The three-class Royal Polish Order of St. Stanislas was instituted by King Stanisław II August Poniatowski (1732–1798) on May 7, 1765, with crosses showing white Polish eagles between the cross arms (1st model). The order was dedicated to the Polish national Saint Patron Stanislas, Bishop of Cracow (1030–1079, canonized 1253). After the end of the Congress of Vienna, the Russian Emperor became also King of Poland, and he continued to confer the order in the old design. By December 1, 1825, a fourth class of the order was instituted.
After the integration of the Kingdom of Poland into the Russian Empire in 1831, the order became a Russian order by Emperor Nicholas I Pavlovich (1796–1855) with Ucas of November 17, 1831, approving the new statutes of the order. Instead of the white Polish eagles the crosses now had imperial Russian eagles between their arms (2nd model). Between 1831 and 1841 the crosses officially conferred showed eagles with their wings widely spread (2nd model, 1st edition), which were unofficially manufactured as jeweller's fabrication until the late 1850ies. Since 1841 Johann Wilhelm Keibel (1788–1862), as the only official supplier of orders' insignia to the Russian 'Chapter of the Imperial and Royal Orders', produced only crosses showing eagles with wings risen upwards, the definitive design (2nd model, 2nd edition).
As a special sign of imperial grace from 1831 until 1874 the insignia of the 1st and 2nd grade could be conferred with an imperial crown. With the new statutes of 1839 the 4th grade was abolished. On August 9, 1844, the order's cross for Non-Christians was introduced and on October 27, 1846, so were the respective breast stars. On July 15, 1855, metal breast stars became official. On August 5, 1855, Emperor Alexander II Nicholajevich (1818–1881) approved revised statutes introducing crossed swords for all grades conferred for valour. On April 3, 1857, the 3rd grade received a bow on the ribbon when being given for military merit. Since about the same year, it was possible for new knights of the Order of St. Andrew who were not yet knights of the 1st grade of the Order of St. Stanislas, to receive both insignia together, according to a respective decision of the emperor.
After the fall of monarchy in the Russian Empire in February 1917, the Provisional Government continued to confer the order in a slightly changed design. After the October Revolution the new Bolshewiki Government abolished the order in 1918. In 1990 the order was re-established in Poland as a semi-official order of chivalry under the patronage of the Roman-Catholic Church.