SMOM badge - Russian line?

[Xtender]

Hello Gentlemans,

is this SMOM badge a Russian line?

Thanks, Xt.

[922F]

In a word, no.

This insignia type was (is?) on offer at a few Russian and Polish museum shops and was often sold as a 'Russian Grand Priory-Emperor Paul St. John badge'. Some such shops had the more usual SMOM insignia for sale with the same description.

In point-of-fact, this insignia is also of a type mainly but not exclusively used by various King Peter of Yugoslavia protected, proposed, successor, or otherwise related Orders of St. John. Another St. John group claiming protection by a non-verified member of the House of Savoy uses (d?) the same insignia. The iconography of the Serb/Yugoslav St. Sava type eagles or a Russian eagle with the Savoy arms hints at the fonts of honor. Both of the above mentioned groups [among many others] usually claimed 'descent' from the Russian Emperor Paul Order of Malta grandmaster theory. I will not get into justifications or variations; enough ink and webspace has already been consumed over the issue.

By now, other St/ John groups may use this insignia.

Ready for a firestorm of comment? Or maybe not, as the topic has been beaten to death repeatedly.

If one accepts that the SMOM with extraterroritial status based at Via dei Condotti 68, Rome == see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_Military_Order_of_Malta for example == is a or the 'legitimate' successor to the Order of Malta that held sovereign territory [Malta] until defeated and dissolved by Napoleon in 1798 is in fact a sovereign entity, many books, websites and other media completely describe the range of past and current SMOM insignia.

The Order of St. John is perhaps the best example of convuluted 'history', confused interpretation, reformed or reconstituted entities, and downright fakery involved with persons organized to do good, those 'questing for personal recognition' and the honors for sale game. Parties from royalty to distinguished churchmen from self-proclaimed princes to reclusive crackpots have and continue to involve themselves in Order of St. John organizations, offshoots and fakes.

Many St. John entities strongly support charities, ambulance services, hospitals, and so on. The SMOM, in my opinion, is one of these.

Google search reveals legal action against a number of St. John 'frauds' that attract often well-intentioned but uninformed persons. Some St. John entities apparently exist to satisfy their members vanity, need for recognition and desire for 'medals'.