Award Dirk "For Bravery" of Lieutenant M. I. Matusevich

This officer's dirk of the 1914 pattern, with the badge of the Order of St Anne, 4th class, and the inscription "For Bravery", is an example of the so-called St Anne weapon. This was the unofficial name for edged weapons bearing the badge of that class of the order; the words "For Bravery" were added when the award was made for distinction in battle, and from 1859 such weapons were an award for company-grade officers, from ensign to captain. This dirk, dated 1915, belonged to Lieutenant M. I. Matusevich.

The dirk has an unusual origin: it was made from the blade of a dagger. A reminder of this is the through hole in the tang below the crossguard, left from the former fixing of the dagger's hilt. The dirk was made in Dagestan by the master Abakarov, whose surname is etched on the right side of the blade in a double-lined frame amid foliate ornament.

The flat double-edged blade, 24.5 cm long, ends in an elongated point. The words "For Bravery" are engraved on both sides of the massive bronze crossguard, whose ends curve in opposite directions. The bone grip ends in a bronze pommel with the badge of the Order of St Anne fixed to its end. The upper mount of the scabbard is decorated with foliate ornament and the monogram of Emperor Nicholas II.