The Order of Bravery was the first Bulgarian award established by Prince Alexander in 1880. It was the highest honor in Bulgaria and was given to military personnel who demonstrated courage, heroism, and performed acts of bravery on the battlefield. The statute of the Order corresponded to that of the Russian Imperial Order of Saint George. The order had a Grand Cross, four grades and four classes, with two of them for officers, as well as four grades for enlisted personnel.
The badges were presented in sequence, from Grade IV to I. The medal of the Order of Bravery I Grade was conferred on Bulgarian and foreign generals, as well as heads of state, including Emperor Alexander II. The medal of the second grade was given to combat generals who commanded large units, at least the size of a division. The award was discontinued on September 15, 1946 after the Communist government took power in Bulgaria. In 2003, the Order of Bravery was reinstated with some changes to its original form as a state honor of the Republic of Bulgaria.
Five years after the conclusion of the Russo-Turkish War, in 1883, the first leader of independent Bulgaria, Prince Alexander of Battenberg, bestowed upon Nikolai Grigoryevich Stoletov the Order of Bravery II Grade with Swords and Crown, as well as the Princely Order of Saint Alexander 1st Class. Subsequently, the general received two orders “For Military Merits” 1st Class. Stoletov also attended commemorative events to mark the 25th and 30th anniversaries of significant battles of the Russo-Turkish conflict. The Bulgarians referred to him as the “Hero of Shipka, ” “Glorious General, ” and “Our General.”
Design-wise, it is a white enameled Maltese cross with crossed swords below a movable crown with a ring, and a decorative eyelet for the ribbon. In the center, there is a circular enamel medallion with the monogram of Prince Alexander I, encircled by a ring bearing the inscription “PRINCE OF BULGARIA*1879*“.
In 1975, the award was transferred by the Committee for Arts and Culture of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria from the National Military History Museum in Sofia to the Museum Reserve. Today, it is on display at the exhibition “House-Museum of the Stoletovs.”
