The Head of the House of Romanoff has established for women the Imperial Order of St. Anastasia in Honor of the First Tsaritsa of the Romanoff Family, Anastasia Romanovna

On 20 August 2010, the Head of the Russian Imperial House, H.I.H. Grand Duchess Maria Wladimirovna, established the Imperial Order of the Holy Great Martyr Anastasia for women, and approved its Statute.

The Order was established in honor of the Holy Great Martyr Anastasia, the “Alleviatrix of Captives,” who was executed for her Christian faith in the year 304 during the persecutions of the Emperor Diocletian, and in memory of her namesake, the first tsaritsa of the Romanoff family, Anastasia Romanovna (1530 – Moscow, 7/20 August 1560), the life and fate of whom foreshadowed, by Divine Providence, the royal service of Tsar Mikhail I Fedorovich and his descendants.

The daughter of okol’nichii [the second highest court rank in medieval Russia—trans.] Roman Iur’evich Zkhar’in-Iur’ev and his wife, Uliana Feodorovna, Anastasia Romanovna married Tsar Ivan IV on 3/16 February 1547. Her marriage had been foretold by St. Gennadii of Kostroma. The marriage was performed by Metropolitan Makarii of Moscow. Tsaritsa Anastasia exerted a positive influence on Ivan IV and benefited from the warm love and deep respect he had for her. Their first son, Tsarevich Dmitrii, died during a pilgrimage to the Ferapontov Monastery in 1553. In 1554, Tsaritsa Anastasia gave birth to Tsarevich Ivan, who later became the victim of an angry outburst by his father (dying in 1581). On 31 May/13 June 1557, Anastasia Romanovna gave birth to the future saint, Tsar Feodor I Ivanovich. In spite of her gentle disposition and intercessions for those in disgrace, the tsaritsa met with hatred and hostility from those in the high positions at the court, who were jealous and envious of the trust and influence she enjoyed with the tsar. Anastasia Romanovna fell suddenly ill in Mozhaisk in the autumn of 1559, and after an extended illness, died in Moscow on 7/20 August 1560. There is good reason to believe that she may have been poisoned. The tsaritsa was buried in the Voznesenskii Monastery in the Moscow Kremlin. After its destruction in 1929, the remains of Tsaritsa Anastasia were transferred to the basement of the Cathedral of Archangel Michael in the Moscow Kremlin.

The creation of the Order of the Holy Great Martyr Anastasia marks the 450-th anniversary of the blessed repose of Tsaritsa Anastasia and anticipates the approaching 400-th anniversary of the election by the Assembly of the Land of 1613 of the House of Romanoff to the Russian throne.

The Order of the Holy Great Martyr Anastasia unites the faithful daughters of the Fatherland who have distinguished themselves in the areas of charity, culture, medicine, education, science, and other endeavors useful to the nation and society, and who now continue their noble deeds under the patronage of the Head of the Russian Imperial House.

The Statutes of the Imperial Order of the Holy Great Martyr Anastasia

The Imperial Order of the Holy Great Martyr Anastasia is founded by the Head of the Russian Imperial House, H.I.H. Grand Duchess Maria Wladimirovna, the Grand Master of the Russian Imperial and Royal Orders, on 7/20 August 2010, in honor of the Holy Great Martyr Anastasia, and in memory of her namesake, Tsaritsa Anastasia Romanovna, whose marriage to Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible made the House of Romanoff the heir of the rights and duties of the extinct House of Riurikovich and led to their election to the throne by the Assembly of the Land in 1613.

The establishment of the Order of St. Anastasia marks the 450-th anniversary of the blessed repose of the Righteous Tsaritsa Anastasia Romanovna (2010) and the coming 400-th anniversary of the Royal and Imperial House of Romanoff (2013). 

1. The Imperial Order of the Holy Great Martyr Anastasia is awarded to women for extraordinary serve to the Fatherland and to the Russian Imperial House.
2. The Order of the Holy Great Martyr Anastasia has one class. The device of the Order is worn on a ribbon on the left side of the chest. Dames of the Order enjoy the privileges of personal nobility.
3. Membership of the Imperial Order of the Holy Great Martyr Anastasia is awarded by decrees issued by the Head of the Russian Imperial House on the recommendation of institutions and organizations responsible for making such recommendations. A formal Diploma granting the right to wear the device of the Order is to be signed personally by the Head of the Russian Imperial House and is countersigned by the Director of H.I.H.’s Chancellery or by the Chancellor of the Office of Orders and Decorations of the Russian Imperial House, and a seal from H.I.H.’s Chancellery is to be affixed to it.
4. In the general order of seniority of Imperial and Royal Orders, the Order of St. Anastasia follows the Imperial Military Order of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, and is equal with the Imperial and Royal Order of St. Stanislav (for males). Dames of the Imperial Military Order of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, who have been awarded the Order of St. Anastasia, wear its device below the device for the Order of St. Nicholas. Dames of the Imperial Order of St. Michael the Archangel who are awarded the Order of St. Anastasia, wear its order above the device of the Order of St. Michael.
5. The Motto of the Order shall be: Faith, Hope, Love
6. The Feast Days of the Order shall be the Feast Day of the Holy Great Martyr Anastasia the “Alleviatrix of Captives” (22 December/4 January), and the day of commemoration for the Righteous Tsaritsa Anastasia Romanovna (7/20 August). These days should be marked with a gathering of the Dames of the Order at church services and by special acts of mercy and charity in the name of the Order and of its Most August Founder.

A Description of the Device of the Imperial Order of the Holy Great Martyr Anastasia

The device of the Imperial Order of the Holy Great Martyr Anastasia consists of a white cross, narrowing toward the middle and with indented ends, with blue and gold edging, on a white ribbon with blue and gold piping. Positioned between the ends of the cross are gold Romanoff griffons, facing heraldically right. On the facing side of the device, on a central circular medallion with gold edging, is depicted in enamel the icon of the Holy Great Martyr Anastasia, exactly reproducing the icon which belongs to the Head of the Russian Imperia House, H.I.H. Grand Duchess Maria Wladimirovna.

The Cross is surmounted by an Imperial crown.

On the reverse side of the device, on the upper reach of the cross is placed the monogram of the Most August Founder of the Order, the Head of the Russian Imperial House, H.I.H. Grand Duchess Maria Wladimirovna. In the center, on the medallion, appears the motto of the Order, “Faith, Hope, Love.” On the lower reach of the cross is inscribed the number of the device, which corresponds with the number that appears on the Official Diploma issued by Her Imperial Highness.

The device is fastened with a pin and is worn on a ribbon, tied into a bow, 45 mm. in width.