The order of St George?

[ecr844]

Hello everyone,

I saw this photo of a recent award of the order of St George and it got me to wondering whether they are still an active part of Russian society? Does anyone have any more info on this?

Here's the pic of a recent award fromthe Russian press:

[ecr844]

Here is some more info:

From http://www.gwpda.org/medals/russmedl/russia.html

 

"The Cross of Saint George. Associated with the Order of Saint George, but for enlisted men and NCO's, the Cross of Saint George came in 4 classes. Like the Order of St. George, the St. George cross was awarded for acts of distinction under arms. An enlisted man or NCO would be awarded the 4th class cross for his first brave act. A second notable act could then bring him the 3rd class cross, etc. The first class and second class were in gold, the first class with a bow on the ribbon. The third and fourth classes were in silver, the third class marked by a bow. The ribbon was the same as for the order of Saint George.

Over two million Saint George Crosses were distributed during the Great War and before the abdication of the tsar., going to soldiers, nurses and members of the Red Cross. Commanders in the field could award the St. George Cross on the spot.

 

The Order of St. George, Imperial Russia's highest exclusively military order, was instituted in 1769 and came to be considered among the most prestigious military awards in the world, ranking just below the Order of St. Andrew the First Called. The order was awarded to officers and generals for special gallantry, such as, personally leading his troops in rout of a superior enemy force, or capturing a fortress, etc. Before membership in the Order could be granted, a candidate's case had to be investigated by a council composed of Knights of the Order. The Order of St. George's distinctive ribbon -- three black stripes on an orange background -- was so familiar and carried such prestige, that Stalin borrowed it for a military decoration during World War II, despite the fact that these were the traditional colors of the Romanov family. The order came in four classes, awarded sequentially for individual acts of gallantry. The highest classes were rarely awarded."

[SANDRO43]

While the practice of awards for military feats is very ancient, I think it was the Romans who first established a differentiated system for it with their various coronæ (wreaths):

- Corona obsidionalis or corona graminea (Grass Crown) :  the highest and rarest of all military decorations. It was presented only to a general or commander who broke the blockade of a beleaguered Roman Army.
- Corona civica (Civic Crown) : a chaplet of common oak leaves woven to form a crown. During the Roman Republic, and the subsequent Principate, it was regarded as the second highest military decoration a citizen could aspire to (the Grass Crown being held in higher regard).
- Corona navalis (Naval Crown) : a gold crown awarded to the first man who boarded an enemy ship during a naval engagement. In style, the crown was made of gold and surmounted with the beaks of ships.
- Corona aurea (Gold Crown) : awarded to both Centurions and apparently some principales, for killing an enemy in single combat and holding the ground to the end of the battle.
- Corona vallaris or corona muralis (Battlements Crown) : made of gold and decorated with the uprights (valli) of an entrenchment. It was awarded to the first soldier or Centurion to mount the wall or palisade of an enemy town.
- Corona servatoris (Crown of the Preserver) :  awarded to "those who have shielded and saved any of the citizens or allies"- Polybius relates that the crown is presented by those civilians the soldier saved and adds that "the man thus preserved also reverences his preserver as a father all through his life, and must treat him in every way like a parent."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_military_decorations_and_punishments

[Shadow]

Sandro while the Romans may have invented the hamburger, the invention of military awards is not theirs.

For instance:
The tomb of Queen Ahhotep, wife of Kamose, contained much weaponry and three golden flies, the Egyptian award for bravery.
http://nefertiti.iwebland.com/history12-17.htm

[SANDRO43]

Sandro while the Romans may have invented the hamburger, the invention of military awards is not theirs.

Shad, your thick spectacles are hindering your reading abilities rather than aiding them .

1 - I never said the Romans invented military awards, I wrote:

While the practice of awards for military feats is very ancient, I think it was the Romans who first established a differentiated system for it

three golden flies, the Egyptian award for bravery.

2 - The Egyptian awards consisted in golden bees, not flies.

 

[Shadow]

I was only quoting what I read. You call them bees, other call them flies. 

[SANDRO43]

I was only quoting what I read. You call them bees, other call them flies. 

Granting that not much can be concluded from the artifacts themselves, however some guidance can be obtained from a little knowledge of Egyptian culture and simple logic .

Egyptian culture:
- Flies were considered pests, as confirmed by someone who also lived in Egypt like Moses and menaced the Pharaoh with a plague thereof (Exodus 20-23, 4th plague).
- Honey bees, on the other hand, were considered sacred animals, the tears of the sun god Ra, and  the symbol of Lower Egypt. They were associated with Neith, early goddess in the Egyptian pantheon (goddess of war, hunting, and domestic crafts), whose temple in the delta town of Sais in Lower Egypt was known as "per- bit" (the house of the bee) - her cult is attested as early as the First Dynasty. Honey was regarded as a symbol of resurrection and also thought to give protection against evil spirits.

Logic:
- In consideration of the above, a Pharaoh granting a 'fly' award to a brave Egyptian soldier would have been like a US President bestowing the 'Cockroach Medal of Honour', IMHO .

There's a simple way to solve any remaining doubt: find an Egyptian inscription that mentions the name of the award, and if it contains the word b(i)t then it's bees, flies in case of the word (a)ff .