What does the four crosses of St. George mean? History of the St. George's Awards. Two prototypes from Brest

Over the entire period of Russian history, there have been many different awards and medals. One of the most honorable are the St. George Crosses. This award was the most widespread during Tsarist Russia. The soldier's St. George Cross was carefully kept in the family of the soldier who received it, and the full holder of the St. George Cross was revered by the people on a par with epic heroes of fairy tales. What made this award especially popular was the fact that it was awarded to the lower ranks of the Tsarist Army, that is, ordinary soldiers and non-commissioned officers.

This award was equivalent to the Order of St. George, which was established by Catherine the Great in the 18th century. The Cross of St. George was divided into 4 degrees:

St. George's Cross, 4th degree;
St. George's Cross, 3rd degree;
St. George's Cross, 2nd degree;
St. George's Cross, 1st degree.

They received this award only for the incredible valor they showed on the battlefield. At first they issued the St. George Cross of 4 degrees, then 3, 2 and 1 degrees. Thus, the person awarded the St. George Cross of the first degree became a full holder of the St. George Cross. To perform 4 feats on the battlefield and remain alive was a manifestation of incredible military skill and luck, so it is not surprising that such people were treated as heroes.

The Cross of St. George has been awarded to soldiers for over 100 years, appearing shortly before Napoleon's invasion of Russia, and was abolished after the First World War, during which several million people received this royal award, although few were awarded the Cross of St. George, First Class.

With the Bolsheviks coming to power, the St. George Crosses were abolished, although even before the start of the Great Patriotic War, the medal “For Courage” was introduced, which in some way copied the St. George Cross. Having made sure that the medal “For Courage” enjoyed great respect among military personnel, the Soviet command decided to establish the Order of “Glory” of three degrees, which almost completely copied the Royal Cross of St. George.

Although most of the royal decorations in Soviet Russia were very unpopular, and wearing them was equated almost to treason, the wearing of St. George’s Crosses by old front-line soldiers was often looked at “with a blind eye” by the authorities. The following famous Soviet military leaders had the Cross of St. George:

Marshal Georgy Zhukov;
K. Rokossovsky;
R. Malinovsky;
Budyonny, Tyulenev and Eremenko were full Knights of St. George.

One of the most legendary wartime partisan commanders, Sidor Kovpak, also received the St. George Cross in two degrees.

In Tsarist Russia, all those awarded the St. George Cross received a cash bonus, and they were also paid a lifelong pension, the amount of which varied depending on the degree of the cross. An award such as the Cross of St. George gave its owner numerous unspoken benefits in civil life and popular respect.

History of the St. George Cross

Many modern sources do not share awards such as the Order of St. George and the Cross of St. George, although these are completely different awards. The Order of St. George was established in the 18th century, and the Cross of St. George in the 19th century.

In 1807, Emperor Alexander I received a proposal to establish some kind of award for soldiers and non-commissioned officers who distinguished themselves in the performance of combat missions. They say that this will help strengthen the courage of Russian soldiers, who, in the hope of receiving the coveted reward (which provides a monetary reward and a lifelong pension), will fight without sparing their lives. The Emperor considered this proposal quite reasonable, especially since news reached him about the Battle of Preussisch-Eylau, in which Russian soldiers showed miracles of courage and endurance.

In those days, there was one big problem: a Russian soldier who was a serf could not be awarded the order, since the order emphasized the status of its owner and was, in fact, a knightly insignia. Nevertheless, the courage of the Russian soldier had to be somehow encouraged, so the Russian emperor introduced a special “insignia of the order,” which in the future became the St. George Soldier’s Cross.

“Soldier George,” as he was popularly called, could only be received by the lower ranks of the Russian army, who showed selfless courage on the battlefield. Moreover, this award was not distributed at the request of the command; the soldiers themselves determined which of them was worthy of receiving the St. George Cross. The St. George Cross was awarded for the following merits:

Heroic and skillful actions on the battlefield, thanks to which the detachment managed to win in a seemingly hopeless situation;
The heroic capture of the enemy banner, preferably right from under the nose of a stunned enemy;
Capturing an enemy officer;
Heroic actions preventing a group of friendly soldiers from being captured;
A sudden blow to the rear of superior enemy forces, resulting in his flight and other similar exploits on the battlefield.

Moreover, wounds or concussions on the battlefield did not give absolutely any right to a reward, unless they were received in the process of carrying out heroic activities.

According to the rules existing at that time, the St. George Cross had to be worn on a special St. George ribbon, which was threaded into the buttonhole. The first soldier who became a holder of the Order of St. George was non-commissioned officer Mitrokhin, who received it at the Battle of Friedland in 1807.

Initially, the St. George Cross did not have any degrees and was issued an unlimited number of times (this is in theory). In practice, the St. George Cross was awarded only once, and the next award was purely formal, although the soldier’s salary increased by a third. The undoubted advantage of a soldier awarded this distinction was the complete absence of corporal punishment, which was widely used at that time.

In 1833, the Cross of St. George was included in the statute of the Order of St. George, in addition, at the same time, the procedure for awarding soldiers was entrusted to the commanders of armies and corps, which significantly speeded up the award process, since it used to happen that the hero did not live to see the ceremonial award.

In 1844, a special St. George Cross was developed for soldiers who profess the Muslim faith. Instead of St. George, who is an Orthodox saint, a double-headed eagle was depicted on the cross.

In 1856, the St. George Cross was divided into 4 degrees, while its degree was indicated on the cross. Impartial statistics testify to how difficult it was to obtain the 1st degree St. George Cross. According to it, there were about 2,000 full holders of the Order of St. George throughout its history.

In 1913, the award officially became known as the “St. George Cross”; in addition, the St. George Medal for bravery, which also has 4 degrees, appeared. Unlike the soldier's award, the St. George Medal could be awarded to civilians and military personnel in peacetime. After 1913, the St. George Cross began to be issued posthumously. In this case, the award was given to the relatives of the deceased and kept as a family heirloom.

During the First World War, about 1,500,000 people received the Cross of St. George. Of particular note is the first St. George Knight of this war, Kozma Kryuchkov, who received his first cross for the destruction of 11 German cavalrymen in battle. By the way, before the end of the war this Cossack became a full Knight of St. George.

For the first time in the history of the St. George Cross, it began to be awarded to women and foreigners. Due to the difficult situation of the Russian economy during the war, awards began to be made of low-quality gold (grades 1 and 2) and they lost significant weight (grades 3 and 4).

Judging by the fact that during the First World War more than 1,200,000 St. George's crosses were issued, the heroism of the Russian army was simply at the highest level.

An interesting case is the receipt of the St. George Cross by the future Soviet Marshal Zhukov. He received it (one of his several crosses) for concussion, although this award was given only for very specific feats, clearly outlined in the statute. Apparently, acquaintances among the military authorities in those days could easily solve such problems.

After the February Revolution, officers could also receive the St. George Cross if the soldiers’ meetings approved it. During the Civil War, White Guards continued to be awarded the Cross of St. George, although many soldiers considered it a disgrace to wear orders received for killing their compatriots.

What did the St. George's Cross look like?

The Cross of St. George is called a “cross” precisely because of its shape. This is a characteristic cross, the blades of which widen at the ends. In the center of the cross there is a medallion depicting St. George slaying a serpent with a spear. On the reverse side of the medallion there are the letters “C” and “G”, made in the form of a monogram.

The cross was worn on the St. George ribbon (which has nothing in common with the modern St. George ribbon). The colors of the St. George's Ribbon are black and orange, symbolizing smoke and flame.

The most famous holders of the St. George Cross

During the existence of the St. George Cross, more than 3,500,000 people were awarded it, although the last 1.5-2 million are quite controversial, since they were often awarded not according to merit during the First World War. Many holders of the Order of St. George became famous not only for receiving this award, but are also historical figures:

The famous Durova, or “cavalry maiden,” who served as the prototype for the heroine from the “Hussar Ballad,” was awarded the St. George Cross for saving the life of an officer;
The Decembrists Muravyov-Apostol and Yakushkin also had St. George's crosses, which they received for military services in the battle of Borodino;
General Miloradovich received this award from the hands of Emperor Alexander, who personally saw Miloradovich’s courage in the battle of Leipzig;
Kozma Kryuchkov, who was a full holder of the Order of St. George, became a Russian hero during his lifetime. By the way, a Cossack died in 1919 at the hands of the Red Guards, defending the tsarist regime until the end of his life;
Vasily Chapaev, who went over to the Red side, had 3 crosses and a St. George medal;
Maria Bochkareva, who created the women's “death battalion,” also received this award.

Despite their popularity, it is now quite difficult to find St. George’s crosses. This is due to the fact that they were minted from gold (grades 1 and 2) and silver (grades 3 and 4). In February, the provisional government intensively collected awards “for the needs of the revolution.” During the Soviet period, when there was famine or blockade, many exchanged their rewards for flour or bread.

The memory of the St. George Cross was revived in 1943, when the Order of Glory was established. Nowadays, everyone is familiar with the St. George's Ribbon, which people who celebrate Victory Day decorate themselves with. However, not everyone knows that although the ribbon symbolizes the Order of Glory, its roots go much deeper.

St. George's Cross, as the highest for the lower ranks of the Russian army, which was awarded exclusively for personal courage on the battlefield, has a history of more than two centuries. However, it did not immediately receive its usual name. This official name appeared only in 1913 in connection with the adoption of the new Statute of the Order of St. George.

First time title St. George's Cross or the sign of the Order of St. George appears on November 26, 1769, when Empress Catherine 2 established a special order to reward generals, admirals and officers for the military exploits they personally performed. The order was named in honor of the Holy Great Martyr George, who is considered the heavenly patron of warriors.

Even Emperor Paul 1, in 1798, began individual rewards for military distinctions of the lower ranks, then the insignia of the Order of St. Anna. But this was the exception rather than the rule, since they were originally intended specifically to reward privates and non-commissioned officers for 20 years of blameless service. But circumstances required incentives for lower ranks for courage in battle, and during the first ten years of the existence of this award there were several thousand such exceptions.

In January 1807, Alexander 1 was presented with a note which argued for the need to establish a special award for soldiers and lower officer ranks. At the same time, the author of the note referred to the experience of the Seven Years' War and the military campaigns of Catherine 2, when soldiers were given medals that recorded the location of the battle in which they participated, which certainly increased the soldier's morale. The author of the note proposed making this measure more effective by distributing insignia “with some discrimination,” that is, taking into account real personal merit.

St. George's Cross in the first half of the 19th century.

As a result, on February 13, 1807, the Highest Manifesto was issued, establishing the Insignia of the Military Order (ZOVO), which would later become known as St. George's Cross. The Manifesto stipulated the appearance of the award - a silver sign on a St. George ribbon, with the image of St. George the Victorious in the center. Reason for award - acquired in battle by those who showed particular courage. The manifesto also stipulated other nuances of the new award, in particular, benefits and material incentives (a third of the military salary for each award) provided to the gentlemen, as well as the fact that the number of such badges is not limited in any way. Subsequently, exemption from all corporal punishment was added to the benefits of the awardees. Awards were distributed to new cavaliers by commanders in a solemn atmosphere, in front of the military unit, in the fleet - on the quarterdeck under the flag.

At first, when the number of recipients was relatively small, the insignia was numberless, but due to the increase in the number of recipients and the compilation of lists of gentlemen, it became necessary to number them. According to official data, until October 1808, 9,000 lower ranks received awards without a number. After this, the Mint began producing signs with numbers. During the military campaigns that took place before Napoleon's campaign against Russia, they were awarded more than 13,000 times. During the Patriotic War and the foreign campaigns of the Russian army (1812-1814), the number of recipients increased significantly. The archives preserve information on the number of awards by year: 1812 - 6783, 1813 - 8611, 1815 - 9345 awards.

In 1833, during the reign of Emperor Nicholas I, a new statute for the Order of St. George was adopted. It included a number of innovations, some of which concerned the awarding of crosses to lower ranks. Of these, it is worth noting the most important. For example, all powers in awarding awards now became the prerogative of the Commanders-in-Chief of the armies and commanders of individual corps. This played a positive role, since it greatly simplified the grant process, thus eliminating many bureaucratic delays. Another innovation was that all soldiers and non-commissioned officers who, after the third award, received the maximum increase in pay, received the right to wear a cross with a bow from, which became, in a certain sense, a harbinger of the future division into degrees.

In 1844, changes were made to the appearance of crosses awarded to Muslims, and subsequently to all non-Christians. It was prescribed that the image of St. George on the medallion be replaced with the coat of arms of Russia, the double-headed imperial eagle. This was done in order to give the award a more “neutral”, in a confessional sense, character.

St. George's crosses of 4 degrees.

The next major change in the statute of the order, relating to the St. George's awards for lower ranks, occurred in March 1856 - it was divided into 4 degrees. 1 and 2 tbsp. were made of gold, and 3 and 4 of silver. The awards of degrees were to be carried out sequentially, with each degree having its own numbering. For visual distinction, grades 1 and 3 were accompanied by a bow from the St. George ribbon.

After numerous awards for the Turkish War of 1877 - 1878, the stamps used at the Mint for minting crosses were updated, while medalist A.A. Griliches made some changes and awards, which finally acquired the form that remained until 1917. The image of the figure of St. George in the medallion has become more expressive and dynamic.

In 1913, a new statute for the St. George's Awards was adopted. It was from this moment that the Insignia of the Military Order for awarding lower ranks began to be officially called St. George's Cross. For each degree of this award, a new numbering was introduced. The special award for non-believers was also abolished, and they began to be awarded a standard badge.

The first St. George's crosses were produced in small quantities by April 1914. Since back in October 1913, the Mint received an order for their production to reward border guards or participants in military expeditions. And already in July 1914, in connection with the outbreak of war, the Mint began minting a large number of St. George's crosses. To speed up production, they even used awards that had not been awarded since the Japanese War, with partial new numbers applied. During 1914, more than one and a half thousand crosses of the first degree were sent to the troops, about 3,200 of the 2nd class, 26 thousand of the 3rd class. and almost 170 thousand of the fourth.

GK 4 tbsp., silver.

In connection with the large minting of St. George's crosses from precious metals, which took place in difficult economic conditions, in May 1915 it was decided to reduce the standard of gold used for these purposes. Military awards of the highest grades began to be made from an alloy containing 60 percent pure gold. And since October 1916, precious metals were completely excluded from the manufacture of all Russian awards. GKs began to be minted from tombac and cupronickel, with the designation on the arms: ZhM (yellow metal) and BM (white metal).

In August 1917, the Provisional Government decided to allow the Civil Code to award awards not only to lower ranks but also to officers, “for feats of personal courage,” while a special Laurel branch was placed on the St. George ribbon.

Civil Code 1st class, 1917, tompak, w/m.

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

1. Approved in 1769, the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George was intended exclusively for military ranks and was awarded primarily for exploits. According to the statute approved by Catherine II, “Neither high breed nor wounds received in front of the enemy allow one to be awarded this order, but it is given to those who have not only corrected their position in everything according to their oath, honor and duty, but in addition have distinguished themselves some special courageous act, or they gave wise and useful advice for Our military service.”
True, the order was initially awarded to those “who have served as a chief officer for 25 years in field service, and served as officers in 18 naval campaigns.”
To ensure that the status of the award remained high, length of service in the army began to be recognized with the Order of St. Vladimir.
Until 1856, there was a procedure according to which the Order of St. George, after the death of their owners, was required to return to the Order Duma.

Order of St. George, 4th degree

2. When creating the Order of St. George, the artists made a mistake. In the central medallion in the middle of the cross there is clearly an image of a horseman slaying a dragon. But in the heraldry of that time, the dragon meant the forces of Good, and according to legend, St. George defeated the serpent.

3. The first degree of the Order of St. George was an extraordinary award, which in the entire history of its existence in pre-revolutionary Russia only 25 people had - less than the highest order of the Russian Empire of St. Andrew the First-Called.
According to the statute, only military leaders who won victories in military campaigns could receive the Order of St. George of the 1st degree, and the Order of the 2nd degree - those who won an important battle.
Therefore, in the entire history of Russia, only four military leaders had all four degrees of the Order of St. George: M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov, M.B. Barclay de Tolly, I.F. Paskevich-Erivansky and I.I. Dibich-Zabalkansky.
When in 1801 the Order Duma invited Alexander I to confer on himself the insignia of the 1st degree of the Order of St. George, he refused, believing that he did not deserve this award. Only after returning from the campaign in 1805, he agreed to the 4th degree of the order for his “personal courage”.
In 1838, Nicholas I, in connection with the 25th anniversary of his service in the officer ranks, insisted that the question of awarding him the Order of St. George of the 4th degree was previously considered in the order's Duma.

Order of St. George, intended for non-Christian military personnel

4. To respect the beliefs of non-Christian military personnel, a special design of the Order of St. was established on August 29, 1844. George, where in the center, instead of a horseman killing a snake, the coat of arms of the Russian Empire was depicted - a black double-headed eagle. The first to receive this badge was Major Dzhamov-bek Kaytakhsky.
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?”

Full "St. George's Bow" - insignia of the Order of St. George of the four four degrees.

5. In 1807, the Insignia of the Military Order ("St. George's Cross") was approved for military personnel of the lower ranks. In 1856 he received four degrees. Signs of the 1st and 2nd degrees were made of gold, 3rd and 4th - of silver.
These insignia were issued quite rarely. For example, during the entire Russian-Turkish war, 60 people received the St. George Cross, 1st degree.

Rules for wearing the Order of St. George from the 4th degree (first on the left) to the highest 1st degree.

6. Those awarded the Order of St. George and the Cross of St. George also received regular cash payments.
Officers:
1st degree of the order: 700 rubles. annual pension.
2nd degree of the order: 400 rubles. annual pension.
3rd degree of the order: 200 rubles. annual pension.
4th degree of the order: 100 rubles. annual pension.
Lower ranks:
1st degree of the St. George Cross: 120 rubles annual pension
2nd degree of the St. George Cross: 96 rubles annual pension
3rd degree of the St. George Cross: 60 rubles annual pension
4th degree of the St. George Cross: 36 rubles annual pension
When the highest degree was awarded, the issuance of the lowest degree ceased.
After October, by the Decree of the Council of People's Commissars of December 16, 1917, signed by V.I. Lenin, “On the equal rights of all military personnel,” orders and other insignia, including the St. George Cross, were abolished. But at least until April 1918, holders of St. George's crosses and medals were given a “surplus salary”. Only with the liquidation of the Chapter of Orders did the issuance of money for these awards cease.

Certificate of acceptance of the St. George Cross into the Fatherland Defense Fund

7. Due to the shortage of precious metals, by decree of Nicholas II in 1915, the gold content in St. George's crosses of the 1st and 2nd degrees was first reduced to 600 thousandths - crosses of the 3rd and 4th degrees continued to be made from 990 silver. In 1917, the crosses began to be made from base metals, and the letters ZhM (yellow metal) and BM (white metal) began to be minted on the crosses themselves.
At this time, the government was collecting donations for the Fatherland Defense Fund. One of these collections was the collection of awards from precious metals to the state fund. In the army and navy, lower ranks and officers everywhere handed over their awards of silver and gold. The archives contain documents confirming these facts.

Soldier's Cross of St. George, presented to Supreme Commander-in-Chief A.F. Kerensky by servicemen of the 8th Zaamur Border Infantry Regiment

8 . On June 29, 1917, the Order of the Supreme Commander announced the Resolution of the Provisional Government on the 24th of the same month, which, in particular, stated:

“a) in awarding officers with soldiers’ St. George’s Crosses for feats of personal courage and valor, officers are awarded with soldiers’ St. George’s Crosses upon honoring the general meeting of a company (combat team, squadron, hundred, battery).

Soldiers' St. George's crosses awarded to officers, in the form of a special honorary value of this award and in contrast to soldiers' St. George's crosses received by officers before promotion to the rank of officer, have a metal laurel branch on the ribbon in the color of the cross and are worn above all orders except the Order of St. George".

Vasily Ivanovich Chapaev

9 Many outstanding Svoet military leaders who served in the army before the revolution had St. George's crosses.
Private Rodion Malinovsky and junior non-commissioned officer Konstantin Rokossovsky were awarded two crosses. The well-known Vasily Ivanovich Chapaev earned three St. George's Crosses in battles.

St. George's crosses of 4 degrees were established as the highest award, which was awarded to representatives of lower ranks in the army of the Russian Empire. It was awarded only for personal courage shown on the battlefield. Despite the fact that this award is already more than two hundred years old, it did not immediately receive its current name - St. George's Cross. It appeared only in 1913 with the approval of the updated regulations on the Order of St. George.

History of origin

In mid-February 1807, the Highest Manifesto was published, which established the Insignia of the Military Order. It was he who would later be renamed In 1833, under Emperor Nicholas I, the need arose to adopt a new statute for the Order of St. George. It contained several innovations regarding the awarding of crosses to soldiers. For example, commanders-in-chief of armies, as well as military leaders of individual corps, could now nominate for the award. This simplification of the procedure greatly simplified the award process itself, and also practically eliminated all kinds of bureaucratic delays.

The next innovation is a maximum increase in the salaries of soldiers and non-commissioned officers, as well as the right to wear a cross along with the St. George's bow. This difference preceded the appearance of the division of awards into several degrees.

The first awards, which appeared in 1807, were not numbered. This oversight began to be corrected only after two years, when they decided to compile lists of all gentlemen. For this purpose, awards were temporarily withdrawn and numbered. Therefore, it is precisely known that there were 9937 copies. Thanks to this, it is now possible to find out who was awarded this or that St. George Cross (4th degree). By the number and type of font it is easy to determine the period to which the award belongs. During World War I, the number of crosses awarded exceeded 1 million, which is why the reverse of later medallions bears the designation 1/M on the upper ray.

Short description

St. George's crosses of 4 degrees appeared only in March 1856, when further changes were made to the regulations on the Order of St. George. Initially, grades 1 and 2 were made of gold, and the remaining two were made of silver. According to the statute, awards must be made sequentially. In addition, each of the degrees had its own special numbering, and for visual distinction, a bow made from the St. George ribbon was added.

After numerous bonuses to soldiers for valiant service in the Turkish War of 1877-1878, it was decided to update the stamps that had previously been used by the mint for coinage. For this purpose, medalist A. A. Grilikhes made some changes to the images on the crosses. It was then that these insignia acquired the appearance that remained until the 1917 revolution. Print of the figure of St. George on the updated medallions has become much more expressive.

Privilege

The new statute of 1913, among other things, provided for lifelong monetary support. Thus, those awarded the 4th degree St. George Cross received 36 rubles, and the first - already 120. At the same time, holders of several awards were paid an increase or pension as for the highest distinction. Cavaliers of the St. George Cross of the 4th degree, and those simply awarded this insignia, had a number of privileges, for example, it was forbidden to apply to them

Manufacturing Features

Already in April 1914, St. George's crosses of 4 degrees of a new type appeared. The order for them came in the fall of 1913. They were intended to be presented to participants in military expeditions and border guards. Since July 1914, when World War I began, the mint began to mint significantly more crosses. To speed up the process, at first even those medallions that remained from the Japanese War were used. During the first year alone, about 1.5 thousand crosses of the first were sent to the army, more than 3 thousand - of the second, 26 thousand - of the third, and the largest number of the fourth - 170 thousand copies.

Due to the sharply increased demand for St. George's crosses made of precious metals and the difficult economic situation in the country in the spring of 1915, it was decided to slightly reduce the standard of gold used for these purposes, so the highest degrees began to be made from a special alloy. It contained only 60% pure gold.

Beginning in October 1916, expensive metals were completely removed from the alloy used in the manufacture of all Russian awards without exception. From now on, St. George's crosses of 4 degrees were minted only from cupronickel and tombac, and on its rays were the letters: BM is a white metal, and ZhM is yellow. Just before the revolution of 1917, the Provisional Government allowed this award to be presented to both soldiers and officers, while the latter also had a laurel branch pinned to their ribbon.

Order of Glory- military order of the USSR, established by Decree Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated November 8, 1943. Awarded to privates and sergeants of the Red Army, and in aviation to persons holding the rank of junior lieutenant. It was awarded only for personal merit; it was not awarded to military units and formations.

Order of Glory according to its status and ribbon color almost completely repeated one of the most revered awards in pre-revolutionary Russia - St. George's Cross(among the differences are a different number of degrees: 3 and 4, respectively).

Indeed, the block is almost completely repeated. The added third ribbon on the Crosses looks strange, but that’s okay - the colors are almost the same and the number of stripes matches.

You PERFECTLY see the complete coincidence and line of succession of the awards themselves - from cross To star, this has a deep sacred meaning.

ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ORDER OF GLORY I, II and III DEGREES

Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of November 8, 1943 (Vedomosti of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, 1943, No. 48)

The Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics decides:

Establish for awarding private and sergeant personnel Red Army , and in aviation and persons with the rank of junior lieutenant who distinguished themselves in battles for Soviet Motherland , Order of Glory I, II and III degrees.

Approve the Statute of the Order of Glory I, II and III degrees.

Approve the description of the Order of Glory 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree.

STATUTE OF THE ORDER OF GLORY

The Order of Glory is awarded to privates and sergeants of the Red Army...

DESCRIPTION OF THE ORDER OF GLORY I, II and III DEGREES

The badge of the Order of Glory represents five-pointed star the size between opposite vertices is 46 mm. The surface of the star's rays is slightly convex.
On the front side in the middle part of the star there is a circle with a diameter of 23 mm with a relief image of the Kremlin with the Spasskaya Tower in the center. Around the circle is a laurel wreath. At the bottom of the circle there is a raised inscription “Glory” on a red enamel ribbon.
On the reverse side of the order is a circle with a diameter of 19 mm with a relief inscription in the middle “USSR”.
Along the edge of the star and the steeple on the front side there are convex sides.
The order, using an eyelet and a ring, is connected to a pentagonal block covered with a silk moiré ribbon 24 mm wide. The tape has five longitudinal alternating stripes of equal width: three black and two orange. Along the edges of the tape there is one narrow orange stripe 1 mm wide.

Soldier's Cross of St. George

Insignia of the Military Order (Soldier George) 4th class
Main article: Insignia of the Military Order of St. George
In 1807, the Insignia of the Military Order of St. George was introduced for lower ranks, which was worn on a ribbon of the same colors as the order. Awarded for outstanding bravery shown in battle against the enemy.
The Insignia of the Military Order, in addition to the official one, received other names: St. George Cross 5th degree, soldier's St. George's Cross, soldier's George (“Egory”), etc.
Since 1856, four degrees were introduced, which were awarded strictly sequentially from the lowest, 4th degree, to the highest.
Worn on the chest to the right of all other awards and to the left of the breastplates of orders.
In 1913, the statute of the order changed again, mainly by adding additional articles and expanding the description of military exploits by branch of the military. The “insignia of the military order” acquired the official name of the St. George Cross, and the numbering of insignia began anew from that time on.
Cavaliers 4th Art. The period of service for promotion to the next rank is reduced to a minimum, from one year in junior officer ranks to 4 years from major general to lieutenant general. Benefits for the St. George Knights have been expanded: preferential travel “on communication routes”, annual 2-month leave with pay and other benefits.
Abolished in 1917 after the October Revolution by the Soviet government.
Despite this, it was awarded in the White armies during the Civil War - For the fight against the Bolsheviks
During the Civil War 1917-1922. in the Volunteer Army and in the Armed Forces of the South of Russia, officers were not awarded the Order of St. George, but lower ranks were awarded the Cross of St. George for distinction in battles against the Bolshevik Red Army. In 1920, General P. N. Wrangel established the Order of St. Nicholas, which is similar in status and form of the order badge to the Order of St. George.
On the Eastern Front of the White Movement, Admiral Kolchak in December 1918 decided, as Supreme Ruler and Supreme Commander-in-Chief, to resume awarding the Order of St. George. Honored St. George 4th Art. in 1915, for an operation against German troops, Kolchak himself was awarded the Order of St. George, 3rd class. in April 1919, on the proposal of the St. George Duma at the headquarters of the Siberian Army for a successful offensive against the red troops near Perm. In total, 74 officers in Kolchak’s army received the Order of St. George, of which 20 were awarded the Arms of St. George, 47 were awarded the Order of the 4th Art. and 10 officers received the order of the 3rd degree (generals Wojciechowski and Kappel were awarded both degrees).
Generously awarded the Order of St. George, 4th class. on the Northern Front. General Miller in his small army issued 19 such orders and the same number of awards with the St. George's Arms, and 5 of the cavaliers were from among the English officers.

You see, direct succession - ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ORDER OF GLORY: Establish for awarding private and sergeant personnel Red Army
On the Eastern Front of the White Movement resume awarding the Order of St. George for a successful offensive against the Red troops after its abolition by the Soviet regime.

Restored by Decree of the President of Russia No. 1463 of August 8, 2000 as a military award of Russia with preservation of external features and changes in the statute .

For some reason, when considering the issue of St. George’s crosses, they don’t remember at all St. George medal.
The St. George Medal was established on August 10, 1913, instead of the Medal "For Bravery", established in 1878, and was assigned to the Order of St. George. The medal was awarded to lower ranks for courage and bravery demonstrated in war or peacetime.
Unlike the St. George Cross, the medal could also be issued to civilians who performed feats in battle against the enemy, precisely provided for by the statute of the St. George Cross.
The medal, like the St. George Cross, had four degrees, and was worn on the same blocks with the St. George ribbon as the St. George Cross. The degrees of the medal differed in the same way as the degrees of the St. George Cross: the senior 2 degrees were made of gold; junior 2 degrees made of silver; 1st and 3rd degrees with bow.
And here is the Order of Stalin Remember his story?

Shortly after the war, on June 22, 1945, the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks received a proposal signed by five Soviet government and military leaders:

In the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks
We submit the following proposals for consideration by the Politburo:
1. Reward comrade. Stalin with the Order of Victory;
2. Assign Comrade Stalin the title of Hero of the Soviet Union;
3. Establish the Order of Stalin;
4. Build a Stalinist Victory Arch at the entrance to Moscow on the Moscow-Minsk highway.
We propose to adopt the corresponding decrees at the XII session of the Supreme Council.

22.VI.45 V. Molotov L. Beria G. Malenkov K. Voroshilov A. Mikoyan

Of the four points, the first two were implemented. In the upper left corner there is a mark in pencil: "My archive. I. Stalin."

And look how these awards (and the blocks with ribbons) prove what a smooth transition there was from the Republic of Ingushetia, February to the USSR

with a reward system. How wonderful everything is.
And, of course, one cannot help but recall the awards of our most sincere

Those interested can familiarize themselves with the detailed presentation