St. George's Cross- an award assigned to the Order of St. George for lower ranks from 1807 to 1917 for military merits and for courage shown against the enemy. The insignia of the Military Order was the highest award for soldiers and non-commissioned officers. From June 24, 1917, it could also be awarded to officers for feats of personal bravery at the presentation of a general meeting of soldiers of a unit or sailors of a ship.
History of the sign
The idea of establishing a soldier's award was expressed in a note submitted on January 6, 1807 addressed to Alexander I (author unknown), which proposed establishing “a 5th class or a special branch of the Military Order of St. George for soldiers and other lower military ranks... which may consist , for example, in a silver cross on the St. George ribbon, threaded into a buttonhole.” The insignia of the Military Order was established on February 13 (25), 1807, by the manifesto of Emperor Alexander I, as a reward for lower military ranks for “undaunted courage.” Article 4 of the manifesto ordered that the insignia of the Military Order be worn on a ribbon of the same colors as the Order of St. George. The badge had to be worn by its owner always and under all circumstances, but if the holder of the badge was awarded the Order of St. George, in 1807-55. the badge was not worn on the uniform.
The first to receive the Soldier's George was the non-commissioned officer of the Cavalry Regiment Yegor Ivanovich Mitrokhin for his distinction in the battle with the French near Friedland on June 2, 1807. The first Knight of the Soldier George served from 1793 to 1817 and retired with the lowest officer rank of ensign. However, Mitrokhin's name was first included in the lists only in 1809, when cavaliers from the guards regiments were the first to be included in the compiled lists. Sub-ensign of the 5th Jaeger Regiment Vasily Berezkin received the cross for the battle with the French near Morungen on January 6 (18), 1807, that is, for a feat accomplished even before the establishment of the award.
Distinguished in the battles of 1807 and awarded the insignia of the Military Order of the Pskov Dragoon Regiment, non-commissioned officer V. Mikhailov (badge No. 2) and private N. Klementyev (badge No. 4), privates of the Ekaterinoslav Dragoon Regiment P. Trekhalov (badge No. 5) and S Rodionov (badge No. 7) were transferred to the cavalry guards.
When it was established, the Soldier's Cross did not have degrees, and there were also no restrictions on the number of awards one person could receive. At the same time, a new cross was not issued, but with each award the salary increased by a third, to double the salary. Unlike the officer's order, the soldier's award was not covered with enamel and was minted from silver of the 95th standard (modern 990th standard). By decree of July 15, 1808, holders of the insignia of the Military Order were exempted from corporal punishment. The insignia could be confiscated from the recipient only by court and with mandatory notification of the emperor.
There was a practice of awarding the insignia of the Military Order to civilians of the lower classes, but without the right to be called a holder of the insignia. One of the first to be awarded in this way was the Kola tradesman Matvey Andreevich Gerasimov. In 1810, the ship on which he was carrying a cargo of flour was captured by an English warship. A prize team of eight English soldiers under the command of an officer was landed on the Russian ship, which had a crew of 9 people. 11 days after the capture, taking advantage of inclement weather on the way to England, Gerasimov and his comrades captured the British, forcing them to officially surrender (give up their sword) and the officer who commanded them, after which he brought the ship to the Norwegian port of Varde, where the prisoners were interned.
There is a known case of a general being awarded a soldier's award. It became M.A. Miloradovich for the battle with the French in the soldier formation near Leipzig. Emperor Alexander I, who observed the battle, presented him with a silver cross.
In January 1809, cross numbering and name lists were introduced. By this time, about 10 thousand signs had been issued. Back to top Patriotic War In 1812, the Mint produced 16,833 crosses. The statistics of awards by year are indicative:
1812 - 6783 awards;
1813 - 8611 awards;
1814 - 9345 awards;
1815 - 3983 awards;
1816 - 2682 awards;
1817 - 659 awards;
1818 - 328 awards;
1819 - 189 awards.
Until 1820, insignia without numbers were awarded mainly to non-military ranks of the army, as well as to former commanders of partisan detachments from among merchants, peasants and townspeople.
In 1813-15 The badge was also awarded to soldiers of armies allied with Russia that acted against Napoleonic France: the Prussians (1921), the Swedes (200), the Austrians (170), representatives of various German states (about 70), and the British (15).
In total, during the reign of Alexander I (period 1807-25), 46,527 Badges were granted.
In 1833, the provisions for the insignia of the Military Order were spelled out in the new statute of the Order of St. George. It was then that the wearing of the Insignia of the Military Order “with a bow from the St. George’s ribbon” was introduced by persons who were honored to receive a full salary of an additional salary for repeated exploits.
In 1839, a commemorative version of the sign was established in honor of the 25th anniversary of the conclusion of the Peace of Paris. Externally, the sign was distinguished by the presence of the monogram of Alexander I on the upper ray of the reverse. This award was given to military personnel of the Prussian army (4,500 crosses were minted, 4,264 were awarded).
In total, during the era of Nicholas I (1825-56), the badge was awarded to 57,706 valiant lower ranks of the Russian army. Most of the cavaliers appeared after the Russian-Persian 1826-28 and Russian-Turkish 1828-29. wars (11,993), the suppression of the Polish rebellion (5888) and the Hungarian campaign of 1849 (3222).
From March 19, 1855, the badge was allowed to be worn on the uniform by its owners who were subsequently awarded the Order of St. George.
On March 19, 1856, four degrees of the sign were introduced by imperial decree. The badges were worn on the St. George ribbon on the chest and were made of gold (1st and 2nd art.) and silver (3rd and 4th art.). Externally, the new crosses differed in that the words “4 degrees” and “3 degrees” were now placed on the reverse. etc. The numbering of signs began anew for each degree.
Awards were made sequentially: from junior to senior degrees. However, there were exceptions. So, on September 30, 1877, I. Yu. Popovich-Lipovac was awarded the 4th degree Badge for courage in battle, and on October 23, for another feat, he was awarded the 1st degree.
If all four degrees of the sign were present on the uniform, the 1st and 3rd were worn; if the 2nd, 3rd and 4th degrees were present, the 2nd and 3rd were worn; if the 3rd and 4th were present, the only 3rd.
Over the entire 57-year history of the four-degree Badge of Distinction of the Military Order, about 2 thousand people became its full cavaliers (holders of all four degrees), about 7 thousand were awarded the 2nd, 3rd and 4th degrees, the 3rd and 4th 1st degree - about 25 thousand, 4th degree - 205,336. Most awards were awarded during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. (87,000), Russian-Turkish war of 1877-78. (46,000), Caucasian campaign (25,372) and Central Asian campaigns (23,000).
In 1856-1913. There was also a version of the Military Order Insignia for awarding lower ranks of non-Christian religions. On it, the image of St. George and his monogram were replaced by a double-headed eagle. 19 people became full holders of this award, 269 people received the 2nd, 3rd and 4th degrees, 821 - 3rd and 4th, and 4619 - 4th. These awards were numbered separately.
In 1913, a new statute for the insignia of the Military Order was approved. It began to be officially called the St. George Cross, and the numbering of signs began anew from that time. Unlike the Insignia of the Military Order, there were no St. George crosses for non-Christians - all crosses since 1913 have depicted St. George. In addition, since 1913, the St. George Cross could be awarded posthumously.
Infrequently, it was practiced to award the same degree of the St. George Cross several times. Thus, ensign of the Life Guards of the 3rd Infantry Regiment G.I. Solomatin was awarded two St. George Crosses of the 4th degree, two of the 3rd degree, one of the 2nd degree and two of the 1st degree.
The first award of the St. George Cross of the 4th degree took place on August 1, 1914, when cross No. 5501 was awarded to the commander of the 3rd Don Cossack Regiment, Kozma Firsovich Kryuchkov, for a brilliant victory over 27 German cavalrymen in an unequal battle on July 30, 1914. Subsequently, K.F. Kryuchkov also earned the other three degrees of the St. George Cross in battles. St. George's Cross No. 1 was left “at the discretion of His Imperial Majesty” and was awarded later, on September 20, 1914, to private 41st Selenginsky Infantry Regiment Pyotr Cherny-Kovalchuk, who captured the Austrian banner in battle.
Women were repeatedly awarded the St. George Cross for bravery in battle. Sister of mercy Nadezhda Plaksina and Cossack Maria Smirnova earned three such awards, and sister of mercy Antonina Palshina and junior non-commissioned officer of the 3rd Kurzeme Latvian Rifle Regiment Lina Chanka-Freidenfelde - two.
Foreigners who served in the Russian army were also awarded the Cross of St. George. The French black Marcel Plea, who fought on the Ilya Muromets bomber, received 2 crosses, the French pilot Lieutenant Alphonse Poiret - 4, and the Czech Karel Vashatka was the owner of 4 degrees of the St. George Cross, the St. George Cross with a laurel branch, St. George medals of 3 classes, the Order of St. George 4th degree and St. George's weapon.
In 1915, due to the difficulties of the war, 1st and 2nd degree badges began to be made of low-grade gold: 60% gold, 39.5% silver and 0.5% copper. The silver content in marks of the 3rd and 4th degrees has not changed (99%). In total, the mint minted St. George's Crosses with a reduced gold content: 1st degree - 26950 (No. 5531 to 32840), 2nd - 52900 (No. 12131 to 65030). On them, in the left corner of the lower ray, below the letter “C” (step), there is a stamp with the image of a head.
From 1914 to 1917 the following were awarded (that is, mainly for exploits in the First World War):
St. George's Crosses, 1st class. - OK. 33 thousand
St. George's Crosses, 2nd Art. - OK. 65 thousand
St. George's Crosses, 3rd Art. - OK. 289 thousand
St. George's Crosses, 4th Art. - OK. 1 million 200 thousand
To indicate the serial number (“per million”), a stamp was stamped on the upper side of the cross. "1M", and the remaining numbers were placed on the sides of the cross. On September 10, 1916, according to the Highest approval of the opinion of the Council of Ministers, gold and silver were removed from the St. George Cross. They began to be stamped from “yellow” and “white” metal. These crosses have letters under their serial numbers "ZhM", "BM". There were crosses of St. George: 1st degree "ZhM" - 10,000 (No. from 32481 to 42480), 2nd degree "ZhM" - 20,000 (No. from 65031 to 85030), 3rd degree "BM" - 49,500 (No. from 289151 to 338650), 4th degree “BM” - 89,000 (No. from 1210151 to 1299150).
Perhaps it was during the First World War that the saying “The chest is in the crosses, or the head is in the bushes” was born.
After the February coup, cases of awarding the St. George Cross for purely political reasons began to occur. Thus, the award was received by non-commissioned officer Timofey Kirpichnikov, who led the rebellion of the Volyn Life Guards Regiment in Petrograd, and Russian Prime Minister A.F. Kerensky was “presented” with crosses of the 4th and 2nd degrees as “the intrepid hero of the Russian Revolution, who tore down the banner of tsarism."
On June 24, 1917, the Provisional Government changed the statute of the Cross of St. George and allowed it to be awarded to officers by decision of soldiers' meetings. In this case, a silver laurel branch was attached to the ribbon of signs of the 4th and 3rd degrees, and a golden laurel branch was attached to the ribbon of signs of the 2nd and 1st degrees. In total, about 2 thousand such awards were presented.
There are several known cases of awarding the Insignia of the Military Order and the Cross of St. George to entire units:
1829 - the crew of the legendary brig Mercury, which took on and won an unequal battle with two Turkish battleships;
1865 - Cossacks of the 4th hundred of the 2nd Ural Cossack regiment, who survived an unequal battle with many times superior forces of the Kokands near the village of Ikan;
1904 - the crews of the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets", who died in an unequal battle with the Japanese squadron;
1916 - Cossacks of the 2nd hundred of the 1st Uman Koshevoy Ataman Golovatov Regiment of the Kuban Cossack Army, which, under the command of Captain V.D. Gamaliya, carried out a difficult raid in April 1916 during the Persian campaign.
1917 - fighters of the Kornilov shock regiment for breaking through the Austrian positions near the village of Yamnitsa.
First highest degree: Golden Cross, worn on the chest, on the St. George ribbon, with a bow; in the circle of the Cross on front side the image of St. George, and on the reverse - the monogram of St. George; on the transverse ends of the reverse side of the Cross is carved the number under which the person who has the Cross of the first degree is included in the list of those awarded this degree, and on the lower end of the Cross the inscription: 1st degree.
Second degree: The same gold Cross, on the St. George ribbon, without a bow; on the transverse ends of the reverse side of the Cross there is a number carved under which the person who has the Cross of the second degree is included in the list of those granted this degree, and below is the inscription: 2nd degree.
Third degree: The same silver cross on the St. George ribbon, with a bow; on the transverse ends of the reverse side there is a number cut out under which the person who has the Cross of the third degree is included in the list of those awarded this degree, and below is the inscription: 3rd degree.
Fourth degree: The same silver Cross, on the St. George ribbon, without a bow; on the transverse ends of the reverse side of the Cross there is a number carved under which the Cross of the fourth degree granted is included in the list of those granted this degree, and below is the inscription: 4th degree.
For the cross, a soldier or non-commissioned officer received a salary one third more than usual. For each additional sign, the salary was increased by a third until the salary doubled. The additional salary remained for life after retirement; widows could receive it for another year after the death of the gentleman.
The awarding of the soldier's George also gave the following benefits to the distinguished person: the prohibition of the use of corporal punishment to persons who have the insignia of the order; when transferring cavaliers awarded the St. George Cross of non-commissioned officer rank from army regiments to the guard, maintaining their previous rank, although a guard non-commissioned officer was considered two ranks higher than an army one.
If a cavalier received an insignia in the militia, then he could no longer be transferred to military service(“shaved into a soldier”) without his consent. However, the statute did not exclude the forcible transfer of cavaliers to soldiers if they were recognized by the landowners as persons “whose behavior would disturb the general peace and quiet.”
It should be noted that often a certain number of crosses were allocated to a unit that distinguished itself in battle, and then they were awarded to the most distinguished soldiers, taking into account the opinions of their comrades. This order was legalized and called the “company verdict.” Crosses received by “company verdict” were valued among soldiers more than those received on the recommendation of the commander.
For the fight against the Bolsheviks
During the Civil War (1917-1922) in the Volunteer Army and in Armed Forces In the south of Russia, military awards were used extremely reluctantly, especially in initial period, since they considered it immoral to award military awards to Russian people for exploits in a war with Russian people, but General P. N. Wrangel resumed awards in the Russian Army he created, establishing a special order of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, equivalent to the Order of St. George. IN Northern Army and on Eastern Front under the direct leadership of Admiral Kolchak, awards took place more actively.
The last awards took place in 1941 in the ranks of the Russian Corps - a Russian collaborationist formation that fought on the side of Nazi Germany in Yugoslavia with the partisan detachments of the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia, Marshal of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito.
St. George's Cross in Soviet time
Contrary to popular belief, the Cross of St. George was not “legalized” by the Soviet government or officially allowed to be worn by Red Army soldiers. After the start of the Great Patriotic War, many older people were mobilized, among whom were participants in the First World War who were awarded the Cross of St. George. Such servicemen wore awards “in person”, in which no one interfered with them, and enjoyed legitimate respect in the army.
After the introduction of the Order of Glory into the system of Soviet awards, which was in many ways similar in ideology to the “soldier’s George”, an opinion arose to legitimize the old award, in particular, a letter addressed to the chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars and the State Defense Committee I.V. Stalin from a professor at VGIK, former member of the first Military Revolutionary Committee for Aviation of the Moscow Military District and Knight of St. George N.D. Anoshchenko with a similar proposal:
...I ask you to consider the issue of equating b. St. George Knights, awarded this order for military exploits performed during last war with damned Germany in 1914-1919, to the holders of the Soviet Order of Glory, since the statute of the latter almost completely corresponds to the statute b. Order of George and even the colors of their order ribbons and their design are the same.
By this act, the Soviet government will first of all demonstrate the continuity of the military traditions of the glorious Russian army, the high culture of respect for all heroic defenders of our beloved Motherland, the stability of this respect, which will undoubtedly stimulate both the b. St. George's cavaliers, as well as their children and comrades, to perform new feats of arms, for each military award pursues not only the goal of equitably rewarding the hero, but it should also serve as an incentive for other citizens to perform similar feats.
Thus, this event will further strengthen the combat power of our valiant Red Army.
Long live our great Motherland and its invincible, proud and brave people, who have repeatedly defeated the German invaders, and are now successfully defeating them under your wise and firm leadership!
Long live the great Stalin!
Professor Nick. ANOSCHENKO 22.IV.1944
A similar movement ultimately resulted in a draft resolution of the Council of People's Commissars:
In order to create continuity in the fighting traditions of Russian soldiers and pay due respect to the heroes who defeated the German imperialists in the war of 1914-1917, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR decides:
1. Equate b. cavaliers of St. George, who received the Cross of St. George for military exploits performed in battles against the Germans in the war of 1914-17, to the cavaliers of the Order of Glory with all the ensuing benefits.
2. Allow b. St. George's cavaliers wear a pad with an order ribbon of the established colors on their chest.
3. Persons subject to the effect of this resolution are issued an order book of the Order of Glory marked “b. St. George Knight", which is formalized by the headquarters of military districts or fronts on the basis of the submission of relevant documents to them (genuine orders or service records of that time)
This project never became a real resolution...
List of persons who were full holders of the St. George Cross and bore the title of Hero of the Soviet Union
Six such people are known:
Ageev, Grigory Antonovich (posthumously)
Budyonny, Semyon Mikhailovich (one of the three three times Heroes of the Soviet Union)
Lazarenko, Ivan Sidorovich (posthumously)
Meshcheryakov, Mikhail Mikhailovich
Nedorubov, Konstantin Iosifovich
Tyulenev, Ivan Vladimirovich
The owner of the “full bow” of the soldiers’ Georgiev, K. I. Nedorubov, wore the Gold Star of the Hero for his exploits on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War along with crosses.
Cavaliers
In the 19th century, the insignia of the Military Order was awarded to:
the famous “cavalry maiden” N.A. Durova - No. 5723 in 1807 for saving the life of an officer in the battle near Gutstadt; in the lists of gentlemen she is listed under the name of cornet Alexander Alexandrov.
For the battle of Dennewitz in 1813, another woman named Sophia Dorothea Frederica Kruger, a non-commissioned officer from the Prussian Borstell brigade, received the St. George Cross. Sofia was wounded in the shoulder and leg in the battle; she was also awarded the Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd class.
The future Decembrists M. I. Muravyov-Apostol and I. D. Yakushkin, who fought at Borodino with the rank of ensign, which did not give the right to an officer’s award, received St. George’s Crosses No. 16697 and No. 16698.
Among the most famous cavaliers of the soldier's George are the famous character of the First World War, Cossack Kozma Kryuchkov and the hero of the Civil War Vasily Chapaev - three St. George Crosses (4th Art. No. 463479 - 1915; 3rd Art. No. 49128; 2nd Art. . No. 68047 October 1916) and the St. George Medal (4th degree No. 640150).
Soviet military leaders were full holders of the soldier's St. George Cross: A. I. Eremenko, I. V. Tyulenev, K. P. Trubnikov, S. M. Budyonny. Moreover, Budyonny received the St. George Crosses even 5 times: the first award, the St. George Cross of the 4th degree, Semyon Mikhailovich was deprived by the court for assault on his senior rank, the sergeant. Again he received the 4th degree cross. on the Turkish front, at the end of 1914.
St. George's Cross, 3rd class. was received in January 1916 for participation in the attacks near Mendelij. In March 1916, Budyonny was awarded the 2nd degree cross. In July 1916, Budyonny received the St. George Cross, 1st degree, for leading 7 Turkish soldiers from a sortie behind enemy lines with four comrades.
Future marshals each had two crosses - non-commissioned officer Georgy Zhukov, lower rank Rodion Malinovsky and junior non-commissioned officer Konstantin Rokossovsky.
The future Major General Sidor Kovpak, during the Great Patriotic War, was the commander of the Putivl partisan detachment and a formation of partisan detachments of the Sumy region, which later received the status of the First Ukrainian Partisan Division.
Maria Bochkareva became a famous Knight of St. George during the First World War. In October 1917 she was the commander of the famous women's battalion, guarding the Winter Palace in Petrograd. In 1920, she was shot by the Bolsheviks.
The last Knight of St. George awarded on Russian soil in 1920 was 18-year-old sergeant P.V. Zhadan, for saving the headquarters of the 2nd Cavalry Division of General Morozov. Zhadan, at the head of a squadron of 160 sabers, scattered the cavalry column of the red division commander Zhloba, who was trying to escape from the “bag”, directly towards the division headquarters
It seems that not so long ago the St. George’s ribbon became an attribute of Victory Day. Meanwhile, twelve years have passed. Let us remember that the tradition was started by Moscow journalists and was picked up almost immediately throughout the country, as well as beyond its borders. They picked it up so quickly because the symbol has a long and glorious history. And Alexander Semenenko, candidate of historical sciences, reminded us of it on the eve of the next Victory Day.
The St. George Ribbon is a memory of the two-color ribbon for the Order of St. George, the St. George Cross and the St. George Medal. The award appeared at the height of the Russian-Turkish War, when Empress Catherine II established the order in honor of St. George the Victorious. “George the Victorious is considered the patron saint of the Russian army. In addition, he is depicted as a patron on the coat of arms of Moscow. And then such a long-standing tradition developed that St. George the Victorious is, first of all, a man, and then a symbol of the inflexibility of the Russian spirit. The introduction of such an order was supposed to contribute to the rise of soldiers,” says our interlocutor.
The order, as he notes, has a heraldic component attached to it, and it found its origins in existing symbols: “Black is the symbol of the eagle, and the eagle is the coat of arms of the Russian Empire. The orange field was initially yellow. I would like to note that orange and yellow are considered a type of golden field. This is the field of the Russian state emblem."
This is the true meaning of ribbon colors. But today we often hear that gamma means smoke and flame. As an option - gunpowder and flame. It sounds nice, but it's not true. And it also has a long history. In the nineteenth century, as some sources note, some nobles wrote that “the immortal legislator who founded this order believed that its ribbon connected the color of gunpowder and the color of fire.”
“The common belief that orange symbolizes fire, and black symbolizes ash or smoke, is fundamentally wrong,” says Alexander Mikhailovich. - There is classical heraldry. Such comparisons are beyond the bounds of science. The St. George ribbon is a historical image and it is better to work with explanations of classical heraldry, rather than invent something. I propose to agree with the arguments of Catherine II. Black is the heraldic color of the eagle. The double-headed eagle is now the Coat of Arms Russian Federation, and the Coat of Arms of the Russian Empire, which we borrowed during the era of the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III, thanks also to his second wife Zoya, or Sophia Paleologus. And the yellow or orange color, as we said, is a kind of heraldic understanding of the golden color around the state emblem. George the Victorious himself became a kind of symbol of Russia. Although it is worth noting that George is close to both Muslims and some other religions, so representatives of different faiths are happy to come to our Victory Square to pay tribute to those who fought for the freedom of our Motherland.”
The image of the St. George ribbon was dear to the people even in Soviet times. During the Great Patriotic War, it became clear that it was necessary to revive national heraldic traditions. “And when the guard was born in the battle of Moscow, guards ribbons appeared, they were slightly modified, but they were based on the St. George component. Then the Order of Glory appears for soldiers and sergeants, there, too, on the order block we see the St. George ribbon. So when Soviet Union won the war, a medal “For Victory over Germany” appeared, and the St. George’s ribbon is also depicted on the order block. And if we look at the anniversary medals of our veterans, the St. George format is reproduced everywhere,” explains the historian.
The chain of times, according to the interlocutor, closed when in 2005, at the celebration of the next anniversary Great Victory people wanted to find some kind of symbol that would not be invented, but would take into account both Russian and Soviet traditions and would be understandable to modern youth. “The St. George’s ribbon became such a symbol. She gained popularity very quickly. Twelve years have passed, and it has become clear that this is a successful designation of the holiday and involvement in it. And, of course, this is a certain belonging to the Russian world, a sign that you remember the victories of your ancestors, and these are Nevsky, Kutuzov, Bagration, Zhukov, Vasilevsky,” says Alexander Semenenko.
As we can see, we didn’t have to invent anything in order to get a bright symbol of the great holiday that was close to millions. “You just need to comprehend the traditions and carefully try to recreate everything. If it had been superficial, artificially imposed, it would probably have been rejected. The ribbon continues to live, and it continues to unite us all - the fallen, the living, and those who will come after us,” the interlocutor concludes.
Black and yellow colors reproduce the colors of the state emblem under Catherine II: a black double-headed eagle on a golden background. The image of George both on the state emblem and on the cross (award) itself had the same colors: on a white horse, white George in a yellow cloak, killing a black snake with a spear, respectively, a white cross with a yellow-black ribbon. This is the true meaning of ribbon colors. But today we often hear that gamma means smoke and flame. As an option - gunpowder and flame. It sounds nice, but it's not true.
In fact, the ribbon that we consider St. George’s is the Soviet Guards ribbon, which was determined by the People’s Commissar of the Navy Kuznetsov after the adoption of the resolution of the USSR Armed Forces on the Guards badge on May 21, 1942. Infantrymen wore a badge, and sailors wore a bar with a moire ribbon (guards) and ribbons on their caps.
Who wants to know more - Google to help.
But no matter how the color scheme changed, the content remained unchanged: for almost 250 years, our grandfathers and great-grandfathers received the St. George Ribbon for courage in battle. So we won’t be wrong if we call her heroic. After all, it is a symbol of heroism.
The film received its name from St. George the Victorious. Established by Catherine II in 1769 during the Russian-Turkish War - together with the military order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George.
This was the highest military award of the Russian Empire, which was used to reward officers for their merits on the battlefield, as well as for loyalty and prudence. It was also used as an element of the banner.
The ribbon came with a lifetime salary. After the death of the owner, it was inherited, but could be confiscated due to the commission of a shameful offense.
Since 1917, the tape has been banned. It was only revived in 1941. The differences are only in color. Catherine II initially ordered the use of “a silk ribbon with three black and two yellow stripes.” Black means gunpowder and smoke, and yellow means fire. Yellow, however, meant a fairly wide range of colors - up to variations of gold. Orange is also mentioned in later documents.
Celebrating May 9th with such ribbons is no longer just an action. A generation of young people has grown up who cannot imagine without black and orange ribbons. May holidays. After all, these tapes have been around for as long as they can remember.
Over the course of 10 years, the action has become a tradition, and people with such ribbons on their chests can be seen in the Balkans, France, Italy, Germany, Great Britain, the USA and even in China and Afghanistan.
There are countries where people are persecuted for having a ribbon on their chest. In Moldova, liberal deputies demand the introduction of a fine for wearing the St. George ribbon: for individuals - from 2 thousand lei (6.5 thousand rubles), for legal entities - up to 5 thousand lei (16 thousand rubles). Explaining this by saying that “the St. George ribbon poses a danger to the integrity of Moldova.”
The initiative has not yet received support. Apparently, due to the fact that it is not entirely clear how to collect these fines. A considerable part of the working population of Moldova works in Russia.
Wearing the St. George's ribbon in the Baltic countries requires courage. But in Ukraine, people can be mutilated or killed for wearing a ribbon. Thus, in Odessa, a local was recently beaten not even for wearing a ribbon, but only for being near this symbol. 52-year-old Odessa resident Evgeniy Grinchenko says: “I was standing near someone’s car, people ran up to me and started demanding to remove the St. George’s ribbon from it and shouting “Glory to Ukraine!” I refused. The result was clothes torn to shreds and a broken nose.
Atrocities were also recorded in Georgia. When the radicals tore off the ribbons from motorcycles with Russian license plates, among them was Irakli Kantaria, the grandson of the legendary Soviet soldier Meliton Kantaria, who hoisted the Victory flag over the Reichstag.
In my opinion, all these people do not understand one thing: with their shares they only increase the value of this symbol.
By the way
Deputy head of the presidential administration of Belarus Igor Buzovsky said that the Belarusian authorities will not ban St. George's ribbons. By May 9, an alternative project “Flowers of the Great Victory” was launched in Minsk, the symbol of which was an apple tree flower with a ribbon in the colors of the state flag. “But there will be no restrictions regarding the St. George ribbon,” Buzovsky assured.
St. George's Cross, as the highest for the lower ranks of the Russian army, which was awarded exclusively for personal courage on the battlefield, has a history of more than two centuries. However, it did not immediately receive its usual name. This official name appeared only in 1913 in connection with the adoption of the new Statute of the Order of St. George.
First time title St. George's Cross or the sign of the Order of St. George appears on November 26, 1769, when Empress Catherine 2 established a special order to reward generals, admirals and officers for the military exploits they personally performed. The order was named in honor of the Holy Great Martyr George, who is considered the heavenly patron of warriors.
Even Emperor Paul 1, in 1798, began individual rewards for military distinctions of the lower ranks, then the insignia of the Order of St. Anna. But this was the exception rather than the rule, since they were originally intended specifically to reward privates and non-commissioned officers for 20 years of blameless service. But circumstances required incentives for lower ranks for courage in battle, and during the first ten years of the existence of this award there were several thousand such exceptions.
In January 1807, Alexander 1 was presented with a note which argued for the need to establish a special award for soldiers and lower officer ranks. At the same time, the author of the note referred to the experience of the Seven Years' War and the military campaigns of Catherine 2, when soldiers were given medals that recorded the location of the battle in which they participated, which certainly increased the soldier's morale. The author of the note proposed making this measure more effective by distributing insignia “with some discrimination,” that is, taking into account real personal merit.
As a result, on February 13, 1807, the Highest Manifesto was issued, establishing the Insignia of the Military Order (ZOVO), which would later become known as St. George's Cross. The Manifesto stipulated appearance awards - a silver badge on a St. George ribbon, with the image of St. George the Victorious in the center. Reason for award - acquired in battle by those who showed particular courage. Other nuances were also specified in the manifesto. new award, in particular, benefits and material incentives (a third of the military salary for each award) provided to gentlemen, as well as the fact that the number of such badges is not limited in any way. Subsequently, exemption from all corporal punishment was added to the benefits of the awardees. Awards were distributed to new cavaliers by commanders in a solemn atmosphere, in front of the military unit, in the fleet - on the quarterdeck under the flag.
At first, when the number of recipients was relatively small, the insignia was numberless, but due to the increase in the number of recipients and the compilation of lists of gentlemen, it became necessary to number them. According to official data, until October 1808, 9,000 lower ranks received awards without a number. After this, the Mint began producing signs with numbers. During the military campaigns that took place before Napoleon's campaign against Russia, they were awarded more than 13,000 times. During the Patriotic War and the foreign campaigns of the Russian army (1812-1814), the number of recipients increased significantly. The archives preserve information on the number of awards by year: 1812 - 6783, 1813 - 8611, 1815 - 9345 awards.
In 1833, during the reign of Emperor Nicholas I, a new statute for the Order of St. George was adopted. It included a number of innovations, some of which concerned the awarding of crosses to lower ranks. Of these, it is worth noting the most important. For example, all powers in awarding awards now became the prerogative of the Commanders-in-Chief of the armies and commanders of individual corps. This played a positive role, since it greatly simplified the grant process, thus eliminating many bureaucratic delays. Another innovation was that all soldiers and non-commissioned officers who, after the third award, received the maximum increase in pay, received the right to wear a cross with a bow from, which became, in a certain sense, a harbinger of the future division into degrees.
In 1844, changes were made to the appearance of crosses awarded to Muslims, and subsequently to all non-Christians. It was prescribed that the image of St. George on the medallion be replaced with the coat of arms of Russia, the double-headed imperial eagle. This was done in order to give the award a more “neutral”, in a confessional sense, character.
The next major change in the statute of the order, relating to the St. George's awards for lower ranks, occurred in March 1856 - it was divided into 4 degrees. 1 and 2 tbsp. were made of gold, and 3 and 4 of silver. The awards of degrees were to be carried out sequentially, with each degree having its own numbering. For visual distinction, grades 1 and 3 were accompanied by a bow from the St. George ribbon.
After numerous awards for Turkish war 1877 - 1878, the stamps used at the Mint for minting crosses were updated, while medalist A.A. Griliches made some changes and awards, which finally acquired the form that remained until 1917. The image of the figure of St. George in the medallion has become more expressive and dynamic.
In 1913, a new statute for the St. George's Awards was adopted. It was from this moment that the Insignia of the Military Order for awarding lower ranks began to be officially called St. George's Cross. For each degree of this award, a new numbering was introduced. The special award for non-believers was also abolished, and they began to be awarded a standard badge.
The first St. George's crosses in small quantities were already manufactured by April 1914. Since back in October 1913, the Mint received an order for their production to reward border guards or participants in military expeditions. And already in July 1914, in connection with the outbreak of war, the Mint began minting a large number of St. George's Crosses. To speed up production, they even used awards that were not awarded with Japanese war, with partial application of new numbers. During 1914, more than one and a half thousand crosses of the first degree were sent to the troops, about 3,200 of the 2nd class, 26 thousand of the 3rd class. and almost 170 thousand of the fourth.
 |
|
GK 4 tbsp., silver. |
In connection with the large minting of St. George's crosses from precious metals, which took place in difficult economic conditions, in May 1915 it was decided to reduce the standard of gold used for these purposes. Military awards of the highest grades began to be made from an alloy containing 60 percent pure gold. And from October 1916 precious metals were completely excluded from the production of all Russian awards. GKs began to be minted from tombac and cupronickel, with the designation on the rays: ZhM (yellow metal) and BM (white metal).
In August 1917, the Provisional Government decided to allow the Civil Code to award awards not only to lower ranks but also to officers, “for feats of personal courage,” while a special Laurel branch was placed on the St. George ribbon.
 |
|
Civil Code 1st class, 1917, tompak, w/m. |
Among all the military awards in Russian history St. George's Cross occupies special place. This badge of military valor is the most famous award of pre-revolutionary Russia. The Soldier's Cross of St. George can be called the most popular award of the Russian Empire, because it was awarded to the lower ranks (soldiers and non-commissioned officers).
Officially, this award was equivalent to the Order of St. George, established by Catherine the Great in the 18th century. The Cross of St. George had four degrees; according to the statute of the award, this badge of military distinction could only be received for courage on the battlefield.
This insignia lasted just over a hundred years: it was established during the Napoleonic Wars, shortly before the French invasion of Russia. The last conflict in which several million people received St. George's Crosses of various degrees was the First World War.
The Bolsheviks abolished this award, and the St. George's Cross insignia was restored only after the collapse of the USSR. During the Soviet period, the attitude towards the St. George Cross was ambiguous, although a huge number of St. George cavaliers fought on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War - and they fought well. Among the holders of the St. George Cross are Marshal of Victory Georgy Zhukov, Konstantin Rokossovsky and Rodion Malinovsky. Full Knights of St. George were the Soviet Marshal Budyonny and military leaders Tyulenev and Eremenko.
The legendary partisan commander Sidor Kovpak was awarded the cross twice.
Knights of the St. George's Cross received monetary incentives and were paid a pension. Naturally, the largest amount was paid for the first (highest) degree of award.
The order's insignia was a cross with blades widening towards the end. There was a medallion in the center of the cross round shape, on the obverse of which St. George was depicted slaying the serpent. On reverse side medallion, the letters C and G were applied in the form of a monogram.
The crossbars on the front side remained clean, and the serial number of the award was printed on the reverse. The cross had to be worn on a black and orange St. George's ribbon (“the color of smoke and flame”).
The St. George Cross was highly respected in the military environment: the lower ranks, even having received officer rank, proudly wore it among officer awards.
In 1856, this award badge was divided into four degrees: the first and second were made of gold, the third and fourth - of silver. The degree of the award was indicated on its reverse. The award of the distinction was carried out sequentially: from the fourth to the first degree.
The Order of St. George has existed in Russia since the 18th century, but this order should not be confused with the soldier's Cross of St. George - these are different awards.
In 1807 to the Russian Emperor Alexander I was presented with a note proposing to establish an award for lower ranks who distinguished themselves on the battlefield. The emperor considered the proposal quite reasonable. Happened just the day before bloody battle at Preussisch-Eylau, where Russian soldiers demonstrated remarkable courage.
However, there was one problem: it was impossible to award lower ranks with orders. At that time, they were given only to representatives of the nobility; the order was not just a “piece of iron” on the chest, but also a symbol social status, he emphasized the “knightly” position of its owner.
Therefore, Alexander I resorted to a trick: he ordered that lower ranks be awarded not with an order, but with the “insignia of the order.” This is how the award appeared, which later became the Cross of St. George. According to the emperor’s manifesto, only lower ranks who showed “undaunted courage” on the battlefield could receive the St. George Cross. According to status, a reward could be received, for example, for capturing an enemy banner, for capturing an enemy officer, or for skillful actions during battle. Concussion or injury did not give the right to a reward if it was not related to the feat.
The cross had to be worn on the St. George ribbon, threaded through the buttonhole.
The first cavalier of the soldier's George was non-commissioned officer Mitrokhin, who distinguished himself in the battle of Friedland in the same 1807.
Initially, the St. George Cross did not have degrees and could be issued an unlimited number of times. True, the badge itself was not reissued, but the soldier’s salary increased by a third. Corporal punishment could not be applied to holders of the St. George Cross.
In 1833, the insignia of the Military Order was included in the statute of the Order of St. George. Some other innovations also appeared: commanders of armies and corps could now award crosses. This greatly simplified the process and reduced bureaucratic red tape.
In 1844, the St. George Cross was designed for Muslims, in which St. George was replaced by a double-headed eagle.
In 1856, the St. George Cross was divided into four degrees. The reverse of the sign indicated the degree of the award. Each degree had its own numbering.
Over the entire history of the St. George Cross with four degrees, more than two thousand people became full holders of it.
The next significant change in the statute of the Military Order Insignia occurred on the eve of the First World War, in 1913. The award received the official name "St. George's Cross", and the St. George's Medal (a numbered medal for bravery) was also established. The St. George Medal also had four degrees and was awarded to lower ranks, military personnel of irregular troops and border guards. This medal (unlike the St. George Cross) could be awarded to civilians, as well as military personnel in peacetime.
According to the new statute of the insignia, the St. George Cross could now serve as a posthumous award, which was transferred to the hero’s relatives. The numbering of the award began again from 1913.
In 1914, World War I began and millions were drafted into the army. Russian citizens. During the three years of the war, more than 1.5 million St. George Crosses of various degrees were awarded.
The first St. George cavalier of this war was the Don Cossack Kozma Kryuchkov, who (according to the official version) destroyed more than ten German cavalrymen in an unequal battle. Kryuchkov was awarded "George" of the fourth degree. During the war, Kryuchkov became a full Knight of St. George.
During the First World War, women were repeatedly awarded the Cross of St. George; foreigners fighting in the war became its recipients. Russian army.
The appearance of the award also changed: in difficult times of war, the highest degrees of the cross (first and second) began to be made of gold of a lower standard, and the third and fourth degrees of the award significantly lost weight.
The 1913 statute significantly expanded the list of acts for which the St. George Cross was awarded. This largely neutralized the value of this insignia. During the First World War, more than 1.2 million people became Knights of Yegoria. Judging by the number of recipients, there was simply mass heroism in the Russian army. Then it is not clear why these millions of heroes soon shamefully fled to their homes.
According to the statute, the cross was to be issued only for exploits on the battlefield, but this principle was not always followed. Georgy Zhukov received one of his St. George Crosses for shell shock. Apparently, the future Soviet marshal already in those years knew how to find a common language with his superiors.
After the February Revolution, the status of the St. George Cross was changed again; now it could also be awarded to officers after the appropriate decision of the soldiers’ meetings. In addition, this military insignia began to be awarded for purely political reasons. For example, the cross was awarded to Timofey Kirpichnikov, who killed an officer and led a mutiny in his regiment. Prime Minister Kerensky became a holder of two degrees of the cross at once, for “tearing down the banner of tsarism” in Russia.
There are known cases when entire military units or warships were awarded the Cross of St. George. Among others, this badge was awarded to the crews of the cruiser “Varyag” and the gunboat “Koreets”.
During the Civil War, soldiers and non-commissioned officers in White Army units continued to be awarded the Cross of St. George. True, the attitude towards awards among the White movement was ambiguous: many considered it shameful to receive awards for participation in a fratricidal war.
On the territory of the Donskoy army, George the Victorious on the cross turned into a Cossack: he was wearing a Cossack uniform, a hat with a hood, from under which his forelock protruded.
The Bolsheviks abolished all awards of the Russian Empire, including the Cross of St. George. However, after the start of the Great Patriotic War, the attitude towards the award changed. “George” was not allowed, as many historians claim, but the authorities turned a blind eye to wearing this sign.
Among the Soviet awards, the Order of Glory had an ideology similar to that of the soldier George.
Collaborators who served in the Russian Corps were also awarded the Cross of St. George. The last award took place in 1941.
Over the entire existence of this award, about 3.5 million St. George Crosses of various degrees have been issued. Among the holders of this insignia there are many famous personalities, which can safely be called historical.
Soon after the award appeared, the famous “cavalry maiden” Durova received it; the cross was awarded to her for saving the life of an officer.
The former Decembrists Muravyov-Apostol and Yakushkin were awarded the Crosses of St. George - they fought at Borodino with the rank of ensigns.
General Miloradovich also received this soldier's award for his personal participation in the Battle of Leipzig. The cross was presented to him personally by Emperor Alexander, who witnessed this episode.
A very famous character for his era was Kozma Kryuchkov, the first cavalier of the “George” of the First World War.
The famous division commander of the Civil War, Vasily Chapaev, was awarded three crosses and the St. George medal.
The holder of the St. George Cross was Maria Bochkareva, the commander of the women’s “death battalion” created in 1917.
Despite the huge number of crosses issued over the entire period of existence of this award, today this insignia is a rarity. It is especially difficult to buy the St. George Cross of the first and second degrees. Where did they go?
After the February Revolution, the Provisional Government issued a call to donate its awards to the “needs of the revolution.” This is how Georgy Zhukov lost his crosses. Many awards were sold or melted down during periods of famine (there were several during the Soviet period). Then a cross made of silver or gold could be exchanged for several kilograms of flour or even a couple of loaves of bread.
If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them
