Country: | Russia | Established: | Established on 7 May 1765 by Stanislas August Poniatowsky, the independent king of Poland, the Order of Saint Stanislas was adopted as a Russian Order in 1831 by Emperor Nicholas I, who served as its Grand Master until 1917. | Classes: | Three | Criteria: | Initially awarded to any person for "Christian virtues," the Order of Saint Stanislas entitled recipients of the first class to hereditary nobility. It was also awarded for a distinguished career in civil or military service. For military valor, recipients received it with crossed swords. |
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