Medals and decorations of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905: traditions and innovations

The military awards system of the Russian state, in particular, its medal and decorations component, has a profound and curious history. A special role in it is played by the events of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. Despite the existing rather serious historiography of the issue, the authors, for various reasons, did not focus on ‟traditions and innovations” in the award practice connected with military operations. Briefly reviewing the main medals and decorations issued by the state and public structures of Russia in the country and abroad and the reasons for introducing them, the authors identified the “classic” and “unusual” moments in the promotional field. It can be attributed as quite a usual practice that the attention of the authorities to the heroic events was demonstrated in two ways – directly, immediately after the fact, literally a few months after the incident, and on some ‟anniversary occasions”. In any case, there was a desire “to capture” heroism in premium metal, even despite the outwardly losing situation on the battlefield. The ranking of decorations by degrees was reflected in the value of the material used, and the relatively large coverage of the awarded was customary as well. As for innovations, there were a lot of medals made by Russian public organisations abroad, particularly in France. This has never been done before. It testified to the resonance and significance of the reflected historical fact not only for Russia, but also for other countries.