The history of the St. George ribbon is inextricably linked with the heroic past of Russia. It is known that she was integral part of three award signs established in the name of the patron saint of the Russian army, St. George the Victorious - orders, crosses and medals. In addition, the ribbon adorned the visor caps of sailors who served as part of the Imperial Guards crew and on ships awarded the St. George flag. It also flew on the banners of the royal army.
What does the St. George Ribbon mean? The history of its appearance
During the military campaign of 1768-1774, a special award was established - the St. George Ribbon - to reward those who showed courage, bravery and prudence for the benefit of Russia. Her motto became the following words: “For service and courage.” A corresponding award sign also appeared - a white equilateral cross or a four-pointed golden star.
There are four known degrees of the order. Cavaliers were the first to be awarded a cross, a star and a ribbon decorated with stripes of black and orange. Heroes awarded the order of the second degree also had a star and a separate cross, which they wore around their necks. The next degree gave the right to wear a small cross around the neck, and the fourth - in the buttonhole. Since the establishment of the order, black and yellow colors have become symbols of military valor and courage. Thus, the history of the appearance of the St. George Ribbon can only be considered in conjunction with the history of the order itself.
What the ribbon looked like and how it was put on
The ribbon was worn depending on the class of the recipient. There were three options: in the buttonhole, around the neck or over the shoulder. The history of the St. George Ribbon also includes the following curious fact: those awarded it received a lifelong salary from the treasury, and after their death, the heirs became the owners of the award. But the order’s statute also provided for the deprivation of awards to those who, by any unseemly act, tarnished the honor of the Knight of St. George.
Initially, the St. George ribbon was made of silk and decorated with stripes of black and yellow colors - as provided for in the order’s statute of 1769. But if you look at the samples of those ancient years that have come down to us, you will notice that even then the yellow color on them clearly gravitated towards orange, which would be officially approved only in 1913. For a long time, there have been discussions about what the St. George Ribbon means.
The history of its appearance is connected with war, so many believe that black means smoke, and orange means flame. This version, of course, has a right to exist, but the one expressed by the famous expert in the field of phaleristics S. Andolenko is more likely. He pays attention to the correspondence between the colors of the ribbon and state emblem Russia - a black eagle on a golden background.
St. George Ribbon. History, meaning and features
There are many order ribbons, but only a few of them have independent status. The history of the St. George Ribbon knows periods when it was used as a full-fledged analogue of an order or a cross. For example, during Crimean War, the defenders of Sevastopol could not receive awards and were given ribbons. Another example is the period of the Imperialist War, when those awarded the order pinned a ribbon to the side of their overcoat. But there is also a known case when the St. George Ribbon was awarded without an order and had an independent meaning.
This happened in 1914. One of the highest ranks of the General Staff was awarded it for being able to mobilize the army in the shortest possible time. Neither the order nor the cross could be awarded, since they were awarded only to participants in hostilities. The ribbon was granted to him in addition to the previously existing order, and thus the general received the right to wear it on the St. George ribbon, which was unique case in the history of Russia.
Two types of tapes
During the reign of Emperor Alexander I, it became a tradition to award units that particularly distinguished themselves in military operations with St. George's Banners. These award standards differed from others in that the St. George Cross was placed in their upper parts (tops), and a black and gold ribbon with banner tassels was attached under it. There were no inscriptions on it. Over time, they began to be called “narrow St. George ribbons.”
In contrast, by imperial decree of 1878, wide ribbons were introduced, on which it was written for what specific merits military unit received this award banner. Such a ribbon became an integral part of the standard and was not removed from it under any circumstances. Their story begins with the fact that at the end of the military campaign of 1877-1878, Alexander II wished to reward the most distinguished units and units of the Danube and Caucasian armies that took part in the battles.
Unique awards for combat regiments
The army commanders presented information about the two regiments that fought under their command. A detailed list of their exploits was attached to the report. But when the relevant commission began to consider the issue of awards, it turned out that these regiments already had all the awards that existed at that time. It was for them that a wide St. George ribbon was established with a listing of their merits.
No more similar ribbons were awarded, and these two regiments forever remained the only ones to receive this honor. It is known that at the end of the Crimean War, by decree of the emperor, personalized award weapons were introduced, decorated with lanyards in the colors of the St. George ribbon. Such an award was considered no less honorable than an order. Examples of these golden weapons can be seen today in many museums across the country.
The palace hall dedicated to the holders of the order
In St. Petersburg at the royal residence in late XVIII century, the Great Throne Hall was opened. Its consecration took place on November 26, the day of the celebration of the memory of St. George the Victorious. In this regard, it was named after him. Since then, all protocol events related to awards have been held within its walls. A commission that considered the candidacies of the next gentlemen also met there, and receptions were held annually in honor of his gentlemen.
Rewarding with a ribbon in the White Guard troops
After seizing power in 1917, the Bolsheviks abolished the previous award system, and the black and gold ribbon began to be used only in units of the White Army. An example is its presentation together with the badge “For the Ice March”, which was used in the award system of Kornilov’s Volunteer Army. Also on the Eastern Front, it was attached to the medal “For the Great Siberian Campaign”.
In addition, the history of the St. George Ribbon contains many facts of its use as patriotic symbols by many White Guard units and formations. Ribbons with black and orange stripes decorated the banners, chevrons and headdresses of soldiers and commanders. This was especially true for participants in the Yaroslavl uprising. The famous ataman Annenkov obliged veterans of his movement to wear St. George's ribbons to distinguish them from recently recruited fighters.
Allies of enemies and fighters against Bolshevism
In 1943, the German command formed the so-called Russian Corps, consisting of immigrants and former citizens of the USSR who defected to the enemy. It was used to suppress the resistance of Yugoslav partisans, and its most distinguished members were awarded St. George's crosses and ribbons. Unfortunately, the history of the St. George ribbon contains not only heroic pages. Vlasovites who fought in the ranks of the Wehrmacht also often wore this badge of valor on their chests.
In 1944, a collaborationist organization called the Union of Struggle against Bolshevism was created in Bobruisk. On his banner, decorated with two-color ribbons, was an image of the Cross of St. George embroidered in silver. The same ribbons served as armbands and distinctive signs its leaders. Among the numerous unions created in the West by Russian immigrants, all kinds of symbols, including the St. George Ribbon, were popular. One of such organizations was the Russian All-Military Union.
Continuation of the patriotic tradition
The St. George ribbon, the history of which is closely connected with the heroic pages of the Russian-Turkish war, eventually became part of the symbolism of the Soviet army. In 1942, at the height of the battles against fascism, the Guards Ribbon was established, corresponding in appearance to the well-known St. George ribbon. This was a continuation of the glorious patriotic tradition.
It was used on Red Navy visors and as a design for the “Naval Guard” breastplate. The banners of guards units, formations and ships were decorated with the image of a ribbon. In 1943, by government decree, the ribbon of the Order of Glory was established. to his appearance it is completely identical to Georgievskaya. It was also used to decorate the block of the medal “For Victory over Germany.”
Revival of glorious awards
With the advent of democratic changes in the country, the attitude towards the monuments of our history has changed in many ways. By government decree of March 2, 1992, the Order of St. George and the insignia “St. George's Cross” were restored. In 2005, in honor of the sixtieth anniversary of the victory over fascism, a public event called “St. George’s Ribbon” was held. Its initiators were the RIA Novosti agency and the Student Community.
From that time on, the Guards Ribbon began to be called St. George's Ribbon again, and events dedicated to it became annual. Thousands of activists are distributing ribbons these days to everyone who wants to express their gratitude to our veterans in this way. Black and gold ribbons, symbolizing the courage and heroism of Russian soldiers, are attached to clothing, bags and car antennas. The action is held under the motto “I remember, I am proud.” Thus, the history of the St. George ribbon, briefly outlined in this article, was continued.
More precisely, the truth about her. In short, we are clearing up the mess that was created by liars and demagogues.
The other day, a man who considers himself a communist reproached me: “You replaced the symbols of Victory with your ribbon, and now you want your neighbors to swear allegiance to this fake,” it was said about.
And he cited as evidence Nevzorov’s exemplary performance, which can be considered the quintessence of all the lies on this matter. Below is an excerpt of the recording and text, and full version you can read and watch:
“The definition of the ribbon that people tie to themselves on May 9 as "Colorado" , based on the color of the Colorado potato beetle, I actually gave once on Channel Five. Naturally, I have nothing against May 9th. But if you take this so seriously, if it is extremely important for you, then you must be extremely neat and serious, including in symbolism .Now let's clear up this nonsense. By the way, we can say “thank you” to Alexander Glebovich for so briefly and sensibly summing up almost all the main distortions, omissions and outright lies about the St. George’s ribbon.St. George's Ribbon, was unknown in the Soviet Army . The Order of Glory was established only in 43, was not particularly popular, did not even enjoy fame at the front , the award must have a certain historical path in order for it to become popular and famous, and just the opposite, General Shkuro, General Vlasov, many The highest ranks of the SS supported the cult of the St. George ribbon . It was a tape of both the Vlasovites and the highest ranks of the SS.
Understand no matter how we treat Soviet state, but the color of victory, and we must treat this calmly and courageously, victory color - red . The red color was raised banner over the Reichstag , under the red banners people marched into the Patriotic War, not under any others. And anyone who pays attention and pain to this holiday should probably be precise in observing this symbolism too.”
And I know, of course, that in the Soviet system of awards and badges there was no concept of “St. George’s ribbon.”
But do we every time want to plunge into the jungle of faleristics like: “the ribbon is a silk rep moiré ribbon of golden-orange color with three longitudinal black stripes applied to it with edging 1 mm wide”?
Therefore, for simplicity of presentation, let’s conventionally call it “St. George’s ribbon” - after all, everyone understands what we are talking about? So…
Victory symbol
Question: When did your St. George ribbon become a symbol of Victory?
Medal "For victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945"
It looked like this:
and like this:
Soviet naval guards at the Victory Parade
Guards ribbon on a USSR post stamp ( 1973 !!!)
and, for example, like this:
Guards ribbon on the Guards naval flag of the destroyer "Gremyashchiy"
Order of Glory
A.NEVZOROV:And further:
My friend Minaev, don’t forget about my former profession. I was once a reporter, after all. That is, I must be absolutely shameless and unprincipled.
S. MINAEV:And finally, to dot the i's - one more quote:
Listen, this is amazing, because you are completely cynical in answering questions around which everyone usually starts picking at their fingertips and saying that it was just such a time.A.NEVZOROV:
There was no such time. We were all, to one degree or another, on gold chains from various oligarchs, they boasted about us, they outbid us. We tried to escape, taking with us, if possible, the gold chain.
“That Berendey hut, which was built on the ruins of my homeland, is not a shrine for me.”Therefore, listening to discussions about orders, about glory, about war and exploits, about Colorado beetles and “a serious attitude towards symbolism” - do not forget (just for the sake of objectivity) WHO EXACTLY talks about all this.
"Vlasov ribbon"
Like many inspired liars, Nevzorov, looking for numbers to confirm his speculations, forgot about common sense.
He himself said that the Order of Glory was established in 1943. And the guards ribbon came even earlier, in the summer of ’42. And the so-called “Russian liberation army"was only officially established six months later, and operated mainly in 43-44, while officially subordinate to the Third Reich.
Tell me, can you imagine that the official military orders and insignia of the Wehrmacht coincided with the awards of the enemy army? For German generals to create military units and formalize the use of the insignia of the Soviet army in them?
It is reliably known that the “Russian Liberation Army” fought under the tricolor, and used a parody of St. Andrew’s flag as symbolism.
The land fleet in the steppes of Ukraine turned out to be, as you can see, not a joke at all... :)
And it looked like this:
And that is all. They received awards from the German Wehrmacht in accordance with the regulations established by it.
Order of the Patriotic War
During the war this order were awarded 1.276 million people , including about 350 thousand - Order of the 1st degree.
Think about it: also more than a million! It is not surprising that it has become one of the most popular and recognizable symbols of Victory. It was this order, together with the Order of Glory and the medal “For Victory,” that was almost always seen on front-line soldiers returning from the war.
It was with him that they returned (for the first time in a while Soviet power!) orders different degrees: Order of the Patriotic War (I and II degrees) and later - the Order of Glory (I, II and III degrees), which has already been discussed.
Order "Victory"
The name is telling. And why it became one of the symbols of victory later, after 1945, is also understandable. One of the three main symbols.
His ribbon combines the colors of 6 other Soviet orders, separated by white spaces half a millimeter wide:
- Orange with black in the middle - Order of Glory (along the edges of the tape; those same colors hated by Nevzorov and some modern “communists”)
- Blue - Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky
- Dark red (Bordeaux) - Order of Alexander Nevsky
- Dark blue - Order of Kutuzov
- Green - Order of Suvorov
- Red (central section), 15 mm wide - Order of Lenin (the highest award in the Soviet Union, if anyone doesn’t remember)
Today, when people like to rewrite history, it would not hurt to remember with what respect these orders awarded to the allies are kept abroad:
- The Eisenhower Award is located in the 34th President of the United States Memorial Library in his hometown Abilene (Kansas);
- Marshal Tito's award is on display at the 25 May Museum in Belgrade (Serbia);
- Field Marshal Montgomery's decoration is on display at the Imperial War Museum in London;
“The Order of Victory, as the highest military order, is awarded to senior command personnel of the Red Army for the successful conduct of such military operations on the scale of several or one front, as a result of which the situation radically changes in favor of the Red Army.”Victory symbols
Now let's draw simple and obvious conclusions.
Tens of millions of soldiers are returning home from the front. There is some percentage of senior officers, a little more of junior officers, but mostly privates and sergeants.
Everyone has the Victory Medal. Many have the Order of Glory, and some also have 2-3 degrees. It is clear that full cavaliers are especially honored, namely their portraits in the press and at meetings, concerts and other public events - there they are, too, with all their orders.
The naval guardsmen also naturally wear their insignia with pride. Like, they're not cut out for it - the guards!
So what, pray tell, is it surprising that three symbols become the main, most popular and recognizable: the Order of “Victory”, the Order of “ Patriotic War"and St. George's ribbon?
Who is not happy with the St. George ribbon on today's posters? Well, let's all come here, let's watch the Soviet ones. Let's look at how they "replaced history."
“We’ve arrived!”
One of the most famous posters. Drawn shortly after the Victory. And it already contains the symbolism of this Victory. There was a little background.
In 1944, Leonid Golovanov on his poster “Let's get to Berlin!” portrayed a laughing warrior. The prototype of the smiling hero on the march was a real hero - the sniper Golosov, whose front-line portraits formed the basis of the famous sheet.
And in 1945 the already legendary “Glory to the Red Army!” appeared, in the left top corner which quotes the artist's previous work:
So, here they are - the true symbols of Victory. On the legendary poster.
On the right side of the Red Army soldier’s chest is the Order of the Patriotic War.
On the left is the Order of Glory (“unpopular,” yeah), the medal “For Victory” (with the same St. George’s ribbon on the block) and the medal “For the Capture of Berlin.”
The whole country knew this poster! He is still recognized today. Perhaps only “The Motherland is Calling!” is more popular than him! Irakli Toidze.
Now someone will say: “It’s not difficult to draw a poster, but in life it wasn’t like that.” Okay, here you go"in life"
Ivanov, Viktor Sergeevich. Photo from 1945.
Here's another poster. How is the star edged?
Okay, this is the end of the 70s, someone will say that it’s not true. Let's take something from the Stalin years:
Well? "Vlasov ribbon", Yes? Under Stalin? Seriously?!!
How did Nevzorov lie? “The ribbon was unknown in the Soviet Army.”
Well, we see how she “wasn’t famous.” Already under Stalin it became both a symbol of the Red Army and a symbol of Victory.
And here is a poster from the Brezhnev era:
What's on the fighter's chest? Only one only "not popular and even little famous order", as far as I can see. And nothing more. By the way, this emphasizes that the fighter is a private. There is no cult of "commanders", this was a feat of the people.
(By the way, most of the posters are clickable).
And here’s another one, for the 25th anniversary of the Victory. The year 1970 is written on the poster:
And the glorious date is written “an unknown ribbon in the Soviet army”, which"is not a symbol of Victory."
Look what's going on! What is our current government like? And it reached 1945, and in the 60s She slipped “fake” ones into the 70s!
And here they are again! “Their” ribbon again:
“USSR postcard for May 9
"May 9 - Victory Day"
Publishing house "Planet". Photo by E. Savalov, 1974
.
Order of the Patriotic War, II degree"
And here's another one again:
The St. George's Ribbon was established by Catherine II during the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774 to encourage loyalty, courage and prudence. The ribbon was supplemented with the motto: “For service and courage,” as well as a white equilateral cross or a four-pointed gold star. It is traditionally believed that the black color on the St. George's ribbon symbolizes smoke, and orange symbolizes flame. Count Giulio Renato Litta wrote about this in 1833:
“The immortal legislator, who founded this order, believed that its ribbon connects the color of gunpowder and the color of fire.”
But there are other interpretations. According to the general of the French army and falerist Serge Andolenko, the colors of the ribbon reproduce the colors of the state emblem (black eagle on a golden background). There is also a version that the colors symbolize the death and resurrection of St. George the Victorious.
The St. George Ribbon was an integral part of the medals that were awarded for participation in successful wars or battles with an external enemy: “For courage in Finnish waters”, “For the Turkish War of 1828-1829”, “For the defense of Sevastopol”.
Some awards were issued on combined ribbons: “For the Turkish War of 1877-1878” (St. Andrew’s Ribbon), “In Memory Russo-Japanese War"(Alexandrovsko-Georgievskaya ribbon).
There were also exceptional cases of awards. Thus, Lieutenant General Alexander Lukomsky was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir on the St. George Ribbon for excellent conduct of mobilization events in 1914. This award was jokingly called “Vladimir Georgievich.”
The St. George's ribbon is a symbol of the Second World War. The black and orange ribbon has become the main attribute of modern Victory Day. But as statistics show, unfortunately, not all citizens of the Russian Federation know its history, what it means, and how to wear it.
St. George's Ribbon: what it means, its colors, history
The St. George's ribbon, bicolor orange and black, appeared simultaneously with the soldier's Order of St. George the Victorious, which was established on November 26, 1769 by Empress Catherine II. This award was given only for feats in battle in the form of encouraging loyalty and courage for the good Russian Empire. Along with it, the recipient received a considerable lifelong allowance.
There are several versions of color decoding. According to the first, black symbolizes smoke or gunpowder, and orange symbolizes fire. According to another version, the colors were taken from the old coat of arms of Russia. Historians also say that black and orange were the imperial and state colors, this is a symbol of a black double-headed eagle and a yellow field.
The first to receive the Order of St. George were the participants sea battle in Chesme Bay. Medals on the St. George ribbon were first awarded in August 1787, when Suvorov’s army defeated the Turks.
The ribbon changed slightly and during the Soviet era began to be called the “Guards Ribbon.”
During the Great Patriotic War, the block of the very honorable “soldier’s” Order of Glory was covered with it.
How to wear the St. George's ribbon?
For 13 years in a row, on the eve of May 9, the “St. George Ribbon” campaign has started, during which volunteers hand out ribbons and tell people how to wear it correctly.
Nowadays, there is a tradition of decorating clothes with the St. George Ribbon as a sign of respect, memory and solidarity with Russian soldiers. However, there are currently no official rules for wearing it. It is important to remember that this is not a fashion accessory, but a sign of respect for fallen soldiers. Therefore, the St. George Ribbon must be treated with care and respect.
It is recommended to wear the St. George ribbon on the left side near the heart - as a sign that the feat of the ancestors will forever remain in it. You can attach it in the form of different shapes using a pin. You should not use the ribbon as a decoration on the head, below the waist, on a bag, or on the body of a car (including on the car’s antenna). It would be indecent to use it as shoelaces or lacing for a corset. If the St. George ribbon has deteriorated, it is best to remove it.
There are several ways to tie a St. George's ribbon so that it looks beautiful and meets the bounds of decency. To do this, the main thing is to use your imagination, or use the Internet, where you can find step-by-step instructions.
The standard and easiest way is a loop. To do this, the ribbon is folded crosswise and attached with a pin.
Lightning or zigzag. The tape will need to be folded in the form English letter"N".
A simple bow is most often used to tie a ribbon in kindergartens and schools.
A person with a St. George's ribbon tied in a tie will look elegant. It will need to be wrapped around the neck so that the ends are of different lengths. Afterwards you need to cross them and thread the right one around the left one to make a loop. Next, you need to pull the end out of the loop and thread it through the eyelet.
Recently, videos have appeared on the Internet reflecting the psychosis reigning in the American puppy colony in relation to the St. George tape. Moreover, the virus of madness, hatred of this attribute of celebration Great Victory, which became a symbol of the glory and heroism of our fathers and grandfathers during the Great Patriotic War, struck many representatives of the liberal public, from whom one can often hear reproaches about someone wearing a St. George ribbon on their chest during the days of the corresponding action, as well as during various kinds memorable and festive events.
For Russian liberals, as well as for the possessed admirers of Bandera in Ukraine, the St. George ribbon is a symbol of Russia’s non-existent aggression in the Donbass. actions that plunged Ukraine into civil war, chaos, chaos and poverty. Well, in the most amazing country, nothing that happens in it can no longer be surprising:
St. George Ribbon: history and meaning
The St. George Ribbon is one of the most recognizable symbols of Russian reality in recent years. This black and orange ribbon is one of the main attributes of Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War (WWII) - one of the most respected holidays in our country. Unfortunately, few of those who tie the St. George Ribbon on their clothes or attach it to their car know what it really means.
St. George's ribbon is a ribbon consisting of two colors (orange and black), which pre-revolutionary Russia relied on several awards dedicated to St. George the Victorious. These included: the St. George Cross, the St. George Medal and the Order of St. George.
Moreover, starting from approximately XVIII century The St. George ribbon is actively used in Russian heraldry: the ribbon was used as an element of the St. George banners (standards), it was worn on the uniforms of military personnel of particularly distinguished units, the St. George ribbon was on the caps of the sailors of the Guards crew and sailors of ships awarded the St. George banners.
History of the St. George Ribbon
Already at the beginning of the 18th century, black, orange (yellow) and white began to be considered the state colors of Russia. It was this color scheme that was present on the state emblem of the Russian state. The sovereign eagle was black, the field of the coat of arms was gold or orange, and the white color meant the figure of St. George the Victorious depicted on the shield of the coat of arms.
In the middle of the 18th century, Empress Catherine the Great established a new award - the Order of St. George, which was awarded to officers and generals for their merits in the military field (however, the first recipient was the Empress herself). This order was accompanied by a ribbon, which was named St. George's in honor of the order.
The statute of the order stated that the St. George Ribbon should have three black and two yellow stripes. However, it was not yellow that was initially used, but rather orange.
In addition to matching the colors of the state emblem of Russia, this color scheme had another meaning: orange and black are symbols of “fire and gunpowder.”
IN early XIX century (1807), another award was established dedicated to St. George the Victorious - an insignia of the Military Order, which was unofficially called the Cross of St. George. This award was given to lower ranks for exploits performed on the battlefield. In 1913, the St. George Medal appeared, which was also awarded to soldiers and non-commissioned officers for courage shown in the face of the enemy.
All of the above awards were worn along with the St. George Ribbon. In some cases, the ribbon could be an analogue of an award (if the gentleman for some reason could not receive it). During the First World War, holders of the St. George Cross in winter wore a ribbon on their overcoat instead of an insignia.
At the beginning of the 19th century, St. George's banners (standards) appeared in Russia; in 1813, the Marine Guards crew was awarded them, after which the St. George's ribbon appeared on the caps of its sailors. Emperor Alexander II decided to award ribbons for merit to entire military units. The St. George's cross was placed at the top of the banner, and the St. George's ribbon was tied under the pommel.
The St. George ribbon was actively used in Russia until the October Revolution of 1917: after it, the Bolsheviks abolished all tsarist awards. However, even after this, the St. George Ribbon remained part of the award system of the White movement. The White Guards used this attribute in their insignia, which appeared already in the period Civil War.
In the White Army there were two particularly respected insignia: “For the Ice Campaign” and “For the Great Siberian Campaign”, both of them had bows from the St. George’s ribbon. In addition, the St. George Ribbon was actively used in the White movement: it was worn on headdresses, tied on uniforms, and attached to battle flags.
After the end of the Civil War, the St. George Ribbon was one of the most common symbols of emigrant White Guard organizations.
The St. George's ribbon was very widely used various organizations collaborators who fought on the side of Nazi Germany during the Second World War. Member of the Russian liberation movement(ROD) included more than ten large military units, including several SS divisions, which were staffed by Russians.
Guards ribbon
After the devastating defeats of the initial period of the Great Patriotic War, the leadership of the USSR desperately needed symbols that could unite the people and raise morale at the front. The Red Army had very few military awards and insignia of military valor. This is where the St. George Ribbon came in handy.
The USSR did not completely repeat the design and name. The Soviet ribbon was called “Guards”, and its appearance was slightly changed.
Back in the fall of 1941, the honorary title “Guards” was adopted into the USSR award system. The following year, the “Guard” badge was established for the army, and the Soviet Navy adopted its own similar sign - “Naval Guard”.
At the end of 1943, a new award was established in the USSR - the Order of Glory. It had three degrees and was issued to soldiers and junior officers. In fact, the concept of this award largely repeated the royal Cross of St. George. The block of the Order of Glory was covered with a Guards ribbon.
The same ribbon was used in the medal “For Victory over Germany,” which was awarded to almost all military personnel who fought in western fronts. After the victory in World War II, about 15 million people were awarded this medal, which was approximately 10% of the entire population of the USSR.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the black and orange tape is in the minds of Soviet citizens became a real symbol of victory in the war over Hitler's Germany. In addition, after the end of the Second World War, the Guards Ribbon was actively used in a wide variety of visual propaganda related to the theme of war.
Modern Russia
IN modern Russia Victory Day is one of the most popular holidays. For state propaganda, the theme of World War II is one of the main tools for raising the patriotism of the population.
In 2005, in honor of the sixtieth anniversary of the victory over Germany, an action began at the state level to promote the St. George Ribbon as the main national symbol Great Patriotic War.
On the eve of May holidays St. George's ribbons began to be distributed free of charge directly on the streets of Russian cities, in shops and government institutions. People hang them on clothes, bags, car antennas. Private companies began to often (sometimes even too often) use the tape to advertise their products.
The motto of the action was the slogan “I remember, I am proud.” In recent years, events related to the St. George Ribbon have begun to take place abroad. At first the tape was distributed in neighboring countries, in Last year promotions were held in Europe and the USA.
Russian society received this symbol very favorably, and the St. George Ribbon received a rebirth. Unfortunately, people who wear it usually have little knowledge of the history and meaning of this sign.
The first thing that should be said: the St. George Ribbon has nothing to do with the award system of the Red Army and the USSR in general. This is the insignia of pre-revolutionary Russia. If we talk about the period of the Second World War, the St. George’s Ribbon is most likely associated with the collaborators who fought on the side of Hitler’s Germany.
In 1992, by decree of the Russian President, the St. George Cross was restored to the country's award system. The current St. George's ribbon, in its color scheme and arrangement of stripes, completely coincides with the royal insignia, as well as with the ribbon worn by Krasnov and Vlasov.
However, this is not a big problem. The St. George Ribbon is truly a real symbol of Russia, with which the Russian army has gone through dozens of wars and battles. Disputes about Victory Day being celebrated with the wrong ribbon are stupid and insignificant. The differences between the Guards and St. George ribbons are so small that only historians and heraldry specialists can understand them. It is much worse that this sign of military valor is actively used by politicians and, as usual, not always for good purposes.
St. George's ribbon and politics
Over the past few years, this insignia has been actively used in politics, and this is done both within Russia and abroad. This trend became especially acute in 2014, after the annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of hostilities in the Donbass. Moreover, the St. George Ribbon became one of the main distinctive signs of those forces that were directly involved in these events.
The St. George ribbon is very actively used by supporters of the DPR and LPR. Russian propaganda is trying to draw a parallel between the fighters of the separatist formations in eastern Ukraine with the Red Army soldiers who fought the Nazis during World War II. Russian media usually portray the modern Ukrainian government as Nazis.
Therefore, in the last few years, the St. George ribbon has turned from a symbol Great War into a propaganda tool. This sign is increasingly perceived as a symbol of support for the current government. And this is very wrong. And the St. George’s ribbon on vodka, toys or the hoods of Mercedes looks like a complete insult. After all, both the St. George Cross and the Order of Glory could only be earned on the battlefield.
The Great Patriotic War is such a grandiose and tragic event that May 9 should become a day of remembrance for the millions of victims, whose remains are still scattered throughout our forests.