Human society is developing, traditions, attitudes, turns of speech, and the language itself are changing, finally. As obsolete phrases “I have the honor” and “salute” go out of use even in the army. Even the original meaning of these wonderful phrases is distorted.

What does it mean to honor

There was no talk of any salutation of one's own honor initially. It was said about the recognition of the merits of a person who comes forward, about respect for him. At all times, the youngest was the first to greet both by age and by rank or rank, recognizing high merits. You can salute both a person or a group of people, and something sacred - a banner or a monument to fallen heroes.

A gesture, whatever it may be, has always been a sign of recognition of honor in the opposite. At all times and among all peoples, there were various forms of greetings and expressions of respect: one could bow to the ground, kneel, or both, prostrate, click heels and nod with an uncovered head.

In the dictionaries of V. I. Dahl and S. I. Ozhegov, “to salute” means to greet. And if the dictionary of S.I. Ozhegov describes this greeting only as putting a hand on a headdress, then V.I. Dal gives a whole list of actions. You can salute with a bow, bowing a sword or banner, making a weapon on guard, breaking through a drum roll.

The legend of the origin of the military salute

The emergence of a greeting with a gesture of the right hand raised to the eyes is attributed to the famous British pirate who was honored to welcome the English Queen Elizabeth I on board his ship. The legendary pirate did not have an officer rank and became a knight after a trip around the world. Fulfilling Her Majesty's secret mission, Drake not only robbed Spanish ships, he discovered many sea routes and made several geographical discoveries.

The legend says that the captain of the pirates stood against the sun when the queen climbed the ladder, and covered his eyes, putting the palm of his right hand to them with a visor. The team lined up behind him repeated this gesture in unison. The gallant corsair complimented the ugly Elizabeth by comparing her to the blinding sun, which won Her Majesty over. Evil tongues claimed that it was for gallantry that Drake was knighted, and the gesture went around

Historical versions of the military salute

One of the historical versions of the origin of saluting refers to knightly traditions. A knight on a horse with reins and a shield in his left hand, having met the same knight, raised the visor of his helmet with his right hand. This gesture spoke of peaceful intentions.

The documented version says that it was in Great Britain in the 18th century, since the headgear in the elite units became very cumbersome, that the rule appeared not to take them off, but to greet the officers by pressing their hand to the hat and bowing. Then they even stopped touching the hat, since the hands of the soldiers were always stained with soot, because they had to set fire to the oppression of muskets. And with what hand the guardsmen of Her Majesty salute, the charters did not specify. Most likely, it goes without saying that the right one.

Mounted and foot officers saluted by raising edged weapons, bringing the handle closer to their lips and then moving it to the right and down. The question of which hand the officers salute with did not arise.

Military salute in different countries

In the military salute of any army, they do not bow their heads and do not lower their eyes, which also speaks of mutual honor, regardless of ranks and ranks, and there is no question of which hand is saluted in the army - only with the right.

But the rotation of the palm may be somewhat different. Since the 19th century, the hand raised to the right eyebrow is turned with the palm outward. In the British Navy, since the days of sailing ships, when the hands of sailors were stained with tar and tar, and it was unworthy to show dirty palms, the palm was turned down in greeting. The same greeting is accepted in France. In the US Army, during the greeting, the palm is turned down, and the hand, extended slightly forward, as if covering the eyes from the sun. In the Italian army, the palm is carried over the front of the visor.

In Tsarist Russia until 1856 and today's Poland, the military salute was performed with the index and middle fingers. Since 1856, after the Crimean War, in the Soviet Army and today's Russian army, honor is given with the entire palm that is turned down. At the same time, the middle finger looks at the temple, touching the visor of the uniform cap. Hence the synonyms of the expression "salute" - to salute, salute.

The way in which Russian servicemen salute is enshrined in the Charter of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

Rules of etiquette

There is military etiquette that all military men must follow. Its rules are determined not only by traditions and rituals, the principles of morality and ethics, but also by regulations and charters.

But there is also an etiquette common to all, according to which, for example, a man as a support and protector in the past, also with a weapon on his side, should go to the left of his companion. But exceptions to the general rules depend on which hand they salute in Russia and not only. Soldiers in uniform always go to the right of the woman, so as not to hit her with their elbow during a military salute. However, there are exceptions to this rule as well. If a soldier in uniform walks arm in arm with a companion, then he should be to her right so that the hand for the military salute remains free.

Differences in performing a military salute

Military salute in all countries is given with the right hand. The question of which country salutes with the left hand arises when high government officials, through negligence or inexperience, violate the rules for saluting military honor, which are either enshrined in charters or are an unshakable tradition.

It would seem that if the gesture of the right hand arose during the simplification of the procedure for removing the headgear, then a uniform cap or cap is mandatory in such a ritual. But no. Army traditions in the United States began to take shape after the victory of the army of northerners in the Civil War of the North and South in the second half of the 19th century. The victorious army was formed from volunteers without combat skills and dressed in ordinary clothes, often without hats. Honor was given simply by placing a hand on her head. Since then, in the US Army, honor is given regardless of the presence of a uniform cap or cap on the head.

The salutation of military honor, or, in the modern interpretation of the Russian military regulations, the military salute is a ritual overshadowed by the centuries-old traditions of the armies of all countries of the world.

The History of the Military Salute November 6th, 2013

According to one version, this has been going on since the Middle Ages: a military greeting is a knightly tradition. Meeting with each other, the knights lifted the visor of the helmet with a movement of the hand to show that the face of a friend was hidden behind the armor. Or they raised their visor to show their peaceful intentions.

According to another version, the tradition of the modern military salute originates on the island of Great Britain. In many armies of the world, junior ranks greeted seniors by removing their hats, as was the case in the British army, but by the 18th and 19th centuries, soldiers' headdresses had become so cumbersome that this greeting was reduced to a simple touch of the visor. The greeting known to us took shape in 1745 in the Coldstream Regiment - the elite guards unit of the personal guard of the Queen of England.

In the regimental charter of the guards, it was written: "Personnel are ordered not to raise their hats when they pass by an officer or turn to him, but only to press their hands to their hats and bow." In 1762, the charter of the Scots Guards clarifies: “Since nothing disfigures the headgear and does not pollute the laces, like removing the hat, the personnel for the future are ordered only to raise their palm to the hat with a short gesture when passing by an officer.” Such an innovation caused a certain resistance, but, as we see, it nevertheless took root.

At the same time, great importance is attached to the fact that during a military greeting they do not bow their heads and do not lower their eyes, which means that servicemen of different ranks are free people serving one state. By the middle of the 19th century, the military salute in Great Britain had undergone new changes: the hand raised to the headdress (more precisely, to the right eyebrow) turned the palm outward. This tradition exists to this day.

In the USA, the hand is carried forward a little, as if closing the eyes from the sun, and the palm looks at the ground. The American gesture was influenced by the traditions of the British Navy: even in the days of sailing ships, sailors used pitch and tar to seal cracks in the wooden parts of the ship so that they would not let sea water through. At the same time, the hands were protected with white gloves, but it was unworthy to show a dirty palm, so in the navy the greeting hand turned 90 degrees down. The soldiers in France are also saluting.

In tsarist Russia, the military saluted with two fingers (this tradition still remains in Poland), and in the Soviet and modern Russian army, honor is already saluted with the whole palm facing down, with the middle finger looking at the temple.

By the way, let's emphasize a detail that is worth paying attention to: if earlier the ritual was called “salting military honor”, ​​today the Russian military charter, as it were, returns us to the requirements of noble knights: “soul - to God, life - to the fatherland, heart - to the lady, honor - no one!" (as the author of this statement, L.G. Kornilov, says?). Now this ritual is called "military salute"

According to the charter of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, all servicemen, when meeting or overtaking, are obliged to greet each other, while at the same time they must strictly observe the rules of giving military salute I established by the combat charter of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

Military salute it is the embodiment of respect, solidarity, camaraderie, manifestation of culture.

There are those who believe that the custom of saluting military honor in the armies of the world is associated with the name of the famous Pirate Francis Drake.(about the history of piracy and in particular about DRAKE).

This is of course more of a joke version, but still :-)

"I AM BLIND!"

Having made in 1577-1580. circumnavigating the globe, Drake sent a letter to Queen Elizabeth describing his exploits. Interested in the personality of the pirate, and even more in the treasures he had stolen, the queen visited Drake's ship. When she boarded, Drake, pretending to be blinded by her beauty (according to contemporaries, Elizabeth was extremely ugly), shielded his eyes with his palm.

Since then, in the English fleet, this gesture has allegedly been used to salute ...

LEFT OR RIGHT?

Maybe it is so, but most likely it is just a beautiful legend, although it has many supporters. However, let's see if the need to salute does not entail inconvenience.

According to etiquette, a man should walk to the left of a woman, since the place on the right is considered honorable. If a woman takes a soldier by the arm, he should be on her right in order to have an opportunity for a military salute. 200-300 years ago, men did not leave the house without weapons. Each had a saber, rapier or dagger hanging on his left side. On the left - in order to quickly and more conveniently grab the weapon from the scabbard with the right hand. So that when walking, the weapon does not hit the companion on the legs, the gentleman tried to walk to the left of his lady.

In general, it’s right for a man to walk on the left, because we often disperse to the right, and it’s better for the oncoming one to inadvertently hit you with his shoulder, and not your companion. Only the military, when they are in uniform, do not obey this rule. In order to give a military greeting and not touch the companion with the elbow, the right hand of a soldier or officer must be free. Therefore, it is more convenient for them to go on the right, and not on the left.

DON'T PUT A HAND TO THE EMPTY HEAD?

In the Russian army, honor is saluted only in a headdress, but in the American one ... In America, honor is saluted not “to an empty head”, but in any case. It's all about history. It should be borne in mind that in the United States, the traditions of the army of the Northerners (as winners) have been preserved, which was created from volunteers, often dressed, at first, in ordinary clothes and did not have military habits. Hence the salute without a military uniform and a headdress, which sometimes simply did not exist. Accordingly, when the form appeared, honor was given by putting a hand to the head, regardless of the presence of a headdress.

Times have changed, habits have changed

Officers or soldiers who carried a sword or saber, whether mounted or on foot, saluted by raising their weapons, bringing the handle closer to their lips, then moving the weapon to the right and down. This form of greeting originates in the Middle Ages and is associated with religion, when a knight kissed the hilt of a sword, which symbolized the Christian cross. Then it became a tradition when taking an oath.

Raising one's hand in greeting instead of taking off one's hat had practical implications. As the soldiers set fire to the fuses of their muskets, their hands got sooty. And with dirty hands to remove a headdress meant to render it unusable. Therefore, by the end of the 18th century, honor began to be given by a simple show of hands.

In the imperial period, saluting included not only raising a hand to a headdress, but also various bows, curtsies and other elements, depending on the rank of the person met and on the meeting place.

Let's remember something else or, for example, recently collected . And here is an interesting The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made -

§ 60. Performing a military salute without weapons on the spot and on the move

The military salute is the embodiment of the comradely solidarity of military personnel, evidence of mutual respect and common culture.

All servicemen are obliged to greet each other when meeting (overtaking).

Subordinates and juniors in military rank greet first, and in an equal position, the one who considers himself more polite and well-mannered is the first to greet.

Soldiers are required, in addition, to welcome:
■ Tomb of the Unknown Soldier;
■ mass graves of soldiers who fell in battles for the freedom and independence of the Fatherland;
■ The State Flag of the Russian Federation, the Combat Banner of a military unit, as well as the Naval Ensign upon arrival and departure from a warship;
■ funeral processions accompanied by military units.

The military salute is performed clearly and valiantly, with strict observance of the rules of combat stance and movement.

To perform a military salute on the spot out of formation without a headgear, three or four steps before the chief (senior) turn in his direction, take a combat stance and look at his face, turning his head after him.

If the headgear is worn, then, in addition, put the right hand to the headdress in the shortest possible way so that the fingers are together, the palm is straight, the middle finger touches the lower edge of the headdress (near the visor), and the elbow is at the line and height of the shoulder. When turning the head towards the chief (senior), the position of the hand at the headdress remains unchanged.

When the chief (senior) passes the person performing the military greeting, put his head straight and at the same time lower his hand.

To perform a military salute in motion out of formation without a headgear, three or four steps before the chief (senior), simultaneously with setting the foot, stop moving with your hands, turn your head in his direction and, continuing to move, look at his face. Having passed the chief (senior), put your head straight and continue to move with your hands.

When wearing a headgear, simultaneously with placing your foot on the ground, turn your head and put your right hand on the headgear, keep your left hand motionless at the hip; having passed the chief (senior), at the same time as placing the left foot on the ground, put the head straight and lower the right hand.

When overtaking a chief (senior), perform a military salute with the first step of overtaking. With the second step, put your head straight and lower your right hand.

If a soldier's hands are occupied with a burden, perform a military greeting by turning his head towards the chief (senior).

Additional materials to § 60

Charter of the Internal Service of the Russian Army (until 1917) on saluting.

Salutation is the rendering of honor to the military rank of the one who is being honored, and to the uniform worn by him; therefore, it is equally obligatory both for subordinates and juniors - in relation to superiors and elders, and for superiors and seniors - in relation to subordinates and juniors; both must mutually salute each other.

Subordinates and juniors are required to salute first. On the same basis, parts of the troops and commanders salute each other, military regalia, some monuments and funeral processions, which are accompanied by troops. In addition, honor is given to spiritual processions.

Saluting honor at the meeting of military ranks among themselves should precede any other kind of greeting, no matter what personal relations the meeting may have; obligatory for all mutual salute (not considered seniority) serves as a symbol of unity between all the ranks of the Imperial Russian Army.

Every soldier is obliged to greet another when meeting, without waiting for the latter to greet him, even if he was in a junior rank; some military officials, apparently deprived of military education and completely unimbued with the duties that a military uniform assumes, consider themselves obliged only to respond to the greetings of officer ranks, which, according to the existing concept, should always for some reason greet them first.

§61. Decommissioning and return to service. Approach to the boss and departure from him.

A command is given to disable a soldier.

The command may sound like this: “Private Ivanov, get out of order for so many steps /” or “Private Ivanov, come to me (run to me)!”.

The serviceman, having heard his last name, answers: “I!”, And on the command to exit (call) from the ranks, he answers: “Yes!” At the first command, the soldier goes out of action for the specified number of steps, counting from the first line, stops and turns to face the formation. On the second command, the serviceman, having taken one or two steps straight from the first line, turns towards the chief on the move, approaches (runs up) to him in the shortest way and, stopping two or three steps away, reports on the arrival.

For example: “Comrade lieutenant! Private Ivanov has arrived on your orders” or “Comrade Colonel! Captain Petrov has arrived on your orders."

When a serviceman exits the second rank, he slightly puts his left hand on the shoulder of the serviceman in front, who takes a step forward and, without putting his right foot, step to the right, lets the serviceman fail, then takes his place.

When a serviceman leaves the first line, his place is taken by the second line serviceman standing behind him.

When a serviceman leaves the column in twos (threes, fours), he goes out of order towards the nearest flank, making a preliminary turn to the right (left). If a serviceman is standing nearby, he takes a step with his right (left) foot to the side and, without placing his left (right) foot, step back, lets the serviceman fail and then takes his place.

When a serviceman fails with a weapon, the position of the weapon does not change, with the exception of the carbine in the “shoulder” position, which, at the start of the movement, is taken to the “leg” position.

A command is given to return the serviceman to duty. For example: “Private Ivanov! Get in line!" or just "Get in line!".

At the command "Private Ivanov!" a serviceman facing the ranks, having heard his last name, turns to face the commander and answers: “I!” At the command “Get in line!”, if he is unarmed or with a weapon in the “behind his back” position, the soldier puts his hand on his headgear, answers: “Yes!”, turns in the direction of movement, lowers his hand with the first step, moving in combat step, the shortest way takes its place in the ranks.

If only the command “Get in line!” is given, the serviceman returns to the line without first turning to the head.

When acting with a weapon after returning to service, the weapon is taken to the position in which it is in the servicemen standing in the ranks.

When approaching the commander out of formation, a serviceman, five or six steps before him, switches to a combat step, stops two or three steps, and simultaneously puts his foot on his head, puts his right hand on his headgear, after which he reports on arrival. At the end of the report, the soldier lowers his hand.

When approaching the commander with a weapon, the position of the weapon does not change, with the exception of the carbine in the “shoulder” position, which is taken to the “leg” position after the serviceman stops in front of the commander. The hand is not applied to the headgear, except when the weapon is in the “behind the back” position.

When departing from the commander, the serviceman, having received permission to go, puts his right hand to the headgear, answers: “Yes!”, turns in the direction of movement, lowers his hand with the first step and, having taken three or four steps in combat, continues to move at a marching step.

When moving away from the commander with a weapon, the position of the weapon does not change, with the exception of the carbine, which, if necessary, is taken by the serviceman from the “to the leg” position to another position after the answer: “Yes!”

The chief, giving the command to return the serviceman to the ranks or giving him permission to go, puts his hand to the headgear and lowers it.

§ 63. Performing a military salute in the ranks, on the spot and on the move.

To perform a military salute in the ranks on the spot, when the chief approaches 10-15 steps, the squad leader commands: “Squad, at attention, alignment to the RIGHT (to the LEFT, to the MIDDLE)!”

The servicemen of the department take a combat stance, at the same time turn their heads to the right (left) and follow the chief with their eyes, turning their heads after him.

When the chief approaches from the back of the formation, the squad leader turns the squad around, and then gives the command to perform a military salute.

The squad leader, having given the command to perform a military salute, approaches the commander with a marching step; two or three steps before him, he stops and reports. For example: “Comrade Lieutenant, the second section is doing something. Sergeant Petrov, Squad Leader.

The chief who is being greeted puts his hand on the headgear after giving the command to perform a military salute.

Having finished the report, the squad leader, without lowering his hand from the headgear, takes a step to the side with his left (right) foot while simultaneously turning to the right (left) and, letting the chief forward, follows him one or two steps behind and from the outside of the formation.

Upon passing the boss or at the command “At ease!” the squad leader commands: "AVOID!" - and lowers his hand.

If the chief turns to a serviceman in service by military rank and last name, he answers: “I!”, And when addressing only by military rank, the serviceman in response calls his position, rank and last name. In this case, the position of the weapon does not change and the hand is not applied to the headgear.

To perform a military salute in the ranks on the move, 10-15 steps before the head, the squad leader commands: “Squad, STILL, alignment to the RIGHT (to the LEFT)!”

At the command "LOOK!" all military personnel move to a combat step, and at the command “Alignment to the RIGHT (to the LEFT)!” at the same time they turn their heads towards the boss and stop moving with their hands or a hand that is not occupied by a weapon.

With the carbine in the “on the shoulder” position, the movement of the hand not occupied by the weapon does not stop.

The squad leader, if he is unarmed or with a weapon in the “behind his back” position, turning his head, puts his hand to the headgear.

Military units and subunits, while in service, greet on command:
■ President of the Russian Federation, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation;
■ marshals of the Russian Federation, generals of the army, admirals of the fleet, colonel generals, admirals and all direct superiors, as well as persons appointed to lead the inspection (inspection) of a military unit (unit).

To greet in the ranks at the place of the indicated persons, the senior commander gives the command “QUIETLY, alignment to the RIGHT (to the LEFT, to the MIDDLE)”, meets them and reports. (For example: "Comrade Major General, the 46th Tank Regiment was built for general regimental evening verification. The regiment commander, Colonel Orlov.")

When saluting in the ranks on the move, the chief gives only a command.

Military units and subunits greet each other on command at a meeting, and also perform a military greeting, paying tribute:
■ Tomb of the Unknown Soldier;
■ mass graves of soldiers who fell in battles for the freedom and independence of the Fatherland;
■ The State Flag of the Russian Federation, the Battle Banner of a military unit, and on a warship, the Naval Flag when it is raised and lowered;
■ Funeral processions accompanied by military units.

Military etiquette has its own norms and rules, and quite diverse ones. They have been formed over the centuries under the influence of historical factors, so they may differ depending on the country where a person of the military profession is serving. The fundamental factors of influence in this regard should be considered the provisions of the military regulations adopted in a particular state, which, in turn, are based on military rituals, traditions of a given people, its moral and ethical values.

A person who has decided to perform military service must be prepared for the fact that it consists not only in the manifestation of courage and heroism in the course of performing dangerous tasks in extreme situations. Military business also implies daily strict observance of the strict requirements of the charter, one of the provisions of which is a military greeting. There are no and cannot be trifles in the military regulations, each of the requirements prescribed there is important to fulfill in accordance with certain rules. Therefore, it is so important to understand the question of which hand the military in Russia salutes and how exactly it should be done so as not to discredit the Russian army in the eyes of the population by ignorance of the elementary rules of military etiquette.

Military salute: versions of the origin of the tradition of saluting with the right hand

Saluting military honor is a tradition that has its roots in the deep past. For this reason, there are several versions of what exactly her appearance was connected with. Let's start with one of the most common. According to this theory, the ritual originated in the time of the knights, more specifically, in the 13th century. It is well known that these warriors wore heavy armor, in particular, they almost always had a bulky metal helmet on their heads. If the meeting with the enemy took place under such circumstances that the knight could not or did not want to engage in battle, then he raised the visor of his helmet, while making a characteristic gesture with his right hand, for the simple reason that it was convenient to do so. Thus, he opened his face so that a potential enemy could make sure that there was no aggression on his part. In one of the readings of this version, the knight raised the visor of his helmet so that the person who met him on his way would recognize him by his face, and the fact that the gesture was made with his right hand without a weapon in it meant that he was not ready for battle, had no warlike intentions. With the right hand, namely her palm open to the opponent, those peoples whose armed forces did not have heavy cavalry - the North American Indians and the Mongols, demonstrated their peace-loving moods.

The knightly armor was replaced by another military uniform - more comfortable and lighter - and the gesture of friendliness adopted by the knights was fixed, and to this day it is important to show mutual respect between people related to military affairs. Its semantic load has not changed radically: it is still a demonstration of a polite, non-aggressive attitude towards a colleague.

It must be admitted that the theory of the origin of the tradition of saluting associated with knights has one small inconsistency. In those days, each of them had clothes equipped with tribal symbols. From it it was easy to find out who was in front of you, and there was no need for the knight to raise the visor of the helmet for this.

There is a hypothesis of a romantic persuasion, also related to chivalrous times. According to it, by raising his hand to his eyes, the knight, taking part in the tournament for the heart of a beautiful lady, symbolically covered them from the brilliance of her incomparable beauty.

The next two theories of the emergence of the ritual are more prosaic and are associated with different stages in the development of military affairs. The fact is that in the Renaissance, the headdresses of the military were very lush, one might even say bulky. This was justified by the circumstances that the commander of the troops could recognize the location of a group of his subordinates on the battlefield only by such voluminous decoration. In those days, among the military, it was generally customary to salute with a bow of the head. So that the shako or sultan does not fly off, it was removed or held by hand. With the simplification of military uniforms, the greeting ceremony became simpler - only the movement of the hand to the headdress remained.

Many historians of military affairs adhere to the hypothesis that the first to salute by touching the hand to the visor of the headgear were members of the British armed forces, starting around the 17th century. This gesture eventually replaced the removal of the hat as a show of respect from the juniors to the elders, as this headgear became so unwieldy that it was simply inconvenient and even burdensome.

How they salute in different states - modernity

Military affairs have developed since then, and in different historical contexts. Therefore, with the essence of the military salute unchanged, in the armed forces of various states, honor is given in different ways.

In the American military, according to the rules, honor must be saluted only on the condition that both hands are not occupied. This is a strict requirement of military etiquette in the United States - so much so that if the greeting cannot be carried out in this way, then it is completely abandoned. It is customary to salute in the American troops with the right hand, while her fingers should be tightly closed, the palm turned down, and the hand itself is extended slightly forward, as if covering her eyes.

An almost similar gesture is currently used by the Israeli military, the only slight difference is that the phalanx of the middle finger should almost touch the edge of the right eyebrow. However, the fundamental difference here is not in the form, but in the conditions for rendering a military greeting. In the Israeli military, this is more of a right than a duty of a soldier.

As for the armed forces of Russia, the following rules regarding this military ritual are relevant at the moment. First, all citizens of Russia, without exception, who are in military service or have already been discharged from it, are obliged to salute, provided that they are wearing a military uniform.

The gesture with which the Russian military salutes does not in itself differ from the military greeting adopted in a number of modern states. The difference lies again in the conditions under which this gesture is acceptable. We are talking about the fact that Russian servicemen do not put their hand to an uncovered head to salute. According to the charter, a military greeting in this case will consist in taking a combat position, namely: arms along the body, the body as straight as possible.

If the military move in the ranks, then only the guide puts his right hand to the headgear, all the rest turn their heads towards the seniors as they pass by them.

The order in which the military greeting appears in the ranks of the Russian army is obvious: the junior in rank or subordinate salutes first. The rules of the charter are obligatory, and the military bears responsibility for their non-compliance.

Military greeting, or Which hand salutes Human society is developing, changing traditions, attitudes, turns of speech, the language itself, finally. As obsolete phrases “I have the honor” and “salute” go out of use even in the army. Even the original meaning of these wonderful phrases is distorted. What does it mean to "salute"? Initially, there was no talk of any saluting of one's own honor. It was said about the recognition of the merits of a person who comes forward, about respect for him. At all times, the youngest was the first to greet both by age and by rank or rank, recognizing high merits. You can salute both a person or a group of people, and something sacred - a banner or a monument to fallen heroes.

A gesture, whatever it may be, has always been a sign of recognition of honor in the opposite. At all times and among all peoples, there were various forms of greetings and expressions of respect: one could bow to the ground, kneel, or both, prostrate, click heels and nod with an uncovered head. In the dictionaries of V. I. Dahl and S. I. Ozhegov, “to salute” means to greet. And if the dictionary of S.I. Ozhegov describes this greeting only as putting a hand on a headdress, then V.I. Dal gives a whole list of actions. You can salute with a bow, bowing a sword or banner, making a weapon on guard, breaking through a drum roll. The legend of the origin of the military greeting The emergence of a greeting with a gesture of the right hand raised to the eyes is attributed to the famous British pirate Francis Drake, who was honored to welcome the English Queen Elizabeth I on board his ship. The legendary pirate did not have an officer rank and became a knight after a trip around the world. Fulfilling Her Majesty's secret mission, Drake not only robbed Spanish ships, he discovered many sea routes and made several geographical discoveries.

The legend says that the captain of the pirates stood against the sun when the queen climbed the ladder, and covered his eyes, putting the palm of his right hand to them with a visor. The team lined up behind him repeated this gesture in unison. The gallant corsair complimented the ugly Elizabeth by comparing her to the blinding sun, which won Her Majesty over. Evil tongues claimed that it was for gallantry that Drake was knighted, and the gesture spread throughout the armies of the world. Historical Versions of the Origin of the Military Salute One of the historical versions of the origin of salute refers to knightly traditions. A knight on a horse with reins and a shield in his left hand, having met the same knight, raised the visor of his helmet with his right hand. This gesture spoke of peaceful intentions. The version documented by military regulations says that it was in Great Britain in the 18th century, since headgear in elite units became very cumbersome, that a rule appeared not to take them off, but to greet officers by pressing a hand to a hat and bowing. Then they even stopped touching the hat, since the hands of the soldiers were always stained with soot, because they had to set fire to the oppression of muskets. And with what hand the guardsmen of Her Majesty salute, the charters did not specify. Most likely, it goes without saying that the right one.

Mounted and foot officers saluted by raising edged weapons, bringing the handle closer to their lips and then moving it to the right and down. The question of which hand the officers salute with did not arise. Military greeting in different countries In the military greeting of any army, they do not bow their heads and do not lower their eyes, which also speaks of mutual honor, regardless of ranks and ranks, and there is no question of which hand is saluted in the army - only with the right. But the gesture of the hand and the turn of the palm may be somewhat different. Since the 19th century, in the British army, the hand raised to the right eyebrow has been turned with the palm outward. In the British Navy, since the days of sailing ships, when the hands of sailors were stained with tar and tar, and it was unworthy to show dirty palms, the palm was turned down in greeting. The same greeting is accepted in France. In the US Army, during the greeting, the palm is turned down, and the hand, extended slightly forward, as if covering the eyes from the sun. In the Italian army, the palm is carried over the front of the visor.

In Tsarist Russia until 1856 and today's Poland, the military salute was performed with the index and middle fingers. Since 1856, after the Crimean War, in the Soviet Army and today's Russian army, honor is given with the entire palm that is turned down. At the same time, the middle finger looks at the temple, touching the visor of the uniform cap. Hence the synonyms of the expression "salute" - to salute, salute. The way in which Russian servicemen salute is enshrined in the Charter of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. Rules of etiquette There is a military etiquette that all military men must follow. Its rules are determined not only by traditions and rituals, the principles of morality and morality, but also by the provisions of the military oath and charters. But there is also an etiquette common to all, according to which, for example, a man as a support and protector in the past, also with a weapon on his side, should go to the left of his companion. But exceptions to the general rules depend on which hand they salute in Russia and not only. Soldiers in uniform always go to the right of the woman, so as not to hit her with their elbow during a military salute. However, there are exceptions to this rule as well. If a soldier in uniform walks arm in arm with a companion, then he should be to her right so that the hand for the military salute remains free. Differences in the performance of a military salute Military salute in all countries is given with the right hand. The question of which country salutes with the left hand arises when high government officials, through negligence or inexperience, violate the rules for saluting military honor, which are either enshrined in charters or are an unshakable tradition.

A serious difference can be considered not with which hand they salute, but only the presence or absence of a headdress when saluting. It would seem that if the gesture of the right hand arose during the simplification of the procedure for removing the headgear, then a uniform cap or cap is mandatory in such a ritual. But no. Army traditions in the United States began to take shape after the victory of the army of northerners in the Civil War of the North and South in the second half of the 19th century. The victorious army was formed from volunteers without combat skills and dressed in ordinary clothes, often without hats. Honor was given simply by placing a hand on her head. Since then, in the US Army, honor is given regardless of the presence of a uniform cap or cap on the head. The salutation of military honor, or, in the modern interpretation of the Russian military regulations, the military salute is a ritual overshadowed by the centuries-old traditions of the armies of all countries of the world.