The long history of St. George ribbon and Russian glory

During the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet leadership recalled such a semi-forgotten phenomenon as the glory of Russian weapons. If, in the period leading up to the German attack, the ideological preparation of the Red Army was conducted in the direction of rendering assistance to the world proletariat, then after it there was a course change. The patriotic propaganda reached its apogee by 1943, when the insignia-epaulets, lamp-glasses, officers' oval cockades and other symbols of the Russian tsarist army were introduced, and in fact, returned. Government awards were not ignored.

The history of St. George ribbon begins in 1769. In the Russian Empire, especially distinguished on the battlefield, soldiers and officers were awarded the Order of St. George, he had four degrees. Like any award, the St. George cross hung on a ribbon, two-colored, black-orange. Fire and smoke, or the imperial standard, these are the main ideas of this color decision. The combination of these colors became a symbol of military valor. After the October Revolution, wearing any royal awards was prohibited, but in 1943 I.V. Stalin decided to introduce a soldier's order, similar to St. George's cross. He also had to be made of silver and have four degrees. The colors of the ribbon are also borrowed from the original source.

Fascinated by the glory of past generations of the Russian army, the history of St. George's ribbon found its continuation in the Guards symbolism of the Soviet Army. Military units and ships awarded this title have been given badges since 1941, and sailors also have moiré plates of orange-black color.

The history of St. George ribbon was continued in 1945. At the Victory Parade, Soviet generals and marshals were dressed in ceremonial orange-black sashes, which unequivocally hinted at the continuity of Russian military traditions. The times of proletarian aesthetics are over, and, apparently, forever. The Soviet generals with gold epaulettes and in the belts of imperial colors no longer resembled the Chapaevs and Trotsky, but rather resembled the tsar's supreme stakes.

But the history of St. George's ribbon did not end there either. The most massive medal, which was awarded to Soviet soldiers immediately after the war, "For the victory over Germany", already in its name carried a certain imperial-patriotic meaning. There was a Victoria over the country, not Hitlerism or Nazism, which was more typical of the Russian than of the Soviet ideological worldview. Is it worth mentioning that the ribbon of this medal was of the same imperial color? On her obverse the words "Our cause is right, we won" are minted and the author's profile is I.V. Stalin.

In our time, the meaning of St. George's ribbon continues to be important, and that's good. People who do not remember the glory of their ancestors are historically doomed. Our homeland is multinational, and an example of careful attitude to the culture of its peoples can serve as the fact that for soldiers of the Russian army, professing Islam, they made special orders, which instead of St. George depicted a two-headed eagle.

The history of the St. George ribbon continues to this day. Since 2005, it has firmly taken the main place in the series of symbols of the Great Victory and emphasizes the involvement of all peoples inhabiting the Soviet Union. This tape does not bother the border, it connects the heart.