Soviet How Ivan Giurov Yanakiev spent the War

[Eric Schena]

Hi all:

This is without a doubt the neatest little group I've found for any of my communist decorations and thought I'd share it since it has a rather interesting story to tell. Ivan Giurov Yanakiev was born in 1918 and served in the 2nd Battery of the 1st Army Artillery under Tsar Boris III. Here are the covers to his two military service record booklets. The haggard one on the left is the tsarist book, the one on the right is from the PRB:

[Eric Schena]

The tsarist military service book was issued on 15 March 1939, last entry dated 19 October 1940. Here is Yanakiev in his uniform along with some of the basic details of his service. The book itself is huge: it's around 90 pages long full of entries for his duty stations, rules and regulations, and even has pictures of the royal family (Tsar Boris III, Tsarina Ioanna, Princess Maria, and Crown Prince Simeon - who was later Tsar and weirdly enough prime minister after the fall of communism). Yanakiev doesn't look all that thrilled to be in uniform does he?

[Eric Schena]

Well, sometime after the war, Yanakiev continued his military career, but under the banner of communism. Here he is when he sat down for his photo for his Military Service Book which was issued on 18 April 1955. The last last entry is dated 26 April 1969 and is not nearly as huge as the royal one, only 32 pages long. This book, however, has a clue as to why he was so nonplussed to be in the Tsarist uniform back in '39-'40...

Edited November 11, 2005 by Eric Schena

[Eric Schena]

...and that's because in the entry for military service during the war, instead of fighting, he was moldering away in Sofia as a political prisoner from June 1942 to February 1944. The first word on the entry is the giveaway. I suppose he must have been caught reading the collected works of Marx and Lenin when off duty...

Edited November 11, 2005 by Eric Schena

[Eric Schena]

When he got out, he later joined the Fatherland Front, because here's his membership card issued to him on 27 January 1949.

[Eric Schena]

...and here's the interior of the membership card...

[Eric Schena]

...and he must have had unblemished service in the OF: here's his gold class OF honored badge and case:

[Eric Schena]

Here's Yanakiev on 10 May 1957 when he received his Medal for Military Merit. Interestingly, his time as a political prisoner during the War would have earned him the Order of People's Liberty 1941-1944 2nd class, however, if he won it, it was not with this group. If it's out there, I'd love to put it back in context (so to speak)...

[Eric Schena]

...and the ukaz and date of award entry in the book...

[Eric Schena]

...and finally, his Medal of Military Merit. Note the old style brass backing and pin. I hope y'all liked seeing these. Full out Bulgarian groups with solid documentation are somewhat hard to find and researching can be a bear. I lucked out here, having both his royal and communist service books.

Cheers,

Eric

[Steen Ammentorp]

...and finally, his Medal of Military Merit. Note the old style brass backing and pin. I hope y'all liked seeing these. Full out Bulgarian groups with solid documentation are somewhat hard to find and researching can be a bear. I lucked out here, having both his royal and communist service books.

Cheers,

Eric

Firstly a very interesting story Eric.

Secondly a bit of topic I know but for any one interested in Bulgarian officers I just want to let you know that I have a copy of: Ofitserskiyat Korpus V Bulgariya 1878-1944 g. Vol. 1-4, with small biographical entries on each officer. So if anybody wants me to lookup someone please let me know.

Kind Regard

Steen Ammentorp

The Generals of World War II

[Gerd Becker]

Thats a really nice group, Eric. Thanks for sharing

Btw, what is OF?

best,

Gerd

[Eric Schena]

Hi Steen:

Thanks for the comments - you have quite a valuable resource in your website

Hi Gerd:

"OF" is my shorthand for the Bulgarian name of the Fatherland Front: Otechestven Front

Cheers,

Eric

[Gerd Becker]

Hi Steen:

Thanks for the comments - you have quite a valuable resource in your website

Hi Gerd:

"OF" is my shorthand for the Bulgarian name of the Fatherland Front: Otechestven Front

Cheers,

Eric

Thank you, Eric

all the best,

Gerd