According to the eminent Soviet specialist I. G. Spasskiy, an order with this name was planned already in 1915, during the penultimate year of the reign of Nicholas II, but the project was never completed because of political developments.

Fourteen years later the idea was adopted by Russians living in exile and the order was founded on 19 July 1929 by a cousin to the last Tsar, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, who had assumed the title of the Emperor of All the Russias in 1924.

On 4 August 2001 Grand Duke Kirill's granddaughter, the present pretender Maria Vladimirovna raised the old medal to the rank of a House Order of the Imperial House of Russia, adding a Grand Cross to be worn on a sash and a Commanders neck cross.

On 14 December 2001, the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation legalized the wearing of the order in Russia by military persons on active duty.

The depiction of Saint Nicholas on the obverse is surrounded by the inscription "ЭA BOEННЫE ЭACЛУГИ" (For military merit).