At the end of May, the Coins and Medals company will hold its second anniversary auction. This time state awards will be put up for auction. One of the lots put up for sale will be the Order of St. George, said Dmitry Butkevich. The award has an interesting history, the observer adds.

The special numismatic company "Coins and Medals", which celebrates the 20th anniversary of its activities this spring, will hold a second auction on May 25 to mark the anniversary. In April the company sold coins, now it’s the turn of Russian awards. In my opinion, these will be more interesting trades. Orders and medals can be very beautiful and impressive.

I'll tell you about one of the lots. Insignia of the Military Order of St. George without degree No. 39651 on a block with original order sash, St. Petersburg Mint, early 1810s. Silver 12 g, silk. Estimate: 1-1.2 million rubles. Marked "Very Rare", with a good history. This badge was awarded to Vasily Egorov, a private of the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment, for his distinction in the battle of August 16 and 17, 1813 at Kulm.

Near Kulma, during the foreign campaigns of the Russian army of 1813-1815, a battle took place between the allied Russian-Prussian-Austrian troops and the French corps of General Vandam. After the two-day Battle of Dresden, unsuccessful for the allies, on August 14-15, part of the Bohemian army began to retreat along mountain roads to the Czech Republic. From the left flank of the Allies, in order to block their escape routes, Napoleon sent the 40,000-strong corps of General Vandamme. Initially, on August 16, the offensive impulse of his corps was held back by a detachment of Russian troops of General Württemberg, 13 thousand people.

On August 17, an even more fierce battle ensued. A small Russian detachment repelled French attacks and held the occupied lines. By the end of the day, Russian cavalry units arrived to help the defenders. The next day the battle resumed with renewed vigor. But the Allied reserves had already begun to arrive, and gradually the superiority in strength appeared on their side. The turning point in the battle came after the 30,000-strong corps, supported by the Austrians, entered the rear of the French position. Finding himself surrounded, Vandam decided to break through, but only part of the cavalry was able to break through.

Vandamme himself, his headquarters and another 10 thousand French were captured by the Cossacks. It was for this battle that Private Vasily Egorov received the insignia of the Order of St. George. The sign, like other top lots of the upcoming auction, can be seen at the exhibition, which has been taking place since May 13 at the office of the MiM company on Strastnoy Boulevard.

"Orders and medals can be very beautiful and impressive"