BELL
GEORGE RIBBON
On the eve of Victory Day, Ivan Alekseich and his seven-year-old grandson Vanya were walking around the city. Fine! The streets are clean, the wind plays with flags, cars rush past, and almost every taxi has a St. George ribbon on its antenna.
In the middle of the street, a guy with a girl, smiling, handed out the same black and yellow ribbons to passers-by. They took both the grandfather and the grandson one by one, so that the next day, going to the parade, attach them to their chests. “Grandfather, why are these ribbons called St. George? Vanya asked. - Probably, there was such a glorious hero named George during the war, who knocked out a whole thousand enemy tanks or planes, right?
Grandfather suddenly leaned over and picked up something from the asphalt: “Here he is, that hero George, lying on the ground. Not good". In the palm of my grandfather, a brand new "ten" gleamed - a coin of 10 kopecks. “See, Vanya? This is St. George the Victorious. People also call him Egor the Brave. How not brave? Just imagine. He was a rich and noble young man, a commander in the army of the Roman emperor. But when he learned that the ruler was preparing a cruel persecution of Christians (and George was a secret Christian), he came to the emperor and declared that he believed in Christ. For this he was executed. Time passed, and in honor of the great martyr George began to build temples. And here's an amazing incident, Vanya. In the city of Amastrida (this is on the Black Sea) there was a church dedicated to George - so dilapidated that it seemed that it was about to collapse. And the people in that city lived in poverty, they had no money for repairs. And then one day a boy runs into the temple - the same fidget as you. The face was sobbing - the older guys again hit cuffs for not being able to win in a single game. “Help me win, Saint George,” the boy prayed, “and I will bring you a delicious pie for this!” And the saint heard - since then the boy began to take over in games. His mother baked a cake, and the boy put it in front of the altar: “Here, Saint George, this is for you!” As soon as the boy left the temple, visiting merchants come in. They see - a pie, but how delicious it smells! “Listen, why does a saint need a pie? Let's eat it so that the good does not disappear, and in return we leave incense, ”says one merchant to another. They finished with the pie - and what a misfortune? How to get outside? Everywhere you look - only walls and not a single door! The merchants realized that they had sinned, placed a silver coin in front of the altar, then a gold one, fervently prayed to the saint - and finally found a way out. This miracle became known throughout the country, pilgrims were drawn to the poor temple, and soon a beautiful new church grew up with their donations.
“But why is George portrayed as a horseman with a spear?” Vanya asked. “Here's why. Already after his death, the saint appeared in the form of a young man on a horse and defeated the serpent. The monster has long kept everyone in fear. Every day it crawled out of the lake to drag another victim with it to the bottom - (the inhabitants of that town, by lot, brought their children to death). And then came the turn of the king's daughter. It was then that a beautiful rider with a spear at the ready rushed to her rescue and pierced the snake's throat. He told the girl to throw a rope around her neck and lead him into the city like a dog. Residents fled in horror, seeing this procession. In the city square, George killed a monster, and announced to the people that it was the Lord Jesus Christ who sent him to help them. The grateful inhabitants threw out their former idols and accepted holy baptism. It turned out that George saved not only the princess, but the whole people. This is such a story, ”concluded Ivan Alekseevich.
“In the same way, God helped our people to defeat the Nazis!” Vanya guessed. "Certainly! grandfather agreed. – And the Great Martyr George was nearby. So many coincidences! The capture of Berlin and the surrender of Germany took place on the eve of the feast of St. George; Easter also fell on his day that year! And the Victory Parade in June was hosted by a marshal named Georgy - the famous Zhukov. And when he rode through Red Square on his white horse past the defeated banners with a swastika, of course, it was impossible not to remember the image beloved by Muscovites - the image of the patron saint of the army, George the Victorious.
“Grandfather, why are the ribbons named after him? Where did it come from? Vanya also asked. “On such ribbons it was supposed to wear the highest military award - the St. George Cross,” Ivan Alekseevich explained. - He appeared under Tsarina Catherine II. Only the most courageous soldiers and officers were honored to wear this ribbon. During the Great Patriotic War, those who distinguished themselves were awarded the Order of Glory - but his ribbon was the same as that of the Order of St. George. And here we are with you tying it (without an order) as a sign of respect for the heroes of the war and eternal memory of them.
Today, the St. George ribbon is perceived more as a modern fashion accessory on certain May days, which does not stand up to criticism. But few people know the history of the symbol of Victory and courage, bravery and stamina. Even less familiar is the history of the origin of the color of the ribbon. And why is the ribbon called St. George's?
What you need to know about the St. George Ribbon - we offer you a selection of 10 most important facts.
No. 1. Slogan
About the St. George's Ribbon, as a symbol of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, they started talking in the mid-2000s.
In 2005, on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the Victory, a non-political action was launched under the well-known slogans:
“Grandfather’s victory is my Victory”, “Tie it. If you remember!”, “I remember! I am proud!”, “We are the heirs of the Great Victory!”, “Thank you grandfather for the victory!”
No. 2. Idea author
The idea of the action belongs to a group of journalists from the Russian Agency for International Information "RIA Novosti".
No. 3. Code of the action "George Ribbon"
The St. George Ribbon Code consists of 10 points:
- The action "George's Ribbon" - not commercial or political.
- The purpose of the action is creating a symbol of the holiday - Victory Day .
- This symbol is an expression of our respect for the veterans, a tribute to the memory of those who fell on the battlefield, gratitude to the people who gave everything for the front. To all those thanks to whom we won in 1945.
- "George Ribbon" not a heraldic symbol . This is a symbolic ribbon, a replica of the traditional bicolor St. George ribbon.
- It is not allowed to use original award St. George or Guards ribbons in the promotion. "George's Ribbon" is a symbol, not a reward.
- "George Ribbon" cannot be sold .
- "George Ribbon" cannot serve to promote goods and services. It is not allowed to use the tape as an accompanying product or as an element of product packaging.
- "George Ribbon" distributed free of charge. It is not allowed to issue a ribbon to a visitor of a trading establishment in exchange for a purchase.
- Not allowed usage"George Ribbon" for political purposes any parties or movements.
- "St. George Ribbon" has one or two inscriptions: the name of the city / state where the ribbon was produced. Other inscriptions on the ribbon are not allowed.
- This is a symbol of the unbroken spirit of the people who fought and defeated Nazism in the Great Patriotic War.
Naturally, like any code in the Russian Federation, it is also not observed by every citizen. From 2005 to 2017, paragraph 7 of the code is considered the most violated. On the eve of the holiday, enterprising merchants get away with whatever they can: manicures, vodka, beer, dogs, wet wipes, ice cream, mayonnaise, and even toilets- madness in all its glory:
Here is such a speculation on the topic of war and victory ... Petty, low, vile, disgusting ...
No. 4. On banknotes
The St. George ribbon is depicted on the commemorative banknotes of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic issued by the Central Bank of Pridnestrovie to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
No. 5. Correspondence
St. George's Ribbon in appearance and color combination corresponds to the ribbon, which is covered with the order block for the medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945."
Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945" Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945" became the most massive medal. As of January 1, 1995, approximately 14,933,000 people have been awarded the medal.
Among the awarded were 120,000 servicemen of the Bulgarian army who took part in the fighting against the German army and its allies.
No. 6. "Georgievskaya" or "Guards"
The ribbons distributed as part of this action are called St. George's, although critics argue that in fact they correspond to the guards, as they mean a symbol of victory in the Great Patriotic War and have orange stripes, not yellow. The fact is that since the autumn of 1941, units, formations and ships, for the courage and heroism of their personnel, which they showed in the defense of the Fatherland, were awarded the honorary title "Guards", "Guards", and not "George" or "George".
In fact, everything is simple - the guards ribbon is typical for the Soviet era of government, while the St. George ribbon is for the royal one. And they differed slightly - the color and width of the stripes. The Bolsheviks, who abolished the award system in 1917, in 1941 only copied the royal award, changing quite a bit the shade of color.
Guards ribbon in the USSR. Postcard. By the way, according to the widespread version, the term "guard" appeared in Italy in the 12th century and meant a select detachment for the protection of the state banner. In Russia, the first detachments of the guards were created in 1565 by decree of Ivan the Terrible - they were all part of his personal guard. Today they are called bodyguards, and in the time of Ivan the Terrible - guardsmen. The basis of the personal guard of the king was the “best” representatives of the most noble families and descendants of the specific princes ... Oprichniki had to stand out from the crowd, and like monks, who were easy to distinguish by black robes, special black clothes were invented for the royal guard. This fact, by the way, explains the color of the clothes of modern bodyguards ...
Paradoxically, the Bolsheviks, hating everything tsarist, overthrew the term "Georgievsky", returned in 1941 another tsarist term "Guards", but called it their own, Soviet ...
No. 7. When it first appeared
St. George ribbon appeared on November 26 (December 7) 1769. under Catherine II, along with the Order of St. George - the highest military award of the Russian Empire. The motto of the order was: "For service and courage."
Catherine II with the Order of St. George 1st degree. F. Rokotov, 1770 The Empress herself became the first holder of the order - on the occasion of its establishment ... And "For Service and Courage" - Fedor Ivanovich Fabritsian - Russian general, hero of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774.
Under his command, a special detachment of jaeger battalions and part of the 1st Grenadier Regiment, numbering 1,600 people, utterly defeated a Turkish detachment of 7,000 people and occupied the city of Galati. For this feat, on December 8, 1769, Fabrizian was the first in history to be awarded the Order of St. George, 3rd degree.
And the first full holder of the Order of St. George was the outstanding Russian commander, commander-in-chief of the Russian army during the Patriotic War of 1812, student and ally of A.V. Suvorov - Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov.
The last lifetime portrait of M. I. Kutuzov, R. M. Volkov, 1813. In the portrait, the Sign of the Order of St. George 1st degree (cross) on the St. George ribbon (behind the hilt of the sword) and its quadrangular star (2nd from the top) . No. 8. Tape color
The ribbon was worn depending on the class of the gentleman: either in the buttonhole, or around the neck, or over the right shoulder. The tape was supposed to be a lifetime salary. After the death of the owner, it was inherited, but due to the commission of a shameful offense, it could be withdrawn from the owner. The order's statute of 1769 contained the following description of the ribbon: Silk ribbon with three black and two yellow stripes.
However, as the images show, in practice, not so much yellow as orange was initially used in practice (from a heraldic point of view, both orange and yellow are just options for displaying gold).
The traditional interpretation of the colors of the St. George ribbon states that black means smoke, orange means flame . The Chief Chamberlain Count Litta wrote in 1833: “The immortal legislator who established this order believed that the ribbon connected it the color of gunpowder and the color of fire ».
However, a prominent specialist in Russian faleristics, Serge Andolenko, points out that black and yellow colors, in fact, only reproduce the colors of the state emblem: a black double-headed eagle on a golden background.
The image of George both on the state emblem and on the cross (award) itself had the same colors: on a white horse, white George in a yellow cloak killing a black snake with a spear, respectively, a white cross with a yellow-black ribbon.
“The Miracle of George about the Serpent” (icon, late 14th century) No. 9. Why is it named after George the Victorious
This saint has become extraordinarily popular since the days of early Christianity. In the Roman Empire, starting from the 4th century, churches dedicated to George began to appear, first in Syria and Palestine, then throughout the East. In the West of the empire, Saint George was considered the patron saint of chivalry, participants in the crusades; he is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. In Rus' since ancient times, St. George was revered under the name of Yuri or Egor.
According to one version, the cult of St. George, as often happened with Christian saints, was promoted in opposition to the pagan cult of Dionysus , temples were built on the site of the former sanctuaries of Dionysus, and holidays were celebrated in honor of him on the days of Dionysius.
The name George comes from the Greek. γεωργός - farmer. coexist in the popular mind two images of the saint: one of them is close to the church cult of St. George - a snake fighter and a Christ-loving warrior, another, very different from the first, to the cult of a cattle breeder and tiller, owner of the land, patron of cattle, opening spring field work
St. George, together with the Mother of God, is considered the heavenly patron of Georgia and is the most revered saint among Georgians. According to local legends, George was a relative of Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina, the Enlightener of Georgia. And the George Cross is present on the flag of the Georgian church. For the first time he appeared on the Georgian banners under Queen Tamara.
This is interesting:
It is well known that the St. George ribbon appeared along with the St. George Order. So, since St. George was considered a Christian saint, how to reward Muslim defenders? So, for the Gentiles, a variant of the order was provided, in which instead of St. George the coat of arms of Russia, a double-headed eagle, was depicted. The model of the order with an eagle was approved by Nicholas I on August 29, 1844 during the Caucasian War, and Major Dzhamov-bek Kaytagsky was the first to receive a new badge. In this regard, in memoirs and fiction there are moments when officers, immigrants from the Caucasus, are perplexed:
“why did they give me a cross with a bird, and not with a horseman?”
Badge of the order of the 3rd class. for officers of non-Christian faith, from 1844 No. 10. Restoration of the Order of St. George
The Order of St. George, once abolished by the Bolsheviks, has now been restored, and by Decree of the President of Russia No. 1463 of August 8, 2000, it acts as the highest military award in Russia. The restored Order of St. George has the same external features as in tsarist times. Unlike the previous order, the order of awarding has been slightly changed: not only the 3rd and 4th degrees, but all degrees are given sequentially. An annual pension is not provided for the holders of the order, while under Catherine II a pension was provided - it was received throughout life. After the death of the gentleman, his widow received a pension for him for another year.
Found an error? Select it and left click Ctrl+Enter.
The St. George Ribbon is a public action for the distribution of symbolic ribbons dedicated to the celebration of Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War, which has been taking place since 2005 on the initiative of RIA Novosti and the ROOSPM Student Community.
Since then, the action has become traditional and is held annually at the expense of enterprises and the budget from April 24 to May 12. In 2008, St. George ribbons were distributed in more than 30 countries.
Over 50 million ribbons have been distributed worldwide over the 6 years of the action. The countries in which the campaign is most active are Russia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Abkhazia, Belarus, Ukraine, Greece, France, Italy, Estonia, Latvia, Great Britain, USA, Germany, Moldova, China, Vietnam, Belgium, Kyrgyzstan, Israel , Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.
The St. George Ribbon is called "St. George's" because it is a ribbon of orders and medals of Russia - the USSR, as well as the former Russian Empire.
Such a ribbon adorned the medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945", which was awarded to all combatants back in May 1945.
That is why the St. George ribbon is considered in Russia at the present time (2014) as a symbol of victory over fascism.
Then, of course, it was not advertised that this was the St. George ribbon, but many knew that this ribbon was taken from the analogue of the royal award "St. George's Cross", which was the most respected among the military. She was awarded even to ordinary soldiers (soldier's St. George's Cross).
But that's not all. The fact is that the St. George Cross appeared in Russia only in 1807, but before that there was the Order of St. George, established back in 1769 by Empress Catherine. He also had a yellow and black ribbon.
Saint George himself was very respected in Rus'. George the Victorious is a symbol of the city of Moscow. This is a man canonized as a saint during the years of persecution of Christianity (4th century). Torturers and executioners could not defeat him, as he constantly came to life and again preached the teachings of Christ. He was invincible.
"George Ribbon" - a public action for the distribution of symbolic ribbons dedicated to the celebration of Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War, which has been taking place since 2005. Since then, the action has become traditional and is held annually at the expense of public organizations, enterprises and the state budget from April 24 to May 12.
There is an opinion that it is more correct to call this ribbon not “St. George”, but “Guards” for two reasons: the color scheme of the ribbon and historical accuracy.
The colors of the St. George's ribbon are yellow and black (statute of 1769) or orange and black (statute of 1913), and the colors of the Guards are golden-orange and black. In practice, the ribbon could be both black and yellow and black and orange, and also not have a piping, depending on the realities, since from a heraldic point of view, orange and yellow are options for displaying gold. For example, the Russian commander Mikhail Kutuzov in the portrait of the artist Roman Volkov (1813) is depicted with a black and orange St. George ribbon. Historically, with the approval of the Soviet government, the St. In 1942, it was replaced by the Guards Ribbon, which also adorned the military award - the Order of Glory.
Experts in medallions and heraldry note that the ribbon got its name from the name of the St. George Cross award and was never used in awards during the Great Patriotic War, and also earlier on no state Soviet award since 1917 after the abolition of the award system of the Russian Republic. However, the ribbon called "St. George" was actively used in the awards of the soldiers of the Russian Empire, soldiers and officers of the White Army during the Civil War. In addition, this ribbon was part of the structure of the awards of the Russian Corps, which, in turn, was part of the Russian Liberation Army, a former Wehrmacht unit that fought on the side of Nazi Germany. At the same time, historians emphasize that the St. George Ribbon in question had a black and yellow color. The black-and-orange palette familiar to us is inherent in a completely different tape, which has the name "Guards".
1 of 2
"Guards Ribbon" is an order ribbon that was part of the award system of the USSR. It was used in the design of the block of the Order of Glory and the medal "For the Victory over Germany". Also, the image of the famous ribbon was used to apply to the banners of guards formations, formations and units (ships). At the same time, the colors of the Guards Ribbon and it itself have nothing to do with the Russian Empire.
DESCRIPTION:
The guards ribbon is a golden-orange silk rep moire ribbon with three longitudinal black stripes applied to it.
Tape width - 32.5 mm, length - 1420 mm. The width of the black stripes is 6 mm, the width of the orange gaps between them is 6.25 mm, the width of the piping is 1 mm.
The guards tape is laid along the band of the Red Navy caps (peakless caps) of the rank and file of the guards ships and units and is fixed at the back seam, and the ends of the tape remain free.
On the guards ribbons, in the place at the front of the cap, the name of the ship, unit or formation is superimposed in gold embossing, and on the free ends - anchors.
Military experts say that the Soviet guard was born during the Great Patriotic War during the Battle of Smolensk near Yelnya in the early autumn of 1941. The title of "Guards Division" was awarded for the first time to four motorized rifle divisions for military exploits, organization, discipline and exemplary order by order of the People's Commissariat. At the end of the spring of next year, the Guards badge was approved in the USSR. The official document states that "The Guards Ribbon is an orange ribbon with three longitudinal black stripes applied on it."
However, historians note that the heraldic inaccuracy of the annual St. George Ribbon event does not prevent it from being one of the largest, unifying actions that really reminds of the terrible war and the feat of the peoples of the USSR.
Why is the ribbon called St. George's.
As a result of a spontaneous action in 2005, a "George" ribbon appeared in all cities of Russia, painted in orange and black. The participants of this action set themselves the main goal: to restore the memory of the traditions of the Soviet and Russian army. Since then, the "George" ribbon has become an indispensable attribute of celebrations dedicated to the victory in the Great Patriotic War - the victory over the Nazis. Why is a two-color ribbon called "George"?
A bit from the history of the "George" ribbon.
The Russian Empress Catherine II in 1769 established the Order of St. George, which has four degrees, in order to reward those who performed a feat in battle and demonstrated their valor. The order of the first degree is made in the form of sets, which include a cross, stars and a special ribbon with two orange and three black stripes, which was worn under the uniform over the shoulder. This tape was called "George".
Since then, these two colors of the St. George ribbon have become symbols of valor and military glory in Russia. Later, this ribbon was assigned to military units as a distinction, for example, to banners. Also, state awards were worn on this ribbon. At the beginning of the 19th century, separate parts of the Russian army received award St. George banners. St. George's ribbon and tassels were attached to these banners.
Half a century later, during the Crimean War, the colors of the "George" ribbon began to appear on the award weapons that belonged to the officers. This award has become as honorable as the Order of St. George. Until the Empire ceased to exist, the "George" ribbon existed in the Russian army as an award attribute.
Continuation of the tradition.
The leadership of the Soviet Union decided to partially restore the traditions of the Russian army during the war with Nazi Germany. So, in 1943, the government of the USSR established the Order of Glory, which had three degrees and was a five-pointed star and a block covered with a yellow-black ribbon, which resembled the Order of St. George. The ribbon of two colors also symbolized courage, valor and continuity of traditions.
The decision to restore the former Russian order was made by the Russian government after the collapse of the USSR. It was then that the distinctive sign "St. George's Cross" was introduced. And so a symbol appeared in modern Russia, uniting the traditions of different eras, which are more than two centuries apart from each other.
Currently, Russians proudly and patriotically attach the orange-red ribbon to their clothes or hang it on cars on public holidays or during public and political events. Be sure to know how to tie a St. George ribbon. After all, the St. George ribbon is not only a symbol of the unity of the nation, but also a way to express one's patriotic feelings.
