Description of the ribbon of the Order of St. George the Victorious. St. George's Cross and the most famous St. George's Knights of the Russian Empire

Empress Catherine II, confirming November 23, 1769 The statute of the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George, indicated that it “should be considered established since 1769, the month of November, from the 26th day, on which day We laid the signs on ourselves, and after a long time bestowed upon us and the fatherland servants with distinction.”

The day for the establishment of the order was not chosen by chance: November 26 (December 9, new style) The Orthodox Church celebrates the consecration of the Church of the Great Martyr George in Kyiv, built in 1036. after the victory over the Pechenegs.

Desk medal “In memory of the establishment of the Order of St. George the Victorious. November 26, 1769" Medalist Johann Balthasar Gass, obverse copied by Ivan Chukmasov, reverse copied by Pavel Utkin. Copper, 79 mm; 197.65 g

Desk medal “In memory of the 100th anniversary of the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George. 1769-1869." Obverse: “Signature of the medalist in the sleeve trim “V. Alekseev R.”.” Reverse: “Signature of the medalist at the bottom “P.M.R. (P. Meshcharikov cut).” Silver, 157.28 gr. Diameter 72 mm.

The establishment of the military order was part of the military reforms carried out at the beginning of Catherine’s reign, which strengthened the Russian army on the eve of wars that stretched in an endless series until the end of the 18th century, allowed it, under the leadership of P.A. Rumyantseva, G.A. Potemkina, A.V. Suvorov to win a number of brilliant victories. The establishment of a military order was supposed to be a moral incentive for the entire officer corps, and not just the generals, as previously established orders. In order to increase the significance of the order, Catherine II accepted upon herself and her successors “this Order of Grand Mastership”, as a sign of which she placed on herself the signs of the 1st degree.

The insignia of the Order of St. George looks more modest than the insignia of all other Russian orders: a white enamel cross with a gold border, in the middle of which on the front side there is an image of St. George slaying a serpent with a spear, and on the back - the saint’s monogram; a gold quadrangular star of senior degrees with the saint's monogram in the center and the order's motto: "For service and courage", a ribbon of two yellow and three black stripes. Cavaliers of the 1st class of the order wore a cross on a wide ribbon worn over the right shoulder and a star on the left side of the chest, 2nd class - the same cross on the same ribbon on the neck and a star on the left chest, 3rd class - a smaller cross size on a ribbon of smaller width on the neck, 4th class - the same cross on a ribbon of the same width in the buttonhole of the caftan. Later, the size of the cross and the width of the ribbon became different for each degree.

Badge of the Order of St. George 2-3rd degree. Unknown workshop, France, 1900s. Gold, enamel. Weight 16.73 g. Size 49x55 mm. Marks on the connecting ring: export head of Mercury to the left and the company is illegible.

Badge of the Order of St. George, 4th degree. Unknown workshop, St. Petersburg, 1908-1917. Gold, enamel. Weight, 10.46 g. Size 35x39 mm.

Badge of the Order of St. George, 3rd-4th degree. Unknown workshop, St. Petersburg, 1880-1890s. Gold, enamel. Weight 10.39 g. Size 42x39 mm.

Badge of the Order of St. George the Victorious, 4th degree. Firm "Eduard", Petrograd, 1916-1917. Bronze, gilding, enamel. Weight 12.85 g. Size 41x36 mm.

From 1844 to 1913 on the crosses that complained to Muslims, instead of the image of the saint and his monogram, an imperial eagle was placed. The image of an eagle was also supposed to replace the saint’s monogram on the order star of the highest degrees of the order when awarding them to Muslims, however, a review of the lists of holders of these degrees did not allow us to identify a single recipient who could be considered a Muslim.

Badge of the Order of St. George, 4th degree. Firm "Eduard", St. Petersburg, 1910-1917. Bronze, gilding, enamel. Weight 12.07 g. Size 40x35 mm.

Almost the main role in the fate of the order was played by the choice of the heavenly patron. Saint George has long been revered as the patron saint of not only warriors, but also kings. The latter circumstance was emphasized by assigning to the order a ribbon made up of the colors considered “imperial” in Russia - black and yellow (gold). In addition, the image of a horseman slaying a serpent has been the emblem of the Moscow state since the time of Ivan III, although until the beginning of the 18th century. it was personified not as St. George, but as a tsar (occasionally - the heir to the throne) - the defender of the Russian land. By the time the order was established, this horseman, already under the name of St. George, was considered the coat of arms of Moscow and was an attribute of the state emblem of the Russian Empire. St. George was well known to the Russian common people, he entered their everyday life and was revered by them as a guardian of fertility and abundance, an assistant in hunting, a protector of fields and all the fruits of the earth, a guardian of grazing herds, a patron of beekeeping, a shepherd of snakes and wolves, a protector from thieves and robbers . Soon the Order of St. George occupied a completely exceptional position in the Russian award system and retained it until the end of its existence. The pre-revolutionary historian E.P. Karnovich wrote that “the appearance in society of a Knight of St. George very often draws the attention of those present to him, which does not happen in relation to gentlemen of other orders, even star bearers,” that is, awarded orders of the highest degrees.

The statute of the order emphasized that it could only be received for personal merit; “neither high breed nor wounds received in front of the enemy” were taken into account. For officers who came from non-noble backgrounds, with the establishment of the Order of St. George, a new opportunity opened up for acquiring hereditary nobility. Peter's "Table of Ranks" established the receipt of hereditary nobility (and the rights and benefits associated with it) only upon reaching the VIII class, that is, the rank of second major; published on April 21, 1785. The “Certificate on the rights of liberties and advantages of the Russian nobility” also called the awarding of the “Russian Cavalry Order” one of the fifteen indisputable proofs of the noble status. Thus, a person from the lower classes, having received the Order of St. George, even the 4th degree, became a hereditary nobleman. In addition, the senior holders were entitled to an annual order pension: for the 1st class - 12 people for 700 rubles, for the 2nd class - 25 people for 400 rubles, for the 3rd class - 50 people for 200 rubles . and in the 4th class - 100 people for 100 rubles. Upon receipt of the senior degree, the payment of the pension for the junior degree ceased. The widow of the deceased gentleman received the order's pension for another year after his death. Subsequently, when it became clear that the number of surviving cavaliers of the highest degrees was significantly inferior to the number of vacancies for receiving order pensions for these degrees, they were reduced with a simultaneous increase in vacancies for the 4th degree.

It was possible to receive the Order of St. George not only for personal courage and military leadership, but also for impeccable service in the officer ranks for twenty-five years, and for naval officers - also for completing eighteen naval campaigns. On the cross of the 4th degree, awarded for these merits, since 1816. a corresponding inscription was placed.

However, the ego cannot be considered some kind of badge of service: in fact, the length of service or the number of campaigns completed did not always correspond to those indicated on the cross. Not every service was counted towards the length of service to receive the order, and not every voyage counted towards naval campaigns, but, at the same time, participation in some battles and a number of voyages shortened the length of service. It was also shortened by receiving the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree with a bow, and later St. Anna, 3rd and 4th degrees, golden weapons, as well as the Highest Favour. According to the statute of 1833 To receive the order for long-term service, participation in at least one battle was required, an exception was made only for naval officers, but the number of campaigns that had to be completed was increased to twenty. February 2, 1855 cavaliers who received the order for impeccable service, and then performed a feat that did not fit the rules of the statute of the Order of St. George of the highest degree, but was sufficient to be awarded the fourth, received the right to wear their cross with a bow from the order ribbon. There were only four such awards. By a personal decree on May 15 of the same year, the awarding of the Order of St. George for impeccable service was cancelled.

Initially, proposals for awarding the Order of St. George were made by the Military Colleges, land and sea, and the final decision was made by the Empress. With the establishment of September 22, 1782. The Order of St. Vladimir, the statute of which established an Order Duma to consider submissions for the Order of the 3rd and 4th degrees, consisting of gentlemen located in the capital, the same Cavalier Duma was established for the Order of St. George. She was given a room at the Chesme Church of St. John the Baptist to store a seal, a special treasury and an archive. The insignia of deceased cavaliers were to be transferred to the Duma, and lists of cavaliers were to be kept there. Now the lists of military personnel nominated for the Order of St. George of the 3rd and 4th degrees were submitted by the Military Collegiums for consideration by the Cavalry Duma, and then the lists of those awarded the Order by the Duma were approved by the Empress. The awarding of the Order of the 1st and 2nd degrees remained the prerogative of the supreme authority.

Upon the accession of Emperor Paul I to the throne, the “Establishment for the Cavalry Russian Orders” was developed, which included the statutes of the orders of St. Andrew the First-Called, St. Catherine, St. Alexander Nevsky and St. Anna. True, during the reading of the “Institution” in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin during the coronation ceremony on April 5, 1797. The Emperor publicly stated that “the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George remains on its previous basis, as does its Statute,” however, the forms of its existence during the reign of Pavel Petrovich may seem rather strange: although the order’s holiday on November 26 was solemnly celebrated with the participation of the Emperor, and holders of the order, established especially for them in December 1797. wearing the order's robes they participated in all the order's holidays; no one else was awarded the order. Only December 12, 1801 By the manifesto of Emperor Alexander I, the Orders of St. George and St. Vladimir were restored “in all their strength and scope.”

It is noteworthy that during the first celebration of the establishment of the Order of St. George during his reign, Alexander I wore the insignia of the first degree of this order. However, only Emperor Alexander II, second after the founder of the order, Empress Catherine II, officially conferred upon himself the insignia of the first degree of the Order of St. George. This happened on the day of the centennial anniversary of the order. Such an act cannot be considered some kind of “self-reward”; on the contrary, it meant the acceptance of the order under the personal patronage of the monarch, putting it on a par with the imperial regalia.

The tail badge of the Order of St. George. Unknown workshop, St. Petersburg, 1908-1917. Silver, enamel, 1.69 gr. Size 15x15 mm.

Tailcoat copy of the badge of the Order of St. George. Unknown workshop. Western Europe, 1850-1860s. Sterling silver, gilding, enamel. Weight, 1.88 g. Size 15x17 mm (with eyelet).

Tails badge of the Order of St. George. Unknown workshop, Western Europe, 1890-1910s. Silver, gilding, enamel. Weight 1.81 g. Size 14x17 mm.

Badge of the Order of St. George the Victorious for wearing on the award weapon of St. George. Firm "Eduard", St. Petersburg, 1910-1916. 56-carat gold, unassembled silver, enamel. Weight 4.36 g. Size 17x17 mm.

23 people were awarded the first degree of the Order of St. George, 124 people received the second degree, about 640 people received the third degree, and about 15 thousand received the fourth degree. Human. The statistics of awards of the fourth degree of the order are interesting. For military distinction he received over 6,700 awards, for twenty-five years of service - over 7,300, for completing eighteen campaigns - about 600, and twenty campaigns - only 4. Only M.I. was awarded all degrees of the Order of St. George. Golenishchev-Kutuzov, M.B. Barclay de Tolly, I.F. Paskevich and I.I. Dibich, however, they cannot be considered full holders of the order. Such a concept in relation to orders that had degrees simply did not exist then. What mattered was not the number of degrees of the order received, but the dignity of the eldest of them. In addition, none of the listed gentlemen could simultaneously have the signs of all degrees of the order: upon receiving the senior degree, the junior surrendered to the Chapter of Orders. This rule was canceled only in 1857, and the last of those awarded all degrees of the Order of St. George was I.F. Paskevich - died a year earlier.

Not quite ordinary, going beyond the framework of the statute, are the awards given to two women: Queen Maria Sophia Amalia of the Two Sicilies in 1861. and sisters of mercy R.M. Ivanova. It is difficult to understand what motives guided Alexander II when he awarded a high military award to the Italian queen for the courage shown during the siege of the Gaeta fortress, because this historical episode had nothing to do with Russia. But the awarding of R.M. Ivanova was well deserved: after the death of the officers, she raised the soldiers to attack, which ended with the capture of the enemy position, but she paid with her life for her heroic impulse. In accordance with the Statute of St. George, introduced in 1913. R.M. Ivanova was awarded posthumously. During the First World War, the only collective award of the Order of St. George also took place; the 4th degree was awarded to the courage of the defenders of the French fortress of Verdun, unless, of course, the inclusion of the St. George ribbon in the coat of arms of the Russian city of Sevastopol is considered such an award.

The Provisional Government introduced the awarding of the Order of St. George of the 4th degree to lower ranks who performed feats provided for by the statute of the Order of St. George while performing the duties of the corresponding commanders. In this case, as evidence that this high award was deserved even before promotion to the rank of officer, a white metal laurel branch should have been placed on the ribbon. Reliable information about the awarding of lower ranks with the Order of St. George is still unknown.

On August 8, 2000, the President of the Russian Federation issued a Decree, according to which it was restored Order of St. George the Victorious in the Russian award system. Empress Catherine II and was one of the most revered awards in the Russian army. St. George is the patron saint of the Russian land and its defenders, a brave and courageous warrior, especially revered in Rus'. Temples were built in his honor and festivals were held. In Rus', the image of St. George - a horseman with a spear, killing a serpent - is found on princely seals, helmets, coins, and banners. It was also included in the coat of arms of Moscow. Like the Imperial Order, the Order of St. George has four degrees, the 1st degree is considered the highest, and awards are made from the lowest degree to the highest. The names of the St. George Knights are inscribed on special marble plaques that decorate the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace.

Badge of the Order 1st class. is a straight equal-ended cross with flared ends, which is made of gold and covered with white enamel. In the center of the cross there is a medallion with an image in a red field of St. George the Victorious on a white horse, slaying the serpent. On the reverse side of the cross is the Saint’s monogram - “SG”. The “Signs of the Greater Cross”, 1st and 2nd degrees, are accompanied by a four-pointed star with the Saint’s monogram and the motto on a black enamel field: “For service and courage.” The star of the order is made of silver with gilding. Badge of the Order 2nd class. It is also made of silver with gilding. Signs of the 3rd Art. and 4th degrees are distinguished by their smaller size and the absence of a star. The order's ribbon consists of three black and two orange longitudinal stripes.

From the Statute: Order of St. George is the highest military award of the Russian Federation, awarded to military personnel from among senior and senior officers for conducting combat operations to defend the Fatherland during an attack by an external enemy, ending in the complete defeat of the enemy, becoming an example of military art, whose exploits serve as an example of valor and courage for all generations of defenders of the Fatherland and who were awarded state awards of the Russian Federation for differences shown in combat operations.”

Method of fastening and wearing: 1 step. orders are worn on a wide ribbon over the right shoulder, 2nd and 3rd degrees - on a narrow ribbon on the neck, 4th degree. - on the block on the left side of the chest and in front of other orders and medals.

Dimensions: 1 step. the distance between the ends of the cross is 60 mm. between the opposite ends of the star - 82 mm. 2 steps The distance between the ends of the cross is 50 mm. between the opposite ends of the star - 72 mm. 3 tbsp. - 50 mm. 4th degree - 40 mm.

The Order of St. George is the highest military award of the Russian Federation of our time. This order acquired particular weight for Russian society on August 8, 2000, when Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the “Statute of the Order of St. George” by Decree No. 1463. By a tragic coincidence, the president’s signature was affixed to the decree three days before the terrible tragedy in the Barents Sea that occurred with the Kursk nuclear-powered submarine. Perhaps that is why the first recipients of this honorary badge appeared eight years later.

In 2008, on August 18, Colonel General Sergei Afanasyevich Makarov became the first holder of the Order of St. George, IV degree. Since January 1999, he has been a participant in various campaigns in the North Caucasus Military District. In the period from 2002 to 2005, he served as deputy commander of the troops of this district, and headed the Joint Group of Forces to conduct counter-terrorism operations in the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation. Since 2005 - first deputy commander of the military units of the Volga-Ural Military District. Since 2008 - first deputy commander of a unit of the North Caucasus Military District. Participant in the operation in the North Caucasus “Forcing Georgia to Peace.” This was an armed military conflict in South Ossetia in 2008, the warring parties of which were Georgia on the one hand and South Ossetia together with Abkhazia, with the support of Russia, on the other. The situation became aggravated and heated up every day, which resulted on August 8 in the shelling of the capital of South Ossetia by the artillery forces of the Georgian army. On the same day, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation announced the start of Operation “Forcing Georgia to Peace.” Within a few days, the Georgian security forces were pushed back to their previous positions, and the presidents of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Georgia and Russia sat down at the negotiating table. The violent side of the conflict was resolved at this point. The operation was fleeting, effective, with a minimum number of losses, which spoke of the power of the Russian armed forces and the high skill of the army command staff. Colonel General S.A. Makarov also took an active part in the campaign, for which, following the results of the operation, he was awarded the Order of St. George, IV degree.

Another holder of the Order was Lebed Anatoly Vyacheslavovich. The officer also took an active part in armed conflicts in the North Caucasus. He was a participant in military clashes in Chechnya. In 2005 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. He received the Order of St. George from the hands of the President of the Russian Federation as a result of the same Ossetian campaign and the operation “Forcing Georgia to Peace.” Lebed was part of a group of fighters who captured the naval base in Poti and sank Georgian Navy boats.

On the memorial plaque in the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace, along with the already mentioned holders of the Order of St. George, several more names of holders of this award are carved. These are reserve lieutenant general Vadim Yuryevich Volkovitsky, retired aviation lieutenant general Igor Vasilievich Sadofyev, commander of the airborne troops of the Russian Federation, Colonel General Vladimir Anatolyevich Shamanov and deputy commander of the Central Regional Command of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for emergency situations of the city of Moscow, Lieutenant General Mikhail Ivanovich Urasov.

History of the Order of St. George

The Order of St. George was established by Empress Catherine II in 1969 with the purpose of awarding exclusively for military feats, as well as for the service of officers of at least 25 years.

During the Soviet period, this order was abolished. Its restoration in the Russian Federation was difficult. At first they were going to restore it for subsequent presentation to the defenders of the White House in the ninety-first year, then its restoration was entrusted to a special commission already in the ninety-second year, and only by the millennium the order was restored again and the final approved statute was adopted.

This order is Russia's highest award for military merit. It is received exclusively by officers of senior and highest ranks who have distinguished themselves during combat operations with any external enemy, and after additions to the statute of the order in the eighth year of the 2000s - and for special distinctions during Russia’s “peacekeeping operations” outside its borders.

Description of the order

The reward can be of four degrees, which occurs sequentially, starting with the fourth degree and ending with the first highest degree.

The ribbon of the order (popularly “St. George’s”) is moiré, silk, which has three stripes of a dark color and two of yellowish-orange.

1. Order 1st class

Star of the Order

Four limbs - strala (gilded silver). The orientation of the star is up-down, right-left. In the very center, attention is given to a medallion in the shape of a bordered gilded circle. In the very center is the cursive inscription “SG”, along the outer edge is engraved “FOR SERVICE AND BRAVERY”. On top of the medallion, between the words “BRAVE” and “FOR” is a crown.

The star is attached to clothing with a gold-plated pin.

On the bar there is a small display of a star in gold.

2. Order of the 2nd degree

Material - gilded silver. The dimensions of the sign and star are fully consistent with the first degree.

3. Order of the III degree

The badge of the order is made of silver. The difference is its smaller size.

On the bar there is a display of the star of the order in white.

4. Order IV degree

The badge of the order is even smaller.

There is no tape.

The badge is worn attached to a block with five corners, wrapped with a St. George ribbon.

The materials from which the order is made are gold and silver.

The shape of the sign is a rectangular cross.

For the sign: I degree – 60 millimeters;

II – 50 millimeters;

III – 50 millimeters;

IV – 40 millimeters

The size of the star is 82 millimeters.

Width – 100 millimeters (I class), 45 millimeters (II class), 24 millimeters (III class)

Plank: vertical dimension – 12 millimeters, horizontal dimension – 32 millimeters.

The Order of St. George should not be confused with the “St. George Cross”, which is awarded only to junior officer ranks and can even be awarded to ordinary soldiers and sailors.

In the last half century, the St. George ribbon has become a symbol of the victory of the Russian people over the fascist invaders. The public event “St. George’s Ribbon” has been held annually since 2005 in almost all countries of the former USSR.

In the Russian Empire, as in other European powers, it used to be customary to reward soldiers for outstanding achievements in military affairs. For these purposes, the authorities produced orders, medals and other awards. For example, the Order of St. George the Victorious is a unique order that has no analogues. Cavaliers who had such an award were always held in high esteem. That is why every officer dreamed of such an order.

Historical aspect

In the middle of the 18th century, Empress Catherine the Second, in order to thank her subjects, established the “Order of St. George the Victorious” award. She considered that for this it was necessary to choose a saint who had been revered by Russians for centuries. Therefore, St. George the Victorious became an excellent option for creating an order.

For the significance of the award, Catherine placed on herself the sign of the order of the first degree. This happened in the Winter Palace among the most significant people at that time.

A little later, the empress divided the order into four degrees. This medal was awarded for bravery, heroism and bravery during hostilities. Thus, the order was received not only by the army commanders, but by ordinary junior officers. Over the entire existence of the order, about 12,000 officers were awarded, who, through the award, increased their status in society.

The highest award is the first degree of the order; in total, 25 commanders of the Russian army received such medals. As for the second degree of the order, it went to 123 officers. The Order of St. George the Victorious, third degree, was awarded to 652 people, and the fourth degree to 11,000 officers. According to statistics, by 1913 a total of 2,504 orders were issued. Most of the medals were awarded for exploits during the war.

Some military leaders received several such orders. For example, such famous personalities as Kutuzov, Barclay de Tolly, Paskevich-Erivansky and Dibich-Zabalkansky became full holders of the order (1-4 degrees). It is worth noting that in the middle of the 19th century one of the premises of the Kremlin was named in honor of this order. Honor plaques were installed in the hall, with the names of all recipients of this award inscribed.

At the end of November, celebrations were held in the Winter Palace in honor of the Order of Diebitsch-Zabalkansky. On this day, gentlemen came to the event to dine with Catherine the Second herself. A porcelain service that was made to order was used especially for this celebration. Every year the service increased, new devices appeared. However, this tradition lasted until 1917, since after the October Revolution the Bolsheviks came to power.

Award design

A full description of the order is in the Statute of 1769. The order itself is externally made in the form of a cross made of gold, covered with enamel. There is a gold border around the edges of the sign. A medallion is attached to the center of the product. The image of the exhibit symbolizes St. George destroying the snake with a spear. There is also a silk ribbon in orange and black.

Note that the orders differ from each other only in size. The largest sign is of the first degree, and the smallest is of the fourth degree. At different periods of time, medallions were made in different sizes, the parameters were constantly changing.

It is also worth mentioning that the orders of the first and second degrees had a star made entirely of gold. These orders were made by jewelry masters. To highlight the honorary award, the government created a separate set of rules for wearing the award. These orders remained with the officers even after leaving military service; they were allowed to wear them in society under any circumstances. A total of three statutes were issued. The last statute was reissued by Nicholas II several years before his death.

Interesting facts

In the process of creating the order, Russian artists made a mistake. We are talking about a medallion on which a dragon was depicted instead of a serpent. According to legend, the brave warrior George kills a snake, not a dragon, with a spear. Moreover, in Rus' the symbol of the dragon was considered a positive character.

When the Order of St. George the Victorious began to be made in the Russian Empire, many involuntary messages from Muslim communities appeared in the country. They did not like orders with the Christian cross; they perceived this as disrespect for Islam. Due to the discontent of Muslims, Emperor Nicholas I in the mid-19th century approved a new type of medal for non-Christians. This happened during the Caucasian War. Officer Dzhamov-bek Kaytakhsky became the first to be solemnly awarded the order.

In addition to the fact that the gentlemen had an order, fame and popularity in society, the state regularly paid them cash benefits. For example, military leaders with an order of the first degree received about 1,000 rubles from the empress every year. Other officers with this award were content with 36 rubles. If an officer died or was killed in war, then relatives received order payments. All this suggests that the authorities did not care about Russian military personnel.

When the Bolsheviks came to power, Lenin equalized the rights of all army soldiers in the country. This also applied to those who had the Order of St. George the Victorious. Although until the end of 1918, officers of the St. George Cross received more salaries than others.

It is worth noting that many outstanding commanders of the Soviet army served in Imperial Russia before the October Revolution. Many of them had such an award as the Order of St. George the Victorious. For example, Malinovsky and Rokossovsky were awarded the Cross of St. George twice.

For courage, courage and defense of the state, this award was presented to Zhukov. At that time he was a non-commissioned officer, but in the middle of the 20th century he became a marshal of the USSR. This award went to Zhukov twice.

For courage and bravery in the First World War, the order was solemnly awarded to Vasily Chapaev. As a result, he had as many as 3 St. George’s Crosses and 1 St. George’s Medal in his collection.

During the First World War, the St. George Cross was awarded to Ivan Tyulenev 4 times. In World War II he was already a general in the Red Army. Also mentioned in history is Semyon Budyonny - a full set of orders.

Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George

Country	Russia
Type	Order
Establishment date	November 26, 1769
First award	November 26, 1769
Who is it awarded to?	Army and Navy officers
Reasons for the award	For military exploits

"For service and bravery"

Imperial Military Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George (Order of St. George)- the highest military order of the Russian Empire, which has no analogues in other countries. Recipients of this award have always enjoyed respect and honor in society. The ultimate dream of every Russian officer.

History of the order

Founder and holder of the order, 1st degree, Empress Catherine II.

The Order of St. George was established by Empress Catherine II on November 26, 1769, as a special reward for military exploits. Saint George the Victorious, who has long been revered in Rus', was chosen as the heavenly patron of the order.
During the solemn ceremony and consecration of the insignia of the order in the Winter Palace, the Empress placed on herself the insignia of the 1st degree order, indicating the significance of this award.

Since this was the first order to reward personal courage and military exploits, Empress Catherine divided it into 4 degrees. This was done in order to note the merits of not only the high command, but also junior officers.
Over its 148-year history, less than 12 thousand officers were awarded the order, which only increased its status among other awards of the Russian Empire.

A total of 25 people received the highest degree of the Order of St. George, of which 23 - for military exploits and 2 - by conferment. 123 awards were made with the 2nd degree of the order and 652 with the 3rd degree. About 11 thousand officers became knights of the 4th degree of the order, of which about 8,000 for length of service, 4 for 20 naval campaigns, about 600 for 18 naval campaigns. As of 1913, 2,504 people received this award for military exploits.
Despite the fact that 25 people became knights of the 1st degree, only four of them were awarded all four degrees of the order. The following became full holders of the Order of St. George: M. I. Kutuzov, M. B. Barclay de Tolly, I. F. Paskevich-Erivansky and I. I. Dibich-Zabalkansky.
In 1849, after the construction of the Grand Palace in the Moscow Kremlin, one of the halls received the name of the Order of St. George. On the walls of this hall, on marble boards, inscriptions were made in gold: 11,381 names of holders of the order who were awarded from 1869 to 1885.

Every year on November 26, the Knights of St. George gathered in the St. George Hall of the Winter Palace for celebrations on the occasion of the order's holiday. Knights of the Order of St. George were invited to a festive dinner, for which Empress Catherine ordered a special porcelain service. The St. George service consisted of plates, crackers, and cream bowls and was designed for 80 people. Over the years, the service was constantly replenished with new devices.

The last time the cavaliers gathered to celebrate the order's holiday was November 26, 1916. After the October Revolution, the order was abolished.

Description of the order

Appearance

The 1769 Statute described the order as:

The badge of the Order of St. George was made in the form of an equilateral gold cross, covered with white enamel on both sides, and having a gold border along the edges of the rays. In the center of the cross there was a medallion, on the obverse of which there was an image of St. George slaying a serpent with a spear, and on the reverse there was the monogram “SG”.

The insignia of the order from the 1st to the 4th degree differed only in size.
Thus, the order of the 4th degree had dimensions of 34x34 mm, the order of the 3rd degree had large dimensions, which in different periods of production ranged from 43 to 47 mm.

Badges of the order of the 1st and 2nd degrees also did not have strict frames and were made in sizes from 51 to 54 mm.

The order of the 1st and 2nd degrees was accompanied by a gold Star of the order, which is a diamond-shaped star consisting of 32 diverging rays. Initially, the Star of the Order of St. George was made by embroidery, but since 1854 they began to be made of gold.

The production of order insignia was entrusted to the Chapter of the order, but it is not uncommon to see orders made in private jewelry workshops.

Wearing rules

Rules for wearing degrees of the Order of St. George (from left to right from 4th to 1st).

Like all orders of the Russian Empire, the Order of St. George had its own special order of wearing.
The badge of the order of the 4th degree was worn on the left side of the chest in the buttonhole, on an order ribbon 22 mm wide.
Order of the 3rd degree - on a neck ribbon 32 mm wide.
The badge of the Order of the 2nd degree was also worn on a neck ribbon 50 mm wide, but at the same time the Star of the Order was worn on the left side of the chest.
The badge of the Order of St. George, 1st degree, was worn on a wide order ribbon (100-110 mm) over the right shoulder, at the hip. The star of the order, as for the 2nd degree, was worn on the left side of the chest.
In addition, holders of the order were allowed to never remove the insignia of the order from their military uniform, and also to wear a uniform even after retirement.

Statute of the order

Badge of the Order of St. George, 4th degree, for 25 years of service in officer ranks.

Badge of the Order of St. George, 4th class for 18 campaigns.

Badge of the Order of St. George, 4th class for 20 campaigns.

During its history, the Order of St. George had three statutes.
The first was signed by Catherine II at the solemn ceremony of establishing the order in 1769. The Statute of Empress Catherine stated:

According to the Statute, the awarding of orders of the 1st and 2nd degree was carried out personally by the emperor and at his discretion.
The 3rd and 4th degrees of the order were awarded by the Military and Naval Collegiums, and since 1782 by the St. George Duma, consisting of holders of this order.
The Statute also stipulated the deadline for submitting a proposal for awarding the order - no more than 4 weeks after the accomplishment of the feat.

In cases of awarding the Order of St. George of the 4th degree, the commanders of armies or corps were allowed not to assemble the Duma of St. George, but to award the award at their own discretion. Moreover, each such award had to be approved by the emperor.

There was a separate clause that described the privileges of order bearers.

In addition, every officer awarded the Order of St. George received a promotion in rank.

Despite the fact that it was a military order, the Statute provided for the award of the 4th degree of the order for 25 years of impeccable service in the officer ranks or for participation in 18 naval campaigns. At the same time, 6 months of pure sailing were considered as one campaign. The insignia of these orders had a corresponding inscription on the horizontal rays: “25 years” and “18 camp.”

The terms of service could be shortened. For example, participants in such battles as the storming of Ochakov in 1788 or the capture of Izmail in 1790 had their term of service reduced by 3 years. Also, 3 years were reduced for officers who received the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree with a bow, for military exploits, and for those awarded the golden weapon “For Bravery” - 2 years.

Later, holders of the Order of St. Anne, 3rd degree, with a bow, for which the period of service was reduced by 1 year, were also included in this list. Naval officers who participated in outstanding naval battles had their term of service reduced by 1 campaign, holders of the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree with a bow, by 2 campaigns, the Order of St. Anna, 3rd degree with a bow, and the golden weapon “For Bravery” by 1 campaign. .

On December 6, 1833, Emperor Nicholas I issued a new Statute. The statute determined the procedure for awarding the order. Now the awards were made sequentially starting from the 4th degree. The changes also affected the rules for awarding the Order of St. George for impeccable service. Now, in addition to 25 years of impeccable service, to receive the 4th degree of the order, the main condition was mandatory participation in at least one battle. For naval officers who did not take part in battles, the order was awarded for 20 campaigns.

In addition, the new Statute contains a detailed description of the feats that give the right to be awarded the order.

Starting from August 9, 1844, Russian subjects and foreigners, persons of non-Christian religion began to be awarded orders on which, instead of the image of St. George and his monogram, the imperial double-headed eagle was depicted.

Since 1845, officers awarded any degree of the Order of St. George received the right to hereditary nobility, and could also have the right to display the insignia of the order on their family coat of arms.

On May 15, 1855, Emperor Alexander II abolished the award of the order for long service and for naval campaigns.

Badge of the Order of St. George, 4th class for non-Christians.

The statute was rewritten for the third time under Nicholas II in 1913. However, the main changes affected awards for lower ranks - the Insignia of the Military Order of St. George and the Medal for Bravery.

Examples of awards

First degree

The first award took place on November 26, 1769 - Empress Catherine II awarded herself the insignia of the 1st degree order. On July 27, 1770, the first award of the Order of the 1st degree for military merit took place. For victories over the Turkish army at Larga and Kagul, it was awarded to Field Marshal General Count P. A. Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky. The last person to be awarded the Order of St. George, 1st degree, on November 29, 1877, was Field Marshal Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich (senior), for the capture of the city of Plevna.

Knight of the Order of St. George, 1st degree, Field Marshal M.I. Kutuzov.

Knight of the Order of St. George, 2nd degree, Admiral S.K. Greig.

GIRL OF THE ORDER OF ST. GEORGE, 1st Class

№	Last name, first name, patronymic	Title	Rank	Date of delivery
1	ALEXANDER II	emperor	major general	26.11.1869
2	BARCLAY-de-TOLLY M. B.	prince	Field Marshal General	19.08.1813
3	BENNIGSEN L. L.	graph	cavalry general	22.07.1814
4	GOLENISCHEV-KUTUZOV M. I.	His Serene Highness Prince	Field Marshal General	12.12.1812
5	DIBICH-ZABALKANSKY I. I.	graph	Field Marshal General	12.09.1829
6	DOLGORUKOV-KRIMSKY V. M.	prince	general-in-chief	18.07.1771
7	CATHERINE II	empress	Colonel of the Guard	26.11.1769
8	MIKHAIL NIKOLAEVICH	Grand Duke	Field Marshal General	09.10.1877
9	NIKOLAY NIKOLAEVICH (senior)	Grand Duke	Field Marshal General	29.11.1877
10	ORLOV-CHESMENSKY A. G.	graph	general-in-chief	22.09.1770
11	PANIN P. I.	graph	general-in-chief	08.10.1770
12	PASKEVICH ERIVANSKY I. F.	His Serene Highness Prince	Field Marshal General	27.07.1829
13	POTEMKIN-TAURICHESKY G. A.	His Serene Highness Prince	Field Marshal General	16.12.1788
14	REPNIN N.V.	prince	Field Marshal General	15.07.1791
15	RUMYANTSEV-ZADUNAYSKY P. A.	graph	Field Marshal General	27.07.1770
16	SUVOROV-RYMNIKSKY A.B.	prince	generalissimo	18.10.1789
17	CHICHAGOV V. Ya.		admiral	26.06.1790
18	ALBERT OF AUSTRIA	Archduke	field marshal	20.06.1870
19	ANGOULÉMSKY A.A.	Duke		22.11.1823
20	BLUCHER G. A.	prince	Field Marshal General	08.10.1813
21	WELLINGTON A.B.	Duke	Field Marshal General	28.04.1814
22	WILHELM I OF PRUSSIAN	king		26.11.1869
23	CARL XIV JOHAN	King of Sweden and Norway		30.08.1813
24	RADETSKY I.	graph	Field Marshal General	07.08.1848
25	SCHWARZENBERG K. F.	generalissimo		08.10.1813

Second degree

Knight of the Order of St. George, 2nd degree, General of Infantry H.H. Yudenich.

Before the outbreak of the First World War, only 121 people were awarded the 2nd degree of the order. And despite the scale of the battles on the fields of the First World War, only 4 people received this award during this period.
The first to be awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd degree, were generals N.V. Repnin, P.G. Plemyannikov and F.V. Bour. They distinguished themselves by commanding troops at the Battle of Largues in 1770.
The last holder of the order of the 2nd degree was Infantry General H.H. Yudenich, who received all 3 crosses during the period of command of the Caucasian Front in the First World War. 4th degree - for the Sorokomysh operation, 3rd degree - for the defeat of the right wing of the Turkish 3rd Army in 1915 and 2nd degree - for the Erzurum operation.

Third degree

However, the very first military award of the Order of St. George was made precisely in the 3rd degree. Lieutenant Colonel F.I. distinguished himself. Fabritian, for personal bravery during the storming of the Turkish fortress of Galati. The first cavalier received the award on December 8, 1769.

The glorious commander, Generalissimo A.V. Suvorov was awarded immediately the 3rd degree of the order, bypassing the 4th. This is due to the fact that at the time of awarding Suvorov had the rank of major general, and awarding the 4th degree would have been somewhat inconsistent with the rank. He received his award on August 30, 1772.

Fourth degree

On February 3, 1770, the first award of the Order of the 4th degree was made. The first cavalier was Prime Major R. Patkul.
The first person to be awarded the Order for Long Service was Lieutenant General I. Springer. Emperors Alexander I and Nicholas I also had the badge of the order for long service.
For “18 naval campaigns” the first to be awarded was Lieutenant Commander I.D. Durov. In addition, admirals V.Ya. had the same order. Chichagov, A.V. Voevodsky, I.A. Povalishin, as well as famous navigators F.F. Bellingshausen, V.M. Golovnin, I.F. Krusenstern, M.P. Lazarev, G.A. Sarychev, F.P. Litke.
Since 1913, the Statute of the Order provided for the posthumous awarding of the Order. Thus, among the first to be awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree, pilot P. N. Nesterov was posthumously awarded for committing the first air ram.
Two women received this award. The first was the Queen of the Two Sicilies Maria Sophia Amalia in 1861, the second was the sister of mercy Rimma Ivanova, who replaced the killed officer and led a company into the attack. During this attack she was mortally wounded, so her award was made posthumous.

NUMBER OF ORDERS OF ST. GEORGE AWARDED DURING SOME WARS

	1st Art.	2nd Art.	3rd Art.	4th Art.
Patriotic War of 1812-1814, incl. foreign nationals	7 4	36 12	156 33	618 127
Crimean War 1853-1856	-	3	5	3
Russian-Turkish War 1877-1878, incl. foreign nationals	2 -	11 2	40 3	353 35
Campaign in China 1900-1901.	-	-	2	30
Russo-Japanese War 1904-1905	-	-	10	256
First World War, including foreign nationals	- -	4 -	53 -	3643 8

Notes

List of sources

Literature

Gladkov N.N. History of the Russian state in awards and badges. Volume 1. In 2-. St. Petersburg: Polygon, 2004.
Durov V.A. Order of the Russian Empire. - M.: White City, 2003.
Kuznitsov A.A. Orders and medals of Russia. - M.: MSU, 1985.
Shishkov S.S. Russian awards. 1698-1917. T. II.- D.: Art-Press, 2003.