Orders of St. George made by a Moscow workshop of Ivan Mnekin /ИМ/

Miniature of St. George Cross made by the Moscow workshop ИМ https://asiamedals.info/threads/min...order-badge-of-distinction.25767/#post-359640

Orders of Saint Vladimir made by Moscow workshop ИМ https://asiamedals.info/threads/orders-of-saint-vladimir-made-by-moscow-workshop-im-im.27298/

Orders of Saint Anna made by Moscow workshop ИМ https://asiamedals.info/threads/orders-of-saint-anna-made-by-moscow-workshop-im-im.26311/

Orders of Saint Stanislaus made by Moscow workshop ИM https://asiamedals.info/threads/orders-of-saint-stanislaus-made-by-moscow-workshop-im-im.27415/

Ivan Nikolaevich Mnekin owned a silverware workshop in Moscow. Based on information collected by V.V. Skurlov the beginning of the workshop work can be traced back to 1886. At the beginning the enterprise was small: in 1896 when the workshop was located in Sokolniki (Ivanovskaya St., own house, Meshchanskaya part, 4th section) only six people worked here. Ivan Nikolaevich marked its products with the initials "ИМ/IM". Workshop was active until 1917.

Иван Николаевич Мнекин владел мастерской в Москве, где изготавливали столовые приборы и посуду из серебра. Если опираться на сведения, собранные В.В. Скурловым, то началом работы мастерской можно считать 1886 год. Изначально предприятие было небольшим, так как в 1896 году, когда мастерская располагалась в Сокольниках (ул. Ивановская, собственный дом, Мещанская часть, 4-й участок), здесь работало только шесть человек. Иван Николаевич клеймил изделия своей мастерской инициалами "ИМ". Мастерская работала до 1917 года.​

Evolution of workshop marks.

1880s/1890s

1899-1908

1908-1917


Crosses with iconography of 1st type.

All known crosses of 1st type iconography belong to the 1899-1908 time period.

4th class cross (awarded for the Russo-Japanese war on September 24, 1904).

Gold, enamel.
Size 41.8 x 37.6 mm.
Weight 10.78 g.

Marked with maker's mark "ИМ/IM" for Moscow workshop of Ivan Mnekin /Иван Мнекин/, partly readable Moscow district assay office gold hallmark from 1899-1908 time period [56, kokoshnik facing left, ИЛ /IL/ for inspector Иван Лебедкин /Ivan Lebedkin/]. Also marked with additional French import mark "coquille" (shell with alpha = Paris) for 585 gold that is used since 1994.​

Central medallions.

Marks.

 

Above cross belong to military engineer and Imperial Russian Army general Nikolai Aleksandrovich Tretyakov (Russian: Третьяков, Николай Александрович; 2 October 1854 – 5 February 1917) noted for his heroic role in the Siege of Port Arthur during the Russo-Japanese War.​

Nikolai Aleksandrovich wearing the very same Saint George cross.

Note that he is also wearing Imperial China Double Dragon order breast star.

Tretyakov was born in Simbirsk, where his family were members of the local nobility. He graduated from the 2nd Moscow Military Gymnasium on August 10, 1872 and entered military service. In 1875, after graduation from the Nikolaev Engineering School, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He was promoted to lieutenant on July 13, 1877 and returned to the Nikolaev Academy of Engineering from which he graduated in 1878, and was subsequently promoted to captain. He became a lieutenant colonel in April 1892, and was assigned command of a sapper company at Vladivostok in April 1893. On May 21, 1895 he became commander of the 1st East Siberian Demining Brigade.

Promoted to colonel on December 25, 1899, Tretyakov was with the Russian expeditionary forces in the Boxer Rebellion in northern China. On February 27, 1901, he was appointed commander of the 5th East Siberian Rifles regiment.

During the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, Tretyakov distinguished himself with a heroic defense against the Imperial Japanese Army at the Battle of Nanshan, during which he was wounded. He was promoted to major general on October 22, 1904 and continued to command the 5th East Siberian Rifles throughout the Siege of Port Arthur.

After the end of the war, on October 17, 1910, Tretyakov became inspector of field engineering in the Kiev Military District. He was promoted to lieutenant general on December 6, 1910. He was made commander of the 10th Siberian Rifle Division on February 28, 1911 and of the 3rd Siberian Infantry Division on October 12, 1911.

At the start of World War I, from August 12, 1914 Tretyakov was in command of the 1st Siberian Infantry Division. He was appointed commander of the Russian 23rd Army Corps on September 5, 1915, but asked to be transferred to the reserves only a week later. In December 1915, he was appointed commander of the Russian XLII Army Corps, and on March 20, 1916 to that of the Russian XXXVII Army Corps. He was promoted to Engineer-general, (a military-technical rank in the Imperial Russian Army), on December 6, 1916.

Tretyakov died of pneumonia on February 27, 1917.​

 

Same cross inside his medal bar.

1. Order of Saint George 4th class.
2. Order of Saint Vladimir 4th class (size 39.1 x 34.6 mm; marked "AK" for Albert Keibel).
3. Order of St. Stanislaus 3rd class with swords and a bow (size 42.0×38.5 mm; marked "IK" for for Julius Keibel).
4. Medal in memory of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878.
5. Medal in memory of the reign of Emperor Alexander III.
6. Medal in memory of the coronation of Emperor Nicholas II.
7. Medal "For a China Campaign".
8. Medal in memory of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905.
9. Medal in memory of the Patriotic War of 1812.
11. Romanian cross in memory of crossing the Danube.

 

Another 4th class cross with iconography of 1st type (also awarded for the Russo-Japanese war).

Marked with maker's mark "ИМ/IM" for Moscow workshop of Ivan Mnekin /Иван Мнекин/, partly readable Moscow district assay office gold hallmark from 1899-1908 time period [56, kokoshnik facing left, ИЛ /IL/ for inspector Иван Лебедкин /Ivan Lebedkin/].

Marks.

 

Central medallions of two crosses of 1st type.

 

Rim of the cross engraved

"To Lieutenant Colonel Ivanov April 18, 1904 from 8th Company of 11th East Siberian Rifle Regiment".

"Emperor, according to the most humble report of the Cavalier Duma of the Military Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George the Most Graciously granted on August 30, 1907, in retribution for the distinctions rendered in battle with the enemy: for outstanding courage and diligence shown by him on April 18, 1904 in the battle near Tyurenchen, when breaking through the enemy ranks surrounding from all sides, - the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George 4th degree. Headquarters recall of December 3, 1907 notified that on the 22nd day of November 1907, the highest is allowed to consider seniority in the rank lieutenant colonel since April 18, 1904."

"Государь император по всеподданнейшему докладу Кавалерской думы Военного ордена Святого Великомученика и Победоносца Георгия Всемилостивейше соизволил пожаловать 30 августа 1907 года, в воздаяние отличий, оказанных в делах с неприятелем: за выдающуюся храбрость и распорядительность, выказанные им 18 апреля 1904 года в бою под Тюренченом, при пробитии сквозь окружившие ряды неприятеля, – орденом Святого Великомученика и Победоносца Георгия 4-й степени. Главный штаб отзывом от 3 декабря 1907 года уведомил, что в 22-й день ноября 1907 года высочайше разрешено считать старшинство в чине подполковника с 18 апреля 1904 года."

Major General Mikhail Mikhailovich Ivanov with his 4th class Saint George cross in 1922 (photo was taken in Harbin).​

This is how Mikhail Mikhailovich recalled this fight in his memoirs.

“I rushed forward with the remnants of the company again, and the enemies fled and cleared the road to the left on the hill ... The banner platoon, bowing the banner, rushed after me, and the banner was saved. I can’t help but dwell on individual episodes of the battle. Colonel Nikolai Alexandrovich Laiming was old Caucasian serviceman. He had the Order of St. Vladimir of the 4th class with swords and a bow for military distinction for the fact that during the Akhalteke expedition in 1880 he stopped the attack of several thousand enemy cavalry with volleys of his company. He was a kind man, but quick-tempered and hot-tempered. In the Battle of Tyurenchensk, our eight companies were surrounded by a division of the Japanese. Seeing imminent death or captivity, Colonel Laiming decided to go ahead ... He rushed to the attack and fell a hero. His last dying words were: "Drop me, save the banner and yourself." The Japanese did not find his body.
When the regimental priest, Father Stefan Shcherbakovsky, walking with a cross in his hands, fell wounded in the arm and chest, the regimental clergyman Osip Perch, not a step behind his priest, picked up Father Stefan and carried him out of the battle. For this he was awarded with the George Cross. The regimental banner was taken out by the standard-beare non-commissioned officer Pyotr Minzar under the cover of a platoon that was commanded by Lieutenant Bogachevich.
I led 156 riflemen into battle. 96 were killed, 45 were wounded, 15 came out, including me, despite the fact that during the five hours of the battle and the three-fold attack I never crouched or was covered by something ... only by the will of God it was possible to save me".

"Я с остатками роты бросился еще раз вперед, и враги разбежались и очистили дорогу влево на горку… Знаменный взвод, склонив знамя, бросился за мной, и знамя было спасено. Не могу не остановиться на отдельных эпизодах боя. Полковник Николай Александрович Лайминг был старый кавказский служака. Имел за боевое отличие орден Святого Владимира 4-й степени с мечами и бантом за то, что во время Ахалтекинской экспедиции в 1880 году залпами своей роты остановил атаку неприятельской конницы в несколько тысяч. Человек он был добрый, но вспыльчивый и горячий. В Тюренченском бою наши восемь рот были окружены дивизией японцев. Видя неминуемую гибель или плен, полковник Лайминг решился идти напролом… Бросился в атаку и пал героем. Последние предсмертные слова его были: «Бросьте меня, спасайте знамя и себя». Тела его японцы не нашли.
Когда полковой священник отец Стефан Щербаковский, идя с крестом в руках, упал, раненый в руку и грудь, то полковой церковник Осип Перч, ни на шаг не отстававший от своего священника, поднял на руки отца Стефана и вынес из боя. Награжден Георгиевским крестом. Полковое знамя было вынесено знаменщиком унтер-офицером Петром Минзарем под прикрытием взвода под командой подпоручика Богачевича.
В бой я повел 156 стрелков. Убито 96, ранено 45, вышло целыми 15, в том числе и я, несмотря на то, что в течение пяти часов боя и троекратной атаки ни разу не присел или был закрыт чем-либо… только волей Бога возможно было сохранить меня."

About the cross.

"... and in August, the St. George's Duma in Petrograd awarded me, the prince and Khanzhin with the Order of St. George of the 4th class. Hooray! How happy we were ... Princess Marya Sergeevna even cried. General Nikolai Iudovich Ivanov was the first to congratulate me with a telegram. I was presented with two crosses: the 8th company and Princess M. S. Baryatinsky. I keep both crosses as sacred. Now I was completely satisfied. It was inexplicably pleasant to wear a little white cross. I rested on my laurels…".

"... и в августе Георгиевской думой в Петрограде были удостоены я, князь и Ханжин награждением орденом Святого Георгия 4-й степени. Ура-а-а! Как мы были рады… Княгиня Марья Сергеевна даже плакала. Меня первым поздравил телеграммой генерал Николай Иудович Иванов. Мне преподнесли два креста: 8-я рота и княгиня М. С. Барятинская. Оба креста храню как святыню. Теперь я был удовлетворен вполне. Неизъяснимо было приятно носить беленький крестик. Я почивал на лаврах…"

Source.

​

 

Mikhail Mikhailovich Ivanov (Михаил Михайлович Иванов; September 22 (October 4) , 1861, Kostroma - November 6, 1935, Harbin ) was born in Kostroma in an Orthodox family. His father was the son of a non-commissioned officer of the Semyonovsky regiment, his mother was the daughter of a non-commissioned officer of the Borodino Infantry Regiment. In 1870, he entered the Yaroslavl Military Progymnasium as a volunteer. Mikhail received his secondary education at the Yaroslavl city school in 1877. On May 3, 1879 he was enlisted for military service in the Russian Imperial Army as a volunteer of the 3rd category in the 137th Nezhinsky Infantry Regiment. October 22, 1879 promoted to non-commissioned officer. In August 1882, Mikhail graduated from the Moscow Infantry Cadet School in the 2nd category, from where he was released into the 137th Nezhinsky Infantry Regiment as a lieutenant.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Mikhail Ivanov became a participant in the suppression of the boxer uprising in China as part of the troops of the South Manchurian detachment. In June 1900, as part of the 11th East Siberian Rifle Regiment, he crossed the border of South Manchuria and then took part in hostilities in the detachments of Colonel Dombrovsky, Colonel Mishchenko, Major General Fleischer , Lieutenant General Subbotich. In September 1900, as part of the regiment, he took part in the capture of Liaoyang in battle , then in the occupation of Mukden. He received the rank of captain in April 1901 with seniority from May 6, 1900.

As part of his regiment, Captain Mikhail Ivanov took part in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. In September 1905, Ivanov was promoted to lieutenant colonel with seniority from April 18, 1904 "for his distinction in cases against the Japanese." On September 19 ( October 2 ), 1907 , Ivanov was awarded the Order of St. George of the fourth degree "for the outstanding courage and diligence shown by him on April 18, 1904 in the battle near Tyurenchen , when breaking through the enemy ranks surrounding from all sides". It was a famous episode of the first battle of the Russo-Japanese War - the Battle of Tyurenchen, in which the regimental priest Stefan Shcherbakovsky , with a cross in his hand, went on the attack ahead of a company of soldiers, for which he also received the Order of St. George: Mikhail Ivanov commanded the company raised in the attack by Shcherbakovsky. Left with this unit to cover the retreat of the regiment, he completed the task, after which he "made his way with bayonets" to the main forces: out of 156 people of the company, only 15 people returned alive, counting the company commander.

In April 1906, he was appointed deputy head of the 1st fortress sector of the Vladivostok fortress, and in June 1906, head of the 2nd fortress sector of the Vladivostok fortress. In 1907, Ivanov was with 11th East Siberian Rifle Regiment. In 1909, “for distinction”, he received the epaulettes of a colonel in the Imperial Army (with seniority from November 26 of the same year, later, in 1914, seniority was given to the rank of colonel from April 18, 1905), and before the First World War on March 20, 1913 - he became commander of the 10th Siberian Rifle Regiment.
​

Mikhail Mikhailovich in October 1913.

Mikhail Ivanov took part in the Great War , during which he rose to the rank of general - he became a major general (order dated May 11, 1916, with seniority from March 1, 1916). On January 18, 1916, he received a brigade of the 121st Infantry Division under his command, and in June 1916 he was the temporary commander of the entire 121st Division. Since April 1917, he was seconded to the headquarters of the 2nd Siberian Army Corps. In September 1917, by order of the army and navy, he was appointed head of the 3rd Siberian Rifle Reserve Brigade, but upon arrival he was not accepted by the brigade revolutionary committee.

After the October Revolution, by order of the Military District Committee, he was dismissed from service by order of the Omsk Military District No. 270 dated January 10, 1918.

During the Civil War Ivanov continued to serve in the white troops of the Eastern Front: he was on the lists of the White Guards from 1918 to 1920. From June 1918 he was an assignment general at the headquarters of the 2nd Steppe Siberian Army Corps, then an assignment general at the headquarters of the Omsk Military District. On April 1, 1919, he was transferred to the Separate Corps of the Border Guard . On August 21, 1919, by order of the Supreme Plenipotentiary of the Russian Government in the Far East, he was approved as the commandant of the city of Harbin - thus, he became the last Russian commandant of this city.

At the end of the active hostilities of the Civil War, Mikhail Mikhailovich ended up in exile: he lived in China. He died on November 6, 1935 in Harbin and was buried at the Old (Pokrovsky) cemetery.​

 

4th class cross with iconography of 1st type but this time St. George galloping from right to left. The ring was restored.

 

Crosses with iconography of 2nd type.

All known crosses of 2nd type iconography belong to the 1908+ time period.

Gold, enamel.
Size 37 x 41 mm.

Marked with maker's mark "ИМ/IM" for Moscow workshop of Ivan Mnekin /Иван Мнекин/, Moscow district assay office gold hallmark "shovel" from 1908+ time period [56, kokoshnik facing right, delta].

Marks.

 

Gold, enamel.
Size 40 mm (including the loop).
Weight 10 g.

Marked with maker's mark "ИМ/IM", partly readable Moscow district assay office gold hallmark "shovel" from 1908+ time period [56, kokoshnik facing right, delta].

Marks.

 

Previous cross belong to a famous Russian officer Anatoli Leonidovitch Nossovitch (awarded with 4th class Saint George order on September 6, 1917).
Another St.George cross that also belong to him https://asiamedals.info/threads/orders-of-st-george-made-by-izh-izh-workshop.25654/#post-355263
Miniature cross https://asiamedals.info/threads/miniatures-of-the-order-of-st-george.22835/page-2#post-358601

Anatoli Leonidovitch Nossovitch (Aнатолий Леонидович Носович , 1878, Finland – 1968, Nice) coming from a family of aristocrats and soldiers, Anatoli Nossovitch joined the corps of cadets in Pskov at the age of ten. He then continued his studies at the Nicolas Cavalry School as a student officer, then at the Nicolas Military Staff School. He subsequently taught military history at the Corps des Pages and at the Nicolas Artillery School.

During World War I he was Colonel of the Uhlans of the Imperial Guard, then General-Major of the 117th Infantry Division. In 1918, he enlisted in the ranks of the Red Army but was suspected of working for the whites. Arrested by order of Stalin on August 5, 1918, he was released for four days on the intervention of Trotsky. He was in reserve (at the disposal of Commander-in-Chief Trotsky) from June to September 1918. Then at the disposal (assistant) of the commander of the Southern Front P. P. Sytin. October 22, 1918 was removed from office. Not later than November 5, 1918, having taken secret documents, he went over to the side of the White Army at the site of the 8th Red Army, after which the entire headquarters of the district was arrested. In 1919, he was in charge of the region and the garrison of Novorossiysk, and directed the activities of counterintelligence and anti-partisan warfare on the white rear lines.

Emigrated to France, Anatoli Nossovitch settled in Nice where he ran a garage and participated in the life of local organizations of Russian military emigrants. He conducted courses for non-commissioned officers and was also a member of the Association of Officers of Former Russian Imperial Guard Regiments.​

 

Central medallions of two crosses of 2nd type.

 

Another example of ИМ-made cross of 2nd type iconography.

Gold, enamel.
Marked with maker's mark "ИМ/IM", partly readable Moscow district assay office gold hallmark "shovel" from 1908+ time period [56, kokoshnik facing right, delta].

Original lower ray was lost.

Marks.

 

4th class Saint George order cross with 2nd type iconography.

Gold, enamel.
Size 43.2 x 39 mm.
Weight 9.71 g.

Marked with maker's mark "ИМ/IM" for Moscow workshop of Ivan Mnekin /Иван Мнекин/, partly readable Moscow district assay office gold hallmark from 1908+ time period [delta, kokoshnik facing right, 56].

 

Silver tray made in memory of the 200th anniversary of the 3rd Grenadier Pernov King Friedrich Wilhelm IV Regiment /3-й гренадерский Перновский Короля Фридриха Вильгельма IV полк/.

Silver, gold, enamel.
Made by Moscow factory E.K. Cheryatova /Фабрика Е.К. Черятова/ in 1910.
Obviously Saint George order cross /or only its central medallion/ Cheryatov factory commissioned from the Ivan Mnekin workshop.

Сollection of the State Historical Museum, Moscow.

On the tray are the monograms of Emperors Peter I, Nicholas II and Frederick William IV and the inscriptions: “3rd Grenadier Pernovsky Regiment of King Frederick William IV 29.VI 1710-1910”, “Great Northern War 1710-1721 Persian Campaign 1722-1724” Turkish War 1736–1739 Finnish War 1741 Seven Years' War 1756–1762 Chesme Naval Campaign 1769–1774 Finnish War 1789–1790 Polish War 1794 Hanoverian Campaign 1805," Heilsberg Kars Friedland”, “God Bless Our Holy Banner of the Third Century”, “Second War with Napoleon 1807 Finnish War 1808–1809 Patriotic War 1812–1813 War of Liberation of European States 1813–1814 Polish Rebellion 1831 Eastern War 1854–1855 Turkish War 1877"/"3-ий гренадерский Перновский Короля Фридриха Вильгельма IV полк 29.VI 1710—1910","Великая северная война 1710–1721 г. Персидский поход 1722–1724 г. Турецкая война 1736–1739 г. Финляндская война 1741 г. Семилетняя война 1756–1762 г. Чесменский морской поход 1769–1774 г. Финляндская война 1789–1790 г. Польская война 1794 г. Ганноверский поход 1805 г.«, «Гейльсберг Карс Фридланд», "Благослови, Господи, Святое Знамя Наше третьего века", "Вторая война с Наполеоном 1807 г. Финляндская война 1808–1809 г. Отечественная война 1812–1813 г. Война за освобождение государств Европы 1813–1814 г. Польский мятеж 1831 г. Восточная война 1854–1855 г. Турецкая война 1877 г.".

Saint George order cross.