“As a reward for courage and courage...”:
Russian orders and medals on the eve and during the First World War
On the eve of the First World War, the Russian Empire had a relatively compact and fairly advanced award system, which was formed over two centuries. At the beginning of 1914, there were nine orders in the country, seven of which could be awarded for military merit, and one had exclusively military status. Orders could be awarded to officers, generals, military officials and military clergy.
Let us immediately note that the orders awarded for military merits were externally different from their “peaceful” counterparts. From August 5, 1855, swords were added to the “combat” crosses of the Orders of St. Stanislaus, St. Anne and St. Vladimir, and from December 15, 1857, a bow made from an order ribbon. Such orders were awarded to officers and generals. The rule did not apply to military officials and priests - they were awarded orders with swords, but without a bow, for their military merits. But on January 15, 1915, military doctors, and on January 22, 1915, military veterinarians received the right to attach a bow to their military awards. In addition, in practice, military clergy were often awarded orders with swords and a bow. If an officer received the order before the war and then distinguished himself in battle, swords could be added separately to his “peace” cross as a reward.
In addition, two features were common to all orders: from August 9, 1844, on orders granted to persons of non-Christian faith, images or monograms of saints were replaced by the image of a double-headed eagle; crosses and stars of senior degrees of all orders could be combined with diamonds, which was like a separate award (that is, the cavalier could first receive the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, and after a few years - diamond signs for it).
The youngest Russian order was the Order of St. Stanislaus, established in 1765 in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In 1831, by decree of Emperor Nicholas I, this award was considered a Russian award. Until 1839, the order was divided into four degrees, after which it was divided into three. The order's motto: “By rewarding, encouraging.” The cross of the 3rd degree of the Order of St. Stanislaus was worn on the left side of the chest, the crosses of the 2nd and 1st degrees were worn on the neck, and the 1st degree was accompanied by an order star, which was worn on the left side of the chest. The order's ribbon is red with two white stripes along the edges, assigned to the 1st degree and worn over the right shoulder. For merits shown on the battlefield, the order complained with crossed swords (and the 3rd degree - with a bow from the order's ribbon). According to the Statute, Orthodox military priests were not introduced to the Order of St. Stanislaus (since St. Stanislaus was a Catholic saint), but there were exceptions.
In peacetime, the 3rd degree of the Order of St. Stanislaus was awarded to almost any officer for 12 years of impeccable service. This was the very first order with which a young lieutenant or staff captain could decorate his uniform. The 2nd degree was usually awarded to officers with the rank of captain or lieutenant colonel, the 1st degree was a “general” award.
And yet the prestige of this order among the service class was not very great. This is evidenced by the eloquent saying: “There is little glory in Stanislav, pray to God for Mother Anna.”
“Mother Anna” - the Order of St. Anne - was also non-Russian in origin: it was established in 1735 by Duke Karl-Friedrich of Holstein-Gottorp. The order was made Russian in 1797 by the grandson of Karl Friedrich, Emperor Paul I. Before 1815, the award had three degrees, after - four. Order motto: “To those who love truth, piety, fidelity.” The cross of the 3rd degree of the order was worn on the left side of the chest, the cross of the 2nd degree - on the neck, the 1st - on a red ribbon with two yellow borders at the left thigh. The 1st degree also included an order star, worn on the right side of the chest. The order, awarded for military merits, was accompanied by crossed swords (for the 3rd degree - and a bow from the order's ribbon).
Established in 1815, the 4th degree of the Order of St. Anne had a special status. A miniature sign of this degree was placed on the hilt of a bladed weapon, and the inscription “For Bravery” was also placed there (military officials were awarded weapons without this inscription; since January 15, 1915, military doctors received the right to have the inscription “For Bravery” on their weapons). This award could only be earned for valor shown on the battlefield. The Order of St. Anne, 4th degree “For Bravery,” also called the “Arms of Anne,” was the dream of every young officer during the First World War. But this order was also awarded to honored generals, especially if it was necessary to encourage a brave man, and he already had all the awards that were senior in status. In the army, the 4th degree of the order had its own nickname - “cranberry” (the round red sign of the order, attached to the hilt, looked like a berry).
In peacetime, an officer usually received the 3rd degree of the Order of St. Anne after the Order of St. Stanislaus, 3rd degree. As a rule, captains and lieutenant colonels had these two orders. In peacetime, lieutenant colonels and colonels received “Anna around the neck.” The Order of St. Anne, 1st degree, was awarded to major generals and lieutenant generals.
The Order of St. Anne differed from others in that it had a kind of analogue for the lower ranks - the Annen medal. Since 1888, it has been awarded to sergeant majors, sergeants and senior non-commissioned officers for 10 years of service. This medal was worn on the uniform even if its owner was promoted to the rank of officer.
The next most senior order was the Order of the White Eagle - one of the main orders of Poland, established in 1705 and included in the Russian order in 1831. It was worn on a blue moiré ribbon at the right hip; the order was accompanied by a star on the left side of the chest. Order motto: “For faith, king and law.” This was a very high state award - it was awarded to persons with the rank of no lower than lieutenant general. Chief and staff officers of the Russian army were not presented with the order.
The Order of St. Vladimir was established by Catherine II in 1782 in honor of the 20th anniversary of her reign. It was divided into four degrees, the first two of which included order stars worn on the left side of the chest. The 1st degree cross was worn on a dark red ribbon with two black borders at the right hip, the 2nd and 3rd degree crosses were worn on the neck, the 4th degree cross was worn on the left side of the chest. The order's motto: “Benefit, honor and glory.”
The Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree for military merits, was presented with crossed swords and a bow made from an order ribbon (3rd degree - only with swords). This award was only slightly inferior in prestige to the country's highest military award - the Order of St. George.
In addition, the Order of St. Vladimir was a “long service” award for the Russian army. Orders awarded for length of service were easily distinguished by the inscription “25 years” (with participation in at least one military campaign) and “35 years”, which were written on the arms of the cross. For 25 years of service, a bow without swords was also added to the order. For naval officers who completed 18 campaigns and were in at least one battle, there was an order with a bow and the inscription “18 campaigns” on the rays, and for those who completed 20 campaigns and did not participate in battles, there was an order with a bow and the inscription “20 campaigns."
Thus, on the one hand, the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree, for service of 25 and 35 years was one of the most common officer awards in the Russian army, on the other, the same order with swords and a bow was the most honorable and quite rare military award. During the First World War, it was awarded mainly to staff officers, although there are many known cases when young warrant officers and second lieutenants received “Vladimir” with swords and a bow for heroic feats. In any case, this testified to the outstanding courage of the hero and the extraordinary nature of his feat.
In peacetime, the neck Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd degree, was an award for colonels and major generals. Since May 28, 1900, this degree of the order brought its owner hereditary nobility (although there was no practical sense in this, since all colonels and major generals in the Russian army were already hereditary nobles). The Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd and even more so 1st degree, were very high awards, to which persons with the rank of no lower than lieutenant general (rarely major general) were presented.
The Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, established in 1725, was conceived by Peter the Great as an exclusively military award. However, Peter's widow, Empress Catherine I, expanded the status of the award; it began to be awarded for achievements in the civilian field. The cross of the only degree of the order was worn around the neck, accompanied by a star on the right side of the chest (for military merit - with swords) and a red ribbon. The motto of the order is: “For Labor and the Fatherland.” At the beginning of the 20th century, the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky was awarded to military leaders with the rank of no lower than lieutenant general, and more often than not, full general.
And finally, the highest order of the Russian Empire since 1698 has been the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. He had a single degree in the form of the St. Andrew's Cross (a blue cross in the shape of the letter X), worn on the order chain, and the order star, worn on the left side of the chest. The order's ribbon is blue, the order's motto is “For faith and fidelity.” Crossed swords were added to the order, awarded for military merits.
Naturally, the highest order of the empire complained only to its highest dignitaries. In the army, only a full general or field marshal could receive it. During the First World War, only four awards of this order occurred, but none of the gentlemen had anything to do with the army. On July 1, 1998, the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called was revived as the highest state award of the Russian Federation.
We deliberately did not touch upon the most honorable military awards of the Russian army - the St. George medals. And this is not surprising, because a separate book can be dedicated to them. And besides, the Order of St. George was not included in the general system of seniority of Russian awards - its awarding depended solely on the importance of the feat performed by the gentleman, and therefore this order could become the very first award of a valiant officer.
The Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George was established by Catherine II in 1769. The Empress, by right of the founder, became the first holder of the order. It was immediately conceived as an exclusively military award and was divided into four degrees. The motto of the order: “For service and bravery.” The lowest, 4th degree, was a modest cross made of white enamel with the image of St. George slaying a dragon with a spear (for non-believers, the image of the saint was replaced by the image of a double-headed eagle in 1844). The cross was worn on the left side of the chest, to the right of all other awards, on a black and orange ribbon, symbolizing the colors of smoke and flame. The cross of the 3rd degree was slightly larger in size and was worn on the neck, higher than all other neck orders. A cross of the 2nd degree was also worn there, even larger in size than the previous ones, but it was already accompanied by an order star - quadrangular in shape, which sharply distinguished it from other Russian order stars. The cross of the 1st degree, the largest in size, was worn on the left hip, accompanied by an order ribbon over the right shoulder and a star. Unlike all other orders, the junior degrees of “George” were not removed in the presence of senior ones (this rule was introduced in 1856) and were generally worn under any circumstances.
The order could be awarded to generals, officers and military clergy. In fact, “George” became the first Russian order, which in theory could be received by any officer, regardless of rank and length of service. Awarding any degree of the order brought its owner hereditary nobility and considerable benefits in rank production; for example, if an ensign received the “George”, he was promoted to second lieutenant. Chief and staff officers, as a rule, were awarded the 4th degree of the order, the 3rd and 2nd degrees were “general” awards, and the 1st - “field marshal”.
Let us immediately note that the senior degrees of the Order of St. George were extremely rare even among the highest military leaders. Thus, in the entire history of the order, only 25 people received the 1st degree, 125 - 2nd. These degrees were awarded personally by the emperor. Only four people became full holders of the order: Field Marshal General, His Serene Highness Prince M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov-Smolensky, Prince M.B. Barclay de Tolly, Count I.I. Dibich-Zabalkansky and Count I.F. Paskevich-Erivansky, His Serene Highness Prince of Warsaw.
The Order of St. George immediately after its establishment became the country's most honorable military award. It is not surprising that those who wore a modest white cross on their uniform were highly respected in the army. Since 1849, their names were written on marble plaques on the walls of the St. George Hall in the Grand Kremlin Palace.
In fairness, it should be noted that the history of the Order of St. George had its unsightly moments. The 1st degree of “George” was sometimes awarded to “the right people” solely for political reasons - for example, it was received by the Austrian commanders I. Radetzky and Archduke Albrecht, the King of Sweden Charles XIV Johan, the German Emperor Wilhelm I, the French Duke Louis of Angoulême. The 2nd degree of “George” was held by the Emperor of Germany Frederick III, the King of Romania Carol I, the King of Montenegro Nicholas I, the 3rd degree by the future English King Edward VIII, the King of Serbia Peter I, the King of Romania Ferdinand 1. In 1877, the 1st The degree of the order was awarded to two Russian Grand Dukes at once - Alexander II's brothers Mikhail and Nikolai Nikolaevich, although their military merits in no way corresponded to such a high award.
During the First World War, the Statute of the Order of St. George, approved on August 10, 1913, was in force. It detailed all the cases for which an officer could be awarded the “George”. In the ground forces there were 72 such cases, in the navy - 42. Let us cite several paragraphs of the Statute as examples. So, “George” was awarded to the one who:
“...will recapture our gun or machine gun captured by the enemy;
Who in battle will capture the army commander, corps commander or division commander of the enemy army;
Who, being completely surrounded, will respond to an offer of surrender with a firm and unshakable refusal, without stopping the fight until his consciousness changes;
Who, while controlling an aeronautical device, will destroy an aeronautical device in battle or take possession of it in battle.”
Such a clearly defined structure of feats made it possible to avoid “gags” in performances, especially in war conditions. Another important point appeared in the 1913 Statute - from now on, “George” began to be awarded posthumously for brilliant exploits (previously this was not practiced).
During the First World War, the Order of St. George retained its exceptionally high status. It continued to be awarded only for brilliant exploits on the battlefield and for the leadership of outstanding military operations. During the four years of war, no one was awarded the 1st degree of the order; the 2nd degree was awarded to four military leaders, who, ironically, all bore the name “Nikolai” - generals N.I. Ivanov, N.V. Ruzsky (in 1914), Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich and N.N. Yudenich (in 1915), as well as two foreigners: Marshals of France J. Joffroy (in 1914) and F. Foch (in 1916). 60 people received the 3rd degree, of which 12 in 1914, 33 in 1915, 15 in 1916. The number of 4th degree cavaliers is several thousand.
During the First World War, there were several unique cases associated with the awarding of the Order of St. George. Firstly, for the second time in the history of the order, its 3rd degree was awarded to an officer with the rank of captain - S.G. Leontiev (awarded posthumously on July 9, 1916, with simultaneous promotion to lieutenant colonel for a brilliant partisan operation to liberate the Nevel farm; the previous holder was Captain I.I. Bishev, who received the order in 1770). Secondly, for the first time, the 4th degree of the order was posthumously awarded to a woman who, moreover, did not have any military rank or rank (the sister of mercy of the 105th Orenburg Infantry Regiment R.M. Ivanov, whose fate is the subject of a separate essay in this book). And finally, the same degree of “George” was awarded twice for the first and last time - to the staff captain of the 73rd Crimean Infantry Regiment S.P. Avdeev (first award - February 20, 1916, second - June 5 of the same year).
After the February Revolution of 1917, the Order of St. George was preserved in the country's award system. The two highest degrees were not awarded, but seven people were awarded the 3rd degree of the order from February to October 1917: Colonel K.I. Gopper, Major General N.N. Dukhonin, A.E. Snesarev, A.S. Karnitsky, M.D. Udovichenko, N.A. Lokhvitsky and Lieutenant General V.I. Sokolov, and the first five received their orders for exploits committed back in 1916.
From June 24, 1917, the Order of St. George could also be awarded to soldiers and sailors, but only if the recipient was performing the duties of an officer at the time of the feat. At the same time, a white metal laurel branch was attached to the order ribbon. True, only two people became the owners of such an award - ensign of the 71st artillery brigade Iosif Firsov and ensign of the Ossetian cavalry regiment Konstantin Sokaev.
The Order of St. George was abolished by a decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars on December 16, 1917, along with all other awards of the Russian Empire. However, at the fronts they continued to present the award for some time. The most recent Knight of St. George was Colonel P.N. Shatilov, who was awarded the “George” 3rd degree on March 27, 1918 for a feat accomplished in February 1916. On August 8, 2000, the Order of St. George was restored to the award system of the Russian Federation.
The Golden Weapon with the inscription “For Bravery” was also considered very close in status to the Order of St. George. Awarding cold steel has been practiced in the Russian army since the time of Peter the Great, but this award acquired its final form at the beginning of the 19th century. It was a sword (later - a saber, a saber, and for sailors - a dirk) with a lanyard of St. George's colors and a gilded hilt, on which was the inscription “For bravery.” Since 1869, holders of such weapons were classified as St. George's Arms, and according to the Statute of 1913, the award itself received the official name of the St. George's Arms. From that time on, the cross of the Order of St. George was depicted on the hilt. The St. George weapon could be awarded to staff officers and those chief officers who already had the Annensky weapon or the Order of St. George.
The St. George weapon was valued somewhat lower than the Order of St. George, but was nevertheless considered a very honorable military award. The 1913 statute defined 30 cases in the ground forces and 32 in the navy that entailed the award of such weapons. So, the St. George saber or dagger could be received by the one who:
“...at the risk of life, will save a banner or standard and deliver them from captivity;
Who, during a battle, with a detachment of no more than a battalion or squadron, will break through the strongest enemy;
Whoever, commanding scouts, a patrol or another team, captures a number of people equal to the patrol or team;
Whoever, with obvious danger to life, destroys the crossing necessary for him at the front, flank or rear of the enemy and thereby helps our troops achieve success over the enemy.”
A separate type of this award was the St. George's Arms, decorated with diamonds. It complained only for the most outstanding victories. Eight people became his cavaliers in 1914-1916 - Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, artillery generals V.A. Irmanov and S. Mehmandarov, infantry generals P.A. Lechitsky and P.P. Kalitin, cavalry general A.A. Brusilov and Lieutenant General S.F. Dobrotin and A.I. Denikin.
And finally, in 1917, a third, very specific St. George award for officers appeared. We are talking about the St. George Cross with a laurel branch. This award was established on June 29, 1917 and was a soldier’s St. George Cross, on top of which a metal laurel branch was attached to the ribbon from August 19, 1917 (on crosses of the 3rd and 4th degrees made of white metal, on crosses of the 2nd and 1st degrees th degrees - from yellow). Such a cross was awarded “for deeds of personal courage” to officers “for honoring the general assembly” of soldiers of the unit and was worn on the left side of the chest above all other orders, with the exception of the Order of St. George. From July 25, 1917, such crosses could be awarded to naval officers “upon honoring the general meeting of the ship’s personnel.”
The most honored Knight of St. George among all the Russian officers of the First World War is rightfully considered to be a native of the peasants of the village of Pavlovsky, Barnaul district, Tomsk province, a staff captain who fought in the 23rd Siberian Rifle and 504th Verkhneuralsk Infantry Regiments, Alexander Abramovich Alyabyev (1878-1921 ). He began his military service in 1900 and was transferred to the reserve five years later. He was called up to the First World War with the rank of an ordinary ensign and was promoted to ensign for bravery on the battlefield. He was awarded the St. George Medals of four classes, the Insignia of the Military Order of the 4th and 3rd classes, the St. George Cross of the 2nd and 1st classes, the St. George Cross of the 4th class with a laurel branch (September 18, 1917) and the Order of St. George 4th degree (September 18, 1916). An interesting description of the feat for which he received this order: “For the fact that, being in the rank of Ensign, in the battle on July 13th and 14th, 1916 near the line of the village of Klekotuv - Oparipsy, commanding the 6th company, included into the 2nd battalion, when the said battalion, having moved to attack and being met at the barbed wire with murderous fire, could not stand it and fled back to its positions, then Lieutenant ALYABYEV with a rifle in his hands rushed with a shout of “Hurray” to the barbed wire with his 6th company; the company, carried away by the valiant commander, swept away the wire and burst into the trenches, the Austrians fled, but after recovering they launched a counterattack, enveloping the 6th company on the right; There were about 30-35 people left in the company, and Lieutenant ALYABYEV gave up the taken trenches, but settled down with the remnants of the company (10-15 people), in front of the wire barriers, dug in, fighting off those who tried to surround him with fire. Lieutenant ALYABYEV sent riflemen with reports, but the sent ones, crawling a few steps, were destroyed by enemy fire. The next day, enemy artillery opened fire on the 6th company, while our artillery, not knowing about the fate of the remnants of the 6th company, opened fire at its location, with the goal of destroying the wire fences. Lieutenant ALYABYEV, left with only three shooters, responded to repeated offers to surrender with silence, and met those who tried to approach with fire. I remained in this situation until 22:00 on July 14th, until the 22nd and 23rd Siberian Rifle Regiments rushed to the attack and freed this handful of valiant heroes.” In addition to ten St. George's awards, Alyabyev also had the Order of St. Anna, 4th degree "For Bravery", St. Stanislav, 3rd and 2nd classes with swords, St. Anna, 3rd and 2nd classes with swords, St. Vladimir, 4th 1st degree with swords and bow, two medals. During the Civil War, the hero, with the rank of captain, served in the 1st Railway Guard Brigade in Barnaul, then lived in the village of Stukovo, Barnaul district. In February 1920, he was arrested by the Altai Cheka and on June 8, 1921, sentenced to death for participation in the counter-revolutionary organization "Peasant Union". According to family legend, he was not shot, managed to escape and fled abroad. On October 8, 1997, he was posthumously rehabilitated.
Slightly inferior to A.A. In terms of the number of St. George’s awards, Alyabyev is the same age as Captain Iosif Andreevich Kozlov (1878-1963), a native of the city of Ilimsk, Irkutsk province. He began his service as a private in 1900, on November 10, 1915 he was promoted to ensign, and served in the 82nd convoy battalion and the 657th Prut Infantry Regiment. For courage in battles I.A. Kozlov was awarded the Cross of St. George 4th, 3rd and 2nd degrees, the Order of St. George 4th degree “... for the fact that in the battle near the city of Augustow, on the night of August 4-5, 1915, he personally brought the company he commanded before a bayonet strike and took a working German machine gun, and he himself was wounded" (September 27, 1916), St. George's weapon "... for the fact that in the battle on July 16, 1917 near the village of Zuluchye, commanding a training team, he took a position on islands of the Cheremosh River. When the neighboring units of the 660th Chernivtsi regiment retreated under enemy pressure and the front of the 165th Infantry Division was threatened with a breakthrough, Second Lieutenant Kozlov, quickly assessing the situation, rushed at the head of the team into a counterattack, knocked the enemy out of the trenches he occupied, while capturing 2 machine guns and up to one hundred prisoners. Before the battle line was restored, he repulsed 6 enemy attacks" (September 2, 1917) and the St. George Cross of the 4th degree with a laurel branch (September 13, 1917). In addition, I.A. Kozlov was awarded the Order of St. Stanislaus, 3rd degree with swords and bow, and four medals. After the war, the hero lived in Tomsk, Ilimsk and Sverdlovsk; in 1937 he was arrested, but was soon released thanks to the assistance of a former fellow soldier who served in the NKVD. During the Great Patriotic War, the holder of six St. George's awards taught fire training at the Sverdlovsk regional military registration and enlistment office, then worked in the housing office. The grave of the outstanding hero of Russia, a fearless officer of the First World War, is located at the Ivanovo cemetery in Yekaterinburg.
But let's return to the St. George award signs. One day, the St. George Ribbon became a unique award. For the brilliantly carried out mobilization of 1914, it was awarded to Lieutenant General A.S. Lukomsky to the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree, which he already had. Thus, he became the owner of the only award in history - “Vladimir” on the St. George Ribbon. The wits gave this order the nickname “Vladimir Georgievich”.
There was a special award for military clergy - the Golden Pectoral Cross on the St. George Ribbon. This was the second St. George award, which appeared after the Order of St. George. Its establishment is associated with the heroic assault on the Turkish fortress of Izmail in 1790. Then, in the midst of the battle, all the officers of the Polotsk infantry regiment were killed, and the attack was on the verge of failure. And then at the head of the column appeared the regimental priest, Father Trofim (Kutsinsky), who, with a cross in his hand, led the assault. Inspired by the sight of their beloved shepherd, the soldiers rushed to the attack... After the capture of Ishmael A.V. Suvorov reported to P.A. Potemkin: “Today we will have a thanksgiving prayer service. It will be sung by the Polotsk priest, who was with the cross in front of this brave regiment.” Father Trofim became the first holder of the Golden Pectoral Cross on the St. George Ribbon. the award was not only honorable, but also very rare - until 1903, only 194 army clergy were awarded it. During the First World War, the Golden Pectoral Cross on the St. George Ribbon was awarded to military pastors 248 times (11 people were awarded it posthumously). Also, a panagia on the St. George Ribbon (an icon of the Mother of God to be worn on the chest) was presented twice. On February 26, 1915, Bishop Trifon of Dmitrov (Turkestan) was awarded it, and on July 1, 1916, Bishop Dionysius (Valedinsky) of Kremenets.
The most honorable award for Russian soldiers, the Cross of St. George, is inextricably linked with the Order of St. George. Its prototype was established on February 13, 1807 by Emperor Alexander I under the name “Insignia of the Military Order.” It was awarded to the most distinguished privates and non-commissioned officers for courage in battle. The first holder of the badge was non-commissioned officer of the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment Yegor Mitrokhin. The appearance of this sign repeated the cross of the Order of St. George, the ribbon was also St. George's, but the sign was made of silver, and not of white enamel. Since 1809, the serial number has been stamped on the back of the sign. In addition, the badge was in no way regarded as an order, and officers were not introduced to it. The only exception is Infantry General Count M.A. Miloradovich, who was personally awarded by Alexander I for bravery in the battle of Leipzig (1813).
Nevertheless, among the soldiers the badge immediately acquired the same high status as among the officers - the Order of St. George. Moreover, in everyday life they began to call it “Soldier’s George” or “St. George’s Cross”, and those awarded were called Knights of St. George. How high the status of the award was is evidenced by the fact that those awarded the badge, but who did not have the opportunity to receive the cross itself due to hostilities (for example, during the defense of Sevastopol in 1854-1855), wore only the St. George ribbon on their uniforms, and this was regarded as a complete analogue of a reward.
Like the Order of St. George, the Insignia of the Military Order was worn on the uniform at all times and in all circumstances. If the holder of the badge was promoted to officer, he continued to wear his award (it was placed to the left of all orders, but to the right of medals). Since 1844, for non-believers, the image of St. George on the sign was replaced by a double-headed eagle.
In 1856, the Statute of the Insignia of the Military Order was changed. Now it was divided into four degrees. The first two were made of gold, the third and fourth were made of silver. At the same time, a bow from the St. George ribbon was added to the 1st and 3rd degrees. All degrees were worn on the left side of the chest. If all four degrees of the sign were present, only the 1st and 3rd were worn; if the 2nd, 3rd and 4th were present, the 2nd and 3rd were worn; if the 3rd and 4th were present, only 3 was worn. -I.
The next change to the Statute occurred on August 10, 1913. From that time on, the insignia of the Military Order was called the Cross of St. George, and those awarded it were also officially called Knights of St. George - like the Knights of the Order of St. George, which was awarded only to officers and generals.
Externally, the St. George Cross of the 1913 model was practically no different from the previous insignia of the Military Order. The difference was that now there was a “No” sign on the back before the serial number, and the crosses themselves, thanks to improved processing and stamping quality, became lighter and more elegant.
There were still four degrees. Awards were usually made from junior to senior degrees. Since 1913, the St. George Cross could also be awarded posthumously.
The 1913 statute scrupulously listed the cases for which the lower rank could be presented with the St. George Cross. There were 46 such cases in the ground forces, and 11 in the navy. For example, the St. George Cross could be awarded to someone who:
“... after the loss of all officers, having taken command during a battle, he will maintain or restore order in a company, squadron, hundred, battery or command;
Who, during the assault on a fortified enemy place, will be the first to enter it;
Who, as a scout, with obvious personal danger, will obtain and deliver important information about the enemy;
Who will capture an enemy staff officer or general in battle.”
They were also awarded the cross for loyalty to the oath shown outside of battle. Thus, on May 25, 1915, Vasily Terentyevich Vodyanoy, a private of the 150th Taman Infantry Regiment, was awarded the St. George Cross, 3rd degree No. 224. On April 27, during reconnaissance near the city of Shavli (now Siauliai, Lithuania), he was captured by the Germans and during interrogation he refused to tell them information about the location of his unit. A German non-commissioned officer cut off both of Vasily’s ears and half of his tongue with a cleaver, but the courageous soldier never revealed the military secret.
Rewarding with the St. George Cross also entailed an increase in rank. A private who received "George" of the 4th degree became a corporal, and a private of the 3rd degree became a junior non-commissioned officer.
Unlike the Insignia of the Military Order, the numbering of the St. George Crosses began anew, from No. 1. The St. George Cross of the 4th degree No. 1 was personally awarded by Emperor Nicholas II on September 20, 1914 to private 41st Selenga Infantry Regiment Pyotr Chernomukovalchuk, who captured Austrian banner.
Unlike orders, the Cross of St. George has also been awarded to female military personnel more than once. So, on March 18, 1916, Ekaterina Vorontsova, a 17-year-old volunteer from the 3rd Siberian Rifle Regiment, posthumously became a Knight of St. George. The presentation says that during the offensive near Lake Naroch, she “inspired the entire regiment with her example and led it, infecting it with her enthusiasm, into the attack.” Children also became Knights of St. George. Thus, 10-year-old Stepan Kravchenko and 12-year-old Nikolai Smirnov received crosses of the 4th degree. Among the foreigners who fought on the side of Russia and received St. George's awards, the French pilot, lieutenant of the Russian army and lieutenant of the French Alphonse Poiret (1883-1922), awarded the St. George's Arms and the St. George's Crosses of four degrees, and the Czech-born volunteer lieutenant (in 1918 - Colonel) Karel Vashatka (1882-1919), who had a truly unique set of awards - St. George medals of the 4th, 3rd and 2nd classes, St. George's crosses of four classes, St. George's cross of the 4th class with a laurel branch, the Order of St. George 4th degree and St. George's weapon.
On May 26, 1915, according to the imperial decree, St. George's crosses of the 1st and 2nd degrees began to be produced from gold of a lower standard - now they contained only 60 percent gold. The silver crosses remained the same. But already from October 10, 1915, all “Georges” began to be minted from alloys that outwardly resembled precious metals. And from June 1916, due to the fact that the number of those awarded the cross exceeded a million, the numbering system was changed: the sign “1/m” (1 million) was affixed to the upper ray of the cross, and other numbers were stamped on the transverse rays.
After the February Revolution of 1917, awards with the Cross of St. George continued. However, now they were awarded not only for military exploits. For example, the leader of the Provisional Government A.F. Kerensky, who had not the slightest connection with the army, became a Knight of St. George two times. The 4th degree cross was presented to him, “as the undaunted Hero of the Russian Revolution who tore down the banner of tsarism,” was presented to him in May 1917 by the delegation of the 8th Border Trans-Amur Infantry Regiment, and the 2nd degree cross was presented to him by the delegation of the 3rd Caucasian Army Corps. Of course, such cases sharply lowered the status of the most honorable soldier's award.
In total, during the First World War, 33 thousand were awarded the St. George Cross of the 1st degree, 65 thousand - 2nd degree, 289 thousand - 3rd degree, and more than 1 million 200 thousand soldiers received the 4th degree. The most honored cavalier of the First World War among the lower ranks was the ensign of the Life Guards of the 3rd Infantry Regiment Grigory Ivanovich Salamatin - holder of St. George medals of all degrees (1st class - twice), two St. George crosses of the 4th class, two St. George crosses 3 1st degree, St. George's Cross of the 2nd class and two St. George's Crosses of the 1st class. Total 12 St. George's awards!..
The St. George Cross was abolished along with all insignia of Russia on December 16, 1917. In April 1944, a draft resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR was prepared, which allowed the wearing of St. George's crosses on Soviet military uniforms. The project read: “In order to create continuity in the fighting traditions of Russian soldiers and pay due respect to the heroes who defeated the German imperialists in the war of 1914-1917, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR decides: 1. Equate b. cavaliers of St. George, who received the Cross of St. George for military exploits performed in battles against the Germans in the war of 1914-1917, to the cavaliers of the Order of Glory with all the ensuing benefits. 2. Allow b. St. George's cavaliers wear a pad with an order ribbon of the established colors on their chest. 3. Persons subject to this resolution are issued an order book of the Order of Glory marked “b. St. George Knight”, which is formalized by the headquarters of military districts or fronts on the basis of the submission of relevant documents (genuine orders or service records of that time) to them.” Officially, this decree did not come into force, but at the end of the Great Patriotic War, many St. George cavaliers wore their awards next to the Soviet ones.
Until 1917, there was another soldier's award - the St. George Medal, which was divided into four degrees. It was established in 1878 under the name “For Courage”. However, since the medal was worn on the St. George ribbon, in everyday life it was most often called “St. George’s”. This name was officially legalized by the Statute on August 10, 1913. The first two degrees of the medal were gold, the 3rd and 4th were silver, and a bow was attached to the 1st and 3rd degrees. On the front side there was a profile image of Nicholas II, on the back - the inscription “For courage” and a serial number. The medal was worn on the uniform under all circumstances. Her cavaliers, promoted to officers, also continued to wear the medal (to the left of all orders and the St. George Cross, but to the right of all other medals).
Unlike the St. George Cross, the St. George Medal could also be awarded to persons not in military service, and in addition, it was awarded in peacetime. For example, a medal could be received for saving the life of a commander in a skirmish with armed bandits, seizing a ship with smugglers, or courageously defending a post.
After the February Revolution of 1917, the St. George Medal changed its appearance. From April 24, 1917, the image of Nicholas II on it replaced the image of St. George slaying a serpent with a spear. Old, pre-revolutionary medals with a portrait of the emperor were allowed to be worn only with the reverse side out. In total, more than 1.5 million medals were awarded.
At the end of our story, we note that formally only that serviceman who was awarded four degrees of the St. George Medal and the St. George Cross could be called a “full St. George Knight”, or the owner of a “full bow”. However, in fact, those who had four degrees of only medals and only a cross were often called full cavaliers.
On August 8, 2000, the St. George Cross as the highest award for soldiers, sergeants, foremen and junior officers was revived in the award system of the Russian Federation. Unlike its pre-revolutionary counterparts, it bears the official name “Insignia - St. George's Cross” and has an order bar.
Separately, it is worth mentioning another interesting award that appeared in Russia on the eve of the First World War. This is the female Insignia of St. Olga, established in honor of the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov on February 21, 1913. (The statute was approved on July 11, 1915.) In many sources, this sign is mistakenly called an order. It must be said that such inconsistency reigned even during the existence of the sign: for example, in the table of contents of the official directory N.N. Trofimov’s “The Highest Awards” (Petrograd, 1916) speaks of the “badge of the order”, and in the text of the same book - already of the “insignia of distinction”.
This discrepancy was caused by the fact that the Insignia of St. Olga was very close to the orders both in appearance and in purpose. In essence, it was a kind of “folk analogue” of the female Order of St. Catherine, which existed in Russia since 1714: unlike this order, to which only the highest court ladies were presented (there were only 724 awards throughout history), the insignia of St. Olga was intended for mass presentations. Women could be awarded it for “merits demonstrating selfless devotion to the Church, the Throne and the Fatherland, feats of personal selflessness associated with obvious danger to life, service to helping others,” services in the field of public education, agriculture, science and art. Paragraph 8 of the Statute stated that the badges “may also be awarded to the mothers of heroes who performed feats worthy of perpetuation in the annals of the fatherland.”
The sign consisted of three degrees. All three degrees were worn on a white bow on the left shoulder. Motto: “For the benefit of one’s neighbor.”
Unfortunately, the history of the badge turned out to be very short, and its gentleman became a single woman - Vera Nikolaevna Panaeva, who lost three officer sons at the front of the First World War: Boris, Lev and Gury. A separate essay is dedicated to the heroes of the Panaev brothers in this book.
It is also worth mentioning the role of medals in the award system of the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 20th century. As a rule, they were divided into two types: those established to commemorate wars or specific military episodes and those established to commemorate events. Medals were made of silver, light bronze or copper, worn around the neck or chest and were ranked much lower than the lowest in Status of the order.
We have already talked about the two most honorable medals of Russia above - the St. George and Annensky medals, which were considered a kind of addition to the corresponding orders. In addition, one of the most common Russian medals was “For Diligence,” which was divided into many varieties. The medal “For Diligence” was awarded in the following sequence: a silver breastplate on a Stanislavov ribbon; silver breastplate with Annensky ribbon; gold breastplate with Stanislavov ribbon; gold breastplate with Annensky ribbon; silver neck with Stanislavov ribbon; neck silver on the Annensky ribbon; neck silver on the Vladimir ribbon; neck silver on the Alexander ribbon; gold neck with Stanislavov ribbon; gold neck with Annensky ribbon; gold neck with Vladimir ribbon; neck gold on the Alexander ribbon; gold necklace on St. Andrew's ribbon. Such medals could be awarded to many categories of military personnel - ensigns who served for 7 years, non-commissioned officers who served for 20 years, of which 15 were in the non-commissioned rank, retired military personnel awarded the Military Order Insignia, and some others.
In addition to these medals, on the eve of the First World War, the following anniversary medals could be seen on the uniforms of Russian military personnel: “For the campaign in China in 1900-1901”, “For the battle of “Varyag” and “Korean””, “In memory of the 50th anniversary of defense Sevastopol”, “For the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905”, “For activities of the Red Cross during the Russo-Japanese War”, “In memory of the 200th anniversary of the Poltava Victory”, “In memory of the 100th anniversary of the Patriotic War of 1812”, “In memory of the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov”, “In memory of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Gangut”. The last medal of the Russian Empire, established during the war, was the medal “For labors in the excellent implementation of the general mobilization of 1914.”
...The harmonious reward system described above clearly operated only before the First World War. In peacetime, the order could be awarded to an officer with the rank of no lower than lieutenant, and he could not be nominated for the next order earlier than three years after the award of the previous one (for the Order of St. Anne, 1st degree and St. Vladimir, 2nd degree - after four year, to the Orders of the White Eagle and St. Alexander Nevsky - after 5 years). The orders were awarded in the following sequence: the Order of St. Stanislaus 3rd class, St. Anna 3rd class, St. Stanislaus 2nd class, St. Anna 2nd class, St. Vladimir 4th class for long service. Very often this was all there was to it. Even not all colonels had the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd degree. Well, then came the “general recruitment” - the Order of St. Stanislav 1st degree, St. Anna 1st class, St. Vladimir 2nd class, White Eagle, St. Vladimir 1st class, St. Alexander Nevsky, St. Andrew the First-Called, Moreover, for an ordinary combat general, brigade commander or division chief, he was limited, as a rule, to the first two. And there were generals without “stars” at all, that is, who did not have the 1st degree of any order. These, surprisingly, included one of the most legendary military leaders of the First World War, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army L.G. Kornilov.
The awarding of foreign orders to Russian officers was also quite widespread. To wear them it was necessary to seek the Highest permission. Most often, French, Serbian, Montenegrin, Bulgarian, Romanian, Italian and German orders could be seen on the uniforms of Russian officers; exotic awards were also common - Persian, Japanese, Bukhara. All foreign orders were worn below the lowest in Russian status.
The rules for wearing awards on uniforms in Russia were very complex and depended on many circumstances. But one rule always applied: the junior degree of the order was not worn in the presence of a senior one. An exception was made for orders with swords. For example, if an officer had the Order of St. Stanislaus of the 2nd and 3rd degrees, then he wore only the cross of the 2nd degree, but if the 3rd degree was with swords, then that was also worn. The Order of St. George of any degree, St. George's crosses and St. George's medals were worn on all types of clothing always and under any circumstances.
This approach made it possible not to clutter up the uniform with the “iconostasis” of awards; the uniform even on an honored officer looked simple and modest: two or three, maximum four orders.
In addition, by the beginning of the First World War, there were a relatively small number of officers in the service who managed to take part in hostilities and distinguish themselves - the country was already 10 years separated from the Russo-Japanese War, and 36 from the Russian-Turkish War. So the vast majority of officers wore a few “peaceful” orders.
In general, the award system of the Russian Empire by 1914 was structured in such a way that virtually no person in public service, including military service, could be bypassed with one or another award. On the one hand, this made it possible to encourage those who distinguished themselves without unnecessary bureaucratic red tape, on the other hand, it gave rise to an attitude towards orders, especially junior ones, as something ordinary, a matter of course.
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Nefedov Egor
To the 100th anniversary of the First World War.
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AWARDS OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR
At the beginning of 1914, there were seven orders in the country that were awarded for military merit, and one of them was exclusively military in status. Orders were awarded to officers, generals, military officials and military clergy. Russian soldiers with captured banners Russian Cossacks - Knights of St. George.
The youngest Russian order was the Order of St. Stanislaus. The order's motto: “By rewarding, encourages.” Badge of the Imperial and Royal Order of St. Stanislaus, 2nd class. with crown II degree - a smaller gold cross on a neck ribbon. Badge of the Imperial and Royal Order of St. Stanislaus, 3rd class. with swords III degree - a small gold cross on the chest, in the buttonhole. Badge of the Imperial and Royal Order of St. Stanislaus, 1st degree, 1st degree - a silver star and a large gold cross on a ribbon at the left hip.
“Mother Anna” - Order of St. Anne Order motto: “To those who love truth, piety, fidelity” I degree - Cross on a ribbon 10 cm wide over the left shoulder, star on the right side of the chest; II degree - A cross of a smaller size on the neck on a ribbon 4.5 cm wide; III degree - An even smaller cross on the chest on a ribbon 2.2 cm wide; IV degree - Cross on the hilt of a bladed weapon and a lanyard from the Order Ribbon. This award could only be earned for valor shown on the battlefield. The Order of St. Anne, 4th degree “For Bravery,” also called the “Arms of Anne,” was the dream of every young officer during the First World War. Rules for wearing degrees of the Order of St. Anne (from left to right from 4th to 1st) Badge of the Order of St. Anne 2nd degree with swords Star to the Order of St. Anne Two swords lying crosswise in the middle of the cross and stars are added to the signs of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd degrees, when the order was awarded for military exploits. In the army, the 4th degree of the order had its own nickname - “cranberry” (the round red sign of the order, attached to the hilt, looked like a berry).
The next most senior order was the Order of the White Eagle. The Order of the White Eagle is one of the main orders of Poland, established in 1705 and included in the Russian order in 1831. It was worn on a blue moiré ribbon at the right hip; the order was accompanied by a star on the left side of the chest. This was a very high state award - it was awarded to persons with the rank of no lower than lieutenant general. The Order of the White Eagle has one degree. Order motto: “For faith, king and law”
Order of St. Vladimir Order motto: “Benefit, honor and glory.” The order had four degrees: 1st degree: a star on the left side of the chest and a large cross on a ribbon over the right shoulder. 2nd degree: star on the left side of the chest and a large cross on the neck ribbon. 3rd degree: cross on neck band. 4th degree: cross in the buttonhole (button hole of the uniform) or on the last. Star and sign of the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st degree on the order ribbon Rules for wearing degrees of the Order of St. Vladimir (from left to right from 4th to 1st)
Order of St. Alexander Nevsky The motto of the order: “For labors and the Fatherland.” Star for the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky Badge of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky Badge with swords for the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky The Imperial Order of St. Alexander Nevsky has one degree. The Order of St. Alexander Nevsky was conceived by Peter I to reward military merit. But after his death in May 1725, Catherine I expanded his status and the order began to be used to reward civilians as well. The cross of the single degree of the order was worn around the neck, accompanied by a star on the right side and a red ribbon. The Order of St. Alexander Nevsky was awarded to military leaders with the rank of no lower than lieutenant general, and more often - full general.
The highest order of the Russian Empire since 1698 was the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called Rules for wearing the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called The Order of St. Andrew the First-Called with an order chain Motto - “For faith and fidelity” Star and badge of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called with diamonds. The order has only one degree. Consists of a cross, a silver star and a blue ribbon over the right shoulder. At the ends of the St. Andrew's cross there are four Latin letters “S.” A.P.R." It means "Saint Andrew - Patron of Russia." The badge was worn near the hip on a wide blue silk ribbon over the right shoulder
The most honorable military decoration of the Russian army, the Order of St. George. A cross of white enamel divided into four degrees with the image of St. George slaying a serpent with a spear, was intended as an exclusively military award, and was valued above any other order by Russian officers and generals. Neither nobility, nor old merits, nor connections at court, nor an anniversary led to receiving this award. The Order of St. George could only be earned for a brilliant, selfless feat performed on the battlefield. Star and Cross of the Order of St. George, 1st Class The Order had four degrees: 1st Class: a star on the left side of the chest and a large cross on a ribbon over the right shoulder. 2nd degree: star on the left side of the chest and a large cross on the neck ribbon. 3rd degree: small cross on a neck band. 4th degree: small cross in the buttonhole or on the block. Rules for wearing degrees of the Order of St. George (from left to right from 4th to 1st) Order motto “For service and bravery”
Rimma Mikhailovna Ivanova is a nurse who carried wounded soldiers from the battlefield. In the battle on September 9, Rimma Ivanova had to replace the officer and carry the soldiers with her courage. She was posthumously awarded the Order of St. George, 4th class. Rimma Ivanova while studying at the gymnasium Rimma Mikhailovna Ivanova with fellow soldiers shortly before her death
Father Anthony (Smirnov) When the war began, Father Anthony served on the Prut minelayer. "Prut" was armed with eight 47-mm and two 37-mm guns, three machine guns, but its main weapon was mines (the total mine supply was 900 pieces). During the fighting between Russia and Turkey on October 10, the Prut was hit. Father Anthony remained on the sinking ship with the captain, helping the sailors and crew of the ship to escape. Russian minelayer "Prut" Father Anthony became the first Russian military priest to be awarded Russia's highest military award during the First World War - the Order of St. George, 4th degree.
Kozma Firsovich Kryuchkov Kozma Firsovich Kryuchkov served in the 3rd Don Cossack Regiment. On July 30, 1914, he and five of his Cossack comrades fought in close combat with German dragoons. As a result of the battle, out of 27 Germans, 22 were killed (11 of them by Kryuchkov), the rest fled from the battlefield. Kozma received 16 puncture wounds and a 17th chopped wound (a blow with a broadsword on three fingers of his right hand), his horse was wounded 11 times, but managed to carry the rider after the battle for six miles. On August 1, 1914, the commander of the 1st Army, cavalry general P.K. von Rennenkampf, personally presented him with the St. George Cross, 4th degree, in the hospital.
Kazakov Alexander Alexandrovich is an outstanding fighter pilot. Lieutenant Kazakov rams a German Albatross on March 18, 1915. He received his first award for ramming an enemy Albatross aircraft. This was the first ram in the history of the war, when the pilot remained alive and was able to land his plane on the ground. The hero-pilot was awarded the St. George's Arms for his feat.
1. Aleshin A. “Awards of the First World War” 2. www.rusempire.ru / nagrady. Russian empire. History of Russian Goverment. 3.Vyacheslav Bondarenko “Heroes of the First World War” 4. www.bibliotekar.ru / rusOrden Russian and Soviet military awards List of sources used
("War Story" No. 4, 1993)
On August 10, 1913, Emperor Nicholas II approved a new Statute for a set of awards, which officially became known as the St. George awards. Among these distinctions was the soldier's cross of four degrees, also called St. George's cross. The numbering of new awards had to be done anew, separately for each degree. The issuance of special crosses for non-believers was stopped, since the very name “St. George” implied the image of St. George on the cross.
Already on October 28, 1913, Chancellor of the Russian Orders, Count V.B. Fredericks, in a letter to the Secretary of the Treasury, requested the production of a small quantity St. George's crosses and St. George medals “in case of possible single awards with these insignia of ranks of the border guards and lower ranks of units of troops included in military expeditions.” St. George's crosses 1st degree Fredericks asked to make 10 pieces (with numbers from 1 to 10), 2nd degree. - 15. 3rd - 50 and 4th - 150, all with corresponding numbers, starting with one. An innovation was the minting of the “No” badge in front of the numbers. Using this icon, crosses dating back to the time after 1913 are easily identified.
On April 24, 1914, the order of the Chapter of Orders was carried out. But in connection with the world war that soon began, on July 24 of the same year, an order was sent to the Mint to urgently produce “in the shortest possible time” another 300 crosses of the 1st degree, 800 - 2nd, 3000 - 3rd and 15,000 - 4 th st. This was followed by a new order for 400 crosses of the 1st class, 1200 - 2nd, 10,000 - 3rd and 55,000 - 4th class, and it was reported that this number “can hardly be considered final.” At the Mint, in connection with the new order, the execution of all other government and private orders was canceled, the working day was increased by 4 hours and 30 new employees were added. Before January 1, 1917, the Petrograd Mint produced St. George's Crosses 1st degree. 32,510 pieces (numbered from 1 to 32,480). 2nd - 65015 (numbered from 1 to 65030), 3rd - 286050 (numbered from 1 to 289150) and 4th st. - 1190150 (numbered from 1 to 1210150).
The discrepancy between the number of crosses and the numbers on them is explained by the fact that some of them were minted without numbers (which gives an excess of the number of signs of the 1st degree in relation to the general numbering) and, in addition, at the request of the Chapter of Orders, some were omitted during minting, and under these numbers crosses were issued from the Chapter's old reserves. Occasionally there are crosses, part of the numbering on which (on the left beam) has been cut off and new numbers are stamped in this place. For example, one of the illustrations shown here shows St. George's Cross 4th degree No. 9254. currently stored in the collection of the State Historical Museum (Moscow). The “No” sign indicates that the award was issued during the 1st World War. But the cross itself was made before 1914 and previously had a different numbering. In order to use it again, the numbers on the left beam were cut off and “No. 9” was knocked out, and thus there was no need to make a new sign under the number “9254”.
Of the total number minted before the beginning of 1917 St. George's crosses(1,573,725 pieces) 1,186,283 badges were sent to the Main Headquarters, 3,871 badges to the Main Naval Headquarters, and 289,535 badges to the Military Campaign Office of Emperor Nicholas II, and a total of 1,479,739 crosses of all degrees.
Of the total number of crosses the Chapter sent by year:
In 1914: 1st degree crosses. - 1651, 2nd - 3196, 3rd - 26560, 4th - 167400.
In 1915: 1st - 10230, 2nd - 21640, 3rd -112540, 4th - 458600.
In 1916 - early 1917 (until February 16): 1st tbsp. - 18031, 2nd - 39825, 3rd - 144466, 4th - 475550.
Due to the significant increase in the number of awards St. George's Soldier's Crosses, in the conditions of the economy undermined by the war, the question arose of reducing the content of precious metals in soldiers' awards. Already on May 26, 1915, the Emperor “deigned to command” St. George’s crosses and medals of the 1st and 2nd degrees to be made from low-grade gold, containing only 600 parts of pure gold (out of a conventional 1000 parts), silver - 395 parts and copper - 5 parts. In crosses of the 3rd and 4th degrees, the silver content remained the same - 990 parts. On gold crosses made from a new alloy, a special mark began to appear - a small round sign on the reverse side on the lower ray. Soon the “exemplary” marks with a round mark were presented to the Emperor and approved by him, and already on July 23, 1915, the Mint presented an invoice for 20 crosses of the 1st and 300 of the 2nd class. with reduced gold content. In total, 26,950 crosses of the 1st class were minted until the end of 1916 (when the production of awards from precious metals was completely abolished). (from No. 5531 - 32480) and 52900 crosses of the 2nd Art. (from Nos. 12131 - 65030) containing 600 parts of gold.
On October 10, 1916, the Emperor approved the decree “On the replacement of gold and silver used in the manufacture of medals and insignia with other materials.” Instead of precious metals, they began to use other metals that only repeated the color of gold and silver (yellow and white). This was to continue “until the end of the war and the passing of the emergency circumstances associated with it.” On new ones St. George's Crosses they began to put additional designations in small letters “Zh.M” (yellow metal) and “BM” (white metal).
The minting of crosses and medals from base metals began only in February 1917. In total, 10,000 St. George Crosses of the 1st degree were made (No. 32481 to 42480), 20,000 - 2nd (No. 65031 to 85030), 49,500 - 3rd (No. 289151 to 338650) and 89,000 - 4 th degree (No. from 1210151 to 1299150). By the way, the minting of the lowest level of the cross was completed only on November 24, 1917, a month after the October Revolution.
In addition, they were made St. George's crosses without numbers, including 300 - 1st degree, 500 - 2nd, 1000 - 3rd and 5000 - 4th degree. They were minted without number for issuance in replacement of lost ones, as well as for more rapid issuance in combat conditions. This group of crosses was made by October 17, 1917.
When the number of manufactured St. George's crosses The 4th degree reached a million, an unexpected difficulty arose. On June 17, 1916, the Chapter of Orders reported to Monetnyi Yavor that since “it is not possible to fit more than six signs on the transverse ends of the cross without significantly reducing the numbers themselves, it is necessary to establish how to depict the numbering of crosses in seven numbers... To eliminate Given the above inconveniences, as well as to preserve the uniformity of the signs, it would be advisable to place the figure corresponding to a million on the free upper blade of the cross, and place the figures of thousands, hundreds, tens and units on the transverse ends of the cross.”
This proposal was accepted, and the Mint produced new cross stamps, on the upper rays of which the designation “1/M”, that is, “One million,” was placed. The remaining digits of the award's serial number were still minted on the horizontal rays. At the same time, in numbers less than six digits, zeros were placed in front so that the total number of digits was equal to six. For example, on a sign with serial number 1002250, only the numbers 002250 on the horizontal rays were punched out, and the designation “1/M” was minted during the manufacture of the cross itself at the Mint.
St. George's crosses of the 4th degree from 1 million to 1210150 were minted from silver, later, with the transition to base metals, starting from the next number and until the end of their production (the last number is 1299150) they were made of white metal, with a corresponding addition in the form small letters "BM".
Kozma Kryuchkov, who immediately became famous, was the first to receive the title of the corporal of the 3rd Don Cossack regiment Ermak Timofeevich. Having met an enemy patrol of 22 German cavalrymen with four ordinary Cossacks, he personally killed an officer and several horsemen, a total of 11 enemies, receiving 16 wounds. Already on August 11, 1914 he was awarded St. George's Cross 4th Art. No. 5501. Such a large number is explained by the fact that the awards were sent out simultaneously and in large quantities to different fronts. Perhaps the 1st Army of the North-Western Front, by order of which K. Kryuchkov was awarded, received crosses starting with No. 5501. The very first of them was awarded to the brave Don Cossack. Later, during the Civil War, promoted to officer, Kryuchkov (who by that time was already a full Knight of St. George) fought with the Bolsheviks in the ranks of the Don Army and died in battle in the summer of 1919.
A St. George's Cross Another hero received 4th degree No. 1. On September 20, 1914, Emperor Nicholas II personally presented it in Tsarskoe Selo to private 41st Selenginsky Infantry Regiment Pyotr Cherny-Kovalchuk, who captured the banner of the Austrian Grenadier Regiment in battle. The Tsar awarded the cross of the same degree with the serial number “2” to the non-commissioned officer of the same regiment Alekseev.
St. George's Cross 3rd degree No. 1 was received by sergeant-ensign of the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment Ananiy Rushpitsa; 2nd degree cross No. 1 went to sergeant-ensign of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment Yegor Shestakov.
The highest degree cross with number 1 was awarded to sergeant major-ensign of the 1st Nevsky Infantry Regiment Nikifor Klimovich Udalykh. In mid-August 1914, after unsuccessful battles in East Prussia, the regiment retreated, and Nikifor Udalykh was forced to bury the regimental banner during the retreat. After some time, Udalykh, together with lieutenant of the same regiment Alexander Ipatiev, went to the territory occupied by the enemy, found the banner and delivered it to their own. At the same time, both heroes were fired upon by the Germans and Ignatiev was wounded.
For this feat, Nikifor Udalykh was immediately presented with the St. George Cross of the 1st degree and received a badge with the serial number “1”, and Lieutenant Alexander Ignatiev became a cavalier of the 4th degree. Order of St. George.
Several years will pass, and the revolution and Civil War will split the corps of the St. George Knights in the same way as the whole of Russia. Many holders of the St. George's Crosses fought in the ranks of the White armies (by the way, all White governments continued to award St. George's crosses and medals to soldiers and Cossacks who distinguished themselves in battle). But there were Knights of St. George in the Red Army as well - some of them later became famous Soviet military leaders. Thus, Private Rodion Malinovsky received the 4th degree cross; junior non-commissioned officers Konstantin Rokossovsky and Georgy Zhukov were awarded two crosses each, 3rd and 4th degrees. All three subsequently became Marshals of the Soviet Union. The well-known Vasily Ivanovich Chapaev earned three St. George's Crosses in battles. Sometimes in the literature there is a statement that he was a full Knight of St. George. In fact, Chapaev received the St. George Cross of the 4th degree No. 46347 in November 1915, a month later, in December of the same year - the cross of the 3rd degree. No. 49128, and in February 1917 - the 2nd degree of this award for No. 68047. He also had the St. George medal, 4th class.
Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny, who had four crosses and four medals, became a full Knight of St. George. Unfortunately, the St. George awards on display at the Central Museum of the Armed Forces are not the ones he received during the war. The same can be said about four St. George's Crosses, received by the Historical Museum as a gift from the family of Army General Ivan Vladimirovich Tyulenev. During the First World War, dragoon Ivan Tyulenev earned four soldiers' George medals, but they were lost during the civil war. On one of the anniversaries, Ivan Vladimirovich was presented with four other crosses, but with the “correct” numbers stamped on them, that is, those that were on the lost awards.
The story of the awarding of the soldier of the 5th Dragoon Kargopol Regiment Ivan Tyulenev during the 1st World War also turned out to be difficult... On November 20, 1915, the regiment commander, Colonel Peters, reported to the division chief: “The dragoon of the 1st squadron of the regiment entrusted to me, Ivan Tyulenev, during the entire warrior was nominated for the St. George Cross of all degrees for military distinction, but did not receive any of the awards.” When, as they say, “the awards found the hero,” on the junior non-commissioned officer’s chest were one St. George’s Cross of the 4th class, two crosses of the 3rd class and one cross of the 2nd class. As a result, a new correspondence arose, one of his crosses of the 3rd degree was replaced by a cross of the 2nd degree, and the second cross of the same 2nd degree. was exchanged for George 1st class only on February 5, 1917.
The only foreigner awarded all four degrees St. George's Cross- French pilot Alphonse Poiret - fought in World War I on the Russian front. In new air battles, he earned the rank of officer, the Order of St. Stanislav, 2nd degree with swords, Vladimir, 4th degree with swords and a bow, and the Golden Arms of St. George.
Sister of Mercy Kira Bashkirova deserved it in battle St. George's Cross, 4th degree, and the other is a sister. Antonina Palshina - two crosses, 4th and 3rd degrees, and two St. George medals.
The archives have preserved an interesting document for us. In November 1914, at the beginning of the war, an order was issued from the commander of the 3rd Caucasian Army Corps: “On November 6th, I awarded the hunter (volunteer - V.D.) of the 205th Shemakha Infantry Regiment Anatoly Krasilnikov for his services St. George's Cross of the 4th degree for No. 16602, which at the dressing station turned out to be the maiden Anna Alexandrovna Krasilnikova, a novice of the Kazan Monastery. Having learned that her brothers, workers of the Artillery Factory, had been taken to war, she decided to dress in full soldier’s uniform and join the ranks of the above-mentioned regiment... Performing the duties of a medical orderly, as well as participating in battles, she, Krasilnikova, rendered military merit and showed rare courage, inspiring the company with which she had to work.” In addition to being awarded the St. George Cross, Anna Krasilnikova was promoted to ensign and, after recovery, returned to her regiment.
Even children who fled to the front from their parents' home, having distinguished themselves in battle, became Knights of St. George. Thus, a 10-year-old volunteer of the machine gun team of the 131st Tiraspol infantry unit, Styopa Kravchenko, was wounded twice, and was awarded the 4th Art. St. George Cross for saving a machine gun in battle. 12-year-old volunteer Kolya Smirnov was captured and received 50 lashes from the Germans “for keeping silent about the location and strength of his unit” and later escaped. In subsequent battles he accomplished several feats - he brought a wounded officer out from under fire and delivered him to a dressing station, and captured a German officer. Awarded St. George's Cross 4th degree and two St. George medals. Dozens of children deserved St. George's awards during the 1st World War.
Particularly difficult is working with lists of awarded soldiers St. George's crosses after 1913. All Knights of St. George were to be included in the general Eternal List. During the 1st World War, officers awarded the Order of St. George were included in this list. But the names of the holders of soldiers' St. George's crosses and medals, due to the numerous awards, were supposed to be placed there under the corresponding numbers at the end of hostilities. The war for Russia, as we know, ended with a revolution, and only the lower ranks who received awards before 1913 remained on the Eternal List. But the information preserved in archival documents, albeit sometimes meager and fragmentary, about the awards of soldiers’ “egory”, is clear evidence of the courage and heroism of the soldiers of the Russian Imperial Army during the First World War.
Description:
Expert opinion.
British Military Medal "For Participation in the War of 1914-1918." Great Britain. British Empire. The medal was established on July 26, 1919, by King George V of Great Britain (1910 - 1936). British military personnel were awarded for their participation in World War I (July 28, 1914 – November 11, 1918). Issue 1919-1920 Belonged to Private Army Service Corps G.S. Burgess.
British War Medal 1914 - 1918 (wide view, obverse side) 
British First World War Medal (wide view, reverse side)
Material and manufacturing technique: silver (925 standard - British sterling standard), casting, stamping (produced by the Royal Mint of London), polishing, rolling, fabric, wool.
State: good.
Description: round medal, with a double-sided relief design, signature edge and pendant. Circumferential diameter 35 mm. Edge width 3 mm.
Obverse: image of King George V of Great Britain (1910-1936) in profile to the left, inscription in Latin GEORGIVS V BRITT: OMN: REX ET IND: IMP:(full Latin text GEORGIVS V BRITANNIARUM OMNIUM REX ET INDIAE IMPERATOR; rus. translation GEORGE V KING OF ALL BRITISH AND EMPEROR OF INDIA), production marking BM - the initials of the famous master medalist Bertram MacKennal (1863-1931).
Obverse of the medal Reverse: an image of St. George on horseback, with a drawn sword (a symbol of the victory of a just war) and trampling on an abandoned shield with the image of the German Imperial Eagle (Germany capitulated during World War I) and a skull and crossbones (defeated, failed victors). The quiet surface of the water symbolizes the inviolability and eternity of the borders of the British Empire, and the luminous sun is a ray of light after darkness. Manufacturing markings W Mc M- initials of master medalist W. Macmillan).
Reverse of the medal Edge: inscription (abbreviations in Latin letters in English, Roman numerals) M2 - 114651 (service number) PTE.(private - private) G. S. BURGESS. (first name, last name - G.S. Burgess) A.S.C. (Army Service Corps– Army Service Corps).
Inscription on the edge (initial part) 
Inscription on the edge (end part) Pendant: The mounting pendant is a three-part piece made of sterling silver (925). The upper part of the suspension is intended for connecting it to the tape, the middle part is for fastening with a fixed hinge. The lower part - the hinge itself - is for connecting to the medal.
Ribbon: rectangular in shape with a seven-page, four-color design. Made by machine sewing from natural silk thread. There are traces of two mounting holes on the outer and inner sides of the tape. Tape length - 100 mm, width - 32 mm. The colors of the ribbon are blue, indicating the water borders of the British Empire, red-yellow or fiery - attack of the enemy, white - hope for a bright future, black - death of the enemy.
Additional information about the awards:
The medal was awarded for 28 days of service during World War I, to members of the British Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and Royal Reserve Fleet of the British Empire, as well as to all other persons who provided military assistance to Great Britain during World War I (1918 - 1918). gg.) from August 5, 1914 to November 11, 1918. (including citizens of foreign countries.
In the future, the established time period for receiving the British military medal for participation in the war of 1914-1918. was extended by the period 1919-1920. Individuals who participated in naval mine clearance, as well as military personnel who served in the British Expeditionary Force in the south and north of European Russia, in Siberia, the Black and Caspian Seas, were nominated for the medal.
The total mintage of the silver version of the British First World War Medal was 6,390,000 (110,000 were issued in bronze for the Chinese, Indian and Maltese labor battalions).
Results of expert work:
Based on external features and their totality, and based on sources of reliable information, the medal can be attributed as a genuine, original military British medal "For participation in the war of 1914-1918"", established on July 26, 1919, issued in 1919 - 1920.
The expert study was carried out on the basis of a visual examination of the object.
The expert opinion of the subject was carried out by a certified expert by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation Alexander Alexandrovich Kornienko.
Based on the Law “On the Export and Import of Cultural Property” dated April 15, 1993 No. 4804-1 and the result of this expert work, this subject of research is British First World War Medal, 1914-1918.- represents cultural value.
Buy a British First World War medal, 1914-1918 . - this means learning and understanding the causes of World War I, the meaning of its beginning, and the meaning of its end, its cruelty and unjustification. British War Medals interesting in terms of studying the history of the British Empire, its beginning, its dawn and its decline. Buy orders and medals of Great Britain for your collection - this means getting closer to the past of this country. UK Awards– this is a whole layer in the study of the award system of the United Kingdom! In our military antiques store you can also order or buy other English awards: Royal Victorian Order, Order of St. Michael and St. George, Order of the Bath, British Distinguished Flying Cross, Baltic Medal, Crimean Medal (Great Britain) and other items !
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