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MILLON

590 - St George’s cap ribbon from the battleship “Empress Maria”,
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Estimate €800 - €1,200
Sale commission
Description
St George’s cap ribbon from the battleship “Empress Maria”, made of silk with fine orange and black stripes, bearing the inscription “Императрица Мария” (Empress Maria) in gold lettering, with gold anchor motifs at the ends. Significant tears and the silk is fragile; sold as is. Russia, early 20th century. H. 3.3 x W. 137.5 cm. History The first ribbons appeared on Russian sailors’ waxed hats in 1857, before being adopted for peaked caps adorned with a cockade. An order from the Ministry of the Navy dated 14 July 1872 required that the name of the crew or the ship to which they were assigned be displayed on them. A few years later, to commemorate the crossing of the Danube by Russian troops at Zimnitsa on 14 and 15 June 1877, Emperor Alexander II decreed that the black silk ribbons worn by the rank-and-file crew of the Guard should be replaced by St George’s ribbons. This type of ribbon continued to be worn by sailors until 1918. This ribbon belonged to a sailor on the battleship *Imperatritsa Maria*, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, a 22,600-tonne dreadnought laid down in 1911 and commissioned in early 1915. It was the most powerful ship in its fleet. In 1916, it became the flagship of Admiral Alexander Kolchak, who had just been appointed commander of the fleet. On 20 October 1916, an explosion occurred in the forward ammunition magazine whilst the ship was at anchor in the Bay of Sevastopol. A series of secondary explosions followed, and the battleship sank in less than an hour, leaving 225 dead and 85 seriously injured. The exact causes were never formally established. The ship had been in service for only about 20 months before it sank.
See original version (French)
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About the sale Russian Art – Mr G’s Collection – Part 3
Auction location
Auction time 09/18/2026 at 11:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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