Order of Alexander Nevsky. A photo. Knights of the Order of Alexander Nevsky

Among the many state awards of Russia in its history, a special and largely unique place is occupied by the Order of Alexander Nevsky. Its history is unusual. There was an order in the eighteenth century, in 1917 it was abolished, then introduced again during the Great Patriotic War. In 1991, the Soviet Union ceased to exist, but the feats of heroes of the new Russia are celebrated as a high award that survived the Russian empire and the USSR. This continuity is deeply symbolic. Knights of the Order of Alexander Nevsky are people who serve the country, the people, and not political regimes. On such stood, stands and will stand firm Saint Russia.

Who was Alexander Nevsky?

Born in 1420, the prince, already at the age of 22, became famous for his brilliant victory over the Teutonic knights. The rout of dog knights was not an accidental luck. Since the early years, Alexander has been known for his righteousness and devotion to his native land. In addition to military talent, the prince possessed no less important personal qualities, among which high intelligence, boldness and undoubted gift of a diplomat can be distinguished. Reflect attacks on Russia, he happened and after the Battle of the Ice, but skillful feats, strategic ideas and tactical decisions, he skillfully combined with the conclusion of favorable for the country foreign policy treaties and alliances that strengthen the weight of Novgorod on the political map of Eurasia.

The worship and veneration of Alexander began almost immediately after his righteous death in 1263. Immediately before his death, he managed to take a monastic order and gave his soul to the Lord, bearing the monastic name of Alex.

The fact that this holy man became a symbol of the valor of the sons of Russia in the time of Catherine the Great and remained so until 1917, there is nothing surprising. About what kind of metamorphosis occurred with him during the time of the God-struggles, the story will go lower. No less interesting is the fate of the award in our days.

How and by whom the Order was conceived

The idea to establish the Order of Alexander Nevsky appeared even at the first Russian emperor Peter the Great, but it was not possible to realize its monarch. Nevertheless, in the years of his reign, much was done to ensure that the heroic image of the father of the fatherland was established in the popular consciousness. And after his death, the prince continued to inspire with his exploit the Russian army. Before the start of the Battle of Kulikovo (1380), the imperishable relics of Alexander were presented to the defenders of their native land. In 1721, Tsar Peter decided to move them from the city of Vladimir to a new capital. This process was somewhat delayed, but it happened because of the highest degree of veneration of the remains of the Prince-Liberator. The relics visited Klin, Tver, Vyshny Volochke, and then, after making their way along the Ilmen Lake, they stopped for a long time in Novgorod. There were many pilgrims, but, according to the emperor's decree, the silver cancer was transported to Shlisselburg, where it remained until 1724. Finally, Archbishop Theodosius received the order of Peter I to organize the delivery of the relics to St. Petersburg before the end of August of the same year, which was done. The emperor died before he could establish the Order of Alexander Nevsky. Russia remembered her hero.

Order of Catherine I

Catherine I, the widow of the emperor-reformer, carefully treated many of his ideas and undertakings. She did not ignore the idea of a new award. It was the newly established Order of Alexander Nevsky. The list of awardees was opened by eighteen people - both military and civilian, in this matter the Empress somewhat distorted the general idea of her deceased spouse, who believed that only those who crowned themselves with military glory should be cavaliers. The ceremony was timed to the wedding of the daughter of Peter Anna and the Duke of Karl-Friedrich (the marriage took place in 1725), and this was the reason to present the Order of Alexander Nevsky to four foreign Holsteiners, which, obviously, was made of diplomatic considerations. At the same time, a statute was formed, according to which representatives of the highest military command were honored, starting with the Major General. The same applied to the authorities of the state table of ranks. In the same year 1725, Catherine I considered it possible to award this order and myself. In general, the empress had for this reason. In her reign, the total number of cavaliers reached 64 people (including herself).

From Catherine to Catherine

Before the beginning of the "golden age" of Catherine II, about three hundred eminent figures of the empire received the Order of Alexander Nevsky. Among them is the grandfather of Alexander Pushkin, the general-anshef Hannibal (known as the Petrine arap), VI Suvorov, the father of the generalissimo, the academician K. G Razumovsky, the first curator of the Moscow University, and many other outstanding people. Foreign monarchs (including the King of Prussia Frederick II, the King of Poland and Elector of Saxony August III, the Georgian king of Kartli and the princes George and Balkar) considered it a great honor to wear this order. He was awarded and Ukrainian hetman.

Awarded to Catherine the Great

Two and a half hundred rewarded fell during the reign of Catherine the Great. The very time, turbulent events that led to the growth of the power of Russia and the growth of its territory, and victorious wars contributed to this. AV Suvorov, MI Kutuzov, FF Ushakov - these names speak a lot to every Russian heart. The tradition, laid by Catherine I, was continued, according to which scholars, historians and writers, too, were worthy of such an award as the Order of Alexander Nevsky. Russia has always been rich in talented people, and in a sense their achievements contributed to the glory of the country no less than the actions of naval commanders and commanders. Among the awardees can be mentioned and the secret adviser AI Musin-Pushkin, who opened his contemporaries and descendants "The Lay of Igor's Host". Alas, among the cavaliers was the notorious Moscow police chief Arkharov, in which the arbitrary rule of the executive branch flourished. Well, mistakes happen to everyone.

Order of Paul

Paul I undertook to change and unify the reward system by introducing a single order that differs in "classes", but the innovation did not take root. It so happened that the highest order of the Russian Empire was the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, followed by St. Catherine, in third place - St. Alexander Nevsky. The symbol of the award was a ribbon worn over his shoulder. Color - red, with two-headed eagles, the state emblem. The Order was a silver star with a prince's crown and Alexander's name in the form of a monogram, as well as a circular motto "For Labor and Fatherland". Cavaliers relied on a special suit, worn in special cases during visits to the court. With Paul appeared only eight dozen awarded, which indicates the high status of the Order.

Special conditions of the Order

It is interesting that the very process of obtaining the Order in the Russian Empire was accompanied by monetary relations between the court and the cavaliers. The award was made subject to the contribution (200, and then 600 rubles), but it also gave the right to an annual income or a pension exceeding this amount. This order was maintained until 1917, and the proceeds went to house disabled people and charity events. Control of the fairness of spending was carried out by the gentlemen themselves through a special council, in which the most worthy were elected.

The Order had only one degree, but the differences were still possible. An additional reward were swords, diamond marks, and even diamond swords worn with the main star. Special lines of status were specified, with what kind of uniform or costume is proper to wear the Order of Alexander Nevsky, with what other awards he combines, and with which there is no.

After the October Revolution, all royal awards were abolished.

Stalin's Alexander Nevsky

1942 year. The situation on the front is heavy, and at some moments simply critical. A significant part of the European territory of the USSR is captured by the enemy. It's time to remind the people of the glorious past and the military prowess of our ancestors. Orders and medals of the Second World War, approved in the first war years, symbolize patriotism and historical memory. Mention of internationalism and the worldwide fraternity of workers is temporarily suspended both in the press, and in newsreels, and in works of art. German proletarians under the Nazi banners trample our land. They need to be defeated and expelled, and only then, perhaps, to talk about the world revolution.

JV Stalin gives an order to develop sketches of orders, named after the great commanders - Kutuzov, Suvorov and Alexander Nevsky. The Technical Committee of the Logistics Service of the rear begins to carry out an important government task. The artistic side of the matter was entrusted to IS Telyatnikov, a twenty-six-year-old artist (by education an architect).

Kinoartist on the Order

The task assigned to Telyatnikov was not easy, stylistically, all three orders should be sustained in a similar manner, suggesting an image in the central part of the character, after which the award was named. The artists had the portraits of Suvorov and Kutuzov. And whose face will bear the Order of Alexander Nevsky? The USSR was a great cinematographic power. In 1938, Sergei Eisenstein filmed a film about the Battle of the Ice. Igor Sergeyevich Telyatnikov considered it possible to use in heraldry the image of the prince, created by the actor Nikolai Cherkasov. Viewers are used to the fact that Alexander Nevsky looks exactly like that, although the appearance of the national hero remains unknown until now, due to the lack of lifetime images.

Quality and quantity

The Order turned out to be beautiful. On the proposal of the representatives of the Mint on simplifying the manufacturing technology (it was easier to make it whole-stamped), Igor S. Telyatnikov stubbornly replied that the award should be made of several parts assembled together. JV Stalin, having listened to both sides, accepted the position of the author. However, soon, because of the manifestation of mass heroism by Red Army soldiers, we still had to make some simplification of the technology. The basic materials of manufacture - silver (925-th test) and enamel. Over the years of the war, more than forty-two thousand of these awards were issued. Many orders and medals of the Second World War were produced in smaller editions, but they were sometimes preserved more. The thing is that they were given the high honor of wearing on their chests the image of the defender of the Russian land only desperate daredevils who valued the future Victory above their own lives. Heroes perished, their rewards did not always manage to be saved ...

Who were the Knights of the Order of Alexander Nevsky? The list was opened in November by the 42nd brave commanders of the Red Army, Captain S. P. Tsybulin and Lieutenant I. Ruban. It should be noted that initially it was assumed that the Order would truly be a national award, and that it would be received by younger military commanders, including regiment commanders, but later the circle of worthy ones was expanded to include commanders and brigade commanders. The main requirement was that their decisions should show the skill, courage and determination, the qualities inherent in Prince Alexander. It was also the balance of forces at the time of a successful offensive. If the enemy was quantitatively superior to our part, rushing into the attack, and was at the same time defeated or turned to flight, then this was the occasion to present the hero to the award. Then, according to the standard army procedure, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council followed. Not often, there were cases when awarded by the Order of Alexander Nevsky were awarded this award repeatedly (slightly more than a hundred) and indeed the cases are unique if there were three of them on their chests (only three such brave warriors are known).

Thus, the commander of the rifle company, Ivan Mikhailovich Sedoy, together with the unit entrusted to him, in June 1944, defiantly attacked the enemy's superior forces, fearlessly approached his positions and destroyed half of the German Nazis by fire. On the captured defensive installations, a hundred Soviet soldiers were entrenched, they repulsed six counterattacks. The next day the company crossed the river and left the enemy in the rear, which ensured the possibility of passage of the main forces of the advancing Soviet troops. So Comrade Gray became a Knight of the Order of Alexander Nevsky. But the hero did not stop there. The regiment was advancing, and in July the company of IM Sedoy, displaying heroism, confronted the battalion of the Hitlerites, and then turned the enemy into a stampede. The second order was a worthy award.

In the war years, there were situations when the units were commanded by sergeants and sergeants. The Order of Alexander Nevsky - an award officer, but in these situations, and employees of rank and file proved to be worthy of it. The exploits of several women who fought on the fronts were highly appreciated. Officers of the squadron "Normandy-Neman" Frenchmen Leon Kafo, Pierre Puyad and Joseph Rissot received the Order for heroism displayed in the sky.

After the victory of the Order of Alexander Nevsky for more than ten years no one was awarded. During the Hungarian mutiny, several Soviet officers, acting resolutely and boldly, were able to succeed, leading small forces. They were awarded high awards.

Until 2005, the awarding of orders to those who could not receive them during the war continued. Sometimes the characters did not even know about their rewards.

New old order

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Soviet military and civilian decorations were no longer awarded. They were succeeded by new medals and orders of the Russian Federation, which in their appearance expressed the continuity of the Russian State. In addition to the Golden Star of the Hero, only a few awards have retained their name. The appearance of the insignia was also significantly changed, the symbols of the Soviet state gave way to a new (or old) coat of arms, a two-headed eagle. In 2010, the Order of Alexander Nevsky of the Russian Federation was established, retaining the high sense of its predecessors.

According to the statute of the award, civil servants and other citizens worthy of prospering their homeland and increasing its authority are worthy of their labor or valor. It does not matter whether efforts have been made in the field of military affairs, science, culture, health, education or other activities. The Order of Alexander Nevsky of the Russian Federation can be awarded only to the knights of other top honors of the fatherland. They may be awarded to foreign citizens or subjects if they contributed to fruitful interstate cooperation. In addition to the main sign, rosettes and miniature copies are given, which can be worn on uniforms or civilian clothes on the left side of the chest. Was recalled and the old glorious motto "For Labor and Fatherland", which is now written on the reverse. If the person awarded earlier was awarded the Order of St. Catherine, then the ribbon symbolizing the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky should be worn below.

New Knights of the Russian Order

The revived Order of the Russian Empire is outwardly stylized as a cross, it does not have the image of the actor Cherkasov, but in the round medallion, the central part of the composition, there is a horse figure reminiscent of the prince-warrior who became a saint.

The order, according to which the Order of Alexander Nevsky is awarded, was also changed somewhat. Cavaliers' photos provided by the press are not always accompanied by the publication of relevant decrees, although the very fact of rewarding does not constitute any secret, any of them is known from public sources. Over the past four years, over seventy have passed. Among the highly-honored actors (V.S. Lanovoy and V.A. Etush), and Orthodox priests, including the priests of the Russian and Ukrainian Churches, Father Kirill and Father Vladimir, and state figures, and representatives of the business world (for example, O V. Deripaska). The Russian president Alexander Lukashenko also has a Russian order of Alexander Nevsky. Do not forget those who have strengthened their work with the sporting honor of our homeland, among them Tatyana Pokrovskaya is the coach of the synchronized swimming team. State Duma deputies Chaika and Zyuganov also deserve the high honor of wearing the image of Saint Alexander on his chest.

However, awards are rare. This order needs to be earned with hard work for the benefit of Russia for many years, and sometimes even decades.