The St. George ribbon, on which a cross with the image of a saint was attached in the 19th and early 20th centuries, has symbolized the victory of our country in the Great Patriotic War for many decades. She is also the link between the heroes of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union.
Full Knights of St. George in our country enjoyed universal respect even in the twenties and forties, when they wanted to erase from the people's memory everything that happened before the October Revolution. Among them there are those who later became Hero of the Soviet Union, including more than once.
Establishment
At the moment, it is unknown who exactly was the initiator of the establishment of the Insignia of the Military Order or, as it was more often called, the Cross of St. George. According to surviving documents, in 1807 a note was submitted to Alexander the First, which proposed the establishment of a soldier’s award. It was to become a "special branch of the Order of St. George." The idea was approved, and already at the beginning of February 1807 a corresponding manifesto was published.
There are many known cases of confusion due to the fact that the order is confused with the soldier’s “Egory”. For example, if it is stated that Colonel Zorya Lev Ivanovich, who graduated from the cadet school in 1881, is a full Knight of St. George, then one can immediately object that this is a mistake. After all, among the officers there was no one awarded such a cross again, and the last one who had the order of all 4 degrees was I.I. Dibich-Zabaikalsky - died in 1831.
The St. George Knights of the Great War are dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the First World War. The editors of the portal “Orthodoxy and Peace” | May 06, 2014 This year we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, which its contemporaries and participants called the Great War. On the day of remembrance of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George, we offer readers of Pravmir a selection of rare photographs depicting the heroes of the Great War - the Knights of St. George.
Head of the 10th Cavalry Division, Major General Count F.A. Keller presents the Cross of St. George to the sergeant of the 1st Orenburg Cossack Regiment. Photo from the collections of the Central State Academic Philosophical Faculty of Ukraine named after G. S. Pshenichny.
Knight of the Order of St. George 3rd class, head of the 3rd cavalry corps, cavalry general Count F.A. Keller with the ranks of the corps headquarters. Photo: TsGKFFA of Ukraine named after G. S. Pshenichny.
Junior officer of the 1st Orenburg Cossack Regiment Khariton Zonov. Photo from a private collection.
St. George Cavaliers of the 10th Cavalry Division.
The captain of the 10th Novgorod Dragoon Regiment is a holder of the Order of St. George 4th century with the dragoons in position. Photo from the collections of the Central State Academic Philosophical Faculty of Ukraine named after G. S. Pshenichny.
St. George's Cavaliers of various branches of the military. Photo: Russian National Library
Full St. George Knights of the 1st Orenburg Cossack Regiment: I.P. Saperov, S.N. Ushakov, I. Zakharov, sergeant N.Z. Tugolukov. Photo from a private collection.
Machine gunner - Knight of St. George.
Knight of the Order of St. George 4th century with my wife.
Cavalier of St. George - a motorcyclist with colleagues
Knight of St. George. Drawing by A. Karashchuk.
Pilot Leonid Baidak, holder of the Order of St. George 4th century
Officers - St. George Knights of the 10th Ingria Hussar Regiment.
Polynesian Marcel Plya, who served as a mechanic-gunner on the Ilya Muromets airplane of the Russian Imperial Air Force, is a holder of the St. George Cross, III and IV degrees.
Knight of the Order of St. George 4th century and St. George's weapon General V.N. Klembovsky (colorized photo).
Protopresbyter Alexander Shabashev, awarded the pectoral cross on the St. George Ribbon when he was the regimental priest of the 233rd Starobelsky Infantry Regiment.
Regimental priest of the 10th Ingrian Hussar Regiment, Archpriest Vasily Kopetsky, awarded the pectoral cross on the St. George Ribbon, with his son Plato. Photo from the Kopeck family archive
Sister of mercy, awarded the St. George Cross.
Great War postcard
Knight of St. George in the infirmary.
A group of officers and lower ranks of one of the army regiments at the front.
Pilot - Knight of St. George.
Orenburg Cossack Nikolai Ponomarev.
Petronella Andreevna Gorlau, awarded the St. George Cross. Photo from a private collection, sammler.ru
Sub-ensign of the 219th Kotelnichesky Infantry Regiment I. M. Zagainov
Knight of the Order of St.
George 4th century Colonel Z. O. Kiselev St. George Knights of the Great War: Source: https://www.pravmir.ru/georgie...
Description
The reward is a cross, the blades of which widen towards the end. In its center is a round medallion. The obverse depicted St. George with a spear slaying a serpent. On the reverse of the medallion there are the letters C and G, connected in the form of a monogram.
The cross was worn on the now well-known “smoke and flame” (black and orange) ribbon.
Since 1856, the award began to have 4 degrees. The first and second were made of gold, and the other two were made of silver. The reverse indicated the degree of the award and its serial number.
There were also special "Muslim" Insignia of the Military Order. Instead of a Christian saint, they depicted the Russian coat of arms. It’s interesting that when people from the North Caucasus were awarded “Yegory,” they demanded that they be given the option “with a horseman,” instead of the required one.
In 1915, due to difficulties caused by the war, crosses of the 1st and 2nd degrees began to be made from an alloy that consisted of 60% gold, 39.5% silver and half a percent copper. At the same time, the signs of the 3rd and 4th degrees were not subject to change.
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During the First World War, several Knights of St. George appeared, each having five (!) crosses. Today I will mention only a few of them, although at least three more are not on this list!
This is a soldier's George of all 4 degrees (first on the left - fourth on the right, with bows 3 and first)
the so-called St. George's bow (the full bow included 4 more St. George's medals for bravery)
Officers' St. George's Crosses (everything is clear - which is which)
Scheme of correct wearing of officers' St. George's crosses
Ilya Vasilievich Volkov
, repeatedly distinguished himself in battles during the war with Japan, and then during the First World War. His five St. George crosses are still kept in the family.
Hero's Crosses of St. George:
4th degree (No. 42701)
3rd degree (No. 86324) - received it not immediately... but after being wounded
already in the new part there is another cross of the 3rd degree (No. 117607)
further on to the “German”...
2nd degree (No. 18654)
1st degree (No. 14357)
Another hero is Ilya Vasilyevich’s namesake, Avenir Nikolaevich Volkov
, also received five St. George's Crosses.
Even during the Japanese War, he already had four degrees of decoration, and in the very first battles of the First World War he again distinguished himself and received the highest degree of the St. George Cross for the second time.
The third hero, Pyotr Leonov
, earned all five crosses during the German war.
Fourth hero: Zhidik Alexey Vasilievich
, ensign of the 9th Hussars Kyiv Regiment.
Ensign of the 9th Kiev Hussar Regiment, in this regiment there was another ensign with 5 crosses.
There was another hero who received two first degree Georges in one day (two feats!) from the hands of Tsar Nicholas.
There was another one, I don’t remember the name... we have to dig and look 
There were also heroes, full cavaliers, who received their 5th crosses with wreaths (for the fight against Soviet power) - in particular, there were two of them in the famous Kappel (Baikal) crossing in the winter of 1919.
There were also such cavalier heroes who, having received all 4 degrees of George, became officers and managed to also receive the officer George!
Here's one of them in the photo! full Knight of St. George, 4 crosses and 4 medals for bravery + officer's cross of the 3rd (?) degree
In the photo is Dmitry Ivanovich Mitaki (1892 - 1953)
— Full Knight of St. George (awarded by Emperor Nicholas II in the Church of “Peter and Paul” in Bendery (Moldova), military intelligence officer, 19 wounds. Not all have been preserved in the Museum of the History of Moldova (now the Republic of Moldova), duplicates of his awards and several old photographs, numbers of medals “For Bravery”: No. 166722, No. 707194.
to his left: with 4 crosses and 2 medals P. I. Krizhenovsky
*sorry, Ramadan, for getting ahead of me.
I give you everything I have - your post will turn out better and of higher quality!
**I am checking information about the 6 crosses holders.
Infrequently, it was practiced to award the same degree of the St. George Cross several times. Thus, ensign of the Life Guards of the 3rd Infantry Regiment G.I. Solomatin was awarded two St. George Crosses of the 4th degree, two of the 3rd degree, one of the 2nd degree and two of the 1st degree.
The most complete hero in terms of soldier's crosses and St. George medals Salomatin, ensign of the Life Guards Rifle Regiment (born in 1893 (?), a total of 13 crosses and St. George medals
SEVEN St. George's crosses (4X2 + 3x2 + 2nd + 1x2 = 7!)
6 St. George medals? (2 in Japanese and 4 in World War I)
Nikolay Istomin
Awardees
The first St. George Cross was received by non-commissioned officer E. I. Mitrokhin in the summer of 1807. He was decorated for bravery in the battle with the French near Friedland.
There are known cases of rewarding civilians. So, in 1810, the St. George Cross was awarded to the tradesman M. A. Gerasimov. Together with his comrades, this brave man arrested the English military who had seized a Russian merchant ship, and was able to bring the ship to the port of Varde. There the prisoners were interned, and the merchants were given assistance. In addition, for heroism in the Patriotic War of 1812, commanders of partisan detachments from among lower-class civilians received St. George's Crosses without numbers.
Among other interesting facts related to the awarding of the St. George Cross, one can note its presentation to the famous General Miloradovich. This brave commander, in the battle near Leipzig, in front of Alexander the First, stood in line with the soldiers and led them in a bayonet attack, for which he received “Egory” from the hands of the emperor, which was not due to him by status.
Full Knights of St. George - faithful sons of the Fatherland
St. George's Awards of Russia
In pre-revolutionary Russia there was no more honorable award for an officer than the white cross of the Order of St. George the Victorious. The idea to create such an award belonged to Peter 1. He intended to make the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, established in 1725, such an award. But the Tsar himself did not have time to award anyone with it, and after his death, both military and civilian officials complained about this order.
The plan of Peter I was brought to life by Tsarina Catherine II. Paying tribute to the military glory of the Russian army and trying to strengthen its influence on the military, on November 26, 1769, she approved the new military order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George.
It was no coincidence that the military order bore the name of the saint. The cult of St. George, who professed Christianity and was put to death for it, came to Russia with the adoption of this religion by the Russian people. Prince Yaroslav the Wise was the first of the Russian princes to take the second church name George. In 1037, after the victory over the Pechenegs, he founded a monastery in Kyiv in honor of his patron.
The full name of the order is the Imperial Military Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George. This award could be received by the one who “personally leading an army, will win a complete victory over an enemy with significant forces, the consequence of which will be his complete destruction,” or, “personally leading an army, will take a fortress.” The Order was also awarded for the capture of the enemy's banner, the capture of the commander-in-chief or corps commander of the enemy army and other outstanding feats.
The Order of St. George was divided into four degrees, and the award was made from the fourth degree, then the third was awarded, then the second, and finally, those who performed the fourth outstanding feat could be nominated for the Order of St. George of the first degree. The motto of the order is “For service and bravery.” The St. George ribbon of the Order of all degrees had alternating three black and two orange longitudinal stripes. Later, many military decorations received an orange and black ribbon.
The fourth degree of the order was a gold four-pointed cross with rays expanding from the center, covered with white enamel. In the central round medallion of the order's cross on a pink background, and from the 30s of the 19th century on a red background, there was an image of St. George on a horse, slaying a serpent with a spear.
The third degree of the Order of St. George is a cross, which was worn not in a buttonhole, but on a ribbon around the neck. A higher award - the Order of St. George of the second degree - looked like this: on the neck was worn the same cross as on the Order of the third degree, but larger; on the chest they wore a quadrangular gold star with the motto “For service and bravery.” The highest - the first degree of the order - was the same large cross, which should be worn on a wide ribbon of "St. George" flowers over the right shoulder, and a star on the chest.
The first award went to Catherine herself as the founder of the order, the second - to her favorite Field Marshal G.A. Potemkin, who managed to reorganize the Russian army in the shortest possible time.
It was extremely difficult to earn the Order of St. George in a combat situation. For example, in the first hundred years of the existence of this award, 2,239 people received the order of the fourth degree for bravery in battle, the third degree - 512, the 2nd - 100 and the first - only 20.
Directly related to the Order of St. George was another award - the so-called Golden Weapon - a blade with the inscription on the hilt “For bravery” with a large enamel cross of the Order of St. George with a lanyard in the colors of the St. George ribbon. Generals and admirals received Golden weapons with diamond decorations, other ranks - without decorations. Since 1807, those awarded the Golden Arms were considered holders of the Order of St. George. In 1913, this award received the official name “Arms of St. George”.
Special insignia, similar in meaning to orders, were golden crosses on St. George's ribbons for the capture of Ochakov (1788), Izmail (1790), Prague (a suburb of Warsaw, 1794), Bazardzhik (1810) and for the battle of Preussisch-Eylau (1807). They were received by officers who took part in these events.
Only officers and generals could receive the Order of St. George and award weapons. But in 1807, to encourage the lower ranks of the Russian Army, the soldier’s “Insignia of the Military Order of St. George” was introduced. It was a silver cross with the image of St. George the Victorious and was worn on a narrow orange and black ribbon.
The first to receive this award was non-commissioned officer of the cavalry regiment E.I. Mitrokhin, who distinguished himself in a battle with the French near Friedland on June 2, 1807. In the same year, this award was awarded to the famous cavalry maiden Nadezhda Durova, who began her military service as a private uhlan and later became Russia's first female officer. She received the insignia of the Order of St. George from the hands of Emperor Alexander I for carrying a wounded staff officer from the battlefield.
During the Russian-French and other wars of Tsarist Russia, over 160 thousand people received the Silver Cross of St. George: 6,783 people for participating in the Patriotic War of 1812; 24,150 people during the Crimean War 1853 - 1856; 46 thousand people for the Russian-Turkish war of 1877 -1878; 87 thousand people during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 - 1905.
In 1856, four degrees of the Military Order insignia were established: 1st and 2nd - with gold crosses, 3rd and 4th - with silver crosses. The numbering was started again for each degree. It should be noted that the lower ranks awarded this badge were not considered Knights of St. George at that time, they were only “listed with the order.” However, being awarded the cross provided a number of advantages and benefits (increased salaries? “exemption from corporal punishment”, exclusion from the tax-paying class, etc.). In 1913, Nicholas II approved the new charter of the order, the insignia became officially called the Cross of St. George, and its owners received the status of Knight of St. George. By 1917, the number of people awarded the St. George Cross of all degrees exceeded 1,366 thousand people. In 1896, the Golden Arms “For Bravery” with a St. George ribbon and a St. George cross on the hilt, introduced to reward generals, admirals, staff and chief officers, was equated to the Order of St. George. Later, such weapons received the name Georgievsky. Among those awarded was the outstanding Russian commander, who later went on to serve in the Red Army, cavalry general A.A. Brusilov.
In Soviet and post-Soviet times in Russia, attempts were made repeatedly to revive the Order of St. George and the Cross of St. George. Thus, back in 1943, Stalin planned to create the military Order of Bagration, the style of which was close to the St. George Cross.
The second attempt was made in March 1992: the Presidium of the Supreme Council decided: “The Commission on State Awards under the President should develop statutes for the Order of St. George and the insignia of the St. George Cross.”
On August 8, 2000, Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 1463 approved the statute of the Order of St. George, the regulations on the insignia - the St. George's Cross and their descriptions. Moreover, the star and cross of the order were identical to the royal award.
The modern statute of the Order of St. George clearly states that it is awarded to “military personnel from among senior and senior officers.” Military personnel “from among soldiers, sailors, sergeants and foremen, warrant officers and midshipmen, junior officers” cannot under any circumstances be awarded this order. In order to mark their heroism, an insignia was provided - the St. George's Cross.
Currently, according to the statute, the Order of St. George is the highest military award of the Russian Federation. It has four degrees: the Order of St. George I and II degrees with a sign and star, III and IV degrees - only with a sign. The highest degree of the order is I degree.
The Order of St. George is awarded to military personnel from among senior and senior officers for conducting combat operations to defend the Fatherland.
Full Knights of St. George
In the entire history of Russia, only four people became full Knights of St. George: M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov, MS Barclay-de-Tolly, I.F. Paskevich and I.I. Dibich-Zabalkansky.
Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov (1745 - 1813), Field Marshal General, His Serene Highness Prince of Smolensk, was the first to be awarded all degrees of the Military Order of St. George. This famous Russian commander spent his entire life, his entire military career from ensign to field marshal general, with the Russian army. The troops under his command participated in all the wars fought by Russia at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries.
He was born on September 5, 1745 in St. Petersburg. In 1757 he was assigned to the engineering and artillery school, and on January 1, 1761 he was promoted to ensign.
Kutuzov received his first St. George Cross, fourth degree, as a battalion commander, for exceptional bravery during the battles near the village of Shumy near Alushta during the Russian-Turkish War of 1768 - 1774. With a banner in his hands, he personally led the battalion into an attack on the Turks. During this battle, Kutuzov was seriously wounded in the head, after which he lost an eye.
The victory of the Russian army near Izmail) on December 1, 1790 predetermined the outcome of the Russian-Turkish war of 1778 - 1791. M.I. also played a significant role in its achievement. Kutuzov, who commanded one of the columns that stormed the Kiliya Gate. For Ishmael he was awarded the Order of St. George, third degree.
During the same war, in the battle of Machin on June 28, 1791, Kutuzov’s troops, by attacking the enemy’s right flank, largely contributed to the decisive victory over the Supreme Vizier Yusuf Pasha. For the victory at Machin, Kutuzov was awarded the Order of St. George, second degree.
In August 1812, Mikhail Illarionovich led the Russian army, which defeated Napoleon. In honor of the great victory, Alexander I awarded the field marshal the Order of St. George, first degree. With the receipt of this highest award, Kutuzov became a full holder of all four degrees of the Order of St. George.
Mikhail Bogdanovich Barclay de Tolly (1761 - 1818), Field Marshal General, Prince. He was a participant in the Russian-Turkish war of 1787 - 1791. and Russian-Swedish 1788 1790. wars. In the war with France 1806 - 1807. and the Russian-Swedish war of 1808 - 1809. commanded a division and corps. In 1810 - 1812 - Minister of War of Russia. During the Patriotic War of 1812 he led the 1st Western Army. In the Battle of Borodino he commanded the right wing and center of the Russian troops, and in the foreign campaigns of 1813 - 1814. led the united Russian-Prussian army. He successfully led it in the battles of Thorn, Kulm and Leipzig.
M.B. Barclay de Tolly was born on December 16, 1761. His childhood years were spent in St. Petersburg. He began his service at the age of 14 in the Pskov Carabinieri Regiment. At the age of 16, he received his first officer rank, and soon was appointed as an adjutant to Lieutenant General Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg.
After just a few years of his successful military career, Barclay de Tolly was appointed to the newly formed St. Petersburg Grenadier Regiment, with which he went to Poland. He took part in numerous battles. For his distinction in the war with the Polish Confederates, he was awarded the Order of St. George, fourth degree.
In September 1806, large-scale actions by the armies of the 4th anti-French coalition against Napoleonic France began. In November 1806, Russia entered the war. The first major battle of Russian and French troops took place near Pultusk on December 14, 1806. Largely thanks to the skillful actions of then Major General Barclay de Tolly, who commanded the advance detachment, Russian troops not only managed to hold back the onslaught of the French regiments of Marshal Lannes, but also inflicted they suffered significant damage. For courage and distinction shown in the battle of Pułtusk, Mikhail Bogdanovich was awarded the Order of St. George, third degree.
Subsequently, during the Patriotic War of 1812, for his skillful leadership of the troops in the Battle of Borodino and his courage, Barclay de Tolly was awarded the Order of St. George, second degree. In foreign campaigns 1813 - 1814. Barclay de Tolly led the united Russian-Prussian army. Under his command, 64 French troops were defeated at the Battle of Kulm (August 18, 1813), for which he was awarded the Order of St. George, first class.
Ivan Fedorovich Paskevich (1782 -1856), Field Marshal General, Count of Erivan, His Serene Highness Prince of Warsaw. Born on May 19, 1782, at the age of 12 he was assigned to the Corps of Pages, and in October 1800, among the first graduates, he was sent as a lieutenant in the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment.
Paskevich made his first military campaign in 1805, but received real combat training during the Russian-Turkish War of 1806 - 1812. In five years he went from captain to major general. Paskevich took part in many battles of this war, and in 1810, for capturing enemy batteries on Cape Galotburg during the siege of the Varna fortress, he earned his first Order of St. George, fourth degree.
18 days later, in the same place, the Vitebsk regiment, commanded by Colonel Paskevich, repelled the attacks of the Turkish army throughout the day. The fierce battle ended in complete victory for the Russians, who not only fought on the defensive against a numerically superior enemy, but also counterattacked themselves. This feat became widely known in the army, and the young commander of the Vitebsk regiment was awarded the Order of St. George, third degree.
Russian-Persian War of 1826 -1828. Paskevich met in the Caucasus, where he replaced General Ermolov as commander of the Separate Corps. In the war with the Persians, he acted decisively. During the campaign of 1827, Paskevich occupied Nakhichevan, the strategically important Abbas-Abad fortress, and in October the Erivan fortress. The rescript of Nicholas I said: “For the excellent courage, firmness and skill shown by Adjutant General Paskevich during the conquest of Sardar Abbad and the important conquest of the famous Erivan fortress in Asia, award the Order of St. Victorious George, 2nd degree of the Grand Cross.” With the capture of Erivan, the Russian-Persian war actually ended. In 1828, peace was signed in Turkmanchay.
In June 1829, in a field battle, Paskevich completely defeated the Turkish army under the command of Hakka Pasha. During the two-day battles near the village of Kainly, the Sultan's army ceased to exist. Then, having completed a march of more than 100 km in three days, on July 5, the Russian corps occupied the Gasean-Kale fortress, and four days later, Russian soldiers entered rich Erzurum, the control center of Asian Turkey. For Erzurum, infantry general Ivan Fedorovich Paskevich was awarded the Order of St. George, first degree, and became the third full holder of the empire's highest military award.
Ivan Ivanovich Dibich-Zabalkansky (1785 - 1831), field marshal general, count, participant in the wars with France 1805 - 1807. and the Patriotic War of 1812. During the foreign campaign of the Russian army of 1813-1814. - Oberquartermaster of the corps, quartermaster general of the army and allied Russian-Prussian troops. From 1815 - Chief of Staff of the 1st Army, from 1823 - Chief of the General Staff. During the Russian-Turkish War of 1828 - 1829. - Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army.
Ivan Ivanovich Dibich was born on May 2, 1785 on the Grosleine estate in the family of a colonel in the Prussian army. His real name is Johann Karl Friedrich Anton. They began to call him in the Russian manner in 1801, when Johann's father, at one time the adjutant of Frederick the Great, was invited to St. Petersburg by Paul I. Russia became for the young Diebitsch the true Fatherland, whose service he entered decisively and irrevocably. The seventeen-year-old warrant officer intensively studied the Russian language and studied military service.
The first serious combat test for Diebitsch was Austerlitz (November 20, 1805). Wounded in his right hand, he grabbed the blade with his left and did not leave the battlefield until the end of the battle. His reward was a sword with the inscription “For bravery.” He also distinguished himself very well at Preussisch-Eylau (January 26 - 27, 1807).
In 1807, Diebitsch took part in the battles of Gaustat, Geislsberg and Friedland. For his “personal courage and stewardship” in the last battle he was awarded the Order of St. George, fourth degree.
Dibich met the Patriotic War of 1812 with the rank of colonel in the post of chief quartermaster of the corps of Count P.Kh. Wittgenstein. For the qualities shown in the battles of Klyastitsy, he was awarded the Order of St. George, third degree.
During the Russian-Turkish War of 1828 - 1829. Ivan Ivanovich led Russian troops in the Balkans. For organizing the siege and taking Varna he was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. For the battle of Kulevcha, where Diebitsch defeated the 40,000-strong army of Rashid Pasha, he was awarded the Order of St. George, second degree. At the end of the war, for which Dibich did a lot to win, he was given an honorary addition to his surname - Zabalkansky. He was awarded the field marshal's baton and the Order of St. George, first class.
Guidelines
In the introductory part of the lesson with soldiers and sergeants, it is necessary to talk about the importance of the state’s use of an incentive system. It must be emphasized that the award is recognition of a person’s merits, his useful activities, noble deeds, as well as a symbol of courage and courage shown in the interests of the state.
Next, it should be said that the tradition of officially celebrating people’s services to the Tsar and the Fatherland with awards, including weapons, expensive gifts, ranks, orders, medals, etc., has existed in our country for more than three hundred years.
In the first question, you need to name the reasons for the appearance of awards and talk about their types. Most of the time should be devoted to the story of the St. George's Awards, their origin and classification.
When studying the second question, it is important to tell listeners about the meaning and merit, importance and inextricable connection with the actions of the ancestors. At the same time, we should dwell in detail on the full holders of the Order of St. George and their exploits.
In conclusion, you should make brief conclusions, answer questions from listeners, and give advice on in-depth study of the topic before the upcoming conversation.
When preparing for a conversation, it is important, using the recommended literature, to give students individual tasks to study the life path of each of the four full holders of the Order of St. George, then evaluate the work of each.
Recommended reading:
1. Alekseev Yu. Knights of St. George // Orientir. — 2000 — No. 1-12.
2. Kolomnin S. Field Marshal M. B. Barclay de Tolly: “To arouse a courageous spirit, affection and trust in the boss...” // Orientir. - 1998 - No. 1 - p. 58-59.
3. Kolomnin S. Three generations of soldier George // Landmark. -2004 - No. 8 - p. 76-77.
4. Rubtsov Yu. He was undaunted, decisive on the battlefield... // Landmark. - 1999 - No. 9 - p. 74-75.
5. Rubtsov Yu. Full Knight of the Order of St. George // Landmark. -1999 - No. 10 - p. 74-75.
Major of Justice German Marfitsyn. Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Gordievsky
“Landmark” 2005.03
Tags: UGP
Full gentlemen
The four-degree cross existed for 57 years. Over the years, about 2,000 people were included in the full Knights of St. George (list). In addition, about 7,000 were awarded crosses of the second, third and fourth degrees, approximately 25,000 were awarded the 3rd and 4th, and 205,336 were awarded the 4th degree.
At the time of the October Revolution, several hundred full Knights of St. George lived in Russia. Many of them joined the Red Army and rose to the highest military ranks of the USSR. Of these, 7 also became Heroes of the Soviet Union. Among them:
- Ageev G.I. (posthumously).
- Budyonny S.M.
- Kozyr M. E.
- Lazarenko I. S.
- Meshchryakov M. M.
- Nedorubov K. I.
- Tyulenev I. V.
Passed the strength test
In the photo: Hero of the Soviet Union Ivan Sidorovich Lazarenko (Photo: ru.wikipedia.org)
The biographies of M.E. were surprisingly intertwined. Kozyr and I.S. Lazarenko. They met before the war in Brest: General Lazarenko commanded the division, and Colonel Kozyr was his deputy. And it so happened that Ivan Lazarenko also became the prototype of one of the heroes of the epic novel “The Living and the Dead” - the fearless division commander Talyzin.
Ivan Sidorovich LAZARENKO (1895−1944) was born into a poor peasant family. For seven years he was a shepherd for a landowner, and then worked as a miner at a mine in the Donbass. In May 1915, he was drafted into the tsarist army, and he distinguished himself more than once in battle, rising to the rank of senior non-commissioned officer, and was awarded four Crosses of St. George. In December 1917 he joined the Red Guard. He fought for Soviet power, fighting the Ural and Don Cossacks, Czechoslovak legionnaires, Denikinites, Wrangelites and Makhnovists. In 1920, the 25-year-old Red commander Lazarenko fought in the Kuban against the troops of General Ulagai and was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. The Order was presented to him personally by V.I. Lenin . At the end of Civil, he joined the party. He donated his crosses of St. George to the Volga region famine relief fund. In 1937-1939 fought in Spain, then took part in the Soviet-Finnish war.
Having taken command of the 42nd Division on May 12, 1941, already from May 15, he addressed the army command three times with proposals for the withdrawal of division units from Brest and the Brest Fortress. In this case, the troops could take defensive positions according to the cover plan and effectively repel the German advance. But the USSR government was forced to avoid any actions that could hasten Germany's advance. On July 9, 1941, the major general was arrested along with other persons from the command of the Western Front. According to the testimony of I.S. Lazarenko, he arrived at the division's location and took control at 4.15 o'clock. June 22, 1941 and immediately gave orders for the destruction of secret documents and the withdrawal of division units from the fortress and the city.
S. M. Budyonny
The name of this legendary personality resounded in Russian cavalry units during the First World War, and even earlier in the Russian-Japanese War. For bravery on the Austrian, German and Caucasian fronts, Semyon Mikhailovich was awarded crosses and medals of all 4 degrees.
His first award was received for the capture of a German convoy and the 8 soldiers accompanying it. However, Budyonny was deprived of it because he hit an officer. This did not prevent him from being included in the list of “Full St. George Knights”, since on the Turkish front Semyon Budyonny earned 3 St. George Crosses during the battles for Van and Mendelij, and the last one (first degree) for the capture of 7 enemy soldiers. Thus, he became the person who received 5 awards.
During the Civil War, he initiated the creation of the First Cavalry Army, and in 1935 he and four other USSR commanders were awarded the rank of marshal.
During the Second World War, Semyon Budyonny did not have the opportunity to demonstrate his abilities, since he was removed from command of the South-Western direction of the front because of a telegram in which he honestly described the danger that threatened those who were in the so-called Kiev bag.
In the post-war years, the commander was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union three times.
History of the St. George Cross
The Order of St. George has existed in Russia since the 18th century, but this order should not be confused with the soldier's Cross of St. George - these are different awards.
In 1807, Russian Emperor Alexander I was presented with a note proposing the establishment of an award for lower ranks who distinguished themselves on the battlefield. The emperor considered the proposal quite reasonable. Just the day before, a bloody battle took place at Preussisch-Eylau, where Russian soldiers demonstrated remarkable courage.
However, there was one problem: it was impossible to award lower ranks with orders. At that time, they were given only to representatives of the nobility; the order was not just a “piece of iron” on the chest, but also a symbol of social status, it emphasized the “knightly” position of its owner.
Therefore, Alexander I resorted to a trick: he ordered that lower ranks be awarded not with an order, but with the “insignia of the order.” This is how the award appeared, which later became the Cross of St. George. According to the emperor’s manifesto, only lower ranks who showed “undaunted courage” on the battlefield could receive the St. George Cross. According to status, a reward could be received, for example, for capturing an enemy banner, for capturing an enemy officer, or for skillful actions during battle. Concussion or injury did not give the right to a reward if it was not related to the feat.
The cross had to be worn on the St. George ribbon, threaded through the buttonhole.
The first cavalier of the soldier's George was non-commissioned officer Mitrokhin, who distinguished himself in the battle of Friedland in the same 1807.
Initially, the St. George Cross did not have degrees and could be issued an unlimited number of times. True, the badge itself was not reissued, but the soldier’s salary increased by a third. Corporal punishment could not be applied to holders of the St. George Cross.
In 1833, the insignia of the Military Order was included in the statute of the Order of St. George. Some other innovations also appeared: commanders of armies and corps could now award crosses. This greatly simplified the process and reduced bureaucratic red tape.
In 1844, the St. George Cross was designed for Muslims, in which St. George was replaced by a double-headed eagle.
In 1856, the St. George Cross was divided into four degrees. The reverse of the sign indicated the degree of the award. Each degree had its own numbering.
Over the entire history of the St. George Cross with four degrees, more than two thousand people became full holders of it.
The next significant change in the statute of the Military Order Insignia occurred on the eve of the First World War, in 1913. The award received the official name "St. George's Cross", and the St. George's Medal (a numbered medal for bravery) was also established. The St. George Medal also had four degrees and was awarded to lower ranks, military personnel of irregular troops and border guards. This medal (unlike the St. George Cross) could be awarded to civilians, as well as military personnel in peacetime.
According to the new statute of the insignia, the St. George Cross could now serve as a posthumous award, which was transferred to the hero’s relatives. The numbering of the award began again from 1913. In 1914, World War I began and millions of Russian citizens were drafted into the army. During the three years of the war, more than 1.5 million St. George Crosses of various degrees were awarded.
The first St. George cavalier of this war was the Don Cossack Kozma Kryuchkov, who (according to the official version) destroyed more than ten German cavalrymen in an unequal battle. Kryuchkov was awarded "George" of the fourth degree. During the war, Kryuchkov became a full Knight of St. George.
During the First World War, women were repeatedly awarded the Cross of St. George; foreigners fighting in the Russian army became its recipients.
The appearance of the award also changed: in difficult times of war, the highest degrees of the cross (first and second) began to be made of gold of a lower standard, and the third and fourth degrees of the award significantly lost weight.
The 1913 statute significantly expanded the list of acts for which the St. George Cross was awarded. This largely neutralized the value of this insignia. During the First World War, more than 1.2 million people became Knights of Yegoria. Judging by the number of recipients, there was simply mass heroism in the Russian army. Then it is not clear why these millions of heroes soon shamefully fled to their homes.
According to the statute, the cross was to be issued only for exploits on the battlefield, but this principle was not always followed. Georgy Zhukov received one of his St. George Crosses for shell shock. Apparently, the future Soviet marshal already in those years knew how to find a common language with his superiors.
After the February Revolution, the status of the St. George Cross was changed again; now it could also be awarded to officers after the appropriate decision of the soldiers’ meetings. In addition, this military insignia began to be awarded for purely political reasons. For example, the cross was awarded to Timofey Kirpichnikov, who killed an officer and led a mutiny in his regiment. Prime Minister Kerensky became a holder of two degrees of the cross at once, for “tearing down the banner of tsarism” in Russia.
There are known cases when entire military units or warships were awarded the Cross of St. George. Among others, this badge was awarded to the crews of the cruiser Varyag and the gunboat Koreets.
During the Civil War, soldiers and non-commissioned officers in White Army units continued to be awarded the Cross of St. George. True, the attitude towards awards among the White movement was ambiguous: many considered it shameful to receive awards for participation in a fratricidal war.
On the territory of the Donskoy army, George the Victorious on the cross turned into a Cossack: he was wearing a Cossack uniform, a hat with a hood, from under which his forelock protruded.
The Bolsheviks abolished all awards of the Russian Empire, including the Cross of St. George. However, after the start of the Great Patriotic War, the attitude towards the award changed. “George” was not allowed, as many historians claim, but the authorities turned a blind eye to wearing this sign.
Among the Soviet awards, the Order of Glory had an ideology similar to that of the soldier George.
Collaborators who served in the Russian Corps were also awarded the Cross of St. George. The last award took place in 1941.
Kuzma Petrovich Trubnikov
This legendary personality took part in three wars. He received many awards for his exploits between 1914 and 1917. In particular, the list of “Full Knights of St. George” also contains his last name. He showed himself no less heroically during the Second World War, organizing the defense of Tula, directing troops during the Battle of Stalingrad, commanding the units entrusted to him during the liberation of Yelnya, etc. At the Victory Parade, Trubnikov, who at that time had already been awarded the rank of colonel general, led box of the consolidated regiment of the 2nd Belorussian Front. For his long service, the military leader was awarded 38 orders and medals from Tsarist Russia, the USSR and a number of other countries.
Ivan Vladimirovich Tyulenev
The future Hero of the Soviet Union was born into the family of a participant in the Russian-Turkish war. He was drafted into the army at the beginning of the First World War and ended up in a regiment where K.K. Rokossovsky served at that time. Having started the war as a simple soldier, Ivan Vladimirovich Tyulenev rose to the rank of ensign. For heroism shown in battles on Polish territory, he was awarded the Cross of St. George four times. In the very first days of the Second World War, Tyulenev was appointed commander of the Southern Front, but in August he was seriously wounded, and after hospitalization he was sent to the Urals to form 20 divisions. In 1942, the military commander was sent to the Caucasus. At his request, the defense of the Main Ridge was strengthened, which in the future made it possible to stop the Nazi offensive aimed at capturing oil fields in the Caspian Sea region.
In 1978, for his services to defending the Motherland and increasing the country’s defense capability, I. V. Tyulenev was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and he became one of seven outstanding military men who were awarded the highest award of the USSR, having the title “Full Knight of St. George of the First World War” .
KONSTANTIN NEDORUBOV (1889 - 1978)
Origin.
From the Don Cossacks.
Rank, place of service.
Cossack, sergeant of the 15th Don Cossack General Krasnov of the 1st regiment.
Merits.
Cross III degree - for the battle near Przemysl in December 1914, when he single-handedly captured 52 Austrians.
Cross III degree - for the attack on Austrian fortifications near Balamutovka and Rzhaventsy on April 27, 1915. Then the Russian troops overcame three rows of wire fences and burst into the enemy trenches, where a fierce hand-to-hand battle broke out. The Austrians were driven out of their positions, capturing eight officers, about 600 soldiers, three machine guns and two guns7.
Cross IV degree - for the same battle, when he was able to scatter an enemy company and capture a machine gun8.
Cross II degree - for the Brusilov breakthrough.
Cross of the 1st degree - for the capture of the enemy division headquarters together with the general. Apparently, we are talking about a partisan raid on the village of Nevel on the Pripyat River on the night of November 14-15, 1915. According to intelligence data, the German headquarters was located in the village. The partisans attacked the village from different directions, throwing hand grenades at the enemy and causing incredible confusion. In an hour-long hand-to-hand battle, many German soldiers and officers were exterminated. They managed to capture several officers and the head of the 82nd German Reserve Infantry Division, General Karl Friedrich Siegfried Fabarius. It was decided to take the general to corps headquarters, but he managed to shoot himself.
Career.
During the Civil War, the Cossack Nedorubov rushed between the Reds and the Whites, like Sholokhov’s Grigory Melekhov. In the end, he chose the Bolsheviks, fought heroically for them, and even received red revolutionary trousers as a reward.
During the period of collectivization, he allowed starving collective farmers to use leftover grain for food after sowing. He was convicted of abuse of office. He received ten years in the camps. He worked on the construction of the Moscow-Volga canal and was released early for shock labor.
1941-1945.
In the fall of 1941, he formed and led a squadron of Cossack volunteers. He served with his 17-year-old son. The squadron carried out daring cavalry raids on the enemy; Nedorubov’s fighters destroyed 200 Nazis near the Kushchevskaya station alone, and the same number near the village of Maratuki. My son was seriously wounded in the battles. Nedorubov himself, who was already over fifty, personally destroyed at least a hundred Nazi soldiers. The squadron launched an attack with the words: “Forward, for the Motherland, for Stalin, for the Free Quiet Don!” At the front he joined the party.
In October 1943 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Nedorubov met the Victory Day as a guard captain, had 11 wounds and a severe concussion. Despite this, he took part in the Victory Parade and even attended a reception with Stalin.
He died in 1978, a few months before his 90th birthday.
STROKE TO THE PORTRAIT
He wore the Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union at the front along with the Crosses of St. George.
R. Ya. Malinovsky
The future Marshal of the USSR, at the age of 11, ran away from home because of his mother’s marriage and worked as a farm laborer until he joined the army, giving himself two years. The deception was discovered, but the teenager was able to persuade the command to leave him to bring cartridges to the machine gunners. In 1915, a 17-year-old soldier received his first “Yegory”. He was then sent to France as part of the Expeditionary Force, where he was twice decorated by the government of the Third Republic. In 1919, Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky enlisted in the Foreign Legion, and became a holder of the French Military Cross for his bravery on the German front. In addition, by order of Kolchak’s general D. Shcherbachev, he was awarded the St. George Cross of the third degree.
In 1919, Rodion Yakovlevich Malinovsky returned to his homeland and became one of the active participants in the Civil War, and in the late 30s he was sent as a military adviser to Spain.
The merits of this commander during the Great Patriotic War are also invaluable. In particular, the troops under his command liberated Odessa, played an important role in the Battle of Stalingrad, expelled the Nazis from Budapest and took Vienna.
After the end of the war in Europe, Malinovsky was sent to the Far East, where the actions of the Trans-Baikal Front, led by him, finally defeated the Japanese group. For the successful completion of this operation, Rodion Yakovlevich received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. He was awarded the Gold Star for the second time in 1958.
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Today there is hardly a person who does not know the national hero Vasily Ivanovich Chapaev. But not everyone knows that he was a full Knight of St. George, the owner of four Crosses of St. George - the most honorable soldier’s award in the old Russian army. Many remarkable commanders who became famous during the Civil and Great Patriotic Wars were awarded the Cross of St. George.
STATUS OF THE GEORGE SIGN
The insignia of the Order of St. George was awarded to privates and non-commissioned officers for the courage and valor they showed in battle. The badge was established on February 13, 1807 and was a silver cross worn on an order ribbon. Initially it had one degree, but in 1856 it was divided into four: 1st and 2nd - gold crosses, 3rd and 4th - silver crosses. Since 1913, the sign began to be called the “St. George Cross”. Army commanders and commanders of individual corps had the right to award the badge to their subordinates, with subsequent approval of their decision by the emperor.
Recipients of the badge were entitled to a one-third salary increase. In addition, corporal punishment could not be applied to them without trial. When performing a new feat, the recipient was entitled to an increase in salary of another third, and for the next one - a full salary. This additional salary was retained by the holder of the badge until death.
The award criteria were strict. But despite this, many soldiers in the Russian army were awarded the Cross of St. George. During the war with Napoleonic France alone, over 41 thousand people received crosses, during the Crimean campaign of 1853-1856 - more than 24 thousand, during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 - 87 thousand soldiers and non-commissioned officers.
FIRST CAVALIER
The first of the lower ranks of the Russian army to be awarded the St. George Badge was non-commissioned officer of the cavalry regiment Yegor Ivanovich Mityukhin. He received this award for courage in the battle of Friedland on June 14, 1807.
During the Patriotic War of 1812, Mityukhin distinguished himself in many battles. It is interesting that the first Knight of St. George in our Fatherland was also awarded the highest insignia of Prussia - the Iron Cross, which by that time only a few military personnel in the Prussian army had. Wilhelm III, who observed the Battle of Kulm, was delighted with the heroism of the Russian soldiers and after the battle awarded all those who distinguished themselves. Among them was E.I. Mityukhin.
BRAVE GERASIM KURIN
One of the few Russian peasants awarded the St. George Cross was a native of the village of Pavlovo (now the city of Pavlovsky Posad), the son of a Suvorov soldier, Gerasim Matveevich Kurin. At the beginning of the war with Napoleon, at a gathering of residents of several surrounding villages, he was unanimously elected head of the partisan detachment. The head of the volost Yegor Stulov became his right hand.
Kurin's detachment, numbering more than 5,000 foot and 500 horse villagers, lasted a little more than a week, but all this time it fought with the regular units of the French Marshal Michel Ney. The baptism of fire took place near the village of Bolshoi Dvor. When the French approached the huts, a crowd rushed towards them, shouting, armed with what could be found in a peasant's yard. The French fled, and the peasants had guns abandoned by the enemy.
Thanks to the courage of the volunteer peasants and the ingenuity of their commander, Kurin’s detachment expelled the French from their land, capturing a huge amount of trophies. In May 1813, in Moscow, Gerasim Kurin and Yegor Stulov were awarded the Crosses of St. George.
WOLF SCOUT
Senior non-commissioned officer Avvakum Nikolaevich Volkov is one of the few who was awarded five St. George Crosses. From an early age Avvakum was an orphan. At the age of ten, distant relatives assigned him to the musical team of the Amur Dragoon Regiment.
And three years later, during the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War, he received the 4th degree St. George Cross for bravery. Then, when it was necessary to find out the location of the Japanese, bugler Volkov volunteered for reconnaissance. Dressed in Chinese clothes, the young soldier scouted out the location of the enemy troops, but came across a Japanese patrol of twenty horsemen. The Japanese guessed who this unusual Chinese was. Snatching a revolver, the scout killed three, jumped on the horse of one of the dead and was gone. For this feat, the scout was awarded the St. George Cross, 3rd degree.
In one of the battles, the wounded Avvakum was captured by the Japanese. He was sentenced to death. But Volkov made a tunnel at night, dealt with the sentry and went into the taiga. The Japanese did not pursue him - it was clear that he would not survive there. But after ten days of wandering, having traveled many kilometers, the brave man returned to his regiment and was awarded the St. George Cross, 2nd degree.
The war continued, and before the battle of Mukden, Volkov again volunteered to go on reconnaissance. This time he removed the guards from the enemy's powder magazine and blew it up. For this new feat, he received the 1st degree cross and became a full Knight of St. George.
The outbreak of the First World War found Avvakum in Kislovodsk, where he was healing his wounds. And the brave soldier, having signed up as a volunteer, was already on August 16th in reconnaissance. In one of the raids, a small detachment led by Volkov came across an enemy patrol. In that battle, Volkov was wounded in the stomach and was sent for treatment. The brave warrior was awarded another St. George Cross, 1st degree, and promoted to officer rank.
DON COSSACK SEMYON BUDENNY
An outstanding commander, Marshal Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonny loved horses since childhood and mastered horseback fighting at a very young age. When he turned 17 years old, Minister of War General A.N. came to the village. Kuropatkin, in whose honor a race was held with the cutting of vines and stuffed animals. Semyon became the winner, for which he received a silver ruble from the minister.
In the army he served in a dragoon regiment. And at the beginning of the First World War, non-commissioned officer Budyonny received his first award for successful participation in the battle near Brzeziny - the St. George Cross, 4th degree, which he soon lost.
At the end of 1914, Budyonny was on the Turkish front. The regiment did not participate in hostilities, and some officers led wild lives, wasting soldiers' money. Sergeant Khestanov was especially zealous in this. Budyonny suggested that Khestanov return the money to the soldiers, but he responded with insolence. Budyonny could not stand it and hit the rude man hard. The military court, taking into account his impeccable service, decided to deprive Budyonny of the St. George Cross for assault. But soon the award was returned to him for the courage and ingenuity shown by Semyon in the battle for the city of Van.
Budyonny received the 3rd degree Cross in January 1916 for participating in the battles near Mendelij. And in March of the same year he received the St. George Cross, 2nd degree. Our hero also distinguished himself in the battle near Kermanshah. Having gone on reconnaissance, he captured a tongue and received a 1st degree cross.
After the revolution, Budyonny became the commander of a cavalry detachment, then the commander of the 1st Cavalry Army. With her he participated in the battles of the Civil War. It’s interesting that during the fight against Basmachi in Central Asia, a rumor spread that Budyonny was spellbound - not a single bullet hit him.
Since 1923 SM. Budyonny was in Moscow. During the Great Patriotic War, he was a member of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command and received a high award - the Order of Suvorov, 1st degree. In 1958 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. In 1963 he became a hero for the second time, and five years later for the third time.
OUTSTANDING COMMANDER MARSHAL ZHUKOV
Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, Marshal of the Soviet Union and four times Hero of the Soviet Union, graduated from a parish school. During the First World War, he, a non-commissioned officer, was awarded two St. George Crosses for capturing a German officer and being seriously wounded while on reconnaissance mission.
During the Civil War, Zhukov was a Red Army soldier, a platoon and squadron commander. Before the Great Patriotic War, commanding a group of Soviet troops in Mongolia, he carried out a successful operation to defeat the Japanese in the area of the Khalkhin Gol River, for which he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. He became the commander of the troops of the Kyiv Special Military District, and then the chief of the General Staff.
Zhukov's talent as a commander was revealed especially clearly during the Great Patriotic War. He played an outstanding role during the battle for Moscow. Under his leadership, the troops of the Western Front stopped the numerically superior enemy forces, launched a decisive counteroffensive and threw them back many kilometers from the capital.
In his memoirs, the marshal wrote: “When people ask me what I remember most from the last war, I always answer: the battle for Moscow*. In January 1943, when approving the proposal to award Zhukov the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Stalin said: “Zhukov saved Moscow!”
G.K. Zhukov was always in the most responsible and important sectors of the front. In all operations, he quickly and deeply assessed the situation and made the right decisions. His confidence was transmitted to his subordinates, and they had no doubt in achieving the final goal. During the war he went to the front 225 times.
During the war, Zhukov was awarded the second Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union, and after its completion - the third. He became the first recipient of the highest military order of Victory, which he was awarded twice. The marshal received his fourth hero star in 1956.
Valentin DUBIN, reserve major general
Mysteries of the 20th Century No. 35 (September 2013)
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Other Soviet commanders awarded the St. George Cross for bravery
Before the revolution, other soldiers of the imperial army, who were destined to become famous commanders of the USSR, were also awarded the soldier's "Egory" before the revolution. Among them we can note Georgy Zhukov, Sidor Kovpak and Konstantin Rokossovsky, who were awarded two crosses. In addition, the famous hero of the Civil War V. Chapaev received three such awards.
Now you know the details of the biographies of some outstanding military men who can be classified as “Full Knights of St. George”. The list of their exploits is amazing, and they themselves deserve the respect and gratitude of their descendants, who are not indifferent to the fate of their native country.
