BELL

GEORGE RIBBON

On the eve of Victory Day, Ivan Alekseich and his seven-year-old grandson Vanya were walking around the city. Well! The streets are clean, the wind plays with flags, cars rush past, and almost every taxi has a St. George ribbon on its antenna.

In the middle of the street, a guy with a girl, smiling, handed out the same black and yellow ribbons to passers-by. They took both the grandfather and the grandson one by one, so that the next day, going to the parade, attach them to their chests. “Grandfather, why are these ribbons called St. George? Vanya asked. - Probably, there was such a glorious hero named George during the war, who knocked out a whole thousand enemy tanks or planes, right?

Grandfather suddenly leaned over and picked up something from the asphalt: “Here he is, that hero George, lying on the ground. Not good". In the palm of my grandfather, a brand new "ten" gleamed - a coin of 10 kopecks. “See, Vanya? This is St. George the Victorious. People also call him Egor the Brave. How not brave? Just imagine. He was a rich and noble young man, a commander in the army of the Roman emperor. But when he learned that the ruler was preparing a cruel persecution of Christians (and George was a secret Christian), he came to the emperor and declared that he believed in Christ. For this he was executed. Time passed, and in honor of the great martyr George began to build temples. And here's an amazing incident, Vanya. In the city of Amastrida (this is on the Black Sea) there was a church dedicated to George - so dilapidated that it seemed that it was about to collapse. And the people in that city lived in poverty, they had no money for repairs. And then one day a boy runs into the temple - the same fidget as you. The face was sobbing - the older guys again hit cuffs for not being able to win in a single game. “Help me win, Saint George,” the boy prayed, “and I will bring you a delicious pie for this!” And the saint heard - since then the boy began to take over in games. His mother baked a cake, and the boy put it in front of the altar: “Here, Saint George, this is for you!” As soon as the boy left the temple, visiting merchants come in. They see - a pie, but how delicious it smells! “Listen, why does a saint need a pie? Let's eat it so that the good does not disappear, and in return we leave incense, ”says one merchant to another. They finished with the pie - and what a misfortune? How to get outside? Everywhere you look - only walls and not a single door! The merchants realized that they had sinned, placed a silver coin in front of the altar, then a gold one, fervently prayed to the saint - and finally found a way out. This miracle became known throughout the country, pilgrims were drawn to the poor temple, and soon a beautiful new church grew up with their donations.

“But why is George portrayed as a horseman with a spear?” Vanya asked. “Here's why. Already after his death, the saint appeared in the form of a young man on a horse and defeated the serpent. The monster has long kept everyone in fear. Every day it crawled out of the lake to drag another victim with it to the bottom - (the inhabitants of that town, by lot, brought their children to death). And then came the turn of the king's daughter. It was then that a beautiful rider with a spear at the ready rushed to her rescue and pierced the snake's throat. He told the girl to throw a rope around her neck and lead him into the city like a dog. Residents fled in horror, seeing this procession. In the city square, George killed a monster, and announced to the people that it was the Lord Jesus Christ who sent him to help them. The grateful inhabitants threw out their former idols and accepted holy baptism. It turned out that George saved not only the princess, but the whole people. This is such a story, ”concluded Ivan Alekseevich.

“In the same way, God helped our people to defeat the Nazis!” Vanya guessed. "Certainly! grandfather agreed. – And the Great Martyr George was nearby. So many coincidences! The capture of Berlin and the surrender of Germany took place on the eve of the feast of St. George; Easter also fell on his day that year! And the Victory Parade in June was hosted by a marshal named Georgy - the famous Zhukov. And when he rode through Red Square on his white horse past the defeated banners with a swastika, of course, it was impossible not to remember the image beloved by Muscovites - the image of the patron saint of the army, George the Victorious.

“Grandfather, why are the ribbons named after him? Where did it come from? Vanya also asked. “On such ribbons it was supposed to wear the highest military award - the St. George Cross,” Ivan Alekseevich explained. - He appeared under Tsarina Catherine II. Only the most courageous soldiers and officers were honored to wear this ribbon. During the Great Patriotic War, those who distinguished themselves were awarded the Order of Glory - but his ribbon was the same as that of the Order of St. George. And here we are with you tying it (without an order) as a sign of respect for the heroes of the war and eternal memory of them.

Why is the ribbon called St. George's.
As a result of a spontaneous action in 2005, a "George" ribbon appeared in all cities of Russia, painted in orange and black. The participants of this action set themselves the main goal: to restore the memory of the traditions of the Soviet and Russian army. Since then, the "George" ribbon has become an indispensable attribute of celebrations dedicated to the victory in the Great Patriotic War - the victory over the Nazis. Why is a two-color ribbon called "George"?
A bit from the history of the "George" ribbon.
The Russian Empress Catherine II in 1769 established the Order of St. George, which has four degrees, in order to reward those who performed a feat in battle and demonstrated their valor. The order of the first degree is made in the form of sets, which include a cross, stars and a special ribbon with two orange and three black stripes, which was worn under the uniform over the shoulder. This tape was called "George".
Since then, these two colors of the St. George ribbon have become symbols of valor and military glory in Russia. Later, this ribbon was assigned to military units as a distinction, for example, to banners. Also, state awards were worn on this ribbon. At the beginning of the 19th century, separate parts of the Russian army received award St. George banners. St. George's ribbon and tassels were attached to these banners.
Half a century later, during the Crimean War, the colors of the "George" ribbon began to appear on the award weapons that belonged to the officers. This award has become as honorable as the Order of St. George. Until the Empire ceased to exist, the "George" ribbon existed in the Russian army as an award attribute.
Continuation of the tradition.
The leadership of the Soviet Union decided to partially restore the traditions of the Russian army during the war with Nazi Germany. So, in 1943, the government of the USSR established the Order of Glory, which had three degrees and was a five-pointed star and a block covered with a yellow-black ribbon, which resembled the Order of St. George. The ribbon of two colors also symbolized courage, valor and continuity of traditions.
The decision to restore the former Russian order was made by the Russian government after the collapse of the USSR. It was then that the distinctive sign "St. George's Cross" was introduced. And so a symbol appeared in modern Russia, uniting the traditions of different eras, which are more than two centuries apart from each other.
Currently, Russians proudly and patriotically attach an orange-red ribbon to their clothes or hang it on cars on public holidays or during public and political events. Be sure to know how to tie a St. George ribbon. After all, the St. George ribbon is not only a symbol of the unity of the nation, but also a way to express one's patriotic feelings.

First, it is worth understanding what can be understood by the name "St. George's ribbon"

• Ribbon for the Order of St. George and the insignia of the order (George Cross). Established by Catherine II in 1769. It was actively used until 1917, but there were awards for both Civil and even WWII, but more on that later.
• Ribbon for medals "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945" and to the Order of Glory. It was also used on the banners and peakless caps of sailors.
• A symbolic ribbon distributed during the St. George Ribbon campaign. That is, it symbolizes involvement in the Second World War and the famous "I remember, I'm proud", but it is called St. George's.

Below I will give examples of the use of each tape in the appropriate order:

Now directly about why this action causes so much controversy, and, in fact, is flawed and even unacceptable for sane people:

1. The fact that the symbolic ribbon completely copies the order and medal ribbon is at least disrespectful to the awarded. The right to wear an award had to be earned by doing something beyond what is required - in other words, to accomplish a feat. I doubt that Putin's patriots, who use the date of May 9th to thump, and just people who wear a ribbon "like everyone else", did something like that.

But not only that, the sash was, in fact, also independent award. The precedent was as follows - Lieutenant General Lukomsky A.S. took an important part in the mobilization of the Russian Imperial Army in 1914, but since the Order of St. George was awarded only for military accomplishments ... then he awarded with a ribbon:

".. deigned welcomeribbon of the order St. Great Martyr and Victorious George to his Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir of the 4th degree "

Also, the ribbon could be used as a symbol of the fact that a person was awarded the order itself. For example, they wrote about General Drozdovsky as follows:

"in the same shabby jacket, with a shabby St. George ribbon in the buttonhole; out of modesty, he did not wear the order itself"

Moreover, M. G. Drozdovsky was awarded for raising rifle companies and personally leading them under enemy fire, taking the height. He himself was wounded in the arm, which remained partially paralyzed until the end of his life. However, Mikhail Gordeevich, despite declaring him unfit for military service, still returned to the front. It is unlikely that the current carriers of tapes are capable of this, although they, perhaps, do not know about Drozdovsky.

2. The next interesting point. It is believed that the "St. George's Ribbon" is a symbol of victory in the Second World War. The statement is at least controversial. Yes, the ribbon for the medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945." "had such an appearance. And even if we omit the incorrectness of using the medal ribbon as a symbolic one, the name "St. George" here is absurd - that ribbon is guards. In addition, we must remember that the last awarding of the St. George Cross was in the Russian Corps, which fought on the side of Germany and in 1942 included in the Wehrmacht - a formation of white emigrants created for self-defense of Russian emigration in Yugoslavia from partisans and to continue the fight against Bolshevism. regiment of the mine in the village of Stolitsa.As you know, the Raseyan patriots, if they know about the Russian Corps (which is unlikely), they consider it to be a formation of traitors, enemies of the people, etc.

3. Recently, the tape has also acquired a political meaning. That is why disagreements arise. It is used by separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, well, we all know that. Well, in general, it has become a symbol of solidarity with the current government.

So, the controversy around this action and the tape will exist for a long time. Some do not like the very fact of the complete copying of the symbolic ribbon from the order. Others do not consider themselves worthy to wear a ribbon, again copying the order. Many do not want to wear the symbol used by the current government, the separatists, and all sorts of organizations like NOD.

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

In 1769, the Russian Empress Catherine II established the Order of St. George. Having four degrees, this distinctive badge served to reward those who demonstrated valor in battle and accomplished a military feat. The order of the first degree was made in the form of a set of stars and a special ribbon, which had two orange and three black stripes. Such a ribbon was worn under the uniform over the right shoulder. She received the name "George".

Since that time, the two colors of the St. George ribbon in Russia began to symbolize glory and valor. Subsequently, this was assigned to the signs that military units had, in particular, banners. Often state awards were worn on this ribbon. At the beginning of the 19th century, separate parts of the Russian received St. George's award banners, to which a black and orange ribbon and tassels were attached.

Half a century later, during the years of the Crimean War, the colors of the St. George ribbon began to appear on the award, which belonged to the officer corps. An award of this kind was no less honorable than the Order of St. George. Black and orange ribbons as a reward attribute existed in the Russian army until the empire ceased to exist.

St. George's Ribbon: Continuation of Traditions

During the war against the fascist invaders, the leadership of the Soviet Union decided to partially restore the traditions of the old Russian army. In 1943, the USSR government established the Order of Glory, which had three degrees. In appearance, it was a five-pointed star and had a block covered with a yellow-black ribbon. This combination of colors was reminiscent of the Order of St. George. The two-color ribbon also served as a symbol of courage, military prowess and the continuity of traditions.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the leadership of the renewed Russia decided to restore the former Russian St. George. The distinctive sign "St. George's Cross" was also put into operation. So in modern Russia it reappeared, which was destined to combine the traditions of different eras, separated from each other by more than two centuries.

Today, many people who are patriotic, on public holidays or during significant social and political events, proudly attach a bright ribbon to their clothes or hang it on cars. The St. George ribbon has become a kind of symbol of the unity of the nation and a way to express their patriotic feelings.