USSR Cruiser Aurora - Silk Holiday Ensign - 1992.

USSR, Cruiser Aurora, unique, Order of the Oct. Revolution & Military Order of the Red Banner, Holiday Ensign.
This silk variant of the Soviet Naval Ensign is from the Cruiser Aurora, a ship with a long and distinguished career. The Aurora is an armored cruiser currently preserved and serving as a school and museum ship in Saint Petersburg, Russia; she is the Russian equivalent of the USS Constitution, a historic frigate in Boston.

The Aurora was launched by the Imperial Russian Navy and fought the Japanese Navy at battle of Tushima Strait during the Russo-Japanese War. One of the first incidents of the Communist Revolution against Imperial Russia involved the cruiser Aurora when her crew mutinied and she fired her guns to begin the assault upon the Winter Palace. In the Soviet Navy the Aurora was granted the rare honor of a Double-Order Ensign. This unique ensign was defaced with two soviet orders: The Order of the October Revolution and The Military Order of the Red Banner; and has been worn by teh Aurora since 23 February 1968. It was awarded in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the Revolution.

An American scholar, John Middleton, acquired this ensign from the officers of the Warrant Officers Mess of the Aurora in his capacity as permanent consultant to the Central Navy Museum of St Petersburg. The Senior Warrant Officer of the Aurora, Fyodor Suprunov, presented this ensign, which was inscribed and dated on its hoist: "Джон из матросов и офицеров крейсера "Аврора" С - Петербург 18.9.93". When translated this reads; "To John {Middleton} from the sailors and officers of the cruiser "Aurora", St. Petersburg, 18.9.93" and signed by the Senior Warrant Officer, Warrant Officer Fyodor Suprunov.

The silk Holiday Ensign was marked on the heading, "ΓΟСΤ 8489 - 8М 1990 ВЛАДИМИРСКРЯ Т.Г.Ф."; which translates as the ensign's production number and the name of the Soviet Navy's factory "Vladimirskaya". After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1992 the St. Andrew's ensign of the Russian republic replaced the double order ensign.

Exhibition History
Exhibited by Mr. Lionel Alves in school presentations 1993-2009
Displayed in John Bale Books, Waterbury, CT 2010.

Provenance:
• Cruiser Aurora, Leningrad, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, 1992.
• Acquired Senior Warrant Officer, Warrant Officer Fyodor Suprunov, St. Petersburg, Russia, 1992.
• Acquired by purchase John Middleton, Monterey, CA, 1992.
• Acquired by purchase, James J. Ferrigan III, Sonoma, CA, 1992.
• Acquired by purchase Lionel Alves, Waterbury, CT, 1992.
• Acquired by Zaricor Flag Collection via private sale from Mt. Lionel Alves, Waterbury, CT, 2010.



ZFC Significant Flag

Sources:

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Russian cruiser Aurora, Wikipedia, 10 October 2011, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_cruiser_Aurora

Cruiser AURORA, Historic Naval Ships Association, 10 October 2011, from:
http://hnsa.org/ships/aurora.htm

Гвардейский Краснознамённый военно-морской флаг СССР, Флаг - знамя корабля,www.Navy.ru, 10 October 2011, from:
http://www.navy.ru/symbols/anflag.htm

Russo-Japanese War, Wikipedia, 10 October 2011, from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Japanese_War

Image Source:

Zaricor Flag Collection

Hoist & Fly
Width of Hoist	48
Length of Fly	78

Stars
Comments on Star Measurements	Large red five point star in hoist

Frame
Is it framed?	no

Stars
Number of Stars	1
How are the stars embeded?	Printed
Are there stars on obverse?	yes
Are there stars on reverse?	yes

Stripes
Number of Stripes	1
Color of Bottom Stripe	Blue
Has a Blood Stripe?	no

Crest/Emblem
Description of Crest/Emblem	USSR Aurora Ensign

Fabric
Fabric	Silk

Attachment
Comments on Method of Attachmen	Rope through header
Method of Attachment	Roped-header

Applica
Applique Sides	Single Faced = Mirror Image Reverse

Documentation
Documents	All original documents and drawings are held in the Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.
Drawings	All original documents and drawings are held in the Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.
Research Documents
Public Copy & Signs	All original documents and drawings are held in the Zaricor Flag Collection Archives.

Condition
Condition	Excellent
Damage	Flag's condition is like new.
Displayable	yes

Date
Date	1990

Exhibits
Exhibition Copy	Exhibition History Exhibited by Mr. Lionel Alves in school presentations 1993-2009 Displayed in John Bale Books, Waterbury, CT 2010.