For ships that showed special prowess, performing combat missions, the Russian Navy had a special award - the St. George flag, located aft. It was a flag of St. Andrew, in the center there was a heraldic red shield with George the Victorious, the canonical saint. Only two ships in the history of the fleet were honored to have this award for courage and demonstrated skill - the ship "Azov" and the brig "Mercury". No one else received such a high award.
For which both ships received such a high award
The exploits of the sailors who served on the ships were truly worthy of the St. George flag award: “Azov” distinguished himself in the Battle of Navarino, in which for a long time he fought simultaneously with five powerful enemy ships; “Mercury” won a brilliant victory in a duel with two ships of Turkey, which had a ten-fold superiority in the number of guns.
Both ships and their crews with commanders, Lazarev Mikhail Petrovich and Kazarsky Alexander Ivanovich, respectively, covered themselves with unfading glory, and their exploits were very significant. But the St. George flags of “Azov” and “Mercury” by inheritance passed to the successor ships, which were always prescribed to have in the Russian fleet - “Memory of Mercury” and “Memory of Azov”.
St. George flag: history, what is
St. George Ribbon - a simple two-color ribbon to the famous Russian awards - the St. George Medal, the St. George Cross and the Order of St. George. St. George’s ribbons were also worn by sailors on a visor if they served in the crew of a vessel awarded the St. George flag. The tape was used as an element of the same name banners and as an accessory of the standard and banner. It was not used in any Soviet award until 1992, when the orders of the Cross of St. George and St. George were restored.
Nevertheless, the tape was used in the former quality in the White armies at the St. George’s awards, in the Russian Corps and became the prototype of the USSR award ribbons - the medal “For Victory over Germany”, the Order of Glory and the Guards Ribbon. We also inform what the flag of St. George Ribbon is characterized by: its material is flag (street) knitwear, 115 g / m2, 100% polyester, a 35 mm pocket under the shaft, size - 0.9 x 1.35 m.
History of combat symbols of the Russian fleet
Peter I in December 1699 established the St. Andrew flag as an official of the Russian Navy. The emperor explained his choice by saying that “from this apostle Russia received holy baptism.” The white cloth with the St. Andrew's blue cross on the masts of Russian ships fluttered until 1917. Under it they sailed around the world, discovered new lands, several generations of sailors went into battle. Everyone knows from history the words of ship commanders to crews before any battle: “With us is the St. Andrew flag and God.”
From 1692 to 1712, Emperor Peter 1 painted eight flag designs with his own hand, all of them consistently adopted in the Navy. The eighth, final, version was as follows described by Peter 1 himself: “The White Flag, across there is the St. Andrew’s Cross, with which he christened Russia.” It was in this form that the St. George flag of St. Andrew lasted in the Russian fleet until November 1917.
Evidence of Russian Origin of St. Andrew's (St. George's) Flag
Evidence may also be that Peter I dedicated the first Russian order to the holy apostle - the patron saint of the Orthodox East. This order, St. Andrew the First-Called, as the highest award of the Russian state, was established by the tsar in 1698 in order to reward for civil service and military exploits. It consisted of a cross of gold, a blue ribbon, an eight-pointed silver star and a chain of gold. In the very center of the star, in its outlet, there is a double-headed eagle crowned with three crowns, on the eagle’s chest - St. Andrew’s blue cross.
Therefore, it is unlikely that the Russian emperor had in mind the traditions of Scotland, which long ago considered Andrew the Apostle his patron saint of heaven. Peter I, despite the anecdotes associated with his era, with his name, was primarily concerned with the greatness of the Russian power. Since 1819, the ships that distinguished themselves in battle began to be awarded the St. George flag.
