Lies about the St. George ribbon. St. George's Cross. Interesting Facts

Today the St. George's Ribbon is perceived more as a modern fashion accessory at certain May days, which does not stand up to criticism. But few people know the history of the symbol of Victory and courage, courage and perseverance. The history of the origin of the color of the ribbon is even less familiar. And why is the ribbon called St. George's?

What you need to know about the St. George's Ribbon - we offer you a selection of 10 most important facts.

No. 1. Slogan

People started talking about the St. George's Ribbon, as a symbol of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, in the mid-2000s.

In 2005, on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the Victory, a non-political action began under the well-known slogans:

“Grandfather’s Victory is my Victory”, “Tie it up. If you remember!”, “I remember! I’m proud!”, “We are the heirs of the Great Victory!”, “Thank you grandfather for the victory!”

No. 2. Author of the idea

The idea of ​​the action came from a group of journalists from the Russian International Information Agency RIA Novosti.

No. 3. Code of the St. George's Ribbon promotion

The St. George Ribbon Code consists of 10 points:

1. Promotion "St. George's Ribbon" - not commercial and not political.
2. The purpose of the action is creation of a holiday symbol - Victory Day .
3. This symbol is an expression of our respect for veterans, a tribute to the memory of those who fell on the battlefield, gratitude to the people who gave everything for the front. To all those thanks to whom we won in 1945.
4. "George Ribbon" is not a heraldic symbol . This is a symbolic ribbon, a replica of the traditional bicolor St. George ribbon.
5. The use of original St. George's or Guards ribbons in the promotion is not allowed. "St. George's Ribbon" is a symbol, not a reward.
6. "George Ribbon" cannot be the object of purchase and sale .
7. "George Ribbon" cannot serve to promote goods and services. The use of tape as an accompanying product or element of product packaging is not allowed.
8. "George Ribbon" distributed free of charge. It is not permitted to issue a ribbon to a visitor to a retail establishment in exchange for a purchase.
9. Not allowed usage"St. George's Ribbon" for political purposes any parties or movements.
10. The “St. George Ribbon” has one or two inscriptions: the name of the city/state where the ribbon was produced. Other inscriptions on the ribbon are not allowed.
11. This is a symbol of the unbroken spirit of the people who fought and defeated Nazism in the Great Patriotic War.

Naturally, like any code in the Russian Federation, it is also not observed by every citizen. From 2005 to 2017, paragraph 7 of the code is considered the most violated. On the eve of the holiday, enterprising businessmen do whatever they can with impunity: manicures, vodka, beer, dogs, wet wipes, ice cream, mayonnaise, and even toilets- madness at its finest:

This is such speculation on the topic of war and victory... Petty, low, mean, disgusting...

No. 4. On banknotes

The St. George's ribbon is depicted on the commemorative banknotes of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic issued by the Central Bank of Transnistria to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

No. 5. Correspondence

The St. George ribbon in appearance and color combination corresponds to the ribbon that covers the order block for the medal “For Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.”

Medal "For victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945" became the most popular medal. As of January 1, 1995, approximately 14,933,000 people have been awarded the medal.

Among the recipients are 120 thousand soldiers of the Bulgarian army who took part in hostilities against the German army and its allies.

No. 6. "Georgievskaya" or "Gvardeyskaya"

The ribbons distributed as part of this event are called St. George's ribbons, although critics argue that in fact they correspond to the Guards, since they mean a symbol of victory in the Great Patriotic War and have orange stripes, not yellow. The fact is that since the fall of 1941, units, formations and ships, for the courage and heroism of their personnel, which they showed in defending the Fatherland, were awarded honorary title “Gvardeyskaya”, “Gvardeysky”, not “Georgievsky” or “Georgievskaya”.

In fact, everything is simple - the guards ribbon is characteristic of the Soviet era of rule, while the St. George ribbon is characteristic of the Tsarist era. And they differed slightly - in color and width of the stripes. The Bolsheviks, who abolished the award system in 1917, only copied the tsar's award in 1941, changing the color slightly.

By the way, according to a common version, the term “guard” appeared in Italy in the 12th century and designated a selected detachment for guarding the state banner. In Russia, the first guard detachments were created in 1565 by decree of Ivan the Terrible - they were all part of his personal guard. Today they are called bodyguards, and in the times of Ivan the Terrible - guardsmen. The basis of the tsar’s personal guard were the “best” representatives of the most noble families and descendants of appanage princes... The guardsmen had to stand out from the crowd, and like monks, who were easy to distinguish by their black robes, a special black clothes for the royal guard. This fact, by the way, explains the color of the clothes of modern bodyguards...

Paradoxically, the Bolsheviks, hating everything tsarist, overthrew the term “Georgievsky”, returned in 1941 another tsarist term “Guards”, but called it their own, Soviet...

No. 7. When first appeared

The St. George Ribbon appeared on November 26 (December 7) 1769. under Catherine II, along with the Order of St. George - the highest military award Russian Empire. The motto of the order was: “For service and bravery.”

The first holder of the order was the Empress herself - on the occasion of its establishment... And “For service and courage” - Fyodor Ivanovich Fabritsian - Russian general, hero Russian-Turkish war 1768-1774

Under his command, a special detachment of Jaeger battalions and part of the 1st Grenadier Regiment, numbering 1,600 people, completely defeated a Turkish detachment of 7,000 people and occupied the city of Galati. For this feat, on December 8, 1769, Fabritian was the first in history to be awarded the Order of St. George, 3rd degree.

And the first full holder of the Order of St. George was an outstanding Russian commander, commander-in-chief of the Russian army during Patriotic War 1812, student and colleague of A.V. Suvorov - Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov.

No. 8. Ribbon color

The ribbon was worn depending on the class of the gentleman: either in the buttonhole, or around the neck, or over the right shoulder. The ribbon came with a lifelong salary. After the death of the owner, it was inherited, but due to the commission of a shameful offense it could be confiscated from the owner. The Order Statute of 1769 contained the following description of the ribbon: “Silk ribbon with three black and two yellow stripes.”

However, as the images show, in practice, not so much yellow as orange was initially used in practice (from a heraldic point of view, both orange and yellow are just variants of displaying gold).

The traditional interpretation of the colors of the St. George's ribbon states that black means smoke, orange means flame . Chief Chamberlain Count Litta wrote in 1833: “the immortal legislator who founded this order believed that the ribbon connects it color of gunpowder and color of fire ».

However, a prominent specialist in Russian faleristics, Serge Andolenko, points out that black and yellow colors, in fact, they only reproduce the colors of the state emblem: 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.

No. 9. Why is it named after St. George the Victorious?

This saint has become extremely popular since early Christianity. In the Roman Empire, starting from the 4th century, churches dedicated to George began to appear, first in Syria and Palestine, then throughout the East. In the West of the empire, Saint George was considered the patron saint of chivalry, participants crusades; he is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. In Rus' since ancient times, St. George was revered under the name Yuri or Yegory.

According to one version, the cult of St. George, as often happened with Christian saints, was put forward as opposed to the pagan cult of Dionysus , temples were built on the site of the former sanctuaries of Dionysus, and holidays were celebrated in his honor on the days of Dionysius.

The name George comes from the Greek. γεωργός - farmer. In the popular consciousness they coexist two images of the saint: one of them is close to the church cult of St. George - a serpent fighter and a Christ-loving warrior, another, very different from the first, to the cult of the cattle breeder and tiller, the owner of the land, the patron of livestock, who opens the spring field work

Saint George, together with the Mother of God, is considered the heavenly patron of Georgia and is the most revered saint among Georgians. According to local legends, George was a relative of Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina, the enlightener of Georgia. And the Cross of St. George is present on the flag of the Georgian church. It first appeared on Georgian banners under Queen Tamara.

This is interesting:

It is well known that the St. George Ribbon appeared along with the Order of St. George. So, since St. George was considered a Christian saint, how should Muslim defenders be rewarded? Thus, for non-believers, a version of the order was provided, in which, instead of St. George, the coat of arms of Russia, a double-headed eagle, was depicted. The model of the order with an eagle was approved by Nicholas I on August 29, 1844 during the Caucasian War, and Major Dzhamov-bek Kaitagsky was the first to receive the new badge. In this regard, in the memoirs and fiction There are moments when officers, immigrants from the Caucasus, are perplexed:

“Why did they give me a cross with a bird, and not with a horseman?”

No. 10. Restoration of the Order of St. George

Once abolished by the Bolsheviks, the Order of St. George has today been restored, and by Decree of the President of Russia No. 1463 of August 8, 2000, it serves as the highest military award in Russia. The restored Order of St. George has the same external signs, as in tsarist times. Unlike the previous order, the order of awarding has been slightly changed: not only the 3rd and 4th degrees, but all degrees are given sequentially. An annual pension is not provided for holders of the order, whereas under Catherine II a pension was provided - it was received throughout life. After the death of the gentleman, his widow received a pension for him for another year.

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For the entire period Russian history there were many different awards and medals. One of the most honorable are the St. George Crosses. This award was the most widespread in times Tsarist Russia. The soldier's St. George Cross was carefully kept in the family of the soldier who received it, and the full holder of the St. George Cross was revered by the people on a par with epic heroes of fairy tales. What made this award especially popular was the fact that it was awarded to the lower ranks of the Tsarist Army, that is, ordinary soldiers and non-commissioned officers.

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

• St. George's Cross, 4th degree;
• St. George's Cross, 3rd degree;
• St. George's Cross, 2nd degree;
• St. George's Cross, 1st degree.

They received this award only for the incredible valor they showed on the battlefield. At first they issued the St. George Cross of 4 degrees, then 3, 2 and 1 degrees. Thus, the person awarded the St. George Cross of the first degree became a full holder of the St. George Cross. To perform 4 feats on the battlefield and remain alive was a manifestation of incredible military skill and luck, so it is not surprising that such people were treated as heroes.

The Cross of St. George has been awarded to soldiers for over 100 years, appearing shortly before Napoleon's invasion of Russia, and was abolished after the First World War, during which several million people received this royal award, although few were awarded the Cross of St. George, First Class.

With the Bolsheviks coming to power, the St. George Crosses were abolished, although even before the start of the Great Patriotic War, the medal “For Courage” was introduced, which in some way copied the St. George Cross. Having made sure that the medal “For Courage” enjoyed great respect among military personnel, the Soviet command decided to establish the Order of “Glory” of three degrees, which almost completely copied the Royal Cross of St. George.

Although most of the royal decorations in Soviet Russia were very unpopular, and wearing them was equated almost to treason, the wearing of St. George’s Crosses by old front-line soldiers was often looked at “with a blind eye” by the authorities. The following famous St. George's crosses had Soviet military leaders:

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

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

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

History of the St. George Cross

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

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

At that time there was one a big problem: a Russian soldier who was a serf could not be awarded the order, since the order emphasized the status of its owner and was, in fact, a knightly insignia. Nevertheless, the courage of the Russian soldier had to be somehow encouraged, so the Russian emperor introduced a special “insignia of the order,” which in the future became the St. George Soldier’s Cross.

“Soldier George,” as he was popularly called, could only be received by the lower ranks of the Russian army, who showed selfless courage on the battlefield. Moreover, this award was not distributed at the request of the command; the soldiers themselves determined which of them was worthy of receiving the St. George Cross. The St. George Cross was awarded for the following merits:

• Heroic and skillful actions on the battlefield, thanks to which the detachment managed to win in a seemingly hopeless situation;
• The heroic capture of the enemy banner, preferably right from under the nose of a stunned enemy;
• Capturing an enemy officer;
• Heroic actions preventing a group of friendly soldiers from being captured;
• A sudden blow to the rear of superior enemy forces, resulting in his flight and other similar exploits on the battlefield.

Moreover, wounds or concussions on the battlefield did not give absolutely any right to a reward, unless they were received in the process of carrying out heroic activities.

According to the rules existing at that time, the St. George Cross had to be worn on a special St. George ribbon, which was threaded into the buttonhole. The first soldier who became a holder of the Order of St. George was non-commissioned officer Mitrokhin, who received it at the Battle of Friedland in 1807.

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

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

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

In 1856, the St. George Cross was divided into 4 degrees, while its degree was indicated on the cross. Impartial statistics testify to how difficult it was to obtain the 1st degree St. George Cross. According to it, there were about 2,000 full holders of the Order of St. George throughout its history.

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

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

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

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

An interesting case is the receipt of the St. George Cross by the future Soviet Marshal Zhukov. He received it (one of his several crosses) for concussion, although this award was given only for very specific feats, clearly outlined in the statute. Apparently, acquaintances among the military authorities in those days could easily solve such problems.

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

What did the St. George's Cross look like?

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

The cross was worn on the St. George ribbon (which has nothing in common with the modern St. George ribbon). The colors of the St. George's Ribbon are black and orange, symbolizing smoke and flame.

The most famous holders of the St. George Cross

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

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

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

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

During the First World War, several Knights of St. George appeared, each having five (!) crosses. Today I will mention only a few of them, although at least three more are not on this list!

This is a soldier's George of all 4 degrees (first on the left - fourth on the right, with bows 3 and first)

the so-called St. George's bow (the full bow included 4 more St. George's medals for bravery)

Officers' St. George's Crosses (everything is clear - which is which)

Scheme of correct wearing of officers' St. George's crosses

Ilya Vasilievich Volkov, repeatedly distinguished himself in battles during the war with Japan, and then during the First World War. His five St. George crosses are still kept in the family.

Hero's Crosses of St. George:

4th degree (No. 42701)

3rd degree (No. 86324) - received it not immediately... but after being wounded

already in the new part there is another cross of the 3rd degree (No. 117607)

2nd degree (No. 18654)

1st degree (No. 14357)

Another hero is the namesake of Ilya Vasilyevich, Avenir Nikolaevich Volkov, also received five St. George's Crosses.

Also in Japanese war he already had four degrees of decoration, and in the very first battles of the First World War he again distinguished himself and received the highest degree of the St. George Cross for the second time.

The third hero Petr Leonov, earned all five crosses during the German war.

Fourth hero: Zhidik Alexey Vasilievich, ensign of the 9th Hussars Kyiv Regiment.

Sub-ensign of the 9th Kyiv Hussar Regiment, in this regiment another one was a sub-ensign with 5 crosses.

There was another hero who received two first degree Georges in one day (two feats!) from the hands of Tsar Nicholas.

There was another one, I don’t remember the name... we have to dig and look :(

There were also heroes, full cavaliers, who received their 5th crosses with wreaths (for the fight against Soviet power) - in particular, there were two of them in the famous Kappel (Baikal) crossing in the winter of 1919.

There were also such cavalier heroes who, having received all 4 degrees of George, became officers and managed to also receive the officer George!

Here's one of them in the photo! full Knight of St. George, 4 crosses and 4 medals for bravery + officer's cross of the 3rd (?) degree

In the Foto Dmitry Ivanovich Mitaki (1892 - 1953)- Full Knight of St. George (awarded by Emperor Nicholas II in the Church of “Peter and Paul” in Bendery (Moldova), military intelligence officer, 19 wounds. Not all have been preserved in the Museum of the History of Moldova (now the Republic of Moldova), duplicates of his awards and several old photographs, numbers of medals “For Bravery”: No. 166722, No. 707194.

to his left: with 4 crosses and 2 medals P. I. Krizhenovsky

*sorry, Ramadan, for getting ahead of me.

I give you everything I have - your post will turn out better and of higher quality!

**I am checking information about the 6 crosses holders.

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 most complete hero in terms of soldier's crosses and St. George medals Salomatin, ensign of the Life Guards Rifle Regiment (born in 1893 (?), a total of 13 crosses and St. George medals

SEVEN St. George's crosses (4X2 + 3x2 + 2nd + 1x2 = 7!)

6 St. George medals? (2 in Japanese and 4 in World War I)

*** Next time I’ll tell you about 83 heroes who were presented (or even received) 4 (FOUR) Orders of Glory!

and about three who deserved this glorious order 5 (FIVE) times!!!

One of them is still a living fellow countryman of mine from the suburbs of Krasnoyarsk! (however, he only wears the 4 Orders of Glory that were awarded to him - someone in Moscow thought that he would already have a lot...)

But Nikolai Evgenievich Litvinenko is not sad about this... As well as about the fact that he still has not received the highest soldier’s rank of Sergeant Major, which he still deserved during the Second World War!

We are planning to organize a petition to the awards department so that the veteran is given his well-deserved third medal of the Order of Glory, 2nd degree.

“Chest in crosses or head in bushes” - this was the principle by which the contenders for this award lived, and were confident that the honor of the distinction was worth the risk. In the tsarist army, the Cross of St. George was one of the most respected distinctions, despite its “soldier’s” status. The soldiers who received it often became celebrities. Officers who earned soldier's distinction were respected by their comrades and subordinates more than holders of elite "neck" badges. The word “George” was symbolic, and the details of the sign were separated into symbols separately.

Today the award has been restored and symbolic meaning still great.

Reward for those unrelated

main feature St. George's Cross - it was intended exclusively for lower ranks (soldiers and non-commissioned officers). Previously, they were not supposed to be awarded orders at all. Orders were considered exclusively the privilege of the nobility (compare: “order of knighthood”). That’s why the cross was called not an order, but a “sign of the order.”

But in 1807, under the impression of the war with Napoleon, Tsar Alexander heeded the advice of an unknown person, who recommended establishing a reward for the rank and file. The first recipient was the soldier Yegor Mitrokhin, who distinguished himself in the battle with the French.

Cavaliers were entitled to increased pay and exemption from corporal punishment (including the usual scolding by officers at that time, although not officially).

The award should not be confused with the Order of St. George - “officer George”. It was intended exclusively for officers.

At the same time, the conscious part of the command staff Russian army I appreciated the soldier’s version. The “toy soldiers” on the officer’s jacket aroused admiration. Often they were held by officers who had served their rank with valor, or who had previously been demoted for a duel, freethinking and other matters that were not considered dishonorable.

It took courage to create such a reason for demotion. She also helped to earn the soldier’s George and quickly regain his lost rank. The soldiers also respected officers with such distinctions. It was especially chic to have both a soldier and an officer George.

Special conditions of award

The conditions for awarding the Cross of St. George were harsh and differed significantly from the conditions provided for officer awards.

1. It could only be obtained for participation in hostilities.
2. It was issued only for a personal feat (capturing a useful prisoner, an enemy banner, saving the life of a commander, or another similar act). Injury or participation in a major campaign did not give such a right.
3. It was awarded only to lower ranks. There are only a few exceptions.

One soldier could be awarded more than once. Accordingly, he received more privileges - his salary increased, and after retirement he was awarded an “increased pension.”

The terms of the award have changed several times.

Initially, there were no degrees, and the cross itself was issued to a soldier only once. If he had the right to claim it again, he was only noted and awarded the appropriate reward. In 1833, a form of wearing a badge was introduced (with the one known to everyone).

In 1844, a variety “for non-believers” appeared. It was almost secular in nature - the image of the saint was replaced by a coat of arms, a double-headed eagle. There are anecdotal cases of resentment among Muslim mountaineers in Russian service who received these awards and were offended because there was a “bird” on the crosses and not a “dzhigit.”

In 1856, 4 degrees of awards appeared. Now it should be given from the lowest (4th degree) to the highest. The St. George Cross of the 4th and 3rd degrees was made of silver, the higher degrees - of gold.

In 1913, the unofficial name of the award became official. According to the new statute, those awarded the 4th degree of the St. George Cross received (in addition to other privileges) the right to a lifelong pension - 36 rubles per year (this is not enough), for subsequent degrees the amount of remuneration increased.

Initially, award badges did not have numbers.

But in 1809, numbers were introduced, and even already issued awards were renumbered (temporarily withdrawing them). At the same time, the compilation of personal lists of those awarded the St. George Cross began. Some have been preserved in the archives, and even now it is not difficult to determine the owner of the award by the number.

In 1856 and 1913, the numbering began anew. But the ability to determine the owner by number remains. IN last years it helps to establish the identities of some of those killed in the Great Patriotic War. Not long ago, the remains of a soldier who died at Stalingrad were identified. There were no personal items or medallion with him, but the soldier wore “George” on his chest.

A difference for all time

Before the revolution, respect for the Knights of St. George was not in doubt. They had the right and even the obligation to wear awards constantly. Miniatures of the “St. George’s Cross” were provided for daily use. The awardees were talked about in the newspapers; they were “heroes of the nation.”

But even during the First World War, the status of the award was omitted. For the sake of raising morale (the war was not popular), the command distributed crosses not according to the regulations. So many award badges were issued and distributed in advance, as if the entire Russian army consists of miracle heroes (this was clearly not the case). After the February Revolution of 1917, the award completely lost its value (Kerensky received 2 pieces - he’s still a soldier!).

During the Civil War, in the White Army there was an attempt to restore the practice of awarding those who distinguished themselves. But ideological representatives of the white movement doubted the morality of such a step - to celebrate “heroism” in a fratricidal war “not sanctioned” by the monarch. However, the recipients were appearance The sign has undergone some changes.

The Don Army, for example, turned the saint into a Cossack. In the 30s...40s, white emigration occasionally gave awards to figures of the white movement and anti-Soviet agents. But this no longer evoked the same respect as before.

A lot of holders of the St. George's Cross went to serve in the Red Army. There they had no privileges (officially abolished in 1918).

Some of the award badges disappeared as part of the operation “diamonds for the dictatorship of the proletariat” - golden crosses of St. George were handed over to the state to buy food for the hungry.

But there were those awarded who kept them, and were not subjected to any reprisals for this. Marshal Budyonny (who had an iconostasis of Soviet awards) always wore only the full St. George set.

Such actions were not encouraged, but the authorities did not pay attention when experienced older soldiers (who had already left for the second time in their lives) allowed themselves to do this. world war). The experience and skills of such fighters were worth more than ideological trifles.

During the Great Patriotic War, the Order of Glory appeared - the Soviet analogue of the Tsarist Soldier's Order. After this, older military men were allowed to wear crosses semi-officially and were given equal rights full set Orders of Glory and the full St. George set.

Revival of an old award

After the collapse of the USSR, Georgies officially returned to the list of Russian awards in 1992. But the creation of a new statute took time, and then immediate changes. It was assumed that awards, as before, would be for participation in battles for the defense of the Fatherland. But the Ossetian events of 2008 changed the situation. Now the crosses of St. George Russian Federation They are also awarded for distinction during battles outside the country.

There is also an anniversary medal “200 years of the Cross of St. George”.

Post-Soviet times are a dark period in the history of the award. The poverty of the first years after the collapse of the USSR led to the “putting up for auction” of what cannot be traded. Orders and medals, Soviet and Tsarist, have also become commodities. Openly naming their “market price” is simply immoral - it’s the same as trading in the Motherland.

But there are now a lot of privately produced “St. George Crosses” on the market (the production of awards is the Mint’s priority). It is difficult to distinguish them from the originals - museum workers conduct thorough checks of the signs they receive. But it’s better to let it be this way - copies of St. George’s crosses are not rewards, trading them is not a crime. You can at least hang a pectoral cross on a St. George ribbon - this will not make it valuable for history.

The historical value of the award depends on the time of its issue and affiliation, which can be determined from the lists of awardees. The price of the metal is not important.

Confirmation of high status

Many had St. George's crosses famous people and entire military units. In some cases, it is difficult for our contemporaries to even imagine that they could have specific person.

1. The awarding of Shurochka Azarova in “The Hussar Ballad” is not made up. This is an episode of the biography of Nadezhda Durova, the prototype of the heroine.
2. General Miloradovich, who was killed during the Decembrist speech, had a soldier's distinction.
3. Marshal Budyonny had not even 4, but 5 Georgievs. The first 4th degree was taken away from him as punishment for fighting. But Budyonny immediately earned a new one, and then went upward.
4. The famous “Vasily Ivanovich” (divisional commander Chapaev) received a little less - 3 pieces.
5. Georgy Zhukov, Rodion Malinovsky, Konstantin Rokossovsky had 2-3 awards each - it’s not surprising that they became marshals of Victory!
6. The partisan general Sidor Artemyevich Kovpak had 2 "George". Then he added 2 Gold Stars to them. Total 7 heroes Soviet Union were at the same time full Knights of St. George.
7. The crews of the cruiser "Varyag" and the accompanying gunboat "Koreets" were awarded as military units.
8. During World War I, 2 French and 1 Czech pilots were awarded.

In the lists of gentlemen there are some completely strange characters. So, search engine enthusiasts unearthed in them a certain von Manstein and a certain... Hitler! They have nothing to do with the Third Reich and their odious namesakes.

The unexpected side of fame

The Cross of St. George is the most famous Russian award. Because of this, she is associated with Russia in general. Related to this are attempts to “appropriate” it entirely, as well as its individual attributes.

The authorities of the unrecognized DPR and LPR are now issuing their analogues. The status of these awards is not determined due to the uncertain situation of the republics themselves.

Even more often, the St. George ribbon is used - the color of the order block. Theoretically, they should symbolize “smoke and flames” (black and orange stripes). But no one is interested in this - the ribbon is viewed as a symbol of Russian power.

For this reason, it is used in symbolism in states friendly to Russia. Countries that have strained relations with Russia are trying to ban it.

Thus, in Ukraine, public use of a ribbon is even treated as a criminal offense.

Today, some orders of Russia are rated higher than the Cross of St. George. Its revival is not intended to change the awards hierarchy. This is simply a tribute to the glory of our ancestors and an attempt to revive the continuity of generations where it is worth doing.

Video

The insignia "St. George's Cross" has always been one of the most revered domestic military awards. Originally existed from 1807 to 1917, was used as a reward sign for the Order of St. George for lower ranks. The award was given to soldiers and non-commissioned officers for outstanding courage shown in battles with the enemy. Many Soviet military leaders were Knights of St. George. For example, G.K. Zhukov was a holder of the St. George Cross of the third and fourth degrees. In 1992, a decision was made to restore this insignia in the Russian award system.

Based on the Decree of the Presidium of the RF Armed Forces of March 2, 1992, it was attributed to the restoration of the Russian military Order of St. George and the “St. George Cross” sign. However, work on drawing up the regulations and statutes of the awards dragged on until 2000. The regulations on these awards and their description were adopted only on August 8, 2000 on the basis of a decree of the President of the Russian Federation.

It was originally planned that this award would be given only for military feats demonstrated in battles with an external enemy in defense of the Fatherland. However, after the events of early August 2008, changes were quickly made to the statute and provisions of the award. In particular, since then the award could be given for exploits during hostilities on the territory of other countries while maintaining or restoring international peace and safety. Currently, the Cross of St. George can be awarded to rank and file (soldiers and sailors), sergeants and petty officers, midshipmen, warrant officers and junior officers of the Russian Army. The basis for the award is the courage, bravery and dedication demonstrated in the performance of military duty.

The modern St. George Cross, like its predecessor, has 4 degrees, of which the highest is the first degree. Rewarding is carried out only sequentially: from the lowest degree to the highest.

The sign "St. George's Cross" is made in the form of a straight equal-pointed cross with rays expanding towards the ends. Its rays, slightly convex on front side, bordered at the edges with a narrow edging. In the center of the award is a round medallion, which contains a relief image of St. George slaying a serpent with a spear. On the reverse side, the award number is applied at the ends of the cross, and in the center of the medallion there is a relief monogram in the form of the letters “C” and “G” intertwined. In this case, on the lower ray of the cross, depending on the degree, a corresponding inscription is made. At the end of the upper beam of the cross there is an eyelet designed for attaching the sign through a ring to a standard pentagonal block. It is covered with moire silk ribbon orange color, on which there are 3 longitudinal stripes of black color - well known to everyone St. George Ribbon.

The award is made of pure silver, while the signs of the second and first degrees are gilded. The size of the award is determined strictly by the distance between the ends of the beams and is 34 mm for all four degrees of the St. George Cross. The pads of all grades also have the same dimensions; the width of the tapes on them is 24 mm. But they also have their own characteristics, for example, the blocks for the signs of the first and third degrees of the St. George Cross also have a bow with the flowers of the Order of St. George.

Dmitry Medvedev during the presentation state awards. Vladikavkaz August 18, 2008

The first awards of the Cross of St. George in modern Russia took place in August 2008. This insignia was awarded to junior military personnel who showed courage and heroism during the events of August 2008 in South Ossetia and Georgia. On August 15, on the basis of a presidential decree, the first 11 soldiers and sergeants of the Russian army received the Cross of St. George, IV degree. In total, 263 Russian military personnel were awarded the Cross of St. George for the distinctions shown during the peacekeeping operation to force Georgia to peace.

Based on materials from open sources.