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.
