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# Nemirovich-Danchenko describes an episode from the Turkish campaign, during the distribution of St George Crosses, when General Skobelev refused an officer from one of the companies that had wavered in battle
- URL: https://theparnassian.com/en/nemirovich-danchenko-opisyvaet-epizod-iz-turetskoi-kampanii-vo-vremia-razdachi-georgievskikh-krestov-kogda-general-skobelev-otkazal-ofitseru-odnoi-iz-rot-drognuvshikh-vo-vremia-srazheni/
- Published: 2017-05-11T13:44:41.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-01T05:45:41.000Z
- Author: Alexandr Radayev
- Tags: Archive, Books, People

Nemirovich-Danchenko describes an episode from the Turkish campaign, during the distribution of St George Crosses, when General Skobelev refused an officer from one of the companies that had wavered in battle. “YOU may well deserve it; let them recommend you for a personal cross. But now I am giving out decorations to men chosen by the soldiers themselves. And has your company the right to choose, when it disgraced itself at the start with a retreat, even though it afterwards made amends? What do you think, can cowards be allowed to award St George Crosses?”

As for the companies that had fled the field, Skobelev sent word that he did not wish to know them: “I do not regard them as mine. I shall not greet them. I do not wish to notice them. They have dishonoured our glorious regiment, which fought so valiantly at Lovcha. Pass it on to them, and tell the officers once and for all: whoever among them stays behind in action has no place in my division.” And he truly did not notice those companies, walking past without a greeting and not even glancing at them. His tactic, however, was that when something bold had to be done, he turned precisely to these companies and was certain they would follow him anywhere: “Well, afterwards we shall kiss each other, and that will be the end of it.”