State Ladies or Statsdame at the Russian Imperial Court were the second largest group of court ladies, after maids of honour. This position was officially established during the reign of Paul I, at the coronation of his wife [Maria Feodorovna (Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg). Before that women simply carried portraits of the empress. As a general rule of thumb, most of the ladies of state were also cavalry ladies, women awarded with the Order of Saint Catherine, given to them for their philanthropy or charity at court. When appointed to the position, the women were bestowed with a portrait of the Empress with a crown set in diamonds, similar to the maid of honour cipher.
In 1870 and 1871, the Russkaya Starina magazine published an extensive list of State Ladies, compiled by Pavel Fedorovich Karabanov.