The Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle the First-Called () is the highest order conferred by both the Russian Imperial Family (as an order of chivalry) and by the Russian Federation (as a state order). Established as the first and highest order of chivalry of the Russian Tsardom and the Russian Empire in 1698, it was removed from the honours system under the USSR before being re-established as the top Russian civil and military order in 1998.
Russian Empire Origins The Order was established in 1698 by Tsar Peter the Great, in honour of Saint Andrew, the first apostle of Jesus and patron saint of Russia. It was bestowed in a single class and was only awarded for the most outstanding civilian or military merit.
Peter learned of the practice of bestowing awards from his travels in the West during the Great Embassy. In the past, service to the Russian state was rewarded with money or large estates. He witnessed first hand the awards ceremonies for England's Order of the Garter and Austria's Order of the Golden Fleece and noticed the loyalty and pride of the awardees. It also saved the state land and money.
Count Fyodor Golovin was the first Knight of the order. Until the Russian Revolution of 1917, just over one thousand awards had been made. During the monarchy, Knights of the Order of St. Andrew also automatically were granted hereditary nobility and received the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, the Order of the White Eagle, the Order of Saint Anna and the Order St. Stanislaus Knight Grand Cross. Moreover, recipients of lower ranks were automatically promoted to the rank of lieutenant general or vice admiral. The Order of Saint Andrew continues to be awarded by the Russian Imperial House in exile, with most recent investitures having been conferred in 2021. The first post-revolutionary presentation was to Prince Georgy Konstantinovich of Russia on attaining his dynastic majority in April 1923.:ru:Пожалования титулов и орденов Российской империи после 1917 года
Due to a of the order, the French phrase Cordon Bleu, initially associated with Order of the Holy Spirit, also referred to knights St Andrew's order.Венчание русских государей на царство. Couronnement des souverains Russes.Jean-Henri Schnitzler. Secret History of the Court and Government of Russia Under the emperors Alexander and Nicholas
Insignia The insignia of the order consisted of:
Badge: an enamelled crowned black double-headed eagle bearing a blue St. Andrew's Cross (saltire) with St. Andrew crucified upon it; on the arms of the saltire were the Latin letters 'SAPR' ('St. Andrew, Patron of Russia'). It was worn on a pale blue sash over the right shoulder, or on special occasions on an elaborate 'collar' (chain). Star: eight-pointed silver star bearing a miniature of the badge on a golden background at the centre, surrounded by the motto "For Faith and Loyalty" (Russian: Za Veru i Vernost') on a blue ring. It was worn on the left chest.
The insignia of the order could be awarded "with diamonds" as a special distinction. Saint Andrew's Cathedral in Saint Petersburg was the chapter church of this order of chivalry.
Knights List of notable Knights
Sir John Acton, 6th Baronet Prince Adalbert of Prussia (1811–1873) Prince Adalbert of Prussia (1884–1948) Adolf Frederick, King of Sweden Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge Adolphus Frederick V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Alois Lexa von Aehrenthal Ahmad Shah Qajar Albert I of Belgium Prince Albert of Prussia (1809–1872) Prince Albert of Prussia (1837–1906) Albert, King of Saxony Albert, Prince Consort Archduke Albrecht, Duke of Teschen Alexander I of Russia Alexander I of Serbia Alexander I of Yugoslavia Alexander II of Russia Alexander III of Russia Alexander Kurakin (1697) Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine Duke Alexander of Oldenburg Prince Alexander of Prussia Prince Alexander of the Netherlands Duke Alexander of Württemberg (1771–1833) Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich of Russia Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich of Russia Alexei Nikolaevich, Tsarevich of Russia Alexei Petrovich, Tsarevich of Russia Alfonso XIII of Spain Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Alfred, Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Alfred I, Prince of Windisch-Grätz Amadeo I of Spain Gyula Andrássy Grand Duke Andrei Vladimirovich of Russia Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark Anna Leopoldovna Anna I of Russia Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick Anton II of Georgia Anton Egon, Prince of Fürstenberg-Heiligenberg Fyodor Apraksin Stepan Fyodorovich Apraksin Nikolai Arkharov Alexander Armfelt Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt Prince Arnulf of Bavaria Prince Arthur of Connaught Prince August, Duke of Dalarna Prince August of Württemberg Augustus II the Strong Augustus III of Poland Prince Augustus of Prussia Augustus, Grand Duke of Oldenburg Pyotr Bagration Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly Aleksandr Baryatinsky Maximilian de Beauharnais, 3rd Duke of Leuchtenberg Vasili Bebutov Alexander von Benckendorff Levin August von Bennigsen Prince Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1792–1862) Louis-Alexandre Berthier Andrew Bertie Alexey Bestuzhev-Ryumin Mikhail Petrovich Bestuzhev-Ryumin Ivan Betskoy Alexander Bezborodko Aleksandr Bibikov Ernst Johann von Biron Peter von Biron Otto von Bismarck Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher Yevgeny Bolkhovitinov Boris III of Bulgaria Constantin Brâncoveanu Franciszek Ksawery Branicki George Browne (soldier) Jacob Bruce Duke Louis Ernest of Brunswick-Lüneburg Bernhard von Bülow Alexander Buturlin Friedrich Wilhelm von Buxhoeveden Leo von Caprivi Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland Carlos I of Portugal Infante Carlos María Isidro of Spain Carol I of Romania William Cathcart, 1st Earl Cathcart Catherine I of Russia Catherine the Great Charles I of Württemberg Charles X Charles XIII Charles XIV John Charles XV Charles Albert of Sardinia Charles Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Charles Augustus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1844–1894) Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden Charles Michael, Duke of Mecklenburg Prince Charles of Hesse and by Rhine Prince Charles of Prussia Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen Charles, Grand Duke of Baden Alexandra Feodorovna (Charlotte of Prussia) Alexey Cherkassky Zakhar Chernyshev Ivan Chernyshyov Piotr Grigoryevich Chernyshev Vasily Chichagov Chlodwig, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst Joachim Chreptowicz Christian VIII of Denmark Christian IX of Denmark Christian X of Denmark Chulalongkorn Andrzej Ciechanowiecki Constantine I of Greece Constantine II of Greece Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski Ivan Delyanov Grand Duke Dmitry Konstantinovich of Russia Vasily Dolgorukov-Krymsky Alexey Grigoryevich Dolgorukov Vasily Andreyevich Dolgorukov Vasily Vladimirovich Dolgorukov Mikhail Dragomirov Duarte Pio, Duke of Braganza John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham Edward VII Prince Eitel Friedrich of Prussia Elizabeth I of Russia Johann Martin von Elmpt Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick Prince Ernest Augustus, 3rd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg Archduke Ernest of Austria (1824–1899) Fredrik von Essen Peter Essen Archduke Eugen of Austria Prince Eugen, Duke of Närke Fuad II of Egypt Ferdinand I of Austria Ferdinand I of Bulgaria Ferdinand I of Romania Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies Ferdinand II of Portugal Ferdinand VII of Spain Archduke Ferdinand Karl of Austria Archduke Ferdinand Karl Joseph of Austria-Este Prince Ferdinand of Bavaria Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha William Fermor Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor Francis IV, Duke of Modena Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein Franz Joseph I of Austria Archduke Franz Karl of Austria Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg Frederick the Great Frederick III, German Emperor Frederick IV of Denmark Frederick VI of Denmark Frederick VII of Denmark Frederik VIII of Denmark Frederik IX of Denmark Frederick August I, Duke of Oldenburg Frederick Augustus III of Saxony Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Frederick Francis III, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Frederick Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Frederick I, Grand Duke of Baden Frederick II, Grand Duke of Baden Prince Frederick of Prussia (1794–1863) Frederick I of Württemberg Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany Frederick William II of Prussia Frederick William III of Prussia Frederick William IV of Prussia Frederick William, Elector of Hesse Frederick William, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Prince Frederick of the Netherlands Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia (1828–1885) Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen Archduke Friedrich of Austria (1821–1847) Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu Prince Fushimi Sadanaru Gavriil Gagarin Duke Georg Alexander of Mecklenburg-Strelitz George I of Greece George IV George V George XII of Georgia Grand Duke George Alexandrovich of Russia Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia (1863–1919) Prince George of Greece and Denmark Prince George, Duke of Cambridge George, King of Saxony Duke George of Oldenburg Prince George of Prussia Alexander von Güldenstubbe August Neidhardt von Gneisenau Alexander Mikhailovich Golitsyn Dmitry Mikhailovich Golitsyn the Elder Dmitry Mikhailovich Golitsyn the Younger Fyodor Alexeyevich Golovin Gavriil Golovkin Agenor Maria Gołuchowski Alexander Gorchakov Ivan Goremykin Daniil Granin Aleksey Greig Guangxu Emperor Samuel Greig Ivan Gudovich Iosif Gurko Gustaf V Gustaf VI Adolf Gustav IV Adolf Gustav III Gustav, Prince of Vasa Haakon VII of Norway Wilhelm von Hahnke Prince Heinrich of Hesse and by Rhine Prince Henry of Prussia (1862–1929) Heinrich VII, Prince Reuss of Köstritz Prince Henry of Prussia (1781–1846) Prince Henry of the Netherlands (1820–1879) Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Heraclius II of Georgia Prince Hermann of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (1825–1901) Iosif Igelström Irakli Bagration of Mukhrani Ivan VI of Russia Archduke John of Austria Prince Johann of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg Johann I of Saxony John VI of Portugal Duke John Albert of Mecklenburg Archduke Joseph of Austria (Palatine of Hungary) Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg Archduke Joseph Karl of Austria Mikhail Kakhovsky Karl Anton, Prince of Hohenzollern Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Karl Heinrich von Nassau-Siegen Karl Leopold, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria Karl Philipp, Prince of Schwarzenberg Prince Karl Theodor of Bavaria James Francis Edward Keith Hermann Karl von Keyserling Jan Hendrik van Kinsbergen Patriarch Kirill of Moscow Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich of Russia Pavel Kiselyov Karl Friedrich von dem Knesebeck Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich of Russia Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich of Russia Konstantin of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst Apostol Kostanda Wincenty Krasiński Prince Kuni Kuniyoshi Alexander Kurakin Alexey Kurakin Boris Kurakin Mikhail Kutuzov Jacques-Joachim Trotti, marquis de La Chétardie Peter Lacy Louis Alexandre Andrault de Langeron Jean Lannes Sergey Stepanovich Lanskoy Leonida Bagration of Mukhrani Leopold I of Belgium Leopold II of Belgium Leopold IV, Duke of Anhalt George Maximilianovich, 6th Duke of Leuchtenberg Sergei Georgievich, 8th Duke of Leuchtenberg Nikolai Linevich Mikhail Loris-Melikov Émile Loubet