Description of the Order of St. George the Victorious. Full Knights of the Order of Saint George

August 8, 2000 President Russian Federation Decree was issued according to which the Order of St. George the Victorious in the Russian award system. city ​​of Empress Catherine II and was one of the most revered in Russian army awards. St. George - the patron of the Russian land and its defenders, a brave and courageous warrior, was especially revered in Russia. Temples were built in his honor, holidays were held. In Russia, the image of St. George - a horseman with a spear, slaying the snake- found on princely seals, helmets, coins, banners. It also entered the coat of arms of Moscow. Like the imperial order, the Order of St. George has four degrees, the 1st class is considered the highest, and the award is made from the lowest degree to the highest. The names of the Cavaliers of St. George are inscribed on special marble plaques that adorn the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace.

Badge of the order 1st class. It is a straight equilateral cross with expanding ends, which is made of gold and covered with white enamel. In the center of the cross is placed a medallion depicting St. George the Victorious on a white horse slaying a serpent in a red field. On the reverse side of the cross is the monogram of the Saint - "SG". The "Signs of the Greater Cross", 1st and 2nd degrees, are accompanied by a four-pointed star with the monogram of the Saint 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 of the 2nd class. also made of gilded silver. Signs of the 3rd Art. and 4th degree are distinguished by their smaller size and the absence of a star. The ribbon of the order consists of three black and two orange longitudinal stripes.

From the statute: Order of Saint George is the highest military award of the Russian Federation, is 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, culminating in the complete defeat of the enemy, which have become a model 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 the distinctions shown in combat operations.

Way of fastening and wearing: 1 step. orders are worn on a wide ribbon over the right shoulder, 2nd and 3rd degree - on a narrow ribbon around the neck, 4th class. - 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 opposite ends of the star - 82 mm. 2 step. The distance between the ends of the cross is 50 mm. between opposite ends of the star - 72 mm. 3 art. - 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 gained special weight for Russian society on August 8, 2000, when the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin approved the “Statute of the Order of St. George” by decree No. 1463. By a tragic coincidence, the president's signature was put on the decree three days before terrible tragedy in the Barents Sea, which happened with the Kursk nuclear-powered submarine. Perhaps that is why the first holders of this honorary badge appeared eight years later.

In 2008, on August 18, Colonel-General Makarov Sergey Afanasyevich 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 Caucasian Military District. In the period from 2002 to 2005, he served as deputy commander of the troops of this district, was at the head of the Joint Group of Forces for conducting counter-terrorist operations in the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation. Since 2005 - First Deputy Commander of the military units of the PUrVO (Volga-Ural Military District). Since 2008 - First Deputy Commander of a part of the troops of the North Caucasian Military District. Participant of the operation in the North Caucasus "Forcing Georgia to peace". It was an armed military conflict in South Ossetia in 2008, the opposing sides of which were Georgia on the one hand and South Ossetia together with Abkhazia, with the support of Russia, on the other. The situation escalated 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 launch of the operation “Forcing Georgia to Peace”. Within a few days, the Georgian security forces were pushed back to their former positions, and the presidents of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Georgia and Russia sat down at the negotiating table. The power side of the conflict was resolved on this. The operation was fast, efficient, with a minimum number of losses, which spoke of the power of the armed forces of the Russian Federation 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.

Lebed Anatoly Vyacheslavovich became another holder of the Order. The officer also took an active part in armed conflicts in the North Caucasus. He was a participant in the 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 following the results of the same Ossetian campaign and the operation “Forcing Georgia to Peace”. Lebed was part of a group of fighters who seized the naval base in Poti and sank boats of the Georgian Navy.

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 Lieutenant General of the Reserve Volkovitsky Vadim Yuryevich, Lieutenant General of Aviation, retired Sadofiev Igor Vasilievich, Commander of the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation, Colonel General Shamanov Vladimir Anatolyevich and Deputy Commander of the Central Regional Command of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for emergencies city ​​of Moscow, Lieutenant General Urasov Mikhail Ivanovich.

Among the military awards of the Russian Empire, the most revered was the Order of St. George. Respect for this award was preserved in the Soviet period - the colors of the guards ribbon, bordering the main soldier's award of the Great Patriotic War, the Order of Glory, are extremely similar to the colors of the ribbon of the Order of St. George. After the Great Patriotic War, one could easily meet veterans who proudly wore St. George's crosses along with Soviet awards.

Several years were being prepared for the establishment of the order.

The idea of ​​establishing a special award, awarded exclusively for military merit, came from Empress Catherine II immediately after the accession. The first draft of the Order of St. George - a Christian martyr, patron of the military, especially revered in Russia - was prepared by 1765. The empress, however, was not satisfied with the proposals, and work on the order lasted another four years.

Officially, the statute of the Order of the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious was signed by Empress Catherine II in the Winter Palace on November 26 (December 7, according to a new style), 1769.

Served in the palace church divine liturgy, the signs of the order were consecrated - a cross, a star and a ribbon.

The establishment of the order was accompanied by great celebrations and artillery salutes.

The sign of the order of the 1st degree Catherine II laid upon herself in honor of the establishment of a new award. The self-imposition of the award will be repeated in history only once more - in 1869 Alexander II so will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the order.

The badge of the order was an equal-ended cross with expanding ends, covered with white enamel. In the central medallion on the front side was placed the image of St. George on a white horse, on the reverse side - the monogram "SG", that is, "St. George". Two-color ribbon - three black and two orange stripes. The star was four-pointed, gold, with a monogram and the motto in the center - "For service and courage."

To whom for feats, and to whom for long service

The Order of St. George was the first Russian award that had four degrees.

The cross of the order of the 4th degree was worn on the left side of the chest on a ribbon of order colors, the cross of the 3rd degree - larger - was worn on the neck, the cross of the 2nd degree - on the neck, and the star - on the left side of the chest. The cross of the 1st, highest degree of the order was worn on a wide ribbon over the right shoulder, and the star was worn on the left side of the chest. The statute of the order was determined "this order should never be removed."

As already mentioned, the Order of St. George was awarded for military exploits, but there was one exception. The award of the 4th degree could be received by officers for long service, for 25 years of military service in the ground forces, for 18 at least six-month campaigns (that is, campaigns) in the fleet; since 1833, for naval officers who did not participate in battles, awards were also introduced for 20 campaigns. Since 1816, in such cases, inscriptions began to be placed on the cross: “25 years”, “18 campaigns”, later - “20 campaigns”.

In 1855, however, it was decided that such a respected and honorary award could not be awarded for long service, after which the practice of such an award was canceled.

First Cavalier and Great Four

The Order of St. George was awarded exclusively to officers. The first recipient of the award was lieutenant colonel Fyodor Ivanovich Fabritsian. It was impossible to find a more worthy candidate for this. Fyodor Fabritsian, a Courland nobleman, entered the service as a soldier in 1749. Having gone through several military campaigns, Fabrizian rose to high ranks, showing personal courage. Contemporaries noted that he was extremely concerned about the needs of his soldiers, took care of them.

On November 11, 1769, commanding a special detachment of chasseur battalions and part of the 1st Grenadier Regiment numbering 1,600 people, Lieutenant Colonel Fabrizian completely defeated a Turkish detachment of 7,000 people and occupied the city of Galati. For this feat, he was awarded the Order of St. George, and not the 4th, but immediately the 3rd degree.

Subsequently, Fedor Fabritsian became a general and commanded the Russian army in the North Caucasus.

In the entire history of the Order of St. George, only 25 people were awarded the 1st degree, 125 people received the 2nd degree award. The 3rd and 4th degrees were awarded much more often, the total number of those awarded is about 10 thousand people. At the same time, most of the orders of the 4th degree, about 8000, were received not for feats, but for length of service.

Cavaliers of the Order of St. George were entitled to an annual pension - 700 rubles for the 1st degree, 400 rubles for the 2nd, 200 and 100 rubles for the 3rd and 4th degrees, respectively.

Cavaliers of all four degrees of the Order of St. George were only four people - Field Marshals General Mikhail Kutuzov, Michael Barclay de Tolly,Ivan Paskevich And Ivan Dibich.

"A bird instead of a horseman"

In 1807 Emperor Alexander I a note was filed with a proposal to "introduce a 5th class or a special branch of the Military Order of St. George for soldiers and other lower military ranks."

In February 1807, Alexander I approved the insignia of the Military Order for the lower ranks “For Fearless Courage”, which later received the unofficial name “Soldier George”. The manifesto ordered the insignia of the Military Order to be worn on a ribbon of the same colors as the Order of St. George.

This award was presented much more often - only during the reign of Alexander I there were more than 46 thousand such awards. Initially, "soldier George" did not have degrees. They were introduced by imperial decree in 1856.

An interesting point is that many Muslims and representatives of other faiths fought in the ranks of the Russian army. Since St. George is a Christian saint, so as not to offend representatives of another faith, for these cases the appearance awards - it was awarded to non-Christians with the image of a double-headed eagle, and not George the Victorious.

This delicacy, however, was not appreciated by all. The brave highlanders even asked with some resentment: “Why do they give us crosses with a bird, and not with a horseman?”

George Cross

The official name of "soldier George" - the insignia of the Military Order - remained until 1913. Then a new statute of the award was drawn up, and it received a new and more well-known name today - the St. George Cross. From that moment on, the award became the same for all confessions - it depicted St. George.

For exploits in the First World War, about 1.2 million people were awarded the St. George Cross of the 4th degree, a little less than 290 thousand people of the 3rd degree, 65 thousand people of the 2nd degree, and 33 thousand people of the 1st degree.

Among the full cavaliers of the St. George Cross there will be at least six people who were subsequently awarded the title of Heroes Soviet Union, including legendary commander of the First Cavalry Army Semyon Budyonny.

During the Civil War in the White Army, the St. George Crosses were also awarded for the fight against the Bolsheviks, but not too actively.

The darkest page in the history of the George Cross is its use as an award in the so-called Russian Corps, a formation made up mainly of emigrants that sided with the Nazis during World War II. The corps acted against the Yugoslav partisans. However, the use of the St. George Cross as a reward was an initiative of collaborators, not supported by any laws.

A new history of the award began in 2008

IN new Russia The George Cross as an official award was approved by the Decree of the Presidium Supreme Council RF dated March 2, 1992. At the same time, for a long time the award existed purely formally. The statute of the insignia "St. George's Cross" was approved in 2000, and the first award took place only in 2008. The first St. George's Crosses in the Russian Federation were awarded to servicemen who showed courage and heroism during the armed conflict in South Ossetia in August 2008.

Having ascended the throne, Empress Catherine II decided to establish a new order, which was to be awarded specifically for military achievements. The first project was developed in 1765, but the Empress did not like it. After completion, on November 26, 1769, the ceremony of its establishment was held. The event took place in the Winter Palace, Catherine approved the Statute of the order, a service was held in the church at the palace, after which the consecration of the order signs took place: a star, a cross and ribbons.

Order star

The order star was gold, had the shape of a rhombus. It was supposed to be worn on the chest, on the left. In the center was placed a medallion, the field of which was golden. It bore the emblem of St. George: "SG". Along the edge of the medallion there is a strip covered with black enamel. On it are written in golden letters the words: "For service and courage." This is the motto of the order. Awarded to cavaliers of the 1st and 2nd class. Until 1854, this product was sewn. They were made of leather, fabric, silver thread, tinsel.

Badges of the Order

The cross was equilateral. Its rays expanded, the surface was covered with white enamel. The ends of the cross are bordered with gold. In the middle is a medallion, on which scarlet enamel is applied. On it is a portrait of a saint killing a dragon with a spear. On the back of the medallion there is the emblem of "SG". From the time of its establishment until 1917, the design of the cross remained virtually unchanged.

The exception was the reduction in the size of all signs, which occurred in 1816. At the same time, the words “25 YEARS” and “18 KAMP” began to be placed on the crosses of the 4th class, awarded for long service in the rank of officer. In 1856, for the length of service, officers began to be encouraged by the Order of St. Vladimir 4 tbsp. The Order of St. George began to be awarded exclusively for military exploits.

In 1845, on signs intended for persons of non-Christian faith, the images of the saint and his emblem were replaced by a double-headed eagle.

The honor of making the first signs of the order belongs to the court jeweler L. Pfisterer. Enamel masters S. Cherepanov and I. Leonovich took part in the work. The stars were made by I. Hasselgren. Later, St. Petersburg jewelers Zh.P. Adore and L.D. Duval. Until 1857, gold of 72 samples was used for signs, after - of 56.

Order prestige

From the moment of its establishment to the Order of St. George, all people were treated with deep respect and reverence. The Empress herself set an example. In a letter to Prince Potemkin, she said that this award was nicer than the others. Great commander A.V. Suvorov believed that George 1st century. above other awards, even the Order of A. the First-Called.

Denis Davydov had a very high opinion of this award and considered it a great honor to receive it. He said he didn't even dare to dream about it.

Holders of the Order

For the entire existence of the award, holders of 1 tbsp. became 25 people. Of these, there are two offerings. This was done by Catherine II, and in 1896 by Alexander II in honor of 100 years since the founding of the order. 2 tbsp. was awarded 124 times, 3 - 640, 4 - about 15,000. More than 6,700 people were awarded for military exploits, 7,300 for 25 years of service, about 600 for "18 campaigns", and 4 for "20 campaigns".

The second holder of the award after the Empress was P. A. Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky.
This happened in 1770 for the victory that the count won near Cahul. Since, if a person had 1 st., the lower one was no longer relied on, only four could become full cavaliers. Among them are M. Golenishchev-Kutuzov, M. Barclay de Tolly, I. Paskevich, I. Dibich-Zabalkansky.

3 persons had orders from 3 to 1 Art. These are G. Potemkin-Tavrichesky, A. V. Suvorov, L. Bennigsen.

Among the owners of 1 tbsp. There were also foreign nationals. In 1813, the award was presented to King Charles XIV of Sweden. For the battle near Leipzig in 1813, the order of the 1st class. received by General G. Blucher and Duke K. Schwarzenberg von Krumau. For the campaign of 1814, the Duke of A. W. Wellington received the award. In 1823, cavalier 1 tbsp. Duke of Angouleme, Louis Antoine.

In 1848, Tsar Nicholas I sent an order to the Austrian general J. Radetzky. In 1869, on the eve of the 100th anniversary of its founding, the Order was sent to Emperor Wilhelm I of Germany. next year the award was received by the Austrian Archduke A.F. Rudolf. Previously, he was awarded the badges of the order of the 3rd and 2nd degrees.

The last person to receive the Order of the 1st Art. in Russia, became Grand Duke N.N. Older. He was awarded in 1877 for the capture of Plevna.

The first person to receive an order of the 2nd class was P. Plemyannikov for the victory near Cahul. During the war with Napoleon 2 tbsp. was given to 24 people. Among them - 12 foreigners. During the period Crimean War 2 tbsp. only two were awarded - Vice Admiral P. Nakhimov and General V. Bebutov. For the war with the Turks 1877-1878. cavaliers 2 tbsp. became 10 people. Among them is the future emperor Alexander III and General I. Gurko.

During the 1st World Order of St. George 1st Art. was not handed. Holders of 2 tbsp. there were 4 Russians and 2 foreigners.

The first owner of the 3 tbsp. became Lieutenant Colonel Fedor Fabritsian. This happened in 1769 during the battle near Galati. During the war with Napoleon, cavaliers 3 tbsp. 123 people became. During the period Russo-Japanese War order 3 tbsp. received 45 people. Among them, 11 are non-Christians. In World War I, the owners of 3 tbsp. became 53 people.

The owner of 4 tbsp. von Patkul was the first. The presentation took place in 1770 for the battle won at Cape Dobre. For military exploits in 1812 4 tbsp. 491 Russians and 127 foreigners were encouraged. In the period 1904-1905 George 4 tbsp. received 670 people. In the 1st World War captain Avdeev became the owner of George 4 tbsp. twice.

In total, since 1812, 4 tbsp. received 16 regimental clergy. In addition, almost 500 priests were given pectoral crosses.

Privileges for holders of the order

The Cavaliers of St. George were granted very significant privileges. They were not required to pay fees when they were awarded, like holders of other orders. They could continue to wear a military uniform even after leaving the service. However, they did not have to have 10 years of service.

Holders of any of the degrees became hereditary nobles. By order of the emperor, all the names of the owners of the award were carved on marble boards. They hung in the St. George's Hall Grand Palace in the Moscow Kremlin.

George Cross

In order to be able to encourage representatives of the lower ranks and non-commissioned officers, in 1807 the St. George insignia appeared. Awards were made for the excellent courage that the applicant showed in battle against the enemy. Before the accession to the throne of Alexander II, more than 94,000 signs were awarded. Among them were 2 females. This is N. Durova and German S. Kruger.

All holders of the Badge of Distinction had their salaries increased by 1/3. Repeated awarding increased it by 2/3, and so on. Until 1833, 95 silver was used to make the sign, later - from 84. From 1904 to 1905, more than 1670 people were awarded the 1st item, 2nd item. - 3 227, 3 art. - 22473, 4 tbsp. - 110 370.

In 1913, a new Statute of the sign appeared. The award became known as the George Cross. From that moment on, the numbering was started anew. The owner of the badge each year received a certain amount. Cavaliers 1 st. - 120 rubles, 2 tbsp. - 96, 3 tbsp. - 60, 4 tbsp. - 36. It was customary to wear an award on the chest. It was located to the right of other awards, to the left of the order signs.

During the 1st World War, the owners of George 1st. became about 33,000 people, 2 tbsp. - 65,000, 3 tbsp. - 289,000, 4 tbsp. - 1,200,000.

Order of St. George

This award has become, in essence, a whole complex of distinctions for senior officers, lower ranks, and even entire military units. In addition to the above awards, it included:

• Golden weapon.
• Medal.
• Golden crosses for military operations.

Among the awards presented to the whole team were banners and standards, as well as trumpets.

golden weapon

On September 28, 1807, the sovereign issued a Decree, according to which the officers who were awarded the Golden Weapons became holders of the Russian order. All premium weapons were of 3 types. 1st - Gold with diamonds. 2nd - "For courage." 3rd - Anninsky, which is 3 tbsp. Order of St. Anna. From 1815 - 4 tbsp. During the war with Napoleon, 241 copies of the Golden Weapons were issued, in the next 2 years another 685. In the war of 1877-1878. Approximately 500 people became owners of such weapons.

In 1855, it was decided that a lanyard of St. George's colors would be issued simultaneously with such weapons. Weapons intended for generals were decorated with diamonds, and their owners were considered holders of the order. The weapon "For Courage" did not imply the issuance of a cross, only a lanyard. Such a weapon, adorned precious stones, in the period 1904-1905. was issued to 4 generals, without stones - to 406 persons.

Until 1857, gold details were made of 72-carat gold, later -56. Price various kinds Golden weapons were in the range of 230-455 rubles. The cost of copies with diamonds exceeded a thousand rubles. Therefore, many of their owners rented it in exchange for money and made custom-made weapons with gilded details, which cost significantly less.

10% of the price of weapons was sent to the Wounded Committee. Since 1913, such weapons have been officially referred to as "Georgievsky". A small golden St. George cross measuring 17 × 17 millimeters appeared on its hilt.

George medal

This medal appeared on 08/10/1913. It replaced the medal "3a Courage". She was awarded the lower ranks, who demonstrated courage. Civilians could also become its owners for feats in battles with the enemy. This medal differed from the George Cross.

This award also had 4 degrees. It was supposed to be worn with the St. George ribbon. 1 and 2 Art. were made of gold, 3 and 4 - of silver. Since 1916, precious metals have been replaced by yellow and white metal. Cavaliers 1 st. annually received 36 rubles, 2 tbsp. - 24, 3 tbsp. - 18, 4 tbsp. - 12. Since 1913, approximately 100,000 gold and more than 2,200,000 silver awards have been made.

Golden crosses for military merit

Officers who were presented for this award, but never received it, were sometimes awarded gold crosses. Its owners had the right in the future to George 4 tbsp. for 25 years of service.

There were 5 types of similar crosses. Among them are "For Ochakov" (410 awarded), "For Izmail" (410), "For Prague" - (205), "For Preussish Eylau" (900), "For Bazardzhik" (300).

Collective awards

Since 1806, award banners and standards have appeared in the troops of our country. At the top of such a product was the St. George Cross. Below it is a matching ribbon. For the first time, such banners were handed over to the Kiev and 4 other regiments.

In 1819, the maritime flag appeared. For the first time he was awarded the ship "Azov", commanded by M. Lazarev. In 1878, St. George's ribbons were introduced for such awards. Achievements were written on them, for which ribbons were given.

In 1805, the St. George pipes appeared. They were silver, the St. George Cross was present on the case. Often it was written there for what feats the pipe was granted. Soon there were two types of such pipes: infantry and cavalry. The first was curved, the second straight.

Order of St. George in our time

The order, founded by Empress Catherine II, was abolished by the Bolsheviks. In 2000, it was restored as the highest military award of the Russian Federation. Although the Statute was adopted immediately, however, until 2008 the order was not awarded, since the Russian Federation did not wage wars. In 2010, a new Statute of the order was adopted. According to him, the highest officers can become cavaliers for the victory over the enemy who invaded the territory of the country. May be awarded for operations on the territory of other states in order to maintain peace.

Holders of the Order of the 4th Art. the right to become junior officers who demonstrated courage and courage in battle and won a victory in it. The award is divided into 4 degrees, the highest - 1 tbsp. Holders of 1 and 2 tbsp. a cross and a star are awarded, 3 and 4 tbsp. one cross.

The names of the gentlemen are carved on marble boards in the Georgievsky Hall in the Kremlin.

St. George Ribbon

Every year on the eve of Victory Day, the distribution of St. George ribbons takes place. This campaign started in 2005. The ribbon is attached to the chest, bag, car, etc. it symbolizes the heroic past of our country. This is a tribute to veterans, gratitude to the people who gave us the Great Victory!

Awarded until mid-1918.

In Soviet Russia, the order was abolished after the October Revolution of 1917. Since 2000, the Order of St. George has been a military decoration of the Russian Federation.

Order badges were not numbered, but lists of those awarded were kept.

The Order of St. George stood out among other Russian orders as an award for personal valor in battle, and the merits for which an officer could be awarded were strictly regulated by the statute of the order.

History

Star and Cross of the Order of St. George, 1st Class

The Order of St. George was established by Empress Catherine II on November 26 (December 7), a year after the start of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. For the first time in Russia, the order was divided into 4 degrees, and was intended to be awarded purely for distinction in military exploits. Another possibility was envisaged: since not always for every faithful son of the fatherland such cases are opened where his jealousy and courage can shine", even those could apply for the order of the 4th degree," koi in the field service for 25 years from the chief officer, and in the naval 18 campaigns served as officers» .

Badge of the order of the 3rd class. for officers of non-Christian faith, from 1844

Statute of the Order

For awarding the 3rd and 4th degrees, the Military College had to describe the feat in detail and collect evidence before presenting it to the monarch for approval. The highest degrees - 1st and 2nd - were awarded personally by the monarch at his own discretion. The practice of awards in the 19th century roughly worked out the criteria by which a general could be awarded the highest degrees. To deserve St. George of the 1st degree, it was necessary to win the war, to be awarded the 2nd degree, it was necessary to win an important battle.

4. Among those who can receive this order are all those who in the land and sea forces of Ours honestly and really serve as Headquarters and Chief Officers; and from the Generals, those who really served in the army showed excellent courage against the enemy, or excellent military art.

7. The signs of this military order are as follows:

A quadrangular gold star, in the middle of which is a yellow or gold field in a black hoop, and on it is the name of St. George in a monogram, and in a black hoop in gold letters the inscription: For service and courage.

A large gold cross with white enamel on both sides along the edges with a gold border, in the middle of which is the coat of arms of the Moscow Kingdom on enamel, that is, in the red field St. a diadem, sitting on a silver horse, on which the saddle and all the golden harness, a black serpent in the sole is poured out with a golden spear striking, on the back side in the middle in a white field is the name of this Saint George.

The cross for Cavaliers of the third and fourth classes is similar in everything to a large one, except that it is somewhat smaller.

Silk ribbon with three black and two yellow stripes.

11. Although it is inconvenient to enter into detailed description numerous military exploits, in different cases in the war and different images: however, it is no less necessary to lay down some rules, according to which excellent actions would be distinguished from ordinary ones; what for We to Our Military Collegiums have decided to prescribe some exemplary feats here, so that they decide their reasoning on this basis.

Worthy to be written in the mural presented to Us is the Officer who, having encouraged his subordinates by his example, and leading them, will finally take the ship, battery, or some other place occupied by the enemy.

If someone in a fortified place withstood a siege and did not give up, or defended with excellent courage and made sorties, he led bravely and wisely, and through that he won, or gave ways to acquire it.

If someone presents himself and undertakes a dangerous enterprise, which he will be able to accomplish.

If someone was the first on the attack, or on enemy land, when disembarking people from ships.

Yudenich fought in world war on the Caucasian front against the Turks. The first St. George award, the Order of St. George of the 4th degree, he received " for the defeat of the 3rd Turkish Army with the capture of the IX Turkish Corps and the remnants of two divisions of the X and XI Corps"in the Sarykamysh operation (December 1914 - January 1915).

N. N. Yudenich received both of his following St. 2nd degree - " for the assault on the Deve-Beinskaya position and the fortress of Erzurum on February 2, 1916". Yudenich became the penultimate cavalier of the Order of St. George, 2nd degree (and the last of the Russian subjects).

Of the foreign nationals, the 2nd degree of the Order of St. George in the First World War was deserved by two: the commander-in-chief of the French armed forces, General Joseph Joffre, for the defeat of the German troops in the Battle of Marne in 1914 and the previously mentioned F. Foch.

Awarding the Order of the 3rd degree

In total, about 650 people were awarded. The first cavalier in 1769 was Lieutenant Colonel Fyodor Fabritsian " for the defeat with a detachment entrusted to him of 1600 people near the city of Galati, on November 15, 1769, a very crowded enemy army against that number».

During the First World War, a little more than 60 people received the 3rd degree of the Order of St. George, including well-known generals F. A. Keller, L. G. Kornilov, A. M. Kaledin, N. N. Dukhonin, N. N Yudenich, A. I. Denikin. In 1916, after a long break, the 3rd degree was awarded (posthumously) to an officer in a small rank - Captain S. G. Leontiev (1878-1915), who was simultaneously posthumously promoted to lieutenant colonel.

In the years civil war The Order of St. George 3rd degree was awarded to ten people who particularly distinguished themselves in the struggle of the White movement against the Bolsheviks. Among them in 1919 were awarded - Lieutenant General G. A. Verzhbitsky and V. O. Kappel, Major General S. N. Voitsekhovsky, Admiral A. V. Kolchak.

Awarding the Order of the 4th degree

Major General I. E. Tikhotsky, awarded the Order of St. George 4th degree with a bow - for long service and military merit (a bow was added to the first order)

Sergei Pavlovich Avdeev

The captain of the 73rd Crimean Infantry Regiment Sergei Pavlovich Avdeev was awarded the first Order of St. George, 4th class. February 20, 1916 for capturing enemy machine guns. At that time he was an ensign and immediately, according to the statute of the order, he was promoted to second lieutenant. Then, on April 5, 1916, he was awarded the second Order of St. George, 4th degree. Most likely, there was a mistake, since Avdeev was introduced to the second order during a temporary assignment from his 9th army to the 3rd army. The order was awarded to him in the 3rd Army, then the award, according to the official form, was approved by a special order of the higher command on March 4, 1917, shortly before Avdeev's death.

It is known that two women were awarded the Order of George (after Catherine II). Orders of the 4th degree were awarded to:

• Maria Sofia Amalia, Queen of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1841-1925) - February 21, "For courage shown during the siege of the fortress of Gaeta from November 12, 1860 to February 13, 1861.";
• Rimma Mikhailovna Ivanova (posthumously), sister of mercy (1894-1915) - September 17, “For courage and selflessness shown in battle, when, after the death of all commanders, she took command of the company; died of wounds after the battle. The deceased nurse was awarded the order by decree of Nicholas II, which violated the status of the order as an exception.

The 4th degree of the Order of St. George was also awarded to representatives of the military clergy of the Russian Empire. The first cavalier of the priests in 1813 was Father Vasily (Vasilkovsky), who was awarded the order for courage during the battles near Vitebsk and Maloyaroslavets. Then during the 19th century the order was awarded to 3 more clergymen. The first award in the twentieth century. took place in 1905 (Fr. Stefan (Shcherbakovsky), then the order was awarded to military priests 13 more times. The last award took place in 1916.

For the fight against the Bolsheviks

Soldier George Cross

Insignia of the Military Order (soldier George) 4th degree

Day of the Knights of St. George

From the date of the establishment of the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George on November 26, 1769 by Empress Catherine the Great, this day began to be considered the festive Day of the Cavaliers of St. George, which was to be celebrated annually both at the Highest Court and "in all those places where the Knight of the Grand Cross happens". Since the time of Catherine II, the Winter Palace has become the venue for the main solemn ceremonies associated with the order. Meetings of the Duma of the Order of St. George were held in St. George's Hall. Solemn receptions were held annually on the occasion of the order holiday, for ceremonial dinners they used the St. George porcelain service, created by order of Catherine II (Gardner factory, - gg.).

The last time in the Russian Empire the Knights of St. George celebrated their order holiday on November 26.

This day is solemnly celebrated annually in all military units and teams.

In addition to the St. George's Hall in the Winter, there is the St. George's Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace, construction began in 1838 in the Moscow Kremlin according to the project of the architect K. A. Ton. On April 11, a decision was made to perpetuate the names of the Knights of St. George and military units on marble plaques between the twisted columns of the hall. Today, they contain over 11 thousand names of officers awarded various degrees of the Order from 1769 to 1769.

Restoration of the Order in the Russian Federation

The Order of St. George was restored in the Russian Federation in 1992. Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation of March 2, 1992 No. 2424-I "On State Awards of the Russian Federation" established:

Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council No. 2424-I was approved by the Decree of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation dated

The Order of St. George since August 8, 2000 is the highest military award of the Russian Federation. This order is the legal successor of the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George, established by Empress Catherine II in 1769. The first ideas about the restoration of this state award appeared on March 2, 1992, they were put forward by the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation, but after the events of 1993, the restoration of this order in the Russian award system was frozen. The statute of this state award was developed and approved only on August 8, 2000. In total, the order has 4 degrees (lowest degree - IV, highest - I).

According to the original statute of the order, they could be awarded to military personnel from among senior and senior officers for successfully carried out military operations to defend the Fatherland when attacked by an external enemy, ending in the complete defeat of the attackers, who became a model of real military art, whose exploits serve as an example of courage and valor for all generations of defenders Fatherland and who were awarded state awards of the Russian Federation for the differences shown in the hostilities. Such a statute of the award led to the fact that until 2008 it was simply not awarded, there were no reasons.

In 2008, the statute of the award was amended. The Order began to be awarded to senior and senior officers also for conducting combat and other operations on the territory of other countries in the restoration or maintenance of international peace and security (peacekeeping operations). Commenting on these changes, the then President of the country, Dmitry Medvedev, noted that the award was restored in 2000 for those who distinguished themselves in battles against external aggression against our country. However, in order to revive the glorious traditions of the Cavaliers of St. George, it was decided to present these awards for maintaining international peace and security on the territory of another state. In 2010, another change was made to the statute of the order: it became possible to award the 4th degree of the order to junior officers, previously only senior and senior officers could receive the award.

Order of St. George, 1st class

The Order of St. George has four degrees. At the same time, the Order of St. George I and II degrees has a sign and a star, III and IV degrees - only a sign. The highest degree of the award is the first degree. The order is awarded sequentially from the lowest degree to the highest. The order provides for the possibility of posthumous awards. To perpetuate, all the names of those awarded with this order are entered on a marble plaque, which is located in the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace in the capital of Russia.

The badge of the Order of St. George, I degree, is worn on a special shoulder ribbon, which must pass over the right shoulder. The badges of the Order of the II and III degrees are worn on a special neck ribbon, and the badge of the Order of the IV degree is traditionally worn on a block located on the left side of the chest, located in front of other orders and medals. Those awarded with this order wear signs of all degrees. At the same time, persons who have been awarded the Order of St. George, I degree, no longer wear the star of the Order of St. George, II degree. Also, when wearing the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called on the shoulder ribbon, the badge of the Order of St. George, I degree, is also not worn.

At present, 9 are known to have been awarded this highest military award of the Russian Federation (3 orders of the second degree, 6 orders of the fourth). All of them received orders for the distinctions that were shown as part of the peacekeeping operation to force Georgia to peace in August 2008. The first holder of the Order of St. George IV degree was Colonel General Sergei Afanasyevich Makarov, the commander of the North Caucasus Military District at that time. The Order of St. George II degree was awarded to three Russian military leaders - the Chief of the General Staff, General of the Army N. E. Makarov, the Commander-in-Chief of the country's Air Force, Colonel-General A. N. Zelin, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, General of the Army V. A. Boldyrev. All of them were awarded for the events of August 2008.

Order of St. George II class

The badge of the Order of St. George I degree is made of pure gold. It is an equilateral straight cross with expanding ends, which are enameled on both sides. Along the edges of the cross there is a rather narrow convex welt. In the center of the cross is a two-sided round medallion with a convex gilded border. Front side This medallion is covered with red enamel. On the medallion there is an image of St. George on a white horse in a cloak, helmet and armor of silver color. The helmet, cloak, saddle and harness of the horse are golden in color. The rider looks into right side and strikes a black serpent with a golden spear.

The reverse side of the medallion has a white enamel coating. The monogram of the order is also located there, which is made up of black letters “SG” intertwined with each other. At the lower end of the cross, you can see the number of the award. The distance between the ends of the cross of the order is 60 mm, at the upper end there is an eyelet, which is intended for attaching the award to the ribbon. The badge of the order is attached to a ribbon 100 mm wide. The ribbon of the Order of St. George is made of silk, it contains alternating stripes of the same width: 3 black and 2 orange stripes.

The star of the Order of St. George is four-beam, it is made of silver with gilding. In the center of the star is a gilded round medallion with a convex border and the order's monogram. Along the circumference of this medallion, on a black enamel field with a gilded edging, there is the motto of the award "For Service and Bravery" (all capital letters). In the upper part of the circle, between the words of the motto, there is a gilded crown. The distance between the opposite ends of the star is 82 mm. The star of the order is attached to clothing with a pin.

Order of St. George II degree. The badge and star of the order are the same as those of the order of the 1st degree. The badge of the order is made of silver with gilding. Worn on a neck ribbon - ribbon width 45 mm.

Order of St. George III degree. The sign of the order is the same, the distance between the ends of the cross is reduced and is 50 mm. Worn on a neck ribbon - ribbon width 24 mm.

Order of St. George IV degree. The badge of the order is the same. The distance between the ends of the cross is reduced and is 40 mm. It is worn on a pentagonal block, which is covered with a 24 mm wide silk ribbon.

Based on materials from open sources.