Imperial badge. Info needed please

Sorry Rob for previous postings and hope this is more suitable, no bad intentions was meant.

I have been told that it is a badge of 100 years to general headquaters of Russian Imperial Army.

1) What was the functions of general headquaters and where was it based ?
2) Who would of received such a badge?
3) How many was awarded?
4) Any other info which would be related to this badge would also be of intrest.

If anyone knows of another example of this badge on the internet please post or send me the link, I would be very greatfull. Thank you in advance on this and I look forward to the responces.
Darron

Hi!
As far as I know, it's a badge for the Staff of the Guards troops of the St. Petersburg Military District. It's not an award - just an insignia. I think, it's impossible to tell, how many officers had this badge - probably, several hundreds. This particular badge looks like a repro. The star should be silver with enameled medallion in the center. More likely, no cheap soldiers' version of this badge existed. I have a good photo of this badge in one book, and I will scan it later. Please, let me know your mail.

Regards,
Michael

Badge Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Guards Military Headquarters and the St peterburg Military District..

The St Andrew Star Should have blue enamel..
Look like a copy..

George Liuzunie

I recieved this message from another person today.

Dear bainsk8,

dear Bainsk8, Having travelled exstensively in Poland & having been to some of the "antigue"fairs there, I would be suspicious of the authenticity of the item. If real it would have been made as an 100th anniversary of 1812 war jubilee medallion. There were military versions , one of which I have. Yours I've not seen before. That's not to say it isn't real , but it's made in 1912 if real. regards Nikolaiii

END MESSAGE

So there were some military versions made, I also had an email from a Russian collector who said the badge looks right but asked for a photograph of the back. He still has not responded, but if he does I will post both emails.
I have to say, if it turns out, which is likely to be a fake, it has been intresting and worth it. I would like to say thank you to those that have responded and please continue as I would still like to see others and know more about the guards headquaters.

Darron

Ok it has turned out to be a fake and I would like to thank all for the emails, and help in trying to identify this badge.

Thank you to all

darron

Even if it is a repro, I like it ! Hope I find one someday.
Cheers,
Robert

Hello to Everybody!!! Guys do you know where can I find some information or good books about Imperial Russian Hat badges? I will appreciate any help and advice. Thank you very much! Erick.

Ask Terence Baldwin from UK. Here is the contact:
http://freespace.virgin.net/t.baldwin/collector.htm

Hello Michael! Thank you very much for your help!!! I spend many hours on computer but no result. Erick

Hello again Michael! I was going through an old photo-files and noticed that some officers wearing parade hat with shin-stripe and some of them just don't have it ( Include Guard regiments ). Do you know if it was some kind of impotent detale of the hat ( uniform ), or it was more like a personal ,free will ?   Thank you ! Erick.

Without a photo, I can hardly realize what kind of "impotent detale" you are talking about   :-/

Hi Erick!

Hat badges : Unfortunately very few books were ever published in English specifically about Imperial Russian Army uniforms. Apart from the ones published by Osprey, here’s one of the few you might still be able to find : « Uniforms of the Imperial Russian Army » (from Peter the Great to Nicholas II) by Boris and Andrew Mollo (Blandford Press, 1979). Regarding the Guard regiments during Nicholas II’s reign, Gerard Gorokhoff has published a Russian-English edition of his book (originally published in French) : « Russian Imperial Guard » (Moscow, 2002). He his currently working on a revised edition.

I suppose you are interested in the late 19th-early 20th century head-dress plates : there were basically two types : With a few exceptions, Line Infantry and Cavalry had a double-headed eagle plate which got smaller during Alexander III’s reign and bigger again in the 20th century. Artillery had the same with crossed cannons, Sappers had crossed axes. Guard units wore a St. Andrew’s star mounted on the same double-headed plate or on its own.

A cockade was also worn on head-dresses of most regiments.

Regarding parade head-dress with chinscales or chinstrap : as Michael just wrote, without photos or a time-frame, it’s hard to tell, but I can say that, generally speaking, the wearing of chinscales or chiinstraps varied according to the branch of service and changed with time. After the reforms of 1907-1910, most Guard regiments had head-dresses with chinscales or straps (including Infantry regiments). Line Infantry had parade visor caps (or fur caps) without straps. The following Line Cavalry regiments had chinscales : Lancers & Hussars (worn in the front), some Dragoons (with Potemkin-style helmets, worn on the back). Cossacks and some other Dragoons didn’t have any. Artillery had parade visor caps without chinstraps. Horse Artillery had Potemkin-style helmets with chinscales worn on the back.

Some chinscales were less visible than others due either to the specific head-dress pattern (such as the Potemkin-style helmets with chinscales worn on the back) or dress order (the chinscales or chinstrap would be worn either under the chin or on the front of the helmet). Sure thing though, the way it was worn wasn’t left to any personal will or fancy: wearing of uniforms was highly regulated and didn’t leave much freedom to anyone, especially on parade order!

Let me know of you are interested in some drawings from a Russian book.

Hello Michael! The "impotant detale" here Iam talking about  is detale description of every new changes in uniform even that small like chin stripe on visor hat ,according official documents  by  'Nicholas II Will'  for every unit and regiments. Take for example detale catalog by A. Kibovsiy " Unifoms of Russian Air Fleet '2004 edit.' " The whole point of my question was 'Do you think many of them changed their uniform in privet way , without waiting delivery from official ( intendants) service, a specialy in ,or after 1914 y. thats why ,I think we can see a little difference in the same kind of uniform.Maybe I am wrong. Erick.

Thanks a lot for your help Daniel !!! I was looking for this kind of information books for a while, hopefully I'll finally get it .If you know some web sources where I can order it, Please let me know. Thank you again!   Erick.