around the circumference was the motto of the Order "For Labor and the Fatherland."

During the existence of the award, the order signs have undergone modifications several times. The most significant of them happened in 1819, when instead of red glasses, they began to cover both sides of the cross with enamel. According to the decree of August 5, 1855, crossed swords that passed through the middle of the star and the cross began to be attached to the orders of Alexander Nevsky, who complained for military merits. Later in 1856, the shape of the double-headed eagles, located between the sides of the cross, was brought into conformity with the heraldic form of the double-headed eagles of the coat of arms of the reform of Emperor Alexander II. Instead of "Nikolaev" eagles, distinguished by lowered wings, eagles with raised wings began to be used. In the 1860s, according to the then fashion, the badge of the order was often covered with black enamel.

Over the entire period of its existence, the award was presented at least 3674 times, while the most generous year for these orders was 1916, when 105 awards were made at once. As a state award, the Order of Alexander Nevsky was abolished in 1917. At the same time, he was preserved in exile by the house of the Romanovs as a dynastic award.

The second time in the order was established on July 29, 1942, in the USSR the Order of Alexander Nevsky was used to reward officers of the Red Army. According to many, this award was one of the most beautiful in the Soviet Union. For the third time, the order was returned to the award system on the basis of the decree of the President of Russia dated September 7, 2010. On this day, the statute and description of the Order of Alexander Nevsky were approved. At the same time, the award of the Russian Federation reproduces the design of the old pre-revolutionary order. It is curious that the Order of Alexander Nevsky became the only award that existed (albeit with changes) in the award systems of the Russian Empire, the USSR and the Russian Federation.

Based on materials from open sources

The Order of St. Blessed Prince Alexander Nevsky was a Russian state award for a long time - in the period 1725-1917. This award was established immediately after the death of Peter the Great by his wife, Catherine I. The Order of St. A. Nevsky was the 3rd Russian award.

How the order was founded

The idea of ​​establishing such an order came from the king after the signing of a peace treaty with Sweden, which took place in the city of Nystadt. But, according to Peter, the award should have been awarded only for military exploits, by analogy with the Order of St. Louis, which existed in France.

There is information that as early as 1722, 3 years before the death of Peter, the insignia of the order had already been minted. In particular, scarlet ribbons of the order were made. This was done in a similar way to the French order, which had the same shade of ribbon. But the emperor did not manage to establish the award.

05/21/1725, when Peter's eldest daughter, Anna, married the Duke of Holstein, Catherine I presented the insignia of the Order of St. A. Nevsky to her daughter's husband and some guests. Among them were military and civilians, only 15 people. In addition, 4 court grooms received the award.

On June 22, 1725, the Empress awarded Lieutenant-General M.A.Matyushkin with insignia of the order. Mikhail Afanasyevich made a great contribution to the capture of Baku. After the end of the war with Persia, the king entrusted him to manage all the territories on the shores of the Caspian Sea.

Nishtad peace

The Great Northern War, which lasted more than 20 years - from 1700 to 1721. was completed by the signing of a peace treaty. This significant event took place on 08/30/1721 according to the old style in the town of Nystadt. On the Russian side, the document was signed by J. Bruce and A. Osterman. From Swedish - J. Lillenstedt and O. Stremfeld.

As a result, the border between Russia and Sweden changed, which was previously established by the Stolbovo Treaty, signed in 1617. The Swedish side agreed to the annexation of some of its territories to the Russian Empire. Russia, in turn, had to return Finland to Sweden and pay compensation.

How the order was founded

St. A. Nevsky's Day is August 30th. It was then in 1725 that the next awarding of the new order took place. This date is considered the day of its establishment. Then Catherine I herself became a knight of the order. In addition, 22 people were awarded along with the tsarina. Almost all of them, with one exception, were holders of the Order of St. A. the First-Called. The Cavaliers were the King of Poland August II and Frederick IV, the Danish ruler.

Among the awardees were other high-ranking officials, in particular, A.D. Menshikov, G.I. Golovkin, A.I. Repnin, Ya. V. Bruce. Cavaliers were 3 duke, who were relatives of the royal family.

This moment is considered the date of the foundation of the Order of St. A. Nevsky. It began to be given to people with the rank of lieutenant general or higher. Cavaliers could be civilians who are privy councilors. However, there were also exceptions. Before Paul's accession to the throne, more than 60 persons with the rank of major general or state councilor became cavaliers.

From that day on, a tradition arose to award this order to the holders of the Order of St. A. the First-Called. First of all, this concerned foreigners and royal children. From that moment our compatriots first became knights of St. A. Nevsky, after which St. A. First-Called.

Alexander Nevskiy

During a long war with Sweden, Peter the Great revived the veneration of Prince A.Ya. Nevsky. This was done because Alexander Yaroslavich at the beginning of the 13th century became famous for his victories over Swedish troops. Everyone knew about the Battle of the Neva and the Battle of the Ice. On the eve of the Kulikovo battle, the relics of the prince were discovered. At the same time, the tradition of celebrating Alexander appeared.

Domestic military leaders also turned to the patronage of the prince later. In 1547 A. Nevsky was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1710, on the Neva coast, where, according to historical information, Alexander defeated the Swedish troops in the Battle of the Neva, Peter the Great founded the monastery named after the Holy Trinity and St. A. Nevsky.

But that legendary battle took place in the wrong place. The battle took place 40 miles higher. It was there that a wooden church was built in the 16th century in honor of the significant event. Most likely, another battle took place on the site where the monastery was founded. In 1301, the Swedish troops were defeated by Andrew, the son of Alexander. At the same time, the Landskronu fortress was demolished.

On 08/30/1721, the Treaty of Nishtad was signed. On the same day, the relics of A. Nevsky, which had previously been in Vladimir, the tsar decided to transfer to St. Petersburg. Thus, the prince was to become the patron saint of the new capital. Two years after the conclusion of the peace treaty, the tsar again visited the monastery. At the same time he approved a decree on the transfer of the relics of the saint to the Alexander monastery. "

This decree was carried out on 08/11/1723. All ancient Vladimir saw off the shrine. The ark, in which the relics were placed, moved by land through Moscow and Tver, Then they sailed along the Ilmen lake. Through Novgorod they got to Ladoga and along the Neva they ended up in St. Petersburg.

Archimandrite Sergius was always with the relics. So the Holy Synod decreed. The ark was greeted all along the road by a huge crowd. Since the relics did not have time to deliver to St. Petersburg on the anniversary of the signing of the Nystadt Peace, they were left in the church in Shlisselburg, and they were delivered to the capital exactly one year later. Everything took place in a very solemn atmosphere.

The tsar met the ark in Ust-Izhora. As they approached Petersburg, galleys joined the procession. Accompanied by cannon shots, the tsar personally brought the ark into the church at the monastery of A. Nevsky. Then the church was consecrated. Below it is the lower Church of the Annunciation. Its consecration took place 2 years later. Under it is a tomb, in which some members of the royal family, dignitaries, in particular, Generalissimo A. Suvorov were buried. The relics of these people were kept until 1790. After that they were transferred to the Trinity Cathedral of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

Order insignia

For 72 years, the Order of St. A. Nevsky did not have a Statute. It was the same with the Order of St. A. the First-Called. The statutes for these awards appeared only in 1797 under Tsar Paul. It was then that the "Establishment" came out, in which it was said what the appearance of the awards signs should be.

It was assumed that the order was to be located on a scarlet cuffed ribbon. The cross was of the same color, with two-headed eagles between the ends. In the center was depicted A. Nevsky on horseback. On the back of the sign was the saint's monogram. The star was made of silver, in its middle there was A. Nevsky's monogram. Around him was the order's motto: "for labors and the Fatherland."

The order's clothing was a long scarlet epancha. It was made of velvet and trimmed with white taffeta. The hat is also velvet, but black. A white feather with a scarlet one was attached to it. Like the rest of the orders, this award had its own seal, the diameter of which was 7.5 cm. The image of a star was placed on it. Around it was a ribbon to which a cross was attached.

The order had a master of ceremonies. He was supposed to wear a badge around his neck. The secretary and 2 heralds wore them in a buttonhole. The dress of the master of ceremonies differed only in the epancha, the length of which was shorter and there was no star on it. In addition, this person was entitled to a cane with a knob.

Over time, the signs have changed several times. This happened for the first time in 1819. The scarlet glass, which covered the fields of the cross, was replaced with enamel. The first specimens with enamel were made by A.V. Panov.

After that, in 1856, the shape of the eagles changed. They began to correspond to the eagles on the country's coat of arms - their wings were raised. The following year, the gold standard from which the signs were minted changed. 72 was replaced by 56.Since 1845, on the signs awarded to non-Christians, instead of A. Nevsky, a two-headed eagle was placed.

Since 1855, crossed swords began to be placed on the signs that a person was awarded for military exploits. Until 1854, those who were awarded, when they were awarded them, also received embroidered stars. The latter were made of silver thread. In addition, silver sparkles, foil, and other details were used in their manufacture.

Similar products differed from each other in size. They did not need to be returned to the Chapter after the death of the owner. Since 1854, at the presentation of the order, stars made of 84 silver are provided.

Order badges set with diamonds

In the "Institution" adopted under Paul, it was specifically said about the rules for wearing signs that are trimmed with precious stones. It was noted that no person is allowed to wear the insignia of any order, trimmed with diamonds or other jewelry. The only exceptions were the signs bestowed by the king.

As a result, insignia with jewels began to be considered senior degrees of the order. Such awards were allowed to remain in the family of the gentleman. Such products were quite expensive (up to 20 thousand rubles in banknotes). Holders of such signs had the right to hand them over to the Emperor's Cabinet and they were given an amount equal to the price of the award. So, for example, did the hero of Borodin N. Raevsky, who made a gift to his daughter with the funds received. One tenth of the cost of the award went to charity.

In total, from the moment of the publication of the "Establishment" until the 17th year of the 20th century, 1275 persons received diamond signs. Among them were 24 orders with swords. Twice 5 people received signs with jewels. Among them are Count F. Palen, composer S. Taneyev.

Temple of the Order

From the moment of its consecration, the Trinity Cathedral became the temple of the Order of St. A. Nevsky. The consecration procedure was carried out by Metropolitan Gabriel. The ceremony was attended by the winners of the award, including Tsarina Catherine II. The date of consecration is 08/30/1790. At the same time, the relics of the saint were brought into the cathedral under the shots from the cannons.

The queen made luxurious gifts to the temple. Among them was the golden image "Prayer for the Chalice", made by Italian masters, several expensive paintings by famous artists, and much more. The next year, the Feodorovsky building was reconstructed. A special hall was built there for the owners of the order. In 1797, the entrance to the cathedral was decorated with the image of the order.

Every year on August 30, all the cavaliers were located near the tomb of A. Nevsky. It was silver. It was completed in the middle of the 18th century from a sketch for the Grotto at the Mint. Today the tomb is an exhibit of the Hermitage. On the left side of it was the image of the Vladimir Mother of God. According to legend, it was owned by Alexander Nevsky himself.

Since 1743, a religious procession took place on this holiday. People walked along Nevsky Prospect to the Lavra. Knights of the order and even tsars took part in this event.

Charity

According to the decree of the king, starting in 1747, the holders of the order were obliged to engage in charity. They were supposed to supervise the Moscow and St. Petersburg orphanages. They were in charge of the Invalid House in Moscow and other institutions. The cavaliers were obliged to observe the shelters for the poor, to do much more.

Tsar Paul established a special commission. And it included 6 holders of the order. The task of the commission was to monitor all institutions sponsored by the order. The members of the commission changed every four years. In addition to this charitable activity, the gentlemen had to pay 200 rubles to the Chapter at one time. The money went to the needs of the sponsored institutions.

Tsar Alexander II doubled the contribution in 1960. The amount remained unchanged until the 17th year. The fee was also supposed to be passed for the application of the seals of the order to the diploma for the award. If swords complained about the award, the cavalier was obliged to pay 200 rubles.

But Emperor Peter I died without having time to carry out his intentions. The first awards of the new order took place already during the reign of Empress Catherine I on May 26, 1725, on the wedding day of Princess Anna Petrovna and Duke of Schleswig-Holstein Karl-Friedrich (who later established the Order of St. Anna in honor of his wife). Among the 18 gentlemen were not only military, but also civilians. Thus, the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky became an award for both military service and government service.

Statute of the Order

On August 30, 1725, on the anniversary of the transfer of the relics of St. Blessed Grand Duke Alexander Nevsky, Empress Catherine I assumed the insignia of his order, which significantly increased the status of this award.

The statute of the order was published on April 5, 1797. From the same year, the insignia of the order began to be decorated with diamonds, which was its highest degree. Such orders were awarded to both Russian and foreign citizens. The statute does not establish a limit on the number of cavaliers.

By the Decree of August 5, 1855, "the Orders awarded for military exploits" were joined by crossed swords passing through the middle of the cross and stars.

The motto of the order: "For Labor and Fatherland."

The order consists of signs: a golden cross with the image of St. Alexander Nevsky, a red ribbon and an eight-pointed star.

The order was worn: a cross on a ribbon 10 cm wide over the left shoulder, a star on the left side of the chest.

Description of the order

The cross is gold, covered with red enamel on the obverse and reverse sides. On the obverse, in the middle of the cross, in a rosette, on a white field, is the image of St. Alexander Nevsky on horseback. On the reverse side of the order, in a rosette, on a white field, the monogram "SA" (Saint Alexander) under the Prince's Crown. Between the ends of the cross there are two-headed eagles under the imperial crown, with spread wings, with which they are connected to each other.

Silk moire red ribbon.

The star is silver eight-pointed. In the center of the star, in a rosette, on a white background, the monogram "SA" under the princely crown. Along the circumference, on a red background, the inscription "For Works and Fatherland" is inscribed in gold letters. Below are two laurel twigs filled with green enamel.

Symbols, shrines and awards of the Russian state. part 1 Kuznetsov Alexander

Order of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky

The establishment of the Order of the Holy Prince Alexander Nevsky was conceived by Peter I back in 1724, when the relics of the right-believing prince, the defender of the Russian land, were transferred from Vladimir to St. Petersburg. During the preparation of the campaign to Persia, Peter I developed the main provisions of the statute of the future order, but did not manage to award anyone with this order. For the first time, the order was granted by Catherine I, after the death of Peter I, on May 23, 1725 - on the day of the wedding of Peter's daughter Anna with the Duke of Holstein-Gottorp Karl-Friedrich.

Order of Alexander Nevsky

Peter I intended a new order "in rewarding heroic deeds" on the battlefields, that is, he intended to make it exclusively a military award: it was not for nothing that he named it after the outstanding commander who defended the Russian lands from the Swedish and German invaders. However, already Catherine I, having bestowed the order on the guests who arrived at the wedding, violated this plan. Since then, the Order of Alexander Nevsky was given according to the statute "as a reward for labors, for a lifelong fatherland," that is, for merits both in the military and in the civil service. A special military order - St. George - was established only 44 years later.

The cross of the Order of Alexander Nevsky is gold, covered with red enamel on both sides. However, this type of cross was regulated only by the decree of 1816, while earlier the insignia of the order were made of "ruby" glass. Between the ends of the cross were golden double-headed eagles under the imperial crown and with spread wings. In the middle of the cross there is an image of Alexander Nevsky, in a red and blue robe, sitting on a white horse. The horse could be turned both to the right and to the left. Usually in this image there is a hand blessing the rider from the clouds. On the reverse side of the cross is the Latin monogram SA (Saint Alexander) under the princely crown. The star of the order is silver, in the center of it on a white field is the monogram SA, around it along the red field is the order's motto: "For labor and fatherland." The red moire ribbon of the order was worn over the left shoulder, the star was worn on the left side of the chest. The rules for wearing the Order of Alexander Nevsky had their own peculiarities: the cross was worn on a ribbon at the hip, with a star only on solemn occasions, usually with a frock coat, on the neck, on a narrower ribbon. The cross and the star, awarded for military exploits since 1855, began to attach two crossed swords passing through the middle.

Star of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, decorated with diamonds

According to its statute, the Order of Alexander Nevsky was quite high - it was not divided into degrees or classes. All those who were awarded "Andrew the First-Called" were his cavaliers: if they did not have the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky before, it was awarded to them along with the St. Andrew's ribbon. But this did not happen often. The Order of St. Andrew the First-Called was awarded earlier than the Order of Alexander Nevsky to members of the imperial family, as well as European monarchs, members of their families, foreign statesmen and military leaders. In 1812, the Order of Alexander Nevsky was awarded only six times (among the recipients were the famous generals N.N. Raevsky, P.P. Konovnitsyn, A.I. Osterman-Tolstoy). In the same year, six more people who already had simple insignia of the order received diamond ones (including F.P. Uvarov, M.A.Miloradovich, D.S.Dokhturov, M.I. Platov).

The order sometimes celebrated "special" services to the tsar. So, at the beginning of 1826, the Order of Alexander Nevsky was awarded to Count K. F. Tol (with diamonds) “for zeal on the day of December 14, 1825” and L. O. Rot for the defeat of the rebellious Chernigov regiment raised by the Decembrists. And by the end of the century, "Alexander Nevsky" became a traditional award for elderly dignitaries who held high government posts. Many dignitaries of Alexander's cavaliers - in civilian, military and court uniforms, with a red ribbon over their left shoulder - fill the meeting room of the State Council in the famous painting by I.E. Repin (1902).

Badge, star and ribbon of the Order of Alexander Nevsky, which belonged to Alexander I

The hero of KM Stanyukovich's novel "The Terrible Admiral" was also awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky: “As before, he invariably got up at six o'clock, took a cold bath, drank coffee with hot 'toast' and cold ham and, dressed by eight o'clock in a frock coat (and on holidays in a frock coat with epaulets), with the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky around his neck and with George in his buttonhole, he set off, no matter what the weather, on his usual walk, which lasted an hour or two and entertained the old man. " It is well known that the prototype of the "formidable admiral" was the writer's father, Admiral M. N. Stanyukovich. Stanyukovich Sr. served for a long time on the Black Sea, in his youth he sailed on the ships of the British fleet under the command of Admiral Nelson, and in his old age he was transferred to St. Petersburg, where he received an honorary coastal place - in the Admiralty Council.

The Order of Alexander Nevsky, as already mentioned, was a high award. Neither P. S. Nakhimov nor V. A. Kornilov, contemporaries and associates of M. N. Stanyukovich, were able to reach him. But the names of the heroes of the defense of Sevastopol are known to everyone, and MN Stanyukovich is remembered only in connection with his son-writer. Suffice it to say that the admiral was transferred to St. Petersburg at the height of the defense of Sevastopol in 1855, and he received the Order of Alexander Nevsky only in 1862, after 7 years of meetings in the Admiralty Council, that is, when he was actually out of work ... The awarding of MN Stanyukovich with the order was more a tribute to old age than a recognition of his military merits.

Badge of the Order of Alexander Nevsky with swords

One of the most worthy holders of the Order of Alexander Nevsky was the remarkable Russian traveler and scientist Pyotr Petrovich Semenov-Tyan-Shansky. With the insignia of this particular order, he is depicted in the painting by IE Repin "Meeting of the State Council". The scientific activity of P. P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky was extremely diverse; he was a botanist, entomologist, geologist, but above all a geographer. His greatest merit is the study of Inner Asia. Before his travels about the Tien Shan they knew almost nothing, perhaps the most complete source of information about the Heavenly Mountains were the notes of the Buddhist monk Xuan Zang, dating back to the 7th century. The journey of P. P. Semenov in 1856-1857 became a true discovery of the mountains of Central Asia, and for his expedition he was awarded in 1858 the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree.

Metal star of the Order of Alexander Nevsky

Since 1849, the whole life and scientific activity of P.P. Semyonov has been associated with the Imperial Russian Geographical Society, opened in 1845 and united the leading scientific and social forces of the country. In 1873, P.P.Semenov was elected vice-chairman of the society, that is, he actually became its leader, and remained so until the end of his life. He was the direct organizer of numerous expeditions to Central Asia - N. M. Przhevalsky, N. N. Potanin, P. A. Kropotkin, M. V. Pevtsov, and also N. N. Miklukho-Maclay to New Guinea. Fundamental works on the geography of Russia were published under his leadership. Outstanding merits of P.P.Semenov-Tyan-Shansky as vice-chairman of the Geographical Society and were awarded in 1881 with an honorary award - the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky.

From the book Symbols, shrines and awards of the Russian state. part 1 the author Kuznetsov Alexander

Order of the Holy Prince Vladimir Equal to the Apostles The Order of the Holy Prince Vladimir

From the book Symbols, shrines and awards of the Russian state. part 2 the author Kuznetsov Alexander

Order of St. Stanislav The Order of St. Stanislav was the youngest among Russian orders. It was first established in Poland by King Stanislaw August Poniatowski in 1765. In 1831, he, like the Order of the White Eagle, was ranked among the orders of the Russian Empire.

From the book of 100 great necropolises author Ionina Nadezhda

The Order of Alexander Nevsky The Order of Alexander Nevsky (the author of the project is the architect I. Telyatnikov) was a convex five-pointed star against the background of a regular decagonal plate. The star is covered with ruby-red enamel with gilded rims. V

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (AL) of the author TSB

Order of St. George By the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation V.V.Putin dated August 8, 2000, the statute of the Order of St. George was approved. Like the Imperial Order of St. George, the current order is also the highest military award of our state, it also contains

From the book Great Soviet Encyclopedia (ZhI) of the author TSB

The Order of St. Vladimir The first award was the Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Grand Duke Vladimir, the Baptist of Russia in 988 (in the East, the baptists were the holy apostles, the founders of local churches). This order exists in three degrees. 1st degree award -

From the book Petersburg in street names. The origin of the names of streets and avenues, rivers and canals, bridges and islands the author Erofeev Alexey

Order of the Holy Blessed Prince Daniel of Moscow This is the second order established by the Holy Synod on December 27-28, 1988. And it is no coincidence that he is dedicated to this saint. From Daniel - the son of Alexander Nevsky - came the growth of the Moscow princes Rurikovich. He founded

From the book of 100 great mysteries of Russian history the author Nepomniachtchi Nikolai Nikolaevich

The Order of the Holy Martyr Tryphon of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, St. Prince Daniel and St. Princess Olga are not the only awards instituted under the leadership of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II. February 22, 1995 Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church

From the book Russian Literature Today. New guide the author Chuprinin Sergei Ivanovich

ARK AND CANCER OF ALEXANDER NEVSKY In May 1723, Peter I, being in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra of St. Petersburg, “ordered the relics of Alexander Nevsky found in the Vladimir Nativity Monastery to be transferred here”. To transfer the holy relics of the faithful and

From the book All About Paris the author Belochkina Yulia Vadimovna

CEMETERY OF THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE HOLY PRINCE VLADIMIR IN TEGEL The historical corner of Berlin is the Tegel district, where the scientists, the brothers Alexander and Wilhelm Humboldt, lived and were buried. Once Tegel was located quite far from Berlin, and here the Russian brotherhood in the name of

From the book Legendary Streets of St. Petersburg by the author

RUSSIAN FAITHFUL SONS (NAMED AFTER ALEXANDER NEVSKY) Established in 2000 by the Russian general political movement "Sons of Russia" (leader Viktor Stolpovskikh). Awarded in the following nominations: Poetry; Prose; Journalism. The cash equivalent of the prize is $ 2,000. The first chairman of the jury was

From the author's book

St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Paris is the main Orthodox church in France. The full name is St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Paris. The construction of the church was carried out with donations made by Russians in Russia and around the world.

From the author's book

Alexander Nevsky Square and Street Both names are associated with the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, dedicated to the holy noble Prince Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky (1220–1263). According to a widespread legend, it was here in 1240 that he defeated the Swedes in the Battle of the Neva.