Petrovsky awards. The main orders of the Russian Empire. Military Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George

Our presentation tells in detail and in an interesting way about medals and orders during the time of Peter the Great. But first, a little history.

Rewards in ancient times.

From the most ancient times, tribal leaders, and then princes and kings, rewarded heroes who distinguished themselves in battles, their especially close servants, artists and poets who sang of their exploits. The awards were different from land allotments to brooches
(fasteners on capes), from the presentation of laurel wreaths and the right of triumph (the solemn meeting of the victorious generals by the inhabitants of Rome) to the right that gave ordinary soldiers to rob the cities they captured for three days and nights.
Our ancestors of the Slavs did not differ in great variety of awards: lands and forest lands for hunting were granted to close associates, “borzoi” horses, swords, iron plaques on a leather shield were given to combatants - metal was in price ...

Rewards under Christianity.

With the adoption of Christianity, the princes began to reward their subjects with gold and silver chains for special merits, and the money used in Rus' at that time - grivnas (oblong pieces of silver) were attached to them. They were stigmatized by the prince, in whose possessions these hryvnias were cast.

During the reign of Ivan III, when the Muscovite state was just beginning to form, each award for a feat accomplished for the good of the state began to come only from the sovereign. Therefore, the seal itself on the insignia became state.

Around this time, the tradition of awarding caftans to the king, and for Muslims - dressing gowns, which were officially ranked as insignia, was born. Peasants, merchants, and townspeople also complained with robes and caftans.

In 1469, the "Ustyug Ship's Army", which consisted of enterprising residents of the city of Veliky Ustyug, who were looking for military success in risky campaigns, undertook the most difficult campaign along the Volga against the Kazan Khanate, which constantly raided the eastern outskirts of Muscovite Rus'. triumphantly returned to Nizhny Novgorod warriors noted: “The Great Prince sent twice gold dengue, they gave both dengas to priest Ivan, who was with them near Kazan, and ordered God to pray for the Sovereign and all his army.”

The appearance of medals-coins.

At the same time, the so-called "moskovki" appeared - gold and silver coins with the image of St. George on a horse, they were usually worn on sleeves or a hat.
Gold coins became the prototype of future medals and orders.
The first special gold "coin-medal" was established by Princess Sofya Alekseevna in order to perpetuate two campaigns of her favorite, Prince Vasily Golitsyn, against Crimean Tatars.
On the front side, she herself was depicted in the imperial diadem, and on the reverse side, both minor tsars: Ivan V and Peter I. The medal was equipped with a special eyelet for a ribbon in order to wear it around the neck. True, none of the ordinary soldiers of the Crimean campaigns wore this award, and it was very willingly used for exchange in pubs. Sophia was soon dethroned by Peter and imprisoned in the Novodevichy Convent, and Prince Golitsyn was exiled. Peter gave the order to melt down this mountain of gold, which has now become unnecessary. New medals - but without portraits, with double-headed eagles on both sides - he used to reward the soldiers of the Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky regiments and his entourage.

Russian insignia under Peter 1.

At the very beginning of the Northern War, a special medal "For the Capture of Shlisselburg" was established for "hunters" (i.e., volunteers) who were not afraid to take the Swedish island fortress in October 1702.

The very first mass award during this war was the medal "For Loyalty and Courage" introduced in 1706, which was awarded to all officers who participated in the battle of Kalisz with the Swedish troops, which outnumbered the Russian ones. The next most significant was the medal "For the Battle of Poltava", which was minted from gold for officers and from silver for soldiers and non-commissioned officers of the guards regiments. Everyone was supposed to wear such medals on blue ribbons.

True, there were some historical anecdotes. After the Narva catastrophe in 1700, any victory over the Swedes was valued as a huge success. In 1703, largely due to a happy accident, two Swedish warships were taken prisoner. Peter I, who personally took part in the battle, rashly established a medal on this occasion. The difficulty was to come up with a motto that was supposed to explain the incomprehensible image on the badge of the medal, where the main place was occupied by beautiful puffs of smoke. In the end, Peter ordered the words to be stamped on it: "The impossible happens." These gold medals never received recognition, and among the nobles they were jokingly called "never-before". After such an embarrassment, the tsar never again made such rash decisions in award matters, especially since he himself was awarded this medal in the heat of the moment.

Order of Peter the Great

Order of Peter the Great- an award established public organization- Academy of Defense Security and Law Enforcement Problems.

Image of the Order

Order I, II and III degree Russian and Foreign citizens“For a selfless deed, courage, courage and heroism committed in the performance of military, service and civic duty. For high achievements in the state, industrial, research, social, cultural, public and charitable activities aimed at strengthening the Russian state.

The attitude of the state to the order

The General Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation and the FSB of Russia, the Federal Tax Service, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation and the Heraldic Council under the President of the Russian Federation revealed serious violations of the law.

In a message from the Prosecutor General's Office Russian Federation says:

“... In particular, the ABOP and the National Committee, contrary to the current legislation, established 73 types of identical state awards, including orders, medals, badges and also set degrees, introduced uniforms similar to military uniform, as well as military ranks ... ".

Notes

Links

• State surrogate. Prosecutors expose false law enforcement officers

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See what the "Order of Peter the Great" is in other dictionaries:

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- (Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called (see ANDREY the First-Called)), the oldest Russian order, the highest award in Russia until 1917 and since 1998; established by Peter I the Great on March 20 (according to the new style), 1699 (the exact date is known from the diary ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

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By the period of the joint reign of Peter and John 1689-1696. in the Hermitage collection there are gold coins in 9 chervonets, as well as in 2.5 chervonets, with circular inscriptions: “By the grace of God we are great sovereigns and tsars and great princes - John Alekseevich, Peter Alekseevich of all Russia autocrats” and with the image of a double-headed eagle on both sides . They were probably awarded to the most senior participants in the coup of 1689. There are also rare gold kopecks with the name of one Peter or one John. Finally, gilded and white altyns of this time, with the names of John and Peter, have been preserved in large numbers. Among them are also found round; the weight of these signs is the most uncertain - from 0.67 to 1.34 g, and one especially heavy one weighs 4.24 g.

From 1696, all silver coins issued for circulation were dated; therefore, it also appeared on premium altyns, which were still minted with penny stamps. Petrovsky altyns with dates of Slavic numbering are 1697, 1698, 1699 and 1700. (the last two types, with dates according to the old and new chronology, from the creation of the world and from the birth of Christ). One copy of the altyns of 1706 and 1716 has also been preserved.

In September 1696, a large number of awards were issued for service near Azov. A. S. Shein was awarded gold in 13 chervonets, F. Lefort - in 7 chervonets, P. Gordon and F. A. Golovin - in 6 chervonets. Ordinary soldiers and archers received gilded kopecks. It is very possible that in the message about this awarding, altyns are called kopecks, which have come down to us much more than kopecks, including dated altyns of 1697, the minting of which could begin from the new year, i.e. from September 1, 1696 The named general awards are difficult to identify with any gold ones that have come down to us: Ivan Alekseevich died on January 29, 1696, so the gold ones mentioned above with the names of Peter and Ivan, it would seem, could no longer be used, and meanwhile any gold ones of Peter alone , which could be attributed to this time, are not known at all.

Peter's coin reform, which began in 1700, gave the Russian money circulation a coin of the correct form. In 1704, a silver ruble was put into circulation, the issue of which completed the creation new series gold, silver and copper coins; new technical capabilities should have affected the award business. But the circulation of old silver kopecks was not stopped either, and their minting continued for more than a decade and a half. Consequently, the technical basis for the minting of old-fashioned coins was also preserved.

A gilded “wire” altyn of 1706 has come down to us. There is some reason to assume that it contains the lowest degree of award for the battle of Kalisz, since there is a complex of gold officer medals of 1706 with different weights in the norm of 14, 6, 3 and 1 chervonets. A large series of gold medals was intended to reward the participants in the battle of Lesnaya in 1708; preserved specimens equal in weight to 13, 6, 5, 3, 2 and 1 chervonets. This developed system of awards undoubtedly had to be supplemented by some kind of soldier's, more modest awards; it is possible that the altyns served for this purpose to a limited extent, although they did not reach us with this date. But the time of the Altyns ended in the same way as the time of the silver kopeck ended in monetary circulation, and the lowest awards for campaigns and battles of 1701-1708, the complete absence of which seems so strange, undoubtedly need to be sought among the new silver coin of the correct minting, the production of which began in 1701 at the Moscow Naval Mint. It was quite logical to put it in the award business in place of the old kopecks and altyns.

Seniors in the series of silver coins 1701-1703. fifty and half-fifty dollars had the image of the king on them and could well serve as new soldiers' "gold". Only considerations of economy could for some time partially preserve the role of awards for ugly, but small old altyns. Extremely close to the silver coins of 1701-1703. their compositional structure and real gold of the same time - preserved in a small number of gold, the so-called "baptismal rubles", "poltins" and "half-poltins" of 1702. The collective name "ruble" in this case raises special objections, since in 1702 The silver ruble did not yet exist at all. They were named so only by their resemblance to the coins that appeared later, while in reality they were nothing more than gold of the highest denominations. "Poltina" and "half-fifty" exactly correspond to the size of the named coins. "Ruble" and "poltina" and "half-fifty" completely repeat the type of silver half of the first issues of 1701-1703. and differ only in that on the reverse side, instead of denomination, there is an inscription on the “rubles”: “1702 on the first day of March”, on the “half” there are other numbers: “the tenth of January” and “the first of February”. The last inscription is repeated on half a half. In this case, gold "gold" is applied to the type of silver. Three genuine "poltina" in the Hermitage have a weight corresponding to 10 chervonets (one) and 8 (two).

According to I. A. Zhelyabuzhsky, for the Battle of Erestfer on December 28, 1701, at the beginning of 1702, gold was sent to B. P. Sheremetev with a “gracious word”, and dragoons and soldiers “every person was given a ruble”. Most likely, I. A. Zhelyabuzhsky, who wrote many years later, forgot and mixed some new large silver coins with rubles, which did not yet exist in 1702; but there is no reason to doubt the message of I. I. Golikov that when distributing gold coins for the capture of Dorpat in 1704, all soldiers received “a silver ruble”, that is, not just money, but coins.

It is impossible to find out which of the early Peter's poltins and ruble coins that have come down to us served as soldier's awards, although a pierced Peter's coin is not uncommon. The rewarded, who received their “coins” even without an eyelet, often had to fight the temptation to exchange their award ... The awarded ruble was supposed to receive some differences from the ruble-coin, i.e., turn into a medal.

A monument to the Battle of Poltava in 1709 are soldier's and "sergeant", i.e., non-commissioned officer award medals of the size of a ruble, with a "ruble" portrait of the tsar on one side, but with a depiction of a battle scene and with a corresponding inscription and date on the other. The tradition was so strong that the award medals of 1709, like many officer and soldier medals that followed them, were minted for decades without an eyelet, and the recipient was given the right to take care of it himself.

Systematic mass awards in the created by Peter regular army for all the seeming novelty of this undertaking, all roots go back to the age-old military traditions of pre-Petrine Rus'. In the same way as before, gold of different weights was received by the chiefs and the noble army - the guard, and the signs of the highest merits were issued with gold chains; in the same way as before, ordinary warriors were awarded silver signs. Except for the final rejection of the gilding of soldiers' medals, the difference between the awards of pre-Petrine Rus' and the system of awards introduced by Peter is no greater than the difference between pre-Petrine and new coins.

The most recent Peter’s wire altyn in the Hermitage collection is dated 1716. In all likelihood, it belongs to some kind of award (perhaps for irregular troops), in which the ancient tradition of the Russian army appears for the last time in its ancient forms.

At the exhibition of orders and badges opened in the Hermitage in 1955, Russian awarded gold medals, which, according to the old tradition of numismatists, were previously considered and exhibited together with coins, are shown for the first time together with Russian military medals of the 18th-19th centuries, which are genetically linked with them by the closest ties.

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Russian award medals of the 18th century

Award coins of Peter I. 1701. PartI

By decree of 1700, Peter I introduces a new monetary system.

Very quickly, the coin and medal business in Russia reaches a high artistic and technical level. On his trips abroad, Peter I studied the technique of making medals with interest; in London, Isaac Newton introduced him to medal making. Often, Peter himself is engaged in “composing” medals, learning this from foreign masters, whom he invites to Russian service so that they not only prepare award medals for him, but also teach Russian craftsmen their craft. The reform of the monetary system, military transformations became a noticeable part of the general changes that took place in Russia in the first quarter of the 18th century.

In 1701, when the first Peter's poltina, which corresponded to the international rate, began to be minted at the new Moscow Naval Mint in Kadashevskaya Sloboda, silver gilded kopecks, as awards, gave way to these prototypes of Russian soldier's medals. The weight of a half was equal to the weight of fifty of the aforementioned kopecks and a Western European half-taler.

With these fifty dollars, the young Tsar Peter rewarded his soldiers for military actions until 1704 - before the appearance of the Peter's ruble. (The first Russian ruble of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich existed in 1654 for a short time.) And already during the capture of Derpt in 1704, according to I. I. Golikov, the soldiers received “a silver ruble”, stamps for which were cut by Fyodor Alekseev.

On the front side of the ruble there is a very youthful image of Peter I, “almost a youth”, despite the fact that at that time he was already thirty years old. The king is dressed in armor decorated with arabesques, he is without the traditional wreath and crown, with a lush head of curly hair. On a half - in a laurel wreath, but also without a crown and in a cloak over armor.

On the reverse sides of both coins is depicted Russian coat of arms- a double-headed eagle crowned with state crowns - around it the denomination of the coin and the year of its minting are indicated in Slavic numerals.

Peter's premium half-rubles and rubles are no different from his usual running coins of the same denomination. A hole punched in them or solder left after the eyelet cannot serve credible evidence their purpose as rewards. The hole and soldered ears on them could also be intended for hanging them as decoration by the peoples of the Volga and Ural regions. Among the Chuvash and Mari, as a rule, holes were made in the coins, and among the Tatar and Bashkir peoples, an eye was soldered on them. The gilding on such coins also does not say anything about the reward, since gilding was often made for the "monist" by private village handicraftsmen.

In order to prevent the temptation, if necessary, to put such an award into circulation by soldiers and in order to somehow distinguish it from ordinary poltins and rubles, Peter personally points to the mint: "... and order everyone (medals) to make a battle on one side ...". But the tradition remained the same until the very times of Catherine. New "patrets" were minted like ordinary coins: without an eyelet for hanging on clothes. The recipients had to punch a hole themselves or solder a wire ear.

Subsequently, on the medals dedicated to naval battles - “For the victory at Gangut”, “For the capture of four Swedish ships”, “For the Battle of Grenham”, the ears were soldered at the mint, “closing individual letters of the inscription”.

This is how the first real medals appeared for the soldiers who fought near Lesnaya and Poltava. But the awarding of Peter's rubles continued even after the Battle of Poltava. They were issued as before, but for those successes that were not marked by the minting of special awards.

The tradition of awarding rubles was preserved until the end of the 18th century. A. V. Suvorov himself often rewarded his “miracle heroes” with Catherine’s rubles and half rubles, which were then passed down from generation to generation (from father to son, from grandfather to grandson) and kept in a place of honor - under the icons.

"Narva Confusion"

From time immemorial, the Izhora land with the adjacent shores of the Gulf of Finland has been Russian land. Alexander Nevsky also beat the Swedes and Germans in 1240 for invading these Russian lands. But in 1617, weakened by the war with Poland, Russia was forced to cede to the Swedes its ancient coastal fortresses: Koporye, Ivan-gorod, Oreshek, Yam. Rus' was cut off from the European world. For ninety years these lands languished under the heel of the Swedes.

And now a new century has come - the 18th century, the century of the indefatigable activity of the young Russian Tsar Peter. He seeks, by all means, to break the road to the Baltic Sea, return the primordially Russian lands of Russia, build a fleet and establish close ties with more developed Western countries.

On August 19, 1700, Peter declared war on Sweden, pulled his forces to the Baltic and laid siege to the fortress of Narva. Peter's army was young, just formed, with no experience in fighting. Most of it was made up of soldiers called into service just before going on a campaign. Guns - obsolete, heavy, machine tools and wheels fell apart under their weight; of some "only a stone could be fired". The Swedish army was at that time the most experienced army in Europe, a technically equipped professional army, with fired officers who had passed half of Europe.

The outcome of the battle with the troops of Charles XII was predetermined. The 34,000th army of Peter was defeated by the Swedish regiments, numbering 12,000. Even at the beginning of the battle, the command of the Russian regiments, which consisted of foreigners, and the commander himself passed to the Swedes. Only the guardsmen of the Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky regiments managed to stop the Swedes and gave the remaining troops the opportunity to retreat. “Peter highly appreciated courage ... establishing for officers of these regiments a special copper sign with the inscription: “1700. November 19 N 0". "Officers wore the sign throughout the existence of these regiments, as a reminder of military affairs ...". Narva was the first serious defeat of Peter.

At the direction of Charles XII, a satirical medal was minted in Sweden on this occasion, ridiculing the Russian Tsar. “Where on one side of it Peter was depicted near the cannons that were shelling Narva, and the inscription: “Because Peter was standing and basking.” On the other, the flight of the Russians, led by Peter, from Narva: the hat falls off the head, the sword is thrown, the tsar cries and wipes his tears with a handkerchief. The inscription read: “I went out crying bitterly.” But Peter accepted defeat as a lesson taught by history. “The Swedes are beating us. Wait, they will teach us how to beat them,” he said immediately after the “Narva bad luck”. “The regiments, in embarrassment, went to their borders, they were ordered to review and correct them ...” Peter “with frantic” energy takes on the restructuring and strengthening of the army ...

Erestfer. 1701

In September 1701, the Russians drive the Swedes out of Ryapina Manor. A whole formation of detachments participated in this operation. In terms of its significance, it was a small, but the first victory. It was followed by a more significant success near the village of Erestfer, fifty miles from Derpt.

On the eve of the new year 1702, in the cold, drowning in snow, the 17,000-strong detachment of Boris Sheremetev, after a five-hour battle near Erestfer, defeated the 7,000-strong detachment of Schlippenbach.

This was the first major victory of the revived, organized army. "God bless! - exclaimed Peter, having received a report of the victory, - finally we got to the point that we can defeat the Swedes ... True, while fighting two against one, but soon we will begin to win and in equal numbers.

For this battle, B.P. Sheremetev received the highest rank of the army - Field Marshal General, and A.D. Menshikov, on behalf of Peter, brought him the highest Russian order of St. Andrew the First-Called. The officers also received gold medals, and the soldiers - the first silver half of 1701.

For the capture of Shlisselburg. 1702

In the spring of 1702, Peter travels to Arkhangelsk, builds with the help of experienced Pomeranian craftsmen two frigates "Courier" and "Holy Spirit" and drags them overland for 170 miles through the forests, through the swamps to Noteburg - the former Novgorod Oreshok, located on the island of Ladoga lakes at the source of the Neva river.

The fortress is impregnable, in the middle of the Neva, it is impossible to come close to it, since it is located two hundred meters from the banks. On high stone walls, 142 guns are waiting for Peter's "hunters".

Everything happened unexpectedly fast. Part of the troops on the approach, Peter transferred to the opposite bank of the river, the siege corps turned to the fortress, and the installed Russian guns were already hitting from both banks.

On the morning of October 1, Sheremetev sent a demand for surrender to the Swedes, but the commandant began to conduct evasive negotiations in order to delay time until reinforcements arrived. Peter decided to act and instructed the gunners: "... he is given this compliment with cannon fire and bombs from all our batteries at once ..." From that moment on, the guns hit the fortress, not stopping "until the day of the assault on October 11."

The drum announced that the Swedes wanted to talk. An officer arrived from the fortress to Peter with a letter in which the commandant's wife begged to release the wives of the gentlemen of the officers from the fortress "... from fire and smoke ... in which the noble ones are found ..." To this, Peter replied that he did not mind, just let them take with them and their "dear spouses".

The way to the fortress was still only through fortified high walls. Peter decided to attack. And at the signal, a lot of boats with landing detachments immediately from all sides (from the lake and from both banks), under the cover of gunfire, rushed to the fortress.

The assault was heavy. Peter's forces were reaching their limit. Again the "Narva embarrassment" was imagining. Once again, the Swedes are throwing "Muscovites" from the walls. Again and again, M. M. Golitsyn himself leads the soldiers to attack - in waves, incessantly, alternating assaults with retreats, in order to hit the fortress again with greater force. Boiling water, molten resin and lead are poured on the heads of the attackers. The continuity of attacks, perseverance and contempt for the death of Russian soldiers brought victory to Peter.

Noteburg was taken on October 12, 1702. Its stone, two-sazhen-thick high walls could not withstand the assault, and ten of its towers could not resist the onslaught of Peter's soldiers.

Schlippenbach himself handed over the keys to the fortress to M. M. Golitsyn. But the keys were useless. The gates of the fortress turned out to be tightly packed and had to be kicked out along with the locks.

Peter sits down at papers. In the Daily Journal, he writes: “The enemy from our musket, as well as cannon fire in those 13 hours is so tiring, and seeing the last courage, that hour hit the shamad (a signal for surrender) and was forced to bow to the agreement.”

And to the Polish King August - "Dear Sovereign, brother, friend and neighbor ... The most noble fortress of Noteburg, by a cruel attack, was seized from us with multiple artillery and military supplies ... Peter."

And to the chief overseer of artillery - Vinius: “It is true that this nut was very cruel, one-skinned, thank God, happily gnawed. Our artillery has wonderfully corrected its work ... "

Noteburg was renamed by Peter and from now on he ordered to call this fortress "Shlisselburg", which is translated from Swedish as "Key City". The fortress really was at that time the "key" to the Baltic Sea - "open the Baltic Sea enclosed by the castle, open the Russian prosperity and the beginning of victories." This was the beginning of the end of the stay of the Swedes on the Neva land.

In honor of such a significant victory, Peter ordered to mint gold and silver medals with a historical reminder - “I was with the enemy. 90 years.

On the front side, the master depicted the king young, in armor, with a laurel wreath on his head. On both sides of his portrait there are inscriptions: "TSR PETR ALEKSIEVICH" and on the right the title - "ROSI LORD". The back depicts a fortress in the middle of the river, in the foreground, on a coastal promontory that protrudes far into the Neva, is a Peter's siege battery firing at the fortress (the trajectories of the cannonballs are visible). On the left, in the perspective of the river, there is a wooded bank, and all along the river, around the fortress, there are many assault boats. On top of the medal is the inscription: “WAS WITH THE ENEMY. 90 YEARS»; under the bleed - “VZYAT 1702 OCT. 21". The digits of the number are mixed up in places during the manufacture of stamps, instead of "12" "21" is affixed.

But there were not only awards. Peter mercilessly punished the deserters who left the battlefield: "Several fugitives ... through the ranks, and others were executed by death."

Medals for the capture of the fortress were issued to the participants of the assault without ears, like the old-fashioned "gold" and ruble "patrets". The Petrovsky order of “presenting care to the awarded themselves” with attaching an eyelet to a medal issued as an award gives reason to judge that the above medal is an award.

"The Unthinkable Happens". 1703

Less than a year after the capture of Nut, as B.P. Sheremetev, with his 20,000th army, set off on a campaign. On April 25 he laid siege to the second and last fortress on the Neva - Nyenschantz, located not far from the mouth, at the confluence of the Okhta into it.

Negotiations on the surrender did not yield any results. The Swedish garrison decided to fight back. A brutal bombardment of the fortress from all available guns began. With such shelling, the Swedes suddenly threw out a white flag. Storm was not required. Nienschanz fell on 1 May 1703 and construction began northern capital- St. Petersburg. The fortress was renamed Shlotburh, which means “castle”, which forever closed the entrance to the Neva and Lake Ladoga for the Swedes.

And already five days after the capture of Nyenschantz, Peter's new unprecedented victory followed. From Vyborg, the squadron of Admiral Numers went to support the Nyenschanz fortress. An experienced sailor, out of caution he did not dare to enter the Neva with the entire flotilla, but sent a two-masted eight-gun shnyava "Astrel" and a large admiral's twelve-gun boat "Gedan" to the fortress for the purpose of reconnaissance. But with the onset of night and the fog creeping in from the sea, they were forced to anchor at the very mouth of the Neva. In the early morning dawn, when a foggy haze still hung over the river, more than thirty boats with guardsmen of the Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky regiments were already hiding in the shade of the banks. At the signal of a pistol shot, this whole armada of boats rushed to the enemy ships. The Swedes noticed the danger, turned their ships around and began firing their cannons. But most of the boats had already passed the danger zone accessible to ship artillery, dived under the sides of the ships and grappled with them. The boarding battle began.

One group was commanded by the scorer himself - Captain Pyotr Mikhailov (Peter I). On the way to the ship, he threw grenades on board, burst into the enemy ship together with everyone, and a hand-to-hand battle began. Sabers, knives, butts, everything that fell under the arms, and even fists, were used.

Another ship was stormed with his fellows by the impudent and impudent lieutenant A. D. Menshikov. In a matter of minutes, the Russian landing force dealt with the Swedish crews. The ships "Astrel" and "Gedan" with scorched sails as war trophies led to the fortress with the new name Schlotburg.

This was the first victory on the waters of the Baltic, which brought great joy to Peter. He became the sixth in the list of holders of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. “The order was conferred on him by F. A. Golovin “like the first cavalier of this order”” in a camp church. A. D. Menshikov was awarded the same order. “Danilych received another privilege that raised his prestige high: he was allowed to keep bodyguards at his own expense, a kind of guard. No one in the country enjoyed such a right, except for the king.

The success was really so unusual that in honor of the “never before unprecedented naval victory”, on the personal order of Peter, gold and silver medals were minted with the inscription: “The unimaginable happens.”

On the obverse of this medal is a half-length profile image of Peter, without the traditional crown and laurel wreath, in armor decorated with ornate arabesques. On the edge of the medal, around the portrait, there is an inscription: "TSR PETER ALEKSEVITCH OF ALL RUSSIA LORD". On the reverse - two sailing ship, surrounded by many boats with soldiers of the Peter's guard. From above, from the vault of heaven, a hand holding a crown and two palm branches is lowered. Above this whole composition (along the edge) there is an inscription: "THE UNEXPECTED IS"; at the very bottom is the date - "1703".

Gold medals with a diameter of 54 and 62 mm (with chains) were awarded to officers participating in the boarding. Soldiers and sailors who participated in the battle received silver medals with a diameter of 55 mm without chains.

For the capture of Narva. 1704

Every spring, the Swedish squadron of Admiral Numers came from Vyborg to the mouth of the Neva. She went up the river to Ladoga and all summer until autumn ruined Russian villages and monasteries on its banks. Now the approach to the Neva from the sea was closed by the new fortress Kronshlot (Kronstadt), founded on the island of Kotlin. On Lust Eiland (now the Petrograd side), the construction of a new city was unfolding. A.D. Menshikov, appointed its governor, reported to the tsar: “The city affairs are managed as they should. Many working people from the cities have already come and are constantly being added.

In November 1703, the first foreign ship docked with salt and wine. At the same time, ships were already being built in Lodeynoye Pole on the Svir for Baltic Fleet. B.P. Sheremetev with his army captured Koporye and Yamburg.

In the spring of the next 1704, Peter's order again hurried the field marshal general on a campaign - "... Immediately, if you please, besiege Derpt (Yuriev)." On July 4, advanced detachments approached the fortress. “The city is great and the structure of the ward is great”, “... their guns are larger than ours”, “... as I grew up, I have never heard such cannon fire,” B.P. Sheremetev reported to Peter. Indeed, the artillery of the Swedes was more powerful and the number "2.5 times the Russian."

They were able to take possession of Derpt only after a "fiery feast" on the night of July 12-13. Peter is in a hurry. Since May 30, Narva has been surrounded by Russian troops under the command of another Field Marshal Ogilvy. They need help.

On July 23, for the fourth time since the fall of Dorpat, the tsar indicates to the slow, but thorough B.P. Sheremetev - "day and night itit (to Narva)". “And if you don’t do that, don’t blame me in the future.”

And here is Narva again! The numbness from that “Narva embarrassment” of 1700 still lingered for a long time. But now the soldiers were under fire, had great military experience and high morale, thanks to the successes of recent years. Heavy siege artillery was delivered from Dorpat and Petersburg.

The old commandant Gorn responded to the offer of an honorable surrender of the fortress with a mockery, reminding the Russians of the "first" Narva. Peter decided to teach him a lesson and embarked on a military trick. He dressed part of his troops in a blue Swedish uniform and sent them to the fortress from the side of the help expected by the Swedes. A battle was staged between the Swedish army and the Russians. Here is how Peter described this masquerade in his “Journal of the Day”: “And so the feigned ones ... began to approach our army ... ours began to give way on purpose ... And the army itself would also interfere on purpose. And so the Narva garrison is flattered that... commandant Gorn... sent out from Narva... several hundred infantry and cavalry, and so... rode into the very hands of the imaginary army. ... The dragoons set as a pledge, jumping out attacked them and ... chopping and beating, they were driven, and several hundred were beaten, and many were taken in full ... "

Now the Russians were laughing at the Swedes. Peter was pleased - "a very fair nose was put on the highly respected gentlemen."

The second part of the battle turned into a drama that took place after a 45-minute assault on the fortress. The senseless cruel resistance of the Swedes embittered the Russian soldiers to the extreme. Having burst into the fortress, they did not spare anyone. And only the intervention of Peter himself stopped this massacre.

The fortress was taken on August 9, 1704. Now the entire Izhora land was returned to Russia. The jubilant Peter writes: “I can’t write Inova, just now Narva, which has been tearing up for 4 years, now, thank God, has broken through.” We do not know anything about the medals for the capture of Dorpat. Perhaps they were not minted. But for the capture of such a memorable fortress as Narva, it was impossible not to issue a medal. And she was minted. On the front side of it, Peter is depicted, traditionally turned to the right, wearing a laurel wreath, armor and a mantle. The inscription around the circle of the medal is placed in an unusual way: “RUSSIAN LORD”, on the right - “TSR PETR ALEKIEVICH. VSEA".

On the reverse - the bombardment of the fortress of Narva. The flight paths of the nuclei and their breaks are clearly visible. On the left, in the distance, Ivan-gorod. At the top, in a circle, the inscription: "NOT FLATTERY, BUT WEAPON WITH THE HELP OF THE HIGH ONE IS ACCEPTED." On the left, under the cut - "NARVA", on the right - "1704".

The existence of similar gold medals of the same size is also assumed. The documents on awarding them have been lost, but the notes of A.S. Pushkin indicate that after the capture of Narva in 1704, the medals were distributed to officials who were under siege.

The stamps were made by the same master - Fedor Alekseev.

For the capture of Mitava. 1705

After the capture of Narva on August 19, 1704, a Russian-Polish agreement was concluded on joint actions against the Swedes. Under the terms of this treaty, hostilities were to move to Lithuania, where at that time the main forces of the Swedes, led by Levengaupt, were located. It was necessary to cut them off from Riga and defeat them.

In the summer of 1705, the troops of B.P. Sheremetev approached Mitava and took it, but faced with the main forces of Levenhaupt near Mur-manor, were defeated and retreated. This was the only loss of the Field Marshal in the entire war with Sweden, and then by an absurd accident, when he had no doubts about victory. A few days later, Mitava was taken again.

“The capture of Mitava was important for us,” wrote Pyotr Romadanovsky, “because the enemy was cut off from Courland; and we will continue to have security in Poland.”

A. S. Pushkin in the "History of Peter" notes that "a medal was knocked out for the capture of Mitava ...", but this is not mentioned anywhere else in the literature known to the authors.

For the victory at Kalisz. 1706

Charles XII captured Poland and in January 1706 tried to encircle Russian army near Grodno, but having met with strong resistance, he sent his army to Saxony, leaving part of his troops in Poland under the command of Mardefeld. To strengthen the army in March, A. D. Menshikov was sent to the Russian troops in Poland. He provides her with weapons, says Article, which provides not only for instilling a sense of duty, patriotism, discipline among soldiers, but also introduces for violence and robbery of the local population death penalty. The decisive battle took place near Kalisz on October 18, 1706.

Basically it was a cavalry battle. In it, Menshikov used his tactics, which decided the outcome of the battle. He hastened several squadrons of dragoons, pressed the enemy's flanks with his cavalry and cut off the Swedes' retreat. The army commander Mardefeld himself was captured.

Peter received a dispatch from Menshikov: “I’m not bragging about your grace: there was such an unprecedented battle before that it was joyful to see how they fought regularly on both sides.”

It was one of the significant victories of the Northern War. Even foreign diplomats believed that "this victory will excite everyone against the Swede to act more boldly."

Delighted, Peter rewarded his pet with a personally “composed” expensive cane worth (impressive at that time) 3064 rubles 16 altyns, decorated with diamonds, large emeralds and the coat of arms of A. D. Menshikov.

The victory near Kalisz was marked by a massive award of medals for officers and non-commissioned officers. The soldiers also received awards according to the old custom - in the form of silver coins.

In total, six types of medals were minted, including round gold ones - in 6, 3 and 1 chervonets in accordance with the sizes in diameter of 36, 27 and 23 mm.

Particularly interesting is the colonel's medal of 14 chervonets, 43x39 mm in size. It is enclosed in an openwork gold frame crowned with a crown, decorated with enamel and inlaid on the front side. precious stones and diamonds. For non-commissioned officers, the medal was silver, oval, 42x38 mm in size.

On the front side of all medals there is a portrait of Peter I, turned to the right, in a laurel wreath, simple armor; along the edge of the medal there is an inscription: on the left - "TSR PETR", on the right - "ALEUIEVICH". The reverse sides of all medals have the same image - Peter on a rearing horse, in antique attire, against the backdrop of a battle. On the edges of the medal there are inscriptions: on the left - "FOR LOYALTY", on the right - "AND COURAGE". Under the bleed is the date: "1706".

On the obverse of the colonel's medal, in contrast to the silver one, is the king in rich armor, magnificently draped with a mantle; the inscription itself is fuller: "Tsar Peter Aleuievich is the ruler of all Russia." Medallion's initial on the cut of the forearm. On all gold medals, the splendor of the king's portrait depends on the value of the medal. The medal of 6 chervonets has a richly ornamented border all around.

Two foreign medalists who were in Russian service worked on the Kalisz medals - Solomon Gouin (Frenchman), who cut exclusively the portrait sides, and Gottfried Haupt (Saxon), who cut the reverse sides of the medals. Medals were also issued without monograms - "obviously the work of a Russian master."

For the victory at Lesnaya. 1708

The Kalisz victory did not lead to the end of the war. Charles XII again invaded the territory of Russia. He intended to defeat the Russian army and go through Smolensk to Moscow.

In the middle of 1708, the Swedes occupied Mogilev. But further, on the way to Smolensk, they faced impregnable defenses, were left without food, fodder, and were forced to turn to Ukraine. Charles XII hoped to get help there from the Turks, the Crimean Tatars, the traitor Mazepa, replenish supplies and again launch an offensive against Moscow through Bryansk and Kaluga.

The slow advance of the huge Swedish army made it possible for the light cavalry of A. D. Menshikov and the infantry of B. P. Sheremetev to deliver sudden blows to the enemy. Near the village of Dobry, the Russian avant-garde crushed the enemy column.

Ordinary people also joined the fight against the conquerors, creating something like partisan detachments. The inhabitants went into the forests, took away food with them, stole livestock, as Peter demanded in his decree: “Provisions, fodder ... burn ... also spoil bridges, cut down forests and keep at ... crossings if possible”, and then - “... at the enemy to go behind and to the side and ruin everything, as well as to attack him with parties of noble incessant.”

Karl suffered huge losses and was waiting for help. From the Baltic to him was a huge convoy of seven thousand carts, loaded with food and ammunition. He was accompanied by the 16,000th corps of Lewenhaupt. To defeat him, Peter decided to use a new tactic. A "flying detachment - corvolan" was formed, which has great mobility.

The battle was imposed on the Swedes on a rugged, closed area near the village of Lesnoy (in Belarus). Forests interspersed here with copses and swamps. In such an environment, it was difficult for the Swedes to maneuver their convoy and guns.

Russian troops were commanded by Peter himself. The battle began on the morning of September 28, lasted all day and was distinguished by great stubbornness on both sides. With the onset of darkness, the battle ended in the defeat of the Swedes. The entire convoy with equipment expected by Charles XII went to the Russians. Lewenhaupt himself disappeared under the cover of night and appeared before his king with a small remnant of hungry and ragged soldiers.

This victory of Peter was decisive in further developments near Poltava. No wonder Peter called her "Mother of the Poltava battle" - the Swedes near Poltava were left without artillery and ammunition.

In memory of this event, six types of gold medals of various denominations were minted - in 13, 6, 5, 3, 2, 1 chervonets. They served to reward officers depending on rank and merit. Medals of the highest dignity (with a gold frame, diamonds and enamel) cost more than 800 rubles at that time, they were called “Smart Persons”.

1140 gold medals were issued. To reward the rank and file - participants in the battle, silver medals of an unusual diameter - 28 mm were minted. In many ways, these medals are similar to Kalisz.

On the front side is the traditional portrait of Peter I, but the circular inscription has changed: “PETR. FIRST. IMP. ISAMOD. ALL-RUSSIA.

On the back there is an image of Peter on a rearing horse against the background of a battle, above, above the whole composition, there is a fluttering ribbon with the inscription: "TO WORTHY - WORTHY". On the edges of the medal there are inscriptions: on the left - "FOR LEVENG:", on the right - "BATTLE". Below, under the trim, the date: "1708".

Documents for the award have not been preserved, but the following is written in the “Diary of the military operations of the Poltava victory” on this occasion: “... All staff chief officers were granted by the Sovereign with golden portraits with diamonds and gold medals according to the dignity of their ranks. And the soldiers were given silver medals and were given money.

It is not known how many silver medals were issued, but only in one Preobrazhensky Regiment were “39 non-commissioned officers, sergeants, captainarmuses and 88 corporals” awarded them. Impressions: 1 Coverage: 0 Reads: 0

Award medals of Peter I

The fundamental changes in the award system that took place in the Petrine era are closely connected, on the one hand, with the military transformations of the reformer tsar, and on the other hand, with the reform of the monetary system. Coin and medal business in the first quarter of the 18th century developed very quickly in Russia and reached high level both industrially and artistically. Peter I, visiting abroad, was invariably interested in the work of mints: in London, for example, Isaac Newton introduced him to the construction of machines for minting. The Russian tsar invited Western medalists to his service, and took care of the training of Russian masters.

Under the influence of Western European medal art, commemorative medals began to be minted in Russia at the very beginning of the 18th century. They were issued in honor of the most important events of that time, most often battles, which Russian masters sought to display as accurately as possible. Medals were at that time one of the essential funds demonstration of state power, as well as a kind of means " mass media”: they were distributed during solemn ceremonies, sent abroad “as a gift to foreign ministers”, purchased for mints-offices collecting coins and medals. Peter I himself was often engaged in "composing" medals.

The Russian award medal that appeared soon connected the tradition of “golden” (mass military awards), unfamiliar in the West, with some external design techniques that have developed in European medalistics. Petrovsky military medals differed significantly from the "gold" ones. In appearance and size, they corresponded to the new Russian coins - rubles; on their front side there was always a portrait of the king (therefore the medals themselves were called “patrets”) in armor and a laurel wreath, on the back - as a rule, the scene of the corresponding battle, the inscription and the date.

The principle of mass awarding was also fixed: for the battle on land and at sea, not only officer, but also soldier's and sailor's medals were issued - to every one of the participants, and an outstanding personal feat could be specially noted. However, awards for commanders and the lower ranks were not the same: for the latter they were made of silver, and the officers were always gold and, in turn, differed in size and weight, and sometimes in their own appearance(some were issued with chains). All medals of the first quarter of the 18th century were still minted without an eye, so the recipient himself had to adapt the award for wearing. Sometimes lugs were attached to medals right at the Mint, if the awards complained with a chain.

Most of the award medals established by Peter I are associated with military operations against the Swedes in the Northern War. According to the documents of the Mint, 12 battles of the first quarter of the 18th century were marked with award medals, and the "circulation" of some of them reached 3-4 thousand copies.

In October 1702, the ancient Russian fortress Oreshek (Noteburg), which had been in the hands of the Swedes for a long time, was taken by storm. Only volunteers took part in the assault - "hunters", whose valor was awarded gold medals. On the front side of the medal there is a portrait of Peter I, on the reverse side there is a detailed depiction of the scene of the assault: a fortress city on an island, Russian guns firing at it, many boats with "hunters". The circular inscription says: "He was with the enemy for 90 years, taken on October 21, 1702."

Medal for taking Nut. 1702

In 1703, medals were minted for the officers and soldiers of the Guards infantry regiments - Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky, who attacked two Swedish warships in boats at the mouth of the Neva. Peter I himself, who led this unprecedented operation, received the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called; “The officers were given gold medals with a chain, and the soldiers were given small ones without chains.” The scene of the battle on the back of the medal is accompanied by the saying: "The unimaginable happens."

The mass awarding of officers with medals is associated with the defeat of the Swedes at Kalisz (Poland) in 1706; the soldiers then received awards of the old type in the form of silver "altyns". The gold medals for the victory in Kalisz were of different sizes, some were oval. The colonel's medal (the largest) received a special design: it is bordered by an openwork gold frame with an ornament at the top in the form of a crown, the entire frame is covered with enamel, studded with diamonds and precious stones. On the front side of all the medals there is a bust portrait of Peter in knightly armor, and on the back, their king is depicted on a horse in antique attire, against the backdrop of a battle. The inscription reads: "For loyalty and courage."

Medal "For victory near Lesnaya" 1708

Similar medals, but with the inscription "For the Battle of Lewenhaupt" were awarded to participants in the battle near the village of Lesnaya in Belarus in 1708. The corps of General A. Levenhaupt, who was going to join the troops of the Swedish king Charles XII, was defeated here.

Shortly after the famous Battle of Poltava, Peter I ordered the production of award medals for soldiers and sergeants (non-commissioned officers). They were minted in the amount of a ruble, they did not have an ear, and the recipients themselves had to attach the ears to the medals in order to wear them on a blue ribbon. On the reverse side of the officer's medal, a cavalry battle is depicted, and on the soldier's (smaller size) - a skirmish of infantrymen. On the front side was placed the chest image of Peter I.

Medal "For the Poltava Battle" 1709

In 1714, only staff officers, colonels and majors, were awarded for the capture of the city of Vasa (on the Finnish coast). The medal, which was issued on this occasion, had no image on the back, only the inscription: "For the Battle of Vasa on February 1714, 19 days." This is the only example of such a design of the award in the time of Peter the Great, but it will become typical later - in the second half of the 18th century.

The biggest victory of Peter the Great at sea was the Battle of Cape Gangut in 1714, when the vanguard of the Russian galley fleet defeated the Swedish squadron of Rear Admiral N. Ehrenskiöld and captured all 10 enemy ships. For the brilliant "victory", the participants in the battle received special medals: officers - gold, with and without chains, "each according to the proportion of his rank", sailors and landing soldiers - silver. The design on all medals is the same. On the front side, as usual, there was a portrait of Peter I, and on the back - a plan of a naval battle and a date. There was an inscription around it: "Diligence and fidelity exceeds greatly." This legend has become a kind of tradition for awards for naval battles; it can be seen, for example, on the back of the medal for the capture of three Swedish ships by the squadron of N. Senyavin near the island of Gogland (1719). And on the medals for the victory in the Battle of Grenham (1720), the inscription is placed in this version: "Diligence and fidelity surpass strength."

Award soldier's medal for the battle of Gangut

Silver award medal for the Gangut battle for sailors (op. side)

One of his contemporaries, talking about the battle of Grengam, did not forget to mention the awards to its participants: “The staff officers on gold chains were awarded gold medals and which were worn over their shoulders, and the chief officers were given gold medals on a narrow blue ribbon, which were pinned worn to a caftan loop; non-commissioned officers and soldiers - silver portraits on a bow of a blue ribbon, pinned to a caftan loop, were sewn on, with an inscription on those medals about that battle.

Medal for the Battle of Grenham. 1720

So in Russia, almost a hundred years earlier than other European states, they began to award medals to all participants in the battle - both officers and soldiers.

A huge number of participants in the Northern War received in 1721 a medal in honor of the conclusion of the Treaty of Nystadt with Sweden. The soldiers were awarded silver medal, and officers - gold medals of various denominations. Complicated in composition, with elements of allegory, a very solemnly decorated medal "After the Flood of the Northern War" is evidence of the great importance that it had for Russian state this event. On the front side of the soldier's medal and on the back of the officer's medal, there is the following composition: Noah's Ark, and above it - a flying dove of peace with an olive branch in its beak, in the distance - Petersburg and Stockholm, connected by a rainbow. The inscription explains: "We are bound by the union of the world." The entire reverse side of the soldier's medal is occupied by a lengthy inscription glorifying Peter I and proclaiming him emperor and father of the Fatherland. There is no such inscription on the reverse side of the officer's medal, and on its front side there is a portrait of Peter I. The Nystadt medal marked another an important event in the life of the state: it was first minted from “gold” or “domestic” silver, that is, mined in Russia, which was noted in the inscription.