Order of St. Anna

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The Order of St. Anna (Russian: Орден святой Анны) was a Holstein and then Russian order of chivalry established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp in the honour of the 10th anniversary of his marriage with Anna Petrovna on 14 February 1735. The motto was "Amantibus Justitiam, Pietatem, Fidem" ("Loving the Truth, Piety, Fidelity"). The Order's day was 3 February.

1 History
2 Insignia
3 Rules of bearing
4 External links

[edit] History

Initially, the order had one degree and was named the "Order of Anna". According to the statute of 1735, its sign consisted in a "gilded", direct, enameled, red cross in the middle of which on the right was represented Anna's image, and on the left - the initials "A.J.P.F.", standing for "Anna, emperor Peter's daughter" in Latin. The same letters made an abbreviation of the medal motto in a Latin writing.

In 1742 Charles Peter Ulrich, the Duke's son, was declated the heir apparent to the Russian throne. Upon his arrival to Russia, he presented the order to several courtiers. On 5 April 1797, the day of his son's coronation, the order was included into decorations system of Imperial Russia and was divided into three degrees. Also, the order was renamed "Order of Saint Anna".

Members of the imperial family were the hereditary commanders of the order and received it simultaneous with the Order of St. Andrew. For the lower ranks there was the Sign of St. Anna (after 1815 known as the Order of 4th degree).

The title of Chekhov's well-known story Anna on the Neck refers both to the order and to the heroine.

[edit] Insignia

Order of St. Anna, 1st degree

Order of St. Anna, 2nd degree

Order of St. Anna, 3rd degree

Order of St. Anna, 4th degree

[edit] Rules of bearing

1st degree: Cross on a ribbon in width 10 cm. through the left arm, star on the right side of breast;
2nd degree: Cross on the neck on the tape with a width of 4,5 cm.;
3rd degree: Cross on the neck on the tape with a width of 2,2 cm.;
4th degree: Cross on the sword hilt of silent weapon with the sword-knot from the orders ribbon.

With the award of the order of the highest degree the signs of the lowest degrees are not worn, with exception of the signs of the order of the 4th degree on the silent weapon.