What is St. George's ribbon? The meaning and history of the St. George ribbon

05/06/2017 05/08/2017 by Mnogoto4ka

Since 1965, May 9 is celebrated in Russia as the Day of Great Victory. From April 24 to May 12, as part of the promotion called “ St. George's ribbon» Symbols of Victory - St. George's ribbons - are distributed free of charge to everyone. The meaning of the action itself is simple: in honor of the holiday, the issued ribbons must be hung on bags, on sleeves, on windshields cars... Alas, many do this without understanding the meaning and without knowing the history St. George ribbon.

The St. George Ribbon is an attribute of many military awards of the Russian Empire, Soviet Union And modern Russia, characterized as a special insignia.

The St. George ribbon originally appeared with the Imperial Military Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George - the highest military award Russian Empire. This order was established by Empress Catherine II in 1769 to honor officers for their services on the battlefield. He had four degrees of distinction.

I wonder what color scheme The insignia we are considering has given rise to a lot of controversy. According to the RIA Novosti project “OUR VICTORY” (9may.ru), Count Litta wrote in 1833: “the immortal legislator who founded this order believed that its ribbon connects the color of gunpowder and the color of fire...”. According to the same website, Serge Andolenko, a Russian officer, did not agree with this explanation: “In reality, the colors of the order have been state colors since the time when the double-headed eagle on a golden background became the Russian national emblem...” According to other publicly available information, the black-orange color scheme should be understood as the color of smoke and fire. In any case, appearing back in Tsarist Russia The symbol is firmly entrenched in history and has now become the traditional color of the May 9 holiday.

Two historical anecdotes are associated with the introduction of the Order of St. George: the first case of self-awarding occurred literally immediately after the creation of the insignia. Catherine II awarded herself the Order of the 1st degree for introducing the Order of St. George. Alexander II went even further and awarded himself it on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Order. But if we return to symbolism, the Order of St. George was given for specific feats on the battlefield or for serving the right advice useful for military service.

IN Soviet era The St. George Ribbon did not fall into oblivion, but took an honorable place among military insignia. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of November 8, 1943, she became part of the Order of Glory of three degrees. It was thanks to this event that it became possible to use it as a sign of respect to the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War.

There is an exact list of feats for which the Order of Glory was given. Among others, in the list you can find such items as “In a moment of danger, he saved the banner of his unit from being captured by the enemy”, “Despising danger, he was the first to break into the enemy bunker (pillbox, trench or dugout), and with decisive actions destroyed his garrison”, “Disregarding personal danger, captured the enemy’s banner in battle,” “Risking his life, under enemy fire, he provided assistance to the wounded during a number of battles,” and so on. Of course, heroes who received the Order of Glory were promoted.

The St. George ribbon adorns the blocks of the “Order of Glory” - a military order of the USSR, established by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in 1943.

• The Order of Glory has three degrees, of which the highest I degree is gold, and II and III are silver.
• These orders were issued for personal feat on the battlefield, were issued in strict order - from lowest to highest degree.

The St. George ribbon adorns the medal blocks “For Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945,” established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on May 9, 1945. The medal was awarded to military personnel who took direct participation on the war fronts.
The St. George Ribbon is part of the “Order of St. George” - the highest military award Russian Federation, which awarded to senior and senior officers for conducting combat operations during an attack by an external enemy.

In addition, the St. George Ribbon is also present on other military orders, medals, standards and banners.

The colors of the ribbon - black and orange - mean “smoke and flame” and are a sign of the soldier’s personal valor shown in battle.

"St. George's Ribbon" is one of the most interesting projects on creating symbols in our country. Having appeared in the year of the sixtieth anniversary of the Victory (2005), it managed to become a tradition in 4 years. The action is recognized as the largest patriotic event in Russia. Well this is good result. The St. George Ribbon has a glorious history and deserves to have its colors symbolize the Great Victory.

Today, many people take part in the action, happily attaching ribbons to bags and clothes. Despite the fact that the organizers of the action and government officials approve of the appearance of a new patriotic symbol, many Russian residents, on the contrary, are protesting against the action. Their protest has a logical basis: the Order of St. George is an important award given for heroic actions during hostilities. The participants of the action, most likely, did not perform any feats, and therefore cannot have the right to wear a ribbon. The moral aspect of this dilemma is extremely complex, and each person decides for himself: either the ribbon is a tribute of respect, the personification of our gratitude, or the unlawful use of part of a military award.

More precisely, the truth about her. In short, we are clearing up the mess that was created by liars and demagogues.

The other day, a man who considers himself a communist reproached me: “You replaced the symbols of Victory with your ribbon, and now you want your neighbors to swear allegiance to this fake,” it was said about.

And he cited as evidence Nevzorov’s exemplary performance, which can be considered the quintessence of all the lies on this matter. Below is an excerpt of the recording and text, and full version you can read and watch:

“The definition of the ribbon that people tie to themselves on May 9 as "Colorado" , based on the color of the Colorado potato beetle, I actually gave once on Channel Five. Naturally, I have nothing against May 9th. But if you take this so seriously, if it is extremely important for you, then you must be extremely neat and serious, including in symbolism .

St. George's Ribbon, was unknown in the Soviet Army . The Order of Glory was established only in 43, was not particularly popular, did not even enjoy fame at the front , the award must have a certain historical path in order for it to become popular and famous, and just the opposite, General Shkuro, General Vlasov, many The highest ranks of the SS supported the cult of the St. George's ribbon . It was a tape of both Vlasovites and senior officials SS.

Understand no matter how we treat Soviet state, but the color of victory, and we must treat this calmly and courageously, victory color - red . The red color was raised banner over the Reichstag , under the red banners people marched into the Patriotic War, not under any others. And anyone who pays attention and pain to this holiday should probably be precise in observing this symbolism too.”

And I know, of course, that in the Soviet system of awards and badges there was no concept of “St. George’s ribbon.”

But do we every time want to plunge into the jungle of faleristics like: “the ribbon is a silk rep moiré ribbon of golden-orange color with three longitudinal black stripes applied to it with edging 1 mm wide”?

Therefore, for simplicity of presentation, let’s conventionally call it “St. George’s ribbon” - after all, everyone understands what we are talking about? So…

Victory symbol

Question: When did your St. George ribbon become a symbol of Victory?

Medal "For victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945"

It looked like this:

and like this:

Soviet naval guards at the Victory Parade

Guards ribbon on a USSR post stamp ( 1973 !!!)

and, for example, like this:

Guards ribbon on the Guards naval flag of the destroyer "Gremyashchiy"

Order of Glory

A.NEVZOROV:
My friend Minaev, don’t forget about mine former profession. I was once a reporter, after all. That is, I must be absolutely shameless and unprincipled.

S. MINAEV:
Listen, this is amazing, because you are completely cynical in answering questions around which everyone usually starts picking at their fingertips and saying that it was just such a time.

A.NEVZOROV:
There was no such time. We were all, to one degree or another, on gold chains from various oligarchs, they boasted about us, they outbid us. We tried to escape, taking with us, if possible, the gold chain.

“That Berendey hut, which was built on the ruins of my homeland, is not a shrine for me.”

"Vlasov ribbon"

Like many inspired liars, Nevzorov, looking for numbers to confirm his speculations, forgot about common sense.

He himself said that the Order of Glory was established in 1943. And the guards ribbon came even earlier, in the summer of ’42. And the so-called “Russian liberation army"was only officially established six months later, and operated mainly in 43-44, while officially subordinate to the Third Reich.

Tell me, can you imagine that the official military orders and insignia of the Wehrmacht coincided with the awards of the enemy army? For German generals to create military units and formalize the use of the insignia of the Soviet army in them?

It is reliably known that the “Russian Liberation Army” fought under the tricolor, and used a parody of St. Andrew’s flag as symbolism.

The land fleet in the steppes of Ukraine turned out to be, as you can see, not a joke at all... :)

And it looked like this:

And that's all. They received awards from the German Wehrmacht in accordance with the regulations established by it.

Order of the Patriotic War

During the war this order were awarded 1.276 million people , including about 350 thousand - Order of the 1st degree.

Think about it: also more than a million! It is not surprising that it has become one of the most popular and recognizable symbols of Victory. It was this order, together with the Order of Glory and the medal “For Victory,” that was almost always seen on front-line soldiers returning from the war.

It was with him that orders of various degrees were returned (for the first time during Soviet rule): the Order of the Patriotic War (I and II degrees) and later - the Order of Glory (I, II and III degrees), which has already been discussed.

The name is telling. And why it became one of the symbols of victory later, after 1945, is also understandable. One of three main characters.

His ribbon combines the colors of 6 other Soviet orders, separated by white spaces half a millimeter wide:

• Orange with black in the middle - Order of Glory (along the edges of the tape; those same colors hated by Nevzorov and some modern “communists”)


• Blue - Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky


• Dark red (Bordeaux) - Order of Alexander Nevsky


• Dark blue - Order of Kutuzov


• Green - Order of Suvorov


• Red (central section), 15 mm wide - Order of Lenin (the highest award in the Soviet Union, if anyone doesn’t remember)

Today, when people like to rewrite history, it would not hurt to remember with what respect these orders awarded to the allies are kept abroad:

• Eisenhower's award is located in the 34th President of the United States Memorial Library in his hometown of Abilene, Kansas;


• Marshal Tito's award is on display at the 25 May Museum in Belgrade (Serbia);


• Field Marshal Montgomery's decoration is on display at the Imperial War Museum in London;

“The Order of Victory, as the highest military order, is awarded to senior command personnel of the Red Army for the successful conduct of such military operations on the scale of several or one front, as a result of which the situation radically changes in favor of the Red Army.”

Now let's draw simple and obvious conclusions.

Tens of millions of soldiers are returning home from the front. There is some percentage of senior officers, a little more of junior officers, but mostly privates and sergeants.

Everyone has the Victory Medal. Many have the Order of Glory, and some also have 2-3 degrees. It's clear, full gentlemen They are especially honored, namely their portraits in the press and at meetings, concerts and other public events - there they are, too, with all their orders.

The naval guardsmen also naturally wear their insignia with pride. Like, they're not cut out for it - the guards!

So, pray tell, is it surprising that three symbols become the main, most popular and recognizable: the Order of Victory, the Order of the Patriotic War and the St. George Ribbon?

Who is not happy with the St. George ribbon on today's posters? Well, let's all come here, let's watch the Soviet ones. Let's look at how they "replaced history."

“We’ve arrived!”

One of the most famous posters. Drawn shortly after the Victory. And it already contains the symbolism of this Victory. There was a little background.

In 1944, Leonid Golovanov on his poster “Let's get to Berlin!” portrayed a laughing warrior. The prototype of the smiling hero on the march was a real hero - the sniper Golosov, whose front-line portraits formed the basis of the famous sheet.

And in 1945 the already legendary “Glory to the Red Army!” appeared, in the upper left corner of which the artist’s previous work is quoted:

So, here they are - the true symbols of Victory. On the legendary poster.

On the right side of the Red Army soldier’s chest is the Order of the Patriotic War.

On the left is the Order of Glory (“unpopular,” yeah), the medal “For Victory” (with the same St. George’s ribbon on the block) and the medal “For the Capture of Berlin.”

The whole country knew this poster! He is still recognized today. Perhaps only “The Motherland is Calling!” is more popular than it. Irakli Toidze.

Now someone will say: “It’s not difficult to draw a poster, but in life it wasn’t like that.” Okay, here you go"in life"

Ivanov, Viktor Sergeevich. Photo from 1945.

Here's another poster. How is the star edged?

Okay, this is the end of the 70s, someone will say that it’s not true. Let's take something from the Stalin years:

Well? "Vlasov ribbon", yes? Under Stalin? Seriously?!!

How did Nevzorov lie? “The ribbon was unknown in the Soviet Army.”

Well, we see how she “wasn’t famous.” Already under Stalin it became both a symbol of the Red Army and a symbol of Victory.

And here is a poster from the Brezhnev era:

What's on the fighter's chest? Only one only “an unpopular and even little-known order,” as far as I can see. And nothing more. By the way, this emphasizes that the fighter is a private. There is no cult of "commanders", this was a feat of the people.
(By the way, most of the posters are clickable).

And here’s another one, for the 25th anniversary of the Victory. The year 1970 is written on the poster:

And the glorious date is written “an unknown ribbon in the Soviet army”, which"is not a symbol of Victory."

Look what's going on! What is our current government like? And it reached 1945, and in the 60s She slipped “fake” ones into the 70s!

And here they are again! “Their” ribbon again:

“USSR postcard for May 9
"May 9 - Victory Day"
Publishing house "Planet". Photo by E. Savalov, 1974 .
Order of the Patriotic War, II degree"

And here's another one again:

The history of the St. George ribbon is inextricably linked with the heroic past of Russia. It is known that it was an integral part of three award signs established in the name of the patron saint of the Russian army, St. George the Victorious - an order, a cross and a medal. In addition, the ribbon decorated the visor caps of sailors who served as part of the Imperial Guards crew and on ships awarded the St. George flag. It also flew on the banners of the royal army.

What does the St. George Ribbon mean? The history of its appearance

During the military campaign of 1768-1774, a special award was established - the St. George Ribbon - to reward those who showed courage, bravery and prudence for the benefit of Russia. Her motto became the following words: “For service and courage.” A corresponding award sign also appeared - a white equilateral cross or a four-pointed gold star.

There are four known degrees of the order. Cavaliers were the first to be awarded a cross, a star and a ribbon decorated with stripes of black and orange. Heroes awarded the order of the second degree also had a star and a separate cross, which they wore around their necks. The next degree gave the right to wear a small cross around the neck, and the fourth - in the buttonhole. Since the establishment of the order, black and yellow colors have become symbols of military valor and courage. Thus, the history of the appearance of the St. George Ribbon can only be considered in conjunction with the history of the order itself.

What the ribbon looked like and how it was put on

The ribbon was worn depending on the class of the recipient. There were three options: in the buttonhole, around the neck or over the shoulder. The history of the St. George Ribbon also includes the following curious fact: those awarded it received a lifelong salary from the treasury, and after their death, the heirs became the owners of the award. But the order’s statute also provided for the deprivation of awards to those who, by any unseemly act, tarnished the honor of the Knight of St. George.

Initially, the St. George Ribbon was made of silk and decorated with stripes of black and yellow flowers- this was provided for in the order’s statute of 1769. But if you look at the samples that have come down to us from those long ago years, you will notice that even then yellow they clearly gravitated towards orange, which would be officially approved only in 1913. For a long time, there have been discussions about what the St. George Ribbon means.

The history of its appearance is connected with war, so many believe that black means smoke, and orange means flame. This version, of course, has a right to exist, but the one expressed by the famous expert in the field of phaleristics S. Andolenko is more likely. He draws attention to the correspondence between the colors of the ribbon and the state emblem of Russia - a black eagle on a golden background.

St. George's ribbon. History, meaning and features

There are many order ribbons, but only a few of them have an independent status. The history of the St. George Ribbon knows periods when it was used as a full-fledged analogue of an order or a cross. For example, during Crimean War, the defenders of Sevastopol could not receive awards and were given ribbons. Another example is the period of the Imperialist War, when those awarded the order pinned a ribbon to the side of their overcoat. But there is also a known case when the St. George Ribbon was awarded without an order and had an independent meaning.

This happened in 1914. One of the highest ranks of the General Staff was awarded it for his ability to the shortest possible time mobilize the army. Neither the order nor the cross could be awarded, since they were awarded only to participants in hostilities. The ribbon was granted to him in addition to the previously existing order, and thus the general received the right to wear it on the St. George ribbon, which was a unique case in the history of Russia.

Two types of tapes

During the reign of Emperor Alexander I, it became a tradition to award units that particularly distinguished themselves in military operations with St. George's Banners. These award standards differed from others in that they upper parts(on the tops) the St. George Cross was placed, and a black and gold ribbon with banner tassels was attached under it. There were no inscriptions on it. Over time, they began to be called “narrow St. George ribbons.”

In contrast, the imperial decree of 1878 introduced wide ribbons on which it was written for what specific merits the military unit received this award banner. Such a ribbon became an integral part of the standard and was not removed from it under any circumstances. Their story begins with the fact that at the end of the military campaign of 1877-1878, Alexander II wished to reward the most distinguished units and units of the Danube and Caucasian armies that took part in the battles.

Unique awards for combat regiments

The army commanders presented information about the two regiments that fought under their command. A detailed list of their exploits was attached to the report. But when the relevant commission began to consider the issue of awards, it turned out that these regiments already had all the awards that existed at that time. It was for them that a wide St. George ribbon was established with a listing of their merits.

No more similar ribbons were awarded, and these two regiments forever remained the only ones to receive this honor. It is known that at the end of the Crimean War, by decree of the emperor, personalized award weapons were introduced, decorated with lanyards in the colors of the St. George ribbon. Such an award was considered no less honorable than an order. Examples of these golden weapons can be seen today in many museums across the country.

The palace hall dedicated to the holders of the order

In St. Petersburg, in the royal residence at the end of the 18th century, the Great Throne Hall was opened. Its consecration took place on November 26, the day of the celebration of the memory of St. George the Victorious. In this regard, it was named after him. Since then, all protocol events related to awards have been held within its walls. A commission that considered the candidacies of the next gentlemen also met there, and receptions were held annually in honor of his gentlemen.

Rewarding with a ribbon in the White Guard troops

After seizing power in 1917, the Bolsheviks abolished the previous award system, and the black and gold ribbon began to be used only in units of the White Army. An example is its presentation together with the badge “For the Ice March”, which was used in the award system of Kornilov’s Volunteer Army. Also on Eastern Front it was attached to the medal “For the Great Siberian Campaign”.

In addition, the history of the St. George Ribbon contains many facts of its use as patriotic symbols by many White Guard units and formations. Ribbons with black and orange stripes decorated the banners, chevrons and headdresses of soldiers and commanders. This was especially true for participants in the Yaroslavl uprising. The famous ataman Annenkov obliged veterans of his movement to wear St. George's ribbons to distinguish them from recently recruited fighters.

Allies of enemies and fighters against Bolshevism

In 1943, the German command formed the so-called Russian Corps, consisting of immigrants and former citizens of the USSR who defected to the enemy. It was used to suppress the resistance of Yugoslav partisans, and its most distinguished members were awarded St. George's crosses and ribbons. Unfortunately, the history of the St. George ribbon contains not only heroic pages. Vlasovites who fought in the ranks of the Wehrmacht also often wore this badge of valor on their chests.

In 1944, a collaborationist organization called the Union of Struggle against Bolshevism was created in Bobruisk. On his banner, decorated with two-color ribbons, was an image of the Cross of St. George embroidered in silver. The same ribbons served as armbands and insignia of its leaders. Among the numerous unions created in the West by Russian immigrants, all kinds of symbols, including the St. George Ribbon, were popular. One of such organizations was the Russian All-Military Union.

Continuation of the patriotic tradition

St. George's ribbon, the history of which is closely connected with the heroic pages Russian-Turkish war, over time entered into symbolism and Soviet army. In 1942, at the height of the battles against fascism, the Guards Ribbon was established, corresponding in appearance to the well-known St. George ribbon. This was a continuation of the glorious patriotic tradition.

It was used on Red Navy visors and as a design for the “Naval Guard” breastplate. The banners of guards units, formations and ships were decorated with the image of a ribbon. In 1943, by government decree, the ribbon of the Order of Glory was established. to his appearance it is completely identical to Georgievskaya. It was also used to decorate the block of the medal “For Victory over Germany.”

Revival of glorious awards

With the advent of democratic changes in the country, the attitude towards the monuments of our history has changed in many ways. By government decree of March 2, 1992, the Order of St. George and the insignia “St. George's Cross” were restored. In 2005, in honor of the sixtieth anniversary of the victory over fascism, a public event called “St. George’s Ribbon” was held. Its initiators were the RIA Novosti agency and the Student Community.

From that time on, the Guards Ribbon began to be called St. George's Ribbon again, and events dedicated to it became annual. Thousands of activists are distributing ribbons these days to everyone who wants to express their gratitude to our veterans in this way. Black and gold ribbons symbolizing courage and heroism Russian soldiers, are attached to clothing, bags and car antennas. The action is held under the motto “I remember, I am proud.” Thus, the history of the St. George ribbon, briefly outlined in this article, was continued.

04.05.2016 | 14:18:34

Distribution will begin tomorrow, May 5th St. George ribbons in Irkutsk. You can receive ribbons from 12.00 to 14.00 at the Kirov Square (near the fountain), at the Angara Hotel, at bus stops public transport"Linguistic University" and "Art Museum", as well as at the "Irkutsk Komsomolets" tank on 1st Sovetskaya Street.

Therefore, already from tomorrow On the streets of the city you can see pictures like this:

Or this one:

And in stores we will begin to be greeted and are already greeted with the following promotions:

We decided to find out how and when the “St. George’s Ribbon” campaign was born and why it has become so firmly established in our lives. And also, how to wear the St. George ribbon correctly and what to do with people who wear it anywhere.

The film received its name from the name of St. George the Victorious. Established by Catherine II in 1769 during the Russian-Turkish War together with the military order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George. This was the highest military award of the Russian Empire, which was used to reward officers for their merits on the battlefield, as well as for loyalty and prudence. The ribbon came with a lifetime salary. After the death of the owner, it was inherited, but due to the commission of a shameful offense it could be confiscated.

One of the symbols of victory “St. George’s Ribbon” was precisely May 9, 1945 on the day of the establishment of the medal by the Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces “For the victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.” It was this medal that became a symbol of victory Soviet soldier in the Great Patriotic War, because it was received by about 15 million people who fought against the German occupiers, as well as those who left the ranks of the Soviet army for health reasons.

There was also the “Order of Glory,” established in November 1943 and awarded to junior military personnel only for personal merit. It could also be considered the progenitor of the “St. George’s Ribbon” campaign, but it was not so widespread, since it was issued only 1 million times compared to 15 million medals “For Victory over Germany,” however, it was therefore valued much more highly.

In modern Russia, on the eve of May 9, starting in 2005, a large-scale event called “St. George’s Ribbon” has been held. The campaign was invented for the 60th anniversary of the Victory by Natalya Loseva, an employee of the RIA Novosti news agency. The organizers of the action are RIA Novosti and the Student Community. Funding for the purchase of ribbons is provided by regional and local authorities.

The action begins with volunteers distributing among the population small pieces of ribbons identical in shape and color to the St. George Ribbon. According to the terms of the promotion, the ribbon must be attached to the lapel of clothing, tied to a hand, to a bag or to a car antenna. Something like this:

The purpose of this event, according to the initiators of the project, is “to create a symbol of the holiday”, “to express our respect for veterans, tribute to the memory of those who fell on the battlefield, gratitude to the people who gave everything for the front.”

This is the main problem of the entire action - the use of a victory symbol tied to a car antenna would hardly have pleased the veterans who shed their blood, for which they received a medal with a St. George ribbon. But, as they say, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.” We, of course, must say “thank you” to the organizers that for 11 years now we have had a symbol that binds everyone together at the beginning of May. The organizers did a tremendous job of disseminating this symbol, but at the same time, no work was done to convey sacred meaning this promotion. Now we have a rather strange situation - all Russians have St. George ribbons, but they do not know what to do with them, how to put them on correctly, and what they ultimately mean. There are three ways out of this situation: 1. Stop holding the action. 2. Introduce administrative liability for wearing a ribbon other than on the chest. 3. Conduct educational programs among the population.

The first option, of course, is not suitable, because the “St. George’s Ribbon” is not only a symbol of victory over fascism, but also of all victories ever achieved by a Russian person. The second option was already considered last year, then State Duma deputies already proposed amending Article 329 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Desecration of the coat of arms or flag of Russia,” which at the moment provides for administrative liability for violating the procedure for using state symbols and criminal liability for desecration of the flag or emblem of the country. Well, the third option, the most correct in this situation, since the state has various mechanisms for its implementation - from state television channels to activists of youth movements who could talk about the action, as we do today.

This promotion even has its own code, which most people, unfortunately, are not even aware of:

1. The “St. George’s Ribbon” campaign is non-commercial and non-political.

2. The purpose of the action is to create a symbol of the holiday - Victory Day.

3. This symbol is an expression of our respect for 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.

4. “St. George’s Ribbon” is not a heraldic symbol. This is a symbolic ribbon, a replica of the traditional bicolor St. George ribbon.

5. The use of original St. George’s or Guards ribbons in the promotion is not allowed. "St. George's Ribbon" is a symbol, not a reward.

6. “St. George’s Ribbon” cannot be an object of purchase and sale.

7. “St. George’s Ribbon” cannot be used to promote goods and services. The use of tape as an accompanying product or element of product packaging is not allowed.

8. “St. George’s Ribbon” is distributed free of charge. It is not permitted to issue a ribbon to a visitor to a retail establishment in exchange for a purchase.

9. The use of the “St. George Ribbon” for political purposes by any parties or movements is not permitted.

10. Inscriptions on the ribbon are not allowed.

Summarizing everything that was written above - the only true way of wearing the St. George ribbon is to attach it to the lapel of the jacket on the left side at heart level. This best way show memory and respect to the people who gave their lives for the future of our country.
.

Ilya Galkov, Irkutsk

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The St. George ribbon was created as part of an award set consisting of the Order of St. George, the St. George Cross or St. George medal and ribbon. In addition, it was once part of some military insignia that were assigned to military units.

The St. George Ribbon first appeared together with the Order of St. George in 1769. It is interesting that the color scheme of the insignia we are considering has given rise to a lot of controversy. According to the RIA Novosti project “OUR VICTORY” (9may.ru), Count Litta wrote in 1833: " the immortal legislator who founded this order believed that its ribbon connects the color of gunpowder and the color of fire..."According to the same site, Serge Andolenko, a Russian officer, did not agree with this explanation: " In fact, the colors of the order have been the state colors since the time when the double-headed eagle on a golden background became the Russian national emblem..." According to other publicly available information, the black-orange color scheme should be understood as the color of smoke and fire. In any case, the symbol, which appeared in Tsarist Russia, has become firmly entrenched in history and has now become the traditional color of the May 9 holiday.

Two historical anecdotes are associated with the introduction of the Order of St. George: the first case of self-awarding occurred literally immediately after the creation of the insignia. Catherine II awarded herself the Order of the 1st degree for introducing the Order of St. George. Alexander II went even further and awarded himself it on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the legendary insignia. But if we return to the symbolism, the Order of St. George was given for specific feats on the battlefield or for giving the right advice useful for military service.

In Soviet times, the St. George Ribbon did not fall into oblivion, but took an honorable place among military insignia. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of November 8, 1943, she became part of the Order of Glory of three degrees. It was thanks to this event that it became possible to use it as a sign of respect to the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War. There is an exact list of feats for which the Order of Glory was given. Among others, in the list you can find such items as “In a moment of danger, he saved the banner of his unit from being captured by the enemy”, “Despising danger, he was the first to break into the enemy bunker (pillbox, trench or dugout), and with decisive actions destroyed his garrison”, “Disregarding personal security, captured the enemy’s banner in battle,” “Risking his life, under enemy fire, he provided assistance to the wounded during a number of battles,” and so on. Of course, heroes who received the Order of Glory were promoted.

“St. George’s Ribbon” is one of the most interesting projects for creating symbols in our country. Having appeared in the year of the sixtieth anniversary of the Victory (2005), it managed to become a tradition - an unprecedented event in modern history Russia. The action is recognized as the largest patriotic event in Russia. Well, this is a good result. The St. George Ribbon has a glorious history and deserves to have its colors symbolize the Great Victory.

Today, many people take part in the action, happily attaching ribbons to bags and clothes. Despite the fact that the organizers of the action and government officials approve of the appearance of a new patriotic symbol, many Russian residents, on the contrary, protest against the action. Their protest also has a logical basis: The Order of St. George is an important award given for heroic actions during military operations. The participants of the action, most likely, did not perform any feats, and therefore cannot have the right to wear a ribbon. The moral aspect of this dilemma is extremely complex, and, as it seems to me, each person decides for himself: either the ribbon is a tribute of respect, the personification of our gratitude, or the unlawful use of part of a military award.