Iron Cross. Russian awards Romanovsky insignia "For labors in agriculture"
No. 215 Order of Civil Merit in the Kingdom of Saxony
(Verdienstorden)
The order was established on July 7, 1815 by the King of Saxony, Friedrich August III, when he, after
two years of absence from the country, returned to the throne as king and decided to reward those who saved
during these years of trials, loyalty, devotion and love for their monarch.
On August 12, 1815, the statute of the Order was announced, and on December 23, the first awards were made.
The Order originally consisted of three classes:
Knights Grand Cross.
Commander's Cross
Cavalier Cross.
The king was the Grand Master (Grandmaster) of the Order.
The number of Cavaliers in each class was not limited.
The order was also awarded to foreigners who had services to Saxony and its monarch.
The badge of the Order was a Maltese cross covered with a white eyal with a slightly enlarged, round
white medallion in the center. On the medallion there is an image of the royal coat of arms of Saxony, surrounded by the inscription -
"Friedrich August King of Saxony 17 July 1815".
Around the medallion is a golden rim.
On the reverse side of the cross in the center on the medallion there is an inscription -
"FUR VERDIENST UND TREUE" - "For Merit and Loyalty"
Between the rays of the cross are crowns covered with green enamel (a stylized Rue crown).
Knights Grand Cross wore the Badge of the Order on a wide moire white with green stripes
along the edges of the ribbon over the right shoulder to the left side, and on the left side of the chest there is an Order star embroidered with silver.
Knights of the Commander's Cross (2nd class) wore the badge of the Order of a smaller size on the neck ribbon.
Cavaliers of the 3rd class wore the badge of the Order on a narrow ribbon in their buttonhole.
July 7 of each year was considered the day of the Order's holiday. Before the holiday in May going
Council of the Order (Capital), consisting of the Chancellor and six members, which decides all organizational
questions and discusses nominations for awards presented to the monarch for awarding.
On the day of the holiday, some Cavaliers may be awarded the Badge of the next class.
At the same time, a medal for civic merit was established, which can be considered the fourth
degree of the Order, which had two of its classes: gold and silver.
On the front side of the medal was a bust of the King with the inscription -
"Friedrich August King of Saxony 17 July 1815" ,
and on the back - a wreath of oak leaves inside which is the inscription -
"FUR VERDIENST UND TREUE" - "For Merit and Loyalty".
The medal was not worn with the same ribbon as the badges of the third degree in the buttonhole.
In 1848 the Order was renamed the Order of Merit.
In 1858, the Small Cavalier Cross was replaced by the Cross of Honor.
In 1866, crossed swords for military distinctions began to be added to the signs of the Order.
(Cross of Merit with Swords)*
In 1870, on December 9, changes were made to the Statute of the Order.
In 1876, the Cross of Honor was renamed the Knight's Cross II class.
At the same time, instead of the gold medal, the Cross of Merit was introduced.
Subsequently, the Order existed in the following version:
Grand Cross
Commander's Cross, 1st class.
Commander's Cross 2nd. degrees
Knight's Cross 1st class
Knight's Cross 2nd class
Merit Cross
silver medal
(Knight's Cross with Swords)* (Cross of Merit)*
Historical information:
Friedrich August III (German: Friedrich August III.;
December 23, 1750, Dresden - May 5, 1827, Dresden) -
Elector of Saxony, since 1806 King of Saxony
under the name Friedrich August I (German: Friedrich August I.),
Duke of Warsaw (Polish Fryderyk August I)
1807-1815. Son of Friedrich Christian and
Maria Antonia of Bavaria, daughter of Emperor Charles VII.
He was raised by his mother away from court life.
Friedrich August was a man of feeling, wholeheartedly
who wanted to become on a level with his vocation; his
love for truth and justice was so great
that he deserved the nickname of him from the people. Der Gerechte-
Fair.
METAMORPHOSIS OF THE KNIGHTS OF THE GREEN CROSS
Believe in the son of the Blessed Mary,
And I swear you will escape death.
But no, so you will part with your head,
And Mohammed will not give you protection.
Song of Roland
The Order of St. Lazarus, the third military monastic order established in the Holy Land, was founded in Jerusalem during the era of the Crusades. But the first mention of the hospital (hospitable house) of St. Lazarus dates back to the period preceding the era of the Crusades, namely, to 1130, when the leper hospital, built on the outside of the northern wall of Jerusalem, was taken under their care by the “Frankish” hospitants - Hospitallers who adhered to the charter of the monastic order of the Augustinians and wore Augustinian order vestments in black without any emblems or distinguishing marks. In all likelihood, it was founded on the basis of a leper colony (hospital for lepers), founded by the Greeks and Armenians before the start of the 1st Crusade. Hospitallers of St. Lazarus, perhaps, were members of the Order of St. John, who also wore black Augustinian (or Benedictine) vestments without any insignia in the initial period of their history. In any case, the first head (rector) of the Order of St. John the Hospitallers, Blessed Gerard (Gerard), is also traditionally considered the first head of the Order of St. Lazarus. The following circumstance also speaks in favor of the correctness of this version.
The rules (charters) of the military-monastic orders of the Templars-Templars and the Hospitaller-St. Johnites provided for the transfer of their members infected with leprosy (leprosy) from their former orders to the Order of St. Lazarus.
The new hospitable brotherhood in 1142 already had its own church in Jerusalem, and in 1147 it was known under the name of the "Leper Brethren of Jerusalem" ("Leprous Brethren of Jerusalem"). By 1156, the first mention of the existence in Jerusalem of an independent convention (monastic community) of St. Lazarus. Since 1157, the Latin chronicles have already mentioned not just a convention, but the Order of St. Lazarus (Lazarites), whose duties included the guardianship of lepers and caring for them, and later also the protection of pilgrims going to the Holy Sepulcher of the Lord.
By this time, the order of the Lazarites had hospitable hospitals in Tiberias, Ascalon, Akkon, Caesarea and Berita (Beirut). The monks of the Order of St. Lazarus maintained a widely branched network of hospitals (houses) and churches in all the states of the Western Crusaders founded in the Holy Land. By the way, it is from the name of the Order of St. Lazarus that the name “infirmary” comes from, meaning “hospital” (mainly military). The Lazarites chose St. Lazarus “of the Four Days” mentioned in the Gospels (resurrected by Jesus Christ from the dead on the fourth day after his death), who later became the first bishop of the city of Massilia (Marseilles) and accepted a second death already as a martyr for Christ, as the patron of their order.
As the Muslim onslaught on the “Frankish” states of the Levant intensified, participation in the armed defense of Christian possessions began to acquire more and more importance in the activities of the members of the Lazarites order. Accordingly, the military-chivalrous element began to play an increasingly important role in the Order of St. Lazarus. The knights who joined the order were not necessarily lepers, but, apparently, they gradually became infected with leprosy, carrying out their difficult military service in its ranks, and caring for the sick in between battles and campaigns. The order of St. Lazarus also included serving brothers (servients or sergeants), recruited from among lepers of ignoble origin. The knights of St. Lazarus dressed in black cloaks with a white border and a green cross (which eventually took on the characteristic “Maltese” shape with “swallowtails” at the ends of the cross) and therefore were often referred to in chronicles and documents as the Knights of the Green Cross - along with the Knights of the White Cross (St. John's Hospitallers, Knights of the Red Cross (Templars Templars) and Knights of the Black Cross (Teutonic, or German, knights). Although historically the knights of the Order of St. Lazarus wore their green crosses on black "Augustinian" (or "Benedictine") vestments , over time, as the rules of heraldry developed (with the adoption of the prohibition to impose metal on metal and enamel on enamel), on the order coat of arms of the Lazarites, the green cross began to be depicted not on a black, but on a white (silver) field.
As mentioned above, according to an agreement concluded between the Order of St. Lazarus and other military monastic orders, members of the latter who fell ill with leprosy became part of the Lazarites (whose head is Grand Master- according to the Charter, he could be elected only from among the lepers; However, such a rule did not always exist and was eventually canceled). Be that as it may, chroniclers have repeatedly testified that when Muslims in battle met with a column of leper knights and sergeants of the Order of St. Lazarus, they preferred to seek salvation in flight.
The military contingent of the Order of St. Lazarus took part in the unsuccessful battle for the army of the Kingdom of Jerusalem of the Crusaders with the army of the Sultan of Egypt and Syria Saladin at Hitgan (1187). We also received information about the participation of an armed detachment of Lazarites in the unsuccessful battle for the "Latins" at Gaza (1244), in which the order of St. Lazarus suffered heavy losses. After the fall of Jerusalem in 1243, the Order of St. Lazarus moved its headquarters to Akkon, placing it in the tower of St. Lazarus, located in the northern suburb of Akkon - Montmusard, the defense of which was entrusted to the Lazarites.
In 1253, the order of the Lazarites made an unsuccessful military expedition against Muslims in the city of Ramla (Ramallah) and was saved from total destruction only thanks to the intervention of the French crusader king Louis IX Saint.
All the brother-knights of the Order of St. Lazarus, who participated in the defense of Akkon from the Muslims, died during the capture of this last stronghold of the crusaders on the coast of the Holy Land by the Saracens in 1291.
In 1291, after the fall of Saint-Jean d'Acre - the last fortress of the Crusaders in Palestine - the Order of St. Lazarus was forced to leave the Holy Land forever and move first to the island of Cyprus, and then to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (Kingdom of Naples-Sicilian) and to France, where the lazarites founded many hospitals and infirmaries. By this time, the Lazarites had completely ceased their military activities, continuing to carry out their hospital service until 1342. Over time, due to a decrease in the number of gentlemen and monks, the Order of St. Lazarus was forced in 1490 to submit to the spiritual and chivalric Order of St. John (having joined eventually into its Catholic branch, now better known as the Order of Malta).
Nevertheless, on May 4, 1565, Pope Pius IV restored the legal and organizational independence of the Order of St. Lazarus. However, the cousin of the Roman pontiff, Giannotgo Castiglione, who was appointed the new Grand Master of the Lazarites, failed to restore the previous order structure, and in 1572 the Duke of Savoy Amedey obtained from him the recognition of his suzerainty (supreme secular power) over the commandships of the Order of St. Lazarus that existed in the possessions Dukes of Savoy.
Since ancient times, the Holy Martyr Mauritius, an ancient Roman military leader, leader of the Theban legion, who suffered a martyr's death for Christ in 286, during the period of persecution of Christians by Emperor Diocletian, was considered the heavenly intercessor and patron of the Savoy dynasty (initially - ducal, and then royal). The sword of St. Mauritius, along with the Holy Lance of the centurion Longinus, was one of the most ancient and most important shrines and coronation insignia (sovereign Kleinods) of the medieval Holy Roman Empire.
In 1434, the Duke of Savoy Amedeus VIII established a monastic community in the name of the Holy Martyr Mauritius. The duke himself, having abdicated the throne of Savoy, together with several former courtiers, took monastic tonsure, took vows of non-possession, chastity and obedience, and settled in a monastery founded for this purpose. Later, a number of knight brothers joined them. A similar development from a purely monastic to a spiritual-knightly organization was made by many Western European orders (for example, the Hospitallers-Johnites, the Teutons-Marians or the Lazarites mentioned above). However, this first spiritual and knightly association in the name of St. Mauritius, for a number of reasons, did not last very long. However, on September 10, 1572, the Order of St. Mauritius was restored by a special bull of Pope Gregory XIII. The Apostolic See confirmed with a special letter to the Duke of Savoy Philibert that the title of Grand Master of the Lazarites was forever assigned to him and his successors on the Savoy throne. There was no longer any mention of the indispensable tonsure of dukes and other lazarites as monks in the papal letter, although certain religious vows and a certain staff of clergy were retained.
After that, the order of St. Lazarus was merged with the dynastic Savoyard knightly order of St. Mauritius into a single new order of St. Mauritius and Lazarus. On January 15, 1573, the Pope approved a new sign of the united order - a white "clover" cross of St. Mauritius superimposed on a green, "Maltese" form, the cross of St. Lazarus. The emblem turned out to be quite intricate, but in the history of the military-monastic order symbols, something different happened. This symbolism has always been very diverse. It even used a star, which is often considered something initially opposite to the cross.
So, the emblem of the spiritual and knightly order of Montjoie (or the Virgin of Montjoie) for a long time was ... a red five-pointed star! The Livonian knights of Christ (sword-bearers) at one time wore a red star on their white "Cistercian" order vestments over a red sword - according to some sources, eight-, according to others - six- or even five-pointed. A red star with a blue circle in the middle adorned the robes of the “star-bearing” knights, etc. Be that as it may, the Order of St. Mauritius and Lazarus is to this day one of the oldest knightly orders in Europe.
Development of the Order of St. Lazarus in France (where it became known as the knightly order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem, or, more precisely, the Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem) went its own way, different from the path of development of the Savoy order of the same name. It turned into a dynastic order of the French kings, received the name of the Order of the Most Holy Mother of God of Carmel (from Mount Carmel in the Holy Land) and was specially supported, in particular, by the Sun King Louis XTV, as a counterweight to the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. By 1696, the French Order of St. Lazarus consisted of more than 140 commanderies and contained its own naval squadron. The ships of the French lazarites fought with the English pirates. The French knights of St. Lazarus wore white semi-caftans with an orange-green order cross embroidered on the chest. In 1790, the French Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem, like its main rival and competitor, the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, was abolished by the revolutionary authorities of the French Republic, and all its possessions in France were confiscated.
In 1798, the French exiled king Louis XVIII conferred the Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem on the Emperor of All Russia, Paul I, who had granted him political asylum in Russia, after he, as the 72nd Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, granted the exiled in the capital Courland Mitava French Monarch Grand Cross of the Order of St. John.
As for the new united Savoyard Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus, it inherited from the ancient Order of Saint Lazarus the traditional mission of caring for the sick (mainly lepers, but not only). Since the united order now had not one, but two whole heavenly patrons and intercessors, it began to celebrate annually not one, but two whole order holidays (September 22 - St. Mauritius Day, and December 17 - St. Lazarus Day). The sign of this order was awarded by the Piedmontese (Sardinian) king (a direct descendant of the Dukes of Savoy), among other things, Russian generalissimo A.V. Suvorov, Count of Rymnik and Prince of Italy.
In 1839, within the framework of the system of awards, the Sardinian king, as Grand Master of the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus, established the gold Mauritius (Mauritian) medal for bravery. This medal was also received by all Piedmontese soldiers who served in the army for at least 50 years. The situation was similar in Russia with the soldier's Anninsky medal and the soldier's Donat insignia of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem (Pavlovian era). Subsequently, the status of the Piedmontese Mauritius medal has repeatedly changed. The medal survived the fall of the monarchy in Italy and was retained for the armed forces of the Italian Republic (however, already without any connection with the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus).
In 1848, the requirement that the candidate be of noble (noble) origin, which had previously existed as an indispensable condition for admission to the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus, was abolished. Since then, non-nobles began to complain about the Order.
After the unification of Italy under the scepter of the monarchs of the Savoy dynasty, placed by history at the head of the Kingdom of Sardinia (Piedmont), the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus was preserved as one of the highest awards of the united Italian kingdom and even received possessions confiscated after 1860 from the Constantine Order of St. George (the dynastic knightly order of the Grand Ducal House of Parma and the Royal House of the Two Sicilies) and the Order of St. Stephen (the dynastic order of the Tuscan dukes from the Habsburg dynasty). After the unification of Italy, the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus finally lost its original military-monastic character. All religious vows that still existed for the cavaliers-lazarites were canceled. Nevertheless, the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus did not stop its hospital activities. He still maintained infirmaries-hospitals in the cities of Lucerne, Lanzo, Valenza, Aosta and Turin.
Since 1868, the Savoy Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus has 5 degrees (obviously introduced under the influence of similar degrees of the French Order of the Legion of Honor):
1) 1 degree - Cavalier Grand Cross (Cavaliere di Gran Croce);
2) II degree - Great (Large) officer (Grande Ufficiale);
3) III degree - commander, commander or commandant (Commendatore);
4) IV degree - officer (Ufficiale);
5) V degree - knight, or cavalier (Cavaliere).
During the reign of Duce Benito Mussolini (under whom the Italian king actually "reigned, but did not rule"), the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus was awarded, starting with the fascist dictator himself, to almost all the major dignitaries of fascist Italy and allied states, including Hitler's Third (Thousand Year) Reich. When Mussolini was overthrown as a result of a palace conspiracy in 1943 and the king appointed Marshal Pietro Badoglio as the new head of government, the military leaders of yesterday's countries - opponents of Italy in World War II began to be enrolled in the "cavaliers of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus".
So, without any "transition", after the pillars of Nazi Germany, the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus was awarded to the Polish General Wladyslaw Anders, who commanded the 2nd Polish Army Corps as part of the British 8th Army under the command of Lieutenant General Sir Oliver Leese, who landed in Italy in 1943, the 3rd and 5th Polish divisions entered the history of World War II thanks to their participation in the battles for the famous Benedictine monastery of Monte Cassino, defended by the 1st German parachute rifle division from the 10th German army under the command of General von Vietinghoff. After long, extremely fierce and bloody battles and the withdrawal of German troops from the so-called Gustav Line, which they defended, the Poles (“with Poland stripes in English khaki,” as the Soviet poet and prose writer Konstantin Simonov wrote in one of his poems) succeeded on May 17, 1944 to capture the completely destroyed monastery.
The Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus was awarded not only to General Anders himself, but also to many of his officers. The award was made by decree of Prince Umberto II as "Captain General of the Kingdom of Italy" and Grand Master of the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus and all the royal orders of the House of Savoy for the courage and courage shown by them in the battles for Monte Cassino. Prince Umberto continued to claim the Italian throne until the end of his life and - to the great displeasure of the authorities of the Italian Republic, who forbade members of the House of Savoy even to enter Italy! - awarded everyone he considered worthy with the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus, as well as other royal orders and distinctions, while in exile in Portugal until his death, which followed in 1983. General Vladislav Anders and his officers in memory of the battles for Monte - Cassino, about which the Polish fighters even composed the famous song "Scarlet (from Polish blood. - V.A.) poppies of Monte Cassino, always put on their orders of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus at meetings of veterans and official events.
Of course, the respected reader has the right to ask himself whether the prestige of the dynastic Savoyard order was promoted by the fact that, almost immediately after the betrayal of the Italian kingdom to the cause of the powers of the “Berlin-Rome axis”, to which the Italian “allies” had previously sworn allegiance, and the transition to side of the countries anti-Hitler coalition, Polish generals and officers, who turned into new friends and comrades-in-arms overnight, were awarded, although more recently the former German allies of Italy were awarded the same order. It is interesting how General Anders felt at the thought that his name was entered by the Chancellor of the Order (Cancelliere dell'Ordine) in the list of holders of the Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus - immediately after the names of the Reichsmarschall (Imperial Marshal of the Third Reich) Hermann Göring and Reichsfuehrer SS Heinrich Himmler. However, Anders was an outstanding military leader and the most famous Polish general during the Second World War, so nothing could damage his reputation.
In fact, the history of this war was rich in such incidents. So, in the Kingdom of Romania (after his lightning-fast transition from the camp of Hitler's allies to the camp of his opponents and the declaration of war on Germany, of course!) King Mihai Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen awarded many Soviet generals and officers with the highest Romanian military order of Mihai the Brave (and continued to award them this order up to his formal “renunciation”, and the actual removal from power by the communists with the support of the USSR in 1947!). Meanwhile, none other than the “imperial marshal” Hermann Goering mentioned above, a couple of years before, was awarded the same Romanian king Mihai with all three degrees of the Order of Mihai the Brave, and the German Field Marshal von Manstein was awarded the Order of Mihai the Brave of two degrees ! However, King Mihai himself managed, having immediately turned into an “anti-fascist”, “defender of freedom and democracy”, etc., to be awarded the Soviet Order of Victory (from which later, while in exile in London, by his own admission, he picked out one diamond for others to secure a comfortable existence)!
In the Italian Republic (since 1946), the knightly order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus, together with the exile of the Savoy dynasty, lost the status of a state award, remaining the order of the Italian Royal House in exile. Nevertheless, the hospital structures of the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus were preserved on the territory of the Italian Republic - on the grounds that they traditionally carry out humanitarian and medical functions (like similar structures of the Order of Malta).
Nevertheless, the Italian republican authorities, partially retaining for the "royalist" order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus its possessions and legal autonomy (including the right to hold traditional order holidays), officially recognized for it only the status of a charitable organization and at the same time reserved the right determine the personal composition of the main governing body of the order on the territory of the Italian Republic - the Administrative Council.
The fact is that, according to the Italian constitution, the head of the order - its hereditary Grand Master (who is also the head of the Italian Royal House) is prohibited from entering Italy, so the Master, paradoxically, is deprived of any opportunity to influence the personal composition of the highest collegiate council of his order in Italy! Oddly enough, the purely dynastic Savoyard order was subordinate to the Italian republican authorities, and the Administrative Council of this order (with residence in Turin) is appointed for a period of 4 years by a special decree, or decree, of the President of the Italian Republic and is under the vigilant control of the republican Italian ministries. internal affairs and finance. In view of the ban on the entry of the Grand Master into Italy, the meetings of the Cavaliers of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus and the investiture (solemn initiation into the knights of the order) have to be held in French Savoy or in Western Switzerland (the permanent residence of the head of the House of Savoy in exile).
On June 11, 1985, the 17th Grand Master (Grand Maestro) of the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus, Prince Victor-Emmanuel, approved a new Order Charter (Statute), and on October 10, 1996, a new edition of this Charter, which is still valid. The order complains for military and civil merits, outstanding merits in the field of science, trade, industry, art and literature, humanitarian and charitable activities, and especially for labors for the benefit of the Savoy dynasty. For rewarding men, 5 degrees (or classes) were still retained:
1) Grand Cross (which is automatically awarded to all persons awarded the highest award of the House of Savoy - the Order of the Annunciation ("Annunziata");
2) Large officer's cross;
3) Commander's Cross (within this degree, or class, the so-called hereditary commanders by the right of patronage have a special status - Jus patronatus (in Latin) or Giuspatronato (in Italian). The situation was similar in the Grand Priories of the Russian Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem under the 72nd Grand Master, Emperor Paul I);
4) officer's cross;
5) cavalier (knight's) cross.
The cavalier ladies of the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus are divided into three classes: ladies of the commander's rank (Dama di Commenda) receive the order badge of the II degree, and the cross of the I degree - "Ladies of the Great, or Great, Cross" (Dama di Gran Croce).
By the middle of the XVI century. finally took shape and has been preserved since then without any changes in the order sign - gold, covered with white enamel, "clover" heraldic cross of St. Mauritius, superimposed on a gold, green-enamelled, eight-pointed (Maltese type) cross of St. Lazarus. The badge of the order is worn on an emerald-green (so-called apple-colored) “streamy” (moiré) silk ribbon.
Order insignia of the 1st degree: A large cross (67 mm in diameter), topped with a gold royal crown, which is worn on a wide (100 mm wide) green shoulder ribbon, and an octagonal silver breast star (85 mm in diameter), decorated with an image of an order cross (diameter 55 mm).
Order badges of the 2nd class: A large officer's cross (50 mm in diameter), also crowned with a gold royal crown, is worn on a green neck ribbon (55 mm wide), and a star similar to the star of the 1st class cross, but four-pointed and smaller (75 mm in diameter). mm).
The family honorary commander (general commander of honor) - Commendatore di Giuspatronato Onorario - wears on a neck green moire ribbon the same cross crowned with a gold crown as the Great (Large) officer, but, instead of a breast star, the same, but larger breast cross ( 55 mm in diameter).
The commander wears the same neck cross as the generic honorary commander, but without the pectoral cross.
The officer wears on the left chest on a green moire ribbon (35 mm wide) an order cross smaller than that of the commander (41 mm in diameter), also topped with a golden royal crown.
A knight (cavalier) wears an order cross of the same size as an officer, but without a crown.
Ladies of the Grand Cross wear a cross (55 mm in diameter) surmounted by a gold crown on a bow of green sash (50 mm wide).
Ladies of the commander's rank wear the same, but smaller (41 mm) cross, on a bow of a narrower (37 mm) ribbon.
Cavalry ladies were assigned the same (41 mm) cross (but without a crown) on the same bow (from a ribbon 37 mm wide).
The award system of the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus is completed by a round Order Medal of Merit of 3 degrees (gold, silver and bronze), 32 mm in diameter, with the image of an order cross on the obverse and the inscription "For Merit" (Bene Merenti) on the reverse. However, persons awarded this medal on a green sash are not considered members of the order.
On the days of order holidays and on other especially solemn occasions, cavaliers (knights) of the order put on order vestments. The latter is a kind of cassock or cassock (kukull - a related word also comes from this Latin word Russian word"doll") with expanding sleeves of "streaming" purple silk with white collars and cuffs with a white "clover" cross of St. Mauritius sewn on the chest, superimposed on the green "Maltese" cross of St. Lazarus, tied with a cord of white-green order colors.
Cavaliers of the 2 highest order degrees sew cloth stars of the corresponding sample on the left chest, commanders of the order - a round shield with a gold crown, and officers - a similar shield with a silver crown.
Order vestments of cavalry ladies of all 3 degrees - black, with a white-green "composite" order cross sewn on the left chest.
The award of the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus grants cavaliers and ladies of cavalry, who do not belong to the Italian nobility by birth, the right of personal nobility.
At the end of 2010, there were about 1600 knights and ladies of various degrees of the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus, mostly Italians (but not only).
At present, the ceremony of presenting diplomas and orders to newly awarded candidates and cavaliers, produced in more than high degrees, takes place at the annual order meeting in Geneva, usually in early October. The day after the presentation, gentlemen and cavalry ladies in order vestments are present at a service in the abbey of St. Mauritius in the town of Saint-Maurice d'Agon, near Geneva.
By tradition, knights and cavalry ladies of the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus have the right to depict the order insignia in their coats of arms (as a rule, under the coat of arms).
Knights of the Grand Cross (i.e., I degree of the order) place an order ribbon in the coat of arms, emerging from the upper corners of the shield. In addition to the order cross crowned with a crown, this ribbon contains four monograms of the Grand Master of the Order (head of the House of Savoy) - the letters V.E. crowned with a royal crown. (Vittorio Emmanuele), i.e. "Victor-Emmanuel".
Knights of the Grand Officer's Cross (Grandi Ufficiali) place in their coats of arms an order ribbon, located in the same way as that of the Knights of the Grand Cross, but without the monograms of the Grand Master, and instead of the order cross, an order four-pointed star of the II degree is suspended on it.
The tribal commanders (Commendatori di Giuspatronato Onorario) place an order cross behind the shield in their coats of arms.
The coats of arms of other commanders (Commendatori) contain the same sash as those of members of the order who were awarded the Grand Officer's Cross (Grandi Ufficiali), but, unlike them, the ribbon depicts an order cross topped with a crown (slightly smaller than the cross in coats of arms of Knights Grand Cross).
In the coats of arms of order officers (Cavalieri Ufficiali), the sash surrounds the tip of the heraldic shield; it also has an order cross crowned with a crown (smaller than the commander's cross).
In the coats of arms of the knights, or cavaliers, of the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus - the most numerous category of members of this order - a cross without a crown is placed directly under the heraldic shield, adjacent to its tip.
All knights and cavalry ladies of the order are required to pay an entrance fee to the order fund (depending on the degree) and, in addition, annually contribute a certain amount to the humanitarian and charitable activities traditionally carried out by the Order of Saints Mauritius and Lazarus.
Founded in the 19th century in the USA and represented to this day by affiliates in a number of countries international organization Lazarus, which uses as its emblem the green Maltese cross of St. Lazarus on a white heraldic shield of the "Spanish" form, is a charitable foundation and is directly related neither to the ancient Jerusalem "brotherhood of lepers", nor to the later Savoy and French orders of St. Lazarus does not. This also applies to another international charitable public organization that calls itself the Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem.
From the book Who and how invented the Jewish people author Zand Shlomo From the book of the Power of the Russian Ambassador author Druzhinin Vladimir Nikolaevich (historian)METAMORPHOSES 1 “We announce through this, who should know about it, that we have released the announcer of this major from the guards, Prince Boris Kurakin, to Carlsbad for the sake of treatment.” Kurakin read a lot beyond the lines of the travel document signed by Peter on July 28, 1705.
From the book Reconstruction of True History author26. The “appearance of the cross”, which gave victory to Constantine the Great, and the victory of Dmitry Donskoy “with the help of the cross” Cannons are “schemas with crosses” in the army of Dmitry Donskoy In the Battle of Kulikovo, the troops of Dmitry Donskoy used cannons, ch. 6. In the army of Mamai, apparently, there are no guns
From the book Battle for the Stars-1. Rocket systems of the pre-space age author Pervushin Anton IvanovichMetamorphoses of the Vanguard program Of course, within the framework of such a serious program as the Vanguard, several options were considered for both the satellite itself and the launch vehicle that could put it into orbit. For example, with its own version of the Vanguard » performed
From the book Reconstruction of True History author Nosovsky Gleb Vladimirovich26. "The appearance of the cross", which gave victory to Constantine the Great, and the victory of Dmitry Donskoy "with the help of the cross." Cannons are "schemas with crosses" in the army of Dmitry Donskoy In the Battle of Kulikovo, the troops of Dmitry Donskoy used cannons, ch. 6. In the army of Mamai, apparently, there are no guns
From the book War in the Middle Ages author Contamine Philip3. METAMORPHOSIS OF INFANTRY IN 1330-1340 foot soldiers in most European countries still constituted a very significant part of the army. The plans for the recruitment of troops, dating from the first years of the reign of Philippe Valois, provide for the possibility or need to recruit three to four times
From the book Pirates by Perrier Nicolas From the book Baptism of Russia [Paganism and Christianity. Baptism of the Empire. Constantine the Great - Dmitry Donskoy. Battle of Kulikovo in the Bible. Sergius of Radonezh - pic author Nosovsky Gleb Vladimirovich2. "THE APPEARANCE OF THE CROSS" THAT GIVED KONSTANTIN THE GREAT VICTORY IN THE BATTLE WITH MAXENTIUS AND DMITRY DONSKOY'S VICTORY OVER MOMAY "WITH THE HELP OF THE CROSS" 2.1. GUNS = "CHAMPS WITH CROSSES" IN THE ARMY OF DMITRY DONSK Let us briefly recall one of the main plots in the history of the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380.
From Hitler's book author Steiner MarlisPart One Metamorphoses
From the book of God nobles author Akunov Wolfgang ViktorovichMETAMORPHOSIS OF LAZARITES The Order of St. Lazarus was founded in Jerusalem during the era of the Crusades. The first mention of the convention (monastic community) of St. Lazarus dates back to 1156. Since 1527, not just the convention, but the Order of St. Lazarus is mentioned in the Latin chronicles, in
From the book The Last Rurikoviches and the Decline of Moscow Russia author Zarezin Maxim IgorevichMetamorphoses of Vladyka Gennady Gennady Gonzov told the Bishop of Rostov Iosaph that he had personally heard from the prominent heretic Alexei that when compiling a new paschal, church hierarchs would have to turn to them as experts in astronomy:
From the book Petersburg Arabesques author Aspidov Albert PavlovichA duel of knights at the Green Bridge The Dutch community in St. Petersburg arose along with the founding of the city. The church council of the Dutch Reformed Church led the community. The minutes of the meetings of this council have been preserved. They can be used to study not only evolution
From the book Russian Istanbul author Komandorova Natalya IvanovnaMetamorphoses A.I. Denikin Kutepov could not have imagined that a few years later in Paris, fate would bring him former commander in chief Volunteer army Anton Ivanovich Denikin, who will be skeptical about the Russian
by Kenen GerdMoscow metamorphoses The ideological and psychological metamorphoses that the "romantic European imperialist" Alphonse Paquet underwent in the summer of 1918 were paradoxical, but quite understandable. On August 8, German troops experienced a “rainy day” in the West. Breakthrough
From the book Between Fear and Admiration: "The Russian Complex" in the Mind of the Germans, 1900-1945 by Kenen GerdMetamorphoses of the Romantic Imperialist From the history of Paquet's stay in Moscow, some central motifs of general significance can be singled out. The connection with the course of the World War is most obvious. Paquet's attachment to Bolshevik Russia grew as the
From the book Putin. In the mirror of the Izborsk Club author Vinnikov Vladimir YurievichMetamorphoses: intentions and improvisation Understanding the metaphysical and sacred meanings, Putin quickly began to streamline the symbolic image state power and legal field. It is no coincidence that Yeltsin's first public dissatisfaction with Putin's decisions was
Russian victory in Patriotic war 1812 was the most important prerequisite for the deployment in Germany of a powerful national liberation movement for its liberation from the domination of Napoleonic France, the beginning of the liberation war of the German people.
To reward persons who distinguished themselves in this war both on the battlefield with the enemy and in their homeland in the name of freedom and independence of the fatherland, on March 10, 1813, the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm III (1770-1840) established an insignia - the Iron Cross, which in those years became the national symbol of the just liberation war. He had two classes and a Grand Cross. There is evidence that Friedrich Wilhelm III intended to establish the 3rd class of the Iron Cross insignia in the form of an iron medal in a silver frame. However, this was not destined to come true. The Iron Cross was one of the most democratic awards of that time: both soldiers and generals could be awarded it. In accordance with the provision, the award was to be made in order of seniority of the classes, starting from the 2nd. This did not apply to the Grand Cross, which was intended to reward military leaders "... exclusively for winning a decisive battle, after which the enemy was forced to leave their positions, for the capture of an important fortress or for the staunch defense of a fortress that did not fall into the hands of the enemy." The external shape of the Iron Cross was determined by a sketch made by Frederick William III himself. In accordance with this sketch, the famous German architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1781 - 1841) created the final form of this sign, which is distinguished by its rigor and simplicity.Iron Cross sample 1813 II class, 46x40.9 mm, 15.4 g.
Iron Cross sample 1813, 1st class, 40.5x40.2 mm, 14.4 g.
The Iron Cross 2nd Class is a black iron plate, made in the shape of a cross and enclosed in a silver frame. According to the position, the front side of the cross is smooth, and on the reverse side on the upper shoulder there is a monogram "FW" (Friedrich Wilhelm III) under the royal crown, in the center - three oak leaves, and on the lower shoulder the year of the establishment of the Iron Cross - 1813. However, already in time of campaigns 1813-1815. crosses were often arbitrarily worn upside down. Official permission for such wearing was accepted only on April 19, 1838. On the upper shoulder of the cross there is an eyelet for a round ring, through which a ribbon is passed to wear the cross on the chest. At the same time, persons who distinguished themselves directly in battle with the enemy wore a cross on a black ribbon with a narrow white stripe and black edging along the edges, in other cases - on a white ribbon with a narrow black stripe and white edging along the edges. This rule was largely preserved for the Iron Crosses of later periods up to the First World War. On March 12, 1814, Friedrich Wilhelm III issued a decree on the inheritance of the Iron Cross 2nd class. In accordance with this decree, persons who distinguished themselves in the war of liberation and presented for the award of the Iron Cross 2nd class on a black ribbon with a narrow white stripe and black piping around the edges, but did not receive it, were entitled to receive the cross after the death of its former owner. At the same time, the cross had to remain in the military unit, where it was deserved, and pass from officer to officer and from soldier to soldier. In total, about 10 thousand people were awarded the Iron Cross of the 2nd class, and taking into account the inherited crosses - about 16 thousand. The iron cross of the 1st class was originally made according to the position in the form of pieces of black silk ribbon folded in a cross and sewn together with a narrow white stripe and a black edging along the edges and was worn on the left side of the chest. However, such a performance of a combat award worn in difficult field conditions was impractical. Therefore, on June 16, 1813, Friedrich Wilhelm III decided to manufacture the Iron Cross of the 1st class in the same way as the 2nd class cross, i.e. from an iron plate enclosed in a silver frame. The front side of such a cross is smooth, and on its reverse side there were originally four, and then eight loops, with which the cross was attached to clothes, and, finally, in later copies, a pin with a hook. Iron crosses of the 1st class, as a rule, have a somewhat convex shape. For services in the liberation war of 1813-1815. 675 crosses of the 1st class were granted. The Grand Cross of the Iron Cross is similar to the 2nd Class Cross, but larger. This cross was worn around the neck on a black ribbon with a narrow white stripe and a black piping along the edges, wider than that of the 2nd class cross. For merits in the war of liberation, the Grand Cross was awarded to Field Marshal Blucher, Generals Bülow, Tauentzin and York, Swedish Crown Prince Karl Johan (former French Marshal Bernadotte and future King of Sweden Karl XIV Johan). Information that the Grand Cross was additionally awarded to General Kleist and the Russian General Osterman-Tolstoy for distinction in the battle of Kulm (August 29-30, 1813) was not documented. For the Allied victory over the French at Waterloo, Field Marshal Blucher was awarded a special award on July 26, 1815 - the Iron Cross with golden rays, the so-called Blucher Star. To reward persons who distinguished themselves in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1871, which ended with the unification of Germany under the hegemony of Prussia and the emergence of the German Empire, the Prussian King Wilhelm I (1797-1888) on July 19, 1870 renewed the insignia - the Iron Cross.
Iron Cross sample 1870 II class.
Iron Cross sample 1870, 1st class.
Commemorative fastener to the Iron Cross 2nd class, model 1870 (Bandspange “Silberne Eichenblätter “25”).
The difference between the Iron Crosses of both classes and the Grand Cross of 1870 from the crosses of 1813 is that on their front side on the upper shoulder there is a crown, in the center - the monogram "W" (William I), and on the lower shoulder the year of the renewal of the Iron Cross is given. - 1870. Crosses of the 1st class are made flat, and their reverse side has a pin with a hook for attaching to clothes. On August 18, 1895, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the victories in the Franco-Prussian War, Emperor Wilhelm II instituted silver oak leaves with the number "25" to the Iron Cross 2nd class. For distinction in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871. About 47 thousand people were awarded the Iron Cross of the 2nd class, 1st class - 1313. The Grand Cross was awarded to the Prussian Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm (future Emperor Frederick III), the Prussian Prince Friedrich Karl, the Saxon Crown Prince Albert (future King of Saxony) , Field Marshal Helmut Moltke, Generals Manteuffel, Goeben and Werder. At the request of his generals, Emperor Wilhelm I placed the Grand Cross on himself as commander-in-chief on June 16, 1871, upon the arrival of German troops in Berlin. Later, the Grand Cross was granted to the Mecklenburg-Schwerin Grand Duke Friedrich Franz II. With the beginning of the 1st World War 1914-1918. The Iron Cross has experienced its third birth. It was renewed on August 5, 1914 by the German Emperor Wilhelm II (1859-1941) to reward individuals who distinguished themselves in this war.
Iron Cross sample 1914 II class. 43x43 mm, 20.1 g.
Iron Cross sample 1914. I class, iron, silver. 43x44 mm, 21.53 g.
Iron crosses of both classes and the Grand Cross of 1914 differ from the crosses of 1870 in that the year of the second renewal of the Iron Cross - 1914 is given on their front side on the lower shoulder. At the same time, the monogram "W" in the center of the cross has a new content, indicating the name of the German Emperor Wilhelm II. Crosses of the 1st class, as a rule, have a flat shape and a pin with a hook for attaching to clothes, although there are crosses and a convex shape, as well as with a pin and a nut for attaching. In accordance with the decree of March 16, 1915, the Iron Cross could be awarded, along with citizens of all German states that were part of the German Empire, also citizens of states allied with it. Previously, such awards were not provided, although they took place. According to the decree of June 4, 1915, persons awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class 1870 and distinguished themselves in the 1st World War, instead of the 2nd Class Cross 1914, received a special silver buckle with a reduced Iron Cross 1914, which was attached to the ribbon cross of 1870. For merits in World War I, about 5 million 200 thousand people were awarded the Iron Cross of the 2nd class, about 220 thousand people were awarded the Cross of the 1st class. The Grand Cross was awarded to General Field Marshals Hindenburg, the Bavarian Prince Leopold and Mackensen, as well as General of the Infantry Ludendorff. At Hindenburg's request, Emperor Wilhelm II placed the Grand Cross on himself as commander-in-chief. For the second time in the history of the Iron Cross, on March 24, 1918, Field Marshal Hindenburg was awarded the Iron Cross with golden rays, the so-called "Hindenburg Star", for the successful launch of a large offensive on the Western Front on March 21, 1918. September 1, 1939 Nazi Germany attacked Poland. On the same day, A. Hitler signed a decree on the renewal of the Iron Cross, which received the status of an order. In accordance with this decree, the Iron Cross had the following degrees and sequence of awards: Iron Cross 2nd class; Iron Cross 1st class; Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross; Grand Cross of the Iron Cross.
Iron Cross sample 1939 II class. 44.5x44 mm.
Iron Cross sample 1939, 1st class. 45x45 mm, 19.95 g. Iron, silver.
During the war, oak leaves were established for the Knight's Cross (June 3, 1940), oak leaves with swords (the first award on June 21, 1941, and the official establishment on September 28, 1941), oak leaves with swords and diamonds (the first award on July 15, 1941 year, and the official establishment on September 28, 1941) and, finally, golden oak leaves with swords and diamonds (December 29, 1944). According to the decree, the Iron Cross of 1939 could be awarded "... exclusively for special courage in front of the enemy and outstanding merits in the leadership of the troops." At the same time, the Grand Cross is for merit that influenced the course of the war.
Order of the Iron Cross "Grand Cross".
The golden eight-pointed star was awarded along with the Grand Cross.
Knight's cross with oak leaves.
Oak leaves with swords and diamonds.
Span to the Iron Cross.
The difference between the Iron Crosses of 1939 and the previous ones is that a swastika is depicted on their front side in the center of the cross, the year of the third renewal of the Iron Cross - 1939 is given on the lower shoulder, and on the reverse side of the 2nd class, Knightly and Large crosses it is only indicated on on the lower shoulder, the year of the original establishment of the Iron Cross is 1813. It should also be noted that, according to the decree, the Grand Cross was to have a gold frame instead of the silver one characteristic of the Grand Crosses of previous periods and the Iron Cross in general. Crosses of the 1st class, as a rule, are made flat and have a pin with a hook on the reverse side for attaching to clothing on the left side of the chest. However, there are crosses of this class and a convex shape, as well as with a pin and a nut for fastening. Oak leaves and oak leaves with swords were made of silver. Persons honored with oak leaves with swords and diamonds were usually given two copies: one made of platinum and white gold with diamonds on the leaves and hilts of swords, the other made of silver with rhinestones instead of diamonds and intended for everyday wear. Golden oak leaves with swords and diamonds were made of gold with diamonds on the leaves and hilts of swords. To wear the Iron Cross 2nd Class on the chest, the Knight's Cross, its varieties and the Grand Cross, a red ribbon of various widths with white and black stripes along the edges was provided around the neck. According to the decree on the renewal of the Iron Cross of September 1, 1939, persons awarded the Iron Cross of 1914 of one or both classes and awarded the Iron Cross of 1939 instead of this cross received a special silver buckle of the second award to the corresponding cross of 1914. At the same time, the buckle for the Iron Cross 2nd Class of 1914 was worn on its ribbon, and the buckle for the Iron Cross 1st Class was attached directly above this cross. There is information about the manufacture of samples of the Iron Cross in 1939 with golden rays. For services in the 2nd World War, about 3.2 million people were awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class and a buckle to the Iron Cross 2nd Class of 1914, about 420 thousand people were awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class and a buckle to the Iron cross of the 1st class in 1914, about 7400 people - with the Knight's Cross. About 890 people were awarded oak leaves to the Knight's Cross, 160 people - oak leaves with swords, 27 people - oak leaves with swords and diamonds. The highest combat award - golden oak leaves with swords and diamonds to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the number of awards of which was limited to 12, was awarded only to Colonel Rudel of Assault Aviation on January 1, 1945, who made 2530 sorties during the war. The only award was the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross. It was presented by Hitler on July 19, 1940 at the solemn meeting of the Reichstag on the occasion of the victory over France to the German Air Force Commander-in-Chief Hermann Goering, simultaneously conferring on him the rank of Reichsmarschall. Contrary to the resolution on the renewal of the Iron Cross of September 1, 1939, this cross had a silver frame instead of the gold, traditional for the Iron Cross. Apparently, Hitler did not want to break the more than a century old tradition in the performance of the Iron Cross. It should be noted that during the 2nd World War, the Iron Cross was awarded not only to representatives of the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS, but also to persons belonging to foreign volunteer formations, as well as to the armies of states allied with Germany. In post-war Germany, the wearing of awards with Nazi symbols was prohibited. In accordance with the law of the Federal Republic of Germany on titles, orders and insignia of July 26, 1957, the Iron Cross of 1939 was allowed to be worn in a new form - without a swastika. It has been replaced with the traditional three oak leaves. A new type of buckle appeared, which became the same for the crosses of both classes of 1914 and similar to the buckle for the Iron Cross of the 2nd class of 1870. Takova Short story the most popular mass military award in Germany - the Iron Cross, which has become both a national symbol of a just liberation war and a symbol of aggressive German imperialism and militarism.
