The Ribbon of Saint George.

The Ribbon of Saint George

The Georgian ribbon emerged as a part of the Order of Saint George, established in 1769 as the highest military decoration of Imperial Russia. While the Order of Saint George was normally not a collective award, the ribbon was sometimes granted to regiments and units that performed brilliantly during wartime and constituted an integral part of some collective battle honors (such as banners and pennants). When not awarded the full Order, some distinguished officers were granted ceremonial swords, adorned with the Georgian ribbon.

The symbolism of the orange and black (or yellow and black) is thought to represent fire and gunpowder of war, or the death and resurrection of Saint George, or the colours of the original Russian imperial coat of arms (black eagle on a golden background). It is worth noting that the tsarist version was yellow and black, not orange and black like the revived Soviet version.

The Ribbon of Saint George or Saint George's Ribbon (Russian: Георгиевская ленточка, Georgiyevskaya lentochka) constitutes one of the most recognized and respected symbols of military valour in Russia. The ribbon consists of a black and orange bicolour pattern, with three black and two orange stripes. It appears as a component of many high military decorations awarded by Imperial, Soviet, and the current Russian Federation, including the recently revived Order of Saint George and the Cross of Saint George medal, as well as the Soviet Order of Glory award. It is widely associated with the commemoration of World War II and especially with the units who were awarded the collective Guard battle honours during the conflict, due to the usage of the ribbon in the Great Patriotic War victory medal awarded to all personnel, civilian or military, who aided the war effort.

The ribbon of Saint George is also used by Russian civilians as a patriotic symbol. Since the 60th anniversary of the Victory Day in 2005, the ribbon is freely worn by civilians in Russia and other former republics of the Soviet Union as an act of commemoration and remembrance. For the naming of the ribbons the diminutive form is used: георгиевская ленточка (Georgiyevskaya lentochka, “small George ribbon”). It has since been distributed in Moscow, all over Russia, and around the world in the preparation for the event and is widely seen on wrists, lapels, and cars.

The motto that goes with it is - "We remember, we are proud!"