Substitution of concepts. The guards ribbon is related to the Victory, not the St. George's

From the editor of the site: Around the St. George ribbon for many years the battles have not subsided. Many patriotic publicists interpret it as a symbol of Vlasovism and collaborationism, deconstructing the symbolic row of the Victory and Soviet People-Winner . On the other hand, in all the post-Soviet republics, an overt and covert struggle has also been declared against it - it is prohibited and replaced by "national" post-Soviet symbols.

We do not undertake to whitewash the terry anti-Sovietism of the modern Russian political regime, at the suggestion of which this marker of Victory, the St. George Ribbon, was introduced. But let's ask ourselves a question - is it an anti-Soviet symbol in essence? Does it disavow the Victory, the nationwide feat? Is it really erroneous and inappropriate now, when the threat is no longer idle?

The St. George Ribbon refers to one of the highest awards of Tsarist Russia - the St. George Cross, an award awarded for displaying exceptional personal courage on the battlefields. Only in 1st around 1.6 million people were awarded it during the World War. During the Civil War in the White Army, the St. George Crosses were also awarded for the fight against the Bolsheviks, but not too actively. The darkest page of this award is its use in the Russian Corps - a formation made up mainly of emigrants, which during the Second World War sided with the Nazis. However, the use of the St. George Cross as a reward was an initiative of collaborators, not supported by any laws.But in the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War, the George Cross as an award was rehabilitated by law.

The approval was so official that they even prepared a draft resolution of the Council of People's Commissars proposing to equate the former Knights of St. George with the Knights of the Order of Glory.

Moreover, among the full holders of the St. George Cross there will be at least six people who were later awarded the title Heroes of the Soviet Union, including the legendary commander of the First Cavalry Army, Semyon Budyonny.

Marshal of the Soviet Union Budyonny S. M. in old age, demonstrates a jacket with royal awards

Pioneers tie a tie to the full St. George Cavalier partisan Anatoly Ivanovich Tsymbalyuk

Unknown Soviet officer complete St. George's Cavalier

Writer, playwright, war correspondent Vsevolod Vishnevsky on the steps of the Reichstag, May 1945. He was awarded the St. George Cross and St. George medals, 3rd and 4th degree. Please note that he has Soviet awards in the form of strips, and royal ones in full.

Soviet Colonel General and full St. George Knight Trubnikov Kuzma Petrovich, late 60s.

Knight of the St. George Cross and the Order of Glory Philip Grigorievich Vadyukhin. Sanitary instructor of the 65th Guards Rifle Regiment.

Full Knights of St. George with their sons, order bearers. Sitting on the left is P. I. Krizhenovsky, on the right is Dmitry Ivanovich Mitaki, scout, 19 wounds, fought during the Great Patriotic War.

Father - Knight of St. George and son - full holder of the Order of Glory Vanachi from the village of Lykhny, Gudaudsky district of Abkhazia. At that time, Temuri Vanachi was 112 years old.

Therefore, it is reckless and frivolous to dissociate ourselves from the St. George Cross, to give it to enemies as some kind of anti-Soviet symbol - this position does not stand up to historical truth. It is clear and not accidental that the colors of the ribbon of the Order of St. George and the Guards of the Red Army, as well as the Order of Glory, are closely related.

The now little-known aspects associated with the St. George ribbon are devoted to a wonderful analysis by Albert Naryshkin, published in 2015, which is appropriate to acquaint readers with again.

How could we, in opposition to Vlasovism and the struggle for Russian and Soviet things, not throw out the child with water.

LIE ABOUT THE RIBBON OF GEORGE...

Or rather, the truth about her. In short - we are raking the mess that the liars and demagogues have lit.

The other day, a person 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 the recent story in Kyrgyzstan.

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 extremelyaccurate and serious, including in symbolism .

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, manythe 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 raisedbanner 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.

Now let's disassemble this nonsense. By the way, you can say “thank you” to Alexander Glebovich for summing up almost all the main distortions, omissions and outright lies about the St. George ribbon so briefly and sensibly. And I know, of course, that in the Soviet system of awards and signs there was no concept “ St. George 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: 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: Look, it's 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.

Andfinally, to dot all the "i" - one more quote:“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 - 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 PATRIOTIC WAR

During the war, this order 1.276 million people were awarded, 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 orders of various degrees were returned (for the first time during Soviet power!) - 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 symbols. Here the story is a little opposite to the Order of Glory - it was established for particularly distinguished commanders, it was country's highest military order.

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" colors)

Blue - Order of Bogdan Khmelnytsky

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).

Let me remind you of the historical fact that Marshal Zhukov was the first to receive this order (he was twice a holder of this order), the second went to Vasilevsky (he was also twice a holder of this order), and Stalin had only No. 3. 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: The Eisenhower Award is located in the Memorial Library of the 34th US President 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;

You can evaluate the wording for the award from the statute of the order yourself:

“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 is radically changing 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 some percentage of senior officers, a little more - junior officers, but mostly - privates and sergeants. The medal "For Victory" in general for everyone. Orders of Glory - for many, 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 public events - they are also there with all their orders. The Navy Guards, too, naturally wear their insignia with pride. Like, not with a bast - 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.

WE WILL LOOK HOW THE HISTORY IS CHANGED

"GET HERE!"

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 not difficult to draw a poster, but it wasn’t like that in real life.” Okay, here's to you "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? Only one "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.

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 "with a ribbon not known in the Soviet army," which "is not a symbol of the Victory."

You look what's going on! What is our current government? And she reached out until 1945, and in the 60s slipped her “fakes”, and into 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 "Planeta". Photo by E. Savalov, 1974. Order of the Patriotic War II degree"

And here is another one again:

"Postcard" Glory to the Soviet Armed Forces. 1941-1945 "Year of publication - 1976 »

And the one below in general - 1967 of the year:

What, and even 1967 is “not a cake” for you?

Now frantic communists will come running, shouting: “Under Stalin, there was no such garbage !!!» - so I understand?

Well, here's a postcard from Stalin's times again, already 1948 year!!!

Or here is 1975, again "an unpopular and little-known order":

Artist S. Kazantsev, 1975 year.

Artist A. Solovyov, 1972 year.

Albert Naryshkin (lj-blogger albert_lex)

SUPPLEMENT: BELARUS COMES UP WITH ITS ANALOGUE TO THE GEORGIEVSKAYA RIBBON

I didn’t have time to post this, this arrived: Belarus came up with its own analogue of the St. George ribbon. According to "1 + 1", the new symbol of the Victory in the country will be a red-green ribbon of the colors of the state flag, decorated with an apple blossom.

In Belarus, the St. George ribbon before Victory Day will be replaced with its own symbols. The red-green ribbon of the colors of the national flag will be decorated with an apple blossom.

According to the Belarusian media, enterprises and retail chains were obliged to popularize only the new symbol of the Victory.

Recall that the President of this country refused to go to Moscow on May 9th. As Alexander Lukashenko stated, on this day he will take part in the celebrations in Minsk.

APPENDIX 2: KAZAKHSTAN ALSO DEVELOPED A REPLACEMENT

What is characteristic - they realize that a palliative, an inferior replacement. On the badge fastening the new ribbon - St. George's is depicted, probably for continuity. Also, I noticed that it disappeared from advertising design and social advertising in Kazakhstan. Even last year - there were some congratulations from banks, firms - decorated with its use.

Here's last year's version.

What is characteristic - I walked around Almaty last year, I did not see a single one like that. Although it was heavily advertised. Everyone I met went with St. George's.

This year will be interesting. Since there were rumors that the Russian embassy was asked not to distribute St. George ribbons. The rumor has been refuted, in addition, many people have kept last year's. This means that this year it will be immediately clear who is a Nazi and a powerless ram, and who is a patriot of a common victory. Probably, skirmishes are inevitable, the buildup of the situation - when people collide with different tapes.

Recently, the St. George ribbon has become a favorite object of criticism and even outright attacks and mockery from almost all anti-state and anti-Russian forces. It is criticized, scolded and ridiculed by Ukrainian Nazis and Russian liberals, and the champions of American "democracy" are echoed by some patriots who are convinced that the St. George ribbon is not a symbol of the 1945 Victory.

Unlike the Ukrainian Nazis, for whom the St. George ribbon is just an enemy sign (banned, by the way, in Ukraine), Russian patriots argue that during the Great Patriotic War, the St. George ribbon was not used or was used very rarely and did not carry the semantic load that was given to it. already in the post-Soviet period, domestic. Some of them call the St. George ribbon almost a symbol of the Russian liberation army of the traitor general Vlasov. For example, the well-known journalist Alexander Nevzorov, speaking of the St. George ribbon, said that traitors General Vlasov and Ataman Shkuro wore it, and in the Red Army it was at first completely unknown, and then was rarely used, and then after 1943.

Some communists also began to attack the ribbon, who accuse the Russian authorities of replacing the genuine symbols of the Great Victory with the St. George ribbon. After reading and listening to the revelations of these people, our fellow citizens, who are not particularly experienced in matters of the history of the Great Patriotic War, even begin to doubt the St. George ribbon as a symbol of the Great Victory. Do the colors of St. George really have nothing to do with the victorious Red Army and its immortal feat in 1941-1945?

Let's start with a brief history of the St. George ribbon itself. The two-color ribbon was established by Empress Catherine II on November 26, 1769 during the Russian-Turkish war, but since the 1730s black and yellow were considered the colors of the Russian Empire. In 1913, a statute was adopted, which stated that St. George's is called "a ribbon of three black and two orange stripes, worn over the right shoulder." St. George's colors were most widespread during the First World War - in connection with the mass awarding of war heroes with the Order of St. George. Full St. George's Cavaliers had the right to wear the St. George ribbon in winter over the side of the overcoat.

During the Civil War, the St. George ribbon was actively used in the White movement, which did not refuse the "royal" pre-revolutionary awards. In Soviet Russia, until the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the St. George ribbon fell into disuse. However, almost immediately after the start of the war, the leadership of the country and the high command needed to revive the developed system of awards for both individual military personnel and units and formations of the Red Army and Navy.

The Ribbon of St. George became a true symbol of the Great Victory on May 9, 1945. It was then, the day after the signing of the Act of unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany, that the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR established a new state award - the medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945." As we know, it is the St. George ribbon that wraps around the block of this medal. The medal "For the victory over Germany" became one of the most massive awards of the USSR. She was awarded 15 million people, including almost all servicemen of the active army, as well as those who were commissioned, demobilized or transferred to the rear due to injury or other reasons. Thus, starting from 1945, millions of Soviet citizens began to wear the St. George ribbon on their chests - on the medal "For the Victory over Germany."

But even before the Great Victory, the St. George Ribbon was actively used in the Red Army and Navy. Let's start with the fact that back in the fall of 1941, just a few months after the start of the war, it was decided to award the most distinguished units, formations, and ships with the title of "Guards". On September 18, 1941, "for military exploits, for organization, discipline and exemplary order" the name "Guards" was assigned to the 100th, 127th, 153rd and 161st rifle divisions, which were renamed the 1st, 2nd th, 3rd and 4th Guards Rifle Divisions.

The St. George ribbon became the symbol of the guard. On June 10, 1942, the People's Commissar of the Navy of the USSR, Admiral of the Fleet Nikolai Kuznetsov, signed an order authorizing the use of the St. George ribbon on caps of sailors of guard ships and formations and a sign in the form of a color plate of the St. George ribbon, which was worn on the chest. Thus, from the first year of the war, the St. George ribbon began to be used in the Red Army and the Navy as a guards insignia. The most heroic and combat-ready units of the Red Army and Navy had the right to wear the St. George ribbon. During the Great Patriotic War, guards regiments, divisions, corps and armies were created.

By the end of the Great Patriotic War, 11 armies and 6 tank armies, 40 rifle, 12 tank, 9 mechanized, 14 aviation and 7 cavalry corps, 215 divisions, 18 warships and many military units of various types of armed forces and military branches had the name "Guards" . Millions of Soviet servicemen served in the guards units and formations, all of them also had the right to wear the guards' distinguishing sign - the St. George ribbon.

Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of November 8, 1943 "On the establishment of the Order of Glory I, II and III degree" was established a new order - the Order of Glory. They could be awarded for personal merit to military personnel - privates, sergeants and foremen, and in the Air Force - and junior lieutenants. The status and color of the ribbon of the Order of Glory almost completely reproduced the famous George Cross - one of the most famous and respected awards of the Russian Empire. Only the Order of Glory had three degrees, while "George" had four. When the question arose of creating a new Soviet order, which could be awarded to soldiers, sergeants and foremen of the Red Army, it was originally planned to be named after Bagraotion. On October 2, 1943, the head of the rear of the Red Army, General Khrulev, presented Stalin with four options for sketches of the new order. Stalin approved the idea of the artist Nikolai Moskalev that the order would be worn on the St. George ribbon, and decided to introduce three degrees of the Order of Glory.

During the years of the Great Patriotic War, about a million Soviet servicemen were awarded the Order of Glory of the III degree, more than 46 thousand servicemen received the Order of Glory of the II degree and 2678 servicemen received the Order of Glory of the I degree. 2,671 people, including four women, became full cavaliers of the Order of Glory of three degrees. For the battle on the left bank of the Vistula River on January 14, 1945, all privates, sergeants and foremen of the 1st Battalion of the 215th Red Banner Regiment of the 77th Guards Chernigov Red Banner Orders of Lenin and Suvorov Rifle Division were awarded the Order of Glory, after which the battalion became known as the Battalion Glory."

The Order of Glory has become a truly soldier's order. They were awarded to ordinary "workers' wars" who every day risked their lives on the battlefield, performing simple, but very complex and dangerous tasks. Commanders of the Order of Glory were respected by the command, and they, privates, sergeants and foremen, could feel a certain superiority over officers, since they were awarded for specific feats, for their personal contribution to the Great Victory.

The list of feats for which the possibility of awarding the Order of Glory was envisaged is impressive. So, they could be awarded to a soldier, sergeant or foreman if he was the first to break into the bunker, bunker, trench or dugout of the enemy and destroyed his garrison; personally captured an enemy officer; at night he removed an enemy guard post or patrol or took him prisoner; destroyed an enemy machine gun or mortar; shot down an enemy plane from personal; destroyed an enemy warehouse; captured the enemy banner in battle; saved the banner of his unit from being captured by the enemy during the battle; continued to perform a combat mission while in a burning tank; under enemy fire, he made a passage in the enemy's barbed wire for his unit; assisted the wounded under enemy fire during several battles; having been wounded, after bandaging he again returned to duty for further participation in the battles.

They also gave the Order of Glory to pilots with a rank no higher than junior lieutenant - for the fact that a fighter pilot destroyed from 2 to 4 enemy fighter aircraft or from 3 to 6 enemy bomber aircraft; attack aviation pilot - for the destruction of 2 to 5 enemy tanks or from 3 to 6 locomotives, or an enemy echelon, or for the destruction of at least 2 aircraft at an enemy airfield; attack aircraft pilot - destroyed 1 or 2 enemy aircraft in an air battle; bomber crew - for the destruction of bridges, trains, warehouses, headquarters, railway stations, power plants, dams, warships, enemy boats; reconnaissance crew - for successfully reconnaissance of enemy positions, as a result of which valuable information was obtained.

“The Order of Glory was established only in 1943, it was not particularly popular, even famous at the front,” Alexander Nevzorov, the “critic” of the St. George ribbon, said in one of his speeches. Well, of course, it is better for a venerable TV presenter to know what popularity is, but they, the heroes of the front, did not pursue popularity. They fought, killed the enemy, died, were injured and were awarded the Order of Glory.

Considering that more than a million soldiers of the Red Army were awarded the Order of Glory, it can hardly be called "unpopular". In the army, the holders of the Order of Glory, as noted above, enjoyed special respect, as after the war, among the veterans, they revered those who received the Order of Glory, and even the full holders of the Order of Glory were equated almost to the Heroes of the Soviet Union. The Order of Glory was awarded to the most worthy and courageous warriors. All of them proudly wore an order with a ribbon of St. George's flowers on their chests. And after that there are those who do not consider the St. George ribbon a symbol of the Great Victory?

Where did the myth come from that the St. George ribbon is almost a Vlasov symbol? Let's start with the fact that collaborators from among the Russians and other peoples of the USSR who fought on the side of the Nazis were always awarded German awards proper, as well as the Order of Bravery and the Medal of Merit specially established for the ROA and other similar formations. There were no St. George ribbons and St. George crosses in the German award system. Naturally, among the collaborators there were white émigrés, including participants in the First World War and the Civil War, who could wear St. George crosses on their uniforms, which they received while serving in the Russian imperial army. But this in no way means that the St. George ribbon was a regular Vlasov award or was used in other collaborationist formations. The St. George Cavaliers, participants in the First World War, also fought in the Red Army, and there were disproportionately more of them in the Red Army than in the ROA or other traitorous structures. Thus, the replicated myth about the “Vlasov St. George ribbon” is nothing more than another attempt to denigrate the history of the Great Patriotic War and the memory of Soviet citizens who fought against the Nazi invaders.

The St. George ribbon can rightly be considered a long-standing and very honorary symbol of Russian military glory. It is no coincidence that it causes such fury among Russophobes of all stripes. Already in the post-Soviet period, the St. George ribbon acquired new meanings. Firstly, it has become a symbol of the memory of the Great Patriotic War and tribute to its veterans. When a modern young man puts on a St. George ribbon, decorates his car with it, he, albeit at such a superficial level, nevertheless shows respect for the memory of the heroic ancestors who defended the Soviet Union from the invaders.

Secondly, the events of 2013-2014 gave a new reading to the St. George ribbon. in Ukraine. The St. George ribbon has become a symbol of the Russian world, the personification of the Russian identity of those people who use it (regardless of their ethnic or confessional affiliation). In countries hostile to Russia, the St. George ribbon is interpreted unequivocally - as a symbol of Russia, and in this regard, our opponents are more honest than many of our fellow citizens who invent and spread the most bizarre myths about the St. George ribbon.

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 recent history in Kyrgyzstan.

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 .

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.

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.

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:
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.

And further:

S. MINAEV:
Look, it's 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.

And finally, to dot the "i" - one more quote:

“That Berendey hut, which was built on the ruins of my homeland, is not a shrine for me”

"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 1.276 million people were awarded , 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)

Let me remind you of the historical fact that Marshal Zhukov was the first to receive this order (he was twice a holder of this order), the second went to Vasilevsky (he was also twice a holder of this order), and Stalin had only No. 3.
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;

You can evaluate the wording for the award from the statute of the order yourself:

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.

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:

"Postcard "Glory to the Soviet Armed Forces. 1941-1945"

The year of publishing - 1976 »

And the one below in general - 1967 of the year:

What, and even 1967 to you"not a cake"?

Now frantic communists will come running, shouting:“Under Stalin, there was no such garbage !!! » - so I understand?

Well, here's a postcard from Stalin's times again, already 1948 year!!!

Or here is 1975, again"unpopular and little-known order":

USSR, Artist G. Renkov, 1975 year"

Artist S. Kazantsev, 1975 year.

Artist A. Solovyov, 1972 year.

To whom it is not enough - if so, there are 10 more examples from different years: from the 40s to the 80s.

Look and decide for yourself WHAT has been the symbol of the Victory for all these 70 years.

conclusions

Let everyone make them himself. I have presented the facts to you. Watch and think.

Decide for yourself: WHO tells you certain words about this tape, WHY he says these words to you, and WHAT they want to achieve.

And as postscript and final point:

A. Nevzorov:

"A red banner was raised over the Reichstag. The color of victory is red. And we must take this calmly"

Banner of Victory:

The St. George Ribbon is one of the most recognizable symbols of Russian military glory. This black and orange ribbon has also become one of the main attributes of the Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War, one of the most respected holidays in our country. Unfortunately, not all of those who tie the St. George ribbon on their clothes or cling it to a car know what it really means.

The St. George ribbon is painted in two colors (orange and black); in pre-revolutionary Russia, it relied on several awards dedicated to St. George the Victorious. These included: the St. George's Cross, the St. George's Medal, and the Order of St. George.

In addition, since about the 18th century, the St. George ribbon has been actively used in Russian heraldry: as an element of the St. George banners (standards), it was worn on uniforms by military personnel of especially distinguished units, the ribbon adorned the uniform of the Guards crew and sailors of ships awarded the St. George banners.

History of the St. George Ribbon

Already at the beginning of the 18th century, black, orange (yellow) and white began to be considered the state colors of Russia. It was this color scheme that was present on the state emblem of the Russian state. The sovereign eagle was black, the field of the coat of arms was golden or orange, and the white color meant the figure of St. George the Victorious depicted on the shield of the coat of arms.

In the second half of the 18th century, Empress Catherine the Great established a new award - the Order of St. George, which was awarded to officers and generals for services in the military field (however, Catherine herself became his first cavalier). A ribbon was attached to the order, in honor of him it received the name of St. George's.

The statute of the order indicated that the St. George ribbon should have three black and two yellow stripes. However, it was not yellow that was originally used, but rather orange.

In addition to matching the colors of the state emblem of Russia, such a color scheme had another meaning: orange symbolizes fire, and black symbolizes gunpowder (according to other sources, the battlefield, the Russian land scorched by war).

At the beginning, in 1807, another award was established dedicated to St. George the Victorious - the insignia of the Military Order, which was unofficially called the George Cross. He was granted to the lower ranks for the feats accomplished on the battlefield. In 1913, the St. George medal appeared, which was also awarded to soldiers and non-commissioned officers for courage shown in the face of the enemy.

All of the above awards were worn along with the St. George ribbon. In some cases, the ribbon could be an analogue of the award (if the gentleman for some reason could not receive it). During the First World War, the holders of the St. George Cross in winter, instead of the insignia, wore such a ribbon on their overcoat.

At the beginning of the 19th century, St. George banners (standards) appeared in Russia, in 1813 the Naval Guards crew was awarded such a distinction, after which the St. George ribbon appeared on the caps of its sailors. Emperor Alexander II decided to award ribbons for merit to entire military units. The St. George's Cross was placed at the top of the banner, and the St. George's Ribbon was tied under the pommel.

The St. George ribbon was actively used in Russia until the October Revolution of 1917, when the Bolsheviks abolished all royal awards. However, even after that, the St. George Ribbon remained part of the award system of the White movement already during the Civil War.

In the White Army, there were two especially respected insignia: "For the Ice Campaign" and "For the Great Siberian Campaign", both of them had bows from the St. George's ribbon. In addition, the St. George ribbon was worn on headdresses, tied on uniforms, attached to battle banners.

After the end of the Civil War, the St. George Ribbon was one of the most common symbols of the emigrant White Guard organizations.

The St. George ribbon was also widely used by various organizations of collaborators who fought on the side of Nazi Germany during the Second World War. The Russian Liberation Movement (ROD) included more than ten large military units, including several SS divisions, which were manned by Russians.

Guards Ribbon

After the devastating defeats of the initial period of the Great Patriotic War, the leadership of the USSR needed symbols that could unite the people and raise the morale of the fighters. In the Red Army at that time there were relatively few military awards and insignia of military prowess. This is where the St. George ribbon came in handy again.

The USSR did not completely repeat its design and name. The Soviet tape was called "Guards", and its appearance was somewhat changed.

Back in the fall of 1941, the honorary title "Guards" was accepted into the award system of the USSR. The following year, the badge "Guard" was established for the army, and the Soviet Navy adopted its own similar badge - "Naval Guard".

At the end of 1943, a new award was established in the USSR - the Order of Glory. He had three degrees and was assigned to soldiers and junior officers. In fact, the concept of this award largely repeated the royal St. George's Cross. The block of the Order of Glory was covered with the Guards Ribbon.

The same ribbon was used in the medal "For the Victory over Germany", which was awarded to almost all military personnel who fought on the Western fronts. After the victory in the Second World War, about 15 million people were awarded this medal, which was approximately 10% of the entire population of the USSR.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the black-and-orange ribbon in the minds of Soviet citizens has become a real symbol of victory in the war over Nazi Germany. In addition, after the end of the Second World War, the Guards Ribbon was actively used in the most diverse visual propaganda related to the theme of the war.

St. George's ribbon today

In modern Russia, Victory Day is one of the most significant holidays. The memory of the Second World War is one of the main factors of moral cohesion not only for Russians, but also for residents of the CIS and all Russian-speaking people in the world.

In 2005, in honor of the sixtieth anniversary of the victory over Germany, an action was launched at the state level to promote the St. George Ribbon as the main national symbol of the Great Patriotic War.

On the eve of the May holidays, St. George ribbons began to be distributed free of charge right on the streets of Russian cities, in shops and government institutions. People hang them on clothes, bags, car antennas. Private companies often (sometimes even too much) use this tape in advertising their products.

The motto of the action was the slogan "I remember, I'm proud." In recent years, actions related to the St. George Ribbon began to take place abroad. At first, the tape was distributed in neighboring countries, in the last year actions were held in Europe and the USA.

Russian society took this symbol very favorably, and the St. George ribbon received a second birth. Unfortunately, people who wear it usually have a poor memory of the history and meaning of this symbol.

There is also such a point of view (obviously controversial): the St. George ribbon has nothing to do with the award system of the Red Army and, in general, with the USSR. This is the insignia of pre-revolutionary Russia. If we talk about the period of the Second World War, then the St. George ribbon is more likely associated with collaborators who fought on the side of Nazi Germany. But judging from the point of view of the life of this symbol in the people's memory solely as a sign of Russian military prowess, then the decision of the Soviet leadership to return the ribbon looks like a natural step, not so much propaganda as a return to the main road.

In 1992, by decree of the President of the Russian Federation, the St. George Cross was restored to the country's award system. The current St. George ribbon, in its color scheme and arrangement of stripes, completely coincides with the royal insignia, as well as with the ribbon worn by Krasnov and Vlasov.

The St. George Ribbon is indeed a genuine symbol of Russia, with which the Russian army went through dozens of wars and battles. Arguments that Victory Day is celebrated with the wrong ribbon are stupid and insignificant. The differences between the Guards and St. George ribbons are so small that only historians and specialists in heraldry can figure them out. It is much worse that this sign of military prowess is actively used by politicians and businessmen, and often not for the best purposes.

St. George ribbon and politics with commerce

In the past few years, this insignia has been actively used in politics, and this is done both inside Russia and abroad. The trend was especially aggravated in 2014 after the return of Crimea and the start of hostilities in the Donbass. Moreover, the St. George ribbon has become one of the main distinguishing signs of the forces that were directly involved in those events on the side of the self-proclaimed republics.

Therefore, for supporters of the Kyiv regime, in recent years, the St. George Ribbon has turned from a symbol of the Great War into a propaganda tool. Those who dare to put on such a symbol in modern Ukraine should be ready for a conflict situation. And the St. George ribbon on vodka, toys or the hoods of Mercedes and BMW looks completely insulting. After all, both the St. George Cross and the Order of Glory could only be earned on the battlefield.

The Great Patriotic War is such a grandiose and tragic event that May 9 should be a day of remembrance for the millions of those who died, whose remains are still scattered across our forests, but also a day of great optimism, joy for the descendants of the winners, but most importantly, the day of the Victory of the world over the most dangerous plague of all time - aggression, lies and attempts to revise the results of the most terrible war in the history of mankind.

If you have any questions - leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them.

04.05.2016 | 14:18:34

Tomorrow, May 5, distribution will begin St. George ribbons in Irkutsk. You can get ribbons from 12.00 to 14.00 at the Kirov Square (near the fountain), at the Angara Hotel, at the Linguistic University and Art Museum public transport stops, as well as at the Irkutsk Komsomolets tank on 1st Street Soviet.

Therefore, from tomorrow on the streets of the city it will be possible to observe pictures like this one:

Or this one:

And in stores they will begin to meet us and are already meeting such promotions:

We decided to find out how and when the St. George Ribbon campaign was born and why it has become so firmly established in our lives. As well as, how to wear a st. george ribbon and what to do with people who put it on anywhere.

The tape got its name from the name of George the Victorious. Established by Catherine II in 1769 during the Russian-Turkish war, along with the military order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George. It was the highest military award of the Russian Empire, which encouraged officers for merit on the battlefield, as well as for loyalty and prudence. The ribbon was supposed to be a lifetime salary. After the death of the owner, it was inherited, but due to the commission of a shameful offense, it could be withdrawn.

One of the signs of victory "St. George's Ribbon" was precisely May 9, 1945 on the day of the establishment by the Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces of the medal "For the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945." It was this medal that became a symbol of the victory of the Soviet soldier in the Great Patriotic War, because it was received by about 15 million people who fought against the German invaders, as well as those who left the ranks of the Soviet army for health reasons.

There was also the "Order of Glory", established in November 1943 and awarded to junior military personnel only for personal merit. It could also be considered the progenitor of the St. George Ribbon campaign, but it was not so widespread, because it was issued only 1 million times against 15 million medals "For the victory over Germany", however, it was valued much higher.

In modern Russia, on the eve of May 9, starting in 2005, a large-scale action called the St. George Ribbon has been held. The action was thought up for the 60th anniversary of the Victory by Natalya Loseva, an employee of the RIA Novosti news agency. The organizers of the action are "RIA Novosti" and ROOSPM "Student Community". Financing for the purchase of ribbons is provided by regional and local authorities.

The action begins with the distribution by volunteers among the population of small sections of ribbons, identical in shape and color to the St. George ribbon. According to the terms of the promotion, the ribbon must be attached to the lapel of clothing, tied to a hand, bag or car antenna. Approximately like this:

The purpose of this event, according to the initiators of the project, is "creating a symbol of the holiday", "expressing our respect for the veterans, tribute to the memory of those who fell on the battlefield, gratitude to the people who gave everything for the front."

This is the main problem of the whole action - the use of the symbol of victory, tied to the antenna of the car, would hardly be liked by the veterans who shed their blood, for which they received a medal with a St. George ribbon. But, as they say, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." Of course, we must say "thank you" to the organizers that for 11 years now we have a symbol that binds everyone together at the beginning of May. The organizers did a tremendous job of spreading this symbol, but at the same time, no work was done to convey the sacred meaning of this action. Now we have a rather strange situation - all Russians have St. George ribbons, but they do not know what to do with them, how to put them on correctly, and what they ultimately mean. There are three ways out of this situation: 1. Stop holding the action. 2. Introduce administrative responsibility for wearing a ribbon not on the chest. 3. Conduct an educational program among the population.

The first option, of course, does not fit, because the St. George Ribbon is not only a symbol of victory over fascism, but in general of all the victories ever made by a Russian person. The second option was already considered last year, when State Duma deputies already proposed to amend Article 329 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Desecration of the coat of arms or flag of Russia”, which currently provides for administrative liability for violating the procedure for using state symbols and criminal liability for desecration of the flag or coat of arms countries. Well, the third option is the most correct in this situation, since the state has various mechanisms for its implementation - from state television channels to activists of youth movements who could talk about the action, as we do today.

This promotion even has its own code, which most people, unfortunately, do not even know about:

1. The St. George Ribbon campaign is non-commercial and non-political.

2. The purpose of the action is to create a symbol of the holiday - Victory Day.

3. This symbol is an expression of our respect for the veterans, a tribute to the memory of those who fell on the battlefield, gratitude to the people who gave everything for the front. To all those thanks to whom we won in 1945.

4. "St. George's Ribbon" is not a heraldic symbol. This is a symbolic ribbon, a replica of the traditional bicolor St. George ribbon.

5. It is not allowed to use original award St. George or Guards ribbons in the action. "George's Ribbon" is a symbol, not a reward.

6. "St. George's Ribbon" cannot be an object of sale.

7. "George Ribbon" cannot be used to promote goods and services. It is not allowed to use the tape as an accompanying product or as an element of product packaging.

8. "St. George Ribbon" is distributed free of charge. It is not allowed to issue a ribbon to a visitor of a commercial establishment in exchange for a purchase.

9. It is not allowed to use the "George Ribbon" for political purposes by any parties or movements.

10. Inscriptions on the ribbon are not allowed.

Summarizing everything that was written above - the only true way of wearing the St. George ribbon is to attach it to the lapel of the jacket on the left side at the level of the heart. This is the best way to show memory and respect for the people who gave their lives for the future of our country.
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Ilya Galkov, Irkutsk

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Portal for the student. Self-training

History of the St. George Ribbon

Guards Ribbon

St. George's ribbon today

St. George ribbon and politics with commerce

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