By a Decree of the Head of the Imperial House of Russia, H.I.H. the Grand Duchess Maria of Russia, one of the oldest social and political figures in the Republic of Malta, Victor Emanuel Ragonesi, J.D., aged 93, was raised to the dignity of knight of the Imperial Order of St. Anna.  Dr. Ragonesi was awarded this distinguished honour for his significant contributions to the development of good relations between Russia and Malta, and for his many efforts on behalf of Russian orphan children.

The device of the Imperial Order of St. Anna II Class was presented to Dr. Ragonesi on August 14, 2017, by Hieromonk Nikon (Levachev-Belavenets), advisor to the Chancellery of the Head of the Russian Imperial House for historical and memorial activities.  Among those attending the investiture ceremony was the Director of the Malta Branch of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society and the official representative of the Russian Nobility Association in the Republic of Malta, Irina V. Malikova. 

Dr. Victor Emanuel Ragonesi was born on September 7, 1924.  He was a leading figure in the effort to secure Malta’s independence from Great Britain (1964) and became one of the authors of Malta’s Constitution.  He was the First Secretary of Prime Minister George Borg Olivier, and for many years was General Secretary of the ruling Nationalist Party of Malta.  As one of the most experienced and respected attorneys on Malta, Dr. Ragonesi regularly appeared in the media in Malta giving legal analyses and commentaries on legal and political questions of the day.  Since 1998 he has served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the International Charity Society (ICS), which enjoys the patronage of the Head of the Imperial House of Russia, H.I.H. the Grand Duchess Maria of Russia.  Most recently, he actively helped with preparations for the first visit of the Head of the House of Romanoff to Malta in June 2017.

Dr. Ragonesi has over many years assembled a large private collection of engravings, geographical maps, and literature from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries—all related to Russia.  In the first decade of this century, he donated a large part of his collection to the State Historical Museum in Moscow.  For this generous act of friendship, he received a personal letter of thanks from President Vladimir Putin.