Bidspirit auction | Massive Russian Cast Silver-Gilt Cigar

Massive Russian Cast Silver-Gilt Cigar Box with a Portrait of Cossack Kuzma Kruchkov - A massive Russian cast silver-gilt cigar box, the front decorated in high relief with a portrait of Cossack Kuzma Kruchkov, one of the most celebrated heroes of the First World War. Moscow, 1908–1917. Dimensions: 23.5 × 14.5 × 6.5 cm. Weight: 1005.3 g. Kuzma Kruchkov (1888–1919) was the first Russian soldier to be awarded the Cross of St. George during the Great War, gaining fame after a legendary cavalry skirmish in August 1914, where he reportedly killed eleven enemy soldiers in close combat. His image became a symbol of bravery and patriotism, widely reproduced in posters, postcards, and memorabilia of the period.