The true history of the St. George's ribbon. St. George's Cross and the most famous St. George's Knights of the Russian Empire

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 in the field service for 25 years as a chief officer, and in the naval service for 18 campaigns as officers.”
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 the 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.

Insignia of the Military Order- award sign for the Order of St. George for lower ranks from 1917 to 1917 for outstanding courage shown in battle against the enemy. The insignia of the Military Order was the highest award for soldiers and non-commissioned officers.

The first to receive the soldier's George was the non-commissioned officer of the Cavalry Regiment Yegor Ivanovich Mitrokhin for his distinction in the battle with the French near Friedland on June 2, 1807. The first Knight of the Soldier George served from 1793 to 1817 and retired with the lowest officer rank of ensign. However, Mitrokhin's name was first included in the lists only in 1809, when cavaliers from the guards regiments were the first to be included in the compiled lists. Sub-ensign of the 5th Jaeger Regiment Vasily Berezkin received the cross for the battle with the French near Morungen on January 6 () 1807, that is, for a feat accomplished even before the establishment of the award.

When it was established, the Soldier's Cross did not have degrees, and there were also no restrictions on the number of awards one person could receive. Unlike the officer's order, the soldier's award was not covered with enamel and was minted from silver of the 95th standard (modern 990th standard). By decree of July 15, 1808, holders of the insignia of the Military Order were exempted from corporal punishment. The insignia could be confiscated from the recipient only by court and with mandatory notification of the emperor.

There was a practice of awarding the insignia of the Military Order to civilians of the lower classes, but without the right to be called a holder of the insignia. One of the first to be awarded in this way was the Kola tradesman Matvey Andreevich Gerasimov. In 1810, the ship on which he was carrying a cargo of flour was captured by an English warship. A prize team of eight English soldiers under the command of an officer was landed on the Russian ship, which had a crew of 9 people. 11 days after the capture, taking advantage of inclement weather on the way to England, Gerasimov and his comrades captured the British, forcing them to officially surrender (give up their sword) and the officer who commanded them, after which he brought the ship to the Norwegian port of Varde, where the prisoners were interned.

There is a known case of a general being awarded a soldier's award. It became M.A. Miloradovich for the battle with the French in the soldier formation near Leipzig. Emperor Alexander I, who observed the battle, presented him with a silver cross.

St. George's Crosses, 1st class. - OK. 33 thousand
St. George's Crosses, 2nd Art. - OK. 65 thousand
St. George's Crosses, 3rd Art. - OK. 289 thousand
St. George's Crosses, 4th Art. - OK. 1 million 200 thousand

To indicate the serial number (“per million”), “1/M” was stamped on the top side of the cross, and the remaining numbers were placed on the sides of the cross. On September 10, 1916, according to the Highest approval of the opinion of the Council of Ministers, gold and silver were removed from the St. George Cross. They began to be stamped from “yellow” and “white” metal. These crosses have serial numbers letters "ZhM", "BM". St. George's Crosses numbered: 1st degree "ZhM" - 10,000 (No. 32481 to 42480), 2nd degree "ZhM" - 20,000 (No. 65031 to 85030), 3rd degree "BM" - 49,500 (No. from 289151 to 338650), 4th degree “BM” - 89,000 (No. from 1210151 to 1299150).

Statute

The insignia of the Military Order consists of a silver cross, in the circle of which, on one side, is the image of St. George on a horse, and on the other, the monograms of St. George and the number under which the person who has this sign is included in the list of those granted by him.

The insignia of the Military Order is worn in the buttonhole on the St. George ribbon.

This insignia is acquired only on the battlefield, during the siege and defense of fortresses, and on the waters in naval battles. It is given only to those lower ranks who, actually serving in the Land and Naval Forces, distinguish themselves with special courage against the enemy.

It goes without saying that in any case, the right to be awarded the insignia of the Military Order is acquired only by those lower ranks who, when performing feats, combine strict obedience to their superiors with courage.

The insignia of the Military Order is never removed, even if the recipient was promoted to Officer; but if, by promotion to Officer, he is awarded the Knight of the Order of St. George, in this case the insignia should already be removed.

For the cross, a soldier or non-commissioned officer received a salary one third more than usual. For each additional sign, the salary was increased by a third until the salary doubled. The additional salary remained for life after retirement; widows could receive it for another year after the death of the gentleman.

The awarding of the soldier's George also gave the following benefits to the distinguished person: the prohibition of the use of corporal punishment to persons who have the insignia of the order; when transferring cavaliers awarded the St. George Cross of non-commissioned officer rank from army regiments to the guard, maintaining their previous rank, although a guard non-commissioned officer was considered two ranks higher than an army one.

If a cavalier received an insignia in the militia, then he could no longer be transferred to military service(“shaved into a soldier”) without his consent. However, the statute did not exclude the forcible transfer of cavaliers to soldiers if they were recognized by the landowners as persons “whose behavior would disturb the general peace and quiet.”

It should be noted that often a certain number of crosses were allocated to a unit that distinguished itself in battle, and then they were awarded to the most distinguished soldiers, taking into account the opinions of their comrades. This order was legalized and called the “company verdict.” Crosses received by “company verdict” were valued among soldiers more than those received on the recommendation of the commander.

Extracts from the Statute of the Order of St. George from 1913:

St. George's Cross for representatives of non-Christian faiths with an image of an eagle instead of St. George

First highest degree: Golden Cross worn on the chest, on the St. George ribbon, with a bow; in the circle of the Cross on front side the image of St. George, and on the reverse - the monogram of St. George; at the transverse ends reverse side The cross is cut out with the number under which those who have the Cross of the first degree are included in the list of those awarded this degree, and on the lower end of the Cross there is the inscription: 1st degree.

Second degree: The same gold Cross, on the St. George ribbon, without a bow; on the transverse ends of the reverse side of the Cross there is a number carved under which the person who has the Cross of the second degree is included in the list of those granted this degree, and below is the inscription: 2nd degree.

Third degree: The same silver cross on the St. George ribbon, with a bow; at the transverse ends reverse side a number is cut out under which the person who has the Cross of the third degree is included in the list of those awarded this degree, and below is the inscription: 3rd degree.

Fourth degree: The same silver Cross, on the St. George ribbon, without a bow; on the transverse ends of the reverse side of the Cross there is a number carved under which the Cross of the fourth degree granted is included in the list of those granted this degree, and below is the inscription: 4th degree.

The new statute also introduced lifelong monetary incentives for holders of the St. George Cross: for the 4th degree - 36 rubles, for the 3rd degree - 60 rubles, for the 2nd degree - 96 rubles and for the 1st degree - 120 rubles per year. Cavaliers of several degrees received an increase or pension only for the highest degree. It was possible to live normally on a pension of 120 rubles; the salary of industrial workers in 1913 was about 200 rubles a year.

A cavalier of the 1st degree also complained of the rank of lieutenant, and a cavalier of the 2nd degree received such a rank only upon transfer to the reserve.

For the fight against the Bolsheviks

Contrary to popular belief, the Cross of St. George was not “legalized” by the Soviet government or officially allowed to be worn by members of the Red Army. After the start of the Great Patriotic War Many older people were mobilized, among whom were participants in the First World War who were awarded the Cross of St. George. Such servicemen wore awards “in person”, in which no one interfered with them, and enjoyed legitimate respect in the army.

After the introduction of the Order of Glory into the system of Soviet awards, which was in many ways similar in ideology to the “soldier’s George”, an opinion arose to legitimize the old award, in particular, a letter addressed to the chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars and the State Defense Committee I.V. Stalin from a professor at VGIK, former member of the first Military Revolutionary Committee for Aviation of the Moscow Military District and Knight of St. George N.D. Anoshchenko with a similar proposal:

...I ask you to consider the issue of equating b. St. George cavaliers, awarded this order for military exploits committed during the last war with the damned Germany in 1914-1919, to the cavaliers of the Soviet Order of Glory, since the statute of the latter almost completely corresponds to the statute of the b. Order of George and even the colors of their order ribbons and their design are the same.

By this act, the Soviet government will first of all demonstrate the continuity of the military traditions of the glorious Russian army, the high culture of respect for all heroic defenders of our beloved Motherland, the stability of this respect, which will undoubtedly stimulate both the b. St. George's cavaliers, as well as their children and comrades, to perform new feats of arms, for each military award pursues not only the goal of equitably rewarding the hero, but it should also serve as an incentive for other citizens to perform similar feats.

Thus, this event will further strengthen the combat power of our valiant Red Army.

Long live our great Motherland and its invincible, proud and brave people, who have repeatedly defeated the German invaders, and are now successfully defeating them under your wise and firm leadership!

Long live the great Stalin!

Professor Nick. ANOSCHENKO 22.IV.1944

A similar movement ultimately resulted in a draft resolution of the Council of People's Commissars:

In order to create continuity in the fighting traditions of Russian soldiers and pay due respect to the heroes who defeated the German imperialists in the war of 1914-1917, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR decides:

1. Equate b. cavaliers of St. George, who received the Cross of St. George for military exploits performed in battles against the Germans in the war of 1914-17, to the cavaliers of the Order of Glory with all the ensuing benefits.

2. Allow b. St. George's cavaliers wear a pad with an order ribbon of the established colors on their chest.

3. Persons subject to the effect of this resolution are issued an order book of the Order of Glory marked “b. St. George Knight", which is formalized by the headquarters of military districts or fronts on the basis of the submission of relevant documents to them (genuine orders or service records of that time)

This project never became a real resolution.

List of persons who were full holders of the St. George Cross and bore the title of Hero of the Soviet Union

Five such people are known:

Ageev, Grigory Antonovich (posthumously)
Budyonny, Semyon Mikhailovich (one of the three three times Heroes of the Soviet Union)
Lazarenko, Ivan Sidorovich (posthumously)

The owner of the “full bow” of the soldiers’ Georgiev, K. I. Nedorubov, wore the Gold Star of the Hero for his exploits on the fronts of World War II along with crosses.

Cavaliers

Knights of the St. George's Cross. Photo from 1915

Future marshals each had two crosses - non-commissioned officer Georgy Zhukov, lower rank Rodion Malinovsky and junior non-commissioned officer Konstantin Rokossovsky.

The future Major General Sidor Kovpak, during the Great Patriotic War, was the commander of the Putivl partisan detachment and the formation of partisan detachments of the Sumy region, which later received the status of the First Ukrainian Partisan Division.

Maria Bochkareva became a famous Knight of St. George during the First World War. In October 1917, she was the commander of the famous women's battalion guarding the Winter Palace in Petrograd. In 1920, she was shot by the Bolsheviks.

The last Knight of St. George awarded on Russian soil in 1920 was 18-year-old sergeant P.V. Zhadan, for saving the headquarters of the 2nd Cavalry Division of General Morozov. Zhadan, at the head of a squadron of 160 sabers, scattered the cavalry column of the Red Divisional Commander Zhloba, which was trying to escape from the “bag”, directly towards the division headquarters.

Recovery in the Russian Federation

The insignia "St. George's Cross" was restored in the Russian Federation in 1992. Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation dated March 2, 1992 No. 2424-I “On state awards of the Russian Federation” established:

Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council No. 2424-I was approved by Decree of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation of March 20, 1992 No. 2557-I “On approval of the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation “On state awards of the Russian Federation”.

Notes

The Supreme Manifesto of February 13, 1807
Talanov A.I. Military history magazine, 1991, No. 1
The 84th standard corresponds to coin silver. In the pre-revolutionary system, hallmarking meant the content of 84 spools of pure silver in 96 spools (1 pound) of a product.
Personal decree of July 15, 1808
Kovalevsky N.F. History of the Russian State. Biographies of famous military figures of the 18th - early 20th centuries. M., 1997

The insignia "St. George's Cross" has always been one of the most revered domestic military awards. Originally existed from 1807 to 1917, was used as a reward sign for the Order of St. George for lower ranks. The award was given to soldiers and non-commissioned officers for outstanding courage shown in battles with the enemy. Many Soviet military leaders were Knights of St. George. For example, G.K. Zhukov was a holder of the St. George Cross of the third and fourth degrees. In 1992, a decision was made to restore this insignia in the Russian award system.

Based on the Decree of the Presidium of the RF Armed Forces of March 2, 1992, it was attributed to the restoration of the Russian military Order of St. George and the “St. George Cross” sign. However, work on drawing up the regulations and statutes of the awards dragged on until 2000. The regulations on these awards and their description were adopted only on August 8, 2000 on the basis of a decree of the President of the Russian Federation.

It was originally planned that this award would be given only for military feats demonstrated in battles with an external enemy in defense of the Fatherland. However, after the events of early August 2008, changes were quickly made to the statute and provisions of the award. In particular, since then the award could be awarded for exploits during military operations on the territory of other countries while maintaining or restoring international peace and security. Currently, the Cross of St. George can be awarded to rank and file (soldiers and sailors), sergeants and petty officers, midshipmen, warrant officers and junior officers of the Russian Army. The basis for the award is the courage, bravery and dedication demonstrated in the performance of military duty.

The modern St. George Cross, like its predecessor, has 4 degrees, of which the highest is the first degree. Rewarding is carried out only sequentially: from the lowest degree to the highest.

The sign "St. George's Cross" is made in the form of a straight equal-pointed cross with rays expanding towards the ends. Its rays, slightly convex on the front side, are bordered at the edges by a narrow edging. In the center of the award is a round medallion, which contains a relief image of St. George slaying a serpent with a spear. On the reverse side, the award number is applied at the ends of the cross, and in the center of the medallion there is a relief monogram in the form of the letters “C” and “G” intertwined. In this case, on the lower ray of the cross, depending on the degree, a corresponding inscription is made. At the end of the upper beam of the cross there is an eyelet designed for attaching the sign through a ring to a standard pentagonal block. It is covered with moire silk ribbon orange color, on which there are 3 longitudinal stripes of black color - the well-known St. George ribbon.

The award is made of pure silver, while the signs of the second and first degrees are gilded. The size of the award is determined strictly by the distance between the ends of the beams and is 34 mm for all four degrees of the St. George Cross. The pads of all grades also have the same dimensions; the width of the tapes on them is 24 mm. But they also have their own characteristics, for example, the blocks for the signs of the first and third degrees of the St. George Cross also have a bow with the flowers of the Order of St. George.

Dmitry Medvedev during the presentation of state awards. Vladikavkaz August 18, 2008

The insignia St. George's Cross is worn on the left side of the chest. It is located after orders, but before all medals. If the recipient already has signs of several degrees, then they are located on his chest strictly in descending order. For everyday wearing of the badge, special miniature copies of the award were provided. On uniform, the recipient may wear the ribbons of the St. George insignia on a daily basis. Such tapes are located on strips 24 mm wide and 8 mm high. In the middle part, such tapes have images in the form golden color Roman numerals from one to four, digit height 7 mm. Roman numerals indicate the degree of the St. George's Cross to which the bar corresponds.

The first awards of the Cross of St. George in modern Russia took place in August 2008. This insignia was awarded to junior military personnel who showed courage and heroism during the events of August 2008 in the territory South Ossetia and Georgia. On August 15, on the basis of a presidential decree, the first 11 soldiers and sergeants of the Russian army received the Cross of St. George, IV degree. In total, 263 Russian military personnel were awarded the Cross of St. George for the distinctions shown during the peacekeeping operation to force Georgia to peace.

Based on materials from open sources.

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 heavenly patron 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 Seven Years' War and the military campaigns of Catherine 2, when soldiers were given medals, where the location of the battle in which they participated was recorded, 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 appearance awards - a silver badge 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. Other nuances were also specified in the manifesto. new award, in particular, benefits and material incentives (a third of the military salary for each award) provided to 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 Turkish war 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 was adopted St. George's Awards. 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 rays: 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.

The Cross of St. George is an award assigned to the Order of St. George for lower ranks from 1807 to 1917 for military merits and for courage shown against the enemy. The insignia of the Military Order was the highest award for soldiers and non-commissioned officers. From June 24, 1917, it could also be awarded to officers for feats of personal bravery at the presentation of a general meeting of soldiers of a unit or sailors of a ship.

History of the sign

The idea of establishing a soldier's award was expressed in a note submitted on January 6, 1807 addressed to Alexander I (author unknown), which proposed establishing “a 5th class or a special branch of the Military Order of St. George for soldiers and other lower military ranks... which may consist , for example, in a silver cross on the St. George ribbon, threaded into a buttonhole.” The insignia of the Military Order was established on February 13 (25), 1807, by the manifesto of Emperor Alexander I, as a reward for lower military ranks for “undaunted courage.” Article 4 of 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. The badge had to be worn by its owner always and under all circumstances, but if the holder of the badge was awarded the Order of St. George, in 1807-55. the badge was not worn on the uniform.

The first to receive the Soldier's George was the non-commissioned officer of the Cavalry Regiment Yegor Ivanovich Mitrokhin for his distinction in the battle with the French near Friedland on June 2, 1807. The first Knight of the Soldier George served from 1793 to 1817 and retired with the lowest officer rank of ensign. However, Mitrokhin's name was first included in the lists only in 1809, when cavaliers from the guards regiments were the first to be included in the compiled lists. Sub-ensign of the 5th Jaeger Regiment Vasily Berezkin received the cross for the battle with the French near Morungen on January 6 (18), 1807, that is, for a feat accomplished even before the establishment of the award.

Distinguished in the battles of 1807 and awarded the insignia of the Military Order of the Pskov Dragoon Regiment, non-commissioned officer V. Mikhailov (badge No. 2) and private N. Klementyev (badge No. 4), privates of the Ekaterinoslav Dragoon Regiment P. Trekhalov (badge No. 5) and S Rodionov (badge No. 7) were transferred to the cavalry guards.

George of the First Degree

When it was established, the Soldier's Cross did not have degrees, and there were also no restrictions on the number of awards one person could receive. At the same time, a new cross was not issued, but with each award the salary increased by a third, to double the salary. Unlike the officer's order, the soldier's award was not covered with enamel and was minted from silver of the 95th standard (modern 990th standard). By decree of July 15, 1808, holders of the insignia of the Military Order were exempted from corporal punishment. The insignia could be confiscated from the recipient only by court and with mandatory notification of the emperor.

George of the Second degree.

George of the third degree.

George of the Fourth degree.

In January 1809, cross numbering and name lists were introduced. By this time, about 10 thousand signs had been issued. By the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, the Mint had produced 16,833 crosses. The statistics of awards by year are indicative:

1812 - 6783 awards;
1813 - 8611 awards;
1814 - 9345 awards;
1815 - 3983 awards;
1816 - 2682 awards;
1817 - 659 awards;
1818 - 328 awards;
1819 - 189 awards.

Until 1820, insignia without numbers were awarded mainly to non-military ranks of the army, as well as to former commanders of partisan detachments from among merchants, peasants and townspeople.

In 1813-15 The badge was also awarded to soldiers of armies allied with Russia that acted against Napoleonic France: the Prussians (1921), the Swedes (200), the Austrians (170), representatives of various German states (about 70), and the British (15).

In total, during the reign of Alexander I (period 1807-25), 46,527 Badges were granted.

In 1833, the provisions for the insignia of the Military Order were spelled out in the new statute of the Order of St. George. It was then that the wearing of the Insignia of the Military Order “with a bow from the St. George’s ribbon” was introduced by persons who were honored to receive a full salary of an additional salary for repeated exploits.

In 1839, a commemorative version of the sign was established in honor of the 25th anniversary of the conclusion of the Peace of Paris. Externally, the sign was distinguished by the presence of the monogram of Alexander I on the upper ray of the reverse. This award was given to military personnel of the Prussian army (4,500 crosses were minted, 4,264 were awarded).

Obverse and reverse of the 1839 St. George Cross for Prussian allied veterans in the fight against Napoleon

On August 19, 1844, a special sign was installed to reward non-Orthodox people: it differed from the usual one in that in the center of the medallion, on both sides, the coat of arms of Russia was depicted - a double-headed eagle. 1,368 soldiers received such badges.

In total, during the era of Nicholas I (1825-56), the badge was awarded to 57,706 valiant lower ranks of the Russian army. Most of the cavaliers appeared after the Russian-Persian 1826-28 and Russian-Turkish 1828-29. wars (11,993), the suppression of the Polish rebellion (5888) and the Hungarian campaign of 1849 (3222).

From March 19, 1855, the badge was allowed to be worn on the uniform by its owners who were subsequently awarded the Order of St. George.

First "gold" degree

First degree of 600 gold.

On March 19, 1856, four degrees of the sign were introduced by imperial decree. The badges were worn on the St. George ribbon on the chest and were made of gold (1st and 2nd art.) and silver (3rd and 4th art.). Externally, the new crosses differed in that the words “4 degrees” and “3 degrees” were now placed on the reverse. etc. The numbering of signs began anew for each degree.

Awards were made sequentially: from junior to senior degrees. However, there were exceptions. So, on September 30, 1877, I. Yu. Popovich-Lipovac was awarded the 4th degree Badge for courage in battle, and on October 23, for another feat, he was awarded the 1st degree.

I. Yu. Popovich-Lipovac

If all four degrees of the sign were present on the uniform, the 1st and 3rd were worn; if the 2nd, 3rd and 4th degrees were present, the 2nd and 3rd were worn; if the 3rd and 4th were present, the only 3rd.

Over the entire 57-year history of the four-degree Badge of Distinction of the Military Order, about 2 thousand people became its full cavaliers (holders of all four degrees), about 7 thousand were awarded the 2nd, 3rd and 4th degrees, the 3rd and 4th 1st degree - about 25 thousand, 4th degree - 205,336. Most awards were awarded during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. (87,000), Russian-Turkish war of 1877-78. (46,000), Caucasian campaign (25,372) and Central Asian campaigns (23,000).

In 1856-1913. There was also a version of the Military Order Insignia for awarding lower ranks of non-Christian religions. On it, the image of St. George and his monogram were replaced by a double-headed eagle. 19 people became full holders of this award, 269 people received the 2nd, 3rd and 4th degrees, 821 - 3rd and 4th, and 4619 - 4th. These awards were numbered separately.

In 1913, a new statute for the insignia of the Military Order was approved. It began to be officially called the St. George Cross, and the numbering of signs began anew from that time. Unlike the Insignia of the Military Order, there were no St. George crosses for non-Christians - all crosses since 1913 have depicted St. George. In addition, since 1913, the St. George Cross could be awarded posthumously.

Infrequently, it was practiced to award the same degree of the St. George Cross several times. Thus, ensign of the Life Guards of the 3rd Infantry Regiment G.I. Solomatin was awarded two St. George Crosses of the 4th degree, two of the 3rd degree, one of the 2nd degree and two of the 1st degree.

Kozma Kryuchkov

The first award of the St. George Cross of the 4th degree took place on August 1, 1914, when cross No. 5501 was awarded to the commander of the 3rd Don Cossack Regiment, Kozma Firsovich Kryuchkov, for a brilliant victory over 27 German cavalrymen in an unequal battle on July 30, 1914. Subsequently, K.F. Kryuchkov also earned the other three degrees of the St. George Cross in battles. St. George's Cross No. 1 was left “at the discretion of His Imperial Majesty” and was awarded later, on September 20, 1914, to private 41st Selenginsky Infantry Regiment Pyotr Cherny-Kovalchuk, who captured the Austrian banner in battle.

Women were repeatedly awarded the St. George Cross for bravery in battle. Sister of mercy Nadezhda Plaksina and Cossack Maria Smirnova earned three such awards, and sister of mercy Antonina Palshina and junior non-commissioned officer of the 3rd Kurzeme Latvian Rifle Regiment Lina Chanka-Freidenfelde - two.

French Negro Marcel Play

Foreigners who served in the Russian army were also awarded the Cross of St. George. The French black Marcel Plea, who fought on the Ilya Muromets bomber, received 2 crosses, the French pilot Lieutenant Alphonse Poiret - 4, and the Czech Karel Vashatka was the owner of 4 degrees of the St. George Cross, the St. George Cross with a laurel branch, St. George medals of 3 classes, the Order of St. George 4th degree and St. George's weapon.

In 1915, due to the difficulties of the war, 1st and 2nd degree badges began to be made of low-grade gold: 60% gold, 39.5% silver and 0.5% copper. The silver content in marks of the 3rd and 4th degrees has not changed (99%). In total, the mint minted St. George's Crosses with a reduced gold content: 1st degree - 26950 (No. 5531 to 32840), 2nd - 52900 (No. 12131 to 65030). On them, in the left corner of the lower ray, below the letter “C” (step), there is a stamp with the image of a head.

From 1914 to 1917 the following were awarded (that is, mainly for exploits in the First World War):
St. George's Crosses, 1st class. - OK. 33 thousand
St. George's Crosses, 2nd Art. - OK. 65 thousand
St. George's Crosses, 3rd Art. - OK. 289 thousand
St. George's Crosses, 4th Art. - OK. 1 million 200 thousand

To indicate the serial number (“per million”), a stamp was stamped on the upper side of the cross. "1M", and the remaining numbers were placed on the sides of the cross. On September 10, 1916, according to the Highest approval of the opinion of the Council of Ministers, gold and silver were removed from the St. George Cross. They began to be stamped from “yellow” and “white” metal. These crosses have letters under their serial numbers "ZhM", "BM". St. George's Crosses numbered: 1st degree "ZhM" - 10,000 (No. 32481 to 42480), 2nd degree "ZhM" - 20,000 (No. 65031 to 85030), 3rd degree "BM" - 49,500 (No. from 289151 to 338650), 4th degree “BM” - 89,000 (No. from 1210151 to 1299150).

Perhaps it was in the First world war The saying “The chest is in the crosses, or the head is in the bushes” was born.

After the February coup, cases of awarding the St. George Cross for purely political reasons began to occur. Thus, the award was received by non-commissioned officer Timofey Kirpichnikov, who led the rebellion of the Volyn Life Guards Regiment in Petrograd, and Russian Prime Minister A.F. Kerensky was “presented” with crosses of the 4th and 2nd degrees as “the intrepid hero of the Russian Revolution, who tore down the banner of tsarism."

On June 24, 1917, the Provisional Government changed the statute of the Cross of St. George and allowed it to be awarded to officers by decision of soldiers' meetings. In this case, a silver laurel branch was attached to the ribbon of signs of the 4th and 3rd degrees, and a golden laurel branch was attached to the ribbon of signs of the 2nd and 1st degrees. In total, about 2 thousand such awards were presented.

St. George's Cross with a laurel branch, which was awarded by decision of the lower ranks to officers who distinguished themselves in battle after February 1917

There are several known cases of awarding the Insignia of the Military Order and the Cross of St. George to entire units:

1829 - the crew of the legendary brig Mercury, which took on and won an unequal battle with two Turkish battleships;

1865 - Cossacks of the 4th hundred of the 2nd Ural Cossack regiment, who survived an unequal battle with many times superior forces of the Kokands near the village of Ikan;

1904 - the crews of the cruiser "Varyag" and the gunboat "Koreets", who died in an unequal battle with the Japanese squadron;

1916 - Cossacks of the 2nd hundredth of the 1st Uman Koshevoy Ataman of Golovatov’s Kuban Regiment Cossack army, which, under the command of Captain V.D. Gamaliya, carried out a difficult raid in April 1916 during the Persian campaign.

1917 - fighters of the Kornilov shock regiment for breaking through the Austrian positions near the village of Yamnitsa.

First highest degree: Golden Cross, worn on the chest, on the St. George ribbon, with a bow; in the circle of the Cross on the front side there is an image of St. George, and on the back there is a monogram of St. George; on the transverse ends of the reverse side of the Cross is carved the number under which the person who has the Cross of the first degree is included in the list of those awarded this degree, and on the lower end of the Cross the inscription: 1st degree.

Second degree: The same gold Cross, on the St. George ribbon, without a bow; on the transverse ends of the reverse side of the Cross there is a number carved under which the person who has the Cross of the second degree is included in the list of those granted this degree, and below is the inscription: 2nd degree.

Third degree: The same silver cross on the St. George ribbon, with a bow; on the transverse ends of the reverse side there is a number cut out under which the person who has the Cross of the third degree is included in the list of those awarded this degree, and below is the inscription: 3rd degree.

Fourth degree: The same silver Cross, on the St. George ribbon, without a bow; on the transverse ends of the reverse side of the Cross there is a number carved under which the Cross of the fourth degree granted is included in the list of those granted this degree, and below is the inscription: 4th degree.

If a cavalier received an insignia in the militia, then he could no longer be sent to military service (“shaved into a soldier”) without his consent. However, the statute did not exclude the forcible transfer of cavaliers to soldiers if they were recognized by the landowners as persons “whose behavior would disturb the general peace and quiet.”

For the fight against the Bolsheviks

In the years Civil War(1917-1922) in the Volunteer Army and in Armed Forces In the south of Russia, military awards were used extremely reluctantly, especially in the initial period, since they considered it immoral to award military awards to Russian people for exploits in a war with Russian people, but General P. N. Wrangel resumed awards in the Russian Army he created, establishing a special order Nicholas the Wonderworker, equivalent to St. George's. In the Northern Army and Eastern Front under the direct leadership of Admiral Kolchak, awards took place more actively.

The last awards took place in 1941 in the ranks of the Russian Corps - a Russian collaborationist formation that fought on the side of Nazi Germany in Yugoslavia with the partisan detachments of the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia, Marshal of Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito.

St. George's Cross in Soviet times

Contrary to popular belief, the Cross of St. George was not “legalized” by the Soviet government or officially allowed to be worn by Red Army soldiers. After the start of the Great Patriotic War, many older people were mobilized, among whom were participants in the First World War who were awarded the Cross of St. George. Such servicemen wore awards “in person”, in which no one interfered with them, and enjoyed legitimate respect in the army.

After the introduction of the Order of Glory into the system of Soviet awards, which was in many ways similar in ideology to the “soldier’s George,” an opinion arose to legitimize the old award, in particular, a letter addressed to the chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars and State Committee Defense of J.V. Stalin from VGIK professor, former member of the first Military Revolutionary Aviation Committee of the Moscow Military District and St. George Knight N.D. Anoshchenko with a similar proposal:

...I ask you to consider the issue of equating b. St. George cavaliers, awarded this order for military exploits committed during the last war with the damned Germany in 1914-1919, to the cavaliers of the Soviet Order of Glory, since the statute of the latter almost completely corresponds to the statute of the b. Order of George and even the colors of their order ribbons and their design are the same.

By this act, the Soviet government will first of all demonstrate the continuity of the military traditions of the glorious Russian army, the high culture of respect for all heroic defenders of our beloved Motherland, the stability of this respect, which will undoubtedly stimulate both the b. St. George's cavaliers, as well as their children and comrades, to perform new feats of arms, for each military award pursues not only the goal of equitably rewarding the hero, but it should also serve as an incentive for other citizens to perform similar feats.

Thus, this event will further strengthen the combat power of our valiant Red Army.

Long live our great Motherland and its invincible, proud and brave people, who have repeatedly defeated the German invaders, and are now successfully defeating them under your wise and firm leadership!

Long live the great Stalin!

Professor Nick. ANOSCHENKO 22.IV.1944

A similar movement ultimately resulted in a draft resolution of the Council of People's Commissars:

In order to create continuity in the fighting traditions of Russian soldiers and pay due respect to the heroes who defeated the German imperialists in the war of 1914-1917, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR decides:

1. Equate b. cavaliers of St. George, who received the Cross of St. George for military exploits performed in battles against the Germans in the war of 1914-17, to the cavaliers of the Order of Glory with all the ensuing benefits.

2. Allow b. St. George's cavaliers wear a pad with an order ribbon of the established colors on their chest.

3. Persons subject to the effect of this resolution are issued an order book of the Order of Glory marked “b. St. George Knight", which is formalized by the headquarters of military districts or fronts on the basis of the submission of relevant documents to them (genuine orders or service records of that time)

This project never became a real resolution...

List of persons who were full holders of the St. George Cross and bore the title of Hero of the Soviet Union

Six such people are known:
Ageev, Grigory Antonovich (posthumously)
Budyonny, Semyon Mikhailovich (one of the three three times Heroes of the Soviet Union)
Lazarenko, Ivan Sidorovich (posthumously)
Meshcheryakov, Mikhail Mikhailovich
Nedorubov, Konstantin Iosifovich
Tyulenev, Ivan Vladimirovich

Monument to Nedorubov in Volgograd

Winner of the “full bow” of soldiers’ Georgiev K. I. Nedorubov Gold Star He wore a hero for his exploits on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War along with crosses.

Cavaliers

In the 19th century, the insignia of the Military Order was awarded to:

Durova.

the famous “cavalry maiden” N.A. Durova - No. 5723 in 1807 for saving the life of an officer in the battle near Gutstadt; in the lists of gentlemen she is listed under the name of cornet Alexander Alexandrov.

For the battle of Dennewitz in 1813, another woman named Sophia Dorothea Frederica Kruger, a non-commissioned officer from the Prussian Borstell brigade, received the St. George Cross. Sofia was wounded in the shoulder and leg in the battle; she was also awarded the Prussian Iron Cross, 2nd class.

The future Decembrists M. I. Muravyov-Apostol and I. D. Yakushkin, who fought at Borodino with the rank of ensign, which did not give the right to an officer’s award, received St. George’s Crosses No. 16697 and No. 16698.

Chapaev

Among the most famous cavaliers of the soldier's George are the famous character of the First World War, Cossack Kozma Kryuchkov and the hero of the Civil War Vasily Chapaev - three St. George Crosses (4th Art. No. 463479 - 1915; 3rd Art. No. 49128; 2nd Art. . No. 68047 October 1916) and the St. George Medal (4th degree No. 640150).

Soviet military leaders were full holders of the soldier's St. George Cross: A. I. Eremenko, I. V. Tyulenev, K. P. Trubnikov, S. M. Budyonny. Moreover, Budyonny received the St. George Crosses even 5 times: the first award, the St. George Cross of the 4th degree, Semyon Mikhailovich was deprived by the court for assault on his senior rank, the sergeant. Again he received the 4th degree cross. on the Turkish front, at the end of 1914.

St. George's Cross, 3rd class. was received in January 1916 for participation in the attacks near Mendelij. In March 1916, Budyonny was awarded the 2nd degree cross. In July 1916, Budyonny received the St. George Cross, 1st degree, for leading 7 Turkish soldiers from a sortie behind enemy lines with four comrades.

Future marshals each had two crosses - non-commissioned officer Georgy Zhukov, lower rank Rodion Malinovsky and junior non-commissioned officer Konstantin Rokossovsky.

Kovpak

The future Major General Sidor Kovpak, during the Great Patriotic War, was the commander of the Putivl partisan detachment and a formation of partisan detachments of the Sumy region, which later received the status of the First Ukrainian Partisan Division.

Maria Bochkareva

The last Knight of St. George awarded on Russian soil in 1920 was 18-year-old sergeant P.V. Zhadan, for saving the headquarters of the 2nd Cavalry Division of General Morozov. Zhadan, at the head of a squadron of 160 sabers, scattered the cavalry column of the red division commander Zhloba, who was trying to escape from the “bag”, directly towards the division headquarters