George the Victorious: a saint from a coat of arms and a coin. Moscow coat of arms from the point of view of esotericists Glasses for vision emblem rider with a spear

Coats of arms came to Rus' from Europe. Their closest relatives are generic signs-totems. And the symbols that in ancient times were depicted on military armor and banners became the prototype of modern emblems. For example, a sea horse adorned the helmet of Alexander the Great. In ancient times, not only people had emblems, but also islands and cities. For example, the owl was the symbol of Athens. But usually such images were not inherited, that is, they were not coats of arms in the usual sense.

The appearance of heraldry is associated with the beginning of the Crusades in 1096. Then identification marks were required, noticeable at a great distance. They decided to put a cross on the shield and thereby divide it into parts. Then the shield began to be divided not only horizontally and vertically, but also diagonally, and the resulting segments were painted in different colors.

In the middle of the XII century, the influential military nobility of Europe began to use coats of arms as personal signs. The reason is simple: during battles and tournaments, the face of a warrior was hidden by a chain mail hood and helmet, and special signs were needed to distinguish between knights. And already at the end of the 12th century, women's coats of arms, coats of arms of clerics, townspeople, peasants, cities, corporations, states, provinces appeared.

The first Russian emblems.

In Rus', princely families also had distinctive signs. For the Vladimir-Suzdal princes, for example, it was an image of a lion, for the Yaroslavl princes it was a bear. These tribal symbols were placed on the seals, they were the sign of the main city of the principality. Abroad, they were called Russian coats of arms, but, in fact, they were not yet coats of arms. If the coats of arms of Western Europe were made according to the strict rules of heraldry, then the Russian emblems did not follow these rules.

There was no word "coat of arms" in Rus' either. It began to be used only at the end of the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich. At that time, the country could no longer do without a coat of arms: negotiations with foreign powers required knowledge of heraldry. Therefore, in 1672, a handwritten "Titular" appeared with images of 33 coats of arms of the lands of the then Russia. They were based on ancient city seals.

And in 1722, Peter I issued decrees on the creation of the Heraldry, the introduction of the post of King of Arms and the appointment of a person to create coats of arms. Then the former "seals", "banners" and "brands" were officially called "coats of arms" and obligatory state symbols.

It was necessary to develop as soon as possible the state emblem, the emblems of kingdoms, provinces, cities, in order to transfer them to the banners of military units. Then Peter asked Jacob Bruce to find a knowledgeable person. Bruce recommended the Piedmontese nobleman Count Francis Santi, an expert in heraldic sciences and an artist. He received the rank of colonel in the Russian service, and on April 12, 1722, he was enlisted in the Heraldry as a "comrade king of arms."

Coat of arms of Moscow by Santi.

Despite the formal absence of coats of arms in Rus', Santi admitted that there are still coats of arms. In his work, he relied on the existing emblems of the seals and images from the "Titular". Some emblems were already designed according to the rules of heraldry: they had a stable tradition in drawing and placement in a limited plane on the shield. But most of the coats of arms had to be worked on.

Santi started with the state emblem. As a model, he took a drawing of the state seal with a double-headed eagle and the emblem of Moscow on the chest, redrawn the eagle, placed the emblem in a French shield (a quadrilateral with a rounded-pointed underside) and brought the placement and coloring in line with the rules of European heraldry. But Santi admitted that Russian heraldry may have its own laws. For example, he adopted the typical for her position of the figures in the left heraldic turn (in heraldry, the sides are determined in relation to the one holding the shield), while Western European heraldry prescribes only the right turn (left side to the viewer).

Santi enthusiastically worked on the creation of coats of arms, ordered literature on heraldry from abroad, compiled a heraldic dictionary, requested information for the "composition" of coats of arms in the Russian provinces. And in 1724, a decree was issued on the introduction of seals for provinces, provinces and cities, and work on the creation of coats of arms went especially intensively. But in June 1727, Santi was accused of plotting against the young grandson of Peter I, Emperor Peter II. The accusation was false, but Santi spent 15 years in exile in Siberia. Only Elizaveta Petrovna returned him.

The description of the coat of arms by Santi determines that the rider on it is St. George. But until the beginning of the 17th century, it was officially stated that the rider on the Moscow coat of arms was the Grand Duke. At the same time, people said that St. George the Victorious is depicted on the Moscow coat of arms. And foreigners directly called the rider St. George. Only under Peter I, George the Victorious was officially recognized as the Moscow coat of arms.

Our ancestors saw in the equestrian warrior-rider a symbol of our fatherland, and in an ominous snake - the defeated enemies of the Russian people. Unfortunately, this significant emblem, which later became the coat of arms of the capital, was further grossly distorted and then altered. As a result, the rider warrior turned into the mythical George the Victorious at the beginning of the 18th century. These changes in the old emblem occurred due to the fault of foreigners who were invited to serve in the Russian heraldic department, who did not understand Russian national symbols, but knew the legend of the fantastic feat of "Saint" George, who allegedly freed Princess Aya from an evil snake.

In 1727, the Academy of Sciences and the German professor I.S. Bekenstein, a specialist in the field of jurisprudence. He tried to resign from this position, but in vain. Bekenstein was also instructed to prepare students for work in the Heraldry, but even here not everything went smoothly: only foreign students wished to study heraldry.

Coat of arms of Moscow by von Enden.

Again, interest in the city emblems arose during the reign of Catherine II. After the reform of local government in the 1770s and 1780s, the cities received some autonomy in government, and the coats of arms became a legal symbol, like the free cities of Western Europe.

At that time, Lieutenant Colonel I.I. von Enden. There were already a large number of city coats of arms, but he corrected some. He also updated the coat of arms of Moscow. The new coat of arms was approved on December 20, 1781. On the coat of arms of Santi, Saint George was depicted in Greek-Byzantine armor, covering only the chest and back. Enden dressed him in full armor from heel to crown, like a German knight of the 15th-16th centuries.

Although the emblem “composed” by von Enden was approved, they tried not to use it. And even on the military order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George, introduced by Catherine II in 1769, the former image of the saint was preserved.

Coat of arms of Moscow by Kene.

In the 1850s, the German “scientific numismatist” in the Russian service, B.V. Ken. It was he who turned the rider on the coat of arms of Moscow according to Western European rules. Therefore, from 1856 to 1917, George the Victorious was depicted on the coat of arms in an unnatural position: he was forced to throw a bridle and, holding a spear with both hands, stab from the left.

During the reign of Nicholas I and Alexander II, George the Victorious was depicted in Western European solid armor, and under Alexander III he was returned to his former antique appearance. And on February 23, 1883, the coat of arms of Moscow was approved as an element of the Great State Emblem.

On the chest of the eagle is the coat of arms of Moscow: in a scarlet shield with gold edges, the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George in silver weapons and azure drag (mantle), on a silver horse covered with crimson cloth with gold fringe, striking gold, with green wings, a dragon, gold, with an eight-pointed cross on top, a spear.

In Moscow at the beginning of the 20th century, the official Moscow coat of arms was rarely and reluctantly used. On the other hand, there were many works of art on his theme, more associated not with the official coat of arms, but with the traditional icon-painting image of St. George the Victorious. This, for example, is a bas-relief by V.M. Vasnetsov on the facade of the Tretyakov Gallery. And in 1919, in the White movement, they tried to make St. George the state emblem of Russia.

The Soviet government destroyed the emblems of tsarist Russia, and on February 27, 1925, the Presidium of the Moscow Council approved the new coat of arms of Moscow, designed by the architect D.N. Osipov.

The drawing of the approved coat of arms depicted on this sheet consists of the following elements:
a) A five-pointed star is inscribed in the central part of the oval shield. This is the victory symbol of the Red Army.
b) Obelisk against the background of a star, which is the first revolutionary monument of the RSFSR in memory of the October Revolution (placed in front of the Moscow City Council building). This is a symbol of the firmness of Soviet power.
c) Hammer and sickle - the emblem of the workers' and peasants' government.
d) The gear wheel and the rye ears associated with it, depicted along the oval of the shield, are a symbol of the bond between the city and the countryside, where the wheel with the inscription "RSFSR" defines industry, and rye ears - agriculture.
e) Below, on both sides, there are emblems characterizing the most developed industry in the Moscow province: on the left, the anvil is the emblem of the metalworking industry, on the right, the shuttle is the emblem of the textile industry.
f) Below, above the inscription “Moscow Council of Workers, Peasants and Red Army Deputies”, depicted on the ribbon, is “dynamo - the emblem of electrification.
Thus, in general, the coat of arms is a synthesis of the activities of the Moscow City Council.

This emblem of Moscow in the late 1920s and early 1930s was depicted on the seal of the Moscow City Council and printed on its publications. But by the end of the 1930s, it had fallen into disuse. Now the Soviet coat of arms has been preserved on the facade of the Supreme Court building on Povarskaya Street and in the pattern of the fence of the Bolshoy Kamenny Bridge across the Moscow River.

Khrushchev's "thaw" affected all aspects of the life of the USSR. At the same time, interest in heraldry revived. Articles about old coats of arms appeared in magazines. Amateurs began to compose new coats of arms for cities and towns that arose after the revolution, and remake old coats of arms in a modern way.

In 1964, the Main Architectural and Planning Department of the Moscow City Executive Committee announced an open competition for the coat of arms of Moscow. Of the 177 projects, the majority offered coats of arms with new - socialist - symbols: a red star, a sickle and a hammer, the Ostankino television tower, Lenin, a burning torch, a dove of peace, a rising sun and other similar emblems against the background of a battlemented Kremlin wall. But at the same time, many projects included the image of a rider like the pre-revolutionary coat of arms of Moscow. None of the projects satisfied the jury.

Again, the question of the coat of arms of Moscow arose in 1992. The deputy of the Moscow City Council, the artist Konstantin Ivanov, on his own initiative, developed sketches and proposed to restore the old coat of arms with the image of George the Victorious on their basis. But this option was not approved and criticized. Most often, the artist was reproached for depicting St. George without a helmet. So the artist was forced to return to the "work" of Lieutenant Colonel von Enden.

Return of the coat of arms to Moscow.

On November 23, 1993, the Mayor of Moscow issued an order “On the restoration of the historical coat of arms of the city of Moscow”.

And the canonical image of George the Victorious as a saint - with a halo - is on the Kremlin wall to the left of the Trinity Bridge. But why does the saint on the coat of arms look more like a warrior? Many associate this with the version that, in fact, the pagan god Perun is depicted on the Moscow coat of arms. The legislation does not shed light on this issue either, since the mentioned image appears on the Moscow coat of arms as "St. George the Victorious", and at the same time, the law regulates depicting him as a knight, and in the coat of arms of the Russian Federation - as a "horseman".

The Life of the Holy Great Martyr George says that he was born in the second half of the 3rd century in Cappadocia, an Asia Minor province of the Roman Empire, into a noble family, and was a warrior. Having converted to Christianity, he distributed his property to the poor and went to preach. In 303, the Roman emperor Diocletian began the persecution of Christians. George also fell into the hands of the executioners. He was asked to renounce his faith, but he refused. Then George was executed. The great martyr was first venerated in the East, and then in the Christian countries of Europe.
Saint George became famous for many miracles, which his "Life" tells about. One of them is salvation from the serpent. Near one pagan city, a serpent settled in a cave. He kidnapped and killed the inhabitants, and in order to propitiate him, the inhabitants gave up their children. The turn of the king's daughter approached: she was dressed in purple and led to the cave. Saint George rode past. Learning about the grief of the girl, he entered into battle with the serpent. The serpent resigned himself and fell at George's feet. The saint brought him to the city and cut off the snake's head in front of everyone. The townspeople rejoiced and converted to Christianity.
In Rus', they learned about St. George even before the adoption of Christianity. He was considered the patron saint of warriors and princes, so in 988 Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich was baptized under the name of George. Yaroslav revered his heavenly patron and named the city of Yuryev after him, and also founded a monastery and a church in Kyiv in honor of him. Prince Yuri Dolgoruky, in honor of his patron saint, founded the city of Yuryev-Polskoy and built several churches. And Dmitry Donskoy, returning from the Battle of Kulikovo, in gratitude for the victory, laid a church in the village of Kolomenskoye in the name of St. George.

Do you have anything to add to the story about the history of the Moscow coat of arms?

The custom of placing on seals and coins a portrait of a prince, as well as an image of a saint, whom the prince considered his patron, was adopted in Rus' from Byzantium as early as the end of the 10th century. On the zlatniks (gold coins) of the Kiev prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich, who baptized Rus', and on the front side of the coin there is a portrait of the prince and the inscription: "Vladimir is on the table and behold his gold", and on the back is the image of Jesus Christ. At the beginning of the 11th century, on the coins and seals of the son of Vladimir Svyatoslavovich Yaroslav the Wise, who took the name Yuri (George) at baptism, the image of St. George first appears. Yaroslav the Wise greatly contributed to the spread and establishment of the cult of St. George in Rus'.

On the front side of the seal of the elder brother of Yuri Dolgoruky - Mstislav Vladimirovich in 1130 for the first time appears the image of a holy warrior-serpent fighter. The same image is on numerous seals of Alexander Nevsky.

In the Principality of Moscow, the image of a foot serpent fighter is first found on a coin of Prince Ivan II the Red (Beautiful). The seal of the son of Dmitry Donskoy Vasily depicts a rider with a spear pointing down where the snake should be. Later, on coins, the emblem takes on a form close to that established on the Moscow coat of arms. Finally, the horseman-serpent fighter on the coat of arms of the Moscow principality established itself under Ivan III and coincided with the completion of the unification of the main Russian lands around Moscow. In 1497, for the first time, a double-headed eagle was placed on the state seal, but the horseman slaying the dragon with a spear remained the main symbol. However, under Ivan the Terrible in 1547, the eagle occupies the main place, and the rider, as the coat of arms of the Moscow principality, goes to the chest of the eagle.

Before Peter I, the rider on the coat of arms was called St. George only by foreigners. In Rus', everyone believed that this was a prince or tsar, sometimes the rider even acquired common features with the tsar (for example, with Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich). Peter for the first time called the rider on a horse St. George, which he personally wrote down in a note that has survived to this day.

In 1728, the Senate approved the state coat of arms, part of its description is devoted to the Moscow coat of arms: "... in the middle of that eagle, George on a white horse, defeating a snake, a jepancha and a spear are yellow, the crown is yellow, the snake is black, the field is white all around, and in the middle red". From that moment until the 20th century, the rider on the Moscow coat of arms was officially called St. George. It should be noted that during all this time the coat of arms was repeatedly modified, but only slightly - it was always an image of a two-headed eagle, and on it was the image of St. George the Victorious. After the revolution of 1917, the coat of arms of Moscow was abolished.

However, by order of the Mayor of Moscow dated 23.11.93, its ancient coat of arms was returned to the capital. The provision on the coat of arms says: "On a dark red shield (the ratio of width to height is 8: 9), George the Victorious turned to the right in silver armor and an azure drag (mantle) on a silver horse, striking a black serpent with a golden spear."

Where did the image of the horseman George come from? The Christian legend has many variants. Here is one of them, which historians consider the earliest and most authentic. In 303, the Roman emperor Diocletian begins the persecution of Christians. A young military tribune, George, comes to him from Cappadocia (a region in Asia Minor, which was then part of the Roman Empire, now it is the territory of Turkey). In the meeting of the highest ranks of the empire in the city of Nicomedia, George declares himself a Christian. The emperor tries to persuade him to renounce his faith, but to no avail. Then George is placed in a dungeon and subjected to numerous cruel tortures - they are thrown into a ditch with quicklime, scourged with ox sinews, put on red-hot, spiked iron boots, poisoned with poison, wheeled, but he remains alive. In the intervals between tortures, George performs miracles (heals the sick, resurrects the dead, etc.), under the influence of which the empress, some of the emperor’s close associates and even one of his executioners came to believe in Christ. On the eighth day of torture, George agrees to sacrifice to the pagan gods, but when he is solemnly brought to the temple, "by the word of God he casts them into dust, after which, by order of the emperor, they cut off his head." George on the day of execution was about 30 years old.

Why did Moscow become the capital of Rus'? Why did Russian lands begin to gather around it, and, for example, not Tver, Vladimir or Novgorod? The reasons can be sought in faith, economics, politics - both external and internal. It probably all mattered.

However, esotericists and heraldry experts believe that the amazing coat of arms of Moscow. He agreed to tell us why the coat of arms of the capital is so unusual. historian and esotericist Mikhail KALUZHNY.

- Mikhail, what is the secret of the Moscow coat of arms?

— The paradox is that due to the political storms that raged more than once in the history of our country, Moscow had several coats of arms. But only George the Victorious, according to the mystics, brought Moscow not a victory, but a defeat: he almost deprived her of her capital status forever.

Since ancient times, various variants of the coat of arms and coins of Moscow have depicted either a foot warrior with a spear, or a horseman slaying a dragon. Moreover, the rider was the personification of the Grand Duke himself, and later - the king.

Not without reason, having conquered the Kazan Khanate, that is, having symbolically defeated the dragon, Tsar Ivan the Terrible added the magnificence Tsar of Kazan to his official title. Since then, the dragon-slayer rider has become the main symbol of Moscow.

- But after all, the rider on the horse is George the Victorious ...

- Just not! Only foreigners called the Moscow rider Saint George. The ambassadors of Ivan the Terrible to the question of the Patriarch of Alexandria: “On the horse de the faithful king on this seal?” - answered: "The sovereign on a horse." There is a well-known quote from the annals: “Under the Grand Duke Vasily Ivanovich, there was a banner on money: the great prince was on a horse, and having a sword in his hand and from there, he made penny money.”

And on the state emblem, placed on the title page of the Bible of 1663 edition, the snake fighter was given a portrait resemblance to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Later, this tradition took root: with the change of ruler, the face of the horseman depicted on the coat of arms began to change.

- Which of our rulers was the first to call the horseman Saint George?

- Only Peter I officially named the rider on the coat of arms Saint George the Victorious, which greatly surprised his subjects. And in the Senate Decree of March 8, 1730, five years after the death of the emperor, the Moscow coat of arms was already officially described as follows: yellow, the snake is black, the field around is white, and in the middle is red. From that moment and until the beginning of the 20th century, the rider on the Moscow coat of arms officially began to be called St. George.

Seal of Ivan III

- And how, from the point of view of magic and heraldry, a rider on a horse is fundamentally different from St. George?

- The fact is that on coats of arms or banners they always tried to depict symbols of good luck, victory and prosperity. The rider on a horse, personifying a wise and just prince, performed this role in the best possible way. Saint George is different.

Calling the rider on the coat of arms George the Victorious, Peter I, without knowing it, brought misfortune to the city. As the lives of George say, by the age of 30, thanks to his mind, courage and physical strength, he rose to the rank of commander - this is something like a battalion commander. Moreover, he became a favorite of Diocletian. However, George could not calmly watch the emperor execute the followers of Christ. And openly admitted that he was a Christian.

He was beaten with ox sinews, wheeled, thrown into quicklime, forced to run in boots with sharp nails inside. George endured all these torments and did not renounce Christ. Looking at this, two noble dignitaries, Anatoly and Protoleon, who were secret Christians, revealed themselves to the emperor.

Diocletian executed them. And then he called on the sorcerer Athanasius, so that he either pacified the former favorite, or poisoned him. The sorcerer presented George with two bowls of potions, one of which was supposed to make him submissive, and the other to kill him. But the potions didn't work. And then the sorcerer Athanasius, falling at the feet of George, confessed Christ. Here the emperor finally became furious and executed both - both the converted Athanasius and George.

- And how did the fate of George the Victorious affect Moscow?

- Bad times have come for Moscow with Georgy on the coat of arms. During the period from 1730 to 1918, Moscow was repeatedly devastated by epidemics and fires, suffered terrible damage from the elements, became the scene of bloody mass civil strife and other disasters.

Who delivered Moscow from such a patron?

- Oddly enough, the Bolsheviks. Soon after October, the coat of arms with George the Victorious was abolished. And in 1918, Moscow again became the capital of the country, but with a new coat of arms.

It was approved by the Presidium of the Moscow City Council on September 22, 1924. The new coat of arms consisted of several important elements. In the central part, a large five-pointed star was inscribed in the oval shield.

Against its background, an obelisk of freedom and a hammer and sickle were depicted - these were the emblems of the workers' and peasants' state. The cogwheel and the rye ears associated with it became the personification of the bond between the city and the countryside. The anvil is the emblem of the metalworking industry, the shuttle is the symbol of the textile industry and the dynamo is the symbol of electrification. At the bottom was the inscription: "Moscow Council of Workers, Peasants and Red Army Deputies."

- Was this coat of arms more successful than the previous one?

- Of course: the Bolsheviks were well versed in the magic of symbols. Throughout the Soviet period, Moscow remained the richest and most prosperous city in the country. During this time, it has grown many times - both in terms of population and area.

In 1941, the strongest German army at that time could not take the capital. The city, then still predominantly wooden, did not burn down even during massive German air raids, which bombed it with incendiary bombs. And in the post-war period, Moscow became a recognized world center of science, industry and culture. It was rightfully considered one of the most beautiful, clean and safe cities in the world.

“But today, St. George reigns again on our coats of arms. How will his “rule” in the 21st century affect Moscow?

- After the return of the coat of arms with the image of St. George the Victorious in Moscow, natural disasters again became more frequent. The hurricane that whistled over the city on June 22, 1998 with winds up to 31 m/s knocked down over 100,000 trees and caused more than $15 million in property damage. The hurricane of 2001 also did a lot of trouble. Burned after 1993 and the unofficial symbols of Moscow - the Ostankino television tower and the Manege. The Soviet coat of arms was clearly much more effective in ensuring the safety of Muscovites.

- So why was it necessary to change such a successful Soviet coat of arms to an analogue of the pre-revolutionary coat of arms?

It's all about politics. After the events of 1991 and 1993, the Moscow authorities hastened to get rid of the entire Soviet heritage, including the symbol of the city. But the federal authorities in the 1990s turned out to be more wise, placing on the coat of arms of the country not George, but the prototype of the princes of the pre-Roman era.

The rider-serpent fighter is also depicted on the state emblem of the Russian Federation. But his name is no longer George. The regulation on the State Emblem of the Russian Federation, approved by President B. N. Yeltsin on November 30, 1993, says: “On the coat of arms is a horseman slaying a dragon with a spear.”

Interviewed by Dmitry SOKOLOV

This is a special emblem, made in accordance with heraldic canons.

It is an interconnected system of images and colors, which carries the idea of ​​the integrity of the state and is inextricably linked with its history, traditions and mentality.

The appearance of this official sign is enshrined in the Constitution.

Brief description and meaning of the symbols of the coat of arms of Russia

This sign of state distinction is a red heraldic shield, in the middle of which is a golden double-headed eagle. In the left clawed paw, the bird holds an orb, and in the right - a scepter.

On each of the heads is a crown, and at the top is another, larger one. All three royal attire are connected by a gold ribbon.

In the center of the shield, on the chest of the eagle, there is another red cloth. On it is a plot familiar to every Russian person: George the Victorious kills a snake.

There are many icons and paintings illustrating this legend. This is the most recognizable image of the saint. On the emblem, he is represented as a silver rider on a silver horse, dressed in a blue cloak. A monster under the hooves of a black horse.

How did they form and what do the symbols on the coat of arms of the Russian Federation mean?

Today, heraldry is an auxiliary branch of historical science. Emblems of countries, along with annals and chronicles, are the most important historical evidence.

In Western Europe during the days of chivalry, every noble family had a symbol inherited from generation to generation. He was present on the banners and was an insignia by which she recognized the representative of the family both on the battlefield and at the feast. In our country, this tradition has not been developed. Russian wars carried with them embroidered images of the great martyrs, Christ or the Mother of God into battle. The Russian heraldic sign originates from princely seals.

What do the main elements of the Russian coat of arms mean: George the Victorious

The princely seals had the patron saints of the rulers and an inscription indicating who owns the symbol of power. Later, a symbolic image of the head began to appear on them and on coins. Usually it was a horseman holding some kind of weapon in his hand. It could be a bow, sword or spear.

Initially, the “rider” (as this image was called) was not only familiar to the Moscow principality, but after the unification of the lands around the new capital in the 15th century, it became an official attribute of the Moscow sovereigns. He replaced the lion who defeats the snake.

What is depicted on the state emblem of Russia: a double-headed eagle

It should be noted that this is a popular symbol that is used as the main one not only by the Russian Federation, but also by Albania, Serbia, Montenegro. The history of the appearance of one of the main elements of our emblem goes back to the time of the Sumerians. There, in this ancient kingdom, he personified God.

Since antiquity, the eagle has been considered a solar symbol associated with the spiritual principle, liberation from bonds. This element of the coat of arms of Russia means courage, pride, the desire for victory, royal origin and greatness of the country. In the Middle Ages, it was a symbol of baptism and rebirth, as well as Christ in his ascension.

In ancient Rome, the image of a black eagle was used, which had one head. Such a bird was brought as a generic image by Sophia Paleolog, the niece of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine, whom the grandfather of Ivan the Terrible, Ivan III, known as Kalita, married. In Russia, the history of the famous double-headed eagle dates back to the period of his reign. Together with his marriage, he received the right to this symbol as a state emblem. It confirmed that our country had become the heir of Byzantium and began to claim the right to be a world Orthodox power. Ivan III received the title of Tsar of All Rus', the ruler of the entire Orthodox East.

But at the time of Ivan III, the official emblem in the traditional sense still did not exist. The bird was emblazoned on the royal seal. It was very different from the modern one and looked more like a chick. This is symbolic, since Rus' at that time was a young, fledgling country. The wings and beak of the eagle were closed, the feathers smoothed.

After the victory over the Tatar-Mongol yoke and the liberation of the country from centuries of oppression, the wings open wide, emphasizing the might and power of the Russian state. Under Vasily Ioanovich, the beak also opens, emphasizing the strengthening of the country's position. At the same time, the eagle developed tongues, which became a sign that the country could stand up for itself. It was at this moment that the monk Philotheus put forward a theory about Moscow as the third Rome. Spread wings appeared much later, in the early years of the Romanov dynasty. They showed the neighboring hostile states that Russia was awakened and awakened from sleep.

The double-headed eagle also appeared on the state seal of Ivan the Terrible. There were two of them, a small one and a large one. The first was attached to the decree. It had a rider on one side and a bird on the other. The king replaced the abstract rider with a specific saint. George the Victorious was considered the patron saint of Moscow. Finally, this interpretation will be fixed under Peter I. The second seal was applied and made it necessary to combine two state symbols into one.

So a double-headed eagle appeared with a warrior on a horse depicted on his chest. Sometimes the rider was replaced by a unicorn, as a personal sign of the king. It was also an Orthodox symbol taken from the Psalter, like any heraldic sign. Like the hero defeating the snake, the unicorn meant the victory of good over evil, the military prowess of the ruler and the righteous power of the state. In addition, this is an image of monastic life, striving for monasticism and solitude. This is probably why Ivan the Terrible highly valued this symbol and used it on a par with the traditional "rider".

What do the elements of the images on the coat of arms of Russia mean: three crowns

One of them also appears under Ivan IV. She was on top and was decorated with an eight-pointed cross, as a symbol of faith. The cross appeared before, between the heads of the bird.

During the time of Fyodor Ioanovich, the son of Ivan the Terrible, who was a very religious ruler, it was a symbol of the passion of Christ. Traditionally, the image of a cross on the coat of arms of Russia symbolizes the country's gaining ecclesiastical independence, which coincided with the reign of this tsar and the establishment of the patriarchate in Rus' in 1589. The number of crowns has changed over time.

Under Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, there were three of them, the ruler explained this by the fact that then the state absorbed three kingdoms: Siberian, Kazan and Astrakhan. The appearance of three crowns was also associated with the Orthodox tradition, and was interpreted as a sign of the Holy Trinity.

At the moment, it is known that this symbolism on the coat of arms of the Russian Federation means the unity of the three levels of power (state, municipal and regional), or its three branches (legislative, executive and judicial).

Another version suggests that the three crowns mean the brotherhood of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. The ribbon of the crown was fastened as early as 2000.

What does the coat of arms of the Russian Federation mean: scepter and orb

They were added at the same time as the crown. In earlier versions, the bird could hold a torch, a laurel wreath, and even a lightning bolt.

Currently, the eagle, which holds a sword and a wreath, is on the banner. The attributes that appeared on the image personified autocracy, absolute monarchy, but also pointed to the independence of the state. After the revolution of 1917, these elements, like the crowns, were removed. The provisional government considered them a relic of the past.

Seventeen years ago, they were returned and now adorn the modern state insignia. Scientists agree that in modern conditions this symbolism of the coat of arms of Russia means state power and the unity of the state.

What did the coat of arms of the Russian Empire mean under Peter I

After coming to power, the first Russian emperor decided that the double-headed eagle should not only decorate certain official papers, but also become a full-fledged symbol of the country. He decided that the bird should become black, like the one that was on the banners of the Holy Roman Empire, of which Byzantium was the heir.

Signs of local large principalities and kingdoms that are part of the country were painted on the wings. For example, Kyiv, Novgorod, Kazan. One head looked to the West, the other to the East. The headdress was a large imperial crown, which replaced the royal one and hinted at the specifics of the established power. Russia asserted its independence and freedom in rights. Peter I chose this type of crown a few years before he proclaimed the country an Empire, and himself an emperor.

The order of St. Andrew the First-Called appeared on the chest of the bird.

Until Nicholas I, the official emblem of the country retained the form established by Peter I, undergoing only minor changes.

The meaning of the colors on the coat of arms of Russia

Color, as the brightest and simplest sign, is an important part of any symbolism, including the state.

In 2000, it was decided to return the golden color to the eagle. It is a symbol of power, justice, wealth of the country, as well as the Orthodox faith and Christian virtues such as humility and mercy. The return to the golden color emphasizes the continuity of traditions, the preservation of historical memory by the state.

The abundance of silver (cloak, spear, horse of George the Victorious) indicates purity and nobility, the desire to fight for a righteous cause and truth at any cost.

The red color of the shield speaks of the blood that was shed by the people in the defense of their land. It is a sign of courage and love not only for the Motherland, but also for each other, it emphasizes that many fraternal peoples peacefully coexist in Russia.

The snake that the rider kills is painted black. Heraldry experts agree that this symbol on the coat of arms of the Russian Federation means the constancy of the country in trials, as well as the memory and sorrow for the dead.

The meaning of the coat of arms of the Russian Federation

The drawing of the modern state symbol was made by St. Petersburg artist Evgeny Ukhnalev. He left the traditional elements, but created a new image. The fact that the signs of different eras were included in the final version emphasizes the long history of the country. The type of this personification of state power is strictly regulated and described in the relevant laws.

The shield is a symbol of the protection of the earth. At the moment, the meaning of the coat of arms of the Russian Federation is interpreted as a fusion of conservatism and progress. Three rows of feathers on the bird's wings refer to the unity of Kindness, Beauty and Truth. The scepter became a sign of state sovereignty. It is interesting that it is decorated with the same double-headed eagle, squeezing the same scepter and so on ad infinitum.

Briefly, we can say that the coat of arms of Russia symbolizes eternity, means the unity of all the peoples of the Russian Federation. The state acts as an emblem of power and integrity.

We hope our article has helped you to penetrate the secrets of state symbols. If you are interested in the history of not only your country, but your family, then you should learn it.

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It was the last third of the restless XVIII century. Catherine II rules the Russian Empire for the eighth year. Russia's successful military campaigns on land and at sea are forcing Europe to add respect in relations with this boundless eastern country, which is gaining strength. Paying tribute to the Russian military glory and wishing at the same time to increase her influence on the army, the “All-Russian Empress and Autocrat” establishes a new military order in 1769.

“Like the Russian Empire, glory,” says the statute of the order, approved on November 23, 1769, “mostly spread and exalted Loyalty, Courage and Prudent behavior of the military rank: then from our special imperial mercy to those serving in our troops, to cancel and reward them for the zeal and service rendered from them in many cases to us and our ancestors, also to encourage them in the art of war, we wanted to establish a new military order ... This order will be called: the military of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George Order ... "

The signs of the new order included: a gold cross covered with white enamel with the image in the center of his St. George, striking a dragon with a spear; a quadrangular diamond-shaped gold star with the monogram of St. George in the center and with a short order motto "For Service and Bravery"; silk moire ribbon with three black and two yellow stripes, symbolically meaning the color of gunpowder and the color of fire.

When the order was established, its four degrees were determined. It was subdivided into the Grand Cross of the first and second classes and the Small Cross of the third and fourth classes. The star belonged to the first two degrees.

Further, the statute notes that "neither a high breed, nor wounds received before the enemy" give the right to be awarded this order. Worthy to receive it are those who, in addition to honest military service, "have shown excellent courage or excellent military art against the enemy." Thus, it was the figure of St. George that was considered the most suitable for the role of patron and patron of purely military affairs.

This document already indirectly testifies that in the guise of St. George, the features of a suffering great martyr and a courageous victorious warrior miraculously combined. Here, the dissonance between the Christian dogma of forgiveness and the uncompromisingness of an active struggle to victory is remarkable in itself, lurking in the figure of the saint. Doesn't this combination look a little strange?

If we look more closely at the pages of history, then this involvement of the most glorious holy great martyr in military affairs turns out to be not at all accidental. It was she who was singled out by Voltaire in an expressive characterization of the saint, similar to an aphorism: "George, the eternal friend of war."

For the first time in Rus', the figure of St. George appears in the X century, during the time of the Kyiv prince Yaroslav. At baptism, the prince chooses this particular saint as his patron, takes his name and builds a chapel for George in the church of St. Sophia, which he founded. Subsequently, when in 1030 Yaroslav went to the Chud "and I won and set up the city of Yuryev", he, according to legend, founded the church of St. George there.

Later, the cult of this saint became widespread in Rus', in particular, among the princely environment, where the militant saint acted as the patron of princes, especially in their military enterprises. It came in handy in those dramatic times when princely strife and the Tatar-Mongol invasion shook the Russian lands.

The founder of Moscow, Yuri Dolgoruky, who built numerous temples and settlements in his honor, most contributed to the glory of his patron. From the time of Prince Dmitry Donskoy, George became the patron of the growing Moscow.

At the same time that the cult of St. George was gaining strength, his images as a foot soldier with a spear or sword, or as an armed horseman, appear on the seals of Russian princes and on coins issued by some principalities. Starting from the 13th century, the plot with a rider holding a spear, sword or even a falcon in his hand is most widespread.

The most remarkable thing is that at the same time the image of the saint on these signs of power begins to be replaced by the personified image of the prince. At the same time, the name of George disappears from the seals, the figure of the saint loses the halo around his head and instead acquires a crown. The holy warrior turns into a secular horseman, who begins to be called in the annals "the rider in the crown." Only now such a rider is already depicting the prince himself.

An amazing example of such a transformation is the seals of Prince Yuri Danilovich, who ruled in Novgorod for only 4 years - from 1318 to 1322. In total, about one and a half dozen of his seals are known, and in most cases, a holy rider with a sword is depicted on their front side. However, the prince, being, obviously, a very vain person, over time introduces new seals, on which the image of the “rider in the crown”, that is, the prince himself, is placed. It is noteworthy that the reverse side of the seal retains its plot.

Over time, all these images of armed horsemen, differing in details, are reduced to one, reminiscent of the appearance of George the snake-fighter. It is in this form that Ivan III appears on the earliest monument depicting Russian state emblems - a double-sided red wax seal that fastens the letter of 1497. The inscription on the corresponding side of it reads: "Grand Duke John, by the grace of God, ruler of all Rus'."

State seal of Grand Duke Ivan III 1497

Among the coins depicting a horseman with a sword minted in the Grand Duchy of Moscow, at the end of the 14th century, special specimens appeared. On them you can see a horseman holding a spear in his hands and hitting something with it under the horse's hooves. On some copies of the coins, this is something - the head of a dragon, on others - a wriggling dragon. Later, the plot with the dragon takes on a complete resemblance to the image on the red wax seal of Ivan III and becomes predominant on the coins of that time.

And after the reform of the monetary system carried out in 1534, new silver coins began to be issued. The chronicler did not fail to note this event, also mentioning the change in the symbol: “And under the Grand Duke Vasily Ivanovich, there was a banner on the money, the great prince on horseback, and having a sword in ore; and the great prince Ivan Vasilyevich set up a banner on the money, the great prince on horseback, and having a spear in his hand, and henceforth called the money money. And so the penny was born. Thus, our Russian penny in 1984 could well celebrate its 450th anniversary.

It is noteworthy that on the first kopecks, in such a militant form, a young baby erected at that time on the throne, who only later became sovereign Ivan the Terrible, is presented. Moreover, on early issues of coins, he was portrayed as beardless, and only later, when Ivan IV was 20 years old, did the rider on the coins gain a beard.

Although the rider fighting the dragon on the seals and coins of the XIII-XIV centuries outwardly very much resembles the well-known image of George the snake-fighter, in the official documents of that time he is definitely interpreted as the personification of the Grand Duke or Tsar. And only later, already in the 18th century, this duality was eliminated in the interpretation of the figure of the victorious horseman on the state emblems of Russia.

The heraldic commission established by Peter I finally decided to consider the horseman depicted on the state emblem as George the Victorious. By the highest decree of the Supreme Privy Council of July 10, 1728, the design of the coat of arms was determined: “The coat of arms of the state in the old way is a double-headed black eagle ... In the middle of that eagle is George on a white horse, defeating a snake, an epancha and a spear are yellow, the crown is yellow, the snake is black , the field is white all around ... ”In the time of Anna Ioannovna, the victorious horseman with a spear on the state emblems of Russia definitely becomes St. George the Victorious.

Such revival an old image, perhaps, was carried out consciously, with the aim of asserting one of the main political ideas of the Russian state - the idea of ​​​​the continuity of power of the Moscow princes through Vladimir from Kyiv. And, probably, it was impossible to find a better evidence of this continuity than the image of a single patron from God - St. George.

This is how he appears on the sign of the military order mentioned above: “... the coat of arms of the Moscow kingdom is depicted on enamel, that is: in the red field of Christmastide, George, armed with silver armor, with a gold overhead hanging cape, having a golden diadem on his head, sitting on a silver horse, on which the saddle and all the harness is golden, striking a black snake in the sole of the shield with a golden spear.

I must say that a similar plot with a rider has long been included in another pearl of Russian heraldry. As historical sources testify, the coat of arms of Moscow - a horseman, or rather, the “rider” mentioned above, has been known since the 14th century. When it was approved in 1856, it was no longer the faceless “rider”, but St. George that became the main detail of the coat of arms. His description read: “In the scarlet shield of St. the great martyr and victorious George in silver arms and azure drag (mantle) on a silver horse covered with crimson cloth with gold fringe, striking a golden, with green wings, a golden dragon, with an eight-pointed cross at the top, with a spear.

Such a sparkle of colors distinguishes the figure of St. George the Victorious not only on this official emblem. And on church icons, he appears before us in the radiance of bright and light colors, showing himself, so to speak, an elegant saint.

The writer E. Dorosh, conveying his impressions of the icon “The Miracle of George and the Serpent” from Shenkursk, admired “a slightly golden background, similar to the sand on the warm sea shore lit by the morning sun, and a young knight almost flying on a white horse ... a combination of advantage of yellow, white and red colors, forming, as it were, a stream of light emitted by the surface of a relatively small icon.

George's miracle about the snake. First half of the 15th century

This radiant color scheme, the proportionality of the parts and the extraordinary dynamics of the image, and finally, the drama of the plot, merging, give it the depth of the symbol. “The red cloak of George is a traditional attribute of a martyr who shed his blood ... But the red cloak flutters in the icon like a banner, trembles like a fiery flame - it clearly expresses the “fiery passion” of the hero, and in contrast to the cloak, the white horse looks as a symbol of spiritual purity. At the same time, with its silhouette, the horseman merges with the banner, and therefore his figure seems to be winged ... ”So wrote about the icon“ The Miracle of George and the Serpent ”a deep specialist and connoisseur, the famous Soviet scientist M. V. Alpatov.

In the church calendar, the day of St. George - the spring St. George's Day - fell on April 23 (according to the old style). By this time, in central Russia, and even more so in the south, the first grass was already appearing, and after a long winter, the peasant drove his cattle into the field. For the peasant, this was one of the most important moments of his agricultural cycle. The cattle that survived the winter were, as it were, transferred on this day from the hands of man to the care of nature with all its good and evil forces.

And cattle for a peasant farmer meant a lot. Needless to say, a hundred years ago the horse constituted the entire energy base of agriculture in Rus' (without which it is generally impossible), and the cow was irreplaceable in its own way, giving milk, meat, and, finally, highly valued manure.

Many ancient folk rites, omens, charms, proverbs, and riddles were associated with the first pasture of cattle in the field. On Egory, cows and other animals were driven out into the field with a willow cut on Palm Sunday, while saying good wishes to their cattle and, as it were, transferring it under the protection of the saint. After all, according to popular beliefs, he was not only the patron of livestock, but also the lord of wolves.

It was believed among the people that without the order of Yegori, the wolf could not touch either the sheep or the cow. “What a wolf has in its teeth, Yegoriy gave it!” says the proverb. At the same time, there was also a special protective ritual, during which, as they said, “carrying of cattle” was performed. This rite was to be performed earnestly and solemnly.

An interesting record of such a ritual is known, made by scientists in the Chukhlomsky district of the Kostroma region. Here is what an informant, who himself once witnessed such a rite, reports:

On Yegory, we always carry cattle around. In the morning, cows, sheep, calves, goats are driven out into the field with a sacred willow. They will bring and wait for the porter. Soldiers with guns also come. Here the grandfather will come, and they begin. In a sieve there is a living thing, the image of George the Victorious, a lock with a key, a cut. He starts walking towards the sun. He comes to the place where he came from, stops, crosses himself, baptizes the flock with a sieve and an icon and reads to himself: “Lord, bless me, Vasily the servant, to encircle your dear bellies. I do not wear out, but I ask the Lord God Jesus Christ, Nicholas the Wonderworker and Yegor the Victorious. My holy apostles, encircle my dear bellies, encircle them with an iron cord, encircle them with copper wire, cover them with a shroud of holy, imperishable robe... Save, Lord, from fire, from water, from a fierce beast, from a creeping serpent and from magical verses, so that a fierce beast would not see with its keen eye, would not hear with its sensitive ear the roar of a cow, the bleating of a sheep, and would be afraid of a human voice. Amen!" How to say: "Amen!" - so the fighters shoot from guns. And so three times. As he says the third time, he sits down on the ground, and painted eggs are rolled up to him. They are afraid for the cattle: they feed, they feed the winter, but suddenly the wolf ate ...

Where, in what church instructions are such details of this amazing rite described? As if an ancient pagan sorcerer or shaman, conjuring the good and evil forces of nature, appears before us in the guise of a village grandfather-carrier. Individual signs of Christianity and even neologisms (copper wire, etc.) characteristic of the ritual of “carrying over cattle” cannot obscure its original pagan essence.

In other areas where it has already been irretrievably lost, on Yegoriev's Day, as other informants report, "they took out a table in the field, put an icon, and the priests served a prayer service." At present, all these rituals have completely disappeared, and perhaps some old woman, according to tradition, will drive her cow into the field with a willow.

From time immemorial, similar magical rituals have been developed and repeated annually for centuries, and the church fathers very skillfully connected such a turning point, significant day with the name of the victorious saint. Probably, it was impossible to find a more effective Christian patron and protector in this peasant cause, just as, having taken this step, it was impossible to contribute more subtly and unobtrusively to the glory and popularity of George the Victorious.

Therefore, it is natural that with the introduction of Christianity in Rus', the cult of St. George, as if grafted onto the wild growth of the fallen tree of paganism, quickly replaced the veneration of the most ancient pre-Christian patrons of the pagan farmer. Already the Sofia Chronicle under 1471 calls the saint not in a bookish way, but in a folk way Egor the Brave.

And what only glorious deeds were not counted for him! In conspiracies, Yegoriy, together with the Queen (i.e., the Mother of God), protects the cattle with a tyn, together with Zosima and Savvaty patronizes beekeeping, protects plants from worms (for which the icon of the saint was to be placed on the eastern side of the verdant garden), is an assistant in hunting, guards in way from the thief.

In Ancient Rus', George was revered as "captured liberator and protector of the poor", as an intercessor from thieves and robbers. Going on a long journey usually uttered "Egoryevsky conspiracy." N. Grinkevich, from whose book "Lines, Names, Fates ..." some of the facts mentioned here are gleaned, cites the text of such a conspiracy:

Yegory the brave rides on a white horse,
Decorated with a golden crown
Supported by a damask spear,
Meets with the tat at night,
He argues with him:
- Where, thief of the night, are you going?
- I'm going to kill people, to get merchants passing by.
- And Yegoriy was daring,
Didn't give him a way
Protects the Orthodox
Saves on the road!

All this is so. Both a warlike ruler, and a humble farmer, and many others who need someone else's courage and protection, and even an art critic wise in science, can find in the image of St. George the Victorious some of their own, close to them facets. But isn't it time, however, to look at the figure of St. George through the eyes of its creator and creator - through the eyes of the Christian church? After all, it was she who, having taken such a colorful image under her protection and ranked it among the host of saints, laid the foundation for the flowering of the cult of this great martyr. What can Christian theologians tell about him?

The cult of George the Victorious was transferred to Rus' (and indeed to European lands) along with Christianity from Byzantium. It is in this eastern center of the Roman Empire that the figure of the Holy Great Martyr George appears somewhere around the 4th century. The earliest legend about his life and exploits dates back to the 5th century AD. The author of the Great Canon, Andrei of Crete, refers to it in his "Eulogy"; it is also used by the famous collector and narrator of the ancient lives of the saints, the Greek patrician and master Simeon Metaphrastus. It is to Metaphrastus that the encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron refers in its brief biographical note about St. George.

The life of the saint tells that during the persecution of early Christians, the young military tribune George, originally from Cappadocia, appears at the court of Emperor Diocletian, and at a meeting of the highest imperial ranks declares himself a Christian. Verbal exhortations and attempts by the courtiers and the emperor himself to force the noble young man to backtrack from his decision are not successful. Then George, according to the mores of that cruel time, is subjected to torment, but, as the legend tells, with God's help he is strengthened in spirit and in fact proves the miraculous power of the Christian faith.

When they try to drive him into prison with spears, the tip of the spear bends like pewter, barely touching the body. In prison, they put fetters on George and put a huge stone on his chest. In vain... The next day they tied him to a wheel studded with swords, in order to rotate the latter, thus tearing his body. To no avail ... Then they put on burning sandals with nails sticking out inside, beat with sticks on the lips, scourge with ox sinews ...

George steadfastly endures all the torment, remains unharmed and continues to work miracles. According to the legend, he converts the wife of the emperor Alexander, the court magician Athanasius and several other less eminent personalities to Christianity. Entering the temple of Apollo, George forces him to confess that he is not a god, along the way heals the ox and performs many more such glorious deeds. Diocletian's patience, however, is exhausted, and he orders the execution of George and his newly-minted Christian comrades-in-arms. Although George succeeded in miracles, the execution, oddly enough, was more successful for Diocletian. According to the legend, this happened on April 23, 303 AD. e.

And then the legend comes to life, the famous "Miracle of George about the snake." It was this story that brought George the glory of the Victorious. One version of the legend says that one day George ended up in the city of Lasia, in the possession of King Selvius, an idolater, impious and persecutor of Christians. Near the city, in the lake, a monstrous serpent settled, which began to devour the townspeople. The military campaigns of Selvius against the terrible serpent were not successful, and the population began to grumble.

By decision of the king, the townspeople agreed to give their children to be eaten by the serpent day after day, with the fact that the last victim would be the daughter of the king. But now it's her turn...

At this time, George, who was passing by, decided to water his horse, saw a weeping maiden by the lake, talked to her and found out about her misfortune. Along the way, he diplomatically found out that the girl, the king - her father and all the inhabitants of the city worship idols, and, therefore, an opportunity presented itself, having performed a miracle, to convert the local inhabitants to Christianity. The divine voice approved his decision.

And when the serpent appeared, George with the words: “Lord my God, destroy the terrible serpent so that these infidels believe” - rushed towards the monster, and it fell at his feet. With the help of the girl, George tied the monster, brought it to the city, showed it to the people and invited everyone to believe in the true god, who gave man the miraculous power to defeat the serpent. When the townspeople shouted: “We believe in the father, the son and the holy spirit, in the consubstantial and inseparable trinity!” - the monster was killed, and the princess was returned to her father.

George, as the legend says, with the help of the archbishop of Alexandria, "in fifteen days baptized the king, his nobles and all the people, about two hundred and forty thousand people." How irresistible are these particular figures, and what a skillful hand has inserted them into the text of the legend! With their sober materiality, they seem to throw a veil of reality over the rest of the events of the legend. The miracle almost acquires some physical dimensions and therefore becomes more believable.

This legend in a strange way displaces all other miracles and episodes from the life of the great martyr in the future from the people's, and even the church's memory. Over time, it is freed from redundant details, outgrows the framework of Christianity and, having acquired the greatness of a symbol, becomes an integral part of human culture.

However, there may not be anything strange in this transformation. If you take a careful look at the entire biography of St. George consecrated by the church, then most of its constituent episodes are limited to the traditional framework for such biographies of Christian saints of martyrdom and miracles. Sometimes they seem to be borrowed from other Christian saints. And only the "miracle of the serpent" stands apart and belongs solely to this Christian saint.

Moreover, it seems that the life of St. George appeared separately from the legend of the battle of George with the serpent, simultaneously with it or even after it. And that the fathers of the Christian Church, in their own way, disposed of the figure of the serpent fighter inherited by Christianity from the pagan era, attributing to the already existing image a life befitting a Christian saint. According to some scholars, one way or another, the serpent fighter and victorious of pagan times became the holy great martyr George, a symbol of the victory of Christianity over paganism, and later a symbol of the victory of the church over heresy.

But, perhaps, there was such a real historical person who can and even should be identified with George the Victorious? Church historians and theologians have put in a lot of work, “trying to dispel the darkness surrounding the beginning of the notorious legend,” as the historian and literary critic of the last century A. Kirpichnikov said about these searches.

In the end, a suitable figure was found for Bishop George of Alexandria, who accepted a violent death from the pagans in the second half of the 4th century. But this candidacy aroused serious objections from historians. There were other, later rejected versions. The real historical predecessor of George the snake fighter was not found.

Voltaire, with his characteristic sobering irony, summed up these searches in his commentaries on The Virgin of Orleans. “Our Saint George the Cappadocian,” he wrote, “is a colonel in the service of Diocletian, martyred, as they say, in Persia, in the city of Diospolis. But since the Persians did not have such a city, they later began to believe that he was martyred in Armenia, in the city of Mytilene. There is no Mitylene in Armenia, just as there is no Diospolis in Persia. But, in any case, it has been established that George was a cavalry colonel, for his horse is with him and in paradise.

Many researchers in the past tried to find the earthly origins of the legend of George the Victorious, starting from the bizarre external outline of the current history of the saint. Various editions of the legend were scrupulously compared, outwardly similar twins of George were found in the mythology of different peoples, spectacular, but superficial parallels were drawn. The image of George was associated either with Perseus, or with the Persian Mithras, or with the hero of ancient Greek myths, Bellerophon, who tamed the winged Pegasus, and with many other deities and characters of myths.

The works of Soviet scientists (V. N. Lazarev, M. V. Alpatov and others) show how social relations changed with a change in the specific historical situation and, accordingly, a new shade, a new hypostasis of the popular image arose. So it was in Byzantium, so it was in Rus'.

Meanwhile, according to one of the versions expressed by scientists about the origin of the "Miracle of the Serpent", the traces of the legendary George the snake-fighter from Byzantium lead us directly to the Egyptian Christians - the Copts. This name was established for the Egyptian Christians from the time of the conquest of Egypt by the Arabs. The conquerors marked with this name the Egyptians who remained faithful to Christianity, from the Egyptians who converted to Islam.

As you know, the Copts occupy a special place in the history of the Christian Church. Their rich and still insufficiently studied culture is, as it were, a transitional link between the cultural heritage of the paganism of Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and the culture of Christian Byzantium. There were historical reasons for this.

In 332 BC. e. the troops of Alexander the Great conquer Egypt, thereby opening a new page in the history of the ancient country. After the death of the great commander, Egypt was given to one of the Greek commanders - Ptolemy I and for three and a half centuries experienced a strong Greek influence. Then in 30 B.C. e. the country falls under the rule of Rome, and in 395 becomes part of the Byzantine Empire.

These seven centuries make up the period of Greco-Roman Egypt, an era when three great ancient cultures are mixed and melted down in the crucible of history. It was during this period that Christianity arose and absorbed the most attractive pagan examples into its emerging mythology.

As noted by the famous Russian historian B. A. Turaev, “the Copts have shown themselves to be worthy descendants of the hunters to write the Egyptians.” This is probably why the first Christian monasteries they founded in Egypt became centers for the production of Christian literature and emerging iconography. “The high development of Egyptian art,” wrote N.P. Kondakov, an outstanding researcher in the history of religion, “and in its place of Hellenistic art in the first three centuries indicates itself where one should look for the first steps of Greek-Eastern Christian iconography.”

From the walls of monasteries come out and diverge throughout the Christian world not only translations of the Bible, apostolic decrees, works of the holy fathers, but also numerous works of original literature - apocrypha, acts of martyrs, stories about monks and acts of cathedrals. “The last three groups,” notes B. A. Turaev, “for the most part are no less apocryphal than the first, and all four are much closer to ancient Egyptian literature than to the Bible.”

It was then that images of Coptic equestrian saints appeared, among which the figure of a rider on a white horse slaying an animal with a spear was especially popular. “This theme,” V. G. Bock, a researcher of Christian Egypt, pointed out in his profound work “On Coptic Art,” “is very well known in the pagan worldview of the Egyptians and depicted Horus slaying Typhon, the murderer of his father.” The image of a victorious warrior slaying a snake is found not only in literary legends, but also in remarkable monuments of the material culture of that era, which are known to scientists as Coptic fabrics.

One of the most beautiful examples of these creations of Coptic masters is a fabric depicting St. George on horseback from the collection of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts. Here is how the impression of this miracle woven almost one and a half thousand years ago is conveyed in the description-catalog of the collection: “Contrastingly composed colors reach dazzling brightness ... Shining tones: white, red, yellow, blue - literally stun with their joyful, unrestrained sound” . Isn't it true that the words of admiration cited above, expressed by E. Dorosh under the influence of the Russian icon "The Miracle of George about the Serpent" came to life here again?

The collections of the Hermitage and the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts contain other similar examples of Coptic textiles. Although some details of the image of George on the fabrics and on the icon mentioned by E. Dorosh do not coincide, the continuity of the plot is beyond doubt.

The earliest and most curious image comes from the same Egyptian Christian sources, in which the features of George the Victorious are visibly manifested. This is an openwork bas-relief belonging to the collection of the Louvre Museum, which dates back to the 5th century. The bas-relief depicts a traditional plot with George the Victorious - a rider on horseback strikes a dragon with a spear.

However, the most remarkable thing is that the rider is shown with the head of a falcon, and the dragon is in the form of a crocodile. And, therefore, the bas-relief depicts the scene of the most popular myth in ancient Egypt about the battle of the falcon-headed god Horus with the bearer of all evil, Set, who was usually represented as a snake, crocodile or hippopotamus.

Copts. Relief depicting the god Horus spearing a crocodile.
Stone. 4th c. Louvre. Paris.

The emergence of the myth "The Tale of Mount Behdetsky, the winged sun" refers to the most distant times in the history of Ancient Egypt, when the North and South of the country were united into one state. Horus Bekhdetsky appears in this myth as the patron of the united country, the patron of the pharaohs. In the full title of the pharaohs, which consisted of five obligatory names, the third is the name of the pharaoh as the golden Horus.

Since in the religious ideas of the Egyptians the pharaohs were considered the sons of the supreme god of Egypt - the solar Ra, Horus is declared the eldest son of Ra and becomes a faithful and formidable protector of the solar god from all sorts of enemies.

This religious myth very quickly acquires a political character and plays an exceptional role in maintaining and elevating the authority of the pharaoh, especially in the event of external political circumstances unfavorable for the country or internal unrest. The full text of the myth of Horus of Behdet is carved on the inside of the western wall of the main temple of Horus, which is located in Edfu.

In this temple, built under the Ptolemies, mysteries were performed in honor of Horus - a kind of dramatic performance in which the pharaoh himself took part. “May the king do this,” the text says, “when alarm and rebellion happen!.. Then let the king himself say: “I am the avenger of God, who came out of Behdet, and my name is Horus of Behdet!”

There you can also see the image of Horus defeating enemies. Of course, there is no horse on this relief yet, because the horse was unknown to the Egyptians until the invasion of Alexander the Great. Horus stands in a boat and spears a monster in the water - a crocodile. But the text reads as follows: “Come and look at Horus on the prow of his boat, like Ra, when he shines on the horizon, dressed in a green robe, dressed in a red robe, covered with his ornaments, the White and Red crowns are firmly planted on his head. .."

Most likely, this is how the Copts saw their future Victorious. And, hoisting his figure on a horse, as was customary in ancient Rome when constructing statues of glorified emperors, they created an unfading image of the slaying dragon George.

It remains to add that in even more ancient Egyptian legends it is no longer Horus, but Ra himself - the solar god acts as a glorious warrior and defeats his enemies, who usually have the appearance of a giant serpent. This legend was repeated in different centers of Egypt, and depending on the type of the main deity revered in this area, Ra took the form of either a falcon-headed warrior, or an ichneumon, or even ... a fiery red cat!

One of these myths is reflected in the 17th chapter of the collection of ancient Egyptian magical funeral texts - the so-called "Book of the Dead". The vignette for this chapter conveys the culminating scene of the myth: under the shade of a dense green tree, a fiery-red cat cuts off the head of a snake with a sword. The explanation in the text reads: “I, this great cat who fought at the sycamore in Heliopolis, on the night of the battle, the one who guarded the guilty on the day of the extermination of the enemies of the Almighty ... What is this? The great cat that fought at the sycamore at Heliopolis is Ra himself." There are other similar ancient texts that tell of great battles with the serpent.

As M. Mathieu, a deep connoisseur of the history and art of Ancient Egypt, wrote, “the image of the sun, a victorious warrior, first on foot, and later on a horseman, subsequently greatly influenced both mythologically and iconographically the creation in Christian Egypt of numerous cults of the victorious horsemen: Sisinnia, Thevammon , Theodora and others ... "

The Copts, having adopted the plot of one of the most impressive religious rituals from the ancient Egyptians, supplemented it with new, Eastern and Roman elements, developed it in accordance with their creative inclinations and eventually created the apocryphal legend of the equestrian Saint George. The rich imagination of the Copts blossomed the legend with numerous, sometimes very free in content, episodes from the life of the saint, and the Roman custom of perpetuating the emperor in the form of an equestrian statue suggested to them the dignified appearance of the saint.

Obviously, in the early, mostly oral versions of the apocrypha, there was already a “miracle with a dragon”. In this original form, the legend contained, as V. N. Lazarev wrote, “a lot of absurd, shameful and fantastic”, which did not interfere (and perhaps contributed) to its enormous popularity.

This apocrypha, very well known among the first Christians, apparently attracted the attention of the church leaders of Byzantium at the end of the 5th century. That was the period of the approaching complete victory of Christianity over the still resisting paganism, and in vogue, so to speak, there were saints who accepted torment for the new faith. After all, the idea of ​​martyrdom is one of the cornerstones of the ideological foundation of Christianity.

The Byzantine Church was not averse to replenishing the still rare ranks of holy martyrs with such a popular figure as George. But for this it was necessary to thoroughly rework the apocrypha - to omit the episodes that are dubious or do not meet the requirements of the moment and bring the life into a more or less canonized form, while retaining some individual features from the original apocryphal appearance of George. And so it was done.

At the same time, many fantastic episodes of his life composed by the Copts went into the shadows, and together with them, apparently, the "miracle with the dragon", inappropriate for those times, was removed from the life. Instead, some blissful details about George's youth were added, and the face of his mother's martyr was also given. As you can see, the processing was not radical. It was reduced to the removal of individual episodes and the development of details not developed by the Copts. However, even such a corrected and supplemented version of the life preserved the original apocryphal spirit to such an extent that it was subjected to official condemnation and almost a ban. But this did not diminish the popularity of the image of St. George.

In subsequent years, as the influence and role of the Christian church increased, further editing of the life was carried out. It again boiled down to the removal of the most dubious Coptic elements and a gradual transition from the idea of ​​holiness through martyrdom, which had become less relevant by that time, to the idea of ​​holiness through miracle-working, which was gaining relevance. The times of martyrs have passed, the victorious Christianity now needed strong evidence of the power of the new faith. Nothing better than the miracles performed by the saints was suitable for this role.

It was then that the holy martyr George became a miracle worker. Gradually, the arsenal of miracles he demonstrates grows in his life - first three are added, and then six more miracles. Finally, around the 8th century, one of the last in this series appears in the official version of the "miracle with the dragon".

But the most remarkable thing is that in the nature of the miracles performed by the saint, and in his outward appearance, military motives are clearly growing. Having lost the cross of the martyr, Saint George first turns into a foot soldier with a spear or sword in his hand, and then becomes an equestrian saint and a serpent fighter.

This whole period of rapid transformation of the image of George coincides with important events in the history of Byzantium. In the 9th-10th centuries, the slaveholding system was replaced by the feudal one. The Macedonian dynasty comes to power and rules for two centuries, almost all of whose emperors are known as outstanding commanders.

The militant empire vigorously attacks neighboring countries, wages endless wars with the Saracens and subjugates all new lands and peoples. Northern Syria was captured, Crete was conquered, the Bulgarian kingdom was destroyed, Armenia was annexed ... Along the way, the Byzantine emperors suppressed a number of popular uprisings in the conquered countries. In the protection of the extended borders of the empire and clashes with mobile nomadic peoples, the mounted warrior begins to play an increasingly important role.

Naturally, under these conditions, the former infirm holy martyrs looked very unconvincing as divine patrons of military craft. The strengthened military nobility, the army, and even the militant emperor himself, needed more effective patron saints. It is here that a whole galaxy of “holy warriors” appears and enters the ideological arena, among whom was the familiar George.

And although at the beginning of the 9th century, Patriarch Nicephorus imposed a ban on all early editions of the life of St. George, the Byzantine church was eventually forced to silently accept the ancient Coptic image of an equestrian saint victoriously trampling a dragon into its ideological arsenal. Such was the objective historical need of the time.

It is curious that in the West the veneration of George, faith in him as a protector of warriors, was especially established during the time of the Crusades. As N. Grinkevich notes in the book mentioned above, “Lines, names, destinies ...”, “Richard I the Lionheart, who participated in the third crusade, explained all his victories with the patronage of George the Victorious.”

According to the statute of Henry VIII, on April 23, 1522, George was elected patron of the oldest English cavalier order of the Garter. Oxford Cathedral decided to celebrate his day in England on April 23rd.

“In my collection,” writes N. Grinkevich, “there are several ancient silver and copper georgthalers, which first appeared in Germany in the 16th century and then quickly spread throughout Western Europe. These are amulets, talismans worn mainly by warriors and sailors who believed in their miraculous saving power. On the front side of the Georgthalers, the image of George slaying the dragon with a spear was minted, and the inscription: “S. Georgius equitum patronus" - "Saint George is the patron saint of riders (warriors)."

Quite remarkable and somewhat different in nature is the evolution of the ideological content of the image of George in Rus'. By the time the cult of this saint was transferred to Rus', his formation in Byzantium had, in general, been completed. In the subsequent centuries of the existence of the empire, the image of George, acquiring the tone noted above, in principle changes little. In Rus', having landed on new historical ground, the cult of St. George begins its new life.

Yaroslav, adopting from the Byzantine emperors their highest symbol of power - the divine patron, as if adopting with this his new Christian patron and a particle of the power, authority and brilliance of the Byzantine state. Various dubious apocryphal versions of the life of George were out of place here. Therefore, probably, in the earliest images of the saint known in Rus', he appears in the form that was officially adopted by the Byzantine church - as a foot soldier with a spear (or sword) and a shield.
An outstanding example of such a picturesque face of George is presented in the iconostasis of the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. In the lower row of the five-tiered iconostasis, there are wonderful works of icon painting of the 12th-17th centuries, painted in Moscow especially for the Kremlin cathedrals, as well as brought by Moscow grand dukes and tsars from other ancient centers of Russian artistic culture.

Among them, the icon of St. George of the 12th century attracts special attention. This is how she appears in the description of a specialist in art: “The figure of George is broad-shouldered, with a firmly set head, with large, strong hands. In his right hand he holds a spear, in his left a sword. His face is bright, with a blush, red lips and huge almond-shaped eyes that look sternly, intently and calmly. In this image, the artist embodied the national ideal of military prowess and courage...”

Saint George. 12th century Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin.

At the same time, wishing, as V. N. Lazarev notes, “to free this cult from the jealous guardianship of the Greek clergy,” Yaroslav dates Saint George’s day to November 26 and introduces a new Russian holiday, which the Byzantine church did not know. It was the famous autumn St. George's day, as if closing the season of agricultural work. He played an important role in the fate of the peasants, because only after the autumn Egory (as the day was called among the people), who completed all the field work, was the transition of the peasants from one landowner to another allowed.

As you know, the decree of Boris Godunov on attaching peasants to the land abolished this long-standing privilege. The decree of Boris Godunov is now known only to historians, but its echoes are preserved in the people's memory in the form of a saying "Here's to you, grandmother, and St. George's Day!".

But the apocryphal version of the life of St. George, including the “miracle with the dragon”, penetrates into Rus' quite early, almost under Yaroslav. And here it is, or rather, the impressive “Miracle of George and the Serpent” that stands apart in Rus' is gaining extraordinary popularity in Russia, and very soon official recognition. There were historical reasons for this.

And in the pre-Mongolian period, and during the Tatar-Mongol invasion, and later in the history of Rus', there were many bloody civil strife and battles with enemies. In all these military affairs, the most worthy divine patron of the princes and feudal nobility in Rus', naturally, became the holy warrior and victorious George. Yes, and the example of Byzantium, and the far-sighted initial step of Yaroslav were convincing evidence of this.

It is not surprising, therefore, the activity with which the official cult of St. George is spreading, as already mentioned earlier. But in Rus', where the horse was the basis of arable farming, and the horse rider was especially valued in battle, it was no longer the foot warrior George, but the horse George the snake fighter seemed to be a more powerful and attractive figure.

On the other hand, the eradication of paganism by the church, the overthrow of the former idols, with which the worldview of the people was somehow connected, created a certain ideological void. The images of the new gods intended to fill it could not, in their ready-made, so to speak, frozen form, compensate for this loss and began to be altered in a local way. So it was with the figure of St. George.

In the history of, perhaps, any nation, there are many testimonies about the forces of evil that suppressed people. They could also include forces of nature alien to man, but the main ones were still the social forces of evil - all kinds of oppressors and enslavers of the people.

There were enough offenders, but the defenders existed rather in dreams, and the common man had to rely, if not on his own, then on the miraculous forces of good.

He sought to embody his dreams of wise strength, kindness and justice in concrete, understandable and close to him, but still a little fabulous faces of heroes, knights, punishing evil and restoring justice. They are full of fairy tales, epics, legends.

And when in Rus', devoid of pagan gods, the cult of St. George is established, it is not the holy foot warrior patronizing the prince, but the full-blooded apocryphal serpent fighter and victorious one that attracts the attention and sympathy of the people. Penetrated together with spiritual verses, the “Miracle of George about the Serpent” becomes, as it were, the center of attraction and crystallization of traditional folk ideas about the good hero-protector and intercessor.

The figure of George the Victorious not only incorporates the features of such epic heroes as Dobrynya Nikitich and Ilya Muromets, but also replaces the ancient defeated gods close in character and spirit. It is believed that the pagan Khors, the solar equestrian god of the Slavs, gave up his heavenly pedestal to George the Victorious. In the end, not a churchly static foot warrior of a refined appearance, but a peasant-like detailed equestrian hero, vigorously trampling down all kinds of evil, becomes a true folk hero and enters the cultural heritage of the people.

Naturally, the halo of a valiant warrior, a glorious knight, a fighter for the truth, an intercessor and defender gave an extraordinary attractiveness to the face of George the Victorious and contributed to the wide spread of his cult among the people. “Favorite icons in Russian life,” writes Vasily Belov in his book “Lad”, “in addition to the Savior, were considered the images of the Mother of God ... Saint Nicholas ... and, finally, the image of Yegory, trampling a serpent with a spear (intercessor by force of arms) ” .

There are two remarkable moments in this spontaneous competition between the official and popular lines of the image of George, eloquently indicating that it was the popular line that won it. The Church, however, had to reckon with the results of this choice, so as not to completely lose from its asset a not-Christian militant, but attractive image.

Firstly, in the spiritual verses with which the “Miracle of George about the Serpent” spread widely throughout Rus', George invariably strikes the dragon with a spiritual weapon - in a word, but not physically, not with a material spear. This initial church interpretation of George the Victorious did not correspond to the heroic ideas of the intercessor that had developed among the people and was accordingly revised. On the overwhelming majority of the icons that appeared later, George already wields a spear in a heroic way, no longer using verbal weapons. Here one can see the fundamental concession of the Church to popular aspirations.

And secondly. The day of the church holiday of St. George, established by Yaroslav - the November day of deep autumn - did not correspond in any way with the features that the people expected to see in the image of George - the patron saint of the farmer and cattle breeder. The moment when such patronage was required and could manifest itself most tangibly corresponded to spring, but by no means to late autumn.

It was spring - the time of the first pasture of cattle in the field after a long winter - that was associated with the greatest dangers for the main and most vulnerable asset of the peasant - his cattle. By this time, a number of ancient pagan rites were timed from time immemorial, which by no means disappeared with the introduction of Christianity. Obviously, the church had to reckon with this circumstance, and the feast of St. George began to be celebrated most solemnly all the same in the spring - in April (according to the old style).

It is characteristic that the energetic epic, folk image of St. George the Victorious established itself in Rus' in troubled times, when in the face of general misfortune, the need for a wonderful protector and guardian was most acutely felt. But already from the end of the 15th century, with a change in the historical situation, the appearance of St. George began to change.

The Novgorod icon-painting school is gaining momentum. And Novgorod, which had escaped a destructive and devastating invasion, did not experience such a burning need for either a real or, it seems, a divine patron. When looking at the Novgorod icons of that time, one gets the impression that the church was finally able to seize the initiative and somewhat muffle the excessive militancy of the saint's character.

Again (after several centuries!) the ascetic figure of the walking warrior George appears, but at the same time it becomes more elegant and decorative. At the same time, the image of George the snake fighter is preserved (after all, with all the desire it is no longer possible to remove it from the cultural heritage of the people), but it loses its power and vitality and becomes more refined, chamber.

However, history has its place in everything. Nowadays, only specialists and meticulous museum visitors turn to these pale copies of a powerful image, generated by the disciplined imagination of the masters of the past. The image of the epic hero George the Victorious, the legendary defender who punishes all evil, lives in the memory of the people - the highest symbol of active good.

And yet, our story about him will be incomplete if we do not mention two Russian sights of a later time, or rather, even state relics associated with the name of George the Victorious. One of them belongs to Moscow, the other to Leningrad.

Today it is impossible to imagine the Moscow Kremlin without the Grand Kremlin Palace, whose walls have witnessed many glorious acts of national history. Built in 1839-1849, the Grand Kremlin Palace until 1917 was the Moscow residence of Russian emperors and served for ceremonial receptions.

According to the original plan of the architect K. A. Ton, who supervised its construction, the main second floor of the palace is made in the form of an ensemble of large halls dedicated to Russian orders. The halls had the following names, partly preserved to this day - Georgievsky, Ekaterininsky, Vladimirsky, Alexandrovsky and Andreevsky. The architectural design and decoration of each hall reflected motifs inspired by the symbolism of the corresponding order badge.

It is no coincidence, obviously, among the other halls of this once main Moscow palace that the hall bearing the name of George the Victorious, the patron saint of Moscow, stands out. In the monograph “Artistic Monuments of the Moscow Kremlin” we can read the following about him: “The most significant hall of the Kremlin Palace is Georgievsky, covered with a huge box vault: 60 meters long, 19 meters wide and 17 meters high. The vault rests on massive pylons, in front of which are placed decorative hollow columns carrying statues above them. These statues, made by the sculptor I. Vitali, personify the regions that became part of the Russian state. At the ends of the hall there is a high relief depicting St. George the Victorious - the patron of the order ... Free from stucco, the walls of the hall are covered with white marble boards with the name of military units and the names of persons awarded the Order of St. George for military merit.

The dry lines drawn by a conscientious hand of a specialist cannot convey the impression made by the St. George Hall in nature. With its solemn simplicity and proportions, this secular hall resembles a temple. However, this is not a temple of humility and prayer. Restrained strength is contained in a strict line of majestic columns, similar to a frozen military line, which is even more emphasized by the even formation of massive and at the same time airy chandeliers that go into perspective. How beautifully the Russian military glory of previous centuries is immortalized here! What a galaxy of brilliant names rises before your eyes!

Among the holders of the order of the first degree were: general-in-chief P. A. Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky - for Cahul, general-in-chief A. G. Orlov-Chesmensky - for Chesma, general in chief P. I. Field Marshal G. A. Potemkin-Tavrichesky - for Ochakov. All four degrees of the order had only field marshals - M. I. Kutuzov-Smolensky, M. B. Barclay de Tolly, I. F. Paskevich-Erivansky and I. I. Dibich-Zabalkansky. Generalissimo of the Russian army A. V. Suvorov, who became famous for his military victories, had only the first degrees of the order. The whim of Emperor Paul I, who stubbornly ignored this Russian military order, prevented A.V. Suvorov from becoming his full cavalier.

By a manifesto of February 13, 1807, Alexander I approved the "Insignia of the Military Order of St. George" - "George's Cross", for rewarding soldiers and non-commissioned officers. In 1856, four degrees of it were approved - two gold and two silver numbered crosses. In 1878, the medal "For Bravery", which was worn on the St. George's ribbon, was established, later renamed the "George". She also had four degrees.

The marble plaques of St. George's Hall can tell about many glorious pages of Russian history. Of course, not everyone will have a chance to visit this wonderful temple of Russian military glory, but some can. And then, perhaps, remembering this unpretentious story about the legendary figure of the victorious George, they will be able to feel the flavor of history more fully.