Russian tradition of the Knights Hospitaller: Encyclopedia II - Russian tradition of the Knights Hospitaller - 19th Century - Bolshevik Revolution of 1917

Russian tradition of the Knights Hospitaller - 19th Century - Bolshevik Revolution of 1917

In 1802, the mission of the Corps des Pages is broadened to a military academy, based on the ideals of the Order of St John. Graduating officers were made Knight Commanders of the Order and entitled to wear the Maltese cross. In 1810, the school was moved to the palace of the Sovereign Order of St John of Jerusalem. It continued at this location in St. Peterburg for over one hundred years (until the revolution). [6]

Following Imperial Decrees of Alexander I of Russia in 1810/1811, a fiscal and legal separation of the Russian tradition of St John from the main Roman Catholic HQ was created (The main motive of the Decrees was undoubtedly to gain the property and money of the Russian branch for Alexander's war chest in his struggle against Napoleon). As early as May 1802, Lord St. Helens (British Minister to the Court of Russia) informed the Hon. Arthur Paget (Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Court of Austria) that the Russian Emperor was going to make the Russian Priory "an independent and separate Community", which would have stripped “perhaps nine-tenths of the Revenues that constituted the” Order’s principal income! Although the Emperor did not take this action in 1802, by 1810, necessity forced the independence. The Russian Order from 1810, was akin to the German JohanniterOrder, a Johannine tradition, but legally separate.

Some authors have claimed that Emperor Alexander I abolished the Russian Grand Priory/and or the Order based on Decree for 1810, which has been badly misread, Misleading even Russian Authors such as V.A.Durov. In fact the Decree of 1810 Ukase 24.134 - 26 February 1810, which removed the Order’s property, specifically states that the Order is still to continue, and that “All the expenses connected with the maintenance and running of the Order should be paid from the State Treasury” cited from the Ukase.

A further decree was issued in 1817 forbidding Army Officers from wearing their decorations because they received them from outside of Russia, from a foreign Bailiff of the Roman Catholic Order, which no longer existed in Russia, post 1810. No such decree was ever issued concerning members of the non-Roman Catholic Russian Grand Priory, and in fact the reverse was true.

One of the leading French Bailiffs of the Military Order of Malta, who had studied the Russian tradition provided a footnote in his book; “Nevertheless, the Tsars have exceptionally authorised the eldest sons of the descendants of hereditary commanders to wear the decorations. Such an authorisation can be cited in the military service records of 19 October 1867. One can also find the name of Demisoff, in his quality as hereditary commander in the Almanach de Gotha (1885, p. 467 and 1923, p. 556) and in the Almanach de St Petersbourg, 1913/14 p. 178” Pierredon, Count Marie Henri Thierry Michel de, Histoire Politique de l'Ordre Souverain de Saint-Jean de Jerusalem, (Ordre de Malte) de 1789 à 1955, Vol 2, page 197.

In the Division of Petitions of His Imperial Majesty's Chancery, for 1912, Record No. 96803 (to Count Alexander Vladimirovitch Armfeldt), there is this citation; “His Majesty, having heard my respectful report about Your petition, this day of 15 November, has Most Graciously acceded to grant you the right to wear the insignia of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, with the transfer of this right, after your death, to your son, Count Vladimir Armfeldt, but not before he attains majority.”

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "19th Century - Bolshevik Revolution of 1917", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki