Order of St. Sava
The Royal Order of St. Sava is an Order of merit, first awarded by the Kingdom of Serbia in 1883 and later by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It was awarded to nationals and foreigners for meritorious achievements in the field of religion, education, science and the arts as well as for social and relief work. The order was abolished in 1945 with the proclamation of the People’s Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the end of the monarchy.
| Royal Order of St. Sava | |
|---|---|
Star of the Serbian Order of St. Sava | |
| Type | State Order (1883-1945) Church Order (since 1985) |
| Awarded for | Meritorious achievements in the arts, science, education and religion |
| Presented by | Kingdom of Serbia Kingdom of Yugoslavia Serbian Orthodox Church |
| Eligibility | Civilians, military members (since 1914). |
| Ribbon | White with Light Blue stripes on either side |
| Established | 23 January 1883 |
| Total | unknown |
The Ribbon of the Order | |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Order of the Cross of Takovo (Kingdom of Serbia, 1883-1903) Order of the White Eagle (1903–1930) Order of the Yugoslav Crown (Kingdom of Yugoslavia, 1930-1945) |
It continues as a dynastic order, with appointments currently made by Alexander, Crown Prince of Yugoslavia.
An homonymous order was established in 1985, conferred by the Serbian Orthodox Church to ecclesiastic and secular persons with special merits.
History of the state order
The Order of Saint Sava was established by Milan I of Serbia, four years after the country gained independence and its transformation from a principality into a kingdom in March 1882. It was first awarded in January 1883 to recognised civilians for meritorious achievements benefitting the Church, the arts and sciences, the royal house, and the state. In 1914, a change to the Order was made to allow soldiers of the Serbian Army who served with distinction to receive the honour, as well as to women for war merit and humanity[1] The Order of St. Sava was thereafter awarded by the kings of Serbia and its successor Yugoslavia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1945.[2]
Five grades were awarded:
- Knight Grand Cross
- Knight
- Grand Officer
- Commander
- Officer
The first grade was a jewel, worn with a sash over the shoulder and also with a breast star. The second and third-grade laureates wore the Order on a neckband. The fourth grade was a medal with a triangular suspension, a rosette attached to the ribbon above the medal. The fifth grade had a triangular suspension without a rosette. The medals of the fourth and fifth grades were worn on the breast. All white ribbons had two light blue stripes.[3][4]
Several Order of St. Sava were bestowed to members of the British medical team during the First World War for "humanity and gallantry performed under fire", after their volunteer medical units followed the Serbian army during the Great Retreat through the mountains of Albania.[1]
History of the church order
Since 1985, the Order has been awarded on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of St. Sava. This order is dedicated to ecclesiastic and secular persons, who have special merits for the Serbian Orthodox Church. According to the ordinance of the church, each person who received a medal of third grade may receive the medal of the higher grade as well as the first grade for future merits, provided that three years have passed at least since the previous award. The order is determined in three grades: the first one is white, the second red and the third blue coloured.[5]
Laureates of the state
- Isaac Alcalay[6]
- Xavier Arnozan, French physician, 1st Grade[7]
- Agnes Bennett, New Zealand doctor[8]
- Harry Woodburn Blaylock[9]
- William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland[10][better source needed]
- Thomas Cook[11][better source needed]
- Randall Davidson[12][better source needed]
- William Hunter, 2nd Grade 1915[13]
- Mary E. Gladwin, English-born American Red Cross nurse[14]
- Helen Hanson, British doctor, 2nd grade
- Queen Kapiolani of Hawaii,[15] Hawaii 1883
- Helen Keller, 3rd Grade 1931[16]
- Grand Duke Dmitry Konstantinovich of Russia[17][better source needed]
- Dominik Mandić, Herzegovinian Franciscan[18]
- Dragoljub Mihailović, 25 January 1928[15]
- Milutin Milanković[19][better source needed]
- Alojzije Mišić, 10 November 1923[20]
- Peter Norman Nissen[21]
- Nicholas Roerich, 1932[22][23]
- Marie of Romania[24][better source needed]
- Jessie Scott, New Zealand doctor[25]
- Nikola Tesla, 2nd Grade 1892[26]
- Violetta Thurstan, English nurse, 1918[27]
- Đorđe Vajfert (I grade)[28]
- Dame Rebecca West, British author and journalist.[29]
Laureates of the Church
- Patriarch Alexy II, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia[15]
- Novak Đoković, 2011[15]
- Aleksandr Karelin, 2013[30]
- Emir Kusturica[15]
- Patriarch Peter VII of Alexandria[31][better source needed]
- Vladimir Putin[32]
- Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn[15]
Notes
- ^ a b Clarke, J. (2000). Gallantry Medals & Decorations of the World. Leo Cooper/Pen & Sword Books' Collectors. Leo Cooper. ISBN 978-0-85052-783-4.
- ^ Orders & Medals Research Society (1967). Orders & Medals: The Journal of the Orders & Medals Research Society. Orders and Medals Research Society.
- ^ Orders and Medals Society of America, Medal collector No. 20/1969, About the Order
- ^ Official website of the Serbian Royal Family, About the Order 2012-10-23 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Centre for Research of Orthodox Monarchism, About the Church Order
- ^ "Foreign News-Belgrade". The Reform Advocate. Vol. LVI, no. 12. Chicago, I.L. 23 April 1921. p. 285 – via Google Books.
- ^ Burnand, Robert (1924). Qui êtes-vous? (in French). Paris: G. Ruffy. p. 19.
- ^ Hughes, Beryl. "Agnes Elizabeth Lloyd Bennett". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- ^ Tremblay, Yves (2005). "BAYLOCK, HARRY WOODBURN". Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. 15. University of Toronto/Université Laval.
- ^ Acović 2013, p. 592
- ^ Acović 2013, p. 596
- ^ Acović 2013, p. 595
- ^ University of Edinburgh, Untold stories of people during First World War
- ^ Barrett Litoff, Judy. European Immigrant Women in the United States. p. 112.
- ^ a b c d e f for SRBIN info, Milica (2019-10-08). "Tesla, Palma, Djokovic, Kusturica, Karić: All Decorated With The Order Of Sv. Sava". СРБИН.ИНФО (in Serbian). Retrieved 2020-01-06.
- ^ Helen Keller Artifact Collection 2017-08-06 at the Wayback Machine, American Foundation for the Blind
- ^ Acović 2013, p. 628
- ^ Mandić 2020, p. 27.
- ^ Acović 2013, p. 344
- ^ Barun 2018.
- ^ London Gazette
- ^ Radulovic, Nemanja. "Rerihov pokret u Kraljevini Jugoslaviji". Godišnjak Katedre za srpsku književnost sa južnoslovenskim književnostima, XI, 2016.
- ^ "Vreme - Kultura i politika: Selidba trajne pozajmice". www.vreme.com.
- ^ Acović 2013, p. 369
- ^ Ward, Fiona. "Jessie Ann Scott". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
- ^ Tesla Society Switzerland, Man Who Illuminated The Planet, p. 7
- ^ Katherine Storr (2009). Excluded from the Record: Women, Refugees, and Relief, 1914-1929. Peter Lang. pp. 215–. ISBN 978-3-03911-855-7.
- ^ Association of Serbian Banks, Knight of Serbia, Georg I. Weifert p. 181
- ^ Gale, Cengage Learning (2016). A Study Guide for Rebecca West's "Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: A Journey through Yugoslavia". p. 7. ISBN 9781410341457.
- ^ "Aleksandr Karelin, Order of St Sava: Neka Bog čuva Srbiju i Rusiju..." www.novosti.rs (in Serbian).
- ^ Acović 2013, p. 601
- ^ "Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin awarded the Serbian Orthodox Church's highest distinction | Serbian Orthodox Church [Official website]".
References
- Dragomir M. Acović (2013). Glory and Honour: Decorations among Serbs (Slava i čast: odlikovanja među Srbima) (in Serbian). Službeni Glasnik. ISBN 978-86-519-1750-2.[better source needed]
- John Clarke (12 September 2000). Gallantry Medals & Decorations of the World. Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-1-4738-1451-6.