​LIBERALS REGISTER BILL ON BANNING ONE MORE SOVIET HISTORIC SYMBOL IN MOLDOVA

The Liberal Party (LP) has registered with the Parliament Permanent Bureau a bill on prohibiting the using of the St. George Ribbon in socio-political and cultural purposes in this republic.

The bill authors maintain that the Ribbon is a Russian military symbol. To ban it, the Liberals are proposing to introduce corresponding amendments to the Code of Administrative Offences.

“The St. George Ribbon is used as a symbol of victory over the fascist Germany. However, in the Soviet period it was prohibited and has nothing to do with the events of that period, so it is a false symbol. The latest events in Ukraine are demonstrating the purpose of this ribbon. Most of separatists and advocates of the federalization of Ukraine regard the St. George Ribbon as their symbol. The ribbon has thus become a symbol of separatism, lawlessness, chaos and instability”, the Liberals wrote in their accompanying letter to the bill.

They believe that the Ribbon, promoted by separatists, represents a threat to the integrity of the Republic of Moldova.

“Even Belarus and Kazakhstan, who have signed with Russia the Agreement on establishing the Eurasian Customs Union, have prohibited the using of this symbol in their territories. The ribbon using generates tension in the civil society, and must be outlawed”, wrote the Liberals.

Infotag’s dossier: The St. George Ribbon constitutes one of the most recognized and respected symbols of military valor in modern Russia and other former Soviet republics. It is widely associated with the commemoration of the Second World War and especially with the units who were awarded the collective Guard battle honors during the war. The ribbon consists of a black and orange bicolor pattern, with three black and two orange stripes.

Its origins may be traced back to the Russian Empire. The Georgian ribbon emerged as part of the Order of St. George, established in 1769 as the highest military decoration of Imperial Russia (and re-established in 1998 by the Russian Federation). While the Order of St. George was normally not a collective award, the ribbon was sometimes granted to regiments and units that performed brilliantly during wartime and constituted an integral part of some collective battle honors (such as banners pennants).

One of the most honorable medals in the Soviet Army, For the Victory Over Germany, also features St. George stripes. It was awarded to all the soldiers and officers who directly participated in the combat actions during the Eastern Front campaigns, and was the first award to be universally granted to all the veterans, for the most part, right after the end of the war. This award, along with the similar medal For the Victory Over Japan, is still used in the former Soviet Union countries to distinguish between the actual veterans of World War II and all non-combat participants.

Since the 60th anniversary of the Victory Day in 2005, the ribbon is freely worn by civilians in Russia and other FSU countries as an act of commemoration and remembrance. It has since been distributed in Moscow, all over Russia, and around the world in the preparation for the event and is widely seen on wrists, lapels, and cars.