For Service and Bravery: Russian Awards

Badge of the Order of St Andrew the First-Called
Russia, first half of the 18th century. Belonged to Emperor Peter I. Gold; enamel, casting, engraving, painted enamel, mounting.
Badge of the Order of St Catherine, 1st class
Russia, second half of the 19th century. Gold, silver, precious stones; stamp, painted enamel, mounting.
Star of the Order of St Vladimir
Saint Petersburg, Firm of Keibel, 1854-1905. Silver; enamel, gilding, stamp.
Order of Victory
Belonged to Marshal K.K. Rokossovsky USSR, Moscow, 1943-1945. Platinum, gold, silver, diamonds, rubies (synthetic); enamel, stamp, mounting, gilding.
Order of Glory, 1st class
USSR, the 1940s. Gold; enamel, stamp.
Badge of the Order of St Vladimir, 1st class
Saint Petersburg, mid-19th century. Gold; stamp, enamel, guilloché.
Tabard of Herald of the Order of St Alexander Nevsky
Russia, 19th century. Velvet, silk, fringe; weaving, sewing.
Order of Nakhimov, 1st class
USSR, 1944-1945. Gold, silver, synthetic stones; enamel, stamp, oxidation.
St George Cross, 1st class
Russia, Saint Petersburg Mint, 2000. Silver, base metal, moire ribbon; stamp, gilding, mounting, weaving.
Order of the Patriotic War
USSR, mid-20th century. Gold, silver; enamel, stamp, oxidation.
Order of Suvorov, 1st class
USSR, 1942-1945. Platinum, gold, silver; enamel, stamp, mounting.
Star and badges of the Order 'For Merit to the Fatherland', 1st class
Russia, Saint Petersburg Mint, 1994. Artist A. Baklanov. Gold, moire ribbon; casting, stamp, enamel, guilloche, mounting, weaving.
Order of St Alexander Nevsky
USSR, 1943-1945. Silver; gilding, enamel.
Insignia of the Military Order, 1st class (St George Cross)
Russia, Saint Petersburg Mint, early 20th century. Gold; stamp.
Star and Chain of the Order of St Andrew the First-Called with the Badge
Russia, Saint Petersburg Mint, Firm of Keibel, 1998. Silver; stamp, gilding, mounting, enamel.

04.10.2019–21.01.2020

Vladivostok City, Arseniev State Museum of Primorsky Region

Organized by:
The Moscow Kremlin Museums, Arseniev State Museum of Primorsky Region

Participants:
The Moscow Kremlin Museums

Знак ордена

The Moscow Kremlin Museums present the exhibition 'For Service and Bravery: Russian Awards' at the Arseniev State Museum of Primorsky Region. The first part of the exhibition’s title resembles the motto of the Order of St George which commemorates its 250th Anniversary this year. The second part—Russian Awards—indicates one of the major tasks of the project, which is to illustrate the awarding systems in the Russian Empire, the USSR and the modern-day Russia, using the unique pieces from the collection of the Moscow Kremlin Museums.

After the Revolution of 1917, the Soviet State established its own awarding system based on a new ideology and symbols, making a clean sweep of the preceding experience and traditions of the Russian Empire. Yet, during the Great Patriotic War, in 1943-1944 the Soviet Government had to turn to the state’s historic past and recall eminent Russian military awards. In 2000, the Order of St George was re-established with all its four classes and insignias. Thus, the Ribbon of St George symbolically unites Russian awards of all three epochs.

The Armoury Chamber keeps a unique collection related to the history of the awarding system of the Russian State from the 18th to the beginning of the 21st century. The pride of the Kremlin treasury is the collection of rarities from the Chapter of Russian Orders, which includes samples of insignia, statutes, seals, as well as badges and vestments of the heralds of awarding ceremonies in Imperial Russia, and others. The Moscow Kremlin Museums is one of the few Russian museums that possess the full collection of the awards of the Soviet period and a vast collection of Russian modern-day insignia.

The show covers the period from the late 17th century until today. It opens with an extraordinary rarity—the Badge of the Order of St Andrew the First-Called, which belonged to Emperor Peter the Great. The first section of the display is devoted to the imperial epoch. There are attributes of court ceremonial, relating to the feasts dedicated to the orders, as well as icons of the saint patrons of the Russian Orders.

The second section covers the awarding system of the Soviet Union, which became a pioneer both for national and world traditions. Famous military awards, orders of commanders such as B. Khmelnitsky, A. Nevsky, A. Suvorov, M. Kutuzov, F. Ushakov, and P. Nakhimov remind about glorious pages in national history. A renowned Order of Victory, which was awarded to the Marshal of the Soviet Union K.K. Rokossovsky on 30 March 1945, will leave the premises of the Moscow Kremlin Museums for the first time to be displayed in the Russian Far East.

The last part of the exhibition includes insignias of the Russian Federation, which demonstrate the succession of the award system of the pre-revolutionary and Soviet periods. It is exemplified by the Order of St Andrew the First-Called—the highest state award of Imperial and modern-day Russia, orders of St Vladimir and ‘For Merit to the Fatherland’, orders of Honour and Friendship, and the Gold Star.

The project ‘For Service and Bravery: Russian Awards’ serves the idea of evoking respect for the highest expression of the military and civic virtues, acts of faith, allegiance and labour for the sake of motherland especially among the young generation.

04.10.2019–21.01.2020

The Moscow Kremlin Museums are grateful to PJSC Polyus for support of the exhibition