slava1stclass

Alex K, Correct. This serial number is linked to the awardee. The gold Orders of Glory 1st class do not bear a hallmark. Regards, slava1stclass

Alex K, Yes. It is roughly an ounce of 950/23 karat gold. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: To Ed's points let me add: 5 - The first class was only awarded for acts of valor during the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). More specifically, from the date of the order's institution in November 1943 until hostilities against Japan ceased in August 1945. 6 - It is an exceedingly rare Soviet military valor decoration. It was only awarded some 2,600 times. In reality, even fewer first class awards were actually presented/are available. This is due to the fact the gold first class order was not presented when the recipient was KIA - either as a result of performing the act of valor that resulted in him being awarded the first class order or during combat action thereafter (and before the first class order could be presented). Regards, slava1stclass

Ed, At this rate, one can only wait and see what the current asking price for a Full Cavalier/Knight set might be. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: Currently listed with an asking price of $17,500.00 - an aggregate 2,200% price increase since 1992. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: Yet further confirmation why the prices of Soviet ODM will not be coming down anytime soon. Regards, slava1stclass World's Most Expensive Cities In 1998, Moscow was in crisis. More than 100,000 Russians took to the streets as a slew of banks ? and the life savings of millions of citizens ? went bust. But just a decade later, the global commodities boom has made Russia flush with cash, and Moscow has become a pricey place to live. That's the finding in Mercer's 2008 Worldwide Cost of Living Survey. Moscow tops the list with a score of 142.4, up 6% from last year ? and 42% higher than New York, the most expensive city in the United States. The Russian capital is followed by Tokyo; London; Oslo, Norway; and Seoul, South Korea. As for Moscow, prices in the Russian capital show no signs of dropping. The global commodity boom continues to fatten the pockets of local tycoons, and the ruble has appreciated 8% against the dollar since January. Moscow is home to 74 billionaires, the most of any city in the world. Its three wealthiest citizens (Oleg Deripaska, Vladimir Lisin and Roman Abramovich) each possess fortunes in excess of $25 billion. And Russia's super-wealthy are just getting started: 13 of the country's billionaires are under the age of 40.

...and another.

To all: For those of you suffering from Full Cavalier withdrawal, here are a couple of sets to whet your appetite. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: The ranking in Post # 1 above remains valid as of 17 July 2008. The distinct lack of Full Cavalier sets available for sale in the West continues. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: 85-year old Full Cavalier Boris Skachkov fell prey to three "Gypsy" women who entered his Moscow apartment under false pretenses and stole his Full Cavalier set, two Orders of the Red Banner and Medal for Bravery. His tearful account is seen in the following link: http://www.kp.ru/daily/24130/351043/ Regards, slava1stclass

To all: Regimental recon scout I. A. Neumerzhitskiy. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: I have since identified the officer wearing the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross in post #22 above. He is HSU Captain P. G. Yakubovskiy. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: For those of you who didn't pick up on it, the officer to the right is MSU Konev. Regards, slava1stclass

To all; It reads: Photo Mumm Kiel, Wilhelminenstr. 11 Ecke Bergstrasse Regards, slava1stclass

To all: Beyond his ODM, note the very distinctive branch insignia - one you don't see all too often with this uniform - Supply Corps. He would later rise to the rank of Army General. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: While not my focus area, I came across this photo and thought you might be interested. Regards, slava1stclass

Paul R, Please see this thread: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=2104...mp;#entry200707 Regards, slava1stclass

To all: Another very nice photograph of an unidentified Soviet Guards Tank Colonel who was awarded the American Legion of Merit in the degree of Legionnaire. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: One last look before they went to a Soviet museum for safekeeping. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: Here is another item from the Russian State Depository for Precious Metals' collection. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: While Mongolia is not my interest area, this image was much too nice to ignore. It was taken on July 15, 1948. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: This is not the same lady depicted in Post #1 above. I have since determined the lady in Post # 1 is HSU Nadezhda Popova. Both she and HSU Natalya Kravtsova nee: Meklin (Post # 7), however, served in the 46th Guards Air Regiment. Popova was still alive as of May 8, 2006. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: A nice contemporary (May 6, 2008) shot of a surviving Full Cavalier's bar and rack. Absolutely textbook patina and ribbon wear. Regards, slava1stclass

To all: Check it out: http://www.collectrussia.com/DISPITEM.HTM?ITEM=18377 http://www.collectrussia.com/DISPITEM.HTM?ITEM=18876 Regards, slava1stclass

To all: Some more insight into the reasons behind ever skyrocketing Soviet ODM prices. Regards, slava1stclass Affluent Russians Buying Up Queensland By Turi Condon April 14, 2008 04:23am Russians have become the biggest buyers of residential property on the Gold Coast and the third-biggest buyers in Queensland as their new wealth from oil and mining pushes offshore. Buyers from the Russian Federation spent $35 million on Gold Coast apartments and houses in 2006-07, or 9 per cent of all foreign investment in Queensland residential property for the year, according to research by real estate agent DTZ. Overall, offshore buyers ploughed $558 million into Queensland's residential market in 2006-07, an increase of 20 per cent on the previous year, but still a small proportion of the state's residential sales, according to DTZ director of project marketing, Paul Barratt. Foreign investment in Queensland's residential market has grown 26 per cent a year since 2003 when it was $276 million. But offshore investment has fallen, with 2003 down on the previous year's $308 million tally. The growth in foreign investment is likely to be checked by the credit crisis, Mr Barratt said. "More than 1500 Queensland residential property contracts were settled by offshore entities last financial year, not including unconditional contracts in projects currently being sold off the plan or under construction," he said. "While these figures bode well for continued growth, the impacts of the global credit crunch aren't to be underestimated." Buyers from Britain dominated Queensland residential sales to offshore investors in 2006-07, spending $112 million or 27 per cent of foreign investment in the state, followed by New Zealanders with $93.6 million or 22 per cent, with Russians coming in third. Brisbane attracted New Zealanders, while the British were the biggest buyers on the Sunshine Coast; buyers from the South Pacific (New Caledonia) were second to Russian buyers on the Gold Coast. Russians have also been big spenders with an average investment of $550,000 each compared to Britons and New Zealanders, who each spent $220,000. A high proportion of the new wealth in Russia has gone into buying boats, helicopters and the like, Mr Barratt noted. It's not surprising that it will also go into the property market, he said. "Russians have been spending a lot of money everywhere." On the Gold Coast, Russian buyers have headed to the upmarket enclave of Sovereign Island and have also bought penthouses at Stockland Group's Allisee apartment project on the coast, Mr Barratt said. While British and New Zealand buyers were the biggest foreign buyers in Queensland, nationals from China, India and the Middle East are expected to push up the rankings in coming years, according to DTZ research analyst Sacha Reid.