St., Order of, in modern history, belongs to ladies of the first quality in the Russian court. It was instituted in 1714 by Catherine wife of Peter the Great, in memory of his signal escape from the Turks in 1711. The emblems of this order are a red cross, supported by a figure of St Catherine, and fastened to a scarlet string edged with silver, on which are inscribed the name of St Catherine, and the motto Pro fide et patria.