The Maltese Cross on Russian Badges, 1897-1916

© Author: Craig Barclay 1999

No topic relating to the history of the Order of St John has provoked more controversy or acrimony than question of whether, following the confiscation of the property of its Hereditary Commanderies in 1810-11, the Russian Orthodox Priory ceased to exist. Almost without exception, nineteenth century sources concede that the priory did indeed survive in one form or another, although in recent years a more sceptical attitude has been adopted by some authors.

During the closing years of the nineteenth century, it became very fashionable both for the military and for public servants to commission badges in celebration of important anniversaries relating to their regiments or organisations. As these badges were intended to be worn by their recipients whilst in uniform, it was necessary for the designs to receive the formal approval of the Emperor.

Although non-commissioned ranks frequently received base-metal badges free of charge, officers were expected to purchase their badges from approved jewellers. These badges were generally made in gold or silver, skilfully enamelled and accordingly very expensive. They were also produced to a very high quality, a fact which has led to them remaining much sough-after and highly collectible to the present day.

The most accessible guide to these badges was produced by Serge Andolenko and Robert Werlich in 1972. Printed in the USA in a limited edition of only 500 copies, Badges of Imperial Russia became the standard work both in the Soviet Union and the West. In recent years the weaknesses of the book in terms of breadth of coverage have become more obvious, and it has recently been supplemented by a number of new works authored in Russia. Even a cursory examination of Werlich and Andolenko does however highlight a surprising fact: the Maltese cross was a dominant symbol on the officially approved badges during the reign of Nicholas II.

Such a dominance may in part be explained away by reference to the fact that many of these badges were commissioned by army regiments or other bodies founded during the reign of Paul I. That the white cross might be adopted to commemorate a founder who took such an intense personal interest in the Order of Malta doubtless provides us with part of the explanation for this symbolic explosion.

Sight should not however be lost of the key fact that these badges were produced in a spirit of Russian patriotism, and that the intention of the symbolism can hardly have been to celebrate a surviving Catholic chivalric Order. To those who designed and wore these badges - as well as the Emperor who approved them - the white Maltese cross must surely have been recognised as a familiar and appropriate Russian symbol. The spirit of Paul’s Priory was clearly very much alive at the dawn of the twentieth century.

Catalogue.
What follows is a listing of those badges incorporating the white Maltese cross authorised during the period 1897-1916 which are known to the author. Where known, the date of foundation of the issuing regiment or organisation is recorded. All badges have been organised according to the date upon which they received Imperial approval. It is freely admitted that this is a purely provisional catalogue, and that it will be subject to considerable expansion as more information becomes available.

Sources:
Boynovich et al: Boynovich, A.D., Shabanov, Yu.A., Kuprukhin V.A & Patrikeev, S.B., Badges and Jettons of the Russian Empire (St Petersburg, 1994).
Dotsenko et al: Dotsenko, V.D., Boynovich, A.D. & Kuprukhin, V.A., The Badges and Tokens of the Imperial Russian Navy 1796-1917 (St Petersburg, 1993).
Werlich & Andolenko: Werlich, R. & Andolenko S., Badges of Imperial Russia: Military, Civil, Religious (Washington, 1972).

Anniversary of Udels 7 March 1897 Celebrates anniversary of 1797-1897. Boynovich et al 103	140th Zaraysk Infantry Regiment 22 August 1910 Founded 1798 Werlich & Andolenko 298
Anniversary of Department of Communication 6 February 1898 Founded 1798 Boynovich et al 114	141st Mozhaysk Infantry Regiment 22 August 1910 Founded 1796 Werlich & Andolenko 299
Anniversary of Forestry Department 18 May 1898 Founded 1798. Boynovich et al 116; Werlich & Andolenko 108 attribute this badge incorrectly to the Paul Infantry School Jubilee	4th Battery of the 27th Artillery Brigade 3 June 1911 Founded 1796 Werlich & Andolenko 468
Graduates of the Corps of Pages of His Majesty 14 March 1902 Founded 1802 Boynovich et al 150; Werlich & Andolenko 141	112th Ural Infantry Regiment 19 August 1911 Founded 1797 Werlich & Andolenko 274
Graduates of the Corps of Pages of His Majesty 14 March 1902 Founded 1802 Boynovich et al 149; Werlich & Andolenko 142 attribute this badge to Instructional Staff of the Corps of Pages	135th Kerch-Yenikale Infantry Regiment 30 August 1911 Founded 1798 Dotsenko et al 92; Werlich & Andolenko 294
Imperial Clinical Obstetrical Institute 21 December 1902 Boynovich et al 157	Imperial Guard Cossack Regiment of His Majesty 14 September 1911 (note: The Maltese cross is in raspberry enamel, recalling the standard presented to the regiment by Paul I) Werlich& Andolenko 22
95th Omsk Infantry Regiment 26 September 1908 Werlich & Andolenko 258	1st Battery of the 1st Artillery Brigade 23 November 1911 Founded 1796 Werlich & Andolenko 432
93rd Kura Irkutsk Infantry Regiment of Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich 20 November 1908 Werlich & Andolenko 255	1st, 2nd and 4th Batteries of the Caucasian Grenadier Artillery Brigade 19 December 1911 Founded 1796 Werlich& Andolenko 431
95th Krasnoyarsk Infantry Regiment 20 November 1908 Founded 1797 Werlich & Andolenko 257	5th Battery of the Caucasian Grenadier Artillery Brigade 2 May 1912 Founded 1812 Werlich & Andolenko 431
2nd Artillery Regiment of the Imperial Guard 17 August 1909 Werlich & Andolenko 35	116th Maloyaroslavets Infantry Regiment 2 May 1912 Founded by Paul I Werlich & Andolenko 278
147th Samara Infantry Regiment 17 August 1909 Founded 1798 Werlich & Andolenko 305	119th Kolomna Infantry Regiment 2 June 1912 Founded 1797 Werlich & Andolenko 281
145th Novocherkassk Infantry Regiment of Emperor Alexander III 17 August 1909 Founded by Paul I Werlich& Andolenko 303	111th Don Infantry Regiment 27 June 1912 Founded 1797 Werlich & Andolenko 273
St Petersburg Quartermaster Corps 14 November 1909 Werlich & Andolenko 536	4th Battery of the 1st Artillery Brigade 8 August 1912 Founded 1796 Werlich & Andolenko 433
1st Moscow Cadet Corps of Empress Catherine II 28 November 1909 Founded 1778 Werlich & Andolenko 152	1st Battery of the 5th Artillery Brigade 28 August 1912 Founded 1796 Werlich & Andolenko 437
14th Olonets Infantry Regiment of Peter I, King of Serbia 20 December 1909 Founded 1798 Werlich & Andolenko 187	4th Battery of 1st Grenadier Artillery Brigade 4 October 1912 Werlich & Andolenko 429
79th Kura Infantry Regiment of General Field-Marshal Prince Vorontsov, Now of Grand Duke Paul Alexandrovich 29 December 1909 Founded 1802 Werlich& Andolenko 246	2nd and 5th Batteries of the 37th Artillery Brigade 10 September 1913 Founded 1796 Werlich & Andolenko 476
Nicholas Engineering School 31 December 1909 Boynovich et al 194; Werlich & Andolenko 138 give date of badge as 1 April 1910	2nd Moscow Cadet Corps of Nicholas I 15 January 1914 Founded 1849 Werlich & Andolenko 153
101st Perm Infantry Regiment 15 March 1910 Founded 1797 Werlich& Andolenko 263	2nd Battery of the 21st Artillery Brigade 15 January 1914 Founded 1796 Werlich & Andolenko 464
8th Moscow Grenadier Regiment 26 April 1910 Founded 1790 Werlich & Andolenko 165	Graduates of Accelerated Courses of the Corps of Pages of His Majesty 24 February 1915 Founded 1802 Werlich & Andolenko 143
37th Yekaterinburg Infantry Regiment 5 May 1910 Founded 1796 Werlich & Andolenko 210	Alexis Engineering School 12 September 1916 Werlich & Andolenko 139
47th Ukranian Infantry Regiment 26 May 1910 Founded 1798 Werlich & Andolenko 221	Imperial Couriers Reign of Nicholas II Founded 1796 Werlich & Andolenko 606
39th Tomsk Infantry Regiment 22 August 1910 Founded 1796 Werlich & Andolenko 213

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