For what was given the St. George Cross. St. George's Cross - an honorary badge of military prowess in Tsarist Russia

The insignia of the Military Order, commonly called the "George Cross" was established in 1807 by the Russian Emperor Alexander I. It was intended to reward the lower ranks of the army and navy for feats and bravery in wartime.

In 1807, the first statute of the Insignia of the Military Order was approved. The first signs did not have numbers and were later returned to the chapter to be numbered according to the lists of the chapter of orders. There were about 9 thousand such signs. At the first award of the Badge of Distinction of the Military Order, the salary of the lower rank increased by one third, when performing the next feat, suitable for the statute of the lower rank, the salary increased by another third, and so on up to a maximum of double salary, moreover, the badge of the order was issued only once. In order to single out the lower ranks presented for awarding more than once, in 1833, in the new edition of the statute, it was prescribed for repeated feats to the lower ranks to wear the Badge of Distinction on a ribbon with a bow. Initially, only the lower ranks of the Christian denomination could receive the Badge of Distinction, and non-Christians were awarded medals for courage and zeal. This caused dissatisfaction on the part of the lower non-Christian ranks, because. any soldier dreamed of having a cross with the image of a "warrior" on his chest. Since 1844, the Badges of Distinction of the Military Order began to be awarded to the lower ranks - non-Christian denominations. Such signs were distinguished by the fact that on the front and back sides in the central medallion was placed the state emblem of Russia - a double-headed eagle.

Such an image of the coat of arms instead of St. George was due to the fact that persons of non-Christian faith could not wear on their chests the image of George the Victorious, a Christian saint. The numbering of crosses for "Gentiles" was separate, in total it was issued until 1856 - 1368 pieces. In 1849, Tsar Alexander II awarded the veterans of the Prussian army with the Insignia of the Military Order for the war with Napoleon and a special distinction of these signs, there was an A II monogram on the upper beam and a separate numbering (the sign "N" was knocked out on the left reverse beam, and on the right reverse number of the cross, such signs were issued - 4264 pieces.

Insignia of the Military Order with the cypher of Emperor Alexander I, for Prussian veterans. No. 2162. Silver. Weight 14.32 gr. Size 34x40 mm. Established in July 1839 to reward the soldiers of the Prussian troops who participated in the wars of 1813, 1814 and 1815, in memory of the 25th anniversary of the capture of Paris by the allied forces. 4500 pieces were minted, and 4264 pieces were issued, 236 pieces were not issued. were returned to St. Petersburg. Issued crosses were also subject to return, but not all were returned. This cross was awarded to the Fusilier of the 30th Prussian Infantry Regiment, Friedrich Zinder.

Data on awards and serial numbers of crosses were transferred to the Chapter of Orders, where they were registered and stored in special lists.

The next change in the statute of the Badge of Distinction of the Military Order took place in 1913. Since that time, it began to be called the "George Cross", the St. George Medal (numbered medal for bravery) was also included in the St. George Statute. The number of those awarded with St. George's crosses was not limited. The appearance of the crosses has not undergone significant changes, only the "N" sign began to be filled in front of the serial number. The sign of the number was stuffed on all crosses with serial numbers from 1 to 99999, and on the crosses with 6 digits in the number, the sign "N" was not stuffed (only crosses of the 4th degree and 3rd degree fell under this rule). The order of wearing crosses on ribbons has also not changed. The awarding of crosses for non-Christians of other faiths was canceled. According to the new statute, the posthumous awarding of the St. George Cross became possible, and the cross could be transferred to the relatives of the deceased.
The procedure for awarding the George Crosses:
- The St. George Cross complained in the order of seniority of degrees, starting from the fourth degree gradually to the first.
- About the distinguished lower ranks, without observing their number, the commander of a company, squadron or battery no later than a month after the end of the battle or case, during which the feats were rendered, must transfer to the higher commander of the unit a personal list with a description of each feat and under which article of the statute it fits. (The lists are presented in originals without bringing them into general lists and with reservations about those ranks that already have St. George's crosses.)
- The right to approve submissions for the awarding of the St. George Cross had the commanders of non-separate corps and their heads vested with power, and in the fleet the heads of squadrons and individual detachments.
- The Commander-in-Chief or the commander of the army or navy had a special right to personally award St. George's crosses. In addition, the corps commander (in the Navy, the head of a separate detachment), provided that he is personally present at the very place of the battle during the performance of the feat.
- In the absence of the proper number of St. George's crosses, ribbons were issued before the presentation of the crosses, which were worn on the chest on the order block.
- All materials on submissions to the St. George Cross were considered secret until the announcement of the final result
- The St. George Cross, both in the land department and in the fleet, was assigned to the lower ranks in the presence of the main military leaders, by themselves, and in their absence by the senior commanders after them.
- The award was made before the formation of the unit with banners and standards, the troops were kept on "guard", and when laying crosses, the troops saluted the cavaliers "with music and march".
- At the end of the war, all those awarded the St. George Cross with the approval of the highest power in the army and navy were given a special honorary order for the army and navy, with a detailed description of the exploits and the numbers of the granted crosses.

Certificate of awarding the St. George Cross 3rd degree No. 1253 to the senior non-commissioned officer of the 165th Lutsk Infantry Regiment Larion Sidorichenko.

Special rights and benefits awarded with the St. George Cross:
- The George Cross has never been removed.
- On a cloak out of formation, only a ribbon was worn on the side of the cloak.
- Each recipient of the St. George Cross was assigned from the day of the accomplishment of the feat an annual monetary issue of 4 degrees - 36 rubles, 3 degrees - 60 rubles, 2 degrees - 96 rubles and 1 degree - 120 rubles. When awarding the highest degree, the issuance of the lowest degree ceased.
- The widow of the recipient after his death used the money due to him on the cross for another year.
- Cash distributions during the service were carried out as an increase in salary, and after dismissal from active service, as a pension.
- When transferred to the reserve, the ranks awarded with the 2nd degree sign were presented to the rank of ensign (or the corresponding one), and those awarded with the 1st degree were presented to the same rank when awarded.
- When awarding the St. George Cross of the 4th degree, the next rank complained at the same time.
- The lower ranks, having the 3rd and 4th degree of the St. George Cross, when awarded the medal "For Diligence", were presented directly to the neck silver medal, and those with 1 and 2 degrees of the St. George Cross - directly to the gold neck medal.
- Those who have the St. George Cross, both employees and reserve and retired lower ranks who have fallen into a crime, are deprived of the Cross only by court order.
- In case of loss or unintentional loss of the St. George Cross by any of the lower ranks, even if it is a reserve or retired, a new cross is issued to him, at the request of the subject authorities, free of charge.

St. George's Cross 1st degree No. 4877. Gold, 17.85 gr. Size 34x41 mm.

St. George's cross, 2nd degree, No. 11535. Gold, 17.5 gr. Size 41x34 mm. Petrograd mint. 1914–1915

St. George's cross of the 3rd degree No. 141544. Medalist A. Griliches. Silver, 10.50 gr. Size 34x41 mm.

St. George's Cross 4th degree No. 735486. Medalist A. Griliches. Silver, 10.74 gr. Size 34x41 mm.

Tailcoat insignia of the Insignia of the Military Order. Workshop of M. Maslov, Moscow, 1908-1917 Silver, 2.40 gr. Size 17x17 mm.

George Cross without degree. Unknown workshop, Western Europe, early 20th century. Silver, 13.99 gr. Size 45x40 mm.

George Cross without degree. Unknown workshop, Western Europe, early 20th century. Bronze, 9.51 gr. Size 42x36 mm.

In 1915, the composition of gold in the 1st and 2nd degree crosses was reduced from 90-99% to 50-60%. For minting crosses with a reduced gold content, an alloy of gold and silver was used, followed by surface gilding with high-grade gold. This was due to economic difficulties, as a result of the outbreak of the 1st World War. When the numbering of signs of the 4th degree approached the limit for placement on two rays (no more than six characters), crosses with numbers over a million began to be minted with the sign "1 / M" on the upper beam of the reverse side, which meant one million. The first such signs with numbers from 1 to 99999 had zeros in front of the numbers and were stuffed in this way: from 000001 to 099999. In 1917, according to the new provision, crosses began to be minted from non-precious metals and the letters Zh. appeared on the crosses - in the lower corner on the left beam of the reverse side, M - in the lower corner on the right beam of the reverse side on all signs of the 1st and 2nd degree. On the 3rd and 4th degrees, the letters B. and M were minted.

St. George's cross of the 3rd degree No. 335736. Metal, silvering, 10.03 gr. Size 34x41 mm. According to V. A. Durov, 49,500 pieces were minted. crosses of this type.

St. George's cross of the 4th degree No. 1/m 280490. Metal, silvering, 10.74 gr. Size 34x41 mm. According to V. A. Durov, 89,000 pieces were minted. crosses of this type.

In 1917, another change took place in the statute on awarding officers with soldiers' badges with a branch on the ribbon and on rewarding lower ranks with officer badges of the Order of St. George with a branch on a ribbon. Such signs were awarded to lower ranks and officers by decision of the general meeting of a company, regiment, battery, division or other military unit.
During World War I, there was a great lack of funds, so the government collected donations to the Fatherland Defense Fund. One of these collections was the collection of awards from precious metals. Everywhere in the army and navy, lower ranks and officers surrendered their awards of silver and gold. There are photos and other documents confirming these facts.

Certificate that Corporal Fyodor Bulgakov handed over one cross of the 4th degree No. 37047 for the needs of the state.

Armed Forces in the North of Russia. St. George's Cross 4th class. No. 1634. Unknown workshop, Russia, 1918-1919 Aluminum, 3.42 gr. Size 35x40 mm. By order of General Miller No. 355 of November 1919, this cross was awarded to a senior non-commissioned officer of the 3rd Northern Regiment “... for the fact that in the battle on August 10 of this year, being in secret, he was surrounded by the enemy, promptly reported about this and despite the obvious danger, he entered into battle with the enemy, which contributed to the overall success of the battle.

In the Russian Empire, awards in the form of crosses were very popular. Often they were made of noble metals, decorated with precious stones and had several degrees of difference. The St. George Cross was the highest award for the lower ranks in the army, it was awarded for displaying valor and courage on the battlefield, as well as for accomplishing an individual feat, and had 4 degrees. The St. George Cross of the 4th degree was made of silver and was awarded to just over a million people.

For the first time, its name is a badge of the Order of St. George received in 1769 and was introduced by Empress Catherine II to reward admirals, generals and officers for accomplished military exploits. It was named in honor of the great martyr George, the patron saint of soldiers.

George Cross 4th class

Under Emperor Paul I, rewards for military exploits of the lower ranks begin, but so far with the Order of St. Anne. And already at the beginning of the 19th century, a manifesto was issued by order of Emperor Alexander I, who established the St. George Cross for the lower ranks. The manifesto also indicated the type of cross, the basis for the award and an increase in salary. It was also said that the number of such crosses received was not limited (at that time they were not yet divided by degree).

Gradually, the number of awardees grew, and it became necessary to number each insignia. According to the archives, 9,000 awards were received without a number, after which St. George's crosses with numbers began to be issued. In 1833, the statute of this order was adopted, which included some innovations. For example, orders could be issued directly by the commanders-in-chief, as well as everyone who received the order more than three times received both a salary increase and the right to wear a cross with a bow.

10 years later, the image of St. George was replaced by the state emblem for presentation to all non-Christians. And in March 1856, he already received a division into four degrees. The first two were made of gold, the rest - of silver. The 1st and 3rd degrees, in order to have a difference in appearance, were supplemented with a bow made of St. George's ribbon.

After the Russian-Turkish war, it became necessary to update the stamps, and then some changes were made, which remained the same until 1917. Since 1913, the award has been officially called the St. George Cross, before that - the Insignia of the Military Order. At the same time, the award for non-Christians was abolished, everyone was given the same sample with the image of St. George.

In 1915, due to the war, and, accordingly, the need to mint more insignia, it was decided to reduce the standard of gold. This was also done in order to reduce the cost of making awards. In the awards of the highest degree, gold was now 60%. And since October 1916, precious metals have been completely excluded, and the St. George Cross is made of tombac and cupronickel.

The cross itself looked like this. On the obverse there was a circle, inside of which was George the Victorious with a spear, with which he killed a snake. There was a border along the edge of the picture. From it, the rays of the cross diverged in different directions, expanding towards the edge. Along the edge of the cross itself, two small rims were also made.

The reverse of the award contained the number of the order and the degree. Two patterned letters G and C were engraved in the center, superimposed one on the other - the monogram of St. George. On the upper beam of the cross there was a small ring connecting the award with the St. George ribbon.

Interesting facts about the George Cross

The George Cross of the 3rd degree was awarded only to those who were awarded this award of the 4th degree. Thus, there were four times more manufactured St. George's Crosses of the 4th degree. Awards of the 2nd and 1st degree were awarded only to those awarded the 3rd and 4th, and each subsequent of them was made several times less.

When the Russian Empire ceased to exist, they continued to hand over the St. George Crosses, for example, to the White Guards for the fight against the Bolsheviks. This award was also given to Soviet soldiers who agreed to fight for Germany during World War II.

In the USSR, the wearing of St. George's crosses was not encouraged, but his holders were equated with holders of the Order of Glory. True, this only applied to those who received their award during the First World War. Accordingly, they received all the benefits that were due to the holders of the Order of Glory.

After the collapse of the USSR, in 1992, the St. George Cross was included in the list of state awards of the Russian Federation.

The cost of the George Cross

How much is the George Cross worth? The cost of the George Cross of the fourth degree varies greatly and depends on many factors, such as condition, year of production, and so on. The average cost is about $500, but, as a rule, there are much cheaper ones. If the cross is in good condition, then it will be possible to sell it for more. The third degree is also valued more than the fourth.

If you have such a cross and you want to sell it, then the best way to get a preliminary estimate is to contact a specialist. You can even get the opinion of several experts before you want to part with the award. They can also buy it from you right away, but it will be much more profitable to sell it to a collector.

In order to do this, you can apply to the auction. At some auctions, you may be required to provide an expert's assessment as a guarantee of the authenticity of the award. There you can put up a lot and wait for the maximum price, now the Order of St. George is in demand, so it will not be difficult to sell it.

Original taken from hanzzz_muller to GEORGE'S CROSS

[From the history of awards - part I]
This cross is the most famous award. The sign, known in the military history of Russia as the "George Cross" is the most legendary, revered and massive award of the Russian Empire.

1. Institution.
The original name of the award was "Insignia of the Military Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George". It was established by the Highest Order of Emperor Alexander I of February 13 (23), 1807. The task is to inspire the lower ranks to courage and note them. The name of the first recipient is known - Yegor Ivanovich Mitrokhin, non-commissioned officer of the Cavalier Guard Regiment - for the battle near Friedland, in Prussia on December 14, 1809, "for the skillful and brave execution of orders." Friedland is the current city of Pravdinsk.


These are different awards, with different status. And they look different.

2. Rules for awarding.
Unlike all other soldier's medals, the cross was awarded exclusively for a specific feat, because "this insignia is acquired only on the battlefield, during the siege and defense of fortresses, and on the waters in naval battles." The list was clearly and in detail regulated by its Status.
It is characteristic that not only a soldier could receive an award for the feat indicated there. The future Decembrists Muravyov-Apostol and Yakushkin, who fought at Borodino in the rank of ensign, which did not give the right to an officer award, received St. George's crosses No. near Leipzig received the George Cross of the 4th degree. The vicissitudes of fate - in 1825 he was shot dead on Senate Square by the Decembrist Kakhovsky.

3. Privileges.
The lower rank - holder of the St. George Cross in the army was spared from corporal punishment. The soldier or non-commissioned officer awarded by him received a salary of a third more than usual, for each new cross the salary was increased by another third, until the salary was doubled. The surplus salary remained for life after retirement, it could be received by widows within a year after the death of the gentleman.

Award block of the times of the Crimean War: Insignia of the military order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George, medals - "For the Defense of Sevastopol" and "In Memory of the Crimean War of 1853 - 1854 - 1855 - 1856" . The block was tied to the uniform on strings.

4. Degrees.
On March 19, 1856, four degrees of the award were introduced, the award was made sequentially. The signs were worn on a ribbon on the chest and were made of gold (1st and 2nd) and silver (3rd and 4th). The numbering of signs was not general, but began anew for each degree. "Either the chest in crosses, or the head in the bushes" - it's all about him.

5. Knight of St. George.

Full Knight of St. George - all four degrees of the cross, 1st and 3rd degree - block with a bow. Two medals on the right - "For Bravery".

The only one who received crosses 5 times is Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny, moreover, because of his love for massacre. He was deprived of his first award, the St. George Cross of the 4th degree, in court for assaulting a senior in rank. I had to receive the award again, already on the Turkish front, at the end of the 14th year. George Cross 3rd degree was received by him in January 1916 for participation in the battles near Mendelidzh. In March 1916 he was awarded the 2nd degree cross. In July 1916, Budyonny received the St. George Cross of the 1st degree, for the fact that five of them brought 7 Turkish soldiers from a sortie.

6. Women.
Several cases of awarding women with a cross are known: this is the "cavalry girl" Nadezhda Durova, who received the award in 1807, in the lists of gentlemen she is listed under the name of the cornet Alexander Alexandrov. For the battle of Dennewitz in 1813, another woman received the George Cross - Sophia Dorothea Frederick Krueger, a non-commissioned officer from the Prussian brigade Borstell. Antonina Palshina, who fought in the First World War under the name of Anton Palshina, had St. George's Crosses of three degrees. Maria Bochkareva, the first female officer in the Russian army, commander of the "women's death battalion" had two Georges.

7. For foreigners.

8. For non-believers.
From the end of August 1844, a special cross was installed to reward servicemen of a different religion; it differed from the usual one in that the coat of arms of Russia, a double-headed eagle, was depicted in the center of the medallion. The first full cavalier of the cross for the Gentiles was the police cadet of the 2nd Dagestan irregular cavalry regiment Labazan Ibragim Khalil-ogly.

9. Feat "Varangian".

Award block of the lower rank of the cruiser crew. On the right - a specially established medal "For the battle of the Varangian and the Korean on January 27, 1904 - Chemulpo"

Gift address for crew members from the Noble Assembly of St. Petersburg.

10. George Cross.
The award began to be officially called the St. George Cross since 1913, when a new statute of the "insignia of the Military Order" was approved, the numbering of the crosses from that time began anew. The new statute also introduced life-long allowances: 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 a year, an increase for cavaliers of several degrees or the pension was paid only for the highest degree. A pension of 120 rubles in those days was quite a decent amount, the salary of a skilled worker in 1913 was about 200 rubles a year.

11. About numbering.
The first crosses of 1807 were not numbered. This was corrected in 1809, when it was ordered to compile exact lists of gentlemen, the crosses were temporarily removed and numbered. Their exact number is known - 9,937.

The numbering will allow you to establish who the award belonged to. This cross of the 4th degree - junior non-commissioned officer of the Grenadier Corps of the sapper battalion Mikhail Bubnov, order dated July 17, 1915, No. 180, was distributed by Grand Duke Georgy Mikhailovich on August 27 of the same year (RGVIA archive, fund 2179, inventory 1, file 517 ).

The numbering of the crosses was resumed several times - by the different pattern of the numbering font, you can determine which of the periods the award belongs to. When during the First World War the number of awards exceeded one million, on the reverse, on the upper beam of the cross, the designation 1 / M appeared.

12. St. George ribbon.

It is traditionally believed that the colors of the ribbon - black and yellow - mean "smoke and flame" and are a sign of the soldier's personal prowess on the battlefield. Another version - these colors are based on the life of St. George the Victorious and symbolize his death and resurrection: St. George went through death three times and was resurrected twice.
There is a simpler version. The colors of the ribbon at the establishment of the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George in 1769 were established by Catherine II and took the colors of the imperial standard for the color of the ribbon: black and yellow-gold, excluding white.

13. After February 17th.

Left: St. George's cross with a laurel branch. This was awarded after February 1917 to officers who distinguished themselves in battle. To receive the award, the decision of the assembly of the lower ranks was required. Right: Posters 1914 - 1717

14. Against the Bolsheviks.
During the years of the Civil War in the White Army, awarding military decorations was a rarity, especially in the initial period - the White Guard considered it immoral to award military decorations to Russians for feats in the war against the Russians. General Wrangel, in order not to award the St. George Cross, established a special order of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, which was equated with St. George.

15. Cross to the Great Patriotic War.
The legend claims that during the Great Patriotic War, the possibility of restoring the award and resuming the awards with the St. George Cross was considered, but was rejected because of its religious overtones. The Order of Glory, a soldier's award - a star on the block of the St. George's ribbon, has a very similar award status with the St. George's Cross.

1945 year. Demobilized soldiers who arrived in Leningrad. On the right is Private F. G. Vadyukhin, a participant in three guard wars. The famous photograph testifies to an unusual rule for the Red Army that appeared during the war - holders of the St. George's Crosses were unofficially allowed to wear these awards.
Photo at the link: http://waralbum.ru/38820/

Philip Grigorievich Vadyukhin was born in 1897 in the village of Perkino, Spassky district, Ryazan province. Drafted into the Red Army on October 16, 1941 by the Vyborg RVC of the city of Leningrad. He was a shooter, then a medical instructor in the 65th Guards Rifle Regiment of the 22nd Guards Rifle Division in Riga. In addition to the St. George Cross and the badge of the guards, the photo shows four stripes for wounds, the Order of the Red Star, the Order of Glory of the third degree (awarded to him for helping 40 wounded and evacuating 25 wounded under enemy fire on December 26-31, 1944 near the village of Muzikas in Latvia ) and two medals "For Courage".

16. Archive.

Data on the awardees is currently stored in the Russian State Military Historical Archive (RGVIA) in Moscow. The data is incomplete - some of the documents from the military units did not have time to get into the archive due to the events of the 17th. After the First World War, it was planned to build a temple and a memorial dedicated to all the Cavaliers of St. George, but for well-known reasons, the good undertaking was never realized.

17. Nowadays.
The Russian military order of St. George and the sign "St. George's Cross" were restored in the Russian Federation in 1992 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation dated March 2, 1992 No. 2424-I "On state awards of the Russian Federation". 11 people were awarded.
No comment.

18. P. S. - a private opinion about St. George's Ribbon.
On the Victory Day, I don’t wear the St. George ribbon. I don't even hit the car. The ribbon is always the badge of the recipient of the award. I did not "take away the enemy's banner or standard", I did not even "pull out our banner or standard, captured by the enemy."
And if you don’t deserve it, then you don’t deserve to wear it.

Application (for an amateur).
19. Manufacturing technology.
"GEORGE'S CROSS" - AT THE MINT.
Magazine "Spark" No. 5 of February 1 (14), 1915, pp. 5-6

The dream of every warrior, from a simple private to the commanders of entire armies, from the smallest cog in a complex machine that protects the homeland from enemy attacks, up to its most gigantic levers and hammers, is, after returning home after a quarrelsome suffering, to bring, as a material proof of personal courage and military prowess is a silver or gold cross of St. George on a two-color, black and yellow ribbon.
Titanic wars, like the current one, involve many victims on the altar of people's love and devotion to the fatherland. But the same war will give birth to many feats, many truly heroic deeds are crowned with the highest award to the brave - the St. George Cross.
“We are literally trying to do the impossible,” Baron P.V. Klebek, head of the Petrograd Mint, told our employee, “in order to satisfy as quickly as possible the orders given to us by the Chapter of Orders for the production of St. George's crosses and medals. The premises of the Mint are so small, so does not correspond to the real needs of the present time, that the only palliative was the introduction of almost continuous work for a whole day, with the exception of those intervals that are necessary for lubricating the machines and apparatus of the Mint.
Thanks to such intensive work, we managed to achieve the fact that there are no delays in satisfying these reinforced orders for coins, St. George's crosses and medals. During the last four months of the past year, the Mint minted one silver token for 8,700,000 rubles or more than 54,000,000 mugs; copper coins for the same period were minted for a million rubles, for this it took about 60,000,000 copper mugs to be knocked out.
For 1915, we have already received an order for the production of a silver coin for 25,000,000 rubles and a copper coin for 1,600,000 rubles, which will total over 406,000,000 circles. St. George's crosses and medals are made in a special "medal" department of the Mint. Upon receipt of an order from the Chapter of Orders for the manufacture of the required number of crosses and medals, the required amount of gold and silver ingots is released from the metal treasury of the Mint to the medal department. Upon receipt of ingots in the medal department, the metals enter the smelter, where noble metals are alloyed with the required amount of pure copper in graphite crucibles.
Silver and gold, from which St. George's crosses and medals are made, are made of a very high standard, higher than the gold and silver used to make coins. For the latter, nine hundred parts of noble metal and one hundred parts of copper are taken per thousand parts. For the manufacture of St. George's crosses and medals, only ten parts of copper and nine hundred and ninety parts of pure electrolytic gold or silver are taken per thousand parts.
The ligation process in the crucible takes three to three and a half hours. After that, a sufficiently molten and mixed mass of metal is poured into special molds, "moulds" (picture No. 1), cooling in which, the metal is obtained in the form of strips, about eight inches long, a square inch thick and weighing: silver strips 20 pounds, gold - 35 pounds.

These strips are rolled through special rollers into ribbons slightly wider than the width of the cross and medal. The next stage in the manufacture of crosses and medals is the cutting of the ribbon (picture No. 2), i.e. cutting from ribbons by machine metal pieces equal to the contours of the cross and circles equal to the contours of the medal. The resulting crosses and circles are cleaned with files from burrs or burrs and enter a special department, where they are cleaned and polished with sand (picture No. 3).
The crosses cleaned in this way go under the so-called pedal press, where the chasing of the St. George crosses takes place (picture No. 4), that is, the extrusion on both sides of the cross on one side of the image of St. picture no. 13). On the medal, a portrait of the Sovereign Emperor is minted on one side (picture No. 14), on the other side "for courage" and a designation of the degree (picture No. 15). Both crosses and medals, as you know, have four degrees. The first and second degrees of both medals are gold, the third and fourth are silver.

When chasing, flattening of the metal occurs along the edges, and therefore the crosses from under the medal press go to a special machine for cutting (picture No. 5, the assistant manager, mining engineer A.F. Hartman, is standing on the left), which gives the final look to the cross. From under this machine, the cross falls for the final finishing and polishing of the edges with files (picture No. 6. On the right are: in front of the head of the Mint, Baron P.V. Klebek, behind the manager of the medal part, mining engineer N.N. Perebaskin), after which a special machine pierces the eye, which ends the machine processing of crosses. It remains to produce a serial number on each cross and medal. Pictures No. 10, 11, 12 and 13 depict the gradual stages of the development of St. George's crosses, after which a special machine pierces the eye, which ends the machine processing of the crosses. It remains to produce a serial number on each cross and medal.

After the strips of metal leave the melting department, small pieces of metal are taken from the first, last and middle strips of this batch and sent to a special "assay" department of the Mint, in which department the determination of the metal sample is carried out using extremely accurate instruments (picture No. 9). Let's also mention automatic stamp-cutting machines that make stamps for medals and crosses (picture No. 8).

Head of the medal department, mining engineer N.N. Perebaskin, shared with our employee information about the progress of work: "For the entire Japanese campaign for a year and a half, we had to make only up to one hundred and thirty thousand crosses. Now, for the period from July 24th (the day we received the first order from the Chapter Orders), we were ordered 266,000 St. George's Crosses and 350,000 St. George's medals by January 1. Undertaking energetically to fulfill this order, we managed to hand over 191,000 St. George's Crosses and 238,000 St. George's medals by January 1 of this year. On the day for the manufacture of crosses, we melt 12 poods of silver and up to 8 poods of gold. A thousand gold crosses weigh 1 pood 11 pounds of metal, 1,000 silver crosses 30 pounds, 1,000 gold medals 1 pood 22 pounds, silver one pood.

20. Authentication.
1. The original, silver or gold, has a high quality metal - due to the practical absence of alloys (only 1% copper). The silver of the cross (before 1915) practically does not darken.
2. The original cross has a clearer elaboration of details. The cross and numbering were made by the stamp method, at high pressure, while copies are made by casting. In addition, casting leaves micro-shells.
Size 3. Of course, the technology of dental prosthetics has stepped far forward, but the size of the copy, due to its cooling after casting, will be slightly smaller than the original.
4. Grooves from the mold stamp. On the side surfaces of the original cross, even after its processing, they are clearly visible. When casting, it is problematic to reproduce them.
5. The eye hole was punched with a special machine, which slightly deformed the cross. The edge of the hole is not rounded.

St. George's Ribbon is a symbol of the Second World War. The black and orange ribbon has become the main attribute of the modern Victory Day. But as statistics show, unfortunately, not all citizens of the Russian Federation know its history, what it means, and how to wear it.

St. George's ribbon: what does it mean, its colors, history

St. George's Ribbon, a bicolor of orange and black, appeared simultaneously with the soldier's order of St. George the Victorious, which was established on November 26, 1769 by Empress Catherine II. This award was issued only for feats in battle in the form of encouraging loyalty and courage for the good of the Russian Empire. Together with her, the recipient received a considerable life allowance.

There are several versions of color decoding. According to the first - black symbolizes smoke or gunpowder, and orange - fire. According to another version, the colors were taken from the old coat of arms of Russia. Also, historians say that black and orange colors were imperial and state, it is a symbol of a black double-headed eagle and a yellow field.

The first to receive the Order of St. George were the participants in the naval battle in the Chesme Bay. Medals on the St. George ribbon were first awarded in August 1787, when Suvorov's army defeated the Turks.

The tape has changed a little and began to be referred to as the "Guards tape" during the Soviet era.

During the Great Patriotic War, it was covered with a block of a very honorable "soldier's" Order of Glory.

How to wear the George Ribbon?

For 13 years in a row, on the eve of May 9, the St. George Ribbon campaign starts, during which volunteers distribute ribbons and suggest how to wear them correctly.

Nowadays, there is a tradition to decorate clothes with the St. George ribbon as a sign of respect, memory and solidarity with Russian soldiers. However, there are no official rules for wearing it today. It is important to remember that this is not a fashion accessory, but a sign of respect for the fallen soldiers. Therefore, the St. George ribbon must be treated with care and respect.

It is recommended to wear the St. George ribbon on the left near the heart - as a sign that the feat of the ancestors will forever remain in it. You can fasten it in the form of different shapes with a pin. Do not use the tape as a decoration on the head, below the waist, on a bag, on a car body (including on a car antenna). It would be obscene to use it as shoelaces or corset lacing. If the St. George's ribbon has deteriorated, it is best to remove it.

There are several ways to tie a St. George's ribbon so that it looks beautiful and meets the bounds of decency. To do this, the main thing is to turn on the fantasy, or use the Internet, in the vastness of which you can find step-by-step instructions.

The standard and easiest way is a loop. To do this, the ribbon is folded crosswise and attached with a pin.

Lightning or zigzag. The tape will need to be folded in the form of the English letter "N".

A simple bow is most often tied with a ribbon in kindergartens and schools.

A man with a St. George ribbon tied in a tie will look elegant. It will need to be wrapped around the neck so that the ends are of different lengths. After they need to cross and thread the right around the left to make a loop. Next, you need to pull the end out of the loop and thread it into the eye.

For the entire period of Russian history, there have been many different awards and medals. One of the most honored are the St. George Crosses. This award was the most massive in the days of Tsarist Russia. The soldier's St. George's Cross was carefully kept in the family of the soldier who received it, and the full cavalier of the St. George's Cross was revered by the people along with the epic heroes of fairy tales. This award was especially popular because it was awarded to the lower ranks of the Tsarist army, that is, ordinary soldiers and non-commissioned officers.

This award was equivalent to the Order of St. George, which was established by Catherine the Great in the 18th century. The George Cross was divided into 4 degrees:

• St. George's cross 4 degrees;
• St. George's Cross 3rd class;
• St. George's Cross, 2nd class;
• George Cross 1st class.

They received this award only for the incredible valor that they showed on the battlefield. First they gave out the St. George Cross of the 4th degree, then the 3rd, 2nd and 1st degrees. Thus, the one who was awarded the St. George Cross of the first degree became a full cavalier of the St. George Cross. Performing 4 feats on the battlefield and staying alive at the same time was a manifestation of incredible military skill and luck, so it is not surprising that such people were treated like heroes.

George Crosses were awarded to soldiers for over 100 years, they appeared shortly before Napoleon's invasion of Russia, and were abolished after the First World War, during which several million people received this royal award, although few were awarded the George Cross of the first degree.

With the coming to power of the Bolsheviks, the St. George Crosses were abolished, although even before the start of World War II, the medal "For Courage" was introduced, which somehow copied the St. George Cross. Convinced that the medal "For Courage" enjoys great respect among the military, the Soviet command decided to establish the Order of Glory of three degrees, which almost completely copied the Royal St. George's Cross.

Although most of the tsarist awards in Soviet Russia were very unpopular, and wearing them was equated almost with treason, the bosses often looked “through their fingers” at the wearing of the St. George's crosses by the old front-line soldiers. The following famous Soviet military leaders had St. George's crosses:

• Marshal Georgy Zhukov;
• K. Rokossovsky;
• R. Malinovsky;
• Budyonny, Tyulenev and Eremenko were full Cavaliers of St. George.

One of the most legendary wartime partisan commanders, Sidor Kovpak, also had the St. George Cross of two degrees.

In Tsarist Russia, all those awarded the St. George Cross received a cash bonus, and they were also paid a lifetime pension, the amount of which varied depending on the degree of the cross. Such an award as the George Cross gave its owner numerous unspoken benefits in civilian life and popular respect.

History of the George Cross

Many modern sources do not share such awards as the Order of St. George and the George Cross, although these are completely different awards. The Order of George was established in the 18th century, and the George Cross in the 19th century.

In 1807, Emperor Alexander I received a proposal to establish some kind of award for soldiers and non-commissioned officers who distinguished themselves in the performance of combat missions. Allegedly, this will help to strengthen the courage of Russian soldiers who, in the hope of receiving the desired reward (which includes monetary rewards and a lifetime pension), will fight without sparing their lives. The emperor considered this proposal quite reasonable, especially since news of the battle of Preussisch-Eylau reached him, in which Russian soldiers showed miracles of courage and endurance.

In those days, there was one big problem: a Russian soldier who was a serf could not be awarded an order, since the order emphasized the status of its owner, and was, in fact, a knightly insignia. Nevertheless, the courage of the Russian soldier had to be somehow encouraged, so the Russian emperor introduced a special "insignia of the order", which in the future became the St. George soldier's cross.

"Soldier George", as he was called by the people, could only receive the lower ranks of the Russian army, who showed selfless courage on the battlefield. Moreover, this award was not handed out at the request of the command, the soldiers themselves determined which of them was worthy of receiving the St. George Cross. The George Cross was issued for the following merits:

• Heroic and skillful actions on the battlefield, thanks to which the detachment managed to win in a seemingly hopeless situation;
• Heroic capture of an enemy banner, preferably right from under the nose of a stunned enemy;
• Capture of an enemy officer;
• Heroic actions that prevent the capture of a group of their soldiers;
• A sudden blow to the rear of the superior forces of the enemy, which entailed his flight and other similar feats on the battlefield.

At the same time, wounds or contusions on the battlefield did not give absolutely no right to a reward, unless they were received in the process of carrying out heroic activity.

According to the then existing rules, it was necessary to wear the St. George's Cross on a specially St. George's ribbon, which was threaded into the buttonhole. The first soldier who became a knight of the Order of St. George was non-commissioned officer Mitrokhin, who received it in the battle of Friedland in 1807.

Initially, the George Cross did not have any degrees and was issued an unlimited number of times (this is in theory). In practice, the George Cross was issued only once, and the next presentation was purely formal, although at the same time the soldier's salary increased by a third. The undoubted advantage of a soldier awarded this distinction was the complete absence of corporal punishment, which was widely used at that time.

In 1833, the St. George Cross was included in the statute of the Order of St. George, in addition, at the same time, they entrusted the procedure for awarding soldiers to the commanders of armies and corps, which significantly accelerated the process of awarding, since it used to happen that the hero did not live up to the solemn award.

In 1844, a special George Cross was developed for soldiers who profess the Muslim faith. Instead of St. George, who is an Orthodox saint, a double-headed eagle was depicted on the cross.

In 1856, the George Cross was divided into 4 degrees, while its degree was indicated on the cross. How difficult it was to get the St. George Cross of the 1st degree is evidenced by impartial statistics. According to her, there were about 2,000 full knights of the St. George Order in its entire history.

In 1913, the award officially became known as the St. George Cross, in addition, the St. George Medal for Bravery appeared, also having 4 degrees. Unlike a soldier's award, the St. George medal could be awarded to civilians and military personnel in peacetime. After 1913, the George Cross began to be issued posthumously. In this case, the award was passed on to the relatives of the deceased and kept as a family heirloom.

During the First World War, about 1,500,000 people received St. George's Crosses. Of particular note is the first Knight of St. George of this war, Kozma Kryuchkov, who received his first cross for the destruction of 11 German cavalrymen in battle. By the way, until the end of the war, this Cossack became a full Knight of St. George.

For the first time in the history of the George Cross, it began to be awarded to women and foreigners. Due to the difficult situation of the Russian economy during the war, the awards began to be made from low-quality gold (1st and 2nd degrees) and they significantly lost weight (3rd and 4th degrees).

Judging by the fact that more than 1,200,000 George Crosses were issued during the First World War, the heroism of the Russian army was simply at the highest level.

An interesting case of receiving the St. George Cross by the future Soviet Marshal Zhukov. He received it (one of several of his crosses) for shell shock, although this award was issued only for well-defined feats, clearly indicated in the statute. Apparently, acquaintances among the military authorities in those days could easily solve such problems.

After the February Revolution, officers could also receive the St. George Cross, if the soldiers' meetings approved it. During the Civil War, the White Guards were still awarded St. George's Crosses, although many soldiers considered it a shame to wear orders received for the murders of their compatriots.

What did the George Cross look like?

The George Cross is called a "cross" precisely because of its shape. This is a characteristic cross, the blades of which widen at the ends. In the center of the cross there is a medallion depicting St. George slaying a snake with a spear. On the reverse side of the medallion there are the letters "C" and "G", made in the form of a monogram.

The cross was worn on the St. George ribbon (which has nothing to do with the modern St. George ribbon). The colors of the St. George ribbon are black and orange, symbolizing smoke and flame.

The most famous holders of the St. George Cross

During the existence of the St. George Cross, more than 3,500,000 people were awarded it, although the last 1.5-2 million are quite controversial, since they were often issued in the First World War not on merit. Many holders of the St. George Orders became famous not only for receiving this award, but are also historical figures:

• The famous Durova, or "cavalry girl", who served as the prototype of the heroine from the "Hussar Ballad", was awarded the St. George Cross for saving the life of an officer;
• The Decembrists Muravyov-Apostol and Yakushkin also had St. George's Crosses, which they received for military merit in the battle of Borodino;
• General Miloradovich received this award from the hands of Emperor Alexander, who personally saw the courage of Miloradovich in the battle of Leipzig;
• Kozma Kryuchkov, who was a full cavalier of the Order of St. George, became a Russian hero during his lifetime. By the way, a Cossack died in 1919 at the hands of the Red Guards, defending the tsarist regime until the end of his life;
• Vasily Chapaev, who went over to the side of the Reds, had 3 crosses and the St. George medal;
• Maria Bochkareva, who created the women's "battalion of death", also had this award.

Despite the mass character, it is quite difficult to find St. George's crosses now. This is due to the fact that they were minted from gold (1 and 2 degrees) and silver (3 and 4 degrees). In February, the provisional government intensively collected awards "for the needs of the revolution." During the Soviet period, when there was a famine or a blockade, many exchanged their rewards for flour or bread.

The memory of the George Cross was revived in 1943, when the Order of Glory was established. At present, everyone is familiar with the St. George's Ribbon, with which people who celebrate Victory Day adorn themselves. At the same time, not everyone knows that although the ribbon symbolizes the Order of Glory, its roots go much deeper.