Dear Readers:
Today I have this piece by reporter Alexei Degtyarev. There are two new Russian Glory Cities for the books, both with Greek names: Melitopol and Mariupol. Mariupol is a corruption of the Greek Marian-opol (“Mary’s City”), Greek Μαριανόπολη. The Mary in question was either Christ’s Mother, or the Russian Empress Maria Fedorovna, depending on interpretation.
The city Melitopol is from the Greek Μελιτόπολις, meaning “Honey City” or “Sweet City” from Greek meli– “honey”. Possibly as reference to the bee-keeping industry and apiaries of ancient trade routes. Or possibly in a more abstract meaning, that it was just a sweet place to live.
This past Tuesday, Russian President Putin signed a decree awarding these two cities the title of City of Military Glory (Город воинской славы). Specifying that the citizens of these cities deserve recognition for their significant contribution to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45.
Russia is not the only country in the world to award medals to entire cities, but the Soviet Union started this custom, if I am not mistaken. The highest medal, of course, is that of Hero City.
This custom can be traced back to 1942, when Stalin awarded the title of “Hero Cities” to Leningrad, Stalingrad, Sebastopol, and Odessa. In 1961 Kiev also received the medal. This custom was still somewhat informal, until it was formalized, in 1965, by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, on the occasion of the 20th Anniversary of the Victory. Other cities were added to the list, and you can read the wikipedia entry I just linked, to get a complete list.
In 2005 a new award was introduced in the Russian Federation: the title of City of Military Glory. This title has been awarded to 45 Russian cities.
And there is one other title as well: City of Labor Valor (Город трудовой доблести), awarded to 20 cities, so far. When he awarded Military Glory medals to Mariupol and Melitopol, Putin at the same time awarded the Labor Valor medal to Astrakhan, Vologda, Gorlovka, Zlatoust, Kaspiyska, Luhansk, Norilsk, Orsk, and Yakutsk.
What does this honor mean, concretely, for these cities? It means that the city officials are allowed to erect a public stele depicting their city with its coat of arms and arrayed with its medals. On official holidays the city will conduct formal ceremonies to celebrate the Victory, and also City Day, on their city’s founding holiday.
Awful Avalanche 
Psst, methinks you meant stele. Unless you print the city’s coat of arms on a Stella Artois label….
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As always, you are correct, peter! I meant stele. The Russian word is “stella” and I thought it was the same in English. (I’ll correct it in the post.)
“Stella! Stella!” [Marlon Brandon imitation…]
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Stella Artois label….
I”ll drink to that….
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Ze drug addict is awarding Hero status to towns and cities in Ukraine since February. It seems bizarre given their anti-soviet stance they are using the same system or title
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404’S Highest military order is also Hero of Ukraine, identical to Hero of Russia / USSR except for the colour of the ribbon. It’ll be interesting to see if they get around to renaming it before they fold.
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Historically, it is very difficult to find an example of the heroism of Stalingrad, not only the heroism but also the fact that Nazism was defeated there. Mariupol and Melitopol are significant in the same, heroic defense against neo-Nazism and also the collapse to rule the world again. Thus, the united salvation of Russia and at the same time humanity, in both ways mentioned above.
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Wow.
Thats really awesome history and traditions. Thanks a lot for sharing Mr. Avalanche. Your blog is really cool, something new to learn all the time, most thoughtful too.
Very enjoyable in fact.
Russian’s have these things which define them and preserve culture and time honored traditions found no where else. Maybe it is their wonderful obsession with Christian icons, how that manifests itself in other ways; or vice versa?
This I watch frequently, exactly because it is so moving and elemental. Never seen anything like it, and talking about glory, this V-clip commemorating the opening of the Russian Military Cathedral. First time I watched it was one of those profound moments you get. The music is perfect. And the craft work and the makers who built it, incredible. So rich. How they used scrap metal from destroyed armor from past battles, melted down to create pieces of art and architecture.
‘Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces’
https://rumble.com/v1d1wlx-main-cathedral-of-the-russian-armed-forces.html
This is a great short of Mr. Putin’s Hell March, where it starts off him saying, HOORAH! Thats some serious Warrior stuff, that alone should be a warning well taken. And again the music!
‘Russian Army – The Best Hell March | Russia Military Power 2020’
‘SAUR-MOGILA MONUMENT FINISHES RECONSTRUCTION’
https://www.bitchute.com/video/rP0n4beElrWY/
And this, I can’t look at the pictures enough:
“The coolest war monument ever. The West has
nothing like this. Mamayev Kurgan, in Stalingrad.”
https://russia-insider.com/en/remember-them-powerfull-russian-song-and-video-about-great-patriotic-war/5404
Recently came across an interesting rumor, which it seems, the revisionists have gone to lengths even for them to memory hole this, that Russia had lent support to the Colonial American’s, which is claimed to be instrumental, exceeding French support, in their defeat of the British.
I was shocked to know of this word, shocked but not shocked it is very likely been disappeared from records. I get of late the sense there is many things we are going to learn of we never imagined, pretty soon. Its that kind of swing of histories pendulum.
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Thanks for your kind words about my blog, mtnforge!
Re. Russian support for American independence, that’s true. Did you also know that the Russians supported the North during the American Civil War?
Whereas the English supported the South.
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Very interesting to get a glimpse into the history and heritage of the former USSR/Russia on this blog, which is consistently provided by Yalensis. In the USA over the past 100 years or so, propaganda is done not only by shameless inveterate lying through the corporate/state joined at the hip media (esp. true these days!); but by omission. When is the last time you ever read in Newsweek, Time, NY Times or on CNN articles about Russian culture? History of Russian cities, or awards given them like here? Russian fairy tales (mentioned previously on this great blog)? NEVER! There has been, and is more than ever now a massive wall in place, courtesy of Washington’s political leadership to block any access to news and information which (gasp!) gives Americans or Europeans a glimpse into Russia’s people, places and culture in a way which would convey a common humanity, shared values, or cultural interest and comparison. And it’s a shameful disgrace. I can’t say enough bad things about the corrupt, rotten political leadership in Washington or Brussels. They are the very worst of the worst, and beneath contempt.
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Thanks for your comment, deschutesmaple. I am glad you enjoy the glimpses into Russian history and culture. I try to do that on my blog as much as I can, because it’s my own heritage and fascinates me, obviously.
It’s exactly what you say, it’s all about the common humanity. I reckon that I am a humanist at heart, despite some misanthropic things that I say sometimes when I become very frustrated with our species. But basically I think all human cultures are worthy, and that we should share our common humanity, like you said!
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Yeah never in my life has an ignorant American such as I heard such an amazing thing about Soviet “Hero Cities” such as, you know, Kiev… or the many Ukrainians who fought in the Red Army against the Nazis. Labeling Mariupol and Melitopol in such a way definitely is not farcical and does not cheapen the label “Hero City” in any way whatsoever. The fascist American government has ruthlessly suppressed all this information about Russian history, so there’s no way for me to look it up easily on the internet, or in a history book, due to the horrible restrictions. I could be arrested just for visiting this blog…. I am always looking over my shoulder. Thank God that Yalensis exists to share basic facts about Russian history, most of which can be found on Wikipedia.
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From my favorite source, wikipedia:
“The walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous distribution about the North Pole in the Arctic Ocean and subarctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the family Odobenidae and genus Odobenus. This species is subdivided into two subspecies:[2] the Atlantic walrus (O. r. rosmarus), which lives in the Atlantic Ocean, and the Pacific walrus (O. r. divergens), which lives in the Pacific Ocean.
Adult walrus are characterised by prominent tusks and whiskers…”
Research aside, Walrus, for once in your sorry life you raise an interesting point. About the Ukrainians who fought IN the Red Army AGAINST the Nazis.
I think I had just assumed that you were a Bandera who rooted for the other side and prob’ly had a Nazi tattoo on your blubbery Odobenus rosmarus flipper
If you don’t mind, may I respectfully ask you,
(1) what is your opinion of Bandera; and
(2) which side do you root for in WWII? In other words, who were the good guys, in your opinion?
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My sarcasm detector went off. You’re not entirely serious, are you. As for Wikipedia I would definitely NOT use it as an information source on history, especially any history where the subject is about a country that is deemed an enemy of USA. Any politically controversial topic–be it the 2014 Maidan CIA coup in Ukraine; Julian Assange; Palestine vs Israel; 9-11 attacks–and especially anything to do with Ukraine–has been taken over by US government troll army. In fact, many of the edits to such controversial topics are traced back to CIA or FBI offices and network IPs. Just sayin’
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You act like the USA is a totally open free society where information on any topic is readily available, unbiased, and just a mouse-click away? Nonsense. Then why can’t I visit ANY Russian news sites from where I live in central Europe–which obviously is under the leadership and control of Washington? RT is blocked….Sputnik is blocked…RIA nostvi is blocked. Let me match your sarcasm with my own: “oh yeah, the USA certainly has a free press! Unbiased, objective reporting is the rule. Be it NY Times, WaPo, Time mag, Newsweek, etc–we ‘Merkuns got the damned best free press in da whole world!” 😀 😀 😀
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Most ordinary people don’t spend hours scouring the internet for factual news and trying to do their own analysis. Why should they, if they are not interested in a particular topic? Maybe they only have time to skim one newspaper. It’s just that, in a situation where news outlets produce fake news and outright lies, ordinary readers subconsciously soak in the mainstream opinions, biases and propaganda, perhaps without even knowing it.
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Well, it’s worth pointing out that in USA trust in the mainstream media is at record lows, a trend that has been ongoing since at least the run-up to the 2003 Iraq war. Take for example the Judith Miller’s deliberate lies about WMDs in the run-up to the March invasion of Iraq, published in the NY Times. TBH I think it is a distinct minority who still would say “but I saw it on CNN so it must be true” or similar. You have to go back to the Viet Nam war years in the 1960s to find decent quality journalism coverage in USA. During Viet Nam, journalists were allowed to go freely amongst the troops at the front lines, and do actual reporting. This is why Nixon had to end the war, i.e. Americans were shocked and appalled at the slaughter on both sides, with no clear discernible reason to even be fighting there, on the opposite side of the planet. After Viet Nam the U.S. military strictly controlled news reporters and only allowed them in both Iraq wars as ’embedded’ with the troops, to assure total control of reporter access to front lines, and total control of the narrative sold to the public through corporate MSM.
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Nobody gives a rat’s ass about this whatever happened 50 years ago. Right now. Price of gas. 12 beer. Smokes. Now. And fuck you.
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