- Time Period: Pre-WW1
- Year of Institution: 1831
- Country: Russia & USSR
The Order of the White Eagle (or О рден Бе лого Орла in Russian) is an Imperial Russian Order established by Emperor Nicholas I of Russia in 1831. A recipient of the Order was granted the title Knight of the Order of the White Eagle.
The white eagle had been associated with Poland even prior to statehood, first appearing on the Polish Coat of Arms in the 13th century. The original Order of the White Eagle (or “Order Orła Białego” in Polish) was established by King Władysław I in 1325. After the Third Partition of Poland in 1795, the Order briefly disappeared along with the Polish monarchy. The order was resurrected in 1807 by Napoleon I in his short-lived Duchy of Warsaw. When the Congress of Vienna divided the Polish lands among Prussia, the Austrian Empire, and the Russian Empire in 1815, the Order was officially “annexed” by Nicholas I on 17 November 1831 and became part of the Russian Imperial honors system.
The Imperial Order of the White Eagle Design
The Russian design of the Order featured significant alterations compared to its Polish predecessor.
The badge was struck in gold and decorated with red enamels. On the obverse, the original red maltese cross and white eagle were reduced in size and superimposed over the double-headed eagle of the Russian Empire. The reverse featured the original Polish badge design, superimposed over the Russian imperial eagle. The star now featured the Russian royal crown.
On 25 January 1832, a blue ribbon and sash were introduced.
