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 containing 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 an orange moire silk ribbon, 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 ribbons contain images in the form of golden-colored Roman numerals from one to four, the height of the numbers is 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 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 servicemen were awarded the Crosses of St. George for the distinctions shown during the peacekeeping operation to force Georgia to peace.

Based on materials from open sources.

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 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 Crosses in battles.

Insignia of the Military Order- an award assigned to the Order of St. George in the Russian Imperial Army for lower ranks from to 1917. Until 1913 had an unofficial name St. George's Cross; in 1913 it was officially enshrined in.

The insignia of the Military Order was the highest award for soldiers and non-commissioned officers for military merits and for courage shown against the enemy.

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 a 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.

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).

On August 19, 1844, Emperor Nicholas I signed a decree establishing a special Cross of St. George for Mohammedans (Muslims) and other persons of non-Christian religion. On such a hunt for rewards instead of Christian plot with Saint George slaying the serpent, was depicted black double headed eagle. At the same time, Muslim recipients often insisted on issuing an ordinary cross with St. George, considering it as an award “with a horseman like themselves,” and not “with a bird.”

In total, during the era of Nicholas I (1825-1856), 57,706 valiant lower ranks of the Russian army were awarded the badge. Most of the cavaliers appeared after the Russian-Persian 1826-1828 and Russian-Turkish 1828-1829. wars (11,993), the suppression of the Polish rebellion (5888) and the Hungarian campaign of 1849 (3222).

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.

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-class Insignia of the Military Order of his complete gentlemen (holders of all four degrees) were about 2 thousand people, about 7 thousand were awarded the 2nd, 3rd and 4th degrees, about 25 thousand were awarded the 3rd and 4th degrees, 205,336 were awarded the 4th degree The largest number of awards occurred during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. (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.

• 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 the letters “ZhM” and “BM” under their serial numbers. There were crosses of St. George: 1st degree "ZhM" - 10,000 (No. from 32481 to 42480), 2nd degree "ZhM" - 20,000 (No. from 65031 to 85030), 3rd degree "BM" - 49,500 (No. from 289151 to 338650), 4th degree “BM” - 89,000 (No. from 1210151 to 1299150).

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."

• 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:

• 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 - the 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.

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.

During the Civil War

The virtual absence of a unified command and the territorial disunity of the white armies led to the fact that a common reward system was not created. There was no unified approach to the issue of the admissibility of awarding pre-revolutionary awards. As for the soldiers' St. George Crosses and medals, they were awarded to ordinary soldiers and Cossacks, volunteers, non-commissioned officers, cadets, volunteers and sisters of mercy in all territories occupied by the White armies. During the march of M.G. Drozdovsky’s detachment along the Yassy-Don route, St. George’s crosses, a whole bag of which went to Drozdovsky at the headquarters of the Romanian Front, were also awarded as awards to the officers of the detachment. The first such award took place on March 30, 1918.

At the same time, in the south of Russia, on the territory of the All-Great Don Army, taking into account local specifics, St. George the Victorious was depicted on the St. George crosses as a Cossack: in a hat with a bashlyk, a Cossack uniform and boots, with a forelock visible from under the cap, his face framed by a beard. Since May 11, 1918, more than 20 thousand such crosses of the 4th degree have been awarded, 9080 - 3rd, 470 - 2nd and one - 1st. In the Don Army, officers and generals were also awarded the Cross of St. George.

On February 9, 1919, the awarding of the St. George Cross was restored on the Eastern Front to A.V. Kolchak. But at the same time, it was prohibited to award officers with the St. George Cross with a laurel branch and to wear them.

In the Northern Army of E.K. Miller, 2270 crosses of the 4th degree were awarded, 422 - 3rd, 106 - 2nd and 17 - 1st.

In the Volunteer Army, awarding St. George's crosses was allowed on August 12, 1918 and occurred on the same basis as in the Russian Imperial Army: “Soldiers and volunteers are presented [to] St. George's crosses and medals for the feats specified [in] the St. George's Statute by the same In accordance with the procedure, as during the war [on] the external front, they are awarded crosses by the authority of the corps commander, and medals by the authority of the division commander.” The first presentation of awards took place on October 4, 1918. In the Russian army of P.N. Wrangel, this practice was preserved.

The last Knight of St. George during the Civil War, awarded in Russia, was sergeant Pavel Vasilyevich Zhadan (1901-1975), awarded in June 1920 for participation in the defeat of the cavalry corps of D.P. Zhloba.

Awards in the 1930s and 40s.

The last award of the St. George Cross on behalf of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army P.N. Wrangel was dated September 20, 1922.

It is known that Vladimir Nikiforovich Degtyarev was awarded the St. George Cross, 4th degree, for several successful reconnaissance missions into the territory of the USSR (order of the head of the EMRO, Lieutenant General E.K. Miller, dated November 10, 1930)

Finally, the St. George Cross of the 4th degree was awarded twice to ranks of the Russian Security Corps - doctor Nikolai Aleksandrovich Golubev and cadet Sergei Vladimirovich Shaub. Both awards took place on December 12, 1941. N.A. Golubev fought in the ROC until the end of the war and on May 12, 1945 he was captured by the British. After being seriously wounded, S.V. Shaub became a doctor, lived in Switzerland from 1951 and died on July 11, 2006 at the age of 82. He was the last Knight of St. George during the Second World War.

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 is known addressed to the chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars and the State Defense Committee I. V. Stalin from a professor at VGIK, the 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. Anoshchenko 22.IV.1944

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

In order to create continuity of 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.

Heroes of the Soviet Union - full holders of the St. George Cross

There are seven known heroes:

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

He was nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, but did not receive it:

Cavaliers

The future Major General Sidor Kovpak had two crosses; during the Great Patriotic War, he 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 became a famous Knight of St. George during the First World War. In 1920, she was shot by the Bolsheviks.

The last Knight of St. George during the Civil War is considered to be 18-year-old sergeant P.V. Zhadan, for saving the headquarters of the 2nd Cavalry Division of General Morozov.

Recovery in the Russian Federation

The insignia "St. George's Cross" was restored in the Russian Federation in 1992. By Decree of the Presidium

St. George's Cross

Kak, is a revived award insignia from the times of the Russian Empire with minor changes in appearance and statute.

The St. George Cross was restored in the award system of Russia by the Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces in March 1992, the same decree ordered the commission on state awards under the President of the Russian Federation to develop regulations on the St. George Cross and the statute of the Order of St. George. The work dragged on until August 2000, when the Decree “On approval of the Statute of the Order of St. George, the Regulations on the insignia - the St. George Cross and their descriptions” appeared. Initially, it was intended that awards would be given only for exploits in battles with an external enemy. But after a peacekeeping operation was carried out in early August 2008 to force Georgia to peace, additions were made to the Statute and Regulations on the possibility of awarding “... for feats in military operations on the territory of other states while maintaining or restoring international peace and security.”

As a result, the Regulations on the St. George Cross provide for the awarding of rank and file of the Russian Army (soldiers and sailors), sergeants and senior officers, as well as warrant officers, midshipmen and junior officers. The basis for the award is the demonstrated bravery, courage and dedication in fulfilling military duty to defend one’s Fatherland, as well as in restoring and maintaining peace in the territories of other states as part of limited contingents of Russian troops.

The St. George Cross has four degrees, the highest of which is the first. Awards are made in accordance with the seniority of degrees. The sign is made in the form of a straight equal-pointed cross with rays expanding towards the ends. The rays, slightly convex on its front side, are bordered by a narrow edging along the edges. The center is marked by a round medallion, with a relief image of St. George slaying a serpent with a spear.

On the reverse side of the St. George Cross, at its ends, is the number of the award, and in the center of the medallion is a relief monogram of the saint in the form of intertwined letters “C” and “G”. Depending on the degree of the award, a corresponding inscription is placed on the lower beam. At the end of the upper beam there is an eyelet for attaching the sign through a ring to the pentagonal block. The block is covered with a silk moiré ribbon, orange in color with three longitudinal black stripes - St. George's ribbon.

St. George's Cross - made of silver, the signs of the second and first degrees are gilded. The size is determined by the distance between the ends of its rays and is equal to thirty-four millimeters for all four degrees. The sign blocks have the same dimensions, and the width of the tapes on them is twenty-four mm. A distinctive feature of the block for insignia of the first and third degrees is the presence on it of a bow with the colors of the Order of St. George.

Rules for wearing: The St. George Cross should be worn on the left chest. Its location is determined after orders, but before all medals. If the recipient has signs of several degrees, then they are located on the chest in descending order. Miniature copies are provided for everyday wear. On uniforms, it is possible to wear ribbons of the insignia of St. George on a daily basis. The tapes are located on strips eight millimeters high and twenty-four millimeters wide. The ribbons on the strips in the middle part have images in the form of golden Roman numerals from one to four, seven mm high. The numbers indicate the degree of the St. George Cross to which the bar corresponds.

The first award of the St. George Cross took place in 2008. It is worth noting that the awards were given to the military of the Russian Federation who took a direct part in the operation to force Georgia to peace, which was carried out on the territory of South Ossetia, and in which Russian forces acted in support of the Ossetian people. The peacekeeping operation was carried out in August 2000 against Georgian forces showing aggression towards the Ossetian people. As a result of the counter-offensive along the entire line of confrontation, the Russian army, together with the army of South Ossetia, managed to oust the Georgian security forces to their previous positions, thereby persuading the country’s leadership to begin a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Thus, this military operation personified the combination of competent command of units with the courage and courage of the participants in the conflict (from an ordinary soldier to the highest rank of commanders).

Such a successful peacekeeping campaign could not remain in Russian society without awards and recognition of its heroes. 263 servicemen who stopped the Georgian aggression received the Cross of St. George. Ordinary soldiers, sailors, junior sergeants, sergeants, orderlies and many others became Knights of St. George.

Among the recipients is Guard Captain Dorin Alexey Yuryevich, commander of the 234th Black Sea Air Assault Battalion of the Alexander Nevsky Air Assault Regiment. Alexey Dorin and his unit were the first to enter the territory of South Ossetia. In addition, the captain took part in the liberation of the city of Tskhinvali, as well as in the capture of the Georgian base in Gori.

“Chest in crosses or head in bushes” - this was the principle by which the contenders for this award lived, and were confident that the honor of the distinction was worth the risk. In the tsarist army, the Cross of St. George was one of the most respected distinctions, despite its “soldier’s” status. The soldiers who received it often became celebrities. Officers who earned soldier's distinction were respected by their comrades and subordinates more than holders of elite "neck" badges. The word “George” was symbolic, and the details of the sign were separated into symbols separately.

Today the award has been restored and its symbolic significance remains great.

Reward for those unrelated

The main feature of the St. George Cross is that it was intended exclusively for lower ranks (soldiers and non-commissioned officers). Previously, they were not supposed to be awarded orders at all. Orders were considered exclusively the privilege of the nobility (compare: “order of knighthood”). That’s why the cross was called not an order, but a “sign of the order.”

But in 1807, under the impression of the war with Napoleon, Tsar Alexander heeded the advice of an unknown person, who recommended establishing a reward for the rank and file. The first recipient was the soldier Yegor Mitrokhin, who distinguished himself in the battle with the French.

Cavaliers were entitled to increased pay and exemption from corporal punishment (including the usual scolding by officers at that time, although not officially).

The award should not be confused with the Order of St. George - “officer George”. It was intended exclusively for officers.

At the same time, the conscious part of the command staff of the Russian army valued the soldier’s option. The “toy soldiers” on the officer’s jacket aroused admiration. Often they were held by officers who had served their rank with valor, or who had previously been demoted for a duel, freethinking and other matters that were not considered dishonorable.

It took courage to create such a reason for demotion. She also helped to earn the soldier’s George and quickly regain his lost rank. The soldiers also respected officers with such distinctions. It was especially chic to have both a soldier and an officer George.

Special conditions of award

The conditions for awarding the Cross of St. George were harsh and differed significantly from the conditions provided for officer awards.

1. It could only be obtained for participation in hostilities.
2. It was issued only for a personal feat (capturing a useful prisoner, an enemy banner, saving the life of a commander, or another similar act). Injury or participation in a major campaign did not give such a right.
3. It was awarded only to lower ranks. There are only a few exceptions.

One soldier could be awarded more than once. Accordingly, he received more privileges - his salary increased, and after retirement he was assigned an “increased pension.”

The terms of the award have changed several times.

Initially, there were no degrees, and the cross itself was issued to a soldier only once. If he had the right to claim it again, he was only noted and awarded the appropriate reward. In 1833, a form of wearing a badge was introduced (with the one known to everyone).

In 1844, a variety “for non-believers” appeared. It was almost secular in nature - the image of the saint was replaced by a coat of arms, a double-headed eagle. There are anecdotal cases of resentment among Muslim mountaineers in Russian service who received these awards and were offended because there was a “bird” on the crosses and not a “dzhigit.”

In 1856, 4 degrees of awards appeared. Now it should be given from the lowest (4th degree) to the highest. The St. George Cross of the 4th and 3rd degrees was made of silver, the higher degrees - of gold.

In 1913, the unofficial name of the award became official. According to the new statute, those awarded the 4th degree of the St. George Cross received (in addition to other privileges) the right to a lifelong pension - 36 rubles per year (this is not enough), for subsequent degrees the amount of remuneration increased.

Initially, award badges did not have numbers.

But in 1809, numbers were introduced, and even already issued awards were renumbered (temporarily withdrawing them). At the same time, the compilation of personal lists of those awarded the St. George Cross began. Some have been preserved in the archives, and even now it is not difficult to determine the owner of the award by the number.

In 1856 and 1913, the numbering began anew. But the ability to determine the owner by number remains. In recent years, she has been helping to establish the identities of some of those killed in the Great Patriotic War. Not long ago, the remains of a soldier who died at Stalingrad were identified. There were no personal items or medallion with him, but the soldier wore “George” on his chest.

A difference for all time

Before the revolution, respect for the Knights of St. George was not in doubt. They had the right and even the obligation to wear awards constantly. Miniatures of the “St. George’s Cross” were provided for daily use. The awardees were talked about in the newspapers; they were “heroes of the nation.”

But even during the First World War, the status of the award was omitted. For the sake of raising morale (the war was not popular), the command distributed crosses not according to the regulations. So many award badges were issued and distributed in advance, as if the entire Russian army consists of miracle heroes (this was clearly not the case). After the February Revolution of 1917, the award completely lost its value (Kerensky received 2 pieces - he’s still a soldier!).

During the Civil War, in the White Army there was an attempt to restore the practice of awarding those who distinguished themselves. But ideological representatives of the white movement doubted the morality of such a step - to celebrate “heroism” in a fratricidal war “not sanctioned” by the monarch. However, there were those awarded, and the appearance of the badge underwent some changes.

The Don Army, for example, turned the saint into a Cossack. In the 30s...40s, white emigration occasionally gave awards to figures of the white movement and anti-Soviet agents. But this no longer evoked the same respect as before.

A lot of holders of the St. George's Cross went to serve in the Red Army. There they had no privileges (officially abolished in 1918).

Some of the award badges disappeared as part of the operation “diamonds for the dictatorship of the proletariat” - golden crosses of St. George were handed over to the state to buy food for the hungry.

But there were those awarded who kept them, and were not subjected to any reprisals for this. Marshal Budyonny (who had an iconostasis of Soviet awards) always wore only the full St. George set.

Such actions were not encouraged, but the authorities did not pay attention when experienced older soldiers (who had already gone to the second world war in their lives) allowed themselves to do this. The experience and skills of such fighters were worth more than ideological trifles.

During the Great Patriotic War, the Order of Glory appeared - the Soviet analogue of the Tsarist Soldier's Order. After this, older military men were allowed to wear crosses semi-officially and the rights of the full set of Orders of Glory and the full set of St. George were equalized.

Revival of an old award

After the collapse of the USSR, Georgies officially returned to the list of Russian awards in 1992. But the creation of a new statute took time, and then immediate changes. It was assumed that awards, as before, would be for participation in battles for the defense of the Fatherland. But the Ossetian events of 2008 changed the situation. Now the Crosses of St. George of the Russian Federation are also awarded for distinction during battles outside the country.

There is also an anniversary medal “200 years of the Cross of St. George”.

Post-Soviet times are a dark period in the history of the award. The poverty of the first years after the collapse of the USSR led to the “putting up for auction” of what cannot be traded. Orders and medals, Soviet and Tsarist, have also become commodities. Openly naming their “market price” is simply immoral - it’s the same as trading in the Motherland.

But there are now a lot of privately produced “St. George Crosses” on the market (the production of awards is the Mint’s priority). It is difficult to distinguish them from the originals - museum workers conduct thorough checks of the signs they receive. But it’s better to let it be this way - copies of St. George’s crosses are not rewards, trading them is not a crime. You can at least hang a pectoral cross on a St. George ribbon - this will not make it valuable for history.

The historical value of the award depends on the time of its issue and affiliation, which can be determined from the lists of awardees. The price of the metal is not important.

Confirmation of high status

Many famous people and entire military units had St. George's crosses. In some cases, it is difficult for our contemporaries to even imagine that a particular person could have them.

1. The awarding of Shurochka Azarova in “The Hussar Ballad” is not made up. This is an episode of the biography of Nadezhda Durova, the prototype of the heroine.
2. General Miloradovich, who was killed during the Decembrist speech, had a soldier's distinction.
3. Marshal Budyonny had not even 4, but 5 Georgievs. The first 4 degrees were taken away from him as punishment for fighting. But Budyonny immediately earned a new one, and then went upward.
4. The famous “Vasily Ivanovich” (divisional commander Chapaev) received a little less - 3 pieces.
5. Georgy Zhukov, Rodion Malinovsky, Konstantin Rokossovsky had 2-3 awards each - it’s not surprising that they became marshals of Victory!
6. The partisan general Sidor Artemyevich Kovpak had 2 "George". Then he added 2 Gold Stars to them. A total of 7 heroes of the Soviet Union were also full Knights of St. George.
7. The crews of the cruiser "Varyag" and the accompanying gunboat "Koreets" were awarded as military units.
8. During World War I, 2 French and 1 Czech pilots were awarded.

In the lists of gentlemen there are some completely strange characters. So, search engine enthusiasts unearthed in them a certain von Manstein and a certain... Hitler! They have nothing to do with the Third Reich and their odious namesakes.

The unexpected side of fame

The Cross of St. George is the most famous Russian award. Because of this, she is associated with Russia in general. Related to this are attempts to “appropriate” it entirely, as well as its individual attributes.

The authorities of the unrecognized DPR and LPR are now issuing their analogues. The status of these awards is not determined due to the uncertain situation of the republics themselves.

Even more often, the St. George ribbon is used - the color of the order block. Theoretically, they should symbolize “smoke and flames” (black and orange stripes). But no one is interested in this - the ribbon is viewed as a symbol of Russian power.

For this reason, it is used in symbolism in states friendly to Russia. Countries that have strained relations with Russia are trying to ban it.

Thus, in Ukraine, public use of a ribbon is even treated as a criminal offense.

Today, some orders of Russia are rated higher than the Cross of St. George. Its revival is not intended to change the awards hierarchy. This is simply a tribute to the glory of our ancestors and an attempt to revive the continuity of generations where it is worth doing.

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