Awards
For saving the dead
On April 17, 1828, a silver medal “For saving the dead” was established . This medal was awarded to Russian citizens for saving people under various tragic circumstances: during fires, natural disasters, and the like.
Medal "For saving the dead." Engraver A. Lyalin. Silver, 14.69 g. Diameter 29 mm.
“For feats of philanthropy, committed at the risk of one’s own life, but not falling within the scope of the order’s Statutes, the Most Merciful complain, without regard to the condition of the persons, who perform such feats, silver medals, and for special feats or for the salvation of several persons with particular danger, gold medals are complained, both of them with the inscription: “for the salvation of the dead”, on the Vladimir ribbon, for wearing in the buttonhole” - was listed in the statute of the medal dated February 20, 1834.
“In cases where it is considered fair to award a second time a silver medal with the inscription: “for the salvation of the dead,” and when the feat performed does not fit the rules on the gold medal and insignia of the Order of St. Anne for lower military ranks, a bow is added to the one awarded silver medal" (from the decree of September 13, 1866).
The medal existed in many versions, including the fact that it was made by various craftsmen and reissued under each emperor.
In 1904, on the small medal the word “salvation” was replaced by the word “salvation”. Since 1915, the word “salvation” has been minted on the reverse side again.
In 1916, medals were no longer minted from gold and silver. Instead, there are options made of yellow (bronze) and white metal with a diameter of 30 mm with the word “salvation”, as well as white metal with a diameter of 30 and 27 mm with the word “salvation”.
As now, much more often the medal “For saving the dead” was awarded not to professionals, but to random people who found themselves at the scene of a fire. Those awarded this medal were exempt from corporal punishment in case of misconduct, which is important, since this type of punishment was often used for violators of discipline in fire departments. The last order “to subject Private Tereshchuk to one hundred and twenty-five blows with rods for systematic absences and drunkenness” was dated 1877. An addition to the medal could be the hanging of portraits of the recipients in all fire departments of the city “for eternity.”
Medal "For saving the dead." Silver, 23.29 g. Diameter 30
For the restoration of the winter palace
Exceptional among the medals that firefighters received is the medal “For the Restoration of the Winter Palace .
On December 17, 1837, a fire occurred in the Winter Palace. Many believed that the restoration of the building would take ten years, it was so badly damaged. However, the builders managed the impossible. The Winter Palace was rebuilt in one year, which aroused the admiration of Emperor Nicholas I. In this regard, in December 1838, the medal “For the restoration of the Winter Palace” was established. This medal was awarded to all participants in the repair. But at the grand opening of the palace, the emperor decided to award this medal, along with others, to the participants in extinguishing that ill-fated fire - the guards and servants of the St. Petersburg fire brigade.
Medal "For the restoration of the Winter Palace" (silver and gold)
For diligence
The Medal “For Diligence” was established several times and is the most common award in the Russian Empire.
It was first established in December 1801 by order of Emperor Alexander I, reported by D.P. Troshchinsky to the Manager of the Cabinet e.i.v. YES. Guryev along with the medal “For Useful”. Medals were made of gold and silver. Gold medals, by special orders of the emperor, were sometimes decorated with diamonds.
They were worn around the neck and chest (only one case of a breast medal being made is known) on the ribbons of the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, St. Andrew the First-Called, as well as for military distinctions - on the ribbons of St. George (only 3 awards are known). Medals were awarded to representatives of all classes, merchants, peasants and townspeople for various services rendered to the government. Fire brigade chiefs and servants, for particularly outstanding services, could be awarded gold and silver medals with the inscription “For Diligence” to be worn around the neck: the first - on the Vladimir, and the second - on the Anninsky ribbons starting from December 8, 1888 .
Medal "For Diligence" (silver and gold), 1916
The following could be presented for the silver medal “For Diligence”:
- fire chiefs who have served in their rank for five years;
- lower ranks of fire brigades who have a medal “for blameless service in the police” and have served in their position for at least 15 years.
Some who did not serve the deadline for receiving a silver medal “For Diligence” to be worn around the neck on the St. Anninsky ribbon, in special cases could be presented with a silver medal with the inscription “For Diligence” to be worn on the chest; those who have a medal “for blameless service in the police”, on the Aleksandrovskaya ribbon, and those who do not have it, on the Stanislavskaya ribbon. The above-mentioned firefighters could be nominated for a gold medal only after serving another five years after receiving a silver medal, with the inscription “For Diligence” to be worn around the neck.
Under no circumstances could those who were under investigation and trial and not acquitted of charges, as well as those who, while in service, were transferred from a higher position to a lower one, could receive the medal “For Diligence.” When a gold medal was awarded, the silver one was not removed, but was also worn on the neck below the gold one. Submissions for awarding medals, with the attachment of award lists of persons, were sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs once a year by October 1, and the announcement of the list of awardees was made on January 1 of the following year.
For impeccable service in the police
On December 17, 1876, by decree of Emperor Alexander II, which was transmitted to the Senate by the Minister of Internal Affairs, a special award for long service was established for professionals - the medal “For blameless service in the police . This was the first state award of the Russian Empire, intended, according to the statute, specifically for employees of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs: police officers and firefighters.
The medal was awarded to the lower ranks of the police and fire brigades, who served impeccably for at least five years and deigned to remain in service in the team for a further period. The right to wear a medal after retirement was reserved for those who served for at least 10 years. In the event that the recipient, for one reason or another, left the service without serving 10 years, the medal was returned to the chapter of orders. In this case, the calculation of service time was considered if it was continuous. The medal was also confiscated if the recipient was prosecuted. Submission for the medal to the Ministry of Internal Affairs was carried out every six months.
During the reign of Alexander III, the number of medals awarded was relatively small: from 1881 to 1883 there were no more than 400 awards. Under Nicholas II, there were an average of 2,000 recipients per year. The medal was awarded in a solemn atmosphere to the sounds of a brass band formed at the fire brigade.
Medal "For blameless service in the police", 1876. Silver, 21.35 g. (with ring). Diameter 34 mm.
Insignia of the Order of St. Anne
It is especially worth noting that the lower ranks of fire brigades for 25 years of service from May 13, 1867 received the right to be awarded the insignia of the Order of St. Anne , which made them equal to other lower ranks in terms of the right to receive this badge.
The Sovereign Emperor, according to the most humble report of the Chancellor of the Russian Imperial and Tsarist Orders, on the 13th day of May 1859, deigned to command the highest: the most mercifully granted to the lower ranks of the St. Petersburg fire brigade the right to receive the insignia of the Order of St. Anne, for twenty years of impeccable service, to extend and for lower ranks who came from the Military Department to the fire brigades of other capitals (Yu.Kh. - Moscow and Warsaw - the Kingdom of Poland), provincial cities and district and provincial cities.
Insignia of the Order of St. Anne
Service, salary and ranks
The firemen's service was very difficult. They were on duty continuously, without shift. The working day was 16 hours a day. They were allowed to go to the bathhouse once a week for 3 hours and once a month they were given 1 day of leave, despite the fact that the firefighter “does not have any official sins.” At the same time, “lower ranks could be dismissed by the fire chief for their own affairs, no more than two people at a time.” True, at the same time, it was practiced to attract firefighters to various jobs in cities (even to the point of being used as servants), during which they naturally left their units.
As a result, there was a very high “staff turnover” in fire departments. So in 1911, in the Moscow Fire Brigade, with a staff of 736 privates, 692 people left, and 654 were hired. In 1912, with a staff of 710 privates, 706 left and 770 arrived. It got to the point that in the summer and, especially in the fall, clerks the teams walked around the stations, sometimes even on the street, diligently “selecting personnel,” saying, “we have cabbage soup with meat and porridge with lard every day, we’ll dress and put on shoes properly, in everything new, two pairs of boots for a year.” Significant staff turnover led to the fact that fire departments were simply forced to conduct frequent (sometimes twice a day) training with personnel. There were few who earned a pension to receive a pension, but they did exist.
However, over time, the system of awards of the Russian Empire expanded; the government did not forget about the most worthy of them and in every possible way encouraged those who were especially zealous about their service.
The official period of service for those enlisting before 1859 was 20 years, with the right to indefinite leave after 15 years of service.
In 1865, new rules for calculating the terms of service of lower ranks of police and fire brigades were published, which established special rules and privileges for lower ranks who had served the established terms and wished to extend their service.
It was established that all recruits who entered the service since 1859 could be dismissed after 15 years of service, with the right to indefinite leave after 12 years of service. Additional badges for uniforms and increased salaries were introduced, and pensions were awarded upon retirement. The service life could be judged by the stripes (chevrons) on the left sleeve. For every 5 years of service, a chevron in the form of a corner of yellow braid was sewn onto the left sleeve. Those firefighters who, having acquired the right to indefinite leave, refused dismissal and remained in service, were entitled to a silver chevron and a salary of six months was added if the salary did not exceed 34 rubles 28.5 kopecks. If more, then the salary increased by one size. Don’t think that this was a lot of money - the monthly salary of an ordinary firefighter at different times ranged from 1 to 6 rubles. In 1905 it was 11 rubles 8 kopecks, and in 1912 the salary was increased to 14 rubles.
Chevrons on firemen's uniforms (1852)
Those who served their full term and refused to resign when entering secondary service were entitled to a gold galloon chevron with the right to wear it after dismissal. For the first three years, in addition to the main service period, a salary increase was given in the amount of one salary, for the next - in the amount of two salaries, then in the amount of three salaries, and finally, after 9 years of extended service, four salaries were added. All this provided that the additional salary did not exceed 34 rubles 28.5 kopecks in silver. After 12 years of service in the non-commissioned rank, firefighters were granted the right to promotion to officer or class rank at will.
