St. George's ribbon - everything you need to know. St. George's Ribbon: History and Significance
In the Russian Empire, awards in the form of crosses were very popular. Often they were made of noble metals, decorated with precious stones and had several degrees of difference. The St. George Cross was the highest award for the lower ranks in the army, it was awarded for displaying valor and courage on the battlefield, as well as for accomplishing an individual feat, and had 4 degrees. The St. George Cross of the 4th degree was made of silver and was awarded to just over a million people.
For the first time, its name is a badge of the Order of St. George received in 1769 and was introduced by Empress Catherine II to reward admirals, generals and officers for accomplished military exploits. It was named in honor of the great martyr George, the patron saint of soldiers.
George Cross 4th class
Under Emperor Paul I, rewards for military exploits of the lower ranks begin, but so far with the Order of St. Anne. And already at the beginning of the 19th century, a manifesto was issued by order of Emperor Alexander I, who established the St. George Cross for the lower ranks. The manifesto also indicated the type of cross, the basis for the award and an increase in salary. It was also said that the number of such crosses received was not limited (at that time they were not yet divided by degrees).
Gradually, the number of awardees grew, and it became necessary to number each insignia. According to the archives, 9,000 awards were received without a number, after which St. George's crosses with numbers began to be issued. In 1833, the statute of this order was adopted, which included some innovations. For example, orders could be issued directly by the commanders-in-chief, as well as everyone who received the order more than three times received both a salary increase and the right to wear a cross with a bow.
10 years later, the image of St. George was replaced by the state emblem for presentation to all non-Christians. And in March 1856, he already received a division into four degrees. The first two were made of gold, the rest - of silver. The 1st and 3rd degrees, in order to have a difference in appearance, were supplemented with a bow made of St. George's ribbon.
After the Russian-Turkish war, it became necessary to update the stamps, and then some changes were made, which remained the same until 1917. Since 1913, the award has been officially called the St. George Cross, before that - the Insignia of the Military Order. At the same time, the award for non-Christians was abolished, everyone was given the same sample with the image of St. George.
In 1915, in connection with the war, and, accordingly, the need to mint more insignia, it was decided to reduce the standard of gold. This was also done in order to reduce the cost of making awards. In the awards of the highest degree, gold was now 60%. And since October 1916, precious metals have been completely excluded, and the St. George Cross is made of tombac and cupronickel.
The cross itself looked like this. On the obverse there was a circle, inside of which was George the Victorious with a spear, with which he killed a snake. There was a border along the edge of the picture. From it, the rays of the cross diverged in different directions, expanding towards the edge. Along the edge of the cross itself, two small rims were also made.
The reverse of the award contained the number of the order and the degree. Two patterned letters G and C were engraved in the center, superimposed one on the other - the monogram of St. George. On the upper beam of the cross there was a small ring connecting the award with the St. George ribbon.
Interesting facts about the George Cross
The George Cross of the 3rd degree was awarded only to those who were awarded this award of the 4th degree. Thus, there were four times more manufactured St. George's Crosses of the 4th degree. Awards of the 2nd and 1st degree were awarded only to those awarded the 3rd and 4th, and each subsequent of them was made several times less.
When the Russian Empire ceased to exist, they continued to hand over the St. George Crosses, for example, to the White Guards for the fight against the Bolsheviks. This award was also given to Soviet soldiers who agreed to fight for Germany during World War II.
In the USSR, the wearing of St. George's crosses was not encouraged, but his holders were equated with holders of the Order of Glory. True, this only applied to those who received their award during the First World War. Accordingly, they received all the benefits that were due to the holders of the Order of Glory.
After the collapse of the USSR, in 1992, the St. George Cross was included in the list of state awards of the Russian Federation.
The cost of the George Cross
How much is the George Cross worth? The cost of the George Cross of the fourth degree varies greatly and depends on many factors, such as condition, year of production, and so on. The average cost is about $500, but, as a rule, there are much cheaper ones. If the cross is in good condition, then it will be possible to sell it for more. The third degree is also valued more than the fourth.
If you have such a cross and you want to sell it, then the best way to get a preliminary estimate is to contact a specialist. You can even get the opinion of several experts before you want to part with the award. They can also buy it from you right away, but it will be much more profitable to sell it to a collector.
In order to do this, you can apply to the auction. At some auctions, you may be required to provide an expert's assessment as a guarantee of the authenticity of the award. There you can put up a lot and wait for the maximum price, now the Order of St. George is in demand, so it will not be difficult to sell it.
Hello my dear readers. Not far off is the celebration of Victory Day. Numerous residents of the country will hang St. George ribbons not only on their chests, but also on bags, cars, and even weave them into their hair instead of ribbons. Do you know what the St. George ribbon means? Where did it come from, the designation of stripes and colors? This is what I want to tell you about today.
How did the St. George ribbon
The history of its appearance begins in the 18th century. The national colors of the Russian Empire were white, orange (yellow), black. The coat of arms of the country was decorated with these shades. On November 26, 1769, Catherine II established the Order of St. George the Victorious. It included a ribbon, which received the name "Georgievskaya" in honor of this order, which was awarded for military merit to generals and officers.
In 1807, another medal was approved - a badge of merit of the Military Order. This award was also dedicated to St. George the Victorious. The unofficial name is St. George's Cross. Since 1913, non-commissioned officers and soldiers have been awarded the St. George medal.
All these awards were received along with the St. George ribbon. If for some reason the cavalier was not awarded the order, he received the St. George ribbon.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the St. George standards appeared. After the Naval Guards crew received this award in 1813, the sailors began to wear the St. George ribbon on their headdresses. For differences, ribbons were awarded to entire military units by decree of Emperor Alexander II.
After the October Revolution of 1917, all royal medals were abolished by the Bolsheviks. But even after that, the ribbon was awarded for merit.
In the post-revolutionary period, the most respected insignia were considered "For the Great Siberian Campaign" and "For the Ice Campaign". These awards included St. George ribbons.
What do the colors and stripes mean?
According to the statute, the St. George ribbon had two yellow stripes and three black stripes. Although immediately instead of a yellow tint, orange was used.
Even Catherine the Great, establishing the colors of the ribbon, relied on the meaning of yellow as a sign of fire, and black as a symbol of gunpowder. The black color is also interpreted as smoke, but this does not change the essence. Therefore, flame and smoke personify military glory and soldier's prowess.
There is another version. I have already said that in particular we chose this color scheme (gold, black), just like the coat of arms of Russia.
In heraldry, it is customary to symbolize a black tint with mourning, earth, sadness, peace, death. The golden hue symbolizes strength, justice, reverence, power. Therefore, the color scheme of the St. George's Ribbon combines respect for the heroes and participants in the battle, regret for its victims, glorification of the courage and strength of the fighters, at the cost of whose lives justice was restored.
Another version says that the color symbolism of these shades is associated with the face of St. George the Victorious, where he defeats the snake.
There is also an opinion that the stripes on the St. George ribbon represent the death and return to life of St. George the Victorious. He faced death three times and was resurrected twice.
It should be noted that the designation of colors is disputed to this day.
Symbol
The St. George ribbon became a symbol of the Victory on May 9, 1945. By decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces, the medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945" was introduced on this date. It is with this ribbon that the block of the medal is covered.
The medal was awarded not only for special merits, but also to all participants in the hostilities. This honor was awarded even to those who left the service due to injury, and transferred to another job.
The approximate number of awardees is within 15 million people.
The Order of Glory was awarded only for personal merit. Commanders, home front workers, developers of military equipment were not awarded such an honor. The medal was awarded only to ordinary soldiers on the basis of the statute of the order:
- Personal capture of a German officer.
- Personal destruction of a mortar or machine gun at an enemy position.
- Capturing an enemy banner while ignoring your own safety.
- Performing a military task from a tank weapon, while being in a burning tank.
- Rendering assistance to the wounded in a number of battles under enemy fire at the risk of life.
- Destruction of the bunker garrison (trench, bunker, dugout) regardless of the danger.
- Removal or capture of the guard patrol (post, secret) of the enemy at night.
- Destruction of an enemy warehouse with military equipment during a night outing.
- Saving the banner in a moment of danger from being captured by the enemy.
- Creation of a passage in an enemy wire fence during hostilities.
- When a wounded soldier returns to the battlefield again.
As you can see, my dear readers, the order was awarded precisely to those who put their lives in danger every day and really tried to do everything in the name of a great victory.
How the ribbon was worn
The ribbon was worn in different ways. Everything depended on the class of the gentleman. Three options were possible:
- On the neck.
- In the buttonhole.
- Over shoulder.
Can you imagine how proud the recipients of this award felt? Also interesting is the fact that the soldiers who received this award also received a lifetime reward from the treasury. After the death of the awarded, the ribbon passed to their heirs. But the awards could be deprived if any act was committed that stained the reputation of the Knight of St. George.
St. George's ribbon today
Every year on May 9, we see this ribbon on many people as a sign of respect for the fallen heroes of the war. This action started in 2005. Its creator is Natalya Loseva, who works for RIA Novosti. This agency in tandem with ROOSPM "Student community" are the organizers of the action. It is funded by local and regional authorities, supported by the media and businessmen. Volunteers distribute ribbons to everyone.
The purpose of the holiday is to express respect and gratitude to the veterans who fell on the battlefield. When we wear the St. George ribbon, it means that we remember the Second World War and are proud of our valiant ancestors. The ribbon is distributed free of charge. Most often we see and wear it during the celebration of Victory Day.
As you can see, dear readers of my blog, the history and significance of the St. George Ribbon is important today. Do you wear this Victory sign during the holiday? Share the article with your friends. And, of course, do not forget to subscribe to blog updates.
Sincerely, Ekaterina Bogdanova
From the history of the award
This cross is the most famous award. The sign, known in the military history of Russia as the "George Cross" is the most legendary, revered and massive award of the Russian Empire.Institution.
The original name of the award was "Insignia of the Military Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George". It was established by the Highest Order of Emperor Alexander I of February 13 (23), 1807. The task is to inspire the lower ranks to courage and note them. The name of the first recipient is known - Yegor Ivanovich Mitrokhin, non-commissioned officer of the Cavalier Guard Regiment - for the battle near Friedland, in Prussia on December 14, 1809, "for the skillful and brave execution of orders." Friedland is the current city of Pravdinsk.Award rules.
Unlike all other soldier's medals, the cross was awarded exclusively for a specific feat, because "this insignia is acquired only on the battlefield, during the siege and defense of fortresses, and on the waters in naval battles." The list was clearly and in detail regulated by its Statute.
It is characteristic that not only a soldier could receive an award for the feat indicated there. The future Decembrists Muravyov-Apostol and Yakushkin, who fought under Borodino in the rank of ensign, which did not give the right to an officer award, received St. George's crosses No. near Leipzig received the George Cross of the 4th degree. The vicissitudes of fate - in 1825 he was shot dead on Senate Square by the Decembrist Kakhovsky.Privilege.
The lower rank - holder of the St. George Cross in the army was spared from corporal punishment. The soldier or non-commissioned officer awarded by him received a salary of a third more than usual, for each new cross the salary was increased by another third, until the salary was doubled. The surplus salary remained for life after retirement, it could be received by widows within a year after the death of the gentleman.Award block of the times of the Crimean War: Insignia of the military order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George, medals - "For the defense of Sevastopol" and "In memory of the Crimean War of 1853 - 1854 - 1855 - 1856". The block was tied to the uniform on strings.
Degrees.On March 19, 1856, four degrees of the award were introduced, the award was made sequentially. The signs were worn on a ribbon on the chest and were made of gold (1st and 2nd) and silver (3rd and 4th). The numbering of signs was not general, but began anew for each degree. "Either the chest in crosses, or the head in the bushes" - it's all about him.
Georgievsky Cavalier.
Full Knight of St. George - all four degrees of the cross, 1st and 3rd degree - block with a bow. Two medals on the right - "For Bravery".
The only one who received crosses 5 times is Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny, moreover, because of his love for massacre. He was deprived of his first award, the St. George Cross of the 4th degree, in court for assaulting a senior in rank. I had to receive the award again, already on the Turkish front, at the end of the 14th year. George Cross 3rd degree was received by him in January 1916 for participation in the battles near Mendelidzh. In March 1916 he was awarded the 2nd degree cross. In July 1916, Budyonny received the St. George Cross of the 1st degree, for the fact that five of them brought 7 Turkish soldiers from a sortie.Women.
Several cases of awarding women with a cross are known: this is the "cavalry girl" Nadezhda Durova, who received the award in 1807, in the lists of gentlemen she is listed under the name of the cornet Alexander Alexandrov. For the battle of Dennewitz in 1813, another woman received the George Cross - Sophia Dorothea Frederick Krueger, a non-commissioned officer from the Prussian brigade Borstell. Antonina Palshina, who fought in the First World War under the name of Anton Palshina, had St. George's Crosses of three degrees. Maria Bochkareva, the first female officer in the Russian army, commander of the "women's death battalion" had two Georges.
For foreigners.
For non-believers.
From the end of August 1844, a special cross was installed to reward servicemen of a different religion; it differed from the usual one in that the coat of arms of Russia, a double-headed eagle, was depicted in the center of the medallion. The first full cavalier of the cross for the Gentiles was the police cadet of the 2nd Dagestan irregular cavalry regiment Labazan Ibragim Khalil-ogly.
George Cross.
The award began to be officially called the St. George Cross since 1913, when the new Statute of the "insignia of the Military Order" was approved, the numbering of the crosses from that time began anew. The new statute also introduced life-long allowances: for the 4th degree - 36 rubles, for the 3rd degree - 60 rubles, for the 2nd degree - 96 rubles and for the 1st degree - 120 rubles a year, an increase for cavaliers of several degrees or the pension was paid only for the highest degree. A pension of 120 rubles in those days was quite a decent amount, the salary of a skilled worker in 1913 was about 200 rubles a year.About numbering.
The first crosses of 1807 were not numbered. This was corrected in 1809, when it was ordered to compile exact lists of gentlemen, the crosses were temporarily removed and numbered. Their exact number is known - 9,937.
The numbering allows you to determine who the award belonged to. This cross of the 4th degree - junior non-commissioned officer of the Grenadier Corps of the engineer battalion Mikhail Bubnov, order dated July 17, 1915, No. 180, was distributed by Grand Duke Georgy Mikhailovich on August 27 of the same year (RGVIA archive, fund 2179, inventory 1, file 517 ).
The numbering of the crosses was resumed several times - by the different pattern of the numbering font, you can determine which of the periods the award belongs to. When during the First World War the number of awards exceeded one million, on the reverse, on the upper beam of the cross, the designation 1 / M appeared.St. George Ribbon.
It is traditionally believed that the colors of the ribbon - black and yellow - mean "smoke and flame" and are a sign of the soldier's personal prowess on the battlefield. Another version - these colors are based on the life of St. George the Victorious and symbolize his death and resurrection: St. George went through death three times and was resurrected twice.
There is a simpler version. The colors of the ribbon at the establishment of the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George in 1769 were established by Catherine II and took the colors of the imperial standard for the color of the ribbon: black and yellow-gold, excluding white.Certificate of acceptance of the St. George Cross to the Fund for the Protection of the Fatherland
Due to the shortage of precious metals, by decree of Nicholas II in 1915, the gold content in St. George's crosses of the 1st and 2nd degrees was first reduced to 600 thousandths - crosses of the 3rd and 4th degrees continued to be made from 990 silver. In 1917, cretes began to be made from non-precious metals, and the letters ZhM (yellow metal) and BM (white metal) were minted on the crosses themselves.
At this time, the government was collecting donations to the Fatherland Defense Fund. One of these collections was the collection of awards from precious metals to the state fund. Everywhere in the army and navy, lower ranks and officers surrendered their awards of silver and gold. Documents confirming these facts have been preserved in the archives.After February 17th.
Left: St. George's cross with a laurel branch. This was awarded after February 1917 to officers who distinguished themselves in battle. To receive the award, the decision of the assembly of the lower ranks was required. Right: Posters 1914 - 1717
After October, by the Decree of the Council of People's Commissars of December 16, 1917, signed by V. I. Lenin, “On the equalization of all military personnel in rights”, orders and other insignia, including the St. George Cross, were canceled. But at least until April 1918, holders of the St. George's Crosses and medals were given a "surplus salary". It was only with the liquidation of the Chapter of Orders that the issuance of money for these awards ceased.
against the Bolsheviks.
During the years of the Civil War in the White Army, awarding military decorations was a rarity, especially in the initial period - the White Guard considered it immoral to award military decorations to Russians for feats in the war against the Russians. General Wrangel, in order not to award the St. George Cross, established a special order of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, which was equated with St. George.Cross to the Great Patriotic War.
The legend claims that during the Great Patriotic War, the possibility of restoring the award and resuming the awarding of the St. George Cross was considered, but was rejected due to its religious overtones. The Order of Glory, a soldier's award - a star on the block of the St. George's ribbon, has a very similar award status with the St. George's Cross.1945 year. Demobilized soldiers who arrived in Leningrad. On the right is Private F. G. Vadyukhin, a participant in three guard wars. The famous photograph testifies to an unusual rule for the Red Army that appeared during the war - holders of the St. George's Crosses were unofficially allowed to wear these awards.
Philip Grigorievich Vadyukhin was born in 1897 in the village of Perkino, Spassky district, Ryazan province. Drafted into the Red Army on October 16, 1941 by the Vyborg RVC of the city of Leningrad. He was a shooter, then a medical instructor in the 65th Guards Rifle Regiment of the 22nd Guards Rifle Division in Riga. In addition to the St. George Cross and the badge of the guards, the photo shows four stripes for wounds, the Order of the Red Star, the Order of Glory of the third degree (awarded to him for helping 40 wounded and evacuating 25 wounded under enemy fire on December 26-31, 1944 near the village of Muzikas in Latvia ) and two medals "For Courage".Nowadays.
The Russian military order of St. George and the sign "St. George's Cross" were restored in the Russian Federation in 1992 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation dated March 2, 1992 No. 2424-I "On state awards of the Russian Federation". 11 people were awarded.
George Cross at the Mint
The dream of every warrior, from a simple private to the commanders of entire armies, from the smallest cog in a complex machine that protects the homeland from enemy attacks, up to its most gigantic levers and hammers, is, after returning home after a quarrelsome suffering, to bring, as a material proof of personal courage and military prowess is a silver or gold cross of St. George on a two-color, black and yellow ribbon.
Titanic wars, like the current one, involve many victims on the altar of people's love and devotion to the fatherland. But the same war will give birth to many feats, many truly heroic deeds are crowned with the highest award to the brave - the St. George Cross.
We are literally trying to do the impossible, Baron P. V. Klebek, head of the Petrograd Mint, told our colleague, in order to satisfy as quickly as possible the orders given to us by the Chapter of the Orders for the manufacture of St. George's crosses and medals. The premises of the Mint are so small, so far from meeting the real needs of the present time, that the only palliative was the introduction of almost continuous work for a whole day, with the exception of those intervals that are necessary for lubricating the machinery and apparatus of the Mint.
Thanks to such intensive work, we managed to achieve the fact that there are no delays in satisfying these reinforced orders for coins, St. George's crosses and medals. During the last four months of the past year, the Mint minted one silver token for 8,700,000 rubles or more than 54,000,000 mugs; copper coins for the same period were minted for a million rubles, for this it took about 60,000,000 copper mugs to be knocked out.
For 1915, we have already received an order for the production of a silver coin for 25,000,000 rubles and a copper coin for 1,600,000 rubles, which will total over 406,000,000 circles. St. George's crosses and medals are made in a special "medal" department of the Mint. Upon receipt of an order from the Chapter of Orders for the manufacture of the required number of crosses and medals, the required amount of gold and silver ingots is released from the metal treasury of the Mint to the medal department. Upon receipt of ingots in the medal department, the metals enter the smelter, where noble metals are alloyed with the required amount of pure copper in graphite crucibles.Silver and gold, from which St. George's crosses and medals are made, are made of a very high standard, higher than the gold and silver used to make coins. For the latter, nine hundred parts of noble metal and one hundred parts of copper are taken per thousand parts. For the manufacture of St. George's crosses and medals, only ten parts of copper and nine hundred and ninety parts of pure electrolytic gold or silver are taken per thousand parts.
The process of ligation in the crucible takes three, three and a half hours. After that, a sufficiently molten and mixed mass of metal is poured into special molds, "moulds", cooling in which, the metal is obtained in the form of strips, about eight inches long, a square inch thick and weighing: silver strips 20 pounds, gold - 35 pounds.These strips are rolled through special rollers into ribbons slightly wider than the width of the cross and medal. The next stage in the manufacture of crosses and medals is the cutting of the ribbon, i.e. cutting from ribbons by machine metal pieces equal to the contours of the cross and circles equal to the contours of the medal. The resulting crosses and circles are cleaned with files from burrs or burrs and enter a special department, where they are cleaned and polished with sand.
The crosses cleaned in this way go under the so-called pedal press, where the St. George crosses are minted, i.e. extrusion on both sides of the cross on one side of the image of George the Victorious, on the other side of the cipher and designation of the degree. On the medal, a portrait of the Sovereign Emperor is minted on one side, on the other "for courage" and the designation of the degree. Both crosses and medals, as you know, have four degrees. The first and second degrees of both medals are gold, the third and fourth are silver.
When chasing along the edges, flattening of the metal occurs and therefore the crosses from under the medal press are sent for cutting to a special machine, which gives the cross its final look. From under this machine, the cross falls for the final finishing and polishing of the edges with files, after which a special machine pierces the eye, which ends the machine processing of the crosses. It remains to produce a serial number on each cross and medal.
Before the current war, only orders granted to officers were called St. George's crosses. The lower ranks received silver and gold insignia of the military order. Medals were issued "for courage" and the name "George medals" was received only shortly before the start of the Second Patriotic War. Therefore, the numbering of all crosses in medals made by the Mint for this war is carried out from the first number.
The numbers are knocked out with special manual punches, and exceptional attention is required from the master, since the error in the figure cannot be corrected and the damaged cross must, like a marriage, go back to the fusion. The renumbered crosses and medals enter the last packing compartment, in which the rings are first threaded into the ears of the crosses and medals, and then these latter are packed into special bundles, 50 pieces each, for delivery to the Chapter of the Orders. The rings inserted into the ears are made of gold and silver wire, also 990, which is drawn on special machines also in the medal department of the Mint. It is also necessary to mention the side work closely connected at the Mint with the production of St. George's crosses and medals. This is a testing of metals from which all ordered crosses and medals are made.After the strips of metal leave the melting department, small pieces of metal are taken from the first, last and middle strips of this batch and sent to a special "assay" department of the Mint, in which department the determination of the metal sample is carried out using extremely accurate instruments. We also mention automatic stamp-cutting machines that make stamps for medals and crosses.
Head of the medal department, mining engineer N.N. Perebaskin, shared with our employee information about the progress of work.
During the entire Japanese campaign for a year and a half, we had to make only up to one hundred and thirty thousand crosses. Now, for the period of time from July 24th (the day we received the first order from the Chapter of Orders), we have ordered 266,000 St. George's crosses by January 1st. and St. George medals 350,000 pieces. Having energetically taken up the fulfillment of this order, we managed to hand over 191,000 St. George's crosses by January 1 of this year. and St. George medals 238,000 pcs. On the day for the manufacture of crosses, we melt 12 pounds. silver and up to 8 pounds. gold. A thousand gold crosses weigh 1 pood 11 pounds of metal, 1,000 silver crosses 30 pounds, 1,000 gold medals 1 pood 22 pounds, silver one pood.
Or rather, the truth about her. In short, we are raking up the mess that the liars and demagogues have littered.
The other day, a man who considers himself a communist reproached me: “You replaced the symbols of Victory with your ribbon, and now you want your neighbors to swear allegiance to this fake,” it was said about.
And he cited as evidence an exemplary performance by Nevzorov, which can be considered the quintessence of all the lies about this. Below is an excerpt from the recording and the text, and you can read and watch the full version:
“The definition of the ribbon that people tie on themselves on May 9 as "Colorado" , according to the color of the coloring of the Colorado potato beetle, I really once gave on the air of Channel Five. Naturally, I have nothing against May 9th. But if you take it so seriously, if it is extremely important for you, then you should be extremely accurate and serious, including in symbolism .Now let's disassemble this nonsense. By the way, Alexander Glebovich can say “thank you” for summing up almost all the main distortions, omissions and outright lies about the St. George ribbon so briefly and sensibly.St. George ribbon, was not known in the Soviet Army . The Order of Glory was established only in 43, not very popular, not even famous at the front , the award must have a certain historical path for it to become popular and famous, and just the opposite, General Shkuro, General Vlasov, many the highest ranks of the SS supported the cult of the St. George ribbon . It was a tape and Vlasov, and the highest ranks of the SS.
Understand, no matter how we treat the Soviet state, but the color of victory, and we must treat this calmly and courageously, the color of victory is red . The red color has been raised banner over the Reichstag , under the red banners people went into the Patriotic War, not under any others. And the one who treats this holiday attentively and with pain, probably, should be accurate in observing this symbolism too.
And I know, of course, that in the Soviet system of awards and signs there was no concept of "St. George's Ribbon".
But do we want to plunge into the wilds of faleristics every time like: “the ribbon is a golden-orange silk rep moire ribbon with three longitudinal black stripes applied on it with a 1 mm wide edging”?
Therefore, for simplicity of presentation, let's conditionally call it the "St. George's Ribbon" - after all, everyone understands what we are talking about? So…
Symbol of victory
Question: when did your St. George ribbon become a symbol of Victory?
Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945"
It looked like this:
and like this:
Soviet naval guards at the Victory Parade
Guards ribbon on a postage stamp of the USSR ( 1973 !!!)
and, for example, like this:
Guards ribbon on the Guards naval flag of the destroyer "Gremyashchiy"
Order of Glory
A. NEVZOROV:And further:
My friend Minaev, don't forget about my former profession. I was once a reporter, after all. That is, I must be absolutely shameless and unprincipled.
S. MINAEV:And finally, to dot all the "i" - one more quote:
Listen, this is amazing because you are completely cynical in answering questions around which usually everyone starts picking their fingertips and saying that it was just such a time.A. NEVZOROV:
Yes, there was no such time. We all sat in one way or another on gold chains from various oligarchs, they boasted about us, they bought us out. We tried to leave, taking with us, if possible, the golden chain.
“That Berendey hut, which was built on the ruins of my homeland, is not a shrine for me”Therefore, listening to arguments about orders, about glory, about war and exploits, about Colorado beetles and “a serious attitude to symbolism” - do not forget (just for the sake of objectivity) WHO EXACTLY talks about all this.
"Vlasov Ribbon"
Like many inspired liars, Nevzorov, looking for figures to confirm his speculations, forgot about common sense.
He himself said that the Order of Glory was established in 1943. And the guards ribbon - and even earlier, in the summer of the 42nd. And the so-called "Russian Liberation Army" was only officially established six months later, and operated mainly in the years 43-44, while officially submitting to the Third Reich.
Tell me, can you imagine that the official military orders and insignia of the Wehrmacht coincide with the awards of the enemy army? For German generals to create military units and officially fix the use of insignia of the Soviet army in them?
It is authentically known that the "Russian Liberation Army" fought under the tricolor, and used a kind of parody of the St. Andrew's flag as symbols.
The land fleet in the steppes of Ukraine turned out to be, as you can see, not a joke at all ... :)
And it looked like this:
And that is all. They received awards from the German Wehrmacht in accordance with the regulations established by it.
Order of the Patriotic War
During the war, this order were awarded 1.276 million people , including about 350 thousand - the order of the 1st degree.
Think about it: also more than a million! It is not surprising that he has become one of the most popular and recognizable symbols of the Victory. It was this order - along with the Order of Glory and the medal "For Victory" that was almost always seen on front-line soldiers returning from the war.
It was with him that they returned (for the first time during the Soviet era!) Orders of various degrees: the Order of the Patriotic War (I and II degrees) and later - the Order of Glory (I, II and III degrees), which has already been discussed.
Order "Victory"
The title is speaking. And why he became one of the symbols of victory later, after the 45th year, is also understandable. One of the three main characters.
His ribbon combines the colors of 6 other Soviet orders, separated by white gaps half a millimeter wide:
- Orange with black in the middle - Order of Glory (along the edges of the tape; the same colors hated by Nevzorov and some modern "communists")
- Blue - Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky
- Dark red (Bordeaux) - Order of Alexander Nevsky
- Dark blue - Order of Kutuzov
- Green - Order of Suvorov
- Red (central section), 15 mm wide - Order of Lenin (the highest award in the Soviet Union, if anyone does not remember)
Today, when people like to rewrite history, it will not hurt to remember with what respect these orders, which were awarded to the allies, are kept abroad:
- Eisenhower's award is in the Memorial Library of the 34th President of the United States in his hometown of Abilene (Kansas);
- Marshal Tito's award is on display at the May 25 Museum in Belgrade (Serbia);
- Field Marshal Montgomery's decoration is on display at the Imperial War Museum in London;
"The Order of Victory, as the highest military order, is awarded to senior officers of the Red Army for the successful conduct of such military operations on the scale of several or one front, as a result of which the situation radically changes in favor of the Red Army."Symbols of victory
And now let's make simple as three pennies and obvious conclusions.
Tens of millions of soldiers are returning home from the front. There is a certain percentage of senior officers, a little more of junior officers, but mostly privates and sergeants.
The medal "For Victory" in general for everyone. Many have Orders of Glory, and some also have 2-3 degrees. It is clear that full cavaliers are especially honored, it is their portraits in the press and at meetings, concerts and other mass events - they are also there with all their orders.
The Navy Guards, too, naturally wear their insignia with pride. Like, not a bast of shields - the guard!
So what, pray tell, is it surprising that three symbols become the main, most popular and recognizable: the Order of Victory, the Order of the Patriotic War and the St. George Ribbon?
Who is not satisfied with the St. George ribbon on today's posters? Well, let's all come here, we'll watch the Soviet ones. Let's see how they "changed history."
"Arrived!"
One of the most famous posters. Drawn shortly after the Victory. And it already contains the symbolism of this Victory. There was a little backstory.
In 1944, Leonid Golovanov on his poster "Let's get to Berlin!" depicted a laughing warrior. The prototype of the smiling hero on the march was a real hero - the sniper Golosov, whose front-line portraits formed the basis of the famous sheet.
And in 1945, the already legendary “Glory to the Red Army!” appeared, in the upper left corner of which the previous work of the artist is quoted:
So, here they are - the true symbols of Victory. On the legendary poster.
On the right side of the chest of the Red Army soldier is the Order of the Patriotic War.
On the left - the Order of Glory ("unpopular", yeah), the medal "For Victory" (with the same St. George ribbon on the block) and the medal "For the Capture of Berlin".
The whole country knew this poster! He is still recognized today. More popular than him, perhaps, only "Motherland is calling!" Irakli Toidze.
Now someone will say: "It's easy to draw a poster, but it wasn't like that in real life." Okay, here you go"in life"
Ivanov, Viktor Sergeevich. Photo taken in 1945.
Here is another poster. What is the edge of the star?
Okay, this is the end of the 70s, someone will say that it’s not true. Let's take something from the Stalin years:
Well? "Vlasov Ribbon", Yes? Under Stalin? Seriously?!!
How did Nevzorov lie there? "The ribbon was not known in the Soviet Army."
Well, we see how she "was not known." Already under Stalin, it became both a symbol of the Red Army and a symbol of the Victory.
And here is a poster from the Brezhnev era:
What's on the fighter's chest? One only “an unpopular and even little known order”, as far as I can see. And nothing more. By the way, this emphasizes that the fighter is a private. There is no cult of "commanders", it was a feat of the people.
(By the way, most of the posters are clickable).
And here is another one, for the 25th anniversary of the Victory. The year 1970 is written on the poster:
And the glorious date is written "a ribbon not known in the Soviet army", which"is not a symbol of victory."
You look what's going on! What is our current government? And she reached out until 1945, and in the 60s her "Fakes" slipped, and in the 70s!
And here they are again for their own! Again "their" ribbon:
“Postcard of the USSR on May 9
"May 9 - Victory Day"
Publishing house "Planet". Photo by E. Savalov, 1974
.
Order of the Patriotic War II degree"
And here is another one again:
Among all military awards in Russian history, the St. George Cross occupies a special place. This sign of military prowess is the most famous award of pre-revolutionary Russia. The soldier's St. George's Cross can be called the most massive award of the Russian Empire, because it marked the lower ranks (soldiers and non-commissioned officers).
Officially, this award was equated with the Order of St. George, established by Catherine the Great in the 18th century. The George Cross had four degrees, according to the statute of the award, it was possible to receive this military distinction only for courage on the battlefield.
This insignia lasted just over a hundred years: it was established during the Napoleonic Wars, shortly before the French invasion of Russia. The last conflict in which several million people received St. George's Crosses of various degrees was the First World War.
The Bolsheviks canceled this award, and the St. George Cross insignia was restored only after the collapse of the USSR. In the Soviet period, the attitude towards the St. George Cross was ambiguous, although a huge number of St. George Knights fought on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War - and fought well. Among the holders of the St. George Cross are Marshal of Victory Georgy Zhukov, Konstantin Rokossovsky and Rodion Malinovsky. Full Knights of St. George were the Soviet Marshal Budyonny, military leaders Tyulenev and Eremenko.
The legendary partisan commander Sidor Kovpak was awarded the cross twice.
Cavaliers of the George Cross received monetary incentives, they were paid a pension. Naturally, the largest amount was paid for the first (highest) degree of the award.
Description of the George Cross
The insignia of the order was a cross with blades expanding towards the end. In the center of the cross was a round medallion, on the front side of which was depicted St. George slaying a snake. On the reverse side of the medallion, the letters C and G were applied in the form of a monogram.
The crossbars of the cross on the front side remained clean, and the serial number of the award was applied on the reverse. It was necessary to wear a cross on a black and orange St. George ribbon (“colors of smoke and flame”).
The George Cross was highly respected in the military environment: the lower ranks, even having received an officer's rank, proudly wore it among officer awards.
In 1856, this award badge was divided into four degrees: the first and second were made of gold, the third and fourth were made of silver. The degree of the award was indicated on its reverse. The distinction was awarded sequentially: from the fourth to the first degree.
History of the George Cross
The Order of St. George has existed in Russia since the 18th century, but this order should not be confused with the soldier's St. George's Cross - these are different awards.
In 1807, the Russian Emperor Alexander I was presented with a note with a proposal to establish an award for the lower ranks who distinguished themselves on the battlefield. The emperor considered the proposal quite reasonable. Literally the day before, a bloody battle took place at Preussisch-Eylau, where Russian soldiers demonstrated remarkable courage.
However, there was one problem: it was impossible to award the lower ranks with orders. At that time, they were given only to representatives of the nobility, the order was not just a “piece of iron” on the chest, but also a symbol of social status, it emphasized the “knightly” position of its owner.
Therefore, Alexander I went to the trick: he ordered that the lower ranks be awarded not with an order, but with the "insignia of the order." And so the award appeared, which later became the St. George Cross. According to the emperor's manifesto, only the lower ranks who showed "dauntless courage" on the battlefield could receive the George Cross. By status, a reward could be received, for example, for capturing an enemy banner, for capturing an enemy officer, or for skillful actions during a battle. A concussion or injury did not give the right to a reward if it was not associated with a feat.
The cross had to be worn on the St. George ribbon, threading it into a buttonhole.
Non-commissioned officer Mitrokhin, who distinguished himself in the battle of Friedland in the same 1807, became the first cavalier of soldier George.
Initially, the George Cross did not have degrees and could be issued an unlimited number of times. True, the badge itself was not issued again, but the salary of a serviceman increased by a third. It was impossible to apply corporal punishment to the holders of the George Cross.
In 1833, the insignia of the Military Order was incorporated into the statute of the Order of St. George. There were also some other innovations: commanders of armies and corps could now award crosses. This greatly simplified the process and reduced bureaucratic red tape.
In 1844, the George Cross for Muslims was designed, in which Saint George was replaced by a double-headed eagle.
In 1856, the George Cross was divided into four degrees. The reverse of the badge indicated the degree of the award. Each degree had its own numbering.
Over the entire history of the St. George Cross with four degrees, more than two thousand people have become its full gentlemen.
Another significant change in the statute of the Insignia of the military order took place on the eve of the First World War, in 1913. The award received the official name "St. George's Cross", the St. George Medal (a numbered medal for bravery) was also established. The St. George medal also had four degrees and was issued to the lower ranks, military personnel of irregular troops and border guards. This medal (unlike the George Cross) could be awarded to civilians, as well as military personnel in peacetime.
According to the new statute of the insignia, now the St. George Cross could serve as a posthumous award, which was transferred to the relatives of the hero. The numbering of the award from 1913 again began anew.
In 1914, the First World War began, and millions of Russian citizens were drafted into the army. During the three years of the war, more than 1.5 million St. George's crosses of various degrees were awarded.
The first Knight of St. George of this war was the Don Cossack Kozma Kryuchkov, who (according to the official version) destroyed more than ten German cavalrymen in an unequal battle. Kryuchkov was awarded "George" of the fourth degree. During the war, Kryuchkov became a full Knight of St. George.
During the First World War, the St. George Cross was repeatedly awarded to women; foreigners fighting in the Russian army became its gentlemen.
The appearance of the award also changed: in difficult wartime, the highest degrees of the cross (first and second) began to be made of low-grade gold, and the third and fourth degrees of the award significantly lost weight.
The Statute of 1913 significantly expanded the list of acts for which the St. George Cross was awarded. This largely negated the value of this insignia. During the First World War, more than 1.2 million people became cavaliers of Egoriy. Judging by the number of awardees, there was simply mass heroism in the Russian army. Then it is not clear why these millions of heroes soon disgracefully fled home.
According to the statute, the cross should have been issued only for feats on the battlefield, but this principle was not always followed. Georgy Zhukov received one of his St. George's Crosses for shell shock. Apparently, the future Soviet marshal already in those years knew how to find a common language with his superiors.
After the February Revolution, the status of the St. George Cross was again changed, now it could also be awarded to officers after the corresponding decision of the soldiers' meetings. In addition, this combat insignia began to be favored for purely political reasons. For example, the cross was awarded to Timofey Kirpichnikov, who killed an officer and led a rebellion in his regiment. Prime Minister Kerensky became a cavalier of two degrees of the cross at once, for "tearing off the banner of tsarism" in Russia.
There are cases when entire military units or warships were awarded the St. George Cross. Among others, this sign was granted to the crews of the Varyag cruiser and the Korean gunboat.
During the Civil War, in the units of the White Army, soldiers and non-commissioned officers continued to be awarded St. George's Crosses. True, the attitude towards awards among the White movement was ambiguous: many considered it shameful to receive awards for participating in a fratricidal war.
On the territory of the Donskoy army, George the Victorious on the cross turned into a Cossack: he was wearing a Cossack uniform, a hat with a hood, from under which a forelock protruded.
The Bolsheviks canceled all the awards of the Russian Empire, including the St. George Cross. However, after the start of World War II, the attitude towards the award changed. "George" was not allowed, as many historians claim, but the authorities looked "through their fingers" at wearing this sign.
Among the Soviet awards, the Order of Glory had an ideology similar to that of a soldier.
St. George's crosses were also awarded to collaborators who served in the Russian Corps. The last award took place in 1941.
The most famous St. George knights
Over the entire existence of this award, about 3.5 million St. George's crosses of various degrees have been issued. Among the holders of this insignia there are many famous personalities who can safely be called historical.
Shortly after the appearance of the award, the famous “cavalry girl” Durova received it, the cross was granted to her for saving the life of an officer.
St. George's Crosses were awarded to the former Decembrists Muravyov-Apostol and Yakushkin - they fought at Borodino in the rank of ensigns.
General Miloradovich also received this soldier's award for his personal participation in the battle of Leipzig. The cross was handed to him personally by Emperor Alexander, who witnessed this episode.
A very famous character for his era was Kozma Kryuchkov - the first cavalier of "George" of the First World War.
The famous commander of the Civil War, Vasily Chapaev, was awarded three crosses at once and the St. George medal.
The holder of the St. George Cross was Maria Bochkareva, the commander of the women's "death battalion", created in 1917.
Despite the huge number of crosses issued over the entire period of the existence of this award, today this insignia is a rarity. It is especially difficult to buy the St. George Cross of the first and second degrees. Where did they go?
After the February Revolution, the Provisional Government issued a call to hand over its awards to the "needs of the revolution." So Georgy Zhukov lost his crosses. Many awards were sold or melted down during the famine (there were several during the Soviet period). Then a cross made of silver or gold could be exchanged for several kilograms of flour or even a couple of loaves of bread.
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