MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Rossiya Segodnya International News Agency Director General Dmitry Kiselev said Friday there should be as much respect for the St. George Ribbon – a symbol of the Soviet victory in World War II – as for the national flag.
A campaign to distribute these black-and-orange ribbons kicked off in Russia on Friday ahead of the Victory Day celebrations on May 9. The ribbon mimics the colors of a Soviet-time and later Russian decoration that was awarded for acts of valor on WWII battlefields.
"The St. George Ribbon should be treated same as the [national] flag. Sometimes you can see muck-covered flags dangling along the road. Same with ribbons, which can often be seen tied on cars and neglected," Kiselev said. "If you don’t respect [this symbol], you shouldn't tie it on anything."
Earlier today, Dmitry Kiselev presented this year's first ribbons to representatives of the Immortal Regiment patriotic initiative during a press conference at the agency.
