Order of Saint Stanislaus, with relief
(Miniature), Civilian Type
民事版聖斯坦尼勳章
(迷你版)
Item number: M330
Year: AD 1831-1917
Material: Gold and Enamel
Size: 23.5 x 23.5 x 11.5 mm
Weight: 2.9 g
Provenance: Morton and Eden 2024
This is a Third Class Order of Saint Stanislaus, awarded to civilians and lacking the sabre embellishment. This order was issued in three distinct classes; however, this miniature version makes it difficult to discern its specific class.
Grades of Order | Way of Wearing |
First class | Order may be worn on a grand cordon on the right shoulder, plus an 8-pointed star on the left chest. |
Second class | Order may be worn by men on a collar, without the Star since AD 1839. |
Third class | Order may be worn by men on the left chest. |
Based on the miniature bow, the recipient of this medal was likely a woman. In this miniature version, the imperial double-headed eagle details have been omitted. The colour scheme of the rosette is also quite intriguing: the thin yellow line in the upper part reflects the colours of the Order of Saint Anne, while the two white lines in the lower part are the official colours of the Order of Saint Stanislaus.
It is noteworthy that the abbreviation “SS” on the obverse side of Order represents the Catholic Saint Stanislaus, providing insight into the recipient’s Christian faith. In cases where the awardee follows a different religion, the decoration is substituted with the black double-headed eagle, symbolizing the empire. As Saint Stanislaus is a Catholic saint, this decoration is not conferred upon Eastern Orthodox clergy.
The Order of Saint Stanislaus can be considered one of the most complex and intricate decorations in Russian history. This Order did not originate in Russia but was established in AD 1765 by Stanisław August Poniatowski, the ruler of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at that time. It was created in honor of the 11th-century Polish Catholic saint of the same name, Stanisław. The decoration features a red enamel cross with enamel covering only one side. Four Polish eagles are set between the arms of the cross, and the front of the order depicts the image of Saint Stanislaus, with the abbreviation “SS” representing the saint’s name on the sides. The Maltese cross on these orders features enamel in either black or red, depending on the manufacturer.
In AD 1815, with the annexation of Poland by the Russian Empire and the dual role of the Russian Tsar Alexander I as the King of Poland, the Order of Saint Stanislaus was preserved according to the constitution of the Kingdom of Poland. Additionally, it was expanded to include four classes. Initially, the order was conferred only on Polish residents. However, after the failure of the November Uprising in AD 1831, when Poland came fully under Russian rule, Tsar Nicholas I incorporated the order into the Russian system. Consequently, the Saint Stanislaus Order transformed into a Russian decoration, and its appearance changed. The Polish eagles were replaced by the double-headed eagle symbolizing the Tsar, and the image of Saint Stanislaus on the obverse disappeared, leaving only the initials on both sides.
In AD 1839, with the abolition of the fourth class, the Order of Saint Stanislaus, third class, became the lowest-ranking Order in the Russian Empire. It was even conferred on individuals such as regional school teachers or private tutors with fifteen years of service. For instance, the renowned playwright Anton Chekhov received the third class of the Order of Saint Stanislaus for his “outstanding enthusiasm and special work as a trustee of the Tarasov rural school.” From 1815 to 1917, the third class of the order was awarded nearly 750,000 times. During the reign of the last Tsar, Nicholas II, from AD 1903 to 1911, the annual number of awards reached an astonishing 5,300 to 15,750 medals.
After the February Revolution in AD 1917, following the fall of the Russian Empire, the Order of Saint Stanislaus continued as one of the few remaining old reward systems retained by the Provisional Government. However, the crown decoration on top of the double-headed eagle was removed, and due to wartime resource shortages, the order was manufactured using a gold-plating technique. Interestingly, after the rise of the Soviet regime and the assassination of the last imperial family, the Romanovs continued to confer this order while in exile in the West.
Since the AD 1970s, there has been a proliferation of “self-proclaimed Orders of knighthood” awarding this order. However, authoritative bodies such as the “Burke’s World Orders of Knighthood and Merit” and the “The International Commission for Orders of Chivalry” affirm that only the Polish government and the Romanov family have the legitimate authority to confer this Order.
In the AD 1990s, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the establishment of the “H.I.H. Chancellery of the Regular Grand Ducal House of Russia” by the Romanov family, the head of the family, Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, conferred the Order of Saint Stanislaus more frequently than her predecessors. As of AD 2012, there were approximately 150 knights of various ranks, mostly Russians, with very few foreign recipients.
物件編號: M330
年代: 公元 1831-1917 年
材料: 黃金, 琺瑯
尺寸: 23.5 x 23.5 x 11.5 mm
重量: 2.9 g
來源: 莫頓與伊登 2024
該勳章為授予民事人員,不帶有佩劍裝飾的聖斯坦尼勳章。此勳章總共分為三個等級,然而這枚迷你版令人無法分辨其確實的等級。
勳章等級 | 配帶方式 |
第一級 | 以大綬形式配帶, 左胸側再別有八芒的星章。 |
第二級 | 以領綬形式配帶,於公元1839年取消星章。 |
第三級 | 以胸綬形式配帶於左胸側。 |