1.
Cross of St. George
–
The Cross of Saint George is a state decoration of the Russian Federation. It was initially established by Imperial Russia where it was known as the Decoration of the Military Order of Saint George between 1807 and 1913. The Cross of Saint George was reinstated into the Russian awards system in 1992, established in the February 1807 decree of Emperor Alexander I, it was intended as a reward for undaunted courage by the lower ranks of the military. Article four of the decree ordered the decoration to hang from the ribbon as the Order of Saint George. There was only a class with no restriction as to the number of awards per person. The first soldier to be awarded the Cross of Saint George was a cavalry non-commissioned officer named Yegor Ivanovich Mitrokhin and he received the award for distinction in the battle against the French at Friedland on 2 June 1807. Numbering of the crosses on the began in January 1809, conversely. By this time, approximately 10,000 crosses had already been awarded, by the beginning of the War of 1812,16,833 crosses had been produced by the mint. An 1856 royal decree divided the decoration into four classes, the first and second classes were made of gold, the third and fourth were made of silver. The numbering on the reverse began anew for each class of the decoration, a 1913 royal decree officialized the name Cross of Saint George and the numbering began anew. In 1915, due to war shortages, the first and second class decorations were made of lower grade gold, the third and fourth class decorations were produced in the same 99 percent silver. There were 26,950 first class crosses and 52,900 second class crosses produced in low-grade gold, on 10 September 1916, the Highest Council of Ministers approved a change to the St George Cross removing the gold and silver from its making. They began to mint crosses made of metal and of white metal. The crosses first and second class, made of metal had the letters JM above the serial number. In 1917, the Provisional Government changed the statute of the cross allowing its award to junior officers, when awarded as such, a silver laurel branch device was affixed to the ribbon. The Cross of St. George was abolished after the Russian Revolution of 1917, following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Cross of St George was reinstated by Decision of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation № 2557-I of March 20,1992. Its award criteria were amended twice, first on August 8,2000 by Presidential Decree 1463, awarded sequentially in four classes from the fourth to the first for subsequent acts of courage. The first post reinstatement award ceremony took place in August 2008 to soldiers who displayed courage, a further 263 servicemen were decorated with the Cross of Saint George for distinction displayed in the Georgia operation
Cross of St. George
–
Imperial Cross of Saint George IV class
Cross of St. George
–
All four classes of the Imperial Cross of Saint George: The set of a "Full Cavalier"
Cross of St. George
–
August 2008,
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev with a junior sergeant just decorated with the Cross of Saint George 4th class for distinction in battle in the
2008 South Ossetia war
2.
Russia
–
Russia, also officially the Russian Federation, is a country in Eurasia. The European western part of the country is more populated and urbanised than the eastern. Russias capital Moscow is one of the largest cities in the world, other urban centers include Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod. Extending across the entirety of Northern Asia and much of Eastern Europe, Russia spans eleven time zones and incorporates a range of environments. It shares maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk, the East Slavs emerged as a recognizable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD. Founded and ruled by a Varangian warrior elite and their descendants, in 988 it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire, beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium. Rus ultimately disintegrated into a number of states, most of the Rus lands were overrun by the Mongol invasion. The Soviet Union played a role in the Allied victory in World War II. The Soviet era saw some of the most significant technological achievements of the 20th century, including the worlds first human-made satellite and the launching of the first humans in space. By the end of 1990, the Soviet Union had the second largest economy, largest standing military in the world. It is governed as a federal semi-presidential republic, the Russian economy ranks as the twelfth largest by nominal GDP and sixth largest by purchasing power parity in 2015. Russias extensive mineral and energy resources are the largest such reserves in the world, making it one of the producers of oil. The country is one of the five recognized nuclear weapons states and possesses the largest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction, Russia is a great power as well as a regional power and has been characterised as a potential superpower. The name Russia is derived from Rus, a state populated mostly by the East Slavs. However, this name became more prominent in the later history, and the country typically was called by its inhabitants Русская Земля. In order to distinguish this state from other states derived from it, it is denoted as Kievan Rus by modern historiography, an old Latin version of the name Rus was Ruthenia, mostly applied to the western and southern regions of Rus that were adjacent to Catholic Europe. The current name of the country, Россия, comes from the Byzantine Greek designation of the Kievan Rus, the standard way to refer to citizens of Russia is Russians in English and rossiyane in Russian. There are two Russian words which are translated into English as Russians
Russia
–
Kievan Rus' in the 11th century
Russia
–
Flag
Russia
–
The
Baptism of Kievans, by
Klavdy Lebedev
Russia
–
Sergius of Radonezh blessing
Dmitry Donskoy in
Trinity Sergius Lavra, before the
Battle of Kulikovo, depicted in a painting by
Ernst Lissner
3.
House of Romanov
–
The Romanovs achieved prominence as boyars of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, later the Tsardom of Russia. In 1613, following years of interregnum, the zemsky sobor offered the Russian crown to Mikhail Romanov and he acceded to the throne as Michael I, becoming the first Tsar of Russia from the House of Romanov. His grandson Peter I established the Russian Empire and transformed the country into a continental power through a series of wars, the direct male line of the Romanovs came to an end when Elizabeth of Russia died in 1762. After an era of crisis, the House of Holstein-Gottorp, a cadet branch of the House of Oldenburg which reigned in Denmark, ascended the throne in 1762 with Peter III. All rulers from the middle of the 18th century to the revolution of 1917 were descended from that branch, though officially known as the House of Romanov, these descendants of the Romanov and Oldenburg dynasties are sometimes referred to as Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov. In early 1917 the Romanov dynasty had 65 members,18 of whom were killed by the Bolsheviks, the remaining 47 members went into exile abroad. In 1924, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, the senior, surviving male-line descendant of Alexander II of Russia by primogeniture, since 1991, the succession to the former Russian throne has been in dispute, largely due to disagreements over the validity of dynasts marriages. Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia claims to hold the title of empress in pretense with her child, George Mikhailovich. There is also a rival non-Romanov claim put forth by Prince Karl Emich of the House of Leiningen supported by the Monarchist Party, according to the Almanach de Gotha, the name of Russias ruling dynasty from the time of Peter III was Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov. However, the name Romanov and House of Romanov were often used in references to the Russian imperial family. The coat of arms of the Romanov boyars was included in legislation on the imperial dynasty, after the February Revolution all members of the imperial family were given the surname Romanov by special decree of the Provisional Government of Russia. Their earliest common ancestor is one Andrei Kobyla, attested around 1347 as a boyar in the service of Semyon I of Moscow, later generations assigned to Kobyla an illustrious pedigree. An 18th-century genealogy claimed that he was the son of the Prussian prince Glanda Kambila, indeed, one of the leaders of the Old Prussian rebellion of 1260–1274 against the Teutonic order was named Glande. His actual origin may have been less spectacular, not only is Kobyla Russian for mare, some of his relatives also had as nicknames the terms for horses and other domestic animals, thus suggesting descent from one of the royal equerries. One of Kobylas sons, Feodor, a member of the boyar Duma of Dmitri Donskoi, was nicknamed Koshka and his descendants took the surname Koshkin, then changed it to Zakharin, which family later split into two branches, Zakharin-Yakovlev and Zakharin-Yuriev. During the reign of Ivan the Terrible, the family became known as Yakovlev. The family fortunes soared when Romans daughter, Anastasia Zakharyina, married Ivan IV, since her husband had assumed the title of tsar, which literally means Caesar, on 16 January 1547, she was crowned the very first tsaritsa of Russia. Her mysterious death in 1560 changed Ivans character for the worse, suspecting the boyars of having poisoned his beloved, Tsar Ivan started a reign of terror against them
House of Romanov
–
A 16th-century residence of the Yuryev-Zakharyin boyars in
Zaryadye, near
the Kremlin.
House of Romanov
–
House of Romanov House of Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov
House of Romanov
–
A crowd at the
Ipatiev Monastery imploring Mikhail Romanov's mother to let him go to Moscow and become their tsar (
Illumination from a book dated 1673).
House of Romanov
–
Peter the Great (1672-1725)
4.
Order of St. Andrew
–
The Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called is the highest order of the Russian Federation. Established as the first and highest order of chivalry of the Russian Empire in 1698, the Order was established in 1698 by Tsar Peter the Great, in honour of Saint Andrew, the first apostle of Jesus and patron saint of Russia. It was bestowed in a class and was only awarded for the most outstanding civilian or military merit. Peter learned of the practice of bestowing awards from his travels in the West during the Great Embassy, in the past, service to the Russian state was rewarded with money or large estates. He witnessed first hand the awards ceremonies for Englands Order of the Garter and Austrias Order of the Golden Fleece and noticed the loyalty and it also saved the state land and money. Count Fyodor Golovin was the first recipient of the order, until its abolition following the Russian Revolution of 1917, just over one thousand awards had been made. Moreover, recipients of lower ranks were automatically promoted to the rank of lieutenant general or vice admiral, the Order of Saint Andrew continued to be awarded by the Russian Imperial House in exile. The first post revolutionary presentation was to HH Prince Georgy Konstantinovich of Russia on attaining his majority in April 1923. It was worn on a blue sash over the right shoulder. Star, eight-pointed silver star bearing a miniature of the badge on a background at the center, surrounded by the motto For Faith. It was worn on the left chest, the insignia of order could be awarded with diamonds as a special distinction. Saint Andrews Cathedral in Saint Petersburg was the church of this order of chivalry. Recipient of Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called uses the post-nominal letters KA, for example, if one is awarded Order of the Garter, in that case, post-nominals of KG used before KA because the Order of the Garterr has been created in 1348. An order with the name but with different insignia and statutes was first unofficially re-established by the Orthodox Church of Russia on December 27,1988. The order was officially re-instated as the highest Russian civilian and military award by Presidential Decree №757 on June 1,1998, the Orders award criteria were modified by Presidential Decree 1099 of September 7,2010. The Order may also be awarded to heads of states for outstanding service to the Russian Federation. Unlike the original Imperial institution, the modern Order does not have special robes nor strict rules regulating its wearing, the collar of the original Order was worn across the shoulders, modern recipients tend to wear it as a chain around the neck. The design of the modern Order of St. Andrew has changed little from the imperial design
Order of St. Andrew
–
Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First Called Орден Святого апостола Андрея Первозванного
Order of St. Andrew
–
The "Jewel" (Badge) of the Imperial Order of St. Andrew, obverse (left) and reverse (right)
Order of St. Andrew
–
Tsar
Peter the Great
Order of St. Andrew
–
General
Alexander Suvorov
5.
Order For Merit to the Fatherland
–
The Order For Merit to the Fatherland is a state decoration of the Russian Federation. It was instituted on March 2,1994 by Presidential Decree 442, until the re-establishment of the Order of St. Andrew in 1998, it was the highest Order of the Russian Federation, though it is still the highest Civilian decoration of the state. The Order of St. Andrew decoration is given to Military personnel only, the statute of the Order was modified on January 6,1999 by Presidential Decree 19 and again on September 7,2010 by Presidential Decree 1099. The Order For Merit to the Fatherland is a mixed civilian, the highest of the four classes is the Order I class, the lowest being the Order IV class. These classes are awarded sequentially from the IV to the I class, in exceptional cases, the President of the Russian Federation may decide to award the Order For Service to the Fatherland to persons not previously awarded state awards of the Russian Federation. Soldiers receiving the Order For Merit to the Fatherland for distinction in combat will receive the Order with Swords, the order has a collar and four classes. The collar is the insignia of the President of the Russian Federation. The four classes of the Order are individually identified by the size, cross, Is a silver-gilt ruby-enamelled cross pattée bearing the gilt state emblem of the Russian Federation on its obverse. On the reverse of the cross is a circular medallion surrounded by the motto BENEFIT, HONOUR, in the center of the medallion, the year of the establishment of the Order 1994. On the reverse of the arm of the cross, laurel leaves. The cross for the Order I class measures 60mm across and is affixed to a 100mm wide red sash worn over the right shoulder. The cross of the II and III classes measures 50mm across and is worn on a 45mm wide red neck ribbon for the II class, the cross for the IV class measures 40mm across and hangs from a standard pentagonal mount covered by a red 24mm wide ribbon. Star, The star of the Order is eight pointed, 82mm across and of highly polished silver. At its center on the obverse if a circular medallion bearing the gilt state emblem of the Russian Federation. Around the medallion, a red enameled band with the motto of the Order BENEFIT, HONOUR, the reverse has the serial number of the Order engraved on the lower arm. A cavalier of an order is an individual who as received a grade of an order, a full cavalier of an order is an individual who has sequentially earned every class of that order. The individuals listed below are among those who have been so honoured, Awards and decorations of the Russian Federation The Commission on State Awards to the President of the Russian Federation
Order For Merit to the Fatherland
–
Star and Badge of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland"
Order For Merit to the Fatherland
–
Cross with Swords
Order For Merit to the Fatherland
–
Order III class Neck Cross
Order For Merit to the Fatherland
–
Political and state security figure
Nikolai Patrushev
6.
Russian language
–
Russian is an East Slavic language and an official language in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and many minor or unrecognised territories. Russian belongs to the family of Indo-European languages and is one of the four living members of the East Slavic languages, written examples of Old East Slavonic are attested from the 10th century and beyond. It is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia and the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages and it is also the largest native language in Europe, with 144 million native speakers in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Russian is the eighth most spoken language in the world by number of native speakers, the language is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Russian is also the second most widespread language on the Internet after English, Russian distinguishes between consonant phonemes with palatal secondary articulation and those without, the so-called soft and hard sounds. This distinction is found between pairs of almost all consonants and is one of the most distinguishing features of the language, another important aspect is the reduction of unstressed vowels. Russian is a Slavic language of the Indo-European family and it is a lineal descendant of the language used in Kievan Rus. From the point of view of the language, its closest relatives are Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Rusyn. An East Slavic Old Novgorod dialect, although vanished during the 15th or 16th century, is considered to have played a significant role in the formation of modern Russian. In the 19th century, the language was often called Great Russian to distinguish it from Belarusian, then called White Russian and Ukrainian, however, the East Slavic forms have tended to be used exclusively in the various dialects that are experiencing a rapid decline. In some cases, both the East Slavic and the Church Slavonic forms are in use, with different meanings. For details, see Russian phonology and History of the Russian language and it is also regarded by the United States Intelligence Community as a hard target language, due to both its difficulty to master for English speakers and its critical role in American world policy. The standard form of Russian is generally regarded as the modern Russian literary language, mikhail Lomonosov first compiled a normalizing grammar book in 1755, in 1783 the Russian Academys first explanatory Russian dictionary appeared. By the mid-20th century, such dialects were forced out with the introduction of the education system that was established by the Soviet government. Despite the formalization of Standard Russian, some nonstandard dialectal features are observed in colloquial speech. Thus, the Russian language is the 6th largest in the world by number of speakers, after English, Mandarin, Hindi/Urdu, Spanish, Russian is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Education in Russian is still a choice for both Russian as a second language and native speakers in Russia as well as many of the former Soviet republics. Russian is still seen as an important language for children to learn in most of the former Soviet republics, samuel P. Huntington wrote in the Clash of Civilizations, During the heyday of the Soviet Union, Russian was the lingua franca from Prague to Hanoi
Russian language
–
Russian language street sign in
Russia.
Russian language
–
Russian minimarket in
Limassol, Cyprus; translation: "Teremok market. Russian goods. Phone number: 96 74 19 63"
Russian language
–
This page from an "ABC" book printed in Moscow in 1694 shows the letter
П.
Russian language
–
The
Ostromir Gospels of 1056 is the second oldest
East Slavic book known, one of many medieval
illuminated manuscripts preserved in the
Russian National Library.
7.
Russian Federation
–
Russia, also officially the Russian Federation, is a country in Eurasia. The European western part of the country is more populated and urbanised than the eastern. Russias capital Moscow is one of the largest cities in the world, other urban centers include Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod. Extending across the entirety of Northern Asia and much of Eastern Europe, Russia spans eleven time zones and incorporates a range of environments. It shares maritime borders with Japan by the Sea of Okhotsk, the East Slavs emerged as a recognizable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD. Founded and ruled by a Varangian warrior elite and their descendants, in 988 it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire, beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium. Rus ultimately disintegrated into a number of states, most of the Rus lands were overrun by the Mongol invasion. The Soviet Union played a role in the Allied victory in World War II. The Soviet era saw some of the most significant technological achievements of the 20th century, including the worlds first human-made satellite and the launching of the first humans in space. By the end of 1990, the Soviet Union had the second largest economy, largest standing military in the world. It is governed as a federal semi-presidential republic, the Russian economy ranks as the twelfth largest by nominal GDP and sixth largest by purchasing power parity in 2015. Russias extensive mineral and energy resources are the largest such reserves in the world, making it one of the producers of oil. The country is one of the five recognized nuclear weapons states and possesses the largest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction, Russia is a great power as well as a regional power and has been characterised as a potential superpower. The name Russia is derived from Rus, a state populated mostly by the East Slavs. However, this name became more prominent in the later history, and the country typically was called by its inhabitants Русская Земля. In order to distinguish this state from other states derived from it, it is denoted as Kievan Rus by modern historiography, an old Latin version of the name Rus was Ruthenia, mostly applied to the western and southern regions of Rus that were adjacent to Catholic Europe. The current name of the country, Россия, comes from the Byzantine Greek designation of the Kievan Rus, the standard way to refer to citizens of Russia is Russians in English and rossiyane in Russian. There are two Russian words which are translated into English as Russians
Russian Federation
–
Kievan Rus' in the 11th century
Russian Federation
–
Flag
Russian Federation
–
The
Baptism of Kievans, by
Klavdy Lebedev
Russian Federation
–
Sergius of Radonezh blessing
Dmitry Donskoy in
Trinity Sergius Lavra, before the
Battle of Kulikovo, depicted in a painting by
Ernst Lissner
8.
Catherine the Great
–
Catherine II of Russia, also known as Catherine the Great, was a Russian monarch. She was the female leader of Russia, reigning from 1762 until her death in 1796 at the age of 67. She came to following a coup détat when her husband. Russia was revitalised under her reign, growing larger and stronger than ever, in both her accession to power and in rule of her empire, Catherine often relied on her noble favourites, most notably Grigory Orlov and Grigory Potemkin. In the west, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, ruled by Catherines former lover, king Stanisław August Poniatowski, was eventually partitioned, in the east, Russia started to colonise Alaska, establishing Russian America. Catherine reformed the administration of Russian guberniyas, and many new cities, an admirer of Peter the Great, Catherine continued to modernise Russia along Western European lines. However, military conscription and the continued to depend on serfdom. This was one of the reasons behind several rebellions, including the large-scale Pugachevs Rebellion of cossacks. The period of Catherine the Greats rule, the Catherinian Era, is considered the Golden Age of the Russian Empire. The Manifesto on Freedom of the Nobility, issued during the reign of Peter III and confirmed by Catherine. Construction of many mansions of the nobility, in the classical style endorsed by the Empress and she enthusiastically supported the ideals of The Enlightenment, thus earning the status of an enlightened despot. Catherine was born in Stettin, Pomerania, Kingdom of Prussia as Princess Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg, she was nicknamed Figchen. Her father, Christian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst, belonged to the ruling German family of Anhalt, two of her first cousins became Kings of Sweden, Gustav III and Charles XIII. In accordance with the then prevailing in the ruling dynasties of Germany, she received her education chiefly from a French governess. She once wrote to her correspondent Baron Grimm, I see nothing of interest in it, although Catherine was born a princess, her family had very little money. Catherines rise to power was supported by her mothers relatives who were both wealthy nobles and royal relations. Catherine first met Peter III at the age of 10, based on her writings, she found Peter detestable upon meeting him. She disliked his pale complexion and his fondness for alcohol at such a young age, Peter also still played with toy soldiers
Catherine the Great
–
Catherine II by
Dmitry Levitsky
Catherine the Great
–
Young Catherine soon after her arrival in Russia, by
Louis Caravaque
Catherine the Great
–
Portrait by George Christoph Grooth of the Grand Duchess Ekaterina Alekseyevna around the time of her wedding, 1745
Catherine the Great
–
Tsar Peter III reigned only six months; he died on 17 July 1762.
9.
White movement
–
Remnants and continuations of the movement, some of which only had narrow support, endured within the wider White émigré community until after the fall of Communism. The Whites had the aim of bringing about law and order and the salvation of Russia, fighting against traitors, barbarians. They worked to remove Soviet organizations and functionaries in White-controlled territory, overall, the White Army was nationalistic, rejected ethnic particularism and separatism. The White Army generally believed in a united multinational Russia, amongst White Army members, anti-Semitism was widespread. Western sponsors expressed dismay at this, especially as the Bolsheviks had prohibited anti-Semitism, many of the White leaders were conservative, accepting autocracy while remaining suspicious of politics. Aside from being anti-Bolshevik and patriotic, the Whites had no set ideology or main leader, the White Armies did acknowledge a single provisional head of state, the so-called Supreme Governor of Russia, but this post was prominent only under the leadership of Admiral Alexander Kolchak. The movement had no set plan for foreign policy, Whites differed on policies toward Germany, the Whites wanted to keep from alienating any potential supporters and allies, and thus saw an exclusively monarchist position as a detriment to their cause and recruitment. White-movement leaders such as Anton Denikin advocated for Russians to create their own government, Admiral Alexander Kolchak succeeded in creating a temporary wartime government in Omsk, acknowledged by most other White leaders, only for it to fall with the loss of his armies. Some warlords who were aligned with the White movement, such as Grigory Semyonov and Roman Ungern von Sternberg, did not acknowledge any authority, consequently, the White movement had no set political leanings, members could be monarchists, republicans, rightists, Kadets, etc. Moreover, other parties supported the anti-Bolshevik White Army, among them the Socialist-Revolutionary Party. But depending on the time and place, those White Army supporters might also exchange right-wing allegiance for allegiance to the Red Army, the Volunteer Army in South Russia became the most prominent and the largest of the various and disparate White forces. Starting off as a small and well-organized military in January 1918, the Kuban Cossacks joined the White Army, and conscription of both peasants and Cossacks began. In late February 1918,4,000 soldiers under the command of General Aleksei Kaledin were forced to retreat from Rostov-on-Don due to the advance of the Red Army, in 1919 the Don Cossacks joined and the Army began drafting Ukrainian peasants. In that year, between May and October, the Volunteer Army grew from 64,000 to 150,000 soldiers and was better supplied than its Red counterpart. The White Armys rank-and-file comprised active anti-Bolsheviks, such as Cossacks, nobles, the White movement had access to various naval forces, both sea-going and river-based. Note especially the use of the Black Sea Fleet, aerial forces available to the Whites included the Slavo-British Aviation Corps. The Russian ace Alexander Kazakov operated within this unit, the White movements leaders and first members came mainly from the ranks of military officers. Many came from outside the nobility, such as generals Mikhail Alekseev, the White generals never mastered administration, they often utilized prerevolutionary functionaries or military officers with monarchististic inclinations for administering White-controlled regions
White movement
–
Coat of Arms of the Russian Government. 1919
White movement
–
"Why aren't you in the army?" Volunteer Army recruiting poster during the Russian Civil War.
White movement
–
The White Army: the flag of the Battalion of Death, later integral to the
Volunteer Army.
White movement
–
Blagoveshchensky Temple, a Russian Orthodox church in
Harbin, China
10.
Alexander Kolchak
–
Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak CB was a polar explorer and commander in the Imperial Russian Navy, who fought in the Russo-Japanese War and the First World War. His government was based in Omsk, in southwestern Siberia, for a year and a half, Kolchak was the internationally recognised leader of Russia. As his White forces fell apart, he was betrayed and captured by independent units who handed him over to local Bolsheviks, Kolchak was born in Saint Petersburg in 1874 to a family of minor Russian nobility. His father was a retired major-general of the Marine Artillery and a veteran of the 1854 siege of Sevastopol, Kolchak was educated for a naval career, graduating from the Naval Cadet Corps in 1894 and joining the 7th Naval Battalion. He was soon transferred to the Russian Far East, serving in Vladivostok from 1895 to 1899 and he then returned to western Russia and was based at Kronstadt, joining the Russian Polar expedition of Eduard Toll on the ship Zarya in 1900 as a hydrologist. After considerable hardship, Kolchak returned in December 1902, Eduard Toll with three other explorers continued further north and were lost, Kolchak took part in two Arctic expeditions and for a while was nicknamed Kolchak-Poliarnyi. For his explorations Kolchak received the highest award of the Russian Geographical Society, in December 1903, Kolchak was en route to St. In the early stages of the Russo-Japanese War, he served as officer on the cruiser Askold. He made several sorties to lay naval mines, one of which succeeded in sinking the Japanese cruiser Takasago. He was decorated with the Order of St. Anna 4th class for the exploit, as the blockade of the port tightened and the Siege of Port Arthur intensified, he was given command of a coastal artillery battery. He was wounded in the battle for Port Arthur and taken as a prisoner of war to Nagasaki. His poor health— led to his repatriation before the end of the war, Kolchak was awarded the Golden Sword of St. George with the inscription For Bravery on his return to Russia. He served on the Naval General Staff from 1906, helping draft a shipbuilding program, a program, and developing a new protection plan for St. Petersburg. Kolchak took part in designing the special icebreakers Taimyr and Vaigach, based in Vladivostok, these vessels were sent on cartographic expedition to the Bering Strait and Cape Dezhnev. Kolchak commanded the Vaigach during this expedition and later worked at the Academy of Sciences with the materials collected by him during expeditions. His study, The Ices of the Kara and Siberian Seas, was printed in the Proceedings of the Russian Imperial Academy of Sciences and is considered the most important work on this subject. Extracts from it were published under the title The Arctic Pack, in 1910 he returned to the Naval General Staff, and in 1912 he was assigned to the Russian Baltic Fleet. The onset of the First World War found him on the flagship Pogranichnik, commanding Admiral Essen was not satisfied to remain on the defensive and ordered Kolchak to prepare a scheme for attacking the approaches of the German naval bases
Alexander Kolchak
–
Admiral Kolchak
Alexander Kolchak
–
Kolchak on Zarya
Alexander Kolchak
–
Signature Supreme Ruler Alexander Kolchak
Alexander Kolchak
–
Draft Russian government Сoat of arms
11.
President of Russia
–
The President of the Russian Federation is the elected head of state, Supreme Commander-in-Chief and holder of the highest office within the Russian Federation. The current President of Russia is Vladimir Putin, in 1991, the office was briefly known as the President of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic until 25 December 1991. According to the 1978 Russian Constitution, the President of Russia was head of the executive branch, according to the current 1993 Constitution of Russia, the President of Russia is not a part of the Government of Russia, which exercises executive power. In all cases where the President of the Russian Federation is unable to fulfill his duties, they shall be temporarily delegated to the Prime Minister, the Chairman of the Federation Council is the third important position after the President and the Prime Minister. In the case of incapacity of both the President and Prime Minister, the chairman of the house of parliament becomes acting head of state. The president is empowered to grant federal pardons and reprieves. The president also directs the foreign and domestic policy of the Russian Federation, the president is elected directly through a popular vote to a six-year term. The law prohibits anyone from ever being elected to the presidency for a consecutive term. In all,3 individuals have served 4 presidencies spanning 6 full terms, on May 7,2012, Vladimir Putin became the 4th and current president. A candidate for office must be a citizen of the Russian Federation who is at least 35 years old and has resided in Russia for at least 10 years. The Constitution of Russia limits the election of one person to the Presidency to two consecutive terms, since the constitution contains no ruling on a total number of terms that a President may serve, a former president may seek re-election after sitting out one complete term. The election of the President is mainly regulated by the Presidential Election Law, the Federation Council calls the presidential elections. If it does not call an election that is due. The Election Day is the second Sunday of the month and the electoral constituency is the territory of the Russian Federation as a whole. Each faction in the State Duma, the house of the Russian parliament has the right to nominate a candidate for the presidential elections. The minimum number of signatures for a presidential candidate fielded by a party with no parliamentary representation is 100,000. Terms were extended from four to six years in 2008, during Dmitry Medvedevs administration, the President is elected in a two-round system every six years, with a two consecutive term limitation. If no candidate wins by an majority in the first round
President of Russia
–
Incumbent
Vladimir Putin since 7 May 2012
President of Russia
–
Standard of the President of the Russian Federation
President of Russia
–
Chain of office
President of Russia
–
Vladimir Putin takes the Presidential Oath while placing his right hand on the Presidential copy of the
Russian Constitution.
12.
Georgi Pulevski
–
Pulevski was born in 1817 in Galičnik, then under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, and died in 1895 in Sofia, Principality of Bulgaria. Trained as a stonemason, he became a writer in matters relating to Macedonian language. In Bulgaria he is regarded as a Bulgarian and early adherent to Macedonism, Pulevski was born in the Mijak tribal region. According to one source, Pulevskis ancestors settled Galičnik from Pula, Pulevski himself identified as mijak galički. As a seven-year-old, he went with his father to Romania on seasonal work, in 1875, he published in Belgrade a book called Dictionary of Three Languages. It was a conversational phrasebook composed in question-and-answer style in three columns, in Macedonian, Albanian and Turkish, all three spelled in Cyrillic. Pulevski chose to write in the local Macedonian rather than the Bulgarian standard based on eastern Tarnovo dialects, in 1880, Pulevski published Slavjano-naseljenski makedonska slognica rečovska, a work that is today known as the first attempt at a grammar of Macedonian. In it, Pulevski systematically contrasted his language, which he called našinski or slavjano-makedonski with both Serbian and Bulgarian, all records of this book were lost during the first half of 20th century and only discovered again in the 1950s in Sofia. In 1862, Pulevski fought as a member of the Bulgarian Legion against the Ottoman siege at Belgrade, after the war, he went to live in the newly liberated Bulgarian capital Sofia. He also participated as a volunteer in the Kresna-Razlog Uprising, which aimed at unification of Ottoman Macedonia with Bulgaria, in an application for a veteran pension to the Bulgarian Parliament in 1882, he expressed his regret about the failure of this unification. From 1883 Pulevski finally received a government pension in recognition of his service as a Bulgarian volunteer, the definition of the ethnic Macedonian identity arose from the writings of Georgi Pulevski, who identified the existence of a distinct modern Macedonian language and nation. Pulevski summarized the folk histories of the Macedonian people and concluded that the Macedonians were descendants of the Ancient Macedonians, however his Macedonian self-identification was ambiguous. Pulevski viewed Macedonian identity as being a phenomenon, similar to Herzegovinians and Thracians. He also sometimes described himself as a Serbian patriot, but he viewed his ethnic designation as Bulgarian from the village of Galičnik. Pulevskis different identifications actually revealed the absence of an ethnic identity among part of the local Macedonian population at that time. Blaze Ristovski Georgija M. Pulevski, Odbrani stranici, Skopje, gjorgji Pulevski – Rechnik od tri jazika, PDF A dictionary of three languages on Commons. A dictionary of four languages on Commons, entangled Histories of the Balkans, Volume One, National Ideologies and Language Policies. Media related to Georgi Pulevski at Wikimedia Commons Quotations related to Georgi Pulevski at Wikiquote
Georgi Pulevski
–
Georgi Pulevski
Georgi Pulevski
–
Pulevski statue in Skopje
13.
Saint George
–
Saint George, according to legend, was a Roman soldier of Syrian origin and officer in the Guard of Roman emperor Diocletian, who ordered his death for failing to recant his Christian faith. As a Christian martyr, he became one of the most venerated saints in Christianity. In hagiography, as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers and one of the most prominent military saints, he is immortalised in the myth of Saint George and his memorial, Saint Georges Day, is traditionally celebrated on April 23. Numerous countries, cities, professions and organisations claim Saint George as their patron, accounts differ regarding whether George was born in Cappadocia or Syria Palaestina, but agree that he was raised at least partly in Lydda. There is little information on the life of Saint George. Two stories tell of his possible origins, one says that he was born in the region of Cappadocia, which is now located in central Turkey. Georges parents were both Christian, and they brought him up to be a Christian and his father died when he was fourteen, and his mother took George back to her homeland of Palestine. At seventeen, he joined the Roman army, a second story says that Georges father came from Cappadocia. His mother was from Lydda, in Palestine, and George was born in Lydda, both of his parents were from noble Syrian families and gave him the Greek name of Georgios. Georges father had been an officer in the Roman army, so George joined the Roman army as soon as he could, an earlier work by Eusebius, Church history, written in the 4th century, contributed to the legend but did not name George or provide significant detail. A critical edition of a Syriac Acta of Saint George, accompanied by an annotated English translation, was published by E. W. Brooks in 1925. Pope Gelasius I stated that George was among those whose names are justly reverenced among men. The traditional legends have offered a narration of Georges encounter with a dragon. The modern legend that follows below is synthesised from early and late hagiographical sources, chief among the legendary sources about the saint is the Golden Legend, which remains the most familiar version in English owing to William Caxtons 15th-century translation. At the age of 14, George lost his father, a few years later, George then decided to go to Nicomedia and present himself to Diocletian to apply for a career as a soldier. Diocletian welcomed him with arms, as he had known his father. By his late twenties, George was promoted to the rank of military tribune, however, George objected, and with the courage of his faith, approached the Emperor and ruler. Diocletian was upset, not wanting to lose his best tribune, but George loudly renounced the Emperors edict, and in front of his fellow soldiers and tribunes he claimed himself to be a Christian
Saint George
–
Portrait by
Hans von Kulmbach, circa 1510
Saint George
–
Saint George Killing the Dragon, 1434/35, by
Martorell
Saint George
–
St George the dragon-slayer
Saint George
–
The martyrdom of Saint George, by
Paolo Veronese, 1564
14.
Dragon
–
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically scaled or fire-spewing and with serpentine, reptilian or avian traits, that features in the myths of many cultures around world. The two most well-known cultural traditions of dragon are The European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Balkans, most are depicted as reptilian creatures with animal-level intelligence, and are uniquely six-limbed. The Chinese dragon, with counterparts in Japan, Korea and other East Asian, most are depicted as serpentine creatures with above-average intelligence, and are quadrupeds. The two traditions may have evolved separately, but have influenced each other to a certain extent, the English word dragon and Latin word draco derives from Greek δράκων, dragon, serpent of huge size, water-snake. The Greek and Latin term referred to any great serpent, not necessarily mythological, a dragon is a mythological representation of a reptile. In antiquity, dragons were mostly envisaged as serpents, but since the Middle Ages, it has become common to them with legs. Dragons are usually shown in modern times with a body like a huge lizard, the European dragon has bat-like wings growing from its back. A dragon-like creature with wings but only a pair of legs is known as a wyvern. The association of the serpent with a monstrous opponent overcome by a deity has its roots in the mythology of the Ancient Near East, including Canaanite, Hittite. Humbaba, the fire-breathing dragon-fanged beast first described in the Epic of Gilgamesh, is described as a dragon with Gilgamesh playing the part of dragon-slayer. The folk-lore motif of the dragon guarding gold may have come from earlier Bronze Age customs of introducing serpents to village granaries to deter rats or mice. Although dragons occur in many legends around the world, different cultures have varying stories about monsters that have been grouped together under the dragon label, some dragons are said to breathe fire or to be poisonous, such as in the Old English poem Beowulf. They are commonly portrayed as serpentine or reptilian, hatching from eggs and they are sometimes portrayed as hoarding treasure. Some myths portray them with a row of dorsal spines, European dragons are more often winged, while Chinese dragons resemble large snakes. Dragons can have a number of legs, none, two, four, or more when it comes to early European literature. Dragons are often held to have spiritual significance in various religions. In many Asian cultures, dragons were, and in some still are, revered as representative of the primal forces of nature, religion. They are associated with wisdom—often said to be wiser than humans—and longevity and they are commonly said to possess some form of magic or other supernatural power, and are often associated with wells, rain, and rivers
Dragon
–
Sculpture of Mario the Magnificent, the dragon mascot of
Drexel University, by
Eric Berg
Dragon
–
Carved imperial Chinese dragons at
Nine-Dragon Wall,
Beihai Park,
Beijing
Dragon
–
Dragon
Dragon
–
Saint George Killing the Dragon, 1434/35, by
Martorell
15.
Cipher
–
In cryptography, encryption is the process of encoding a message or information in such a way that only authorized parties can access it. Encryption does not of itself prevent interference, but denies the intelligible content to a would-be interceptor, in an encryption scheme, the intended information or message, referred to as plaintext, is encrypted using an encryption algorithm, generating ciphertext that can only be read if decrypted. For technical reasons, an encryption scheme usually uses an encryption key generated by an algorithm. It is in possible to decrypt the message without possessing the key. An authorized recipient can decrypt the message with the key provided by the originator to recipients. In symmetric-key schemes, the encryption and decryption keys are the same, communicating parties must have the same key before they can achieve secure communication. In public-key encryption schemes, the key is published for anyone to use. However, only the party has access to the decryption key that enables messages to be read. Public-key encryption was first described in a document in 1973. Encryption has long used by militaries and governments to facilitate secret communication. It is now used in protecting information within many kinds of civilian systems. Encryption can be used to protect data at rest, such as stored on computers. In recent years, there have been reports of confidential data, such as customers personal records. Encrypting such files at rest helps protect them should physical security measures fail, in response to encryption of data at rest, cyber-adversaries have developed new types of attacks. There have been reports of data in transit being intercepted in recent years. Data should also be encrypted when transmitted across networks in order to protect against eavesdropping of network traffic by unauthorized users, standards for cryptographic software and hardware to perform encryption are widely available, but successfully using encryption to ensure security may be a challenging problem. A single error in design or execution can allow successful attacks. Sometimes an adversary can obtain unencrypted information without directly undoing the encryption, see, e. g. traffic analysis, TEMPEST, or Trojan horse
Cipher
16.
Ribbon of St. George
–
The ribbon of Saint George is a widely recognized military symbol in Russia. The ribbon consists of a black and orange bicolour pattern, with three black and two orange stripes and it appears as a component of many high military decorations awarded by the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and the current Russian Federation. During Soviet times, the ribbon held no public significance, the symbol was revived in Russia in 2005 as a response to the pro-democratic Orange Revolution in Ukraine. That year, Russian state media along with youth organizations launched the campaign ahead of World War II memorial celebrations. In Russia, the ribbon of Saint George is also used by civilians as a symbol and as a symbol of public support to the Russian government. In Ukraine and the Baltic states, the symbol has become associated with Russian nationalist and separatist sentiment. The Georgian ribbon emerged as part of the Order of Saint George, 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 battle honour awarded to meritorious Guards. The pike on which these flags were mounted was topped by the Cross of Saint George and it remained the highest collective military award in the Imperial Russian Army until the Revolution in 1917. It is worth noting that the tsarist version was yellow and black, not orange and black like the revived Soviet version. The symbolism of the orange and black is thought to represent fire and gunpowder of war, or the death and resurrection of Saint George, the 100th, 127th, 153rd and 161st Rifle Divisions were renamed into the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Guards Divisions, respectively. The units and formations nominated for the Soviet Guard title received special Guards banner in accordance with the decision of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. On 21 May 1942, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR introduced Guards ranks, both included the Georgian ribbon pattern. In June 1943, they introduced the Guards Red Banners for the land forces, Georgian ribbons adorned the banners exactly as in the 19th century. Established on 8 November 1943, the Order of Glory was an order of the Soviet Union and it was awarded to non-commissioned officers and the rank-and-file of the armed forces, as well as to junior lieutenants of the air force, for bravery in the face of the enemy. The ribbon of the Order was orange with three black stripes - the same as that of the Cross of Saint George, one of the most honourable medals in the Soviet Union, the medal For the Victory over Germany also features Saint George stripes. The ribbon – along with the Russian tricolored flag and the Russian Navy Ensign – was also used by the anti-Soviet Russian Liberation Army that fought alongside Nazi Germany during World War II. Since then the ribbon is worn by civilians in Russia and other republics of the Soviet Union as an act of commemoration
Ribbon of St. George
–
Presidents of Russia, China and Kyrgyzstan with Saint George ribbons during the
2015 Moscow Victory Day Parade
Ribbon of St. George
–
Flag of the Saint George Ribbon. Often used by pro-Russian protestors in Ukraine
Ribbon of St. George
–
Local residents in
Donetsk carry portraits of their ancestors and participants in
World War II, 9 May 2015
Ribbon of St. George
–
Kazakh President
Nursultan Nazarbayev during the
2015 Moscow Victory Day Parade
17.
Coat of arms of Russia
–
The general tincture corresponds to the early fifteenth-century standard. The shape of the eagle can be traced back to the reign of Peter the Great, the two main elements of Russian state symbols predate Peter the Great. Today, however, the description does not refer to the rider on the central shield as representing Saint George. The current coat of arms was designed by artist Yevgeny Ukhnalyov, today, the imperial crowns on each head stand for the unity and sovereignty of Russia, both as a whole and in its constituent republics and regions. The orb and scepter grasped in the talons are traditional heraldic symbols of sovereign power. Andrew have been removed from the current coat of arms, the modern arms of Russia were instated by a presidential decree in 1993, and then by a federal law signed by President Vladimir Putin on December 20,2000. They date back to 1472, when Ivan III began using the eagle in his seal. The coat of arms were changed in 1918 with the creation of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, the current coat of arms, in use since 1993, once again uses the double-headed eagle with the image of St. George. The Russian Empire had a coat of arms, displayed in either its greater, middle and lesser version. Its escutcheon was golden with a black two-headed eagle crowned with two crowns, over which the same third crown, enlarged, with two flying ends of the ribbon of the Order of Saint Andrew. The State Eagle held a scepter and golden globus cruciger. On the chest of the eagle there was an escutcheon with the arms of Moscow, depicting Saint George, mounted, after approval by Alexander III on 24 July 1882, the greater coat of arms was adopted on November 3, replacing the previous 1857 version. Its central element is the coat of arms, crowned with the helmet of Alexander Nevsky, with black and golden mantling, the collar of the Order of Saint Andrew is suspended from the coat of arms. The whole lies within an ermine mantle, crowned by the Imperial Crown of Russia. The inscription on the canopy reads, Съ Нами Богъ, above the canopy stands the state khorugv, of gold cloth, on which is depicted the Medium State Seal. The banner is topped by the State Eagle, around the central composition are placed fifteen coats of arms of the various territories of the Russian Empire. Nine of these are crowned and placed on a laurel and oak wreath, the six upper escutcheons are joint depictions of various smaller principalities and oblasts. The Middle Coat of Arms is similar to the Great Coat of Arms, excluding the khorugv, the Abbreviated Imperial Title is inscribed over the perimeter of the Seal
Coat of arms of Russia
–
Middle version
Coat of arms of Russia
–
Coat of arms of Russia
Coat of arms of Russia
–
Coat of arms of the Palaiologos dynasty, the last rulers of the Byzantine Empire.
Coat of arms of Russia
18.
Russian Guards
–
Guards or Guards units were elite military units of Imperial Russia prior to 1917-18. The designation of Guards was subsequently adopted as a distinction for various units and formations of the Soviet Union, the tradition goes back to the a chieftains druzhina of medieval Kievan Rus and the Marksman Troops, the Muscovite harquebusiers formed by Ivan the Terrible by 1550. The exact meaning of the term Guards varied over time, in the Russian Empire, Imperial Russian Guard units, derived from German Leibgarde, were intended to ensure the security of the sovereign, initially, that of Peter the Great in the 1690s. These were based on the Prussian Royal Life Guards, during the 19th century the Imperial Russian Guard regiments were not exclusively composed of Russian troops, but also included Lithuanian, Finnish and Ukrainian units. During the Brusilov Offensive the 1st and 2nd Guards numbers were supplemented with line army corp, in February–March 1917 the defection of reserve battalions of the Imperial Guard based in Petrograd was a major factor in the overthrow of the Tsarist government. The service units of the Guard at the front disintegrated along with the remainder of the Imperial Army, the Red Guards were armed groups of workers formed during the Russian Revolution of 1917, although the designation and concept dates back to Moscow during the Revolution of 1905. In 1917 the volunteers of the Red Guard and their leaders formed the main strike force of the Bolsheviks. In October 1917 the Red Guards of Petrograd played a role in the capture of the Winter Palace. When the Soviet Red Army was formed in 1918, the Red Guards became the Army Reserve, however, the Guards badge was not introduced until 21 May 1943. Zhukov states the first period of the war gave birth to the Soviet Guards, for mass heroism and success in the battles of 1941-1942 the Guards title was awarded to 789 groups, formations, separate units, and fighting ships of the Soviet Armed Forces. List of guards units of Ukraine
Russian Guards
–
Badge of the Imperial Russian Guard
Izmaylovsky Regiment.
Russian Guards
–
Badge of Russian Guards units
Russian Guards
–
Badge of Belarusian Guards units
Russian Guards
–
Badge of Ukrainian Guards units
19.
Ribbon bar
–
Service ribbons or ribbon bars are small ribbons mounted on small metal bars equipped with attaching devices, and are generally issued for wear in place of medals. Each countrys government has its own rules on what ribbons can be worn in what circumstances and this is usually defined in an official document and is called the order of precedence or the order of wearing. In some countries, some awards are only, having no associated medal. According to the Defense Logistics Agency, the U. S. militarys standard size for a bar is 35mm wide, 3/8 inches tall. The service ribbon for a medal is usually identical to the suspension ribbon on the medal. For example, the suspension and service ribbon for the U. S. governments Purple Heart medal is purple with a vertical stripe at each end. However, there are some military awards that do not have a suspension ribbon, the Soviet Order of Victory is a badge that was worn on the military parade uniform. However, a ribbon bar representing the Order of Victory was worn on a field uniform. There is a variety of constructions of service ribbons, in some countries, service ribbons are mounted on a pin backing, which can be pushed through the fabric of a uniform and secured, with fasteners, on the inside edge. These ribbons can be secured and then lined up, or they can be all mounted on to a single fastener. After the Second World War, it was common for all ribbons to be mounted on a metal bar. Other methods of wearing have included physically sewing each service ribbon onto the uniform garments, orders of wearing define which ribbons may be worn on which types of uniform in which positions under which circumstances. For example, miniature medals on dinner dress, full medals on parade dress, ribbons on dress shirts, some countries maintain a standard practice of wearing full service ribbons on combat utility clothing. These regulations are similar to the regulations regarding display of rank insignia. In times of war, it is not uncommon for commanders and other high value individuals to wear no markings on their uniforms, service medals and ribbons are generally worn in rows on the left side of the chest. In certain commemorative and/ or memorial circumstances, a relative may wear the medals or ribbons of a relative on the right side of the chest. Medals and ribbons not specifically mentioned in the Order of wear are also worn on the right side of the chest. Sequencing of the ribbons depends on each countrys regulations, the study, history and collection of ribbons, among other military decorations, is known as phaleristics
Ribbon bar
Ribbon bar
–
The
Purple Heart with the corresponding service ribbon (top).
Ribbon bar
Ribbon bar
20.
Nikolay Yegorovich Makarov
–
Army General Nikolai Yegorovich Makarov was Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia and First Deputy Minister of Defence from 2008 to 2012 when he was replaced by Valery Gerasimov. Makarov was born on 7 October 1949 in Glebovo, Ryazan Oblast and he graduated from the Higher Moscow Combined Arms Command School. Makarov assumed command over a platoon with the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany, in January 1998, he took up the post as ground and coastal force commander at the Baltic Fleet. In September 1999, Nikolay Makarov assumed the duties as first deputy commander, on 8 May 2005, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin promoted Nikolay Makarov to his present rank of General of the Army. In April 2007 he was appointed as Chief of Аrmament for the Russian Armed Forces/Deputy Minister of Defence, in June 2008 Nikolay Makarov was delegated the powers and responsibilities of Chief of the General Staff, First Deputy Minister of Defence. Makarov was a member of the Historical Truth Commission that existed between 2009 and 2012, Makarov is married and has a son. On 9 November 2012, Makarov was sacked from his position of Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation by Russian president Vladimir Putin and he has family all around the world mostly in Canada and Russia. Including a wife Anita Yegorovich who died in 2003 and a daughter Tatiana Yegorovich and he also had an adopted son called Andrei Popov who disappeared in 2004
Nikolay Yegorovich Makarov
–
Nikolai Makarov on 22 September 2009
21.
Alexander Zelin
–
Alexander Nikolayevich Zelin served as Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force from 9 May 2007 until 27 April 2012. Zelin holds the Air Force rank of colonel-general, since May 2012 Zelin has been an adviser to the Russian Defence Minister. Alexander Zelin was born on 6 May 1953, in Perevalsk and he graduated from Kharkov Higher Aviation School of Pilots in 1976, Gagarin Air Force Academy in 1988, and General Staff Academy in 1997. From August 2002 to May 2007 he served as Chief of aviation – Air Force Deputy Commander-in-Chief for aviation, on May 9,2007, he became the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force, replacing Army General Vladimir Mikhaylov. On April 27,2012, he was dismissed from his post and he was succeeded by Viktor Bondarev. Honoured Military Pilot of the Russian Federation Order of St. ru/eng/1862/12068/12088/12221/24062/index. shtml
Alexander Zelin
–
Alexander Zelin
22.
Vladimir Boldyrev
–
General of the Army Vladimir Anatolyevich Boldyrev was Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces. Boldyrev was born on 5 January 1949 in Krasnoyarsky, Volgograd Oblast and he graduated the Moscow Military Command High School in 1971, and Frunze Academy in 1978. He served in command positions in the Belorussian Military District. He later served as Commander of the 36th Army in 1994, in May 2001, he moved to position of the First Deputy Commander of the Siberian Military District, and later became commander. He transferred to the position of the Commander of the North Caucasus Military District in December 2002 and he was promoted to the rank of General of the Army in December 2003. In July 2004, he assumed position of the Commander of the Volga-Urals Military District and he served at this position until he became Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces in August 2008. In 2010 he was discharged due to age limit, the Generals of the Russian Army Kommersant, February 25,2005
Vladimir Boldyrev
–
Vladimir Boldyrev in 2008
23.
Leopold I of Belgium
–
Leopold I was a German prince who became the first King of the Belgians following Belgian independence in 1830. He reigned between July 1831 and December 1865, Charlotte died in 1817, but Leopold continued to enjoy considerable status in Britain. After the Greek War of Independence, LeopoId was offered the position of King of Greece but turned it down, instead, Leopold accepted the kingship of the newly established Kingdom of Belgium in 1831. The Belgian government offered the position to Leopold because of his connections with royal houses across Europe. Leopold took his oath as King of the Belgians on 21 July 1831 and his reign was marked by attempts by the Dutch to recapture Belgium and, later, by internal political division between liberals and Catholics. As a result of the ambiguities in the Belgian Constitution, Leopold was able to expand the monarchs powers during his reign. He also played an important role in stopping the spread of the Revolutions of 1848 into Belgium and he died in 1865 and was succeeded by his son, Leopold II. Leopold was born in Coburg in the tiny German duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld in modern-day Bavaria on 16 December 1790 and he was the youngest son of Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, and Countess Augusta Reuss-Ebersdorf. In 1826, Saxe-Coburg acquired the city of Gotha from the neighboring Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and gave up Saalfeld to Saxe-Meiningen, becoming Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Ln 1795, at just five years old, Leopold was given a commission of the rank of colonel in the Izmaylovsky Regiment, part of the Imperial Guard. Seven years later, he received a promotion to the rank of Major General, when French troops occupied the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars, Leopold went to Paris where he became part of the Imperial Court of Napoleon. Napoleon offered him the position of adjutant, but Leopold refused, instead, he went to Russia to take up a military career in the Imperial Russian cavalry, which was at war with France at the time. He campaigned against Napoleon and distinguished himself at the Battle of Kulm at the head of his cuirassier division, in 1815, by the time of the final defeat of Napoleon and, aged 25, reached the rank of lieutenant general. Leopold received British citizenship in 1815, on 2 May 1816, Leopold married Princess Charlotte of Wales at Carlton House in London. Charlotte was the legitimate child of the Prince Regent George. The same year he received a commission to the rank of Field Marshal. On 5 November 1817, Princess Charlotte gave birth to a stillborn son and she herself died the next day following complications. Despite Charlottes death, the Prince Regent granted Prince Leopold the British style of Royal Highness by Order in Council on 6 April 1818, from 1828 to 1829, Leopold had several-months long affair with the actress Caroline Bauer, who bore a striking resemblance to Charlotte
Leopold I of Belgium
–
Portrait of Leopold by
George Dawe
Leopold I of Belgium
–
Ehrenburg Palace in
Coburg, where Leopold was born in 1790, pictured c. 1900
Leopold I of Belgium
–
Engraving of the wedding of Charlotte and Leopold in 1816
Leopold I of Belgium
–
Louis-Philippe refuses the crown of Belgium on behalf of his son, the
Duke of Nemours, 17 February 1831
24.
Lambros Katsonis
–
Born in Levadia, he joined the Orlov Revolt in 1770, but not pleased by the result he built up a small fleet and began harassing the Ottomans in the Aegean Sea. In 1790 he was defeated at the Battle of Andros, Katsonis had his hideout in the bay of Porto Kagio. His crew grew very restless and they attacked and sunk two French naval ships and this caused the French to join with the Ottomans to try to stop Katsonis. They cornered him at Porto Kagio and Katsonis navy was destroyed, Katsonis escaped to Odessa and Yalta where he was granted the Livadia estate —what was later to become the Livadia Palace estate— by Catherine the Great. He lived out the rest of his days there and his wife was known as Angelina in Russia, but her real name was Maria Sophianou. He had three sons and possibly one daughter and his first son was killed by the Turks when he was still infant, in the Greek island of Kea. The second, Lykourgos, born on a Greek island, had a brilliant career as officer in the Russian Army, the third son, Alexander who was born in the Crimea, also became an officer in the Russian Army. According to some sources he had a daughter named Garyfallia, one of Lambros grandsons, Spyridon son of Alexander, was a known Russian writer. He was also the godfather of Odysseas Androutsos, a commander of the Greek War of Independence, the Livadia Palace, the summer home of the last Tsars was built on Katsonis Livadia estate after 1861. The name of the estate was given to it by Katsonis, who named it after his birthplace, moreover and it is there that the World War II Yalta Conference took place. The Hellenic Navy has named four of its ships after Katsonis, pryakhin, Yuri D. Ламброс Кацонис в истории Греции и России. Η στροφή των Ελλήνων προς τους Ρώσους, Ο Ρωσοτουρκικός πόλεμος του 1787-1792 και οι Έλληνες, Οι αγώνες των Σουλιωτών και η δράση του Λάμπρου Κατσώνη. Ιστορία του Ελληνικού Έθνους, Τόμος ΙΑ′, Ο ελληνισμός υπό ξένη κυριαρχία, 1669–1821
Lambros Katsonis
–
Lambros Katsonis.
25.
Greeks
–
The Greeks or Hellenes are an ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus, southern Albania, Turkey, Sicily, Egypt and, to a lesser extent, other countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world, many of these regions coincided to a large extent with the borders of the Byzantine Empire of the late 11th century and the Eastern Mediterranean areas of ancient Greek colonization. The cultural centers of the Greeks have included Athens, Thessalonica, Alexandria, Smyrna, most ethnic Greeks live nowadays within the borders of the modern Greek state and Cyprus. The Greek genocide and population exchange between Greece and Turkey nearly ended the three millennia-old Greek presence in Asia Minor, other longstanding Greek populations can be found from southern Italy to the Caucasus and southern Russia and Ukraine and in the Greek diaspora communities in a number of other countries. Today, most Greeks are officially registered as members of the Greek Orthodox Church, the Greeks speak the Greek language, which forms its own unique branch within the Indo-European family of languages, the Hellenic. They are part of a group of ethnicities, described by Anthony D. Smith as an archetypal diaspora people. Both migrations occur at incisive periods, the Mycenaean at the transition to the Late Bronze Age, the Mycenaeans quickly penetrated the Aegean Sea and, by the 15th century BC, had reached Rhodes, Crete, Cyprus and the shores of Asia Minor. Around 1200 BC, the Dorians, another Greek-speaking people, followed from Epirus, the Dorian invasion was followed by a poorly attested period of migrations, appropriately called the Greek Dark Ages, but by 800 BC the landscape of Archaic and Classical Greece was discernible. The Greeks of classical antiquity idealized their Mycenaean ancestors and the Mycenaean period as an era of heroes, closeness of the gods. The Homeric Epics were especially and generally accepted as part of the Greek past, as part of the Mycenaean heritage that survived, the names of the gods and goddesses of Mycenaean Greece became major figures of the Olympian Pantheon of later antiquity. The ethnogenesis of the Greek nation is linked to the development of Pan-Hellenism in the 8th century BC, the works of Homer and Hesiod were written in the 8th century BC, becoming the basis of the national religion, ethos, history and mythology. The Oracle of Apollo at Delphi was established in this period, the classical period of Greek civilization covers a time spanning from the early 5th century BC to the death of Alexander the Great, in 323 BC. It is so named because it set the standards by which Greek civilization would be judged in later eras, the Peloponnesian War, the large scale civil war between the two most powerful Greek city-states Athens and Sparta and their allies, left both greatly weakened. Many Greeks settled in Hellenistic cities like Alexandria, Antioch and Seleucia, two thousand years later, there are still communities in Pakistan and Afghanistan, like the Kalash, who claim to be descended from Greek settlers. The Hellenistic civilization was the period of Greek civilization, the beginnings of which are usually placed at Alexanders death. This Hellenistic age, so called because it saw the partial Hellenization of many non-Greek cultures and this age saw the Greeks move towards larger cities and a reduction in the importance of the city-state. These larger cities were parts of the still larger Kingdoms of the Diadochi, Greeks, however, remained aware of their past, chiefly through the study of the works of Homer and the classical authors. An important factor in maintaining Greek identity was contact with barbarian peoples and this led to a strong desire among Greeks to organize the transmission of the Hellenic paideia to the next generation
Greeks
–
Hoplites fighting. Detail from an Attic black-figure
hydria, ca. 560 BC–550 BC.
Louvre,
Paris.
Greeks
–
A reconstruction of the 3rd millennium BC "Proto-Greek area", according to Bulgarian linguist
Vladimir Georgiev.
Greeks
–
Bust of
Cleopatra VII.
Altes Museum,
Berlin.
Greeks
–
Statues of
Saints Cyril and Methodius, missionaries of
Christianity among the
Slavic peoples, on the
Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc,
Czech Republic.
26.
Vladimir Shamanov
–
After his retirement in October 2016, Shamanov became head of the State Duma Defense Committee. Shamanov was removed from duty in January 2000, quoting health reasons, in November 2007, his impending return to the military service has been announced. In August 2008, he commanded the Russian forces in Abkhazia during the 2008 South Ossetia war with Georgia. On August 12,2008 he took control over 9,600 Russian servicemen in Abkhazia, on 26 May 2009 Vladimir Shamanov became the new commander of the VDV, replacing Lieutenant-General Valeriy Yevtukhovich who was being discharged to the reserve. Shamanov was appointed by Dmitry Medvedev to neutralize discontent over the cuts, although Shamanov supported the programme, he cancelled all cuts and changes in the VDV and announced that the airborne troops would be reinforced. On 4 October 2016, Shamanov retired from the Russian Armed Forces, Shamanov has an image of an over-the-top ruthless man among the other Russian military leaders, with certain insurgency-related sources calling him the Butcher of Chechnya. He cynically believes that all Chechens – men and women, even children – are bandits and he has a serious xenophobic streak. He’s cruel, but it comes from his sense of duty, he’s honest about it, but that doesn’t make it less frightening. In December 1999 Shamanov was awarded his second Hero of the Russian Federation medal for actions around the village of Alkhan-Yurt earlier that month. However, Human Rights Watch have asked the Russian government to open an investigation into his role the incident in Chechnya, Shamanov was reported as threatening to shoot villagers who pleaded with him to halt the abuses. Later, he dismissed calls for accountability for the abuses, saying that the Russian soldiers were doing a sacred thing, nevertheless, he denied the accusations of human rights violations in the foreign media. In the 2004 The Washington Post interview, Shamanov rejected the allegations as fairy tales and suggested that human groups had planted the bodies in Alkhan-Yurt. Shamanovs forces are believed to have looted and pillaged and killed in the other places during the second Chechen campaign, among them at Katyr-Yurt, Shami-Yurt. In March 2000, Shamanov exhibited strong sympathy towards the war crimes suspect Colonel Yuri Budanov, Budanov, Shamanov trumpeted, was one of his best commanders and offered this challenge, Dont put your paws on the image of a Russian soldier and officer. Later, Shamanov came to Rostov-on-the-Don to defend Budanov during trial, ultimately, Budanov was convicted for the March 2000 kidnapping and murder of the young Chechen woman Elza Kungaeva. On September 21,2004, Shamanov, now the Ulyanovsk regional governor, backed a pardon for Budanov, in March 2007 Shamanov met in the White House with the U. S. President George W. Bush, which was criticised by human rights groups. This isnt someone the U. S. president should be meeting with and this is someone the president should be calling for an investigation of, HRW commented. Shamanov had to admit to inappropriate behaviour and only got a reprimand for this incident and he could easily have been dismissed
Vladimir Shamanov
–
Vladimir Anatolyevich Shamanov Владимир Анатольевич Шаманов
Vladimir Shamanov
–
Controversial image of
Robert H. Foglesong, U.S. President
George W. Bush, and Vladimir Shamanov.
27.
Anatoly Lebed
–
Anatoly Vyacheslavovich Lebed, was a Hero of the Russian Federation, Guards Lieutenant Colonel in Special Airborne Forces, and an officer of the 45th Guards Spetsnaz Regiment. Lebed was born in the city of Valga, Estonia and he joined the Soviet Armed Forces in 1981 starting his military service in Soviet Airborne Troops. He first trained in the 44th Airborne Division in Gaižiūnai in the Lithuanian SSR, opting for a career change, he entered the Lomonosov Military Aviation Technical School graduating as a flight engineer in 1986. He served on operations in Afghanistan in 1986–87 as an aircrew member in a helicopter regiment. His service had earned him the Order For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces 3rd class and he retired to the reserves in 1994 and worked for the Afghan Veterans benevolent fund. He joined a group of Russian veterans who volunteered in the Kosovo War, in 1999, he went to the North Caucasus as a volunteer in the combined militias after purchasing his own equipment and flying to Makhachkala in Dagestan. In 2003, while engaged in combat in the Ulus-Kert mountains, he stepped on a mine and lost a foot. He refused to resign from the Armed Forces, his physical fitness allowed him to remain in the service, to carry on parachuting. On January 9,2005 his patrol was ambushed, refusing to let his men be captured by the enemy, he single-handedly engaged. In a subsequent battle on January 24,2005, he was injured by multiple fragment wounds in the back while shielding his men from the blast of a rocket propelled grenade. Even wounded, he neutralised the enemy rocket and machine gun post then continued leading the patrol leading to the capture. He was awarded the Title of Hero of the Russian Federation on April 6,2005 by Presidential Decree citing for courage and he then held the rank of captain. His actions during the 2008 South Ossetia war earned him the honour of becoming only the second Knight of the Order of St. George 4th class and he always led from the front during combat operations, always displaying the epitome of personal courage itself. On April 27,2012, in Moscow, Lebed was killed in a motorcycle accident
Anatoly Lebed
–
Lieutenant Colonel Anatoly Lebed
Anatoly Lebed
–
President Medvedev decorating Lt Col Lebed with the Order of St George 4th class on October 1, 2008
28.
Albert Ball
–
Albert Ball, VC, DSO & Two Bars, MC was an English fighter pilot during the First World War. At the time of his death he was the United Kingdoms leading flying ace, with 44 victories, and remained its fourth-highest scorer behind Edward Mannock, James McCudden, and George McElroy. Born and raised in Nottingham, Ball joined the Sherwood Foresters at the outbreak of the First World War and was commissioned as a lieutenant in October 1914. He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps the following year, joining No.13 Squadron RFC in France, he flew reconnaissance missions before being posted in May to No.11 Squadron, a fighter unit. From then until his return to England on leave in October, he accrued many aerial victories and he was the first ace to become a British national hero. After a period on home establishment, Ball was posted to No.56 Squadron, the famous German flying ace Manfred von Richthofen, remarked upon hearing of Balls death that he was by far the best English flying man. Albert Ball was born on 14 August 1896 at 301 Lenton Boulevard in Lenton, after a series of moves throughout the area, his family settled at Sedgley,43 Lenton Road. His parents were Albert Ball, a businessman who rose from employment as a plumber to become Lord Mayor of Nottingham, and who was later knighted. Young Albert had two siblings, a brother and a sister and his parents were considered loving and indulgent. In his youth, Ball had a small hut behind the house where he tinkered with engines. He was raised with a knowledge of firearms, and conducted target practice in Sedgleys gardens, possessed of keen vision, he soon became a crack shot. Ball studied at the Lenton Church School, Grantham Grammar School and Nottingham High School before transferring to Trent College in January 1911, as a student he displayed only average ability, but was able to develop his curiosity for things mechanical. His best subjects were carpentry, modelling, violin and photography and he also served in the Officers Training Corps. When Albert left school in December 1913, aged 17, his father helped him gain employment at Universal Engineering Works near the family home. Following the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, Ball enlisted in the British Army, soon promoted to sergeant, he gained his commission as a second lieutenant on 29 October. He was assigned to training recruits, but this rear-echelon role irked him, in an attempt to see action, he transferred early the following year to the North Midlands Cyclist Company, Divisional Mounted Troops, but remained confined to a posting in England. On 24 February 1915, he wrote to his parents, I have just sent five boys to France and it is just my luck to be unable to go. In March 1915, Ball began an engagement to Dot Allbourne
Albert Ball
–
Albert Ball
Albert Ball
–
Nieuport 17, a type flown by Ball in No. 60 Squadron
Albert Ball
–
Austin-Ball A.F.B.1 outside Longbridge Works, 1917
Albert Ball
–
Ball in the cockpit of his S.E.5, April 1917
29.
Louis Grondijs
–
Lodewijk Hermen Grondijs was a Dutch war correspondent and byzantinist. Grondijs was born in the Dutch East-Indies, now known as Indonesia and he spent most of his youth in the East Indies and graduated in 1896 from grammar school in Surabaya. A gifted academic, he graduated in mathematics and physics at Utrecht University in 1905 and continued his studies in philosophy and mathematics at Leiden University. In 1907 with J. D. Bierens de Haan he founded the Journal of Philosophy Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte and he went into neighboring Belgium where he covered the early events of the war in Aerschot, the German war crimes at Leuven as well as the siege of Antwerp. Later in September 1915, he left for Russia at the invitation of general Aleksei Brusilov where he was allowed to accompany the Russian 8th Army as a correspondent of The Daily Telegraph. Many of his vividly written articles on warfare on the Eastern Front were published in the prestigious French newsweekly lIllustration and he apparently respected the fighting qualities of the common Russian soldier and expressed his admiration numerous times in his articles. For this, he was decorated with the Imperial Russian Order of St. George, Order of St. Stanislaus, Order of St. Anna, in June 1918 he was the only western war correspondent to join the Volunteer Army in the Kuban Campaign. Oddly he appears to have found the time to obtain a degree in physics at the university of Charkov in 1917 on the thesis Elektromagnetische Feldgleichungen bewegter Systeme. In 1918 he became an accredited war-correspondent to the French government, for later that year he travelled to the USA, Japan. In the US he met former president Teddy Roosevelt and Tomáš Masaryk who became in 1920 president of Czechoslovakia. From Japan he returned to Russia, holding the rank of captain in the French Army. For this, he was decorated with the French Légion dHonneur á titre militaire, married in 1908 to Antonie Therese Marie Thekla van Embden he divorced her in the late 1910s. During the Russian Civil War, he married Valentine de Gontjarenko Petrenko, after the definitive Bolshevist victory he returned to Europe, openly professing his anti-Bolshevist views in articles and lectures. In the early 1920s he settled in Paris working for the Laboratoire des Recherches Physiques of the Sorbonne and studying history of arts, in 1928 he returned with his wife Valentine to The Netherlands. He once again took up the profession of academic lecturer and in 1935 became a professor of Byzantine history. In the 1930s he made several academic research travels to Eastern and South-Eastern Europe and was involved in archaeological excavations, love of adventure and war must have been irresistible, for he later went to Manchuria to report on the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. He met with Chiang Kai-shek, Puyi and Thubten Chökyi Nyima the Panchen Lama, in 1936-37 he was in Spain during the Spanish Civil War, afterwards in 1939 accompanying the Hungarian army as it occupied Ruthenia, as a result of the Munich Agreement. In 1941 he obtains his second degree at the Sorbonne on the thesis Liconographie byzantine du Crucifié mort sur la croix
Louis Grondijs
–
Louis Grondijs, student at Utrecht University in 1901
Louis Grondijs
–
Louis Grondijs, Captain in the French Army in 1919
30.
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
–
Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim was a Finnish military leader and statesman. Mannerheim made a career in the Imperial Russian Army, rising to the rank of lieutenant general and he also had a prominent place in the ceremonies for Tsar Nicholas IIs coronation and later had several private meetings with the Russian Tsar. After the Bolshevik revolution, Finland declared its independence but was embroiled in civil war between the pro-Bolshevik Reds and the Whites, who were the troops of the Senate of Finland. Mannerheim was appointed the chief of the Whites. In 1944, when the prospect of Germanys defeat in World War II became clear, Mannerheim was elected President of Finland and oversaw peace negotiations with the Soviet Union and he resigned the presidency in 1946 and died in 1951. In a Finnish survey 53 years after his death, Mannerheim was voted the greatest Finn of all time, the Mannerheim family descends from a German businessman, Heinrich Marhein, who emigrated to the Swedish Empire. His son Augustin Marhein changed his surname to Mannerheim and was raised to the nobility by King Charles XI in 1693, Augustin Mannerheims son, Johan Augustin Mannerheim, was raised to the status of Baron in 1768. The Mannerheim family came to Finland, then a part of Sweden. Mannerheims great-grandfather, Count Carl Erik Mannerheim served as the first Prime Minister of Finland, in 1825, he was promoted to the rank of Count. Mannerheims grandfather, Count Carl Gustaf Mannerheim, was an entomologist, Mannerheims father, Carl Robert, Count Mannerheim, was a playwright who held liberal and radical political ideas, but he was also an industrialist whose success varied. Mannerheims mother, Hedvig Charlotta Helena von Julin, was the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, as the third child of the family, Mannerheim inherited the title of Baron. His father went bankrupt in 1880, he was forced to sell the home and his other landed estates to his sister. Mannerheims father left his wife, Countess Hélène, and moved to Paris with his mistress and he returned to Helsinki and founded the Systema company in 1887, and was its manager until his death. Countess Hélène, shaken by the bankruptcy and her husbands desertion, Hélène died the following year from a heart attack. Her death left the children to be brought up by relatives, making Mannerheims maternal uncle, Albert von Julin, because of the worsened family finances and Mannerheims serious discipline problems in school, Julin decided to send him to the school of the Hamina Cadet School in 1882. The Cadet Corps was a military school educating boys of aristocratic families for careers in the Military of the Grand Duchy of Finland. Besides his mother tongue, Swedish, Mannerheim learned to speak Finnish, Russian, French, German, Mannerheim heartily disliked the school and the narrow social circles in Hamina. He rebelled by going on leave without permission in 1886, for which he was expelled from the Finnish Cadet Corps, Mannerheim next attended the Helsinki Private Lyceum, and passed his university entrance examinations in June 1887
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
–
Gustaf Mannerheim's route across Asia from St. Petersburg to Peking, 1906–1908.
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
–
Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
Marshal of Finland
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
–
Mannerheim as Regent (seated), with his adjutants (left) Lt. Col.
Lilius, Capt. Kekoni, Lt.
Gallen-Kallela, Ensign
Rosenbröijer.
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
–
Mannerheim in 1940
Russian Federation
Head of the House of Romanov
The ribbon bar for the Order first class is adorned with a miniature golden star.
The ribbon bar for the Order second class is adorned with a miniature silver star.
The ribbon bar for the Order third class is adorned with a miniature white cross.
The ribbon bar for the Order fourth class has no device.
Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Orders of St. George". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). 
