What do the colors of the St. George ribbon symbolize. Lies about the St. George ribbon

The St. George Ribbon has become a symbol of Russian military glory and loyalty to Russia. It is generally accepted that two orange stripes mean flames, and three black stripes - smoke. But there are other versions.

Combat Glory Ribbon

The St. George ribbon was instituted by Catherine II during the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774 to encourage loyalty, courage and prudence. The ribbon was supplemented with the motto: "For service and courage", as well as a white equilateral cross or a four-pointed gold star. It is traditionally believed that the black color on the St. George ribbon symbolizes smoke, and orange - flame. Count Giulio Renato Litta wrote about this in 1833:

"The immortal legislator, who founded this order, believed that its ribbon connects the color of gunpowder and the color of fire."

But there are other interpretations as well. According to the general of the French army and falerist Serge Andolenko, the colors of the ribbon reproduce the colors of the state emblem (a black eagle on a golden background). There is also a version that the colors symbolize the death and resurrection of St. George the Victorious.

The St. George Ribbon was an integral part of the medals awarded for participation in successful wars or battles with an external enemy: "For courage in Finnish waters", "For the Turkish war of 1828-1829", "For the defense of Sevastopol".

Some awards were issued on combined ribbons: "For the Turkish War of 1877-1878" (Andreevsko-Georgievskaya Ribbon), "In Memory of the Russian-Japanese War" (Alexandrovsko-Georgievskaya Ribbon).

There were also exceptional cases of awarding. So, Lieutenant General Alexander Lukomsky was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir on the St. George Ribbon for the excellent conduct of mobilization activities in 1914. This award was jokingly called "Vladimir Georgievich".

George's bow

Before the revolution, in cases where the award of the order was impossible, the heroes were awarded with a ribbon. At the third award of the Order of St. George, a black and orange bow was attached to the ribbon.

The expression "full bow" also received a second, figurative meaning. That was the name of the person who received all conceivable awards.

Georgievskaya or Guards?

The St. George Ribbon adorns the pads of the medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945", established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on May 9, 1945. Like George, this medal was awarded exclusively to servicemen who were directly involved in the war fronts.
However, there is an opinion that the St. George ribbon of the war and post-war period was not St. George's, but Guards: both on the Order of Glory and on the medal "For the Victory over Germany". Terminological disputes on this topic continue today.

rolling symbol

During the years of the revolution and the Civil War, the St. George ribbon became one of the main symbols of the White movement. So, during the Yaroslavl rebellion, the rebels distinguished their own by ribbons attached to their clothes. It was convenient - no insignia was required. The officers wore St. George ribbons in buttonholes and caps, as well as a St. George chevron on the left sleeve.

According to the historian Alexei Karevsky, the rebels even fought under the banner of St. George and the tricolor Russian flag.

St. George ribbons were also awarded to collaborators from the ROA and KONR. Many soldiers of the Vlasov army were Knights of St. George.

St. George's regalia

It is interesting that the St. George ribbon was also assigned to some insignia awarded to military units - St. George's silver trumpets, banners and standards.

In 1806, award St. George banners were introduced in the Russian army. The St. George's Cross was placed at the top of the banner, and a black-orange St. George ribbon with banner tassels 1 inch wide (4.44 cm) was tied under the top.

The first St. George Banners were issued to the Kiev Grenadier, Chernigov Dragoon, Pavlograd Hussar and two Don Cossack regiments for distinction in the 1805 campaign.

In Russia, the St. George Ribbon campaign has started, distributing the main symbol of Victory Day until May 9. But many treat it carelessly and wear it incorrectly - in our material we will tell you how to tie it beautifully and wear it with dignity.

History of the black and orange ribbon

For the first time, a black and yellow ribbon in the system of Russian awards appeared during the reign of Empress Catherine II, it was attached to the Order of St. George the Victorious. The Order of St. George became the highest award in the Russian Empire: they were awarded for distinction in military exploits. The order had four degrees, it was issued to officers and soldiers (the soldier's order was called the "Insignia of the Military Order"). Later, the yellow color in the ribbon was changed to orange.

In 1913, another medal appeared in Russia that used a black and orange ribbon - the St. George medal. She was awarded to the lower ranks for courage and courage shown in peacetime or wartime.

After the October Revolution of 1917, the Order of St. George the Victorious, like other awards of the empire, was canceled. However, on the fronts of the civil war, both former generals and the heads of the Red Army continued to award soldiers for distinction in battle with the Order of St. George and the St. George Medal.

The black and orange ribbon reappeared in 1941. Then, for the courage and courage of the personnel, such ribbons began to be given to units, formations and ships. The tape was called "Guards".

Later, already during the Second World War in 1943, the Order of Glory was established, to which the "guards ribbon" was attached.

The St. George Ribbon became a real symbol of Victory in 1945, when the medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War in 1941-1945" was established by the Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces. This award was received by 15 million people - front-line soldiers and home front workers. The St. George ribbon was also attached to the medal.

Medal "For the victory over Germany"

In 1992, the former Order of St. George was revived in the Russian Federation. So the order and the ribbon became a symbol of the continuity of generations and traditions of Russia.

In 2005, RIA Novosti news agency and ROOSPM Student Community, in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Victory, announced the St. George Ribbon campaign - volunteers throughout Russia handed out thousands of ribbons to honor the memory of war heroes. The action has become annual and this year will be held for the 13th time in a row.

What do the colors of the St. George ribbon symbolize?

Count Litta in 1833 wrote about the introduction of the tape by Catherine the Second: "The immortal legislator who established this order believed that his tape connects the color of gunpowder and the color of fire." Therefore, it is generally accepted that orange means flame, and black means smoke.

There is another version of the symbolism of the colors of the ribbon: black is the eagle on the coat of arms of Russia, and orange is the golden background (in heraldry, gold can be conveyed in yellow or orange colors). Thus, the ribbon reproduces the colors of the coat of arms of the Russian Empire.

How to wear a St. George ribbon?

The St. George ribbon is not an ornament that can be tied anywhere: you should not wear it on your head, below your waist, on a bag, or tie it on a bicycle or car. It is necessary to wear it near the heart, attaching it to clothes (for example, it is convenient to use the lapel of a jacket).

There are many ways to tie a ribbon, in this video you will learn about ten of them:

We also remind you that in our newspaper passes. Send us materials about your heroes, and we will place them on the main page.

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Today, young people perceive the St. George Ribbon as a fashion accessory, which, on the eve of the Great Victory Day, must be attached so that it is in full view. Here, not everyone knows the measure - they fix it wherever possible and impossible. Few people think why this is done, and what it actually symbolizes - only a few know. Unfortunately, not many older people can answer these questions. But this "ribbon" has a rich history that dates back to the 18th century.

The history of the emergence of the St. George's ribbon

The Russian Empress Catherine II in 1769 approved the Order of St. George. It was awarded to officers who distinguished themselves most on the fields of the Russian-Turkish war. According to etiquette, it was worn on a silk ribbon with stripes of the state colors of the Russian Empire: three black, two yellow. By the name of the order, it went down in history as St. George's.

The first cavalier of this order was Count Aleksey Grigoryevich Orlov-Chesmensky, under whose command the Russian squadron on the night of June 26 (July 7) in the Chesme Bay defeated more than twice the Turkish forces. Historians will call this battle one of the largest naval battles of the era of the sailing fleet.

The medal "For Distinction in the Battle of Kinburn" on a ribbon was awarded to the most distinguished fighters who, under the command of General-General Suvorov, on October 1 (12), 1787, were able to withstand the onslaught of superior Turkish landing forces and defend the fortress of Kinburn. This was the first major victory for Russian weapons in this war. For the first and probably the only time in history, the worthy of the award was chosen by the soldiers themselves, who had just repelled enemy attacks, hand in hand.

Ribbons of the color of the state flag of the Empire were also used for other awards, which were awarded to those who stormed the Turkish fortress of Ochakov, who showed valor during the siege and capture of Ishmael.

These awards were worn on the St. George ribbon, which was equal in value to the award received. Until the gentleman was awarded an order, cross or medal, it was an official replacement.

In view of the special veneration, entire military formations are awarded the ribbon of the Order of St. George. At the beginning of the 19th century, St. George banners were introduced as such an award. A white order cross was attached to the top, a ribbon was placed below. For the courage shown in the battle on November 4, 1805, a 5,000th corps with a French 30,000th army near the village of Schöngraben (Austria), such a banner was awarded to Chernigov, Dragoon, two Don Cossacks, Pavlovsk Hussars, Kiev Grenadier regiments.

At that time, not all combat formations had banners (for example, sappers), but pipes and horns for giving signals were a necessary accessory for each. Thus, a tradition arose for special merits to award units with silver pipes, which were later called St. George's. The St. George Cross, a brief description of the feat, was knocked out on the case, and the ribbon of the colors of the imperial flag served as a lanyard. They were issued several varieties - curved - for the infantry units, straight - for the cavalry.

Such a ritual existed until the moment when the Bolsheviks finally abolished the previously existing royal awards. The revival of the tape falls on the time of the severe trials of the Great Patriotic War.

Guards Ribbon

Especially in the first months of terrible battles with the Nazi troops and their allies, a symbol was needed that could raise the morale of the soldiers, lead them to attack and win. There were few awards, they had not yet managed to earn due respect, so they remembered the St. George ribbon, which for many years was the personification of Victory, courage and heroism of the Russian warrior. Although, for ideological reasons, some adjustments were made to the appearance: they changed the name to "Guards", but the essence remained unchanged.

Today, opinions about the St. George ribbon are divided. In the press and on TV, liberal-minded citizens deny her involvement in the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet army, they call her "Colorado" (according to the color of the American beetle).

It is pointless to argue with them: they either do not know how to think and compare facts, or they are completely infected with the virus of Russophobia. Let us give examples that will suffice for thinking people.

Let's start with the question of why the Guards, in fact, St. George's Ribbon is a symbol of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

On the Day of signing the capitulation by fascist Germany, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR issued a decree approving the medal "For the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945." It was awarded to everyone who took part in the hostilities: soldiers, officers, who, due to injury or demobilization, were transferred to another job or previously dismissed from military service. Let's look at the colors framing the block.

From approval to the present time, an orange-black ribbon, the ribbon of the Order of St. George, framed the stocks of various orders of the Empire, and then the Soviet, Russian Army. They were marked by military personnel for their courage, heroism, loyalty to the Fatherland. In addition, the ribbon adorned the lanyards of award weapons, insignia, officer gold crosses, it framed the collective awards of military units - silver trumpets, banners, standards. Thus, it is a link, a symbol of military glory and valor of Russian weapons and warriors.

All data is taken from open sources, so if you have other, confirmed information, you do not agree with the facts given here, you want to dispute or supplement them, then write about it in the comments. We are grateful.

If you have any questions - leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them.

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

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

No. 1. Slogan

About the St. George ribbon, as a symbol of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, they started talking in the mid-2000s.

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

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

No. 2. Idea author

The idea of ​​the action belongs to a group of journalists from the Russian Agency for International Information "RIA Novosti".

No. 3. Code of the action "George Ribbon"

The St. George Ribbon Code consists of 10 points:

1. Action "George Ribbon" - not commercial or political.
2. The purpose of the action is creating a symbol of the holiday - Victory Day .
3. This symbol is an expression of our respect for the 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" not a heraldic symbol . This is a symbolic ribbon, a replica of the traditional bicolor St. George ribbon.
5. It is not allowed to use original award St. George or Guards ribbons in the promotion. "George's Ribbon" is a symbol, not a reward.
6. "George Ribbon" cannot be sold .
7. "George Ribbon" cannot serve to promote goods and services. It is not allowed to use the tape as an accompanying product or as an element of product packaging.
8. "George Ribbon" distributed free of charge. It is not allowed to issue a ribbon to a visitor of a commercial establishment in exchange for a purchase.
9. Not allowed usage"George Ribbon" for political purposes any parties or movements.
10. "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 merchants get away with whatever they can: manicures, vodka, beer, dogs, wet wipes, ice cream, mayonnaise, and even toilets- madness in all its glory:

Here is such a speculation on the topic of war and victory ... Petty, low, vile, disgusting ...

No. 4. On banknotes

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

No. 5. Conformity

St. George's Ribbon in appearance and color combination corresponds to the ribbon, which is covered with the order block for the medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945."

Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945"

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

Among the awarded were 120,000 servicemen of the Bulgarian army who took part in the fighting against the German army and its allies.

No. 6. "Georgievskaya" or "Guards"

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

In fact, everything is simple - the guards ribbon is typical for the Soviet era of government, while the St. George ribbon is for the royal one. And they differed slightly - the color and width of the stripes. The Bolsheviks, who abolished the award system in 1917, in 1941 only copied the royal award, changing quite a bit the shade of color.

Guards ribbon in the USSR. Postcard.

By the way, according to the widespread version, the term "guard" appeared in Italy in the 12th century and meant a select detachment for the protection of the state banner. In Russia, the first detachments of the guard 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 time of Ivan the Terrible - guardsmen. The basis of the personal guard of the king was the “best” representatives of the most noble families and descendants of the specific princes ... The guardsmen had to stand out from the crowd, and like the monks, who were easy to distinguish by black robes, special black clothes were invented 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 it first appeared

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

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

The Empress herself became the first holder of the order - on the occasion of its establishment ... And "For Service and Courage" - Fedor Ivanovich Fabritsian - Russian general, hero of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774.

Under his command, a special detachment of jaeger battalions and part of the 1st Grenadier Regiment, numbering 1,600 people, utterly defeated a Turkish detachment of 7,000 people and occupied the city of Galati. For this feat, on December 8, 1769, Fabrizian 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 the outstanding Russian commander, commander-in-chief of the Russian army during the Patriotic War of 1812, student and ally of A.V. Suvorov - Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov.

The last lifetime portrait of M. I. Kutuzov, R. M. Volkov, 1813. In the portrait, the Sign of the Order of St. George 1st degree (cross) on the St. George ribbon (behind the hilt of the sword) and its quadrangular star (2nd from the top) .

No. 8. Tape 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 tape was supposed to be a lifetime salary. After the death of the owner, it was inherited, but due to the commission of a shameful offense, it could be withdrawn from the owner. The order's 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 options for displaying gold).

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

However, a prominent specialist in Russian faleristics, Serge Andolenko, points out that black and yellow colors, in fact, 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.

“The Miracle of George about the Serpent” (icon, late 14th century)

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

This saint has become extraordinarily popular since the days of 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 in the crusades; he is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. In Russia since ancient times, St. George was revered under the name of Yuri or Egor.

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

The name George comes from the Greek. γεωργός - farmer. coexist in the popular mind 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 a cattle breeder and tiller, owner of the land, patron of cattle, opening spring field work

St. 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 George Cross is present on the flag of the Georgian church. For the first time he appeared on the Georgian banners under Queen Tamara.

This is interesting:

It is well known that the St. George ribbon appeared along with the St. George Order. So, since St. George was considered a Christian saint, how to reward Muslim defenders? So, for the Gentiles, a variant of the order was provided, in which instead of St. George the coat of arms of Russia, a double-headed eagle, was depicted. The sample of the order with an eagle was approved by Nicholas I on August 29, 1844 during the Caucasian War, and Major Dzhamov-bek Kaytagsky was the first to receive a new badge. In this regard, in 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?”

Badge of the order of the 3rd class. for officers of non-Christian faith, from 1844

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

The Order of St. George, once abolished by the Bolsheviks, has now been restored, and by Decree of the President of Russia No. 1463 of August 8, 2000, it acts as the highest military award in Russia. The restored Order of St. George has the same external features 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 the holders of the order, while 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.

In 1769, Empress Catherine 2 established an award for officers of the Russian Army, presented for personal bravery shown on the battlefields - the Order of St. George, it was supposed to be worn on a "silk ribbon with three black and two yellow stripes", subsequently the name was assigned to it - St. George Ribbon.

What does black and yellow mean? In Russia, they were the colors of the imperial, state, corresponded to the black double-headed eagle and the yellow field of the state emblem. It was this symbolism, apparently, that Empress Catherine II adhered to, approving the colors of the ribbon. But, since the order was named in honor of St. George the Victorious, the colors of the ribbon may symbolize St. George himself and denote his martyrdom - three black stripes, and miraculous resurrection - two orange stripes. It is these colors that are now called when designating colors. George Ribbon. In addition, the new award was presented exclusively for military exploits. And the colors of war are the color of the flame, that is, orange, and the color of smoke is black.

One of the first holders of the Order of St. George - participants in the naval battle in the Chesme Bay, which took place in June 1770. In this battle, the Russian squadron, under the overall command of Count Orlov A.G., completely defeated the Turkish fleet that outnumbered it. For this battle, Count Orlov was awarded the Order of St. George of the first degree and received an honorary prefix to his surname "Chesmensky".

The first medals George Ribbon were awarded in August 1787, when a small detachment under the command of Suvorov repulsed the attack of the superior Turkish landing force, which was trying to capture the fortress of Kinburn. Suvorov, who was in the forefront of the fighting and inspired them by personal example, was wounded twice in this battle, the courage of the Russian soldiers made it possible to defeat the Turkish landing. For the first time in Russian history, the medal was not awarded to all those who participated in the battle, it was awarded only to those who showed the greatest personal courage and heroism. Moreover, it was the soldiers who took a direct part in hostilities who were more worthy of the award to decide. Among the twenty awarded for this battle was the grenadier of the Shlisselburg regiment Stepan Novikov, who personally saved Suvorov from the Janissaries who attacked him. Black and orange ribbons were also used for other medals of this war, which were awarded to participants in the heroic assault on Ochakovo and those who distinguished themselves in the capture of Izmail.

St. George ribbon on Russian awards.

The ribbon of the Order of St. George begins to occupy a special position in the design of military awards given for personal bravery. This also affected the collective awards of various military units of the Russian Army. These include the so-called St. George's pipes, introduced in 1805. These pipes were made of silver, the image of the St. George's Cross and an inscription indicating why this distinction was given were applied to the body. In addition, a lanyard made of a ribbon of black and orange colors was attached to the pipe. There were two types of pipes - cavalry and infantry. The differences between them were in their form. The infantry was curved, and the cavalry was straight.

Since 1806, St. George banners have appeared among the collective incentives. At the top of these banners was a white order cross, and under the top was tied the St. George ribbon with banner tassels. The Chernigov Dragoon Regiment, two Don Cossack regiments, the Kyiv Grenadier and Pavlograd Hussar regiments were the first to receive such a banner. They were awarded "For exploits at Shengraben on November 4, 1805 in a battle with an enemy consisting of 30 thousand."

In 1807, Emperor Alexander 1 established a special award for the lower ranks of the Russian Army for personal bravery in battle, which was called the Insignia of the Military Order. The wearing of the cross was prescribed on a ribbon, the colors of which corresponded to the colors of the Order of St. George. It was from this period that popularity St. George's Ribbon becomes nationwide, since ordinary Russian people have seen such awards much more often than the golden orders of the officers of the Russian Army. This sign was later called the soldier's or soldier's Georgy (Egoriy), as he was called by the people.

Since 1855, officers who received the award gold weapon "For Bravery" were ordered to wear lanyards from the St. George ribbon for a more visible distinction.

In the same 1855, the medal "For the Defense of Sevastopol" was established. For the first time in the history of the Russian Empire, a medal was awarded not for a heroic victory, but for the defense of a Russian city. This medal was silver, intended for both military officials and civilians who participated in the defense of Sevastopol. For generals, officers, soldiers and sailors of the Sevastopol garrison, who served there from September 1854 to August 1855, the medal was awarded on the St. George ribbon.

Military distinctions and clergy were not bypassed. Back in 1790, a special decree was issued on the award of military priests for feats while participating in military battles. At the same time, an award gold pectoral cross on the St. George ribbon was established. Many of the regimental priests of the Russian Army took a direct part in the hostilities of the Russian troops and earned this high distinction with their heroic deeds. One of the first recipients of the pectoral cross was regimental priest Trofim Kutsinsky. During the storming of the fortress, Ishmael, the commander of the battalion, in which Father Trofim was a priest, died. The soldiers stopped in confusion, not knowing what to do next. Father Trofim, unarmed, with a cross in his hands, was the first to rush to the enemy, dragging the soldiers with him and supporting their morale. In total, from the establishment of the golden pectoral cross to the Russo-Japanese War, one hundred and eleven people were awarded it. And behind each such award was a specific feat of the regimental priests of the Russian Army.

Approved back in 1807, the medal "For Bravery", also worn on a black and orange ribbon, was added to the Order of St. George in 1913 and became, along with the St. George Cross, the most massive soldier's medal awarded for personal bravery.

During the existence of the black and orange ribbon of St. George, from the moment of its appearance in 1769 until 1917, it was an indispensable attribute of various awards of the Russian Empire awarded for military courage. Gold officer's crosses, lanyards of gold weapons, insignia, medals, as well as collective - silver trumpets, banners, standards. So in the award system of Russia, a whole system of military incentives was formed, among which the St. George ribbon was a kind of connecting link of all of them into a single whole, being a symbol of military prowess and glory.

The day of the establishment of the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George on November 26, 1769 in the history of Russia was considered the Day of the Cavaliers of St. George. This day was celebrated every year. On this day, not only in the capital of the empire, but also in almost all corners of the Russian land, the holders of the St. George honors were honored. Everyone was honored, regardless of ranks and titles, since the feats that these people performed were not for the sake of awards, but for the sake of their Fatherland.

Not only on Wikipedia you can find out what the St. George Ribbon means, on the site that you are currently looking at, detailed information and images of most of the awards worn on this glorious ribbon are selected: more than a hundred images of various designs. Large selection of genuine .

I recommend to watch the video plot, created in the form video for Igor Rasteryaev's song "St. George Ribbon", pictures, photos of the war years are interspersed with video sketches from the expedition of the Rubezh search club, which is engaged in finding and burying the remains of Soviet soldiers who died during the Great Patriotic War. As a result, we got very emotional and, most importantly, lively, real pictures illustrating the words of a popular song, as if in a battlefield ... "soldiers lie and sprout new forests", "three per square meter", as if to hear with their own eyes the voice of the dead, felt, that finally they came to them, to the place of the last battle:

Dig me up bro
I am Vershinin Sanya.
5th mortar regiment,
I am from Ryazan

To see how a posthumous note is taken from a sealed cartridge case hanging like a medallion around the neck of a dead Red Army soldier. How carefully they unfold a piece of paper that has decayed from time to time, with the hope that the name and surname of the deceased soldier could be preserved there. This is a great success, it will allow you to write the names of the heroes on the created grave and reduce the number of nameless soldiers missing during the years of the last war, to convey to relatives the news of the created burial of their father or grandfather.

You won’t feel all this when rereading articles on Wikipedia, but you can see and really feel it by watching video sketches created by the guys in search engines in the format of a video for Igor Rasteryaev’s song. It is from them that one can understand what the St. George Ribbon means, what significance it has acquired in our peacetime, as a black and orange ribbon, has become a symbol of memory of the fallen defenders of the Motherland.