Order of St. Sava

History

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 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.

Five grades were awarded: Knight Grand Cross, Knight, Grand Officer, Commander and 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.

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.

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.

Laureates

State order

• Isaac Alcalay
• Xavier Arnozan, French physician, 1st Grade
• Agnes Bennett, New Zealand doctor
• Harry Woodburn Blaylock
• William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland
• Thomas Cook
• Randall Davidson
• William Hunter, 2nd Grade 1915
• Mary E. Gladwin, English-born American Red Cross nurse
• Helen Hanson, British doctor, 2nd grade
• Queen Kapiolani of Hawaii, Hawaii 1883
• Helen Keller, 3rd Grade 1931
• Grand Duke Dmitry Konstantinovich of Russia
• Alois Jirásek, 1926
• Dominik Mandić, Herzegovinian Franciscan
• Dragoljub Mihailović, 25 January 1928
• Milutin Milanković
• Alojzije Mišić, 10 November 1923
• Peter Norman Nissen
• Nicholas Roerich, 1932
• Marie of Romania
• Jessie Scott, New Zealand doctor
• Nikola Tesla, 2nd Grade 1892
• Violetta Thurstan, English nurse, 1918
• Đorđe Vajfert (I grade)
• Amelia Peabody Tileston (third degree), American canteen worker, 1920
• Joca Vujić
• Dame Rebecca West, British author and journalist.
• Vladimir Rosing, Russian tenor and political activist, 5th Class, July 1922.

Ecclesiastical order

• Patriarch Alexy II, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia
• Novak Đoković, 2011
• Aleksandr Karelin, 2013
• Emir Kusturica
• Patriarch Peter VII of Alexandria
• Vladimir Putin
• Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn
• Rev. Marko B. Todorovich, 2015

Notes

References

References

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3. Orders and Medals Society of America, Medal collector No. 20/1969, [https://www.omsa.org/files/jomsa_arch/Splits/1969/115135_JOMSA_Vol20_2_01.pdf About the Order]
4. Official website of the Serbian [[Karađorđević dynasty. Royal Family]], [http://www.royalfamily.org/history/orders2.htm About the Order] {{Webarchive. link. (2012-10-23)
5. [[Centre for Research of Orthodox Monarchism]], {{usurped
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31. Viktor Lazić. (1929). "English: Charter of the decoration of Joca Vujić with the Order of the White Eagle awarded by the Kingdom of SHS (Aleksandar I Karađorđević), 1929. It can be found in the Society for Culture, Art and International Cooperation Adligat in Belgrade, Serbia.".
32. Viktor Lazić. (1928-02-12). "English: Charter of the decoration of Joca Vujić with the Order of St. Sava awarded by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Aleksandar I Karađorđević), 1928. It can be found in the Society for Culture, Art and International Cooperation Adligat in Belgrade, Serbia.".
33. Viktor Lazić. (1928-01-27). "English: Decree of awarding the Order of St. Sava to Joca Vujić, 1928.".
34. (2016). "A Study Guide for Rebecca West's "Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: A Journey through Yugoslavia"". Gale, Cengage Learning.
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36. Acović 2013, p. 601
37. "Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin awarded the Serbian Orthodox Church's highest distinction {{!}} Serbian Orthodox Church [Official website]".