№ 974-976. History of Russian State. 250th Birth Anniversary of Paul I, Russian Emperor.

The coronation of Paul I took place in the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Moscow Kremlin on the 5th of April 1797. In the day of crowing a few legislative deeds were promulgated. Paul I issued the Manifesto of tree day corvee. The manifesto said: “that no one would in any way dare to make peasants work on Sundays…”. At the same time, it was proposed to use statute labor no more than three days a week and the rest of the weekdays a peasant could work for himself. The manifesto was somewhat a recommendation and a starting point for limiting and abolition of serfdom in Russia.

At the close of the 18th century the menace of invasion the Malta and independence threat came from the Napoleon army. Paul I, in bounden duty, struggled with revolutionary France and Napoleon and at the most crucial moment he extended a helping hand to the dying organization. On November 17, 1797 he took over the title of the Protector of the Order and on November 27, 1798 Paul I was elected the Grand Master of the Maltese Order. The members of the Order moved to Saint Petersburg. On December 16, 1798 Paul I was inaugurated as the Grand Master of the Maltese Order. Since then the Maltese Order and its symbolism were not for long introduced into the national emblems of the Russian Empire. The Maltese Cross especially was included into the state arms and the Order of Saint John Jerusalem was among the Russian Emperor’s awards .The Maltese Order was returned to the bosom of the Roman catholic church again after the death of Paul I.

The reign of Paul I was marked by very significant political, military and cultural doings in the history of Russia. Regardless of the fact that Paul I gained prestige of an astute politician outside Russia the court felt resentment against the monarch inland.