Honorary weapon
Honorary weapon (also known as "award weapon" or "gift weapon") is a personalized type of weapon that is an honorary award (or gift) for specially distinguished military personnel for their military exploits and merits. An award weapon can be a "cold weapon" or a firearm: a sword, a sabre, a broadsword, a saber, a dagger, a revolver, a pistol, a rifle, a hunting rifle, etc. Usually, on such a weapon, in addition to the appropriate inscription about the distinct merits in which the person might be attributed to (whether that is your name; a special design; or other culturally significant traits.) is the reason why an award weapon is often called a personalized weapon. The personalized details are on the weapon itself or on a metal plate (made of gold, silver, brass, or other metals) attached to the weapon, scabbard, or holster.{{cite book|title=Оружие наградное // Военная энциклопедия в восьми томах|editor=П. С. Грачёва|publisher=Институт военной истории Минобороны России.|place=Moscow|year=1994|page=159|isbn=5-2030-1873-1}}
Categories
According to Abramzon, award and gift weapons can be divided into five groups, primarily depending on the reasons for presenting the weapon:{{cite journal|author=Абрамзон И. Я.|title=Наградное и жалованное оружие России XVII — XVIII вв|publisher=Государственный исторический музей|journal=Советская Россия|year=1987|issue=64|pages=52–81}}
- Award weapons of the 17th and 18th centuries;
- Grant weapons of the 18th century;
- Award weapons with the inscription "For Bravery" of the 18th and 19th centuries;
- Prize weapons (cold and firearms) of the 19th century;
- Grant weapons (cold, firearms and defensive) of the 16th and 19th centuries.
Durov divides award weapons into two categories:{{cite book|author=Дуров В. А.|title=Русское наградное оружие XVIII — начала XX в|place=Moscow; Smolensk|publisher=ТОК|year=1994|page=200|isbn=}}
- Weapons given for military merit to officers and generals of the Russian regular army and navy;
- Weapons for servicemen of irregular troops.
By country
=Argentine=
Officers of the Argentine Armed Forces may be awarded a bladed weapon (sabre or rapier).{{cite journal |first1=Egreso |last1=Conjunto |title=Soldados |issue=217 |journal=Enero – Febrero |year=2015 |page=8}}
=Georgia=
In accordance with the legislation, since May 2003, an award weapon is a weapon transferred in the manner established by the legislation of Georgia by an authorized official to an individual as an incentive for special services to the state, as well as service or combat merit or sporting achievements.Закон Грузии «Об оружии» от 8 мая 2003 года // "Законодательный вестник Грузии", № 14 от 3 июня 2003
=Kazakhstan=
The awarding of weapons is provided for by law.Закон Республики Казахстан № 339-I от 30 декабря 1998 года «О государственном контроле за оборотом отдельных видов оружия»
=Kyrgyzstan=
According to the legislation of Kyrgyzstan, award weapons include a dagger, saber, pistol or hunting firearm. Award weapons can be presented only once.Закон Кыргызской Республики № 49 «Об оружии» от 9 июня 1999 года
According to the report of the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan, from 1991 to April 2010 it issued 80 units of award weapons, the abolished State Security Service issued 48 units, and the Kyrgyz State Border Guard Service issued another 48 units. In 2010–2011, 16 units of weapons were issued.[https://knews.kg/society/3564_za_20_let_nezavisimosti_v_kyirgyizstane_vyidano_204_edinitsyi_nagradnogo_orujiya/ За 20 лет независимости в Кыргызстане выдано 204 единицы наградного оружия] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407094301/https://knews.kg/society/3564_za_20_let_nezavisimosti_v_kyirgyizstane_vyidano_204_edinitsyi_nagradnogo_orujiya/}} // «K News» от 27 сентября 2011 In January 2016, 1,313 units of award firearms were registered in the country.Глеб Куренев. Курсан Асанов о травматических пистолетах, контроле и нелегальном оружии // газета "Вечерний Бишкек" от 3 февраля 2016
Award weapons can be received by both citizens of the country and foreigners. In the period from 2005 to 2010 alone, more than 350 Russian citizens were awarded award weapons from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan.Ф. Максимов, К. Карабеков. [http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/1862902 Расплата за награду] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730210044/http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/1862902}} // газета «Коммерсантъ», № 17 (4802) от 1 февраля 2012
=North Korea=
There are known cases of award weapons being presented (for example, on July 27, 2017, a group of Korean People's Army officers were awarded 9-mm Paektusan pistols){{Cite web |url=https://sev.tv/news/kim_chen_yn_vruchil_oficeram_nagradnoe_oruzhie/23564.html |title=Ким Чен Ын вручил офицерам наградное оружие |access-date=2023-03-25 |archive-date=2023-03-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325152136/https://sev.tv/news/kim_chen_yn_vruchil_oficeram_nagradnoe_oruzhie/23564.html}} and gift weapons (on April 25, 2019, a traditional Korean sword was presented to Russian president Vladimir Putin)[https://ria.ru/20190425/1553045581.html Обмен оружием: главы России и КНДР вручили друг другу памятные подарки] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325152135/https://ria.ru/20190425/1553045581.html}} // РИА "Новости" от 25 апреля 2019[https://aif.ru/politics/world/chto_za_mech_kim_chen_yn_podaril_putinu Что за меч Ким Чен Ын подарил Путину?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325152142/https://aif.ru/politics/world/chto_za_mech_kim_chen_yn_podaril_putinu}} // "Аргументы и факты" от 25 апреля 2019 On other occasion, during Day of Victory in the Great Fatherland Liberation War celebrations, Kim Jong-un handed out honorary pistols to high-ranking generals.{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/kim-jong-un-celebrates-anniversary-by-handing-out-pistols-2020-7?IR=T|title=Kim Jong Un celebrates Korean War anniversary by handing out pistols to his generals|last1=Pasley|first1=James|publisher=Business Insider|date=2020-07-28|accessdate=2024-10-07}}
=Russia=
{{main|Honorary weapons of Russia}}
Russia has history of awarding honorary weapons dating to the Russian Empire. In modern Russia the legal basis for awarding honorary weapon is laid in the federal law on Weapons.
=Spain=
There are known cases of awarding and gift weapons. Thus, the Spanish King Alfonso XIII presented the President of Ecuador, José María Velasco Ibarra with a specially made Astra Pistola de 9m/m Modelo 1921 pistol (serial number 0401) with gold engraving. In 1956, another "Astra Cub" pistol with gold engraving was made as a gift from the Spanish government to the President of the United States D. Eisenhower.Harold A. Murtz. The Presidential Astra // "Guns Magazine", July 1971. pages 42–43, 58
=Ukraine=
In April 1995, the decree of the President of Ukraine approved the state award "Nominal Firearm", which was the Fort-12 pistol in an award version (made of alloy steel, decorated with engraving and silvering, with grip overlays made of valuable wood).Указ Президента Украины № 341 от 29 апреля 1995 года "Про заснування відзнаки Президента України «Іменна вогнепальна зброя» Subsequently, regulatory documents were adopted that provide the opportunity to award firearms of other systems:
Thus, in September 1999, a regulation was adopted on the departmental insignia of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, which can be "a pistol (except for pistols of the Fort-12 and Fort-14 models), a revolver, a hunting firearm, a sabre, a broadsword or a dirk".Положення про відомчі заохочувальні відзнаки Міністерства оборони України «Вогнепальна зброя» і «Холодна зброя» (затв. Наказ Міністерства оборони України № 270 від 03.09.1999) On January 15, 2018, it was established that only military personnel of the armed forces and other state security agencies of Ukraine can be awarded, the award is given once and the award is not issued again[http://www.mil.gov.ua/news/2018/01/15/stepan-poltorak-vidomchi-vidznaki-vognepalna-zbroya-ta-holodna-zbroya-vruchatimutsya-tilki-odin-raz-lishe-diyuchim-vijskovim-ta-zvilnenim-v-zapas/ Степан Полторак: «Відомчі відзнаки „Вогнепальна зброя“ та „Холодна зброя“ вручатимуться тільки один раз лише діючим військовим та звільненим в запас»] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180306024252/http://www.mil.gov.ua/news/2018/01/15/stepan-poltorak-vidomchi-vidznaki-vognepalna-zbroya-ta-holodna-zbroya-vruchatimutsya-tilki-odin-raz-lishe-diyuchim-vijskovim-ta-zvilnenim-v-zapas/}} // официальный сайт министерства обороны Украины от 15 января 2018
After the Orange Revolution, from February 2, 2005 to October 14, 2006, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Yuriy Lutsenko awarded 157 people with Fort combat pistols with the inscription "To the Hero of the Orange Revolution";Мустафа Найем. [http://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/articles/2006/11/26/4409137/view_print/ «Белый список» Луценко] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220062110/http://www.pravda.com.ua/rus/articles/2006/11/26/4409137/view_print/}} // «Украинская правда» от 26 ноября 2006 in addition, on the initiative of the Governor of the Vinnytsia Oblast, Oleksandr Dombrovskyi, NPO Fort manufactured a batch of 1,000 gold-plated gift traumatic pistolsТатьяна Пархомчук. [http://gazeta.zn.ua/SOCIETY/zolochenyy_pistolet,_ili_esche_ob_odnoy_nahodke_pomaranchevogo_marketinga.html Золоченый пистолет, или Ещё об одной находке помаранчевого маркетинга] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170330083923/http://gazeta.zn.ua/SOCIETY/zolochenyy_pistolet,_ili_esche_ob_odnoy_nahodke_pomaranchevogo_marketinga.html}} // «Зеркало недели», № 20 (548) от 28 мая — 3 июня 2005 based on the Fort-17R design with the inscriptions "Yes!" and "I believe! I know! We can!" as souvenirs for the ideological inspirers and heroes of the revolution on the Maidan.
In January 2008, the regulation on the departmental insignia of the Security Service of Ukraine was approved, which may be "a pistol, a sabre of the established model, and a dagger of the established model"Наказ Служби безпеки України № 4 від 09.01.2008 «Про відомчі заохочувальні відзнаки Служби безпеки України»
In March 2008, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine introduced a departmental insignia – the dagger "Cossack Glory" (the first awards were held at the same time);Александр Ильченко. [http://www.segodnya.ua/politics/power/lutsenko-razdaet-kholodnoe-oruzhie.html Луценко раздаёт «холодное оружие»] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202224720/http://www.segodnya.ua/politics/power/lutsenko-razdaet-kholodnoe-oruzhie.html}} / «Сегодня. UA» от 23 марта 2008 In May 2010, a new version of the regulation on the departmental insignia of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine was approved, which provides for the possibility of awarding "cold arms and firearms"Наказ Мінiстерства внутрішніх справ України № 165 від 07.05.2010 «Про відомчі заохочувальні відзнаки МВС „Вогнепальна зброя“ та „Холодна зброя“»
In the summer of 2009, the regulation on the departmental insignia of the State Service of Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine was approved, which may be "a Nagant revolver, TT, PM, Fort-12, Fort-14, Fort-17 pistols, a Margolin pistol, a sabre of the established model and a dirk of the established model"[https://fakty.ua/56644-obladatelyami-zolochenogo-pistoleta-quot-fort-quot-ruchnoj-raboty-s-quot-pomaranchevoj-quot-simvolikoj-smogut-stat-tolko-te-kto-gotov-zaplatit-za-nego-bolee-tysyachi-dollarov Обладателями золочёного пистолета "форт" ручной работы с "помаранчевой" символикой смогут стать только те, кто готов заплатить за него более тысячи долларов]{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809065146/https://fakty.ua/56644-obladatelyami-zolochenogo-pistoleta-quot-fort-quot-ruchnoj-raboty-s-quot-pomaranchevoj-quot-simvolikoj-smogut-stat-tolko-te-kto-gotov-zaplatit-za-nego-bolee-tysyachi-dollarov}} // «Факты. UA» от 21 апреля 2005
In October 2012, a new regulation on the departmental insignia of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine was adopted, which may be "a pistol, revolver, hunting firearm, sabre, broadsword or dirk".Положення про відомчі заохочувальні відзнаки Міністерства оборони України «Вогнепальна зброя» і «Холодна зброя» (затв. Наказ Міністерства оборони України № 693 від 23.10.2012)
In August 2010, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Anatolii Mohyliov reported that in 2009, 226 people were awarded personalized weapons, and in the first half of 2010, another 33 people were awarded.[https://censor.net.ua/news/130583/za_polgoda_mogilev_nagradil_orujiem_33_cheloveka За полгода Могилев наградил оружием 33 человека] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304121450/https://censor.net.ua/news/130583/za_polgoda_mogilev_nagradil_orujiem_33_cheloveka}} // Цензор. НЕТ от 30 августа 2010 As of the beginning of 2013, according to official data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, there were 3,310 personalized pistols in Ukraine.Тарас Козуб. [https://kp.ua/daily/130213/379547/ Василий Дурдинец: «Создание украинского ФБР не состоялось»] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017200219/https://kp.ua/daily/130213/379547/}} // «Комсомольская правда в Украине» от 13 февраля 2013
The awarding continued in the future.[http://ru.tsn.ua/politika/yacenyuk-vruchil-ranenym-semenchenko-orden-hmelnickogo-a-parasyuku-imennoe-oruzhie-384238.html Яценюк вручил раненым Семенченко орден Хмельницкого, а Парасюку — именное оружие] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141106105604/http://ru.tsn.ua/politika/yacenyuk-vruchil-ranenym-semenchenko-orden-hmelnickogo-a-parasyuku-imennoe-oruzhie-384238.html}} // TCH.UA от 1 сентября 2014[http://litsa.com.ua/show/a/17364 Командиров батальонов наградили пистолетами и пообещали тяжелое вооружение] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140916145930/http://litsa.com.ua/show/a/17364}} // газета «Лица», 2 сентября 2014[http://podrobnosti.ua/society/2014/10/03/996371.html Аваков наградил руфера Мустанга именным оружием (фото)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141104173907/http://podrobnosti.ua/society/2014/10/03/996371.html}} // «Подробности. UA» от 3 октября 2014 In total, according to the Ukrainian Association of Gun Owners, from 1992 to mid-October 2016, over 40,000 units of award firearms were presented to citizens of Ukraine.[https://24tv.ua/ru/tylovye_strelki_kogo_i_za_chto_ukrainskie_ministry_nagrazhdajut_oruzhiem_n739341 Тыловые стрелки: кого и за что украинские министры награждают оружием] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115130426/https://24tv.ua/ru/tylovye_strelki_kogo_i_za_chto_ukrainskie_ministry_nagrazhdajut_oruzhiem_n739341}} // 24.UA от 16 октября 2016
See also
References
{{reflist}}The Art institute of Chicago – Example work of honorary weapon or ceremonial weapons