The Hermitage Receives the Standard of His Majesty’s Life Guards Lancer Regiment for the Museum of the Guards

On the occasion of the St. Petersburg jubilee, the Hermitage received for the future Museum of the Guards the Standard of His Majesty’s Life Guards Lancer Regiment from its guardians, the family of Boris Jordan and Yelena Bogolyubova nee Mukhanova.

St. George jubilee standard of 1857. Yellow cloth and squares, silver embroidery. Silver top of 1875. Dark green flagstaff with silver grooves. St. Andrew jubilee ribbon of 1876. Regiment icon of 1877 under the eagle.

This relic accompanied officers of the Lancer Regiment in 1920, when the retreating White Army left the Crimea.

Russian refugees were hosted by King Alexander I of Serbia who had been educated at the Corps des Pages in St. Petersburg. Yugoslavia became the center of Russian military emigration, where Russians created their societies, cadet corps, gymnasia and museums. The Standard of His Majesty’s Life Guards Lancer Regiment was preserved in the Emperor Nicholas II Memorial Museum.

In the early summer of 1944 decision was made to dismantle the Standard and deposit it in a special cache in Belgrade. Then its trace was lost until 1948, when the relic was restored to Russian officers. Soon the Standard was taken to the United States by Russian emigrants who were leaving Europe. At first it was kept in the Church of Christ the Savior in New York, then in a small museum in the State of Kansas.

Now, due to the efforts of the Aleksey Jordan Cadet Corps Assistance Foundation and the Russian Ministry of Culture, the relic has returned to its native country.

* The Regiment was created in 1817 in Warsaw on the basis of the 1st Division of the Life Guards Lancer Regiment, which in 1814 accompanied Cesarevitch Constantine Pavlovich, and included officers from some other cavalry regiments of the Guards. The Regiment was awarded rights and privileges of the Old Guards and the name of His Imperial Highness the Cesarevitch’s Life Guards Lancer Regiment. Since 1831, the Regiment’s patron was Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich, since 1849, the Heir, Cesarevitch Alexander Nikolayevich (future Alexander II). He retained this title even after ascending the throne, and the Regiment was given the name of His Majesty’s Life Guards Lancer Regiment.

Insignia:

1876, St. George Regiment Standard with the inscription "For the Taking of the French Banner by Krasnoye and the Distinction in the Defeat and Expulsion of the Enemies from Russia in 1812"

1826, 22 St. George Trumpets with the inscription "Awarded to His Imperial Highness’s Life Guards Lancer Regiment for the Feats Accomplished in the Memorable Campaign Successfully Finished in 1814"

1830, 15 Silver Trumpets with the inscription "His Majesty’s Life Guards Lancer Regiment"

1878, Headdress insignia with the inscription "For Distinction in the Turkish War of 1877-78"

The Ceremony

Ceremony in the St. George Hall