On July 1, 1998, by decree of the President of the Russian Federation, the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called was reinstated. It is the highest state award of the Russian Federation
According to historical records, the Order was established by Peter I on August 30, 1698. Andrew the First-Called, a disciple of Jesus Christ, is traditionally believed to have spread Christianity in the territory of future Russia and is considered the patron saint of Russia. He was crucified around 70 A.D. in Greece on an X -shaped cross (St. Andrew’s Cross), which influenced the design of the award insignia. Although the order was being awarded since 1699, there was no officially approved statute for it. A draft statute was known in 1720, followed by another draft in 1744, but it was only in 1797 under Paul I that the statute was […]