Order of Bravery

Order of Bravery III grade, 1st class.

The Order of Bravery (Bulgarian: Орден за Храброст) is a Bulgarian order during the Kingdom of Bulgaria and the Republic of Bulgaria. It is the most esteemed Bulgarian order and the second highest in the Kingdom of Bulgaria and fourth highest in the Republic of Bulgaria. It exists since 1880 with interruption between 1946 and 2003.


The Royal Order

Royal Order of Bravery
царски Поръчка на храброст
Awarded by The King of the Bulgarians
Type Dynastic Order
Royal house House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry
Religious affiliation Bulgarian Orthodox
Ribbon Light Blue with Silver Stripes on either side.
Eligibility Bulgarian and Foreign Military Personnel
Awarded for Bravery, heroism and feats on the battlefield
Status Unconstituted
Sovereign King Simeon II
Grades (w/ post-nominals) Knight Grand Cross with Chain
Knight Grand Officer, Special Class
Knight Grand Officer
Knight Commander, Special Class
Knight Commander
Knight Officer, 1st Class
Knight Officer
Knight, Special Class
Knight
Gold Cross, Special Class
Gold Cross
Silver Cross, Special Class
Silver Cross
Established 1 January 1880
1880 - 1946 (National Order)
1946 - present (House Order)
Precedence
Next (higher) Royal Order of Saint Alexander
Next (lower) Royal Order of Civil Merit
Royal Order of Military Merit
The ribbon of the Order

The Order of Bravery was established with a decree of Knyaz Alexander Batenberg on 1 January 1880. It is the first Bulgarian order and was modeled after the Order of Military Merit of the Grand Duchy of Hesse which existed to 1866. The recipients of the order are called cavaliers. The order was one of the many violations of the Treaty of Berlin with which Bulgaria demonstrated full independence although the country was deprived of high state decorations - symbols of national independence.

The head of state and the heir to the throne were cavaliers by right to Military Order of Bravery I grade and Military Order of Bravery IV grade respectively. Due to his great respect to the order Tsar Boris III never put on the Order of Bravery I grade and the Grand cross but only the Order of Bravery III grade, 2nd class received during the First Balkan War (1912-1913); the Order of Bravery III grade, 1st class received during the First World War (1915-1918) and the Order of Bravery IV grade, 1st class which he received by right as an heir in 1894.[1]

The order was first awarded on 17 April 1880 when 33 participants in the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) received the order. Several days later on 24 April (6 May NS, the Day of St George), the order was awarded for the first time to a civilian person.

Between 1937 and 1940, the sign of the Order of Bravery I grade, 1st class was used as a symbol of the Bulgarian Air Force in analogue with the Iron Cross which was the traditional symbol of the Luftwaffe. Several German officers received this award during World War II.

After the end of the monarchy the orders and the medals of the Kingdom of Bulgaria were fully substituted with other ones. On 15 September the Order of Bravery ceased to exist.

Description

Order of Bravery

The Grand Cross was awarded only to the ruler who was a Grand Master of the order. It consisted of a necklace, a star and a mantle. There are five emissions.

There are four emissions.

That order was awarded to Bulgarian and foreign generals and foreign rulers. Second, third and fourth grade were given to generals and officers according to their rank.

There are two emissions.

There are three emissions.

There are five emissions.

There are seven emissions.

There are ten emissions.

Soldier Cross of Bravery

The Soldier Cross of Bravery was a medal enlisted to the Order of Bravery.

Gold-plated, with crossed ribbons

Gold-plated, without crossed ribbons

Silver-plated, with crossed ribbons

Silver-plated, without crossed ribbons

Cavaliers of the Order of Bravery I grade

In the Bulgarians history there are only three persons awarded with the Order of Bravery I grade:

Monarchs:

The order was also awarded to:

The Republic Order

Order of Bravery
Поръчка на храброст
The Grand Officer's Medal of the Order
Awarded by The President of Bulgaria
Type State Order
Religious affiliation Bulgarian Orthodox
Ribbon Blue
Eligibility Civil, Military
Awarded for Awarded for Bravery and heroism for the Bulgarian state and society
Status Currently awarded
Grand Master President Rosen Plevneliev
Grades (w/ post-nominals) Grand Officer
Commander
Officer
Established 1 January 1880
1880 - 1946 (Royal National Order)
29 May 2003 (Reestablished Republic Order)
Precedence
Next (higher) Order of the Madara Horseman
Next (lower) Merit Medal
The ribbon of the Order

The order was reestablished after interruption of 57 years with a law by the 39th National Assembly of 29 May 2003 and published in State Gazette on 21 May 2004. In its contemporary form it has three grades without classes and is again with swords for military personnel and without swords for civilians.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Списание „Нашата конница“, бр. 5,6, 1939 г., стр. 8

External links

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