The Order of St. Andrew

On the eve of the holiday of 23 February and within the frame of the month of Defenders of the Motherland the Museum of History of Jewelry and Lapidary Arts with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Sverdlovsk region will open the exhibition dedicated to the awards and memorial signs of the Russian state from the earliest times and until today. The earliest exhibits are the torc and the dippers that date back to the XII-XVII centuries.

Torcs served not only as ornaments, but also as signs of distinction and awards for merits. The dippers were presented to the christening, for charging fees, for taking part in the battles. The history of the award system in Russia began from The Order of St. Andrew the Protoclete approved by Peter the Great. The awards of the Imperial Russia are presented at the exhibition by the signs of the Orders of St. Vladimir, St. Anne and St. Stanislaus. "The Order is not just a reward, it’s the essence of our history, the majority of them disclose the significant events of our country's past. In addition, each Order is a work of art, as for their creation the most skilled jewelers were attracted"- the workers of the museum note.

Another interesting tradition is to reward the warriors with weapons, it originated in Russia in the middle of the XVII century. In the Patriotic War of 1812 awarding by weapons became popular, and this tradition continued until the 1917 revolution. A sword of a nobleman, a saber received as a reward, a cutlass of a naval officer have always been considered symbols of honor and dignity. The exhibition features European and Eastern edged weapons of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, as well as modern decorated weapons of Zlatoust masters. During the Great Patriotic War in the USSR 10 orders and 21 medals were established. The reminiscences of that terrible time are also souvenirs, commemorative medals which are also represented at the exhibition.

The history of Russia was minted also on the coins. Many coins of Russian and foreign production were devoted to great historical events, outstanding commanders, famous tanks and ships. These and many other memorial signs can be seen by the residents and visitors of Ekaterinburg at the exhibition which will be open for visitors until March 10 at the Museum of History of Jewelry and Lapidary Arts (Address: Lenina Str., 37).