| Imperial Order of Saint Catherine Императорский Орден Святой Екатерины | |
| Awarded By: | Head of the House of Romanov (claimant) |
| Type: | Dynastic Order |
| Motto: | "For Love and Fatherland" |
| Eligibility: | women |
| Status: | Rarely constituted |
| Head Title: | Sovereign |
| Head: | Head of the House of Romanov |
| Head2 Title: | Grand Mistress |
| Head2: | Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia (disputed) |
| Grades: | Dame Grand Cross Dame |
| Date: | 24 November 1714 1714 – 1918 (National Order) 1918 - Present (House Order) |
| House: | House of Romanov |
| Religion: | Russian Orthodox |
| Higher: | Imperial Order of Saint Andrew |
| Same: | Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky |
| Lower: | Imperial Order of the White Eagle |
| Ribbon: | Red with Silver thread on either side. |
The Imperial Order of Saint Catherine (Russian: Императорский Орден Святой Екатерины) was an award of Imperial Russia. Instituted on 24 November 1714 by Peter the Great on the occasion of his marriage to Catherine I of Russia. For the majority of the time of Imperial Russia, it was the only award for women; the Insignia of Saint Olga existed briefly from 1916 to 1917, but ceased with the fall of the Romanov dynasty.
The statutes of the Order were first published in 1713, and the order was under the patronage of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the patron 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 her Grand 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 the Romanov Family Association.
The award was bestowed in two classes:
Every Russian Grand Duchess was conferred the Grand Cross of the Order at her christening (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 of Great Britain was made a Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Catherine by Alexander II, and Princess Alice 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 prince Alexander Menshikov, son of Aleksandr Danilovich Menshikov, closest friend of Emperor Peter 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, the feast day of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The Order met for a celebration of the Divine 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 the Great 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 the throne room for the Empress Consort. To this day, in the Russian Federation uses this room to receive foreign dignitaries.