St. George's Cross and the most famous St. George's Knights of the Russian Empire. Military awards of the Russian Federation. Order of St. George
Perhaps the most respected award in the Russian army was the military order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George. It was established by Empress Catherine II at the end of November 1769. Then the founding day of the order was solemnly celebrated in St. Petersburg. From now on, it was to be celebrated every year not only at the Highest Court, but also wherever the holder of the Grand Cross ended up. It is worth noting that formally the Order of St. George stood lower than the Order of St. Andrew, but for some reason the commanders valued the first of them more.
Patron Saint
Peter I once spoke about the establishment of a purely military award, but, as is known, Catherine II implemented his idea. The patron saint of the order was Saint George. His life and exploits are described in numerous tales and legends, including the well-known legend about the liberation of a beautiful princess from a terrible and evil dragon or serpent. It is interesting that not only in Kievan Rus, but throughout Europe during the era of the Crusades, this saint was extremely revered by the military.
For the first time, the image of St. George the Victorious appeared on the seal of the founder of Moscow, Prince Yuri Dolgoruky, since this great martyr was considered his patron. Later, this image in the form of a horseman slaying a serpent with his spear began to adorn the coat of arms of the Russian capital.
Reason for the award
It is worth noting that initially the Order of St. George the Victorious was intended exclusively for the hierarchical top of the Russian Empire. Later, Catherine II decided to somewhat expand the circle of persons awarded to him, so this honorary badge was divided into 4 degrees. He was given the motto “For Service and Bravery.” Subsequently, the Order of St. George the Victorious was awarded only for military services to the Fatherland to officers who performed a feat that brought great benefit and was crowned with complete success.
Description
These were different from each other. The Order of St. George the Victorious, 1st class of the Grand Cross, was a four-pointed gold star made in the shape of a rhombus. It was attached to the left half of the chest. The 1st degree cross was worn on the same side, at the hip, on a special striped orange and black ribbon. It was worn over uniform only on special occasions, and on weekdays it had to be hidden under the uniform, while the ends of the ribbon with a cross were let out using a special slot made on the side.
The badge of the Order of St. George, 2nd degree, is a cross that had to be worn around the neck, on a narrow ribbon. In addition, like the award of the previous degree, it had a four-pointed star. The 3rd class order was the Small Cross, which was supposed to be worn around the neck. The 4th class award was attached to the ribbon and buttonhole.
The gold star in the shape of a diamond has a black hoop in the middle with the words “For service and courage” written on it, and inside it there is a yellow field with the image of the monogram of the name of St. George. This order also included an equal-pointed cross with an extension at the ends. It is covered with white enamel and has a gold border around the edges. In the central medallion, Saint George the Victorious is placed in silver armor, seated on a horse and slaying a serpent with a spear, and on the reverse side there is a white field and the same monogram as on the star.
First class award
The Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George was so honorable that during its entire existence, the 1st degree badges were awarded to only 25 people. The first cavalier, not counting Catherine II, was Field Marshal P. Rumyantsev. He was awarded the order in 1770 for his victory in the battles of Largues. The last one was Grand Duke N.N. the Elder in 1877 for the defeat of the army of Osman Pasha. When this award was given to the highest class, the lower class was no longer awarded.
For services to the Russian Empire, the Order of St. George the Victorious, 1st degree, was given not only to domestic citizens, but also to foreign citizens. Thus, in different years, the honorary badge of the highest class was received by the King of Sweden Charles XIV, the former marshal of the Napoleonic army Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, the British Field Marshal Wellington, the Prince of France Louis of Angoulême, the Austrian Field Marshal Joseph Radetzky, the Emperor of Germany and others.
Order of the second degree
125 people were awarded it. The very first recipient of this award was Lieutenant General P. Plemyannikov in 1770, and the last was General of the French Army Ferdinand Foch in 1916 for his success in the Verdun operation.
It is interesting that throughout the First World War, the Order of St. George the Victorious, 1st degree, was never awarded. But only four Russian servicemen managed to earn 2nd class awards. They were Grand Duke N.N. the Younger, who at that time held the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army, as well as the heads of the fronts - generals N. Ivanov, N. Ruzsky and N. Yudenich. The most famous was the last of them, who after the revolution of 1917 led the white movement in the northwestern part of Russia.
During World War I, Yudenich fought against the Turkish army on the Caucasian front. He earned his first Order of St. George the Victorious, 4th degree, during the Sarykamysh operation, which ended in January 1915. The general also received his following awards for the fight against the Turks: 3rd class - for the defeat of part of the enemy army, and 2nd class - for the capture of Erzurum and the Deve-Bein position.
By the way, N. Yudenich turned out to be the penultimate holder of this order of the 2nd degree and the last awarded among Russian citizens. As for foreigners, only two people were awarded the Order of St. George: the French general Joseph Joffre and Ferdinand Foch, mentioned above.
Order of the third degree
More than six hundred people received this award. The first holder of this order was Lieutenant Colonel F. Fabritian in 1769. During the First World War, the 3rd degree was awarded to 60 distinguished people, among whom were such well-known generals as L. Kornilov, N. Yudenich, F. Keller, A. Kaledin, A. Denikin and N. Dukhonin.
During the Civil War, the Order of St. George, 3rd degree, was awarded to the feat of ten military personnel who particularly distinguished themselves while fighting in the ranks of the white movement against the Bolshevik army. These are Admiral A. Kolchak, Major General S. Voitsekhovsky and Lieutenant Generals V. Kappel and G. Verzhbitsky.
Order of the fourth degree
Statistics on the issuance of this award have been preserved only until 1813. During this period, the Order of St. George the Victorious was awarded to 1,195 people. According to various sources, over 10.5-15 thousand officers received it. Basically, it was issued for a certain period of service in the army, and since 1833, for participation in at least one of the battles. After another 22 years, the awarding of the Order of St. George, 4th degree, for impeccable service was completely canceled. The first cavalier to receive this badge was the Russian citizen Prime Major R.L. von Patkul in 1770 for suppressing the Polish rebellion.
In addition to Empress Catherine II, as the founder of the order, two women were also awarded this military male award. The first of them is Maria Sophia Amalia, Queen of the Two Sicilies. She participated in the military campaign against Garibaldi and was awarded the Order of the 4th class in 1861 for her services.
The second woman awarded was R. M. Ivanova. She served in the Russian army as a nurse during the First World War. Her feat was that after the death of the entire command staff, she took over leadership of the company. She was awarded posthumously, as the woman soon died from her injuries.
In addition, representatives from among the military clergy were also awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree. The first cavalier-priest was Vasily Vasilkovsky, awarded for personal courage shown in Vitebsk. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the order was awarded 17 more times, with the last award occurring in 1916.
The first to receive this high award was Colonel F.I. Fabritsian, who served in the 1st Grenadier Regiment. He distinguished himself during the assault on Galati, which occurred in early December 1769. He was awarded an extraordinary 3rd degree.
There were also full holders of the Order of St. George the Victorious, awarded all four classes. These are princes M.B. Barclay de Tolly and M.I. Golinishchev-Kutuzov-Smolensky and two counts - I.I. Dibich-Zabalkansky and I.F. Paskevich-Erivansky. Among those awarded this distinction were Russian autocrats. In addition to Catherine II, who founded it, all subsequent emperors, with the exception of Paul I, had these orders of various degrees.
Privilege
It is worth noting that the awarded Order of the Great Martyr George the Victorious gave its owners considerable rights and benefits. They were allowed not to make one-time payments to the treasury, as was customary when receiving other high awards. They still had the right to wear a military uniform even if they did not serve the required ten-year term.
Cavaliers of any degree of these orders necessarily received hereditary nobility. Since April 1849, all their names were entered on special marble plaques, which were hung in the St. George Hall of the Kremlin Palace. In addition, in those educational institutions where gentlemen previously studied, their portraits should be hung in a place of honor.
Heroes were also provided with lifelong pension payments. Senior gentlemen of all degrees received from 150 to 1 thousand rubles per year. In addition, the privileges extended to their widows: women could receive the pensions of their deceased husbands for another whole year.
Empress Catherine II, confirming November 23, 1769 The statute of the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George, indicated that it “should be considered established since 1769, the month of November, from the 26th day, on which day We laid the signs on ourselves, and after a long time bestowed upon us and the fatherland servants with distinction.”
The day for the establishment of the order was not chosen by chance: November 26 (December 9, new style) The Orthodox Church celebrates the consecration of the Church of the Great Martyr George in Kyiv, built in 1036. after the victory over the Pechenegs.Desk medal “In memory of the establishment of the Order of St. George the Victorious. November 26, 1769" Medalist Johann Balthasar Gass, obverse copied by Ivan Chukmasov, reverse copied by Pavel Utkin. Copper, 79 mm; 197.65 g
Desk medal “In memory of the 100th anniversary of the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George. 1769-1869." Obverse: “Signature of the medalist in the sleeve trim “V. Alekseev R.”.” Reverse: “Signature of the medalist at the bottom “P.M.R. (P. Meshcharikov cut).” Silver, 157.28 gr. Diameter 72 mm.
The establishment of the military order was part of the military reforms carried out at the beginning of Catherine’s reign, which strengthened the Russian army on the eve of wars that stretched in an endless series until the end of the 18th century, allowed it, under the leadership of P.A. Rumyantseva, G.A. Potemkina, A.V. Suvorov to win a number of brilliant victories. The establishment of a military order was supposed to be a moral incentive for the entire officer corps, and not just the generals, as previously established orders. In order to increase the significance of the order, Catherine II accepted upon herself and her successors “this Order of Grand Mastership”, as a sign of which she placed on herself the signs of the 1st degree.
The insignia of the Order of St. George looks more modest than the insignia of all other Russian orders: a white enamel cross with a gold border, in the middle of which on the front side there is an image of St. George slaying a serpent with a spear, and on the back - the monogram of the saint; a gold quadrangular star of senior degrees with the saint's monogram in the center and the order's motto: "For service and courage", a ribbon of two yellow and three black stripes. Cavaliers of the 1st class of the order wore a cross on a wide ribbon worn over the right shoulder and a star on the left side of the chest, 2nd class - the same cross on the same ribbon on the neck and a star on the left chest, 3rd class - a smaller cross size on a ribbon of smaller width on the neck, 4th class - the same cross on a ribbon of the same width in the buttonhole of the caftan. Later, the size of the cross and the width of the ribbon became different for each degree.
Badge of the Order of St. George 2-3rd degree. Unknown workshop, France, 1900s. Gold, enamel. Weight 16.73 g. Size 49x55 mm. Marks on the connecting ring: export head of Mercury to the left and the company is illegible.
Badge of the Order of St. George, 4th degree. Unknown workshop, St. Petersburg, 1908-1917. Gold, enamel. Weight, 10.46 g. Size 35x39 mm.
Badge of the Order of St. George, 3rd-4th degree. Unknown workshop, St. Petersburg, 1880-1890s. Gold, enamel. Weight 10.39 g. Size 42x39 mm.
Badge of the Order of St. George the Victorious, 4th degree. Firm "Eduard", Petrograd, 1916-1917. Bronze, gilding, enamel. Weight 12.85 g. Size 41x36 mm.
From 1844 to 1913 on the crosses that complained to Muslims, instead of the image of the saint and his monogram, an imperial eagle was placed. The image of an eagle was also supposed to replace the saint’s monogram on the order star of the highest degrees of the order when awarding them to Muslims, however, a review of the lists of holders of these degrees did not allow us to identify a single recipient who could be considered a Muslim.
Badge of the Order of St. George, 4th degree. Firm "Eduard", St. Petersburg, 1910-1917. Bronze, gilding, enamel. Weight 12.07 g. Size 40x35 mm.
Almost the main role in the fate of the order was played by the choice of the heavenly patron. Saint George has long been revered as the patron saint of not only warriors, but also kings. The latter circumstance was emphasized by assigning to the order a ribbon made up of the colors considered “imperial” in Russia - black and yellow (gold). In addition, the image of a horseman slaying a serpent has been the emblem of the Moscow state since the time of Ivan III, although until the beginning of the 18th century. it was personified not as St. George, but as a tsar (occasionally - the heir to the throne) - the defender of the Russian land. By the time the order was established, this horseman, already under the name of St. George, was considered the coat of arms of Moscow and was an attribute of the state emblem of the Russian Empire. St. George was well known to the Russian common people, he entered their everyday life and was revered by them as a guardian of fertility and abundance, an assistant in hunting, a protector of fields and all the fruits of the earth, a guardian of grazing herds, a patron of beekeeping, a shepherd of snakes and wolves, a protector from thieves and robbers . Soon the Order of St. George occupied a completely exceptional position in the Russian award system and retained it until the end of its existence. The pre-revolutionary historian E.P. Karnovich wrote that “the appearance in society of a Knight of St. George very often draws the attention of those present to him, which does not happen in relation to gentlemen of other orders, even star bearers,” that is, awarded orders of the highest degrees.
The statute of the order emphasized that it could only be received for personal merit; “neither high breed nor wounds received in front of the enemy” were taken into account. For officers who came from non-noble backgrounds, with the establishment of the Order of St. George, a new opportunity opened up for acquiring hereditary nobility. Peter's "Table of Ranks" established the receipt of hereditary nobility (and the rights and benefits associated with it) only upon reaching the VIII class, that is, the rank of second major; published on April 21, 1785. The “Certificate on the rights of liberty and advantages of the Russian nobility” also called the awarding of the “Russian Cavalry Order” one of the fifteen indisputable proofs of the noble status. Thus, a person from the lower classes, having received the Order of St. George even of the 4th degree, became a hereditary nobleman. In addition, the senior holders were entitled to an annual order pension: for the 1st class - 12 people for 700 rubles, for the 2nd class - 25 people for 400 rubles, for the 3rd class - 50 people for 200 rubles . and in the 4th class - 100 people for 100 rubles. Upon receipt of the senior degree, the payment of the pension for the junior degree ceased. The widow of the deceased gentleman received the order's pension for another year after his death. Subsequently, when it became clear that the number of surviving cavaliers of the highest degrees was significantly inferior to the number of vacancies for receiving order pensions for these degrees, they were reduced with a simultaneous increase in vacancies for the 4th degree.
It was possible to receive the Order of St. George not only for personal courage and military leadership, but also for impeccable service in the officer ranks for twenty-five years, and for naval officers - also for completing eighteen naval campaigns. On the cross of the 4th degree, awarded for these merits, since 1816. a corresponding inscription was placed.
However, the ego cannot be considered some kind of badge of service: in fact, the length of service or the number of campaigns completed did not always correspond to those indicated on the cross. Not every service was counted towards the length of service to receive the order, and not every voyage counted towards naval campaigns, but, at the same time, participation in some battles and a number of voyages shortened the length of service. It was also shortened by receiving the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree with a bow, and later St. Anna, 3rd and 4th degrees, golden weapons, as well as the Highest Favour. According to the statute of 1833 To receive the order for long-term service, participation in at least one battle was required, an exception was made only for naval officers, but the number of campaigns that had to be completed was increased to twenty. February 2, 1855 gentlemen who received the order for impeccable service, and then performed a feat that did not fit the rules of the statute of the Order of St. George of the highest degree, but was sufficient to be awarded the fourth, received the right to wear their cross with a bow from the order ribbon. There were only four such awards. By personal decree on May 15 of the same year, the awarding of the Order of St. George for impeccable service was cancelled.
Initially, proposals for awarding the Order of St. George were made by the Military Colleges, land and sea, and the final decision was made by the Empress. With the establishment of September 22, 1782. The Order of St. Vladimir, the statute of which established an Order Duma to consider submissions to the Order of the 3rd and 4th degrees, consisting of gentlemen located in the capital, the same Cavalry Duma was established for the Order of St. George. She was given a room at the Chesme Church of St. John the Baptist to store a seal, a special treasury and an archive. The insignia of deceased cavaliers were to be transferred to the Duma, and lists of cavaliers were to be kept there. Now the lists of military personnel nominated for the Order of St. George of the 3rd and 4th degrees were submitted by the Military Collegiums for consideration by the Cavalry Duma, and then the lists of those awarded the Order by the Duma were approved by the Empress. The awarding of the Order of the 1st and 2nd degrees remained the prerogative of the supreme authority.
Upon the accession of Emperor Paul I to the throne, the “Establishment for the Cavalry Russian Orders” was developed, which included the statutes of the orders of St. Andrew the First-Called, St. Catherine, St. Alexander Nevsky and St. Anna. True, during the reading of the “Institution” in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin during the coronation ceremony on April 5, 1797. The Emperor publicly stated that “the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George remains on its previous basis, as does its Statute,” however, the forms of its existence during the reign of Pavel Petrovich may seem rather strange: although the order’s holiday on November 26 was solemnly celebrated with the participation of the Emperor, and holders of the order, established especially for them in December 1797. wearing the order's robes they participated in all the order's holidays; no one else was awarded the order. Only December 12, 1801 By the manifesto of Emperor Alexander I, the Orders of St. George and St. Vladimir were restored “in all their strength and scope.”
It is noteworthy that during the first celebration of the establishment of the Order of St. George during his reign, Alexander I wore the insignia of the first degree of this order. However, only Emperor Alexander II, second after the founder of the order, Empress Catherine II, officially conferred on himself the insignia of the first degree of the Order of St. George. This happened on the day of the centennial anniversary of the order. Such an act cannot be considered some kind of “self-reward”; on the contrary, it meant the acceptance of the order under the personal patronage of the monarch, putting it on a par with the imperial regalia.
The tail badge of the Order of St. George. Unknown workshop, St. Petersburg, 1908-1917. Silver, enamel, 1.69 gr. Size 15x15 mm.
Tailcoat copy of the badge of the Order of St. George. Unknown workshop. Western Europe, 1850-1860s. Sterling silver, gilding, enamel. Weight, 1.88 g. Size 15x17 mm (with eyelet).
Tails badge of the Order of St. George. Unknown workshop, Western Europe, 1890-1910s. Silver, gilding, enamel. Weight 1.81 g. Size 14x17 mm.
Badge of the Order of St. George the Victorious for wearing on the award weapon of St. George. Firm "Eduard", St. Petersburg, 1910-1916. 56-carat gold, unassembled silver, enamel. Weight 4.36 g. Size 17x17 mm.
23 people were awarded the first degree of the Order of St. George, 124 people received the second degree, about 640 people received the third degree, and about 15 thousand received the fourth degree. Human. The statistics of awards of the fourth degree of the order are interesting. For military distinction he received over 6,700 awards, for twenty-five years of service - over 7,300, for completing eighteen campaigns - about 600, and twenty campaigns - only 4. Only M.I. was awarded all degrees of the Order of St. George. Golenishchev-Kutuzov, M.B. Barclay de Tolly, I.F. Paskevich and I.I. Dibich, however, they cannot be considered full holders of the order. Such a concept in relation to orders that had degrees simply did not exist then. What mattered was not the number of degrees of the order received, but the dignity of the eldest of them. In addition, none of the listed gentlemen could simultaneously have the signs of all degrees of the order: upon receiving the senior degree, the junior surrendered to the Chapter of Orders. This rule was canceled only in 1857, and the last of those awarded all degrees of the Order of St. George was I.F. Paskevich - died a year earlier.
Not quite ordinary, going beyond the framework of the statute, are the awards given to two women: Queen Maria Sophia Amalia of the Two Sicilies in 1861. and sisters of mercy R.M. Ivanova. It is difficult to understand what motives guided Alexander II when he awarded a high military award to the Italian queen for the courage shown during the siege of the Gaeta fortress, because this historical episode had nothing to do with Russia. But the awarding of R.M. Ivanova was well deserved: after the death of the officers, she raised the soldiers to attack, which ended with the capture of the enemy position, but she paid with her life for her heroic impulse. In accordance with the Statute of St. George, introduced in 1913. R.M. Ivanova was awarded posthumously. During the First World War, the only collective award of the Order of St. George also took place; the 4th degree was awarded to the courage of the defenders of the French fortress of Verdun, unless, of course, the inclusion of the St. George ribbon in the coat of arms of the Russian city of Sevastopol is considered such an award.
The Provisional Government introduced the awarding of the Order of St. George of the 4th degree to lower ranks who performed feats provided for by the statute of the Order of St. George while performing the duties of the corresponding commanders. In this case, as evidence that this high award was deserved even before promotion to the rank of officer, a white metal laurel branch should have been placed on the ribbon. Reliable information about the awarding of lower ranks with the Order of St. George is still unknown.
The Order of St. George has been the highest military award of the Russian Federation since August 8, 2000. This order is the successor to the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George, established by Empress Catherine II in 1769. The first ideas about restoring this state award appeared on March 2, 1992, they were put forward by the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation, but after the events of 1993, the restoration of this order in the Russian award system was frozen. The statute of this state award was developed and approved only on August 8, 2000. In total, the order has 4 degrees (the lowest degree is IV, the highest is I).
According to the original statute of the order, it could be awarded to military personnel from among senior and senior officers for successfully carried out military operations to defend the Fatherland during an attack by an external enemy, ending in the complete defeat of the attackers, who became an example of true military art, whose exploits serve as an example of courage and valor for all generations of defenders Fatherland and who were awarded state awards of the Russian Federation for differences shown in combat operations. This statute of the award led to the fact that until 2008 it was simply not awarded, there was no reason.
In 2008, changes were made to the award's statute. The Order began to be awarded to senior and senior officers also for conducting combat and other operations on the territory of other countries while restoring or maintaining international peace and security (peacekeeping operations). Commenting on these changes, then-president Dmitry Medvedev noted that the award was restored in 2000 for those who distinguished themselves in battles against external aggression against our country. However, in order to revive the glorious traditions of the Knights of St. George, it was decided to present these awards for maintaining international peace and security on the territory of another state. In 2010, another change was made to the statute of the order: it became possible to award the 4th degree of the order to junior officers; previously, only senior and senior officers could receive the award.
Order of St. George, 1st class
The Order of St. George has four degrees. At the same time, the Order of St. George of the 1st and 2nd degrees has a sign and a star, the 3rd and 4th degrees have only a sign. The highest degree of award is first degree. The order is awarded sequentially from junior to senior degrees. The Order provides for the possibility of posthumous awarding. To perpetuate, all the names of those awarded this order are entered on a marble plaque, which is located in the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace in the capital of Russia.
The badge of the Order of St. George, 1st class, is worn on a special shoulder ribbon, which must pass over the right shoulder. The badges of the Order of the II and III degrees are worn on a special neck ribbon, and the badge of the Order of the IV degree is worn traditionally - on a block located on the left side of the chest, located in front of other orders and medals. Those awarded this order wear badges of all degrees. At the same time, persons who have been awarded the Order of St. George, I degree, no longer wear the star of the Order of St. George, II degree. Also, when wearing the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called, the sign of the Order of St. George, 1st degree, is also not worn on the shoulder ribbon.
Currently, there are 9 known recipients of this highest military award of the Russian Federation (3 orders of the second degree, 6 orders of the fourth). All of them received orders for the distinctions that were demonstrated during the peacekeeping operation to force Georgia to peace in August 2008. The first holder of the Order of St. George, IV degree, was Colonel General Sergei Afanasyevich Makarov, commander of the North Caucasian Military District troops at that time. The Order of St. George, II degree, was awarded to three Russian military leaders - the Chief of the General Staff, Army General N. E. Makarov, the Commander-in-Chief of the country's Air Force, Colonel General A. N. Zelin, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, Army General V. A. Boldyrev. All of them were awarded for the events of August 2008.
Order of St. George, 2nd class
The badge of the Order of St. George, 1st class, is made of pure gold. It is an equal-ended straight cross with flared ends, which are covered with enamel on both sides. Along the edges of the cross there is a fairly narrow convex welt. In the center of the cross there is a double-sided round medallion with a convex gilded border. The front side of this medallion is covered with red enamel. On the medallion there is an image of St. George on a white horse wearing a cloak, helmet and silver armor. The horse's helmet, cloak, saddle and harness are golden in color. The horseman looks to the right and strikes a black snake with a golden spear.
The reverse side of the medallion is coated with white enamel. There is also the monogram of the order, which is made up of black intertwined letters “SG”. At the lower end of the cross you can see the award number. The distance between the ends of the order's cross is 60 mm; at the upper end there is an eyelet, which is intended for attaching the award to the ribbon. The badge of the order is attached to a ribbon 100 mm wide. The ribbon of the Order of St. George is made of silk and contains alternating stripes of the same width: 3 black and 2 orange stripes.
The star of the Order of St. George has four points and is made of silver with gilding. In the center of the star is a gilded round medallion with a convex border and the monogram of the order. Along the circumference of this medallion, on a black enamel field with gilded edging, is the motto of the award “For Service and Bravery” (all letters in capitals). At the top of the circle, between the words of the motto, there is a gilded crown. The distance between the opposite ends of the star is 82 mm. The star of the order is attached to clothing with a pin.
Order of St. George, II degree. The badge and star of the order are the same as those of the order of the 1st degree. The badge of the order is made of silver with gilding. Worn on a neck ribbon - ribbon width 45 mm.
Order of St. George, III degree. The badge of the order is the same, the distance between the ends of the cross is reduced and is 50 mm. Worn on a neck ribbon - ribbon width 24 mm.
Order of St. George, IV degree. The badge of the order is the same. The distance between the ends of the cross is reduced and is 40 mm. It is worn on a pentagonal last, which is covered with a silk ribbon 24 mm wide.
Based on materials from open sources.
Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George
| A country | Russia |
| Type | Order |
| Establishment date | November 26, 1769 |
| First award | November 26, 1769 |
| Who is it awarded to? | Army and Navy officers |
| Reasons for the award | For military exploits |
"For service and bravery"
Imperial Military Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George (Order of St. George)- the highest military order of the Russian Empire, which has no analogues in other countries. Recipients of this award have always enjoyed respect and honor in society. The ultimate dream of every Russian officer.
History of the order
Founder and holder of the order, 1st degree, Empress Catherine II.
The Order of St. George was established by Empress Catherine II on November 26, 1769, as a special reward for military exploits. Saint George the Victorious, who has long been revered in Rus', was chosen as the heavenly patron of the order.
During the solemn ceremony and consecration of the insignia of the order in the Winter Palace, the Empress placed on herself the insignia of the 1st degree order, indicating the significance of this award.
Since this was the first order to reward personal courage and military exploits, Empress Catherine divided it into 4 degrees. This was done in order to note the merits of not only the high command, but also junior officers.
Over its 148-year history, less than 12 thousand officers were awarded the order, which only increased its status among other awards of the Russian Empire.
A total of 25 people received the highest degree of the Order of St. George, of which 23 - for military exploits and 2 - by conferment. 123 awards were made with the 2nd degree of the order and 652 with the 3rd degree. About 11 thousand officers became knights of the 4th degree of the order, of which about 8,000 for length of service, 4 for 20 naval campaigns, about 600 for 18 naval campaigns. As of 1913, 2,504 people received this award for military exploits.
Despite the fact that 25 people became knights of the 1st degree, only four of them were awarded all four degrees of the order. The following became full holders of the Order of St. George: M. I. Kutuzov, M. B. Barclay de Tolly, I. F. Paskevich-Erivansky and I. I. Dibich-Zabalkansky.
In 1849, after the construction of the Grand Palace in the Moscow Kremlin, one of the halls received the name of the Order of St. George. On the walls of this hall, on marble boards, inscriptions were made in gold: 11,381 names of holders of the order who were awarded from 1869 to 1885.
Every year on November 26, the Knights of St. George gathered in the St. George Hall of the Winter Palace for celebrations on the occasion of the order's holiday. Knights of the Order of St. George were invited to a festive dinner, for which Empress Catherine ordered a special porcelain service. The St. George service consisted of plates, crackers, and cream bowls and was designed for 80 people. Over the years, the service was constantly replenished with new devices.
The last time the cavaliers gathered to celebrate the order's holiday was November 26, 1916. After the October Revolution, the order was abolished.
Description of the order
Appearance
The 1769 Statute described the order as:
The badge of the Order of St. George was made in the form of an equilateral gold cross, covered with white enamel on both sides, and having a gold border along the edges of the rays. In the center of the cross there was a medallion, on the obverse of which there was an image of St. George slaying a serpent with a spear, and on the reverse there was the monogram “SG”.
The insignia of the order from the 1st to the 4th degree differed only in size.
Thus, the order of the 4th degree had dimensions of 34x34 mm, the order of the 3rd degree had large dimensions, which in different periods of production ranged from 43 to 47 mm.
Badges of the order of the 1st and 2nd degrees also did not have strict frames and were made in sizes from 51 to 54 mm.
The order of the 1st and 2nd degrees was accompanied by a gold Star of the order, which is a diamond-shaped star consisting of 32 diverging rays. Initially, the Star of the Order of St. George was made by embroidery, but since 1854 they began to be made of gold.
The production of order insignia was entrusted to the Chapter of the order, but it is not uncommon to see orders made in private jewelry workshops.
Wearing rules
Rules for wearing degrees of the Order of St. George (from left to right from 4th to 1st).
Like all orders of the Russian Empire, the Order of St. George had its own special order of wearing.
The badge of the order of the 4th degree was worn on the left side of the chest in the buttonhole, on an order ribbon 22 mm wide.
Order of the 3rd degree - on a neck ribbon 32 mm wide.
The badge of the Order of the 2nd degree was also worn on a neck ribbon 50 mm wide, but at the same time the Star of the Order was worn on the left side of the chest.
The badge of the Order of St. George, 1st degree, was worn on a wide order ribbon (100-110 mm) over the right shoulder, at the hip. The star of the order, as for the 2nd degree, was worn on the left side of the chest.
In addition, holders of the order were allowed to never remove the insignia of the order from their military uniform, and also to wear a uniform even after retirement.
Statute of the order
Badge of the Order of St. George, 4th degree, for 25 years of service in officer ranks.
Badge of the Order of St. George, 4th class for 18 campaigns.
Badge of the Order of St. George, 4th class for 20 campaigns.
During its history, the Order of St. George had three statutes.
The first was signed by Catherine II at the solemn ceremony of establishing the order in 1769. The Statute of Empress Catherine stated:
According to the Statute, the awarding of orders of the 1st and 2nd degree was carried out personally by the emperor and at his discretion.
The 3rd and 4th degrees of the order were awarded by the Military and Naval Collegiums, and since 1782 by the St. George Duma, consisting of holders of this order.
The Statute also stipulated the deadline for submitting a proposal for awarding the order - no more than 4 weeks after the accomplishment of the feat.
In cases of awarding the Order of St. George of the 4th degree, the commanders of armies or corps were allowed not to assemble the Duma of St. George, but to award the award at their own discretion. Moreover, each such award had to be approved by the emperor.
There was a separate clause that described the privileges of order bearers.
In addition, every officer awarded the Order of St. George received a promotion in rank.
Despite the fact that it was a military order, the Statute provided for the award of the 4th degree of the order for 25 years of impeccable service in the officer ranks or for participation in 18 naval campaigns. At the same time, 6 months of pure sailing were considered as one campaign. The insignia of these orders had a corresponding inscription on the horizontal rays: “25 years” and “18 camp.”
The terms of service could be shortened. For example, participants in such battles as the assault on Ochakov in 1788 or the capture of Izmail in 1790 had their term of service reduced by 3 years. Also, 3 years were reduced for officers who received the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree with a bow, for military exploits, and for those awarded the golden weapon “For Bravery” - 2 years.
Later, holders of the Order of St. Anne, 3rd degree, with a bow, for which the period of service was reduced by 1 year, were also included in this list. Naval officers who participated in outstanding naval battles had their term of service reduced by 1 campaign, holders of the Order of St. Vladimir 4th degree with a bow - by 2 campaigns, the Order of St. Anna 3rd degree with a bow and the golden weapon "For Bravery" - by 1 campaign .
On December 6, 1833, Emperor Nicholas I issued a new Statute. The statute determined the procedure for awarding the order. Now the awards were made sequentially starting from the 4th degree. The changes also affected the rules for awarding the Order of St. George for impeccable service. Now, in addition to 25 years of impeccable service, to receive the 4th degree of the order, the main condition was mandatory participation in at least one battle. For naval officers who did not take part in battles, the order was awarded for 20 campaigns.
In addition, the new Statute contains a detailed description of the feats that give the right to be awarded the order.
Starting from August 9, 1844, Russian subjects and foreigners, persons of non-Christian religion began to be awarded orders on which, instead of the image of St. George and his monogram, the imperial double-headed eagle was depicted.
Since 1845, officers awarded any degree of the Order of St. George received the right to hereditary nobility, and could also have the right to display the insignia of the order on their family coat of arms.
On May 15, 1855, Emperor Alexander II abolished the award of the order for long service and for naval campaigns.
Badge of the Order of St. George, 4th degree for non-Christians.
The statute was rewritten for the third time under Nicholas II in 1913. However, the main changes affected awards for lower ranks - the Insignia of the Military Order of St. George and the Medal for Bravery.
Examples of awards
First degree
The first award took place on November 26, 1769 - Empress Catherine II awarded herself the insignia of the 1st degree order. On July 27, 1770, the first award of the Order of the 1st degree for military merit took place. For victories over the Turkish army at Larga and Kagul, it was awarded to Field Marshal General Count P. A. Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky. The last person to be awarded the Order of St. George, 1st degree, on November 29, 1877, was Field Marshal Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich (senior), for the capture of the city of Plevna.
Knight of the Order of St. George, 1st degree, Field Marshal M.I. Kutuzov.
Knight of the Order of St. George, 2nd degree, Admiral S.K. Greig.
GIRL OF THE ORDER OF ST. GEORGE, 1st Class
| № | Full Name | Title | Rank | Date of delivery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ALEXANDER II | emperor | major general | 26.11.1869 |
| 2 | BARCLAY-de-TOLLY M. B. | prince | Field Marshal General | 19.08.1813 |
| 3 | BENNIGSEN L. L. | graph | cavalry general | 22.07.1814 |
| 4 | GOLENISCHEV-KUTUZOV M. I. | His Serene Highness Prince | Field Marshal General | 12.12.1812 |
| 5 | DIBICH-ZABALKANSKY I. I. | graph | Field Marshal General | 12.09.1829 |
| 6 | DOLGORUKOV-KRIMSKY V. M. | prince | general-in-chief | 18.07.1771 |
| 7 | CATHERINE II | empress | Colonel of the Guard | 26.11.1769 |
| 8 | MIKHAIL NIKOLAEVICH | Grand Duke | Field Marshal General | 09.10.1877 |
| 9 | NIKOLAY NIKOLAEVICH (senior) | Grand Duke | Field Marshal General | 29.11.1877 |
| 10 | ORLOV-CHESMENSKY A. G. | graph | general-in-chief | 22.09.1770 |
| 11 | PANIN P. I. | graph | general-in-chief | 08.10.1770 |
| 12 | PASKEVICH ERIVANSKY I. F. | His Serene Highness Prince | Field Marshal General | 27.07.1829 |
| 13 | POTEMKIN-TAURICHESKY G. A. | His Serene Highness Prince | Field Marshal General | 16.12.1788 |
| 14 | REPNIN N. V. | prince | Field Marshal General | 15.07.1791 |
| 15 | RUMYANTSEV-ZADUNAYSKY P. A. | graph | Field Marshal General | 27.07.1770 |
| 16 | SUVOROV-RYMNIKSKY A.B. | prince | generalissimo | 18.10.1789 |
| 17 | CHICHAGOV V. Ya. | admiral | 26.06.1790 | |
| 18 | ALBERT OF AUSTRIA | Archduke | field marshal | 20.06.1870 |
| 19 | ANGOULÉMSKY A.A. | Duke | 22.11.1823 | |
| 20 | BLUCHER G. A. | prince | Field Marshal General | 08.10.1813 |
| 21 | WELLINGTON A.B. | Duke | Field Marshal General | 28.04.1814 |
| 22 | WILHELM I OF PRUSSIAN | king | 26.11.1869 | |
| 23 | CARL XIV JOHAN | King of Sweden and Norway | 30.08.1813 | |
| 24 | RADETSKY I. | graph | Field Marshal General | 07.08.1848 |
| 25 | SCHWARZENBERG K. F. | generalissimo | 08.10.1813 |
Second degree
Knight of the Order of St. George, 2nd degree, General of Infantry H.H. Yudenich.
Before the outbreak of the First World War, only 121 people were awarded the 2nd degree of the order. And despite the scale of the battles on the fields of the First World War, only 4 people received this award during this period.
The first to be awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd degree, were generals N.V. Repnin, P.G. Plemyannikov and F.V. Bour. They distinguished themselves by commanding troops at the Battle of Largues in 1770.
The last holder of the order of the 2nd degree was Infantry General H.H. Yudenich, who received all 3 crosses during the period of command of the Caucasian Front in the First World War. 4th degree - for the Sorokomysh operation, 3rd degree - for the defeat of the right wing of the Turkish 3rd Army in 1915 and 2nd degree - for the Erzurum operation.
Third degree
However, the very first military award of the Order of St. George was made precisely in the 3rd degree. Lieutenant Colonel F.I. distinguished himself. Fabritian, for personal bravery during the storming of the Turkish fortress of Galati. The first cavalier received the award on December 8, 1769.
The glorious commander, Generalissimo A.V. Suvorov was awarded immediately the 3rd degree of the order, bypassing the 4th. This is due to the fact that at the time of awarding Suvorov had the rank of major general, and awarding the 4th degree would have been somewhat inconsistent with the rank. He received his award on August 30, 1772.
Fourth degree
On February 3, 1770, the first award of the Order of the 4th degree was made. The first cavalier was Prime Major R. Patkul.
The first person to be awarded the Order for Long Service was Lieutenant General I. Springer. Emperors Alexander I and Nicholas I also had the badge of the order for long service.
For “18 naval campaigns” the first to be awarded was Lieutenant Commander I.D. Durov. In addition, admirals V.Ya. had the same order. Chichagov, A.V. Voevodsky, I.A. Povalishin, as well as famous navigators F.F. Bellingshausen, V.M. Golovnin, I.F. Krusenstern, M.P. Lazarev, G.A. Sarychev, F.P. Litke.
Since 1913, the Statute of the Order provided for the posthumous awarding of the Order. Thus, among the first to be awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree, pilot P. N. Nesterov was posthumously awarded for committing the first air ram.
Two women received this award. The first was the Queen of the Two Sicilies Maria Sophia Amalia in 1861, the second was the sister of mercy Rimma Ivanova, who replaced the killed officer and led a company into the attack. During this attack she was mortally wounded, so her award was made posthumous.
NUMBER OF ORDERS OF ST. GEORGE AWARDED DURING SOME WARS
| 1st Art. | 2nd Art. | 3rd Art. | 4th Art. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriotic War of 1812-1814, incl. foreign nationals |
7 4 |
36 12 |
156 33 |
618 127 |
| Crimean War 1853-1856 | - | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Russian-Turkish War 1877-1878, incl. foreign nationals |
2 - |
11 2 |
40 3 |
353 35 |
| Campaign in China 1900-1901. | - | - | 2 | 30 |
| Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905 | - | - | 10 | 256 |
| World War I, including foreign nationals |
- - |
4 - |
53 - |
3643 8 |
see also
- Naval officers holders of the Order of St. George for the Campaign in China 1900 - 1901
Notes
List of sources
Literature
- Gladkov N.N. History of the Russian state in awards and badges. Volume 1. In 2-. St. Petersburg: Polygon, 2004.
- Durov V.A. Order of the Russian Empire. - M.: White City, 2003.
- Kuznitsov A.A. Orders and medals of Russia. - M.: MSU, 1985.
- Shishkov S.S. Russian awards. 1698-1917. T. II.- D.: Art-Press, 2003.
Links
Image gallery
Among the military awards of the Russian Empire, the most revered was the Order of St. George. Respect for this award continued during the Soviet period - the colors of the guards ribbon that bordered the main soldier's award of the Great Patriotic War, the Order of Glory, are extremely similar to the colors of the ribbon of the Order of St. George. After the Great Patriotic War, one could easily meet veterans who proudly wore the Crosses of St. George along with Soviet awards.
Preparations for the establishment of the order took several years.
The idea of establishing a special award, awarded exclusively for military merit, came from Empress Catherine II immediately after accession. The first draft of the Order of St. George - a Christian martyr, patron of the military, especially revered in Russia - was prepared by 1765. The Empress, however, was not satisfied with the proposal, and work on the order lasted another four years.
Officially, the statute of the Order of the Holy Great Martyr George was signed by Empress Catherine II in the Winter Palace on November 26 (December 7, new style) 1769.
The Divine Liturgy was served in the palace church, and the insignia of the order - a cross, a star and a ribbon - were consecrated.
The establishment of the order was accompanied by great celebrations and an artillery salute.
Catherine II bestowed the badge of the Order of the 1st degree on herself in honor of the establishment of a new award. The self-imposition of the award will be repeated only once more in history - in 1869 Alexander II This will mark the 100th anniversary of the order.
The badge of the order was an equal-armed cross with flared ends, covered with white enamel. In the central medallion on the front side there was an image of St. George on a white horse, on the reverse side there was a monogram “SG”, that is, “St. George”. The tape is two-color - three black and two orange alternating stripes. The star was four-pointed, gold, with a monogram and the motto in the center - “For service and bravery.”
Some for exploits, and some for length of service
The Order of St. George became the first Russian award to have four degrees.
The cross of the order of the 4th degree was worn on the left side of the chest on a ribbon of the order's colors, the cross of the 3rd degree - a larger size - was worn on the neck, the cross of the 2nd degree - on the neck, and the star - on the left side of the chest. The cross of the 1st, the highest degree of the order, was worn on a wide ribbon over the right shoulder, and the star was worn on the left side of the chest. The statute of the order stipulated that “this order should never be removed.”
As already mentioned, the Order of St. George was awarded for military exploits, but there was one exception. The 4th degree award could be received by officers for length of service, for 25 years of combat service in the ground forces, for 18 at least six-month campaigns (that is, campaigns) in the navy; Since 1833, awards for 20 campaigns were introduced for naval officers who did not participate in battles. Since 1816, in such cases, the inscriptions began to be placed on the cross: “25 years”, “18 campaigns”, later - “20 campaigns”.
In 1855, however, a decision was made that such a respected and honorable award could not be given for long service, after which the practice of such awards was abolished.
The First Cavalier and the Great Four
Only officers were awarded the Order of St. George. The first recipient of the award was lieutenant colonel Fyodor Ivanovich Fabritsian. It was impossible to find a more worthy candidate for this. Fyodor Fabritsian, a Courland nobleman, enlisted as a soldier in 1749. After going through several military campaigns, Fabritian rose to high ranks, demonstrating personal courage. Contemporaries noted that he was extremely concerned about the needs of his soldiers and took care of them.
On November 11, 1769, commanding a special detachment of Jaeger battalions and part of the 1st Grenadier Regiment numbering 1,600 people, Lieutenant Colonel Fabritian completely defeated a Turkish detachment of 7,000 people and occupied the city of Galati. For this feat, he was awarded the Order of St. George, and not the 4th, but immediately the 3rd degree.
Subsequently, Fyodor Fabritsian became a general and commanded the Russian army in the North Caucasus.
In the entire history of the Order of St. George, only 25 people were awarded its 1st degree, and 125 people received the 2nd degree award. The 3rd and 4th degrees were awarded much more often, the total number of recipients was about 10 thousand people. Moreover, most of the orders of the 4th degree, about 8000, were received not for exploits, but for length of service.
Knights of the Order of St. George were entitled to an annual pension - 700 rubles for the 1st degree, 400 rubles for the 2nd, 200 and 100 rubles for the 3rd and 4th degrees, respectively.
Knights of all four degrees of the Order of St. George were only four people - Field Marshal General Mikhail Kutuzov, Michael Barclay de Tolly,Ivan Paskevich And Ivan Dibich.
"A bird instead of a horseman"
In 1807 Emperor Alexander I a note was submitted with a proposal to “introduce a 5th class or a special branch of the Military Order of St. George for soldiers and other lower military ranks.”
In February 1807, Alexander I approved the insignia of the Military Order for lower ranks “For undaunted courage,” which later received the unofficial name “Soldier George.” The manifesto ordered that the insignia of the Military Order be worn on a ribbon of the same colors as the Order of St. George.
This award was given much more often - during the reign of Alexander I alone there were more than 46 thousand such awards. Initially, “soldier George” did not have degrees. They were introduced by imperial decree in 1856.
An interesting point is that many Muslims and representatives of other faiths fought in the ranks of the Russian army. Since St. George is a Christian saint, in order not to offend representatives of other faiths, for these cases the appearance of the award was changed - to non-Christians it was presented with the image of a double-headed eagle, and not St. George the Victorious.
This delicacy, however, was not appreciated by everyone. The brave mountaineers even asked with some resentment: “Why do they give us crosses with a bird, and not with a horseman?”
St. George's Cross
The official name of “soldier George” - the insignia of the Military Order - remained until 1913. Then a new statute for the award was drawn up, and it received a new and now better known name - the Cross of St. George. From that moment on, the award became the same for all faiths - St. George was depicted on it.
For exploits in the First World War, about 1.2 million people were awarded the St. George Cross of the 4th degree, just under 290 thousand people - the 3rd degree, 65 thousand people - the 2nd degree, 33 thousand people - the 1st degree.
Among the full holders of the St. George Cross will be at least six people who were subsequently awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, including legendary commander of the First Cavalry Army Semyon Budyonny.
During the Civil War, the White Army also awarded St. George's Crosses for the fight against the Bolsheviks, but not very actively.
The darkest page in the history of the St. George Cross is its use as a reward in the so-called Russian Corps, a formation made up mainly of emigrants, which during the Second World War sided with the Nazis. The corps acted against the Yugoslav partisans. However, the use of the St. George Cross as an award was an initiative of collaborators, not supported by any laws.
The new history of the award began in 2008
In the new Russia, the St. George Cross as an official award was approved by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation of March 2, 1992. At the same time, for a long time the award existed purely formally. The statute of the “St. George Cross” insignia was approved in 2000, and the first award took place only in 2008. The first Crosses of St. George in the Russian Federation were awarded to military personnel who showed courage and heroism during the armed conflict in South Ossetia in August 2008.
