The Order of St. Stanislaus. First instituted in 1765 by Stanislas Augustus Poniatowski, last king of Poland prior to the partition. The order ranked second only to the White Eagle.

As a Russian Order, double-headed imperial eagles replaced the Polish eagles between the cross arms. The Order came in three classes:

Knight's Grand Cross, worn on sash. Star.

Commander, worn at the neck.

Companion, worn on the breast.

Swords were added for a military award in war.



The Provisional Russian government continued to award the Order of St. Stanislas. Companion crosses were awarded to both British and German servicemen in recognition of their aid in fighting the Bolsheviks.



When "Old Russia" fell, and Soviet Russia emerged, all the old orders were dissolved. While the White Eagle and Virtuti Militari were reestablished in the new Republic of Poland, the Order of St. Stanislas was not. Its tradition was taken and continued by a new Polish order: the Polonia Restituta.