St. George's crosses of 4 degrees were established as the highest award, which was awarded to representatives of the lower ranks in the army of the Russian Empire. It was awarded only for personal courage shown on the battlefield. Despite the fact that this award is already more than two hundred years old, it did not immediately receive its current name - the St. George Cross. It appeared only in 1913 with the approval of the updated regulations on the Order of St. George.

History of occurrence

In mid-February 1807, the Supreme Manifesto was published, which established the Insignia of the Military Order. It was he who would later be renamed In 1833, under Emperor Nicholas I, there was a need to adopt a new statute of the Order of St. George. It contained several innovations regarding the awards of crosses to soldiers. For example, now the commanders-in-chief of the armies, as well as the commanders of individual corps, could present for the award. Such a simplification of the procedure greatly facilitated the award process itself, and also practically eliminated all sorts of bureaucratic delays.

The next innovation is the maximum increase in the salary of soldiers and non-commissioned officers, as well as the right to wear a cross along with the St. George's bow. This difference preceded the appearance of the division of the award into several degrees.

The first awards, which appeared in 1807, were not numbered. This oversight began to be corrected only after two years, when they decided to compile lists of all gentlemen. For this, the awards were temporarily withdrawn and numbered. Therefore, it is precisely known that there were 9937 copies. Thanks to this, even now you can find out who was awarded this or that St. George Cross (4th degree). By the number and type of font, it is easy to determine the period to which the award belongs. In the First World War, the number of crosses awarded exceeded 1 million, therefore, on the reverse of later medallions, the designation 1 / M is on the upper beam.

Short description

St. George's crosses of 4 degrees appeared only in March 1856, when further changes were made to the regulations on the Order of St. George. Initially, the 1st and 2nd degrees were made of gold, and the other two were made of silver. According to the statute, the awards must occur sequentially. In addition, a special numbering was developed for each of the degrees, and for visual distinction, a bow made from the St. George ribbon was also added.

After numerous awards to soldiers for valiant service in the Turkish War of 1877-1878, the stamps that were previously used by the mint for minting were decided to be updated. To this end, the medalist A. A. Grilikhes made some changes to the images on the crosses. It was then that these insignia acquired the appearance that was preserved until the 1917 revolution. An impression of the figure of St. George on the updated medallions has become much more expressive.

Privilege

The new statute of 1913, among other things, provided for a lifetime allowance. Thus, those awarded the St. George Cross of the 4th degree received 36 rubles, and the first - already 120. At the same time, the owners of several awards were paid an increase or pension as for the highest distinction. Cavaliers of the St. George Cross of the 4th degree, and those simply awarded this distinction, had a number of privileges, for example, it was forbidden to apply to them

Manufacturing features

Already in April 1914, St. George's crosses of 4 degrees of a new type appeared. The order for them came in the autumn of 1913. They were intended for presentation to members of military expeditions and border guards. Since July 1914, when the First World War began, the mint began to mint much more crosses. To speed up the process, even those medallions that remained from the Japanese war were first used. During the first year alone, about 1.5 thousand crosses of the first were sent to the army, more than 3 thousand - of the second, 26 thousand - of the third, and the largest number of the fourth - 170 thousand copies.

In connection with the sharply increased demand for St. George's crosses made of precious metals and the difficult economic situation in the country in the spring of 1915, it was decided to slightly reduce the standard of gold used for these purposes, so the highest degrees began to be made from a special alloy. In its composition, it contained only 60% pure gold.

Starting from October 1916, expensive metals were completely removed from the alloy used in the manufacture of all Russian awards without exception. From now on, St. George's crosses of 4 degrees were already minted only from cupronickel and tompak, and on its rays were the letters: BM is white metal, and ZhM is yellow. Just before the revolution of 1917, the Provisional Government allowed this award to be presented to both soldiers and officers, while the latter also had a laurel branch pinned to the ribbon.

For the entire period of Russian history, there have been many different awards and medals. One of the most honored are the St. George Crosses. This award was the most massive in the days of Tsarist Russia. The soldier's St. George's Cross was carefully kept in the family of the soldier who received it, and the full cavalier of the St. George's Cross was revered by the people along with the epic heroes of fairy tales. This award was especially popular because it was awarded to the lower ranks of the Tsarist army, that is, ordinary soldiers and non-commissioned officers.

This award was equivalent to the Order of St. George, which was established by Catherine the Great in the 18th century. The George Cross was divided into 4 degrees:

• St. George's cross 4 degrees;
• St. George's Cross 3rd class;
• St. George's Cross, 2nd class;
• George Cross 1st class.

They received this award only for the incredible valor that they showed on the battlefield. First they gave out the St. George Cross of the 4th degree, then the 3rd, 2nd and 1st degrees. Thus, the one who was awarded the St. George Cross of the first degree became a full cavalier of the St. George Cross. Performing 4 feats on the battlefield and staying alive at the same time was a manifestation of incredible military skill and luck, so it is not surprising that such people were treated like heroes.

George Crosses were awarded to soldiers for over 100 years, they appeared shortly before Napoleon's invasion of Russia, and were abolished after the First World War, during which several million people received this royal award, although few were awarded the George Cross of the first degree.

With the coming to power of the Bolsheviks, the St. George Crosses were abolished, although even before the start of World War II, the medal "For Courage" was introduced, which somehow copied the St. George Cross. Convinced that the medal "For Courage" enjoys great respect among the military, the Soviet command decided to establish the Order of Glory of three degrees, which almost completely copied the Royal St. George's Cross.

Although most of the tsarist awards in Soviet Russia were very unpopular, and wearing them was equated almost with treason, the bosses often looked “through their fingers” at the wearing of the St. George's crosses by the old front-line soldiers. The following famous Soviet military leaders had St. George's crosses:

• Marshal Georgy Zhukov;
• K. Rokossovsky;
• R. Malinovsky;
• Budyonny, Tyulenev and Eremenko were full Cavaliers of St. George.

One of the most legendary wartime partisan commanders, Sidor Kovpak, also had the St. George Cross of two degrees.

In Tsarist Russia, all those awarded the St. George Cross received a cash bonus, and they were also paid a lifetime pension, the amount of which varied depending on the degree of the cross. Such an award as the George Cross gave its owner numerous unspoken benefits in civilian life and popular respect.

History of the George Cross

Many modern sources do not share such awards as the Order of St. George and the George Cross, although these are completely different awards. The Order of George was established in the 18th century, and the George Cross in the 19th century.

In 1807, Emperor Alexander I received a proposal to establish some kind of award for soldiers and non-commissioned officers who distinguished themselves in the performance of combat missions. Allegedly, this will help to strengthen the courage of Russian soldiers who, in the hope of receiving the desired reward (which includes monetary rewards and a lifetime pension), will fight without sparing their lives. The emperor considered this proposal quite reasonable, especially since news of the battle of Preussisch-Eylau reached him, in which Russian soldiers showed miracles of courage and endurance.

In those days, there was one big problem: a Russian soldier who was a serf could not be awarded an order, since the order emphasized the status of its owner, and was, in fact, a knightly insignia. Nevertheless, the courage of the Russian soldier had to be somehow encouraged, so the Russian emperor introduced a special "insignia of the order", which in the future became the St. George soldier's cross.

"Soldier George", as he was called by the people, could only receive the lower ranks of the Russian army, who showed selfless courage on the battlefield. Moreover, this award was not handed out at the request of the command, the soldiers themselves determined which of them was worthy of receiving the St. George Cross. The George Cross was issued for the following merits:

• Heroic and skillful actions on the battlefield, thanks to which the detachment managed to win in a seemingly hopeless situation;
• Heroic capture of an enemy banner, preferably right from under the nose of a stunned enemy;
• Capture of an enemy officer;
• Heroic actions that prevent the capture of a group of their soldiers;
• A sudden blow to the rear of the superior forces of the enemy, which entailed his flight and other similar feats on the battlefield.

At the same time, wounds or contusions on the battlefield did not give absolutely no right to a reward, unless they were received in the process of carrying out heroic activity.

According to the then existing rules, it was necessary to wear the St. George's Cross on a specially St. George's ribbon, which was threaded into the buttonhole. The first soldier who became a knight of the Order of St. George was non-commissioned officer Mitrokhin, who received it in the battle of Friedland in 1807.

Initially, the George Cross did not have any degrees and was issued an unlimited number of times (this is in theory). In practice, the George Cross was issued only once, and the next presentation was purely formal, although at the same time the soldier's salary increased by a third. The undoubted advantage of a soldier awarded this distinction was the complete absence of corporal punishment, which was widely used at that time.

In 1833, the St. George Cross was included in the statute of the Order of St. George, in addition, at the same time, they entrusted the procedure for awarding soldiers to the commanders of armies and corps, which significantly accelerated the process of awarding, since it used to happen that the hero did not live up to the solemn award.

In 1844, a special George Cross was developed for soldiers who profess the Muslim faith. Instead of St. George, who is an Orthodox saint, a double-headed eagle was depicted on the cross.

In 1856, the George Cross was divided into 4 degrees, while its degree was indicated on the cross. How difficult it was to get the St. George Cross of the 1st degree is evidenced by impartial statistics. According to her, there were about 2,000 full knights of the St. George Order in its entire history.

In 1913, the award officially became known as the St. George Cross, in addition, the St. George Medal for Bravery appeared, also having 4 degrees. Unlike a soldier's award, the St. George medal could be awarded to civilians and military personnel in peacetime. After 1913, the George Cross began to be issued posthumously. In this case, the award was passed on to the relatives of the deceased and kept as a family heirloom.

During the First World War, about 1,500,000 people received St. George's Crosses. Of particular note is the first Knight of St. George of this war, Kozma Kryuchkov, who received his first cross for the destruction of 11 German cavalrymen in battle. By the way, until the end of the war, this Cossack became a full Knight of St. George.

For the first time in the history of the George Cross, it began to be awarded to women and foreigners. Due to the difficult situation of the Russian economy during the war, the awards began to be made from low-quality gold (1st and 2nd degrees) and they significantly lost weight (3rd and 4th degrees).

Judging by the fact that during the First World War more than 1,200,000 George Crosses were issued, the heroism of the Russian army was simply at the highest level.

An interesting case of receiving the St. George Cross by the future Soviet Marshal Zhukov. He received it (one of several of his crosses) for shell shock, although this award was issued only for well-defined feats, clearly indicated in the statute. Apparently, acquaintances among the military authorities in those days could easily solve such problems.

After the February Revolution, officers could also receive the St. George Cross, if the soldiers' meetings approved it. During the Civil War, the White Guards were still awarded St. George's Crosses, although many soldiers considered it a shame to wear orders received for the murders of their compatriots.

What did the George Cross look like?

The George Cross is called a "cross" precisely because of its shape. This is a characteristic cross, the blades of which widen at the ends. In the center of the cross there is a medallion depicting St. George slaying a snake with a spear. On the reverse side of the medallion there are the letters "C" and "G", made in the form of a monogram.

The cross was worn on the St. George ribbon (which has nothing to do with the modern St. George ribbon). The colors of the St. George ribbon are black and orange, symbolizing smoke and flame.

The most famous holders of the George Cross

During the existence of the St. George Cross, more than 3,500,000 people were awarded it, although the last 1.5-2 million are quite controversial, since they were often issued in the First World War not on merit. Many holders of the St. George Orders became famous not only for receiving this award, but are also historical figures:

• The famous Durova, or "cavalry girl", who served as the prototype of the heroine from the "Hussar Ballad", was awarded the St. George Cross for saving the life of an officer;
• The Decembrists Muravyov-Apostol and Yakushkin also had St. George's Crosses, which they received for military merit in the battle of Borodino;
• General Miloradovich received this award from the hands of Emperor Alexander, who personally saw the courage of Miloradovich in the battle of Leipzig;
• Kozma Kryuchkov, who was a full cavalier of the Order of St. George, became a Russian hero during his lifetime. By the way, a Cossack died in 1919 at the hands of the Red Guards, defending the tsarist regime until the end of his life;
• Vasily Chapaev, who went over to the side of the Reds, had 3 crosses and the St. George medal;
• Maria Bochkareva, who created the women's "battalion of death", also had this award.

Despite the mass character, it is quite difficult to find St. George's crosses now. This is due to the fact that they were minted from gold (1 and 2 degrees) and silver (3 and 4 degrees). In February, the provisional government intensively collected awards "for the needs of the revolution." During the Soviet period, when there was a famine or a blockade, many exchanged their rewards for flour or bread.

The memory of the George Cross was revived in 1943, when the Order of Glory was established. At present, everyone is familiar with the St. George's Ribbon, with which people who celebrate Victory Day adorn themselves. At the same time, not everyone knows that although the ribbon symbolizes the Order of Glory, its roots go much deeper.

For the entire period of Russian history, there have been many different awards and medals. One of the most honored are the St. George Crosses. This award was the most massive in the days of Tsarist Russia. The soldier's St. George's Cross was carefully kept in the family of the soldier who received it, and the full cavalier of the St. George's Cross was revered by the people along with the epic heroes of fairy tales. This award was especially popular because it was awarded to the lower ranks of the Tsarist army, that is, ordinary soldiers and non-commissioned officers.

This award was equivalent to the Order of St. George, which was established by Catherine the Great in the 18th century. The George Cross was divided into 4 degrees:

• St. George's cross 4 degrees;
• St. George's Cross 3rd class;
• St. George's Cross, 2nd class;
• George Cross 1st class.

They received this award only for the incredible valor that they showed on the battlefield. First they gave out the St. George Cross of the 4th degree, then the 3rd, 2nd and 1st degrees. Thus, the one who was awarded the St. George Cross of the first degree became a full cavalier of the St. George Cross. Performing 4 feats on the battlefield and staying alive at the same time was a manifestation of incredible military skill and luck, so it is not surprising that such people were treated like heroes.

George Crosses were awarded to soldiers for over 100 years, they appeared shortly before Napoleon's invasion of Russia, and were abolished after the First World War, during which several million people received this royal award, although few were awarded the George Cross of the first degree.

With the coming to power of the Bolsheviks, the St. George Crosses were abolished, although even before the start of World War II, the medal "For Courage" was introduced, which somehow copied the St. George Cross. Convinced that the medal "For Courage" enjoys great respect among the military, the Soviet command decided to establish the Order of Glory of three degrees, which almost completely copied the Royal St. George's Cross.

Although most of the tsarist awards in Soviet Russia were very unpopular, and wearing them was equated almost with treason, the bosses often looked “through their fingers” at the wearing of the St. George's crosses by the old front-line soldiers. The following famous Soviet military leaders had St. George's crosses:

• Marshal Georgy Zhukov;
• K. Rokossovsky;
• R. Malinovsky;
• Budyonny, Tyulenev and Eremenko were full Cavaliers of St. George.

One of the most legendary wartime partisan commanders, Sidor Kovpak, also had the St. George Cross of two degrees.

In Tsarist Russia, all those awarded the St. George Cross received a cash bonus, and they were also paid a lifetime pension, the amount of which varied depending on the degree of the cross. Such an award as the George Cross gave its owner numerous unspoken benefits in civilian life and popular respect.

History of the George Cross

Many modern sources do not share such awards as the Order of St. George and the George Cross, although these are completely different awards. The Order of George was established in the 18th century, and the George Cross in the 19th century.

In 1807, Emperor Alexander I received a proposal to establish some kind of award for soldiers and non-commissioned officers who distinguished themselves in the performance of combat missions. Allegedly, this will help to strengthen the courage of Russian soldiers who, in the hope of receiving the desired reward (which includes monetary rewards and a lifetime pension), will fight without sparing their lives. The emperor considered this proposal quite reasonable, especially since news of the battle of Preussisch-Eylau reached him, in which Russian soldiers showed miracles of courage and endurance.

In those days, there was one big problem: a Russian soldier who was a serf could not be awarded an order, since the order emphasized the status of its owner, and was, in fact, a knightly insignia. Nevertheless, the courage of the Russian soldier had to be somehow encouraged, so the Russian emperor introduced a special "insignia of the order", which in the future became the St. George soldier's cross.

"Soldier George", as he was called by the people, could only receive the lower ranks of the Russian army, who showed selfless courage on the battlefield. Moreover, this award was not handed out at the request of the command, the soldiers themselves determined which of them was worthy of receiving the St. George Cross. The George Cross was issued for the following merits:

• Heroic and skillful actions on the battlefield, thanks to which the detachment managed to win in a seemingly hopeless situation;
• Heroic capture of an enemy banner, preferably right from under the nose of a stunned enemy;
• Capture of an enemy officer;
• Heroic actions that prevent the capture of a group of their soldiers;
• A sudden blow to the rear of the superior forces of the enemy, which entailed his flight and other similar feats on the battlefield.

At the same time, wounds or contusions on the battlefield did not give absolutely no right to a reward, unless they were received in the process of carrying out heroic activity.

According to the then existing rules, it was necessary to wear the St. George's Cross on a specially St. George's ribbon, which was threaded into the buttonhole. The first soldier who became a knight of the Order of St. George was non-commissioned officer Mitrokhin, who received it in the battle of Friedland in 1807.

Initially, the George Cross did not have any degrees and was issued an unlimited number of times (this is in theory). In practice, the George Cross was issued only once, and the next presentation was purely formal, although at the same time the soldier's salary increased by a third. The undoubted advantage of a soldier awarded this distinction was the complete absence of corporal punishment, which was widely used at that time.

In 1833, the St. George Cross was included in the statute of the Order of St. George, in addition, at the same time, they entrusted the procedure for awarding soldiers to the commanders of armies and corps, which significantly accelerated the process of awarding, since it used to happen that the hero did not live up to the solemn award.

In 1844, a special George Cross was developed for soldiers who profess the Muslim faith. Instead of St. George, who is an Orthodox saint, a double-headed eagle was depicted on the cross.

In 1856, the George Cross was divided into 4 degrees, while its degree was indicated on the cross. How difficult it was to get the St. George Cross of the 1st degree is evidenced by impartial statistics. According to her, there were about 2,000 full knights of the St. George Order in its entire history.

In 1913, the award officially became known as the St. George Cross, in addition, the St. George Medal for Bravery appeared, also having 4 degrees. Unlike a soldier's award, the St. George medal could be awarded to civilians and military personnel in peacetime. After 1913, the George Cross began to be issued posthumously. In this case, the award was passed on to the relatives of the deceased and kept as a family heirloom.

During the First World War, about 1,500,000 people received St. George's Crosses. Of particular note is the first Knight of St. George of this war, Kozma Kryuchkov, who received his first cross for the destruction of 11 German cavalrymen in battle. By the way, until the end of the war, this Cossack became a full Knight of St. George.

For the first time in the history of the George Cross, it began to be awarded to women and foreigners. Due to the difficult situation of the Russian economy during the war, the awards began to be made from low-quality gold (1st and 2nd degrees) and they significantly lost weight (3rd and 4th degrees).

Judging by the fact that during the First World War more than 1,200,000 George Crosses were issued, the heroism of the Russian army was simply at the highest level.

An interesting case of receiving the St. George Cross by the future Soviet Marshal Zhukov. He received it (one of several of his crosses) for shell shock, although this award was issued only for well-defined feats, clearly indicated in the statute. Apparently, acquaintances among the military authorities in those days could easily solve such problems.

After the February Revolution, officers could also receive the St. George Cross, if the soldiers' meetings approved it. During the Civil War, the White Guards were still awarded St. George's Crosses, although many soldiers considered it a shame to wear orders received for the murders of their compatriots.

What did the George Cross look like?

The George Cross is called a "cross" precisely because of its shape. This is a characteristic cross, the blades of which widen at the ends. In the center of the cross there is a medallion depicting St. George slaying a snake with a spear. On the reverse side of the medallion there are the letters "C" and "G", made in the form of a monogram.

The cross was worn on the St. George ribbon (which has nothing to do with the modern St. George ribbon). The colors of the St. George ribbon are black and orange, symbolizing smoke and flame.

The most famous holders of the George Cross

During the existence of the St. George Cross, more than 3,500,000 people were awarded it, although the last 1.5-2 million are quite controversial, since they were often issued in the First World War not on merit. Many holders of the St. George Orders became famous not only for receiving this award, but are also historical figures:

• The famous Durova, or "cavalry girl", who served as the prototype of the heroine from the "Hussar Ballad", was awarded the St. George Cross for saving the life of an officer;
• The Decembrists Muravyov-Apostol and Yakushkin also had St. George's Crosses, which they received for military merit in the battle of Borodino;
• General Miloradovich received this award from the hands of Emperor Alexander, who personally saw the courage of Miloradovich in the battle of Leipzig;
• Kozma Kryuchkov, who was a full cavalier of the Order of St. George, became a Russian hero during his lifetime. By the way, a Cossack died in 1919 at the hands of the Red Guards, defending the tsarist regime until the end of his life;
• Vasily Chapaev, who went over to the side of the Reds, had 3 crosses and the St. George medal;
• Maria Bochkareva, who created the women's "battalion of death", also had this award.

Despite the mass character, it is quite difficult to find St. George's crosses now. This is due to the fact that they were minted from gold (1 and 2 degrees) and silver (3 and 4 degrees). In February, the provisional government intensively collected awards "for the needs of the revolution." During the Soviet period, when there was a famine or a blockade, many exchanged their rewards for flour or bread.

The memory of the George Cross was revived in 1943, when the Order of Glory was established. At present, everyone is familiar with the St. George's Ribbon, with which people who celebrate Victory Day adorn themselves. At the same time, not everyone knows that although the ribbon symbolizes the Order of Glory, its roots go much deeper.

May 2018 is approaching and the next anniversary of the Victory - a great holiday "with tears in our eyes." Military parade, the passage of members of the "Immortal Regiment" and the distribution of St. George's ribbons. This process, which began in 2005 at the initiative of RIA Novosti, will once again be accompanied by a clash of two extremes. On the one hand, there are enthusiastic reports about the distribution of hundreds of thousands, even millions, of ribbons to the citizens of the country. On the other hand, malice and condemnation of the ongoing action with elements of yet another shift of history in a convenient direction.

The army of opponents of the ribbon is very motley. From A. G. Nevzorov, an ardent fighter against privileges in the era of perestroika, to irreconcilable supporters of the cause of Lenin and Stalin. From half-educated representatives of the "Pepsi generation" to terry nationalists from some of the former Soviet republics. Surprisingly, sometimes saying opposite things, they come to the same conclusion that the St. George ribbon is evil.

From the history of the symbol of victory

One of the main arguments of the opponents of the ribbon is that this is not our symbol, these are not our colors, our grandfathers and fathers did not go into battle with them.

The Order of St. George was established by the Decree of Catherine II of November 26, 1769. The motto of the Order "For Service and Bravery" needs no comment.

The ribbon appeared later, but in exactly this color scheme - three black and two orange (yellow, gold) stripes. This order was awarded (it had 4 degrees) only to officers and generals.

Since the order for military merit, it personified smoke and flame, of which there were plenty in the war of those times.

The recipient received various benefits and privileges.

In 1807 the lower ranks were established. He also had 4 degrees. The St. George Knights also included officers who were awarded the "Golden" St. George weapons. In 1805, the St. George standards appeared in the Russian army, which were awarded to the best units and formations.

The Knight of St. George enjoyed special respect in society.

In the forefront of those awarded, and more than once, our great commanders - A.V. Suvorov, M.I. Kutuzov, M.B. Barclay de Tolly, I.I. Dibich. Someone considers it unworthy to put on a St. George ribbon and, at least purely symbolically, join the greatness of the country?

St. George's Ribbon - an attribute of the White movement

Unfortunately, the negative assessment of the role of the White movement in the civil war, cultivated for many years, pushes us to the wrong conclusion about the significance of the attributes of the Order of St. George for the country and the army. The strict formula proposed for officers and generals was incorrect: either-or.

Faced with such a choice and remaining faithful to their oath, they did not become worse or better than those who joined the Red Army.

And, of course, they had every right to keep and use army traditions.

And their attitude towards the USSR is well illustrated by the positions of two tsarist generals, two leaders of the White movement, two Knights of St. George - P.N. Krasnov and A.I. Denikin.

If the first enthusiastically met Hitler's attack on the USSR, turned to Russian emigrants with an appeal to support the war against Stalin and actively cooperated with the invaders, then the second refused all offers to work with the Germans, called on his compatriots to support Russia, and at his own expense sent a wagon of medicines to the Red Army . What, was it that a war veteran or his great-grandson was presented with a St. George ribbon from Krasnov's stocks?

St. George ribbon and Vlasov

An amazing situation. Orthodox Stalinists refuse to recognize any symbolism of the Victory, except for the red banner (as if someone is arguing with this). And the fighters for liberal values, with their loyal attitude towards the Vlasovites, attribute the St. George ribbon to the symbols of the ROA.

As a result, both of them misinform people.

Firstly, on buttonholes, chevrons, shoulder straps, armbands, flags of the Vlasov army, a tricolor was used - white-blue-red. No comment. And secondly, on the banners that were handed over to the guards units and formations, it was attached to the pole, tied with a bow, and very similar to St. George's. Both in terms of status and color scheme.
Unknown and unpopular...

Common opinion among war history revisionists. It's them about the ribbon and again they are cunning. What kind of popularity of “attributes of the past power” could be discussed in a country that has abandoned a significant part of its history?

And it's great that from the very first days of the war, the leaders of the state launched work, figuratively speaking, to popularize the St. George ribbon.

After all, this small piece of fabric symbolizes a whole range of measures by the Soviet government aimed at glorifying the fight against the enemy and raising the morale of soldiers and officers. Appeal to the great history of a great country, even to the detriment of ideology, is one of these directions.

• in September 1941, a decision was made to award the title to guard units, formations and associations that distinguished themselves in battles with the enemy. For heroism, courage and military skill, it was said in the regulation on the guards;
• during the war years in the USSR, orders named after prominent Russian military leaders and naval commanders were established: Suvorov and Kutuzov, Bogdan Khmelnitsky and Alexander Nevsky, Nakhimov and Ushakov. These orders were awarded to officers and generals for success in command and control and for excellent organization and conduct of a combat operation.
• The Order of Glory - a soldier's order - established on November 8, 1943, had three degrees. No one will argue about its similarity with the St. George Cross of the tsarist army. The same black and orange ribbon for both. According to the statute, both orders were intended for awarding only privates and sergeants. Only a person who, having shown courage and heroism, personally accomplished a feat, could become a cavalier of the order (cross). The Order of Glory, the only one that was not awarded to any part or formation.
• On May 9, 1945, on Victory Day, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR established the medal "For the Victory over Germany", which was awarded to more than 15 million Soviet citizens. She also had a ribbon similar to St. George's.

After all, supporters of the revision of the results of the war are not against the ribbon. In its place could be anything - a soldier's medallion, which was called mortal, a cap, a cartridge from a three-ruler, a red carnation, a ribbon with a star.

The fight against the ribbon is a fight against the people's memory, another attempt to denigrate the best that our country had.

St. George Ribbon

The St. George ribbon on the chest of representatives of different generations is great. But the misfortune of our country is campaigning. It can ruin all good undertakings. Already a few days before the holiday, the media will enthusiastically report that more ribbons have been distributed this year than last. Logically, there should be fewer. Where did last year go?

The Internet is replete with ads of the following content: “St. George's ribbons in bulk - 0.91 rubles. Delivery in Moscow or self-delivery. And the distribution of ribbons near metro stations is on a par with advertising leaflets. Has anyone wondered what is the fate of both? Why not organize the sale of ribbons for a nominal fee (1 ruble), for example, at newsstands? And not in bulk, but one by one.

To whom the ribbon is dear - he will go, buy it and not throw it in the trash can. But if not, then it’s not necessary. Let not 100 ... 200 thousand, but much less ribbons be distributed to the residents of the city N-sk. But, these will be people who really keep the memory of the dead and treat living veterans with respect, and do not follow fashion.

unwritten rules

In the description of any order there is a rule for wearing it. Of course, the black and orange ribbon is not an order. Accordingly, the rules are unwritten and are advisory in nature:

• you can fasten the ribbon in any convenient way - with a pin, some kind of brooch, it can be sewn or tied to a jacket button;
• the placement of the ribbon is limited by common sense and the level of education - if it looks decent on a headdress, on the chest, in extreme cases, on the forearm, then attaching it to the back pocket of jeans is disgusting;
• the same is true for bags, handbags, backpacks - if such a need arises, you need to strengthen the ribbon as high as possible, but not near the bottom of the bag;
• it is better for motorists to place this piece of fabric inside the cabin, in extreme cases, tie it to the antenna, but certainly not in places where road dirt gets in the first place;
• the ribbon on the collar or leash of even the most thoroughbred dog looks quite wild.

State flags on administrative buildings and residential buildings are hung out a few days before the holiday and a day or two after, they are removed. You should also treat wearing a ribbon, without waiting for it to turn into a piece of dirty rag.

Simple but tasteful

And finally, quite difficult, especially for men, is the question of creating something non-standard, festive out of the St. George ribbon.

Creative people, when asked how to tie a St. George ribbon, offer to consider several options under the code names: flower, tie, star, bow, loop, letter M, bow tie, corner, rosette.

In general, the ribbon decently and beautifully looks in any version. And this fact, and the fact that the ribbon is one of the symbols of our victory, and its role in the current political situation, inspires hope that every normal citizen, having removed the ribbon from his jacket on May 10, will neatly fold it and put it away until next year.

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Catherine II with the Order of St. George 1st class. F. Rokotov, 1770

1. The Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George, approved in 1769, was intended exclusively for military ranks and was awarded mainly for feats. According to the statute approved by Catherine II, "Neither a high breed, nor wounds received from the enemy do not allow this order to be granted, but it is given to those who not only corrected their position in everything according to their oath, honor and duty, but, moreover, distinguished themselves what a special courageous act, or gave wise and useful advice for Our military service.
True, initially the order also relied on those "who have been in the field service for 25 years from the chief officer, and served as officers in the naval 18 campaigns."
To keep the status of the award high, years of service in the army began to be marked with the Order of St. Vladimir.
Until 1856, there was a procedure according to which the orders of St. George, after the death of their owners, were returned to the order duma without fail.

Order of St. George 4th degree

2. When creating the Order of St. George, the artists made a mistake. In the central medallion in the middle of the cross, the image of a horseman slaying a dragon is clearly visible. But in the heraldry of that time, the dragon meant the forces of Good, and according to legend, St. George defeated the snake.

3. The first degree of the Order of St. George was an extraordinary award, which in the entire history of its existence in pre-revolutionary Russia had only 25 people - less than the highest order of the Russian Empire of St. Andrew the First-Called.
According to the statute, only military leaders who won victories in military campaigns could receive the Order of St. George of the 1st degree, according to the statute, the Order of the 2nd degree - won in an important battle.
Therefore, in the entire history in Russia, only four military leaders had all four degrees of the Order of St. George: M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov, M.B. Barclay de Tolly, I.F. Paskevich-Erivansky and I.I. Dibich-Zabalkansky.
When, in 1801, the Order Duma suggested that Alexander I be given the insignia of the 1st degree of the St. George Order, he refused, believing that he did not deserve this award. Only after returning from the campaign in 1805, he agreed to the 4th degree of the order for the "personal courage" he had shown.
In 1838, Nicholas I, in connection with the 25th anniversary of his service in the officer ranks, insisted that the issue of awarding him the Order of St. George of the 4th degree was previously considered in the Order Duma.

Order of St. George, intended for non-Christian military personnel

4. To respect the beliefs of non-Christian military personnel, on August 29, 1844, a special design of the Order of St. George, where in the center, instead of a horseman slaying a snake, the coat of arms of the Russian Empire was depicted - a black double-headed eagle. Major Jamov-bek Kaitakhsky was the first to receive this badge.
In this regard, there are moments in memoirs and fiction when officers, immigrants from the Caucasus, are perplexed: "why did they give me a cross with a bird, and not with a horseman?"

Full "St. George's bow" - signs of the Order of St. George of four four degrees.

5. In 1807, the Badge of Distinction of the military order ("St. George's Cross") was approved for the lower ranks of the military. In 1856 he received four degrees. Signs of the 1st and 2nd degrees were made of gold, 3rd and 4th - of silver.
These insignia were issued quite rarely. For example, for the entire Russian-Turkish war, 60 people received the St. George Cross of the 1st degree.

Rules for wearing the Order of St. George from the 4th degree (first from the left) to the highest 1st degree.

6. Awarded with the Order of St. George and the St. George Cross, they also received regular cash payments.
Officers:
1st degree of the order: 700 rubles. annual pension.
2nd degree of the order: 400 rubles. annual pension.
3rd degree of the order: 200 rubles. annual pension.
4th degree of the order: 100 rubles. annual pension.
Lower ranks:
1st degree of the St. George Cross: 120 rubles of annual pension
2nd degree of the St. George Cross: 96 rubles of annual pension
3rd degree of the St. George Cross: 60 rubles of annual pension
4th degree of the St. George Cross: 36 rubles of annual pension
When awarding the highest degree, the issuance of the lowest degree ceased.
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.

Certificate of acceptance of the St. George Cross to the Fund for the Protection of the Fatherland

7. 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.

Soldier's St. George's Cross, presented to the Supreme Commander A.F. Kerensky by military personnel of the 8th Zaamursky Border Infantry Regiment

8 . On June 29, 1917, by order of the Supreme Commander, the Decree of the Provisional Government of the 24th of the same month was announced, which, in particular, stated:

“a) in rewarding officers with soldier's St. George's crosses for feats of personal courage and valor, officers are awarded with soldier's St. George's crosses for honoring the general meeting of the company (combat team, squadron, hundreds, batteries).

The soldier's St. George's crosses awarded to officers, in the form of a special honorary value of this award, and unlike the soldier's St. George's crosses received by officers before being promoted to officer rank, have a metal laurel branch on the ribbon in the color of the cross and are worn above all orders, except for the Order of St. George".

Vasily Ivanovich Chapaev

9 Many prominent Svoet military leaders who served in the army before the revolution had St. George's crosses.
Private Rodion Malinovsky and junior non-commissioned officer Konstantin Rokossovsky were marked with two crosses. The well-known Vasily Ivanovich Chapaev earned three St. George's crosses in battles.