George's victories and the history of the origin of the St. George ribbon

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

250 years ago, on December 9 (November 26, old style), 1769, the Russian Order of St. George was established. There has never been and never is in our country a more honorable military award. Since 2007, Russia has celebrated the Day of Heroes of the Fatherland on this day. Izvestia recalls the history of the famous cross and the legendary ribbon.

This holiday in the literal sense of the word - "the times of Ochakov and the conquest of the Crimea." He appeared to the thunder of the guns of the Russian-Turkish war. At its origins is Empress Catherine II, who fulfilled the will of Peter the Great and presented the Russian army with a military award. Prior to that, there were no purely military commander's awards in Russia. And Andrew the First-Called, and Alexander Nevsky, and Anna could be earned not only on the battlefield. And the young empire had to fight constantly.

Catherine established this order during the difficult days of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. The army failed to defeat the Ottomans in a general battle, and the Sultan's fleet was in charge of the Black Sea and Crimea.

The Empress hoped that the new award would become not just a badge of distinction, but an order in the original sense of the word - a community of knight-knights. That is why she instituted a holiday, the Day of the Knights of St. George, which was ordered to be solemnly celebrated both at court and "in all those places where the knight of the great cross happens."

In addition, Catherine organized the so-called Duma of the Cavaliers of St. George with her residence and cash desk. It included all those awarded with any degree of the order. This institution certainly gave weight to the new award.

Whom did George defeat?

The holiday also has more ancient roots. Thinking about the new award, the Empress studied the Orthodox traditions of venerating St. George the Victorious. His icon-painting image appeared in her office. What did they know in Russia about this saint? The son of a warrior from Cappadocia, lived in the III century, became one of the favorite generals of the emperor Diocletian. And suddenly - he openly declared himself a Christian. Persecution and cruel torture followed. George overcame everything and did not renounce his faith. His steadfastness made a strong impression even on the wife of Diocletian - and she believed in Christ. And although the historical reliability of this plot raises questions, temples dedicated to St. George began to appear already in the 4th century. He began to be considered the patron saint of warriors and farmers. The main mystical feat of George is considered to be the victory over the serpent, which symbolized the dark pagan forces. That is why he is nicknamed the Victorious. True, this battle, according to legend, took place after the death of the saint.

In Russia, the saint was called both Yuri and Egoriy. The feast day of the consecration of the Kiev St. George Church was established in Russia in the XI century by Prince Yaroslav the Wise. Since then, it was celebrated on November 26 (December 9) and was most often called St. George's Day.

One of the oldest Russian monasteries, Yuryev, near Novgorod the Great, is dedicated to the Victorious. The parable of his victory over the serpent has gained particular popularity in our Palestinians. In Russian epics of the serpent, the hero Dobrynya Nikitich wins - and in this plot, one can also consider the interpretation of the image of the saint. The image of St. George - a rider with a spear, slaying a serpent or dragon - is found on coins, banners, weapons and in the coats of arms of cities. George could be seen on the princely seal of Yaroslav the Wise, and - many centuries later - on the royal seal - of Ivan the Terrible.

And also St. George's Day is glorious and remembered by the fact that on this holiday serfs had the right to move from one landowner to another. It was a day of free choice - and it was firmly remembered among the people, although at the end of the 16th century they lost this indulgence. Catherine II thought it good to schedule the proclamation of a new order on this very day, with which she pinned great hopes. It was necessary to change the attitude of the majority of nobles to military service. Motivate, stir up ambition. To serve, according to the commandments of Peter, "not sparing their belly."

First holiday

And Catherine turned the institution of the order into a political action. In today's language, I acted in accordance with all the rules of "PR". While the empress presented the order to her entourage in the Winter Palace, fireworks did not stop in St. Petersburg, illumination illuminated a gloomy winter evening, wine flowed like a river - it was a real holiday with folk festivities.

Throughout Russia, priests in sermons told parishioners about Saint George and how important the new order was for the Russian army. No one has yet managed to receive a new award - and they already knew about it not only in the army, but also among the people.

The establishment of the "military order of the holy great martyr and victorious George" was proclaimed after the prayer service, on St. George's Day. In the same place, at the same time, the Empress herself entrusted the highest - 1st - degree of George. And she became the first and last woman to receive such a high award. Subsequently, of the all-Russian autocrats, only Alexander dared to do this. The rest were limited to more modest degrees of the order.

Let's pay tribute to the state mind of Catherine: she changed not only court fashion, but also the hierarchy of values. The new award was not of baroque splendor. No glamorous luxury - a simple enamel white cross. Only the exploits of future gentlemen can give it unique beauty. And a ribbon, "silk with three black and two yellow stripes." “The immortal legislator who established this order believed that its ribbon unites the color of gunpowder and the color of fire,” wrote Julius Litta, chief of the Cavalry Regiment, many years later. Catherine approved an army laconic motto: "For service and courage." More is not required. Thus, the ascetic perfection of the army was found.

The feast of the Knights of St. George, which was celebrated on St. George's Day, has become an annual event. Especially for the solemn banquets, Ekaterina ordered a porcelain service for 80 persons with the order's symbols at the Gardner factory.

Victory march

“Neither the high breed, nor the wounds received before the enemy give the right to be bestowed with this order: but it is given to those who not only corrected their position in everything according to their oath, honor and duty, but, in addition, distinguished themselves by what a special courageous act, or the wise have given, and useful advice for Our military service … This order should never be removed: for it is acquired by merits,”says the statute of the order, which was drawn up by the president of the military collegium Zakhar Chernyshev.

Soon after the first feast of St. George, a turning point took place in the Russian-Turkish war. General Vasily Dolgorukov pressed the enemy in the Crimea, Pyotr Rumyantsev established himself in the Danube steppes … Of course, this is not a matter of a new order. And yet it should be noted: with George, the Russian army became truly victorious. And the first knight of the order was the humble lieutenant colonel Fyodor Fabritsian, who, with a small detachment, defeated the superior forces of the Turks on the outskirts of the city of Galati. He was awarded the III degree of George.

The first (except for the symbolic self-rewarding of Catherine) George's Chevalier of the highest degree was General-in-Chief Pyotr Aleksandrovich Rumyantsev. However, he received the field marshal's baton almost simultaneously with the order. After all, he defeated the Crimean and Turkish armies three times in one summer - at the Pockmarked Grave, Larga and Cahul.

It was impossible to receive this order for parquet, and even more so - alcove successes. It had to be earned - and only with a weapon in hand. Moreover, the first degree was awarded exclusively for victories that decided the fate of wars. More often - Russian generals, but sometimes - allies, such as the Prussian marshal Gebhard Blucher, who fought against Napoleon. For length of service, only the lowest IV degree could be awarded. For each degree of the order, lifelong cash payments were relied on - for the first time in the history of our country.

Even Grigory Potemkin, the all-powerful favorite of Catherine, for a long time retained the status of the second person in the empire - at first, according to Rumyantsev's idea, he deservedly received III degree "Egoria", then - II. And I - for the storming of Ochakov, when Prince Tavrichesky had to show not only statesmanship, but also military leadership. And this victory became a turning point for the entire war: the Turks, having lost their outpost on the northern coast of the Black Sea, could no longer count on the return of Crimea …

The prestige of the award was impeccably maintained. Even with a strong desire, it is difficult to recall the unjustified awarding of the Order of St. George, and especially its two higher degrees.

Martial traditions

The son of Catherine, Paul I, disliked the award that was associated with the era of his unloved mother … For him, the master of the Knights of Malta, there was only one order, St. John of Jerusalem. But immediately after Paul's death, George again became the highest military leader's order in Russia. And in 1807, they established the "Insignia of the Military Order" for the lower ranks, which was called the soldier's George.

In the era of Alexander I, the first holders of all four degrees of the main commander's award appeared - two Mikhail, two heroes of the Napoleonic wars, Kutuzov and Barclay de Tolly. They did not get along too well with each other, but at one time the invasion of "twelve languages" showed Napoleon the way from burnt-out Moscow to the West.

During the reign of Nicholas I, two Ivans - Paskevich and Dibich - were awarded the same laurels for victories over the Turks and Persians, who decided the fate of the campaigns. After this magnificent four, there were no other full cavaliers of the military leader George.

Holidays of the Knights of St. George were held annually in the Hermitage. And the Moscow sanctuary of glory for the holders of the famous order was the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace, built in the 1840s. This snow-white room - one of the few in the Kremlin Palace - has been preserved almost in its original form.

Under Alexander II, the 100th anniversary of the order was widely celebrated. The emperor resumed the tradition of widespread St. And it was not just a big gesture. The value of the soldier's awards by the middle of the 19th century increased markedly in comparison with Catherine's time. Affected by the abolition of serfdom and conscription.

During the Russo-Japanese and World War I, not a single commander was awarded the highest degree of military leader George. Decorations of the II degree of the order were also rare. For example, Aleksey Brusilov - perhaps the most famous Russian general of that war - was awarded only IV and III degrees of the order and the award-winning St. George's weapon. Lavr Kornilov also stopped at the III degree. And the Emperor Nicholas II himself was awarded only an "enamel cross" of the IV class.

Another thing is the soldier's St. George Cross, which from the first days of the Great War became a truly nationwide award. The whole country knew by sight the Don Cossack Kozma Kryuchkov - the first Knight of St. George of the First World War. He was portrayed on posters and popular prints, newspapers told about his exploits … In a hot battle, despite being wounded, he managed to hack to death 11 enemies.

“He knew the pangs of hunger and thirst, A disturbing dream, an endless path, But Saint George touched twice

Bullet untouched chest."

Nikolai Gumilyov wrote, in the first year of the war - a non-commissioned officer of the Ulan regiment, twice awarded the soldier's "Yegor". The future Marshal of Victory Georgy Zhukov also managed to earn the same amount in the German war.

The tradition of the day of the Knights of St. George was preserved until the revolutionary 1917. However, the traditions of the order in Russia never died. References to the soldier's "Yegoriy" were easily guessed in the military awards of the Great Patriotic War. At the beginning of the war, the question of the direct revival of the St. George's Cross was discussed. But they did not dare to do this: the memories of the Civil War were too fresh, when only whites were associated with crosses on tunics. Instead of St. George's crosses and medals in the Red Army, they were awarded medals "For Courage" and "For Military Merit". In the fall of 1943, the Order of Glory was established - the highest soldier's award. Instead of a cross, there is a star. But the tape resembled St. George's - and the front-line press directly wrote about this! And then the same guards, St. George, ribbon adorned one of the most massive awards of the Great Patriotic War - the medal "For Victory over Germany." Among the front-line soldiers, there were enough veterans of the First World War, including the Knights of St. George, and they, with the tacit permission of the command, often proudly wore the Tsar's crosses next to Soviet orders and medals.

Back on April 11, 1849, during the reign of Emperor Nicholas I, it was decided to immortalize the names of the gentlemen of St. George and military units on marble plaques near the columns of the ceremonial hall. In our time, there are over 11 thousand names of St. George's cavaliers. And their list is growing. Indeed, in our time, the Order of St. George has revived. The decree on its establishment was signed by Vladimir Putin on August 8, 2000. Eight years later, Colonel-General Sergei Makarov, who headed the united group of forces for conducting counter-terrorist operations in the North Caucasus, became the first holder of the revived Order of St. George, IV degree.

Since then, the date of St. George has been perceived as a holiday of military valor of all times, as a day reminiscent of the victorious traditions of our army.

And therefore, on this day, we congratulate not only the modern knights of St. George, but also the veterans of the Great Patriotic War. All of them were faithful to the motto of the order “For Service and Courage!.