среда, 9 мая 2012 г.

St. George’s Ribbon: Symbol of Victory Day


Black and orange ribbons start to flicker around the streets of Russian and Belarussian cities in early May. They stand out well on people’s clothes, bags, body parts, antennas and in any other places wherever they can be attached. These are St. George’s Ribbons—new symbol of Victory Day.
The “St. George’s Ribbon” initiative started in 2005 in a bid to revitalize patriotism and modernize the Victory Day. Since then it has become so popular that a Victory Day celebration cannot be imagined without it. Today it is held in many countries around the world including not only ex-USSR members, but also partly Europe and North America. The ribbons are distributed for free in the streets weeks ahead of Victory Day—May 9.
The black and orange ribbons mimic Russian historic Ribbon of St. George, which was initially a part of The St. George Order—the highest military decoration in the Russian Empire before 1917 (it was re-established in 1998 as the top military Order in the Russian Federation). During the World War II, almost identical ribbons were used in the “The Order of Glory”—an important military decoration, given to the soldiers of the Red Army for valor and bravery.
Today it is the most popular symbol of the Victory holiday. Its primary aim is to show respect to those who put their lives on the line to defend their country and their nation, as well as to remind younger generations of Russia’s great heroic past.