Since 1965, May 9 is celebrated in Russia as the Day Great Victory in the form familiar to us - with the Parade and the territories allocated for the festivities. Since the end of April, as part of a campaign called " George Ribbon» Victory symbols - St. George's ribbons - are distributed to everyone free of charge. The meaning of the action itself is simple: in honor of the holiday, the issued ribbons must be hung on bags, on sleeves, on the windshields of cars ... Alas, many do this without understanding the meaning and not knowing the history of the St. George ribbon, sometimes their actions are not even a tribute, but a simple parrot (everyone put it on, and I will put it on).

AT full version articles - materials about the symbol of the Great Victory - St. George's Ribbon.

The St. George Ribbon was created as part of an award set consisting of the Order of St. George, the St. George Cross or the St. George Medal and a ribbon. In addition, it was once part of some of the military insignia that were assigned military units.

For the first time, the St. George Ribbon appeared together with the St. George Order in 1769.. Interestingly, the color scheme of the insignia we are considering has generated a lot of controversy. According to the RIA Novosti project "OUR VICTORY" (9may.ru), Count Litta wrote in 1833: " the immortal legislator, who founded this order, believed that its ribbon connects the color of gunpowder and the color of fire ...". According to the same site, Serge Andolenko, a Russian officer, did not agree with this explanation: " In fact, the colors of the order have been state colors since the time when the double-headed eagle on a golden background became the Russian national emblem ...". According to other public information, the black-orange scale should be understood as the color of smoke and fire. In any case, which appeared in tsarist Russia the symbol is firmly entrenched in history and has now become the traditional color of the holiday on May 9th.

With the introduction of the Order of St. George, two historical anecdote: the first case of self-awarding occurred literally immediately after the creation of the insignia. Catherine II awarded herself the Order of the 1st degree, in fact, for having introduced the Order of St. George. Alexander II, on the other hand, went even further, and awarded himself with it on the occasion of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the legendary insignia. But if we return to the symbolism, then the Order of St. George was given for specific feats on the battlefield or for giving the right advice useful for military service.

AT Soviet time The St. George Ribbon has not sunk into oblivion, but has taken an honorable place among the military insignia. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of November 8, 1943, she became part of the Order of Glory of three degrees. It was thanks to this event that it became possible to use it as a sign of respect for the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War. There is an exact list of feats for which the Order of Glory was given. Among others, one can find such items on the list as “In a moment of danger, he saved the banner of his unit from being captured by the enemy”, “Despising the danger, he was the first to break into the enemy’s bunker (bunker, trench or dugout), decisively destroyed his garrison”, “Neglecting personal security, captured the enemy banner in battle”, “Risking his life, under enemy fire, he assisted the wounded during a series of battles”, and so on. Of course, the heroes who received the Order of Glory were promoted.

"Georgievsky Ribbon" - one of the most interesting projects to create symbols in our country. Having appeared in the year of the sixtieth anniversary of the Victory (2005), it managed to become a tradition - an unprecedented event in recent history Russia. The action is recognized as the largest patriotic action in Russia. Well, this is a good result. St. George's Ribbon has glorious history and deserves that its colors symbolize the Great Victory.

Today, many people take part in the action, with pleasure attaching a ribbon to bags and clothes. Despite the fact that the organizers of the action and government officials approve of the appearance of a new patriotic symbol, many residents of Russia, on the contrary, protest against the action. Their protest also has a logical basis: The St. George Order is an important award given for heroic actions during military operations. The participants of the action, most likely, did not accomplish any feats, and therefore they cannot have the right to wear a ribbon. The moral aspect of this dilemma is extremely complex, and, it seems to me, each person decides for himself: either the ribbon is a tribute, the personification of our gratitude, or the misuse of part of the military award.

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 appearance and the combination of colors corresponds to the ribbon with which the order block for the medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945" is covered.

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 defending the Fatherland, were awarded 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. Card.

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 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 Russian-Turkish war 1768-1774

Under his command, a special detachment of chasseur 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 statute of the order of 1769 contained following description ribbons: 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 of chivalry, participants 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 snake 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.

It 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 model 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 outward signs, as in tsarist time. 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.

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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's ribbons began to decorate many military orders and medals.

In 2005, the St. George Ribbon campaign began. 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 pieces black-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.

St. George ribbons occupy the most honorable place among the numerous collective awards (distinctions) of the units of the Russian army.

The Order of George was established in 1769. By status, he was given only for specific feats in war time"those who ... distinguished themselves by what special courageous act or the wise gave for our military service helpful tips". It was an exceptional military award.

St. George Order was divided into four classes. The first degree of the order had three signs: a cross star and a ribbon consisting of three black and two orange stripes, which was worn over the right shoulder under the uniform. The second degree of the order also had a star and a large cross, which was worn around the neck on a narrower ribbon. The third degree is a small cross on the neck, the fourth is a small cross in the buttonhole.

The black and orange colors of the St. George Ribbon have become a symbol of military prowess and glory in Russia.

There are different opinions about the symbolism of the St. George ribbon. For example, Count Litta wrote in 1833: "the immortal legislator, who established this order, believed that its ribbon connects the color of gunpowder and the color of fire ...".

However, Serge Andolenko, a Russian officer who later became a general French army and compiled the most complete collection of drawings and descriptions of the regimental badges of the Russian army, does not agree with this explanation: “In fact, the colors of the order have been state colors since the time when the double-headed eagle on a golden background became the Russian national emblem. Here is how the Russian coat of arms was described under Catherine II: "The eagle is black, on the heads is a crown, and at the top in the middle is a large Imperial crown - gold, in the middle of the same eagle is George, on a white horse, defeating a snake, an epancha and a spear are yellow, the crown is yellow, the snake is black." Thus, the Russian military order, both in its name and in its colors, had deep roots in Russian history..

From the date of the establishment of the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George on November 26, 1769, by Empress Catherine the Great, this day began to be considered the festive Day of the Cavaliers of St. George, which was to be celebrated annually both at the Highest Court and “in all those places where the Knight of the Grand Cross happens” . Since the time of Catherine II, the venue for the main solemn ceremonies associated with the order has become Winter Palace. Meetings of the Duma of the Order of St. George were held in St. George's Hall. Solemn receptions were held annually on the occasion of the order holiday, for ceremonial dinners they used the St. George porcelain service, created by order of Catherine II (Gardner factory, 1777-1778) Last time The Knights of St. George celebrated their order holiday on November 26, 1916.

In addition to the St. George's Hall in the Winter, there is the St. George's Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace, construction began in 1838 in the Moscow Kremlin according to the project of the architect K. A. Ton. On April 11, 1849, a decision was made to perpetuate the names St. George Knights and military units on marble boards between the twisted columns of the hall. Today, they contain over 11 thousand names of officers awarded various degrees of the order from 1769 to 1885.

The St. George's ribbon was also assigned to some insignia awarded to military units - St. George's silver trumpets, banners, standards, etc. many military awards were worn on the St. George ribbon, or it was part of the ribbon.

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.

In 1855, during the Crimean War, lanyards of St. George's colors appeared on premium officer's weapons. Golden weapons as a kind of award were no less honorable for a Russian officer than the Order of George.

After the end of the Russian-Turkish war (1877 - 1878), Emperor Alexander II ordered the commanders-in-chief of the Danube and Caucasian armies to prepare performances for rewarding the most distinguished units and subunits. Information from the commanders about the exploits performed by their units was collected and submitted to the Cavalier Duma of the Order of St. George.

The report of the Duma, in particular, stated that the most brilliant feats in the war were the Nizhny Novgorod and Seversky Dragoon Regiments, which already have all the established awards: St. George's standards, St. George's pipes, double buttonholes "for military distinction" on the uniforms of headquarters and chief officers , St. George buttonholes on the uniforms of the lower ranks, insignia on headdresses.

By personal decree on April 11, 1878, a new insignia was established, the description of which was announced by order of the Military Department of October 31 of the same year. The decree specifically stated: "The Sovereign Emperor, bearing in mind that some regiments already have all the insignia established as a reward for military exploits, the Highest deigned to establish a new highest distinction: St. and drawing. These ribbons, constituting the affiliation of banners and standards, are in no case removed from them ".

Until the end of the Russian imperial army this awarding with wide St. George ribbons remained the only one.

During the Great Patriotic War, continuing martial traditions Russian army, on November 8, 1943, the Order of Glory of three degrees was established. His statute, as well as the yellow and black colors of the ribbon, were reminiscent of the St. George Cross. Then the St. George ribbon, confirming the traditional colors of Russian military prowess, adorned many soldier and modern Russian award medals and badges.

On March 2, 1992, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR "On state awards of the Russian Federation", a decision was made to restore the Russian military order of St. George and the insignia "St. George's Cross".

The Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of March 2, 1994 states: "In the system of state awards, the military order of St. George and the Insignia -" St. George's Cross "are preserved..

Thus, the Russian military order, both in its name and in its colors, had deep roots in Russian history.

Comparison with the St. George ribbon.

The ribbon, which is called "St. George's" and distributed as part of the action for Victory Day, is more correctly called the guards, as it is orange.

H black and golden colors, the colors of the ribbon for the Order of St. George, in Russian heraldry had nothing to do with George the Victorious. On the ancient coat of arms of Moscow, he is depicted in a blue cloak, on a white horse and on a red field. The Russian tricolor is the heraldic colors of St. George. According to materials:

Desyatnik N A. and Loktenko L.

In the days of the USSR, the St. George ribbon was not forgotten. She entered the award system with small transformations and acquired the name "Guards Ribbon".

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St. George Ribbonis a combination of black and orange. Such colors symbolize dark smoke and bright flames. Its history dates back to the autumn of 1769. Then Empress Catherine II introduced the soldier's order of St. George the Victorious. The two-color ribbon became its component.
The order was awarded to military personnel who showed courage in battles for their homeland. The St. George Order consists of 4 degrees. The ribbon, which has three black and two orange stripes, was part of the 1st degree of this award. She was dressed under a uniform, throwing over her right shoulder. The striped ribbon that was named"Georgievskaya" not only used this way. Later, its use was expanded and began to be included in the decoration of clothing elements: standards, buttonholes.

St. George's Ribbon in Soviet times

In the days of the USSR, the St. George ribbon was not forgotten. She entered the award system with small transformations and acquired the name"Guards Ribbon". On November 8, 1943, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was issued. It said that the St. George Ribbon became part of the Order of Glory. She covered the block of this honorary badge. This event was a great chance to use it as a sign of respect for all soldiers.

The Order of Glory was awarded to heroes who performed the feats indicated in the list. Among the wide list, one could find items stating that a feat can be considered the capture of the enemy’s banner, helping the wounded under enemy bullets over several battles, saving the banner of one’s unit, being the first to penetrate the enemy’s shelter and eliminate his garrison. Heroes who received this badge of honor were immediately promoted.

In 1992 St. George Ribbongot a new start. Then the ribbon itself, the Order of St. George, were approved as signs of military courage and courage.

St. George ribbon today

Project "St. George Ribbon"started in 2005. Then they celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of the Victory. Every year it only gained momentum and already managed to become a good tradition. The action was recognized as one of the largest in its scale in Russia.

People participating in the program attachSt. George ribbonto clothes, handbags, car mirrors. This is a kind of embodiment of gratitude, a tribute to those who died in battle. The great history of the St. George Ribbon deserves to have its colors signify Victory.

ADDITION

St. George's Ribbon - a symbol of military glory, courage, courage, a symbol of Victory - in recent years has increasingly become a symbol of memory of great history and her heroes.

The St. George ribbon appeared under Catherine II along with the Order of St. George - the highest military award of the Russian Empire.

At first it was yellow-black - the colors of gunpowder and fire, but later the yellow stripes were replaced with orange ones. This is also symbolic: the color of fire mixed with the color of blood.

Throughout history, only 25 military leaders were awarded the St. George Ribbon, and only four of them were full cavaliers orders of St. George of all four degrees - Mikhail Kutuzov, Mikhail Barclay de Tolly, Ivan Varshavsky and Ivan Dibich Zabalkansky.

Soon a variant of the order for ordinary and lower officers appeared - the St. George Cross. He was also called "Soldier's George" or simply "Egoriy". Despite the comic nickname, this award is extremely valuable in all respects. They gave it only for the outstanding courage shown during the hostilities. In addition to honor, she added a third to the salary to the owner and the opportunity for privates to quickly become a junior officer.

By the way, it was for the first time that instead of the St. George Cross, only a ribbon from it began to be awarded, when it was impossible to deliver the order itself. This happened during the defense of Sevastopol in Crimean War XIX century.

During the Patriotic War of 1812 and the subsequent foreign campaign against Paris, almost 25 thousand of these awards were presented, and in the First world war when the orders were already four different degrees- more than a million. For the same war, the St. George medal was also established - an award for civilians who distinguished themselves at the front. For example, for paramedics and orderlies.

The Bolsheviks canceled the imperial awards, but in 1943, at the height of the Great Patriotic War, Joseph Stalin decided to return the former attributes of military prowess - first shoulder straps, and a little later, the black and orange ribbon to the Order of Glory. In fact, the Order of Glory is a complete likeness of the George Cross. They were awarded to privates and sergeants, and in aviation also junior lieutenants. The order had three degrees, 2674 people became its full cavaliers, including four women.

But the most common Ribbon of St. George is on the medal "For the Victory over Germany". This is the most massive military award in the USSR - almost 15 million awarded, all combatants who survived that terrible war.

In 2005, the memory of the St. George ribbon began to be revived. By May 9, all those who remember the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, who honor history and are proud of it, put on the black and orange symbol of Victory. This is done in Russia, and in Belarus, and in Moldova, and in the Czech Republic. In the footage filmed in Berlin before the last Victory Day, the Germans are tying the St. George ribbon on their lapel. This year in New York, in preparation for the holiday, a black and orange canvas appeared in the sky over the metropolis.

In recent weeks, more often than in other places, the St. George ribbon can be found in the south-east of Ukraine. She has become a symbol of those who fight for the federalization of the country and disagree with the authorities in Kyiv. There, this ribbon is sometimes literally a symbol of both courage and courage, for wearing it you can get a club on the head and burn in the House of Trade Unions. But those who put on the symbol of St. George, this never stopped.