What does the St. George Ribbon mean?

On the big holiday "Victory Day" of the cityThe Russian Federation is adorned with elegant symbols. During the holiday you can see people with a ribbon of St. George. Sometimes, ribbons can be seen on cars, bags, instead of ribbons in the hair. If earlier it was quite difficult to get this ribbon for the holiday, today the volunteers give it out just before the holiday itself.

But not everyone knows the history of the origin of this ribbon, which means St. George's ribbon today, and also what personifies its colors.

Let's consider these questions further.

The history of the appearance of St. George ribbon

The history of St. George ribbon begins inthe distant XVIII century, namely November 26, 1769. Then Catherine II instituted the Order of St. George the Victorious. It was in the composition of this order that there was a similar ribbon, like our modern ribbon.

Then the "Guards Ribbon" appeared in the USSR,similar to the ribbon of the Order of St. George the Victorious. It differed only in some additions. The Guards tape was given to the soldiers for special distinctions before the fatherland. With the same ribbon, we shackled the block of the Order of Glory.

Today, the ribbon is presented in two colors -black and orange. Orange color symbolizes the flame, and black - smoke. These two colors represent in aggregate military prowess and glory. However, concerning the designation of colors, disputes are still being contested. Officially, the colors denote smoke and fire, but in some sources the symbolism of these flowers goes deep into the history of Russia and is associated with the image of St. George the Victorious, who defeated the serpent.

St. George's ribbons took a place of honor amongother awards and orders for a faithful and valiant service for the benefit of the Motherland. After the Great Patriotic War, St. George ribbons began to decorate many military orders and medals.

In 2005, the action "Georgievskayaribbon". It was then that the media began to refer to the "Guards tape" of "St. George's". Unlike the ribbon, which is issued with the order, St. George's ribbon is offered to all people free of charge for the Victory Day holiday, which means "I remember I'm proud".

St. George's ribbon today

Today wearing St. George ribbon meansthat a person remembers about the Great Patriotic War and is proud of his ancestors. It is distributed free of charge in more than thirty countries of the world, and it can often be seen on the Victory Day holiday.

This action came up with an employee of "RIA Novosti"Natalia Loseva for the holiday "60th Anniversary of the Victory". The action has spread widely throughout the country and near abroad in recent years. The action is still supported by the authorities, the media, citizens and various organizations. For example, in 2010 the longest ribbon in the world - 360 meters in length was deployed in Chisinau.

Before the holiday the action begins withdistribution of St. George ribbons among the population. Ribbons are small pieces of black-orange color identical to St. George's ribbon. Then the tape should be tied to the clothing, wrist or car antenna. The purpose of the action is to create a universal atmosphere of the holiday so that people can feel the importance of the holiday and pride in their fathers and grandfathers who shed their blood for the country in the Great Patriotic War.

However, not everyone today wears ribbons andsupport the share. Some people think that the St. George ribbon is a disrespect to the symbols of Victory, because initially this ribbon served as a symbol of valor and military distinction. Many believe that tie ribbons on clothes and other things - it's disrespect for the ancestors and their merits. Many also oppose the use of the Victory symbol for commercial purposes. This view is supported by some media and organizations.

Also you can read an article on our website. How to tie a St. George ribbon.