The revolutionary banner of the 11th company of the 20th Siberian Rifle Regiment, 1917

For many years, the banners in the Russian army performed a purely practical function and were inventory items that had a service life. The formation was aligned according to the banner, and it served as a guideline in battle, so each company had one banner. Under Paul I, the status of the banners was dramatically increased: from now on they had no service life and were used until they were completely worn out. The award of a new banner and its nailing to the shaft turned into a solemn ceremony. Since 1814, it was required to have one banner per battalion, and since 1883, one banner or standard per infantry or cavalry regiment. Monarchical symbols formed an integral part of the banner. The most common banners of the 1883, 1897 and 1900 models by the beginning of the World War had the monogram of the emperor on the back, under which it was granted, and the small state coats of arms of the Russian Empire were depicted in the corners.

After the February Revolution, the army found itself in an ambivalent position. Despite the overthrow of the monarchy and the complete abandonment of its symbols, the oath of allegiance to the Provisional Government was carried out under the old banners, with crowns, monograms and royal coats of arms. On April 4, 1917, the banners were ordered to be sent to the rear to remove the monarchical symbols, but this process was still not completed. The overthrow of the monarchy did not mean the end of the war at all – on the contrary, in the first months after the February Revolution of 1917, the slogan "War to the bitter end" was the most popular. Therefore, starting in the spring of 1917, revolutionary banners began to appear in the troops. Their common distinguishing features were the red color, the complete absence of state symbols (the old one was gone, and the new one had not yet appeared) and the presence of any patriotic motto with the obligatory mention of the word "freedom". Such banners were made by the forces and at the expense of rear public organizations, various kinds of unions or simply patriotic citizens. They did not enter the army centrally, but targeted to a specific military unit or even a unit. Anarchy gradually grew in the troops, and it happened that out of sixteen companies of an infantry regiment, only two or three wanted to fight the enemy, where soldiers and officers who had not forgotten their military duty flocked.

It is to such artifacts that this banner belongs. The cloth is made of red silk fabric and trimmed with golden fringe and a cord with tassels. On the obverse, the inscription "Proletarians of all countries, unite!" is applied in gold leaf technique, on the reverse – "Forward for Freedom, Equality and Fraternity!", and in the lower right corner – "11th company of the 20th Siberian Regiment". All the inscriptions are made according to the old spelling. The slogan on the back and the complete absence of Communist symbols make it possible to attribute the banner to the short period from March to October 1917. In March 1918, the regiment, as part of the 5th Siberian Rifle Division, was withdrawn to Yaroslavl, where it was disbanded. After the October Revolution of 1917, such banners were not used, and nowadays they are practically not found. Provenance – purchased at the Hermann Historica auction on 22.10.1993 in Munich, lot 3355 (auction card of the lot is attached). The size is 115*155. Minor temporary spots and minor damage around the perimeter of the panel. Guarantee of authenticity.