On the big holiday "Victory Day" of the city Russian Federation decorated with ornate symbols. During the holiday, you can see people with St. George's ribbon. Sometimes, ribbons can be seen on cars, bags, instead of ribbons in the hair. If earlier it was quite difficult to get this ribbon for the holiday, today volunteers distribute it just before the holiday itself.
But not everyone knows the history of the origin of this ribbon, what the St. George ribbon means today, and also what its colors represent.
The history of the appearance of the St. George ribbon
The history of the St. George ribbon begins back in the distant XVIII century, namely on November 26, 1769. Then Catherine II established the Order of St. George the Victorious. It was in the composition of this order that there was a similar ribbon, like our modern one.
Then the "Guards Ribbon" appeared in the USSR, similar to the ribbon of the Order of St. George the Victorious. It differed only in some additions. The guards ribbon was given out to soldiers for special distinctions before the fatherland. The block of the Order of Glory was wrapped with the same ribbon.
Today the ribbon is presented in two colors - black and orange. Orange symbolizes flames and black represents smoke. These two colors together represent military prowess and glory. However, there are still disputes about the designation of colors. Officially, the colors mean smoke and fire, but in some sources the symbolism of these colors goes deep into the history of Russia and is associated with the image of George the Victorious, who defeats the snake.
St. George's Ribbons occupied a place of honor among other awards and orders for faithful and valiant service for the good of the Motherland. After the Great Patriotic War St. George ribbons began to decorate many military orders and medals.
In 2005, the action " George Ribbon". It was then that the media began to call the "Guards tape" "St. George." Unlike the ribbon that is issued with the order, the St. George ribbon is offered to all people free of charge on the Victory Day holiday, which means "I remember, I'm proud."
George ribbon today
Today, wearing the St. George ribbon means that a person remembers the Great Patriotic War and is proud of his ancestors. It is distributed free of charge in more than thirty countries of the world, and it can often be seen on the Victory Day holiday.
This action was thought up by the employee of "RIA Novosti" Natalya Loseva for the holiday "60th anniversary of the Victory". The action was very widely spread throughout the country and neighboring countries for last years. The action is still supported by the authorities, the media, citizens and various organizations. For example, in 2010, the longest ribbon in the world was deployed in Chisinau - 360 meters in length.
Before the holiday, the action begins with the distribution of St. George ribbons among the population. Ribbons are small segments of black and orange identical to the St. George ribbon. Then the tape must be tied to clothing, wrist or car antenna. The purpose of the action is to create a widespread holiday atmosphere so that people can feel the importance of the holiday and pride in their fathers and grandfathers who shed blood for the country in the Great Patriotic War.
However, today not everyone wears ribbons and supports the action. Some people think that the St. George ribbon is a disrespect for the symbols of Victory, because initially this ribbon served as a symbol of valor and military distinction. Many believe that tying ribbons to clothes and other things is disrespectful to the ancestors and their merits. Also, many oppose the use of the Victory symbol for commercial purposes. This view is supported by some media and organizations.
In Russia St. George Ribbon- one of the iconic characters. At the same time, not everyone knows how, when and why it arose, what its colors mean, how it differs from other symbols that are now in circulation in our country, as well as abroad. Let's talk about it.
St. George ribbon: history
The history of the tape is inextricably linked with the history Russian state. More precisely, with Russian state symbols. Back in the first half of the 18th century, Russia decided what its sovereign colors should be. These colors are black, white, and yellow (or golden). It was these three colors that found their reflection on the coat of arms Russian Empire. The sovereign eagle was symbolized in black, the field near the coat of arms was golden, and the Russian saint, George the Victorious, was symbolized in white. It is from here, that is, on behalf of St. George, that the St. George ribbon originates.
In the middle of the 19th century, Empress Catherine introduced the Order of St. George as the highest state award in Russia. This order was to be awarded to Russian top military leaders for their courage and steadfastness on the battlefield. The ribbon, called St. George's, relied on the order, which consisted of two yellow (or golden) and three black stripes. This color scheme also had an additional symbolic meaning. So, the golden color symbolized fire, and the black color meant gunpowder, and more broadly - the smoke of military conflagrations.
Such colors of the St. George's ribbon - three black and two golden stripes are also present in the modern St. George's ribbon.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the Russian authorities established a military award for the lower ranks - the St. George medal in the form of a cross with the image of St. George the Victorious. The cross was attached to a bow painted in the traditional "George" colors - three black and two golden stripes.
By the way, the lower rank of the Russian army, awarded four "George" (the so-called full bow) at that time had approximately the same status and social weight as the Hero of the Soviet Union had during the Second World War.
In the same 19th century, Emperor Alexander II decided to introduce St. George's standards (that is, banners) in the army, as well as to grant St. George's ribbons to military regiments and crews of warships. The St. George's Cross was attached to the banner of the crew and the regiment, and, in addition, the St. George's ribbon was tied to the staff. Such military units received the title of "Guards" and, accordingly, had the right to wear distinctive signs on their uniforms. In particular, the sailors-guards wore not black, but black-and-gold ribbons on peakless caps.
St. George ribbon, as well as St. George awards, was in use in Russia until the 1917 revolution, when the Bolshevik government abolished these "symbols of the tsarist time."
The second life of the St. George ribbon
However, the St. George Ribbon did not stay in historical oblivion for long. In the first months of the Second World War, the Soviet government decided to return to the St. George Ribbon, regardless of its "royal origin". The essence of this decision was that the Red Army and its individual fighters had to be encouraged in some way to raise morale and achieve victory, and the list of awards at that time was small. It was then that they remembered the St. George ribbon.
True, they still didn’t call the “George” ribbon, but gave it another name - “Guards”. However, the color scheme remained the same - black and gold stripes. Soon, a special badge "Guard" was also issued, and for the naval forces, the badge "Naval Guard" was issued. From now on, land and naval units began to have distinctive signs on their banners - St. George's ribbons.
In 1943, the Soviet government established the Order of Glory. This order had three degrees, and, as before with the St. George Cross, they were awarded to the lower ranks of the Red Army. An even greater resemblance to the St. George cross was given to the order by the fact that the block of the order had the colors of the Guards (and, in fact, the St. George) ribbon. And, by the way, the full cavalier of the Order of Glory also had almost the same authority in society and enjoyed the same respect as the once owner of the full St. George's bow.
When the Second World War was nearing its end, the government of the USSR established another award - the medal "For the Victory over Germany". The block of this medal was also covered with a two-color - black and gold - ribbon.
It is clear that the ribbon with three black and two golden stripes after the victory turned into one of the most important state and national symbols. Moreover, the government in every possible way encouraged its use in further propaganda and patriotic educational work.
The third life of the St. George ribbon
One of the most important directions in the patriotic education of modern Russians, it is the memory of the victory won in the Great Patriotic War. It is quite understandable and logical that in such a case it is impossible to do without the symbol of Victory - the Guards Ribbon. You can say this: the current time in Russia is the time of the third appearance in the life of Russians of the famous St. George ribbon.
Truth, modern appearance the great symbol, however, differs in many ways from former times. Today, the St. George Ribbon has literally stepped into the people, and, in addition to military symbolization, has also acquired a general civil meaning.
So, on the eve of the Victory Day holiday, two-color ribbons, called St. in merchandise stores.
We can say that the St. George ribbon in all its forms and states in modern society became too much. And it is unlikely that quantity can turn into quality here. In other words, the too frequent appearance of a great national symbol contributes to the profanation of this symbol, but in no way to the education of patriotic feelings among citizens. But this is already a policy that has a very distant relation to the St. George ribbon as a symbol and as part of Russian history.
portend a holiday Great Victory. But what do black and orange represent? What is the history of the St. George ribbon? Historian Mikhail Morukov told our correspondent about this.
news: Mikhail Yuryevich, the St. George ribbon is an integral part of the Order of St. George ...
Mikhail Morukov: Yes, it all started with him. This order was established by Catherine II in 1769. Its full name is the Imperial Military Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George. It was the most honorary order for awarding the military. Initially, it was intended only for officers and generals. Soldiers in the Russian army were awarded medals. But in the future, they decided that soldiers should be awarded more seriously for special merits. For example, for the salvation of the commander, the banner, or for the action that decided the outcome of the battle. For this in early XIX century, the "Insignia of the Military Order" was established. It was called the George Cross. This sign was the same cross as on the order, only not enamelled. (Officer crosses were covered with white enamel.) The cross was worn on the same two-color ribbon. Degrees, like the order, the cross had four. Initially, St. George's crosses were worn according to the principle from the lowest degree to the highest. That is, if the military has high degree of this badge, he cannot wear a lower one. But then it was decided that all St. George's crosses could be worn at the same time. Hence the title - full St. George's Cavalier. Our St. George's ribbon is connected directly with the St. George's cross, of course.
and: What do the colors of the ribbon mean?
Morukov: There are different opinions about the symbolism of the ribbon. The most common is that black and orange colors represent smoke and flames. The second option is heraldic. The coat of arms of Russia depicts a black eagle on a gold background. But the thing is that the eagle on the coat of arms of the Russian Empire was most often depicted in black, but the background was not always orange or gold.
and: Which of our famous military leaders had St. George awards?
Morukov: In Imperial Russia, the Order of George was the highest award. And not everyone, even our outstanding military leaders, had the Order of George. St. George's crosses were with Alexander Suvorov and Mikhail Kutuzov. To the first world war It was allowed to award the St. George Cross to soldiers and officers. Especially during the period of the Provisional Government from February to October 1917, they liked to do this. From the Soviet full St. George Knights the most famous is Marshal of the Soviet Union Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny. By the way, he was twice deprived of St. George's crosses for misconduct, so in total he received George six times.
and: How were the St. George awards presented during the Great Patriotic War?
Morukov: Until 1941, the only color of our orders was red. And no awards were worn on the St. George ribbon. But with the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the Insignia of the military order was restored. They introduced the Order of Glory, which was intended to be awarded only to privates and sergeants. It was of three degrees and was worn on the St. George ribbon. This award was returned in order to emphasize the continuity of the traditions of the Russian army. Now they are again awarding the Order of George. But he is no longer the same. It is impossible to return the Order of George of that time - this is an imperial order. Now it's more of a tribute to tradition.
We all know that the "St. George's Ribbon" is an all-Russian campaign for the distribution of symbolic black and orange ribbons, meaning Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The Action Code states that the St. George Ribbon symbolizes respect for war veterans, a tribute to the memory of those who died, and gratitude to those who gave everything for the sake of victory in the war. Ribbons, as a symbol of the unbroken spirit of the people who defeated fascism, began to be distributed in 2005 at the initiative of the Student Community and RIA Novosti. However, few people know why this ribbon is black and orange, and also what exactly these colors mean.
In fact, the name of the action refers us to the St. George ribbon. This is the name of the two-color ribbon for the Order of St. George and some other awards. Since the establishment of the order by Catherine II in 1769, this ribbon has been black and yellow. In the sample of 1913, the yellow color changed to orange. True, both colors from a heraldic point of view are variations of gold. Thus, if we are talking specifically about the St. George ribbon, then it was used with awards presented in the Russian Empire, and has no direct relation to the exploits of soldiers in the Great Patriotic War. In the USSR, imperial awards were canceled, but during the Great Patriotic War in 1942, the Guards Ribbon was established - three black stripes on a golden-orange ribbon. Thus, it is she who symbolizes the exploits of the people of the USSR in the Great Patriotic War, and, according to skeptics and critics, the commemorative ribbons handed out correspond exactly to the Guards, and not to the St. George's ribbon, despite the name of the action. But, by and large, the Guards Ribbon can actually be called the successor of the St. the title of "Guards" or "Guards", in the Order of Glory and in the medal "For the Victory over Germany".
Thus, the St. George Ribbon is an important symbol of Victory, uniting people who remember and honor the feat of their ancestors, the feat of people who, united, were able to save the Motherland and the world from the worst enemy.
It seems that not so long ago the St. George ribbon became an attribute of Victory Day. Meanwhile, twelve years have passed. Recall that the tradition was laid down by Moscow journalists and it was picked up almost immediately throughout the country, as well as abroad. Picked up so quickly because the symbol has a long and glorious history. And the candidate reminded us of her on the eve of the next Victory Day historical sciences Alexander Semenenko.
The St. George Ribbon is a memory of the two-color ribbon for the Order of St. George, the St. George Cross and the St. George Medal. The award came at the height Russian-Turkish war when Empress Catherine II established an order in honor of George the Victorious. “George the Victorious is considered the patron of the Russian army. In addition, he is depicted as a patron on the coat of arms of Moscow. And then there was such a long tradition that George the Victorious is first of all a person, and then a symbol of the inflexibility of the Russian spirit. The introduction of such an order should have contributed to the rise of the soldiers, ”says our interlocutor.
The order, as he notes, is accompanied by a heraldic component, and it found its origins in existing symbols: “Black is the symbol of the eagle, and the eagle is the coat of arms of the Russian Empire. The orange field was originally yellow. I want to note that orange and yellow are considered a kind of golden field. This is the field of the Russian state emblem.
Here true value ribbon colors. But today you often hear that gamma means smoke and flame. As an option - gunpowder and flame. Sounds nice, but it's not true. And it also has a long history. In the nineteenth century, as some sources note, some nobles wrote that "the immortal legislator who established this order believed that its ribbon connects the color of gunpowder and the color of fire."
“The conventional wisdom that orange symbolizes fire, and black symbolizes ash or smoke is fundamentally wrong,” Alexander Mikhailovich assures. - There is a classic heraldry. Such comparisons are outside of science. The St. George ribbon is a historical image and it is better to work with explanations of classical heraldry, rather than invent something. I propose to agree with the arguments of Catherine II. Black is the heraldic color of the eagle. The double-headed eagle is now both the Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation and the Coat of Arms of the Russian Empire, which we borrowed in the era of the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III, thanks, among other things, to his second wife Zoya, or Sophia Paleolog. And yellow or orange, as we said, is a kind of heraldic understanding of the golden color around the state emblem. George the Victorious himself became a kind of symbol of Russia. Although it is worth noting that George is close to both Muslims and some other religions, so representatives of different faiths come to our Victory Square with pleasure to pay tribute to those who fought for the freedom of our Motherland.”
The image of the St. George ribbon was dear to the people and in Soviet time. During the Great Patriotic War, it became clear that national heraldic traditions also needed to be revived. “And when the guards were born in the battle near Moscow, they appeared guards ribbons, they were slightly modified, but the St. George component was the basis. Then the Order of Glory appears for soldiers and sergeants, there, too, on the order block we see the St. George ribbon. Well, when Soviet Union won the war, the medal "For the Victory over Germany" appeared, on the order block there is also a St. George ribbon. And if we look anniversary medals among our veterans, the St. George format is reproduced everywhere, ”the historian explains.
The chain of times, according to the interlocutor, closed when in 2005, at the celebration of the next anniversary of the Great Victory, people wanted to find some kind of symbol that would not be invented, but would take into account Russian traditions, and Soviet and would be understandable to modern youth. “The St. George ribbon has become such a symbol. She gained popularity very quickly. Twelve years have passed, and it became clear that this is a good designation of the holiday and participation in it. And, of course, this is a kind of belonging to the Russian world, a sign that you remember the victories of your ancestors, and these are Nevsky, Kutuzov, Bagration, Zhukov, Vasilevsky, ”says Alexander Semenenko.
As you can see, it was not necessary to invent anything in order to get a symbol of a great holiday that is bright and close to millions. “You just need to comprehend the traditions and carefully try to recreate everything. If it had been superficial, artificially imposed, it would probably have been rejected. The ribbon continues to live, and it continues to unite us all - both the fallen, and the living, and those who will come after us, ”concludes the interlocutor.
Black and yellow colors reproduce the colors of the state emblem under Catherine II: a black double-headed eagle on a gold 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. Here is the true meaning of ribbon colors. But today you often hear that gamma means smoke and flame. As an option - gunpowder and flame. Sounds nice, but it's not true.
