The Port Arthur Cross or Cross "For the Defence of Port Arthur" () was a

campaign medal A campaign medal is a military decoration which is awarded to a member of an armed force who serves in a designated military operation or performs duty in a geographical theater. Campaign medals are very similar to service medals but carry a hi ...

awarded by the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

. It was instituted on 14 January 1914 to mark the tenth anniversary of the

siege of Port Arthur The siege of Port Arthur (, ''Ryojun Kōisen''; , ''Oborona Port-Artura'', August 1, 1904 – January 2, 1905) was the longest and most violent land battle of the Russo-Japanese War. Port Arthur, the deep-water port and Russian naval base ...

. It was awarded in silver to officers and in bronze to the other ranks. The ends of the cross are broad in the manner of the Cross of St. George, with crossed swords in the centre with their points upwards, with a black battleship silhouette on a white enamel background at the centre on the silver issue and engraved on the bronze issue. On the left arm is "" ("PORT") and on the right arm is "" ("ARTHUR"). The reverse has a pin for attaching it to clothing.

External links

* http://awards.netdialogue.com/Russia/Empire/PA/PA.htm. {{Archive url, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629104813/http://awards.netdialogue.com/Russia/Empire/PA/PA.htm, date=2007-06-29 1914 establishments in the Russian Empire Awards established in 1914 Russian campaign medals category:Russo-Japanese War