Battle red banners. Order of the Red Banner of Labor

The orders "Red Banners" are the first awards of the Soviet state. They were established to encourage the manifestation of special courage, selflessness and courage in the defense of the Fatherland. In addition, the Order of the Red Banner was also awarded to military units, ships, public and state organizations. Until 1930, the Order was the highest degree of encouragement in the Soviet Union.

The first Soviet award

In 1918, a few days before the commemoration of the first anniversary of the October Socialist Revolution, the first breastplate - the Order of the Red Banner - was approved in the country of the Soviets. There was this award in two versions: Combat and Labor. In September 1918, the statute of this sign was first approved, and then, a month later, he appeared.

A bit of history

The well-known fact is that the Bolsheviks, having come to power in 1917, abolished all the awards and insignia that existed in the pre-revolutionary period of the history of our country. Initially, all the incentives that marked any merits before the Motherland, were replaced with personal gifts: cigarette cases, watches, weapons. However, the longer the civil war lasted in Russia, the more clearly there was a need for the appearance of award badges that would clearly demonstrate the merits of this or that person to the new country and the new government. Thus, they would stimulate even more selfless activities of those who have already received such encouragement, and those who only aspired to it.

As a result, in 1918, at the initiative of Sverdlov, Ya. M. VTsIK set up a special commission, which begins to develop the draft of the first decoration insignia in the country for fighters and commanders of the Red Army. This group is headed by Abel Safonovich Yenukidze, and the work on the sketch of the order is entrusted to the artist Denisov VI and his son Denisov VV. So, literally in a few days of hard work the father and son propose sketches of the first Soviet breastplate for consideration by the commission. Of the several options chosen, one that included all the elements symbolizing the young Soviet power. It is a red star, a developing red banner, a sickle and a hammer, a plow and a bayonet, serving as symbols of the unification of peasants, workers and soldiers. The final design sketch was approved in October 1918 by the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee. Thus, the young state celebrated the first anniversary of the Great October Revolution with the release of the Orders of the Labor and Combat Red Banner.

Statute of the award

The statute for the Order of the Combat and Labor Red Banner was very short. It contained a little specifics about what kind of actions a person can celebrate with this award. This is explained by the fact that the "Red Banners" were the only honorary signs of its kind and in the system of the young state in principle. In particular, this was mentioned in a special explanation. The Order of the Red Banner of Battle was the only encouragement that could be awarded to Red Army soldiers for their combat merits. They were noted for courage, special courage and selflessness as individuals, as well as military units (companies, regiments, units, etc.), and public organizations. Knights awarded the Order of the Red Banner, were called "Red Banner", and collectives - "red-banners". Later the statute of this breastplate was edited and supplemented several times.

All the first "Red Banners" were supplemented with special charters, which spoke about who, when, and for what merit was given this award. Such a charter was a very important and necessary attribute certifying the right of such a sign to be worn. According to the original statute, only the commissars and commanders of the Red Army, volunteer detachments and the fleet had the right to submit to the order. However, over time, the list of promising gentlemen was expanded.

Description of the award

Breastplates "Red Banners" were made of silver in the form of a laurel wreath (gilded), which acts as its base. In the lower part of it there was a ribbon on which was written in gold letters "USSR". The top of the order was covered with a deployed red banner, on which was written "Workers of all countries, unite!" A little below the center of the flagpole crosses with a torch. Their lower ends protrude a little beyond the wreath. The flame of the torch on the order should symbolize the immortal feat of the heroes of the revolution. In the center of the icon on a white background are the crossed hammer, plow and bayonet, which overlap the five-pointed inverted red star. In its center is a golden laurel wreath, inside of which a gilded hammer and sickle is placed on a white field.

On the repeated orders of the Red Banner, immediately below the ribbon was a small white enamel shield, 2, 3, 4, and so on. They mean the number of awards with this sign. The banner, ribbon and ends of the five-pointed star are covered with ruby-red enamel, and the images of the hammer and plow are oxidized, other images and inscriptions are gilded.

Options

The Order of the Red Banner of Labor, like its combat version, was made of silver. Its content in this award is 22,719 grams ± 1,389. The total weight of the sign is 25,134 grams ± 1,8. The height of the order is 41 millimeters, width - 36.3 millimeters. With the help of the ring and ear, the reward is connected to a rectangular shaped shoe, which is covered with a moiré silk ribbon, 24 mm wide. In its center is a white longitudinal strip, whose width is eight millimeters, closer to the edges of two more white stripes seven millimeters wide and two white stripes one millimeter wide. Cavaliers of this order carry it on the left side of the chest.

First Cavalier

The first owner of this honorable award was Blucher Vasily Konstantinovich, in 1918 he was chairman of the Chelyabinsk revolutionary committee. He received the Order of the Red Banner of Battle for the fact that he managed to unite under his command several armed detachments with whom he made his legendary march to the Urals. This military operation was accompanied by cruel and heavy battles with detachments of the White Guards. The 10,000-strong army commanded by Blucher passed along the enemy's rear and over 1,500 kilometers over forty days, after which the guerrillas combined with regular Soviet units. For the accomplishment of this feat on September 30, 1918, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee represents Blucher to the governmental award - the Order of the Red Banner for the first number. Later, during the entire period of the Civil War, he was presented to this honorary award three times. Vasily Blyukher receives his fifth Order of the Red Banner for his work in China, where he was a military adviser to the revolutionary government. However, it should be noted that all these merits did not save the Soviet marshal from repression and death.

The Great Patriotic War

During the Second World War the Red Banner of Victory (the Order was nicknamed the Red Army soldiers) was handed over to 305,035 times. Many warriors deserved several such awards. It is worth thinking about this figure - more than three hundred thousand, and this despite the fact that such a mark was among the elite. Such a number speaks without any words of the high degree of heroism and self-sacrifice shown by Russian soldiers. Usually the Red Banner of Victory was given to commanders of various formations, as well as pilots for successfully conducted assault / bombing, downed enemy vehicles. The junior commander of the Red Army, and especially the rank and file sergeant, was rarely honored with this honor.

Exceptions to the rules

However, unique cases are also fixed. For example, the young partisan Volodya Dubinin was awarded this sign at the age of 13, though posthumously; And 14-year-old Igor Pakhomov had two orders at once. Another student of Kiev at the age of 12 received this award for keeping two regimental banners during the occupation.

Full list of awardees

In total from 1918 to 1991 this award was issued more than 580 thousand times, including the Order of the Red Banner of Labor. And some people became fivefold, sixfold, and some also sevenfold chevaliers. Major General of Aviation MI Burtsev became the first who was able to obtain the 1967 order with the figure seven on the front side. Later another sevenfold holder of this sign became the famous pilot-ace, air marshal IN Kozhedub. Today, this government award is abolished, but the most glorified parts and formations of the armed forces still continue to be called the Red Banner.