Awarded the Order of St. George. Order of St. George: interesting facts about the most prestigious military order of the Russian Empire

On December 7, 1769, a year after the start of the Russian-Turkish War, Empress Catherine II established the highest military award of the Russian Empire - the “Military Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George” - and placed on herself the insignia of the first Order of St. George, 1st degree. Before the revolution, the highest category "George", which was abolished by the Bolsheviks in 1917, was awarded only 25 times.

The Order of St. George allowed one to become a nobleman

The statute of the order determined that it was awarded only for personal merit. " Neither high breed, nor wounds received in front of the enemy give the right to be awarded this order: but it is given to those who not only have corrected their position in everything according to their oath, honor and duty, but in addition have distinguished themselves by a special courageous act, or the wise gave useful advice for Our military service... This order should never be removed: for it is acquired by merit", states the 1769 statute.

Officers who came from non-noble backgrounds, having received the Order of St. George, were given the opportunity to acquire hereditary nobility. In addition, it was forbidden to apply corporal punishment to holders of the cross.

In 1807, the “Insignia of the Military Order” was established for lower ranks assigned to the Order of St. George, which was unofficially called “Soldier’s George.” The number of awards given to one person with this badge was not limited. Officer ranks were not awarded the “soldier’s George”, but could wear it on their uniform if they received it before they were promoted to officer rank.

The Order of St. George is the rarest military order of Russia

The Order of St. George had four degrees. The first and second were awarded by decision of the Sovereign Emperor only to admirals and generals, the third and fourth were intended for awarding officer ranks on the recommendation of the Duma of the Knights of St. George.

It is enough to note that if the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, the highest order of Russia, was awarded to more than 1000 people from 1698 (the time of its establishment) to 1917, then the Order of St. George, 1st degree, was awarded to only 25 people, 8 of whom were foreigners. There is only one sailor on this list - Admiral Vasily Yakovlevich Chichagov, who received the highest Russian military award for the victory over the Swedish fleet in 1790.

The first holder of the order is Count P.A. Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky, who was awarded for the victory over the enemy on July 21, 1770 near Cahul (Russian-Turkish war). The last time the Order of St. George, first degree, was awarded was in 1877. His last gentleman was Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich the Elder, who captured the army of Osman Pasha and captured the “strongholds of Plevna” on November 28, 1877. Full holders of Russia's most prestigious military order were Field Marshal General Mikhail Kutuzov and Field Marshal General Mikhail Barclay de Tolly.

For receptions on the occasion of awarding the Order of St. George, a special service was used

Ceremonial receptions in the Winter Palace on the occasion of the Order's holiday were held annually on November 26. Each time at the receptions, a porcelain service was used, which was created in 1778 by the craftsmen of the Gardner factory by order of Catherine II. The last such reception took place on November 26, 1916.

The creators of the order made a mistake

The artists, when creating the order, made a clear mistake. In the central medallion, which is located in the middle of the cross, one can see the image of a horseman striking a dragon with a spear. But according to legend, St. George defeated the serpent, and the dragon in the heraldry of those times symbolized Good.

For Muslims, a special design of the Order of St. George

In the period from 1844 to 1913, on the St. George crosses, which were complained to Muslims, instead of the image of a Christian saint, the coat of arms of the Russian Empire was depicted - a black double-headed eagle. The model of the order for non-Christians was approved by Nicholas I on August 29, 1844 during the Caucasian War. The first to receive this award was Major Dzhamov-bek Kaytakhsky.

In the memoirs of those times one can find memories that some people from the Caucasus were perplexed why they were awarded “ cross with a bird, not a horseman».

Cavaliers of the Order of St. George and the St. George's Cross also received cash payments under Lenin

Knights of the Order of St. George and the Cross of St. George received regular cash payments. Thus, officers awarded the Order of the first degree received 700 rubles of an annual pension, and lower ranks awarded the St. George Cross received 36 rubles of an annual pension. The widow of a holder of this order received the order's payments for a year after her husband's death.

On December 16, 1917, after V.I. Lenin signed the decree “On the equal rights of all military personnel,” which abolished orders and other insignia, including the St. George Cross. But even before April 1918, holders of St. George medals and crosses received the so-called “surplus salary.” Only after the liquidation of the Chapter were payments for these awards stopped.

Many Soviet military leaders who had to serve in the army before the revolution were at one time awarded the Cross of St. George.

Junior non-commissioned officer Konstantin Rokossovsky and private tsarist army Rodion Malinovsky each had two St. George Crosses.

For distinction in military operations and the capture of a German officer, non-commissioned officer of the tsarist army and later Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov was twice awarded the St. George Cross.

Vasily Ivanovich Chapaev, who was called up for military service in 1914, was awarded three St. George Crosses and the St. George Medal for courage in the battles of the First War.

During the First World War, four St. George's Crosses were received by dragoon Ivan Tyulenev, who later became a general in the Soviet army and commanded the Southern Front during the Great Patriotic War. It is known that during the civil war his crosses were lost, but on one of the anniversaries Ivan Vladimirovich was given four crosses with numbers that were stamped on the lost awards.

Three times Hero of the Soviet Union Semyon Budyonny is officially considered a full Knight of St. George. True, recently many historians have questioned this fact.

Today the St. George's ribbon has become a symbol of Victory and patriotism

In 1944, a draft resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR was prepared, which equated the Knights of St. George during the First World War with the status of the Order of Glory, but this resolution never came into force. However, the Soviet Order of Glory and the most memorable Soviet medal, “For Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945,” also have the St. George’s ribbon.

The tradition of wearing the St. George Ribbon, which is popular today, was born before the revolution in families of lower ranks: after the death of the St. George Knight, the eldest son could wear the ribbon on his chest. It was believed that a person who put the ribbon of his father or grandfather on his chest was filled with the meaning of the feat and would take on special responsibility. The largest St. George ribbon was unfurled on May 9, 2010 in Sevastopol.

It is worth noting that jewelers of the 18th century created items that adequately reflected the merits of the awarded gentlemen and ladies. Such awards are worthy specimens of any museum collection.

Awarded until mid-1918.

In Soviet Russia, the order was abolished after the October Revolution of 1917. Since 2000, the Order of St. George has been a military award of the Russian Federation.

Order badges were not numbered, but lists of those awarded were kept.

The Order of St. George stood out among other Russian orders as a reward for personal valor in battle, and the merits for which an officer could be awarded were strictly regulated by the statute of the order.

Story

Star and cross of the Order of St. George, 1st class

The Order of St. George was established by Empress Catherine II on November 26 (December 7), a year after the start of the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774. For the first time in Russia, the order was divided into 4 degrees, and was intended to be awarded purely for excellence in military exploits. Another possibility was also envisaged: since “ It is not always that every faithful son of the fatherland has such opportunities where his zeal and courage can shine", those, " koi in the field service for 25 years from a chief officer, and in the naval service for 18 campaigns they served as officers» .

Badge of the Order of the 3rd class. for officers of non-Christian faith, since 1844

Statute of the order

To award the 3rd and 4th degrees, the Military College had to describe the feat in detail and collect evidence before presenting it to the monarch for approval. The highest degrees - 1st and 2nd - were awarded personally by the monarch at his own discretion. The practice of awards in the 19th century roughly developed the criteria by which a general could be awarded the highest degrees. To earn St. George 1st degree, it was necessary to win the war; to be awarded the 2nd degree, it was necessary to win an important battle.

4. Among those who can receive this order are all those who serve in Our land and naval forces honestly and truly as Headquarters and Chief Officers; and from the Generality, those who actually served in the army showed excellent courage or excellent military art against the enemy.

7. The insignia of this military order are as follows:

A quadrangular gold star, in the middle of which there is a yellow or gold field in a black hoop, and on it the name of St. George is depicted as a monogram, and in the black hoop there is the inscription in gold letters: For service and courage.

A large gold cross with white enamel on both sides along the edges with a gold border, in the middle of which is depicted the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Moscow on enamel, that is, in a red field, Saint George, armed with silver armor, with a gold cap hanging on top of them, having a gold crown on his head a diadem, sitting on a silver horse, on which there is a saddle and all the harness of gold, a black serpent in the sole is poured out with a golden spear, on the back side in the middle in a white field is the venerable name of this Saint George.

The cross for Cavaliers of the third and fourth classes is in every way similar to the large one, except that it is somewhat smaller.

Silk ribbon with three black and two yellow stripes.

11. Although it is inconvenient to enter into a detailed description of numerous military exploits, in different cases and in different ways in war, it is no less necessary to lay down some rules by which excellent actions would be distinguished from ordinary ones; for which We have deigned to prescribe certain exemplary feats here for Our Military Collegiums, so that on this basis they may decide their deliberations.

The officer who, having encouraged his subordinates by his example and leading them, finally takes a ship, a battery, or some other place occupied by the enemy, is worthy of being written in the painting presented to Us.

If someone in a fortified place withstood a siege and did not surrender, or defended with excellent courage and made forays, led bravely and wisely, and through this won a victory, or provided ways to acquire it.

If someone introduces himself and takes on a dangerous undertaking, which he will be able to accomplish.

If someone was the first to attack, or on enemy soil, when disembarking people from ships.

Yudenich fought in World War II on the Caucasian Front against the Turks. He received the first St. George's award, the Order of St. George, 4th degree, " for the defeat of the 3rd Turkish Army with the capture of the IX Turkish Corps and the remnants of two divisions of the X and XI Corps"in the Sarykamysh operation (December 1914 - January 1915).

N. N. Yudenich received both of his next St. George's awards for attacks on the same 3rd Turkish army: 3rd degree - for the defeat of the right wing of this army, which amounted to 90 infantry battalions; 2nd degree - " for the assault on the Deve Bein position and the Erzurum fortress on February 2, 1916" Yudenich became the penultimate holder of the Order of St. George, 2nd degree (and the last of the Russian citizens).

Of the foreign nationals, two received the 2nd degree of the Order of St. George in the First World War: the commander-in-chief of the French armed forces, General Joseph Joffre, for the defeat of German troops in the Battle of the Marne in 1914, and the previously mentioned F. Foch.

Awarding the Order of the 3rd degree

In total, about 650 people were awarded. The first cavalier in 1769 was Lieutenant Colonel Fyodor Fabritsian " for the defeat, with a detachment entrusted to him of 1600 people, near the city of Galati, on November 15, 1769, a very large enemy army against the same number».

During the First World War, just over 60 people received the 3rd degree of the Order of St. George, including famous generals F.A. Keller, L.G. Kornilov, A.M. Kaledin, N.N. Dukhonin, N.N. Yudenich, A. I. Denikin. In 1916, after a many-year break, an officer of a small rank was awarded the 3rd degree (posthumously) - Captain S. G. Leontiev (1878-1915), who was simultaneously posthumously promoted to lieutenant colonel.

During the Civil War, the Order of St. George, 3rd degree, was awarded to ten people who particularly distinguished themselves in the struggle of the White movement against the Bolsheviks. Among them, in 1919, those awarded were Lieutenant General G. A. Verzhbitsky and V. O. Kappel, Major General S. N. Voitsekhovsky, Admiral A. V. Kolchak.

Awarding the Order of the 4th degree

Major General I. E. Tikhotsky, awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree with a bow - for long service and military merit (a bow was added to the first order)

Sergey Pavlovich Avdeev

Staff captain of the 73rd Crimean Infantry Regiment Sergei Pavlovich Avdeev earned the first Order of St. George, 4th class. February 20, 1916 for capturing enemy machine guns. At that time he was an ensign and was immediately promoted to second lieutenant according to the statute of the order. Then on April 5, 1916 he was awarded the second Order of St. George, 4th degree. Most likely, an error occurred, since Avdeev was introduced to the second order during a temporary assignment from his 9th Army to the 3rd Army. The order was awarded to him in the 3rd Army, then the award, according to the service form, was approved by a special order from the higher command on March 4, 1917, shortly before Avdeev’s death.

It is known that two women were awarded the Order of George (after Catherine II). Orders of the 4th degree were awarded to:

• Maria Sofia Amalia, Queen of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (1841-1925) - February 21, “For courage shown during the siege of the fortress of Gaeta from November 12, 1860 to February 13, 1861.”;
• Rimma Mikhailovna Ivanova (posthumously), sister of mercy (1894-1915) - September 17, “For the courage and selflessness shown in battle, when, after the death of all the commanders, she took command of the company; after the battle she died from her wounds". The deceased nurse was awarded the order by decree of Nicholas II, which violated the statute of the order as an exception.

The 4th degree of the Order of St. George was also awarded to representatives of the military clergy of the Russian Empire. The first cavalier of the priests in 1813 was Father Vasily (Vasilkovsky), awarded the order for courage during the battles of Vitebsk and Maloyaroslavets. Then during the 19th century. The order was awarded to 3 more clergy. The first award in the twentieth century. took place in 1905 (Father Stefan (Shcherbakovsky), then the order was awarded to military priests 13 more times. The last award took place in 1916.

For the fight against the Bolsheviks

Soldier's Cross of St. George

Insignia of the Military Order (Soldier George) 4th class

Day of the Knights of St. George

Since the establishment of the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George on November 26, 1769 by Empress Catherine the Great, this day began to be considered the festive Day of the Knights of St. George, which was to be celebrated annually both at the Supreme Court and "in all those places where the Knight of the Grand Cross happens". Since the time of Catherine II, the Winter Palace has become the venue for the main ceremonies associated with the order. Meetings of the Duma of the Order of St. George met in St. George's Hall. Every year, ceremonial receptions were held on the occasion of the order's holiday; the St. George porcelain service, created by order of Catherine II (Gardner factory, - gg.), was used for gala dinners.

The last time in the Russian Empire, the Knights of St. George celebrated their order holiday on November 26.

This day is solemnly celebrated annually in all military units and teams.

In addition to the St. George Hall in the Winter Palace, there is the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace, construction began in 1838 in the Moscow Kremlin according to the design of the architect K. A. Ton. On April 11, a decision was made to perpetuate the names of St. George's cavaliers and military units on marble plaques between the twisted columns of the hall. Today they contain over 11 thousand names of officers awarded various degrees of the order from 1769 to 1969.

Restoration of the order in the Russian Federation

The Order of St. George was restored in the Russian Federation in 1992. Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation dated March 2, 1992 No. 2424-I “On state awards of the Russian Federation” established:

Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council No. 2424-I was approved by the Resolution of the Supreme Council of the Russian Federation dated

On August 8, 2000, the President of the Russian Federation issued a Decree, according to which it was restored Order of St. George the Victorious in the Russian award system. Empress Catherine II and was one of the most revered awards in the Russian army. St. George is the patron saint of the Russian land and its defenders, a brave and courageous warrior, especially revered in Rus'. Temples were built in his honor and festivals were held. In Rus', the image of St. George - a horseman with a spear, killing a serpent - is found on princely seals, helmets, coins, and banners. It was also included in the coat of arms of Moscow. Like the Imperial Order, the Order of St. George has four degrees, the 1st degree is considered the highest, and awards are made from the lowest degree to the highest. The names of the St. George Knights are inscribed on special marble plaques that decorate the St. George Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace.

Badge of the Order 1st class. is a straight equal-ended cross with flared ends, which is made of gold and covered with white enamel. In the center of the cross there is a medallion with an image in a red field of St. George the Victorious on a white horse, slaying the serpent. On the reverse side of the cross is the Saint’s monogram - “SG”. The “Signs of the Greater Cross”, 1st and 2nd degrees, are accompanied by a four-pointed star with the Saint’s monogram and the motto on a black enamel field: “For service and courage.” The star of the order is made of silver with gilding. Badge of the Order 2nd class. It is also made of silver with gilding. Signs of the 3rd Art. and 4th degrees are distinguished by their smaller size and the absence of a star. The order's ribbon consists of three black and two orange longitudinal stripes.

From the Statute: Order of St. George is the highest military award of the Russian Federation, awarded to military personnel from among senior and senior officers for conducting combat operations to defend the Fatherland during an attack by an external enemy, which ended in the complete defeat of the enemy, who became an example of military art, whose exploits serve as an example of valor and courage for all generations of defenders of the Fatherland and who were awarded state awards of the Russian Federation for differences shown in combat operations.”

Method of fastening and wearing: 1 step. orders are worn on a wide ribbon over the right shoulder, 2nd and 3rd degrees - on a narrow ribbon on the neck, 4th degree. - on the block on the left side of the chest and in front of other orders and medals.

Dimensions: 1 step. the distance between the ends of the cross is 60 mm. between the opposite ends of the star - 82 mm. 2 steps The distance between the ends of the cross is 50 mm. between the opposite ends of the star - 72 mm. 3 tbsp. - 50 mm. 4th degree - 40 mm.

The Order of St. George is the highest military award of the Russian Federation of our time. This order acquired special significance for Russian society on August 8, 2000, when Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the “Statute of the Order of St. George” by Decree No. 1463. By a tragic coincidence, the president’s signature was placed on the decree three days before the terrible tragedy in the Barents Sea that occurred with the Kursk nuclear-powered submarine. Perhaps that is why the first recipients of this honorary badge appeared eight years later.

In 2008, on August 18, Colonel General Sergei Afanasyevich Makarov became the first holder of the Order of St. George, IV degree. Since January 1999, he has been a participant in various campaigns in the North Caucasus Military District. In the period from 2002 to 2005, he served as deputy commander of the troops of this district, and headed the Joint Group of Forces to conduct counter-terrorism operations in the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation. Since 2005 - first deputy commander of the military units of the Volga-Ural Military District. Since 2008 - first deputy commander of the troops of the North Caucasus Military District. Participant in the operation in the North Caucasus “Forcing Georgia to Peace.” This was an armed military conflict in South Ossetia in 2008, the warring parties of which were Georgia on the one hand and South Ossetia together with Abkhazia, with the support of Russia, on the other. The situation became aggravated and heated up every day, which resulted on August 8 in the shelling of the capital of South Ossetia by the artillery forces of the Georgian army. On the same day, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation announced the start of Operation “Forcing Georgia to Peace.” Within a few days, the Georgian security forces were pushed back to their previous positions, and the presidents of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Georgia and Russia sat down at the negotiating table. The violent side of the conflict was resolved at this point. The operation was fleeting, effective, with a minimum number of losses, which spoke of the power of the Russian armed forces and the high skill of the army command staff. Colonel General S.A. Makarov also took an active part in the campaign, for which, following the results of the operation, he was awarded the Order of St. George, IV degree.

Another holder of the Order was Lebed Anatoly Vyacheslavovich. The officer also took an active part in armed conflicts in the North Caucasus. He was a participant in military clashes in Chechnya. In 2005 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. He received the Order of St. George from the hands of the President of the Russian Federation as a result of the same Ossetian campaign and the operation “Forcing Georgia to Peace.” Lebed was part of a group of fighters who captured the naval base in Poti and sank Georgian Navy boats.

M.I. Kutuzov was one of four people awarded all degrees of the Military Order of St. George. He went through his entire military career as an officer, from ensign to field marshal general, with the Russian army through the fire and smoke of battle.

Participating in the Russian-Turkish wars of the last third of the 18th century, M. I. Kutuzov received orders and other awards, rose to the rank of general, for victories over the Turks on the Danube in 1811 and for the Peace of Bucharest he was awarded count and princely dignity, the rank of general received a field marshal for Borodino; the honorary prefix “Smolensky” to his surname - for the liberation of the city of Smolensk from Napoleon’s troops.

Let us now go back a little and cover in detail the main stages of the military path of this outstanding Russian commander.

During the war with Turkey of 1768-1774, M.I. Kutuzov took part in the battles of Ryaba Mogila, Larga, Kagul. In July 1774, a regiment of the Moscow Legion, whose battalion was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel M.I. Kutuzov, quickly attacked the village of Shumy (not far from Alushta), fortified by Turkish troops.

The battalion crushed the enemy and put him to flight. At the head of the first battalion of the regiment, M. I. Kutuzov burst into Shumy with a banner in his hands, but in this attack he was seriously wounded: a bullet hit him in the left temple and exited near his right eye, which was severely squinted. To preserve it, he wore a black bandage all his life. For this battle, M.I. Kutuzov received his first Order of St. George - the cross of the 4th degree.

After lengthy treatment, M. I. Kutuzov was again assigned to the Crimea in 1776, where he became the closest assistant to A. V. Suvorov, who commanded the troops. By the beginning of the second Turkish war, M. I. Kutuzov was already a major general, commander of the Bug Jaeger Corps. In 1788, this corps took part in the siege and capture of Ochakov. On August 18, the garrison of the fortress made a sortie and attacked a battalion of rangers; the four-hour battle, which ended in victory for the Russians, was led personally by M. I. Kutuzov.

M. I. Kutuzov. Hood. R. Volkov

And again a serious wound: the bullet hit the left cheek and exited the back of the head. Doctors predicted imminent death, but he not only survived, but also continued his military service: in 1789 he accepted a separate corps, with which Akkerman occupied, fought near Kaushany and during the assault on Bendery. By that time, his general’s uniform was already decorated with stars of the Orders of St. Anne and St. Vladimir, 2nd degree.

Field Marshal M. I. Kutuzov. During the assault on Izmail - Major General, commander of the 6th assault column

The next year, 1790, was glorified in Russian military history by the storming of Izmail. About the actions of M.I. Kutuzov, who commanded one of the assault columns, A.V. Suvorov subsequently wrote: “He walked on my left wing, but was my right hand.” On March 25, 1791, for his distinction in the capture of Izmail, the commander received a white neck cross - the Order of St. George, 3rd degree and was promoted to lieutenant general.

In the presentation of M.I. Kutuzov for the award it was said: “Major General and Cavalier Golenishchev-Kutuzov showed new experiments in his art and courage, overcoming all difficulties under the strongest enemy fire, climbed the rampart, captured the bastion, and when the excellent enemy forced him to stop, he, serving as an example of courage, held the place, overcame a strong enemy, established himself in the fortress and then continued to defeat the enemies.” M.I. Kutuzov was appointed commandant of the captured Izmail, and soon all Russian troops on the Danube between the Dniester and Prut were subordinate to him.

M.I. Kutuzov receives the insignia of the Order of St. George, 2nd degree - a large neck cross and a star - for the victory at Machina on June 28, 1791. This battle lasted about six hours and ended in the complete defeat of the Turks. The commander of the Russian troops, Field Marshal N.V. Repnin, reported in his report: “The efficiency and intelligence of General Golenishchev-Kutuzov surpasses all my praise.” Before this, for his valor and brilliant leadership of the troops, which led to victory at Babadag, Mikhail Illarionovich was awarded the insignia of the Order of Alexander Nevsky.

In the 90s of the 18th century, M.I. Kutuzov won brilliant victories already in the diplomatic arena, and also showed himself as an excellent administrator and teacher in the post of Chief Director of the Land Cadet Corps. Under Emperor Paul I, he commanded troops in Finland, was the Lithuanian governor-general and the St. Petersburg military governor. During these years, he received the Grand Cross of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem (October 4, 1799) and the highest award of the Russian Empire - the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called (September 8, 1800). To become a holder of all Russian orders, he only had to receive the first degrees of the orders of St. Vladimir and St. George. The Vladimir ribbon over the shoulder was worn by M. I. Kutuzov on February 24, 1806 as a reward for the 1805 campaign, in which he proved himself to be a brilliant commander.

Commander-in-Chief Prince M.I. Kutuzov. 1812 Engraving by B. Chorikov. XIX century

In 1811, M.I. Kutuzov again took part in the war against Turkey, now as the commander-in-chief of the Russian army in Bessarabia. On June 22, 1811, he defeated the Turks near Rushuk, for which Emperor Alexander I granted him his own reward portrait, decorated with diamonds. And the next year, a month before Napoleon’s invasion of Russia, M.I. Kutuzov concluded a victorious peace with Turkey.

The role of M.I. Kutuzov in the Patriotic War of 1812 is well known. Being first the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces of Russia in the war with Napoleon, and then the commander-in-chief of the allied forces, he showed himself to be a remarkable strategist, a man of great statesmanship and the greatest commander. On December 12, 1812, for the “defeat and expulsion of the enemy from the borders of Russia,” Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov, already with the rank of field marshal, received Russia’s highest military award - the Order of St. George, 1st degree - and became not only a holder of all Russian and many foreign orders, but also the first full holder of the Order of St. George.

M.I. Kutuzov led the military operations of the Russian army even after the invaders were expelled from Russia. The great commander died in the small Silesian town of Bunzlau on April 16 (28), 1813. An obelisk was erected there with the inscription: “Prince Kutuzov-Smolensky brought the victorious Russian troops to this place, but here death put an end to his glorious deeds. He saved his Fatherland and opened the way to the deliverance of Europe. May the memory of the hero be blessed."

Mikhail Bogdanovich Barclay de Tolly (1761-1818)

The famous Russian commander Field Marshal Mikhail Bogdanovich Barclay de Tolly, a participant in many important battles of the late 18th - early 19th centuries, was a man of a bright and difficult fate. The beginning of his military biography is associated with participation in the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1791: for the assault on Ochakov, he received his first awards - the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree with a bow and the golden Ochakov cross. In 1789 he took part in the battle of Kaushany, during the capture of Akkerman and Bendery; in 1794, commanding a battalion, he received the Order of St. George, 4th degree. In 1798, Colonel M.B. Barclay de Tolly was appointed chief of the 4th Jaeger Regiment; a year later this regiment became an exemplary regiment, and its commander was promoted to major general.

The war with Napoleonic France of 1806-1807 strengthened the fame of M. B. Barclay de Tolly as a skillful and fearless general. In 1806, he was awarded the Order of St. George, 3rd degree, for excellent command and selfless courage in the bloody battle of Pułtusk. The following year, 1807, the general showed himself brilliantly in the battle of Preussisch-Eylau, where he commanded the rearguard of the Russian army, and was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd degree. The outstanding military leadership talent of M. B. Barclay de Tolly fully manifested itself (and was assessed) during the Russian-Swedish War of 1808-1809.

A clear practical mind, determination and amazing courage put him in the forefront of Russian military leaders. M.B. Barclay de Tolly commanded a separate detachment that made the famous crossing across the ice of the Gulf of Bothnia, which ended with the capture of the city of Umeå. After this operation, he was promoted to infantry general and received the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, and in 1810 he was appointed Minister of War.

His activities in this position deserve the highest praise. Under him, an “Institution for managing a large active army” was compiled, which brought considerable benefit to the Russian army in the Patriotic War of 1812 and in its foreign campaign of 1813; a corps organization was introduced, new fortresses were built, infantry divisions were formed, the allowance of troops was improved and, most importantly, the training of recruits. The merits of the Minister of War already in 1811 were awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st degree.

Battle of Preussisch-Eylau (1807).

The retreat to Moscow in 1812 aroused dissatisfaction with M. B. Barclay de Tolly both in the army and in Russian society. He was accused of indecision and even treason. But the commander stood firm on the implementation of his deeply thought-out plan for waging war. On August 17, he was forced to transfer command of all troops to M.I. Kutuzov, and he himself remained at the head of the 1st Army. He was also removed from the leadership of the War Ministry.

Bovine engraving from maps. Zvebakha

In the Battle of Borodino, M.B. Barclay de Tolly commanded the right flank and center of the Russian troops. “The cast iron crushed, but did not shake the chests of the Russians, personally enlivened by the presence of Barclay de Tolly. There was hardly a dangerous place left in the center where he would not have command and where there would be a regiment not encouraged by his words and example.

Five horses were killed under him,” one of the participants in the battle later recalled. The general’s fearlessness and composure, which amazed everyone (he seemed to be looking for death in battle!), combined with excellent management, and the skill of the commander, restored to him the unjustly lost trust in the army. For his leadership of the troops in the Battle of Borodino, M. B. Barclay de Tolly was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd degree.

M. B. Barkyaai-de-Tolly Battle of Borodino. Unknown thin 1820s

The commander successfully led the battles during the foreign campaign of 1813, and in May of the same year, a month and a half after the death of M.I. Kutuzov, he took command of the combined forces of the Russian-Prussian army.

He was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, the highest award of the state. On August 18, in the battle of Kulm, he completely defeated the corps of the French general F. Vandam and took him prisoner. The Order of St. George, 1st degree, crowns this feat, and M. B. Barclay de Tolly becomes a full Knight of St. George. On the day of the capture of Paris, March 18, 1814, he received the field marshal's baton, and a little later the title of His Serene Highness.

Ivan Fedorovich Paskevich (1782-1856)

Field Marshal I. F. Paskevich-Erivansky, participating in the Russian-Turkish War of 1806-1812, rose from captain to major general in five years, and then received his first military awards, among which were 4th and 3rd -I degree of the Order of St. George. In 1812, I. F. Paskevich was appointed head of the 26th division, commanding which he took part in many battles of the Patriotic War, and in the most important of them - Borodino - he defended the battery of N. N. Raevsky.

However, I. F. Paskevich’s further career was connected not so much with military exploits, but with the favors that the monarchs showered on him. In the first half of the 1820s, he commanded the 1st Guards Division, whose brigades were under the command of the Grand Dukes Nikolai and Mikhail Pavlovich.

When Nicholas I became emperor, he continued to call I.F. Paskevich “father-commander”, because as a young man he served under him and he was one of his military mentors.

In 1825, I. F. Paskevich was appointed a member of the Supreme Court of the Decembrists, and at the end of his activity - governor in the Caucasus instead of General A. P. Ermolov, who was disliked by the emperor. Here, during the Russian-Iranian War, for the capture of the Erivan fortress, I. F. Paskevich received the Order of St. George, 2nd degree, in 1829, and soon became a full Knight of St. George: the 1st degree of the order was awarded to him for the capture of Erzurum in the war against Turk. Subsequently, I. F. Paskevich “became famous” for suppressing the Polish uprising in 1831, and in 1849 - the Hungarian revolution. In 1828 he received the title of “Count of Erivan”, and in 1831 - “His Serene Highness Prince of Warsaw”.

Field Marshal General I.F. Paskevich. Engraving by Yu. Utkin based on fig. Reimers. 1832

Ivan Ivanovich Dibich (1785-1831)

I. I. Dibich-Zabalkansky was a contemporary and a kind of rival of I. F. Paskevich. A native of Prussia, he entered the Russian service and, participating against Napoleon in the war of 1805-1807, received the Order of St. George, 4th degree. In 1812, he was awarded the neck Cross of St. George for the battle of Polotsk. In 1818 he was promoted to adjutant general, and three years later Emperor Alexander I took him with him to the Laibach Congress. And from that time on, the dexterous I.I. Dibich became the tsar’s inseparable companion, confidently pursuing a court career, and at the same time a military career. He also earned the favor of Emperor Nicholas I - with a report on the discovery of a Decembrist conspiracy, personally taking measures to arrest many of them. I. I. Dibich received his title of Trans-Balkan, as well as the two highest degrees of the Order of St. George, for the Russian-Turkish War of 1828-1829. As Chief of the General Staff, he developed the plan for the 1828 campaign.

The next year, I. I. Dibich was appointed commander-in-chief in the Balkan theater of military operations (instead of Field Marshal P. X. Wittgenstein, who was blamed for the army’s unsuccessful actions). Here I.I. Dibich showed great determination. In May, at Kulevcha, he defeated the Turkish army, and this victory brought him the insignia of the Order of St. George, 2nd degree. Then, after taking the fortress of Silistria, he crossed the Balkans and, despite the difficult situation of the small Russian army, in the rear of which there were Turkish troops, he managed to dictate victorious peace terms to the Turks. This success was marked by the highest degree of the Russian military order.

The Trans-Balkan campaign turned the head of the ambitious I. I. Dibich, and when a year later an uprising broke out in Poland, he self-confidently promised the emperor to end it with one blow. But the campaign dragged on, I. I. Dibich no longer showed decisiveness, and it is unknown how the matter would have ended if he had not died of cholera. The suppression of the Polish uprising was completed by I. F. Paskevich.

Field Marshal I. I. Dibich-Zabalkansky



Lists of Knights of the Order of St. George

Several official lists of holders of the Order of St. George are known. The most authoritative are:

• List of V. K. Sudravsky “Knights of the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George for 140 years (1769-1909)” (“Military collection”. 1909. No. 3-12; 1910. No. 1-12). The list includes a serial number (numbering only goes up to 1813, then without a number), last name, first name and patronymic of the gentlemen, fragments of award sheets with a description of the feat, date of award, rank and position held by the gentleman at the time of award, for some gentlemen the date of death is indicated. The disadvantages of this list include the incomplete number of cavaliers awarded the Order of the 4th degree for long service and naval campaigns. A number of persons honored for military merit were also omitted.

• List of V. S. Stepanov and N. I. Grigorovich in the book “In memory of the centennial anniversary of the Imperial Military Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George. (1769-1869)" (St. Petersburg, 1869.). Regarding the holders of the order of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd degrees, the list is identical to Sudravsky’s data. Cavaliers of the 4th degree are represented much more fully - in total, as of August 30, 1869, there were 10,256 names on the list. The list includes the serial number, date of award, last name, first name and patronymic, military rank of the cavalier and an indication of his death (in the form of a sign † ). Unlike Sudravsky's list, persons who were subsequently deprived of the order for various offenses were not included here.

Sudravsky's list is the official publication of the Military Ministry, the list of Stepanov and Grigorovich was published by the Ministry of the Court and Estates (which was in charge of the Chapter of the Imperial and Royal Orders). Each of the lists contains its own numbering of gentlemen, so the numbers on the lists of gentlemen of the 4th degree do not coincide.

Links

• Kuksin I. E. Review of the reference book Military Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George. Name lists 1769-1920. Biobibliographic reference book. Rep. comp. V. M. Shabanov. M., “Russian World”, 2004. 928 pp., illus.

Knights of the Order of St. George
Knights of the Order of St. George, 1st class Knights of the Order of St. George II class
Knights of the Order St. George III class
Knights of the Order St. George IV class

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