Origins , one of the first instances of the Georgian ribbon used independently. The Georgian ribbon emerged as part of the
Order of Saint George, established in 1769 as the highest military decoration of
Imperial Russia (and re-established in 1998 by
Presidential decree signed by then
President of Russia Boris Yeltsin). 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 honours (such as
banners and
pennants). When not awarded the full Order, some distinguished officers were granted ceremonial swords, adorned with the Georgian ribbon. In 1806, distinctive Georgian banners were introduced as a further battle honour awarded to meritorious Guards and
Leib Guard regiments. These banners had the
Cross of Saint George as their
finials and were adorned with 4.44 cm wide Georgian ribbons. It remained the highest collective military award in the
Imperial Russian Army until the Revolution in 1917. In the original statute of the
Order of Saint George, written in 1769, the currently orange stripes of the ribbon were described as yellow; however, they were frequently rendered as orange in practice, The colours are said to symbolise fire and gunpowder of war, the death and resurrection of
Saint George, or the colours of the original
Russian imperial coat of arms (black
double-headed eagle on a golden
escutcheon). Another theory is that they are, in fact, German in origin, derived from the
or and
sable stripe patterns found on the heraldry of the
House of Ascania, from which Catherine II originated, or the County of
Ballenstedt, the house's ancient demesne. . The original Georgian ribbons disappeared alongside all other Tsarist awards after the
October Revolution, although wearing a previously earned
Cross of Saint George was allowed. However, the symbol would reappear during the
Second World War, as a symbol of office for the newly established Soviet
Guards units, whose badges and banners were adorned with black and orange ribbons in a similar manner to old Imperial regiments however, the ribbon did not hold the public significance it has today.
21st century Russia In 2005, to mark the 60th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Germany (
Victory Day; 9 May 1945), the Russian state-run news agency
RIA Novosti and the youth civic organization РООСПМ «Студенческая Община» launched a campaign that called on volunteers to distribute ribbons in the streets ahead of Victory Day.
Novaya Gazeta columnist
Yulia Latynina and other journalists have speculated the Russian government introduced the ribbon as a
public-relations response to the 2004
Orange Revolution in
Ukraine in which demonstrators had adopted
orange ribbons as their symbol. On 28 April 2016, a group of people from the
Nashi youth movement wearing St. George ribbons attacked a school competition organized by the
Memorial society, pouring a toxic solution of
Brilliant Green on writer
Ludmila Ulitskaya and other guests and assaulting a journalist. The Russian anti-Western nationalist group
National Liberation Movement ( - NOD) has adopted a flag of orange and black horizontal stripes as its symbol.
6B47 helmet adorned with the ribbon of St. George During the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the colors of the ribbon were used in conjunction with the
"Z" military symbol, which became a pro-war symbol that appeared across Russia. Russian soldiers in Ukraine have been seen decorating their combat uniforms with St. George ribbons. The St. George's ribbon is used as part of the
uniform of the
Russian Airborne Forces. In December 2022, president Vladimir Putin signed a law making desecration of the ribbon a criminal offense, with the law designating the ribbon as an official symbol of military glory that can only be used in events "dedicated to notable dates in Russia" or "aimed at patriotic and morally-spiritual education of Russian citizens".
Ukraine During the
events of 2014 in Ukraine,
anti-Maidan activists and the pro-Russian population of Ukraine (especially in the south-east regions) used the ribbon as a symbol of pro-Russian and separatist sentiment. Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine used the ribbon as a symbol of loyalty, while Ukrainians loyalists used the derogatory term "kolorady" (; ) to describe pro-Russian separatists in reference to the
Colorado potato beetle, and the ribbon was referred to as the "Colorado ribbon" (,
koloradskaya lenta; , ''kolorads'ka strichka''). Since 2014, incidents over the ribbon would occur during
Victory Day celebrations on 9 May. In April 2014, the authorities of
Kropyvnytskyi banned the symbol from
Victory Day celebrations "in order to prevent provocations between the activists of different movements". Instead, only Ukrainian state symbols would be used. The next month
Cherkasy urged veterans and supporters not to wear the ribbon or any other party symbols. The Ukrainian government
replaced the ribbon with a red-and-black
remembrance poppy, like those associated with
Remembrance Day in Western Europe, in 2014. On 16 May 2017, the ribbon was officially banned in the country, with those who produce or promote the symbol subject to fines or temporary arrest. According to Speaker
Andriy Parubiy (
People's Front), the symbol had become a symbol of "Russia's aggression and occupation of Ukraine".
Belarus On 5 May 2014, the
Belarusian Republican Youth Union encouraged activists not to use the ribbon. Other officials reported that the decision not to use the symbol was related to the situation in Ukraine, "where the ribbon is used by militants and terrorists". In time for Victory Day 2015, the government introduced a new ribbon, featuring red and green of the
Flag of Belarus.
Canada During preparation for the first Victory Day parade in the Canadian city of
Winnipeg on 10 May 2014, the Russian embassy distributed Ribbons of Saint George to participants. The move was considered controversial to the local Ukrainian community in view of the ongoing events in Ukraine. of Kazakhstan during the
2015 Moscow Victory Day Parade Latvia Latvia's Parliament has approved a ban on the public display of Nazi and Soviet symbols, including swastikas and the hammer and sickle, and the singing and promotion of fascist and communist anthems and ideologies. On 11 November 2021,
Lāčplēsis Day, the
Saeima approved an amendment of the law on Security and Public Entertainment and Festive Events banning the use of the ribbon in public events.
Lithuania The ban on similar grounds to that in Latvia was discussed after the Russian annexation of Crimea. The ribbon was finally banned, along with
"Z" and "V" military symbols, in response to the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Moldova On 7 April 2022, the
Moldovan Parliament voted to ban the ribbon following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The military symbols "Z" and "V" were also banned.
Estonia The Riigikogu passed legislation to ban the use of St George Ribbon after Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022. The law also provides that it is not allowed to publicly exhibit symbols connected with the commission of an act of aggression, genocide, a crime against humanity or a war crime in a way that expresses support to Nazi or justifies such activities. This is punishable by a fine of up to 300 fine units or €1200, or detention. If such an act is committed by a legal person, it is punishable by a fine of up to €32,000. ==Gallery==