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Order of St. Andrew the First-Called list of those awarded before 1917. To whom and for what is the Order of the Apostle St. Andrew the First-Called awarded

In Rus', as it were, knightly orders did not exist, probably because they were dense and we didn’t have knights in those memorable times; we sat in the swamps and prayed to tree stumps! It was in Europe that they were all knights galloping. However, upon closer examination it turns out that all ancient history The orders of Europe are divided into two stages - mythical and real, but the real one begins, at best, from the first half of the 19th century, like the Order of the Welfs, for example. In most cases, the orders turn out to be “restored” from the forties of the 19th century.
In Russia, the highest order, both before and now, is considered to be the Imperial Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called - the first Russian order to be established, the highest award Russian Empire until 1917. In 1998, the order was restored as the highest award Russian Federation. Order holiday November 30 (December 13).https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Apostle_Andrew_the First-Called


The history of this order has extremely interesting details! Well, very curious!
If we put aside all the fluff, the history of the order goes like this...

The order was established by Peter I on August 30, 1698, according to one certificate. In modern literature, November 30 is indicated as the day of establishment of the order, although in fact this date is the day of remembrance of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called according to the old style.

Although the order began to be awarded, there was no officially approved statute. The draft statute of 1720 is known, then there was the draft statute of 1744 (which contained differences from the statute of 1720), but Only in 1797, under Paul I, the statute was approved and published for the first time.

What did the order look like from Peter to Paul? Here's the description...

The insignia of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called consisted of:

A cross sign, the main image of which was St. Andrew the First-Called, crucified, according to legend, on an X-shaped cross; on the four ends of the cross are the letters: S.A.P.R., which means Lat. Sanctus Andreus Patronus Russiae - Saint Andrew is the patron saint of Russia. The badge was worn near the hip on a wide blue silk ribbon over the right shoulder.
A silver eight-pointed star with the motto of the order “For Faith and Loyalty” placed in its central medallion. The star was worn on the left side of the chest above all other awards.
On especially solemn occasions, the sign of the order was worn on the chest on a gold figured chain covered with multi-colored enamels (see photo). The Order of St. Andrew the First-Called was the only one of all Russian orders that had a chain.

That is, there seemed to be an order, but there was no status of the order and it was only introduced by Paul the First (Petropavlovsk again)

Under Paul I there was a ban on decorating the order precious stones at your own discretion. On April 5 (16), 1797, Emperor Paul I signed a special decree, which became the first official statute of the imperial order of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle.

Paul I was the first to bestow orders on clergy. Paul also legalized the awarding of all male infants without exception - the Grand Dukes with the Order of Andrew at baptism, and the princes of the imperial blood - upon reaching adulthood.

For awarding the order, like other Russian orders of that time, except for the Order of St. George, a fee was charged from the recipient. So, in the middle of the 19th century, for being awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, the recipient had to pay 500 rubles to the Chapter of the Russian Imperial and Royal Orders. The proceeds went to 12 pensions for cavaliers in order of award and to charity - the order patronized the St. Petersburg and Moscow orphanages.
Very mysterious story with these educational homes, but this is a separate story, for those who are interested, here https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orphanage_(St. Petersburg)
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orphanage_in_Moscow
And again this is the time of Paul the First!

And of course, in the middle of the 19th century, the Order underwent reform!!!

Since 1855, the insignia of the order received for military exploits was joined by two crossed golden swords, placed on top of the cross, and on the star in the center.
Since June 17, 1856, a blue enamel ribbon has been added to the appearance of the badge between the upper crown and the double-headed eagle. This form of the order badge existed until 1917.

This Order, as expected, has an Order Temple and it is very interesting!
St. Andrew's Cathedral (official name - Cathedral of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called) - orthodox cathedral on Vasilyevsky Island in St. Petersburg, standing at the intersection of Bolshoy Prospekt and the 6th line, an architectural monument of the 18th century. https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/St. Andrew's_Cathedral_(St. Petersburg)

The architecture is very unique; it reminds me of both a Gothic temple and a mosque, which, as expected, has four minarets.
..."The temple was built in a mixed style, close to the Renaissance style. The main dome of St. Andrew's Cathedral is framed by four domes, the refectory connects the main volume with a two-tier hipped bell tower (1784-1786). The walls are decorated with pilasters and cut through with high semi-circular windows. The temple has not only very beautiful appearance, but according to art historians, its best decoration is a carved gilded three-tier iconostasis in the taste of Rastrelli, 17 meters high (8 fathoms). At one point in the history of the cathedral, even its roof was painted in green color(green is the color of the order's robe)"

The history of the temple is as always - first it was wooden, then they built something there, then they built it, then there was a clap of lightning and everything burned down! The real stone temple was built at the end of the 18th century under Paul!
..."On April 5 (16), 1797, by decree of Emperor Paul I, St. Andrew's Cathedral was given the name: "Cavalier Class I". Until 1813, it housed a special royal place, and it also became the order's temple of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. In connection with this, the insignia of the order were placed above the entrance to the temple, supported by angels (winged carvings)."

In the middle of the 19th century, as expected, there was a reconstruction, surprisingly coinciding with the reform of the Order.
...
In 1848-1850, side aisles were added (architect N.P. Grebenka), in 1857-1858 the interior was decorated (architect A.M. Gornostaev).
In the 1870s, a heating and ventilation system was installed in the cathedral according to the design of D. D. Sokolov and A. R. Geshvend.

Yes, they write that initially the temple was not heated and services were not held in frosty weather!
Another interesting detail of the order is that no more than 12 Russians could be holders of the order at the same time. The total number of holders of the order (Russian and foreign citizens) should not exceed twenty-four people.
In 1798, the order's attire of the Cavaliers was also approved. It consisted of a green velvet cloak, lined with white fabric, with a collar on top of silver brocade with silver cords and the same tassels. On the left side of the cloak there is an embroidered Star of the Order. The clothes under the white brocade cloak are trimmed with gold braid and with a cross on the chest made of the same braid. Cashmere pants, white silk stockings, a black velvet hat with white and red feathers and a St. Andrew's cross made of sky-blue ribbon.

Excerpts from the order's statute of 1892:

No exact merits are determined by law for achieving this order, and the awarding of it depends solely on the Royal attention to the service and distinctions of senior government officials.
Has only one degree. Consists of a cross, a silver star and a blue ribbon over the right shoulder. At the ends of the St. Andrew's cross there are four Latin letters "S.A.P.R.", which means "St. Andrew - Patron of Russia."

By all indicators - a typical knightly order, and of the highest standard - only twelve local knights and the same number of foreign ones!

Higher state award Russia is the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called. An order with this name existed in Tsarist Russia. After Soviet Union ceased to exist, the sign was restored in accordance with Presidential Decree No. 757 of July 1, 1998.

Story

By the time of its establishment, this order became the first in Tsarist Russia. It was founded by Peter I in 1698. For 16 years he remained the only one. Only in 1714 did the second Russian order appear - St. Catherine. They were awarded the Order of St. A. First-Called Person at the behest of the sovereign.

After the collapse of the USSR, the Russian Federation began to form its own award system. Soviet awards have lost their relevance. Only a few of them were left, and then with changes. Many royal orders and medals returned, including the Order of St. A. the First-Called.

Who is awarded

Outstanding state and public figures of the Russian Federation who have great merits who contributed to the prosperity and glory of our country can become holders of the order. The award can be given to leaders of foreign states who have performed significant services to the Russian Federation.

The order should be worn on a special order chain or on a cross-shoulder ribbon. A cross with a chain is worn in the most solemn situations. The intershoulder ribbon is thrown over the right shoulder. The star of the order is pinned on the left. Her place is to the left of the other orders, under the order blocks.

If a person has been awarded for military exploits, he receives a badge and a star with swords. All attributes of the order are almost identical to the pre-revolutionary ones. The main difference is that Cavaliers do not receive annual pensions.

Appearance of the insignia of the order

The award consists of four parts. These are the sign, star, chain and ribbon. The sign is made in the form of a silver cross in the form of the letter “X”. Bright blue enamel is applied to its surface. On the cross is the crucified St. A. the First-Called. There is a gilded letter at each end of the cross. These are “S”, “A”, “P”, “R”, which are an abbreviation - Sanctus Andreas Patronus Russiae. Translated from Latin, this means Saint Andrew, Patron of Russia.

The cross is in front of a gilded 2-headed eagle. There are 3 crowns on the birds' heads. In the claws are the 2 lower rays of the cross. On the back, on the eagle chest, on a white enamel belt there are black letters. This is the motto of the order: “For faith and fidelity.” The sign is attached to a bright blue ribbon. For this purpose, the central, large crown has a special eyelet. The dimensions of the sign are 8.6×6.0 cm. The flight width is 10 cm.

The star is also minted from silver. It has 8 rays, in the middle there is a round medallion on which scarlet enamel is applied. On it there is a gilded 2-headed eagle, on the heads of which there are 3 crowns. On the bird's chest there is a cross in the shape of the letter "X", the rays of which are coated with bright blue enamel. Along the edge of the medallion is a bright blue enamel belt edged with gold. On it are written in gold letters the words: “For faith and fidelity.”

At the bottom of the belt there are 2 crossed laurel branches. They are covered with green enamel and tied with a gilded ribbon. The opposite rays of the star are located at a distance of 8.2 cm from each other. The star is attached to clothing with a pin.

There are 17 silver links in the order's chain. There are 3 types of them, and they alternate among themselves. On the 1st view there is the coat of arms of the Russian Federation - a 2-headed eagle. On his chest is a round red shield with a colored image of a mounted warrior. There are seven such links. The 2nd view shows a blue enamel shield. It has the gilded monogram of Peter I. There are four such links. The 3rd type consists of red enamel rosettes, on which gilded stripes are applied, similar to radiance. St. Andrew's cross is placed on the rosettes. There are six such links.

In the case when a person is awarded an award for military exploits, 2 crossed gilded swords are added to the cross and star. On the cross the dimensions of each sword are 4.7 × 0.3 cm, on the star - 5.4 × 0.3 cm.

You can wear the ribbon without signs. On the uniform it is attached to a bar 1.2 cm high, on civilian clothes - in the form of a rosette with a diameter of 2.2 cm.

Awardees

The first recipient of the award was D.S. Likhachev, full member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Award decree No. 1163 was signed on September 30, 1998. Literally a week later, the famous Russian gunsmith M.T. was awarded. Kalashnikov. The third holder of the order (October 11, 1998) was the President of Kazakhstan N.A. Nazarbayev.

At the same time as Nursultan Abishevich he was awarded famous writer A. Solzhenitsyn. However, the latter refused to accept the order, citing the fact that he would not be able to accept awards from the authorities, whose actions brought the country to the verge of destruction.

A total of 16 awards were held. Among the holders of the order are very famous personalities- 5 writers, four scientists, two singers, three presidents, one clergyman and one military man. Two gentlemen are Heroes of the Russian Federation. Only S. Shoigu has an order with swords.

I.K. Arkhipova

Wonderful Opera singer Irina Arkhipova was born in 1925. She entered the Gnesin school and first studied piano with O. Golubeva. Then O. Gnesina became her teacher. At the same time, she was a member of the school choir.

After the Second World War, she entered the architectural institute in Moscow. At the same time, I studied vocals in a group. After graduating from university, in 1948 she entered the conservatory in Moscow. Her teacher was L. Savransky. Arkhipova completed her studies in 1953, after which she became a soloist at the Sverdlovsk Opera House. After 2 years, she went to work at the Bolshoi Theater.

She received love and recognition from audiences all over the world by singing Carmen in Bizet's opera. In addition to working at the Bolshoi, she was involved in concert activities. She performed works by the best Russian and foreign composers. She often sang romances. She performed a lot abroad.

In 1974 she became a teacher at the Moscow Conservatory. She remained in this position until 2003. Since 1966, she has almost always headed the jury of the International Competition. Tchaikovsky in the category “solo singing”. She was a jury member of many famous international vocal competitions.

She became a Knight of the Order of A. the First-Called on January 2, 2005. She died at the beginning of 2010. Her grave is at the Novodevichy cemetery.

D.S. Likhachev

The first holder of the order, D. Likhachev, who was called the “conscience of the nation,” was born in 1906 into a family of Old Believers. He studied at a gymnasium, a real school, and then a labor school. He entered Leningrad State University at the Faculty of Social Sciences. At the beginning of the 28th he was arrested. The basis is membership in the student circle “Space Academy of Sciences”. Immediately before his arrest, he gave a presentation on Russian spelling.

He received a 5-year sentence for counter-revolutionary activities and served it in Solovki. During my stay at SLON I wrote my first scientific work. At the end of the 31st he was transferred to the construction of the White Sea-Baltic Canal. He was released in 1932; in 1936, his conviction was cleared. Before the Second World War he worked at the Pushkin House of the Academy of Sciences. In 1941 he became a candidate of sciences, in 1947 he became a doctor.

In 1953 he became a laureate of the Stalin Prize, in 1953 he became a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences. In 1967 he was elected honorary doctor of Oxford. In 1970 he became an academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences. In 1986 he turned 80 years old. In this regard, Likhachev was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor.

In 1989 he became a people's deputy of the USSR. He died in the fall of 1999. The grave is located in the cemetery in Komarovo. I was never a member of the CPSU, and I was also anti-Soviet. He made a huge contribution to the study of ancient Russian literature.

S.V. Mikhalkov

The Order of A. the First-Called was awarded to the famous fabulist on March 13, 2008. Sergei Vladimirovich was born in 1913. He began writing and publishing poetry quite early. In 1935 the famous “Uncle Styopa” was released. Stalin really liked one of his poems, “Svetlana”. This changed the life of the young poet; he joined the Writers' Union and soon became one of the most famous writers in the country.

During World War II he worked as a war correspondent. He wrote several plays, and films were based on his scripts (in particular, the popular “Three Plus Two”). Until 1943, the national anthem was “Internationale”. The decision was made to replace him. The author of the words of the new anthem was Mikhalkov (together with El-Registan). In 2000, he wrote the words to the Russian anthem.

Hero of Socialist Labor. Winner of Lenin and several Stalin prizes. Since 1967 - Honored Artist of the RSFSR. For a long time headed the Writers' Union of the RSFSR. He died on August 27, 2009 from pulmonary edema at the age of 96 years. He had three children - a daughter and two sons, Andrei and Nikita. Both became famous film directors.

The Order of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle has a sign and a star.

The badge of the order is an oblique cross made of silver with gilding, covered with blue enamel, with the image of the crucified figure of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called on it. At the ends of the cross there are golden letters “S”, “A”, “P”, “R” (Sanctus Andreas Patronus Russiae - Saint Andrew the Patron of Russia). The cross is superimposed on a relief gilded figure of a double-headed eagle, crowned with three crowns, connected by a blue-enameled ribbon, and supporting the lower ends of the cross with its paws. On the reverse side of the sign, on the chest of the eagle, there is a ribbon covered with white enamel. On the ribbon, in straight letters covered with black enamel, is written the motto of the order: “FOR FAITH AND LOYALTY”; under the ribbon is the number of the badge. The badge is attached to the order ribbon using an eyelet on the reverse side of the middle crown. Sign height - 86 mm, width - 60 mm.

The order's ribbon is silk, moire, blue color, width 100 mm.

The star of the order is silver, eight-pointed. In the center of the star, in a round medallion covered with red enamel, there is a gilded relief image of a double-headed eagle crowned with three crowns; on the eagle's chest is an image of a St. Andrew's (oblique) cross covered in blue enamel. Around the medallion there is a border covered with blue enamel with gilded edging. On the border, in straight gilded letters, is the motto of the order: “FOR FAITH AND LOYALTY.” At the bottom of the border there is an image of two crossed laurel branches, covered with green enamel and tied with a gilded ribbon. The distance between the ends of the opposite rays of the star is 82 mm. On the reverse side of the star, in the lower part, is the number of the star of the order. The star is attached to clothing with a pin.

The order chain consists of 17 alternating links of three types: a gilded image of the State Emblem of the Russian Federation in the form of a double-headed eagle with a shield on the chest round shape with a horseman made in colored enamels slaying a dragon with a spear; crowned with a crown and framed with military fittings, a cartouche covered with blue enamel, in the center of which is placed the gilded applied monogram of Peter I; gold-plated rosette in the form of a radiance with a medallion covered with red enamel. A blue St. Andrew's (oblique) cross passes through the middle of the rosette, between the ends of which the letters “S”, “A”, “P”, “R” are placed. The chain links are connected by rings. The chain is made of silver with gilding using hot enamels.

For those awarded for distinction in military operations, two crossed gilded swords are added to the badge and star of the order. On the badge of the order they are located under the middle crown above the double-headed eagle. The length of each sword is 47 mm, width is 3 mm. On the star of the order they are located on the diagonal rays of the star, under its central medallion. The length of each sword is 54 mm, width is 3 mm.

The ribbon of the order on uniform is worn on a bar 12 mm high, the width of the ribbon is 45 mm. For those awarded for distinction in military operations, the ribbon additionally contains two miniature crossed gilded swords

On the ribbon of the order in the form of a rosette is attached a miniature image of the insignia of the order made of golden-colored metal with enamel. The diameter of the socket is 16 mm.

For those awarded for distinction in military operations, on a ribbon in the form of a rosette there are additionally two miniature intersecting gilded swords, which do not extend beyond the rosette in size.

Statute of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle

    The Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called is awarded to prominent government and public figures, outstanding representatives of science, culture, art and various sectors of the economy for exceptional services that contribute to the prosperity, greatness and glory of Russia.

    The Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called can be awarded to heads (leaders) of foreign states for outstanding services to the Russian Federation.

    The badge of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle is worn on the order chain or on the shoulder ribbon. When wearing the badge of the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle on the shoulder ribbon, it passes over the right shoulder.

    Wearing the badge of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called on the order chain is carried out, as a rule, on especially solemn occasions or if the recipient has the Order of St. George, 1st degree.

    The star of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle is worn on the left side of the chest and is located below the orders worn on blocks.

    Those awarded for distinction in military operations are awarded the badge and star of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle with swords.

    When wearing the ribbon of the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle on the bar, it is located above other order ribbons.

    When wearing the ribbon of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called in the form of a rosette, it is located on the left side of the chest above other order ribbons in the form of rosettes.

    After the recipient of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called is awarded, the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation ensures the production of a portrait of the recipient of the order.

    A portrait of the recipient of the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called is exhibited at the State Central Museum modern history Russia.

Editor's response

The motto of the order is “For faith and fidelity.” The order badge looks like a St. Andrew's cross, usually covered with blue or light blue enamel with the image of a crucified saint. At the ends of the cross are the Latin letters SAPR (Sanctus Andreas Patronus Russiae - St. Andrew the Patron of Russia).

When and by whom was the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called established?

Historical sources indicate that the order was established by the emperor Peter I December 10, 1698. According to the old style, this day falls on November 30 - the day of remembrance of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called.

Peter I with the sign of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called on a blue St. Andrew's ribbon and a star on his chest. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Jean-Marc Nattier

It is assumed that Peter I, who had just returned from, wanted to have in his state an order similar to those that he learned about in England.

During Peter's lifetime, the order was the only one in the Russian Empire. The first holder of the order was diplomat Fyodor Golovin, and this happened on March 20 (March 10, old style) 1699.

The Order was awarded, but there was no officially approved statute. The draft statute of 1720 is known, then there was the draft statute of 1744, but only in 1797, when Paul I the statute was approved and published for the first time.

Initially, the eight-pointed star of the order was not metal, but embroidered (“The eight-pointed star of the order should be sewn on the caftan and epanche, in the middle of it there is a golden field in which there is a silver cross”). Only the badge of the order was issued - a cross. Although historians claim that stars began to be made of silver only in early XIX century, with Alexandra I, in the portrait of Peter I the star does not look like fabric. From the description of the order's badge before the reign of Paul I:

“The order badge has two sides: the front one represents the image of St. Andrew hanging on the so-called St. Andrew’s Cross, represented by an oblong image in the form of an oblique cross on which this holy Apostle was crucified.... On the back side there is a double-headed eagle with three gold crowns, indicated by a golden and bluish shadow on the wings. This cross should be gold with diamonds, enamel, decorated with a diamond crown, costing about 85 rubles, hung through hooks on loops made of solid gold. The angels holding the crown over him should be embroidered in silver, the crown in gold, and the words “For faith and fidelity” serve as an inscription or motto. However, the gentleman can give several diamonds and other expensive stones to the Treasurer for use on the cross and decorate it at his own will.”

Badge on the order chain and star of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle. From the collection of the State Historical Museum. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Maxim Razin

Cavaliers of the order, according to the charter, had to have the highest noble or state rank, military rank not lower than a general. The recipient of the order had the right to the rank of lieutenant general if he was in a lower rank. The gentlemen were required to have a considerable fortune in order to “support the importance of this event.” No more than 12 Russians could be holders of the order at the same time. The total number of holders of the order (Russian and foreign citizens) should not exceed twenty-four people.

In 1798, the order's attire of the Knights was approved. It consisted of a green velvet cloak, lined with white fabric; the collar on top was made of silver brocade with silver cords and the same tassels. On the left side of the cloak there is an embroidered Star of the Order. The clothes under the white brocade cloak are trimmed with gold braid and with a cross on the chest made of the same braid. Cashmere pants, white silk stockings, a black velvet hat with white and red feathers and a St. Andrew's Cross made of sky-blue ribbon.

Before 1797 (the accession of Paul I to the throne), in almost 100 years, 231 people became holders of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. Over two centuries, from 900 to 1100 people received the order.

Under Paul I, there was a ban on decorating the order with precious stones at one’s discretion. On April 5 (new style, 16) April 1797, Emperor Paul I signed a special establishment - the first official statute of the imperial order of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle.

Paul I was the first to bestow orders on clergy. Paul also legitimized the awarding of the Order of St. Andrew to infants - male grand princes at baptism, and princes of imperial blood - upon their attainment.

Since 1855, two crossed golden swords, placed on top of the cross and on the star in the center, were added to the insignia of the order received for military exploits.

In 1917, awarding of the order was discontinued in Soviet Russia. The last holder of the order by right of birth was Prince of the Imperial Blood Roman Petrovich (1896-1978).

On July 1, 1998, by decree President of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin(No. 757) the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called was restored as the highest award in Russia.

Who is being awarded the Order of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called now?

The presidential decree states that the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called is awarded to:

  • outstanding state and public figures and other citizens of the Russian Federation for exceptional services contributing to the prosperity, greatness and glory of Russia;
  • for outstanding services to the Russian Federation - heads and leaders of governments of foreign states.
  • for distinction in military operations, the badge and star of the Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called with swords are awarded.

Rules for wearing the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. On the left is an option for special occasions. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

The insignia of the order remained unchanged, with the exception of the provision that the ribbon without the order on civilian clothing is worn in the form of a rosette, and on uniform clothing - on a bar. The first holders of the order were Academician D. S. Likhachev, small arms designer M. T. Kalashnikov, President of Kazakhstan N. Nazarbayev And His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II.

In June 2008, at a Sotheby’s auction, a diamond star for the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, made around 1800, was sold for 2,729,250 pounds (about $5.4 million), which became an absolute record not only for Russian awards, but also for orders in general. At the same auction, a set of the order with badge and silver star, made between 1908 and 1917, was sold for £1,721,250.

Who was Andrew the First-Called?

Apostle Andrew, or Andrew the First-Called, was one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ, and was also the brother of the Apostle Peter.

According to the Gospel, John the Baptist pointed out Jesus to the brothers Andrew and Peter: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” Andrew was the first to follow Christ, which is why Andrew is usually called the First-Called. At that time, the Lord Jesus Christ came to John the Baptist on the Jordan for baptism, and he, pointing to the Lord, said to his disciples: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” Hearing this, Andrew and John followed Jesus. The Lord, seeing them, asked: “What do you need?” They said: “Rabbi (Teacher), where do you live?” “Come and see,” Jesus answered, and from that time they became His disciples. On the same day, the Apostle Andrew went to his brother Simon Peter and told him: “We have found the Messiah.” So Peter joined the disciples of Christ.

Francisco de Zurbaran. Saint Andrew Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

However, the apostles did not immediately devote themselves entirely to the apostolic title. The Gospel says that brothers Andrew and Simon Peter and brothers John and James had to return to their families and take care of their regular work- fishing. A few months later, the Lord, passing by Lake Galilee and seeing them fishing, said: “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they left their boats and nets and from that day became constant disciples of Christ.

Together with other disciples, Apostle Andrew was an eyewitness to the crucifixion of Christ and later testified to His Resurrection.

Tradition says that after the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples, each of them went to preach the teachings of Christ. Andrew the First-Called headed to the East: passed Asia Minor, Thrace and Macedonia, ended up on the coast of the Black Sea, passed through Crimea and from there reached the place where the city of Kyiv is now located. Having passed through the lands where the Slavs lived, he returned to Thrace, where he founded a Christian community in a small town of Byzantium at that time.

The last city visited by the Apostle Andrew was the Greek city of Patras. Andrew the First-Called converted most of its inhabitants to Christianity. However, the ruler of Patras, Egeates, remained a pagan, and called the teachings of the apostle madness. By his order, Andrew the First-Called was crucified on an oblique cross, but for three days he remained alive and continued to preach. Only after praying that the Lord would take him to himself, Andrew the First-Called accepted martyrdom.

The apostle's body was taken down from the cross and buried by Aegeates' wife Maximilla, whom Andrew the First-Called had cured of a serious illness. In 357, the relics of the saint were transferred to Constantinople, and in 1458 they were placed in Rome, in St. Peter's Cathedral. After some time, the Cross was enclosed in an icon case shaped like a cross, and in 1980 it was returned to Patras and placed in the Church of St. Andrew.

What does the Cross of St. Andrew the First-Called symbolize?

It is believed that during his journey to eastern countries he visited the ancient Slavs and predicted the emergence of the city of Kyiv, where “God will erect many churches.” They say that on the territory of future Rus', Andrei left his pectoral (breast) cross and tirelessly preached Christianity.

Since the time of Peter the Great, Apostle Andrew was considered the patron saint of St. Petersburg, and the Cross of St. Andrew the First-Called became a symbol of the Russian fleet and is depicted on the St. Andrew’s flag: there is a blue cross on a white cloth.

The Grand Embassy is the diplomatic mission of Russia in Western Europe in 1697-1698. The embassy was sent to Austria, Saxony, Brandenburg, Holland, England, Venice and the Pope. The embassy's route went through Riga and Koenigsberg to Holland and England, from England the embassy returned back to Holland, and then it visited Vienna; The embassy did not reach Venice.

The custom of tying newborn boys with a blue ribbon, and newborn girls with a pink ribbon, goes back to the above-mentioned decree of Paul I to award each born Grand Duke at baptism with the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, and the Grand Duchesses with the Order of St. Catherine.

*** Historically, meaning an organization whose members wear signs of belonging to it, the word “order” in Russia now, as a rule, is used to refer to a state award.

Badge of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle.

And the imperial order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called was highest award in the Russian Empire. The first to receive it was Peter I's comrade-in-arms, Count Fyodor Golovin, in 1699. In Soviet times, the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called was not awarded. And the award was restored only in 1998 - as the highest in the Russian Federation.

The oldest in the Russian state

When Peter the Great undertook to reshape his state in a European manner, he needed to establish official awards - after all, the order system did not exist in the Russian kingdom.

The Order of St. Andrew was created in 1698 or 1699 - after the return of Tsar Peter from the Great Embassy to Europe, where he carefully studied how everything worked among his neighbors. Thus, it became clear that due to the inconsistency of our diplomatic ceremonies, the Russians seemed barbaric to foreigners - in particular, due to the fact that we could not present our orders in response to those presented. In Europe, they wanted to award young Peter with the Brandenburg Order of Generosity and the British Order of the Garter, but he refused them, since he could not respond “on an equal footing” with his own order.

Peter I with the sign of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called on a blue St. Andrew's ribbon and with a star on his chest. Painting by J.-M. Nattier. 1717. Hermitage

Dmitry Levitsky. Portrait of Empress Catherine II (1794, Novgorod Museum)

Dmitry Vladimirovich Golitsyn. Hood. Franz Riess, 1835

Portrait of Alexander I as a child. Artist: Dmitry Levitsky.

Portrait of Grand Dukes Alexander Pavlovich and Konstantin Pavlovich as children. Artist Heide. 1790

Oblique Order Cross

The badge of the order is an oblique, so-called St. Andrew's cross. According to legend, the Apostle Andrew, condemned to torture, chose him out of humility, so as not to imitate Jesus Christ in his death. (And the Apostle Peter, for the same reason, asked to be crucified upside down.)

The Apostle Andrew died around 70 AD. e. in Patras, in modern Greece, on the site of his death, a cathedral now stands in his honor. An Orthodox relic is also kept there - the wooden cross of Andrew, which was taken from Byzantium by the crusaders in 1250, was kept in Marseille and only in 1980 was transferred to Greece.

Latin abbreviation

At the four ends of the order’s cross are the Latin letters “S.A.P.R.”, which stands for “Sanctus Andreus Patronus Russiae” (“St. Andrew, Patron of Russia”), because, according to legend, the apostle preached the gospel in Rus'.

It is also decorated with the motto “For Faith and Fidelity.” The heraldic figure of a double-headed eagle did not appear in the design of the order immediately. The order was worn on a blue moire ribbon, and on special occasions - on an order chain.

Star of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. Kremlin, XVIII century

Ribbon of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called

Chain of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. Kremlin.

Star of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called

Gift for baby

The order quickly became a symbol of imperial power. Already in the Peter the Great era, the image of a chain with the St. Andrew's Cross appeared on state seals.

Starting with Ioann Antonovich, all members imperial family males received the order at birth. Princes of imperial blood (the title appeared in the 2nd half of the 19th century) were given it upon coming of age. Romanov girls were similarly given the highest female order of the country - St. Catherine.

Nikolay Lomtev. Apostle Andrew the First-Called erects a cross on the Kyiv mountains

Badge of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. OK. 1800. Hermitage

Badge of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called with swords. Kremlin, 19th century

Cross of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. Kremlin, XVIII century

Required for coronation

The Order of St. Andrew was not only awarded to subjects of the empire and foreigners for their merits. Along with the crown, mantle, orb and scepter, it became a necessary regalia during the coronations of emperors.

This custom arose in the 18th century - the era palace coups, to legitimize the occupation of the throne by claimants who had no legal right to the throne. This was especially true for women - autocratic empresses, who did not receive the order in advance, at birth, and placed its signs on themselves.

Russian coronation regalia. Coronation album of Alexander II. 1856

Small plate from the service of the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called (St. Andrew's service). 1778–1780. Hermitage

Basically, these imperial orders are kept in the collection of the Moscow Kremlin Museums. Some, however, were sold by the Bolsheviks (especially those decorated with diamonds). The situation is improving: for example, on December 9, 2015, in the Grand Kremlin Palace, as part of ceremonial events, dedicated to the Day Heroes of the Fatherland, gifts from patrons of the arts were transferred to the museum funds - a badge of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called made of smoky quartz, which belonged to the heir to the throne Pavel Petrovich - the future Emperor Paul I and Catherine the Great.