Order of the Red Banner

Order of the Red Banner
Badge
Medal
Ribbon

The Soviet government of Russia established the Order of the Red Banner (in Russian: Орден Крaсного Знамени Orden Krasnogo Znameni) on September 16, 1918 during the Russian Civil War. The first recipient was Vasily Blyukher^[1] on September 28, 1918^[2]. It continued later on as the award of the Soviet government of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union established the all-Soviet Order of the Red Banner on August 1, 1924.

During the Russian Civil War there existed similarly-named orders established by the governments of several other constituent and nonconstituent Soviet republics.

The Order of the Red Banner recognised military deeds. Before the establishment of the Order of Lenin on April 6, 1930, the Order of the Red Banner functioned as the highest (and practically the only) military order of the USSR. Nearly all well-known Soviet commanders became Cavaliers of the Order of the Red Banner.

The order consisted of a white-enamelled badge, which had a golden Hammer and Sickle badge surrounded by two golden panicles of wheat on a Red Star, backed by crossed hammer, plough, torch and a red flag bearing the motto Proletarians (Workers) of the World, Unite!. This was surrounded by two golden panicles of wheat; at the bottom was the letters "CCCP" (USSR).

The Order was originally presented as a badge, which was worn on the left chest. A ribbon attachment was added, which consisted of a red ribbon bearing a wide white central stripe and a narrow white stripe on the edges.

Recipients

The order was awarded to individuals as well as whole formations, who then added the prefix "Red Banner" to their official designations. Naval vessels also flew a special flag. Some of the most notable are listed here:

Individuals

• Marshal Vasily Blyukher (first recipient, in total 5 times)
• NKVD general Nikolai Vlasik (4 times)
• British spy Kim Philby (1 time)
• General David Dragunsky
• Ivan Fedyuninsky (5 times)
• Marshal Leonid Govorov
• Mikhail Vasilyevich Vodopianov
• Yakov Borisovich Zel'dovich
• Marshal Aleksandr Vasilevsky (2 times)
• Marshal Rodion Malinovsky (3 times)
• Sniper Vasily Zaytsev
• Gayk Bzhishkyan
• Marshal Semyon Timoshenko (5 times)
• War Commissar Leon Trotsky
• Nina Romashkova
• Sergei Biriuzov
• Ios Teper
• Issa Pliyev
• Aleksei Grigorievich Stakhanov
• Yevgeny Khrunov
• Pavel Dybenko (3 times)
• Pavel Soloviev
• Vyacheslav Ivanovich Zof
• Ernst Neizvestny
• Polish agent Bolesław Kontrym (3 times)
• Foreign Intelligence chief Abram Slutsky (2 times)

Formations

• Baltic Fleet (2 times)
• Soviet Northern Fleet (1 time)
• Pacific Ocean Fleet (1 time)
• First Army
• Second Guards Tank Army
• 1st Rifle Division
• 24th Rifle Division
• 27th Guards Rifle Division
• 19th Motor Rifle Division
• 76th Guards Airborne Division
• 85th Rifle Division
• 100th Guards Rifle Division
• 106th Guards Tula Airborne Division
• 17th Rifle Regiment, 32nd Rifle Division

Trivia

• In George Orwell's Animal Farm (1945), a satire on the Soviet Union, an order called the Order of the Green Banner is created.

See also

• Orders, decorations, and medals of the Soviet Union
• Order of Lenin
• Order of the October Revolution
• Order of the Red Banner of Labour

References

1. ^ Great Russian Encyclopedia (2005), Moscow: Bol'shaya Rossiyskaya enciklopediya Publisher, vol. 3, p. 618.
2. ^ Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd edition, entry on "Блюхер", available online [1]

External links

• Order of The Red Banner Reference Page

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