An officer’s Fate. Junior Captain A.G.Erkudov’s small sword with an award badge of the Order of St. Anne

The article is devoted to a small sword with an award badge of the Order of St. Anne from the collection of the Moscow Kremlin Museums, and to the fate of its owner, Junior Captain A.G.Erkudov. In the course of investigation, the author managed to ascertain that A.G.Erkudov was rewarded with the badge of the order of St. Anne of the 4th Class for the participation in the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-1905. The archival records found by the author permitted him to trace some details of Junior Captain Erkudov’s life and to provide insight into the circumstances by which he earned the award. The short life of this Russian officer, who participated in two wars, the Russo-Japanese and the First World ones, was entirely devoted to the military service. Born into a peasant family, Aleksandr Grigoryevitch Erkudov strived for officer rank with hard work and honorable service. He showed himself with dignity both on the battlefield and in the everydayness of the military service in the peacetime. His small sword, now curated in the museum, appeared to be the only surviving material proof of his life, which he gave for the motherland in the very first battles of the First World War.