| Imperial Order of Saint Catherine Императорский Орден Святой Екатерины | |
|---|---|
 Star of the order. | |
| Awarded by Head of theHouse of Romanov (claimant) | |
| Type | Dynastic Order |
| Royal house | House of Romanov |
| Religious affiliation | Russian Orthodox |
| Ribbon | Red with Silver thread on either side. |
| Motto | "For Love and Fatherland" |
| Eligibility | women |
| Status | Rarely constituted |
| Sovereign | Head of the House of Romanov |
| Grand Mistress | Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia (disputed) |
| Grades | Dame Grand Cross Dame |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Imperial Order of Saint Andrew |
| Next (lower) | Imperial Order of the White Eagle |
| Equivalent | Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky |
 Ribbon of the order | |
TheImperial Order of Saint Catherine (Russian:Императорский Орден Святой Екатерины) was an award ofImperial Russia. Instituted on 24 November 1714 byPeter the Great on the occasion of his marriage toCatherine I of Russia. For the majority of the time of Imperial Russia, it was the only award for women; theInsignia of Saint Olga existed briefly from 1916 to 1917, but ceased with the fall of theRomanov dynasty.
The statutes of the Order were first published in 1713, and the order was under the patronage ofSaint Catherine of Alexandria, thepatron saint of the Empress. On 24 November 1714, on the Empress'name day, Peter the Great personally bestowed the insignia of the Order upon the Empress Catherine, creating herGrand Mistress of the Order. However, no further members were inducted until 1726. Today,Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna is acknowledged as Grand Mistress of the Order by Burke's World Orders of Knightood and Merit,[1] and by the International Commission on Orders of Chivalry.[2] This right is disputed by some members of theRomanov Family Association.
The award was bestowed in two classes:
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Every RussianGrand Duchess was conferred the Grand Cross of the Order at herchristening (or marriage into the Romanov family), and Princesses of the Imperial Blood were invested upon attaining their majority at 18.
In addition to the royal members, a fixed number (106) of other members were permitted by the statutes:
The 12 Dames Grand Cross were typically female members of foreign ruling houses.Queen Alexandra ofGreat Britain was made a Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Catherine byAlexander II, andPrincess Andrew of Greece was also a member of the Order.
The only known award of the order to a male was in 1727 to then 13-year-old princeAlexander Menshikov, son ofAleksandr Danilovich Menshikov, closest friend of EmperorPeter I of Russia.
The Dames Small Cross were all women of the highest nobility, who were part of the suite of the Empress and had engaged in important philanthropic or charitable works outside of their duties at Court.
The Order of Saint Catherine's annual function was held on 24 November [O.S. 7 December], thefeast day of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The Order met for a celebration of theDivine Liturgy. Then, wearing the robes and the insignia of the Order, the women of the Imperial Family, followed by the 106 Dames Grand and Small Cross would go in procession from the Imperial Chapel to a banqueting hall specially prepared for the occasion. The Hall of Saint Catherine in theGreat Kremlin Palace in Moscow was used for these occasions. The coloring and decoration of the hall incorporate those of the Order. The hall also served as thethrone room for the Empress Consort. To this day, in theRussian Federation uses this room to receive foreign dignitaries.
