Page:The Book of Orders of Knighthood and Decorations of Honour of All Nations.djvu/523

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DECORATIONS.

a broad orange coloured ribbon with three black stripes, and by the second class round the neck.

The cross of the third and fourth classes is of smaller size, and is worn by the former round the neck, and by the latter at the button-hole.

The Knights of the first two classes have besides, fastened to the left side of the coat, a star (No. 12), bearing in its middle the initial of St. George, and in the Russian language, the motto of the Order: 'For military merit and valour.'

As a fifth class, may be considered the Silver Cross of St. George (Tab. ITI. No. 14), instituted in 1807 by the Emperor Alexander, as a reward for the sub-officers and men who had distinguished themselves in those warlike times. An additional pay of one third accompanied the grant of the cross.

By a decree of the 22nd October 1814, the Russian crosses which had been distributed amongst the Prussian soldiers, after the campaigns of 1813 and 1814, were to be transferred, after the death of the first recipients, to those who stood next on the list of proposed candidates.

THE ORDER OF SAINT VLADIMIR.

Was founded on the 22nd September, (4th October,) 1782, by the Empress Catharine II. on the anniversary of her coronation, to the memory of the Great Vladimir, who introduced, in 976, Christianity into his States, and received from his people the prefix of Apostle.

Paul I. suffered this Order also to fall into disuse, while his son Alexander renewed it together with that of St. George.

It is an Order of general merit in Military or Civil life, in literary, artistical or scientific spheres of study. It consists