The Maltese cross, which is also called St. George's, as well as the cross of St. John of Jerusalem, has an ancient history. It is an eight-pointed symbol, originating from the coat of arms of the Italian city of Amalfi. Knights from this city in the 12th century founded the Order of Hospitallers, whose symbol for a long time was this cross.
The knights believed that it symbolizes eight knightly virtues (patience, sincerity, humility, sinlessness, justice, truth, faith, mercy).
Now this symbol is used by the English sanitary brigades of the Order of St. John.
In Russia, an eight-pointed cross appeared under Tsar Paul I, who briefly included it in the Russian coat of arms. Currently, this symbol has remained in the arms of Pavlovsk and Gatchina.
There are other points of view about its origin. Some researchers believe that he appeared thousands of years before the emergence of the Order of Hospitallers and signifies the unity of the four Ashtari gods. There is also an opinion that this sign unites two swastikas - solar and lunar, which means the unity of light and darkness.
It is still unknown which people created the Maltese cross, the significance of which is still interpreted in completely different ways. For example, many scholars keen on esotericism and mysticism consider this sign to be magical. They claim that it determines the essence of the earthly being of man, and also it contains an answer to the question about the main mystery of the universe.
In their opinion, the Maltese cross shows, firstly, the true essence of the material world, which represents the unity of the four elements (earth, air, water, fire). Secondly, it reveals the secret meaning of intangible life, which is the relationship of time, space, power and information.
In addition, if you imagine a person in the center of the cross, the upper part will symbolize the divine will, the lower means wisdom, and the left and right are the love that a person gives to the world. Thus, the purpose of everyone is to listen to and follow God's will. The cross in this case is a symbol of human harmony with the world.
It is also believed that the Maltese cross, which has magical powers, gives the power of the person who possesses it. Moreover, it was believed that Paul I possessed such power , since it was he who made the cross part of the coat of arms of Russia, albeit for a short time.
By the way, during his lifetime he was the Grand Master of the Order of Hospitallers, which was reflected in his official title, and strove with all his might to maintain the glory of the order. Guardsmen walked under the banners with the Maltese cross, and on one of the fortifications of the Admiralty a Maltese pavilion was installed. In addition, in 1798 on June 23 began to celebrate the day dedicated to St. John the Baptist, who is the patron saint of the order. Many historians believe that the emperor’s addiction to the symbolism of the order, as well as his attempts to introduce it into Russian life, were of theatrical nature and were partially absurd. The successor of Paul, Alexander I, having ascended the throne, soon abandoned this title, and on this the close connection of the history of Russia with the order ended, not having had enough time to gain strength.
In the year 1880, it was announced that Russian subjects were forbidden to wear the Maltese cross on account of the fact that the branch of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem had ceased to exist.
At present, the memory of those times and the emperor, who was the Grand Master, is still alive. Such events as Gatchina and Pavlovsk remind of events more than two hundred years ago. And Mikhailovsky Castle, like the Vorontsov Palace, keeps the spirit of chivalry in its chambers.