MOSCOW, April 22 (RIA Novosti) – A World War II commemorative campaign named after the Ribbon of St. George will launch in Moscow on Thursday amid the ongoing tensions in southeastern Ukraine, where the ribbon has become a powerful symbol of resistance to the Kiev regime.
The black-and-orange ribbons, originally a military decoration of the Russian Empire, are often worn by Russians as a sign of remembrance and gratitude for those who fought against Nazi Germany in World War II.
“The Ribbon of St. George was the first to mark the re-unification [of Crimea and Russia],” says Pyotr Romanov, a Russian historian and political analyst.
“Russian philosopher Alexander Losyev once said that symbolism is the apex of realism,” he said. “St. George’s Ribbon emerged out of political reality and played a crucial role in Crimea’s return. It united people.”
This spring, the black-and-orange decorations could be sported in the streets much earlier than in the previous years, after the Ribbon of St. George was adopted by the anti-Maidan movement in the breakaway republic of Crimea and in Ukraine’s southeastern territories, now vying for greater independence from the coup-imposed government in Kiev.
Federalists in the restive Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv regard the ribbon, which was the highest military award in the Russian Empire, as a symbol of unity with Russia.
In Crimea, the ribbon is said to have served as a catalyst for the emerging secessionist movement, bringing hope of a longed-for unity with Russia after more than two decades of separation.
Black-and-orange colors first appeared on the flags flying above anti-Kiev rallies across the peninsula and then on the lapels of Russian Duma lawmakers and common citizens in a sign of support of the protesters.
Pyotr Romanov says the bicolor strip of cloth traces its roots to the 1769 St. George Order of the Russian Empire, which was first granted by Catherine the Great as the top decoration for valor on the battlefield. Centuries later, it was incorporated into an Order awarded for bravery when fighting against German invaders.
Today, thousands of ribbon replicas are distributed in Russia and abroad to commemorate all those who suffered in World War II.
