Why did the Soviets number the Red Banner Order ?

[Bill D.]

Well, as I was driving home tonight, this question occurred to me:

Why exactly did the Soviets create numbered versions of the Order of the Red Banner, those with the small "2", "3", "4" and so on at the bottom?

They wore all of them, no matter how many they received, so it wasn't intended to be something like the American oak leaf cluster, or even numbers that are worn on ribbons, which are used to represent multile awards in place of actually wearing multiple awards.

Beyond that, they didn't do itwith any other order, although many senior officers won multiples of various decorations, such as the Order of Lenin.

Anyone have any thoughts or insight into this?

I won't be able to sleep until I get an explaination !

It's a buring question in my mind. It could provide important insight into soviet awards methodology and philosophy. It could mean the difference between....

[Rick Research]

The only thing that I can think of is that because the "RFSFR" Red Banner M1918 was the only Order the Soviet Union had for some years, and THAT used the multiple numbers, they simply continued the system for the "USSR" successive versions... even though they had abandoned that as an idea for all the LATER Orders.

But as you say, it really didn't make any SENSE at all from the get go.

[HuliganRS]

The practice of numbering awards is interesting.

The award system even in the early days loosly followed the Imperial days. Since most Imperial awards came in classes and that practice was stopped because everyone was equal, I can see how it was possible to attain a higher class without classes. Does that make sence?

"Beyond that, they didn't do itwith any other order, although many senior officers won multiples of various decorations, such as the Order of Lenin."

Not true, The HSU medals second award and on had a roman number stamped on the reverse. Mongolian Orders that copy the soviet system had the same thing with their version of Red Banner.
Rusty.

[New World]

As we all know - modesty and equality was the big deal after the Revolution eliminated classes in Russian society. Red Banner was the very first order and I bet you Reds probably thought it would be the only order. As such the original intention was to wear just one award, whichh follows the Modesty hopothesys.

Hence you were not supposed to wear all 3 Red Banners even if you earned them, instead you wear one with the highest number and everyone knows that you have prior two as well.

William

[HuliganRS]

As we all know - modesty and equality was the big deal after the Revolution eliminated classes in Russian society. Red Banner was the very first order and I bet you Reds probably thought it would be the only order. As such the original intention was to wear just one award, whichh follows the Modesty hopothesys.

Hence you were not supposed to wear all 3 Red Banners even if you earned them, instead you wear one with the highest number and everyone knows that you have prior two as well.

William

William,

Is this an educated guess or you actually read this somewhere
I don't mean to be rude but if you read it somewhere I'd love to read about it...

Rusty.