Gerd Becker

Well, you can?t compare SS/Gestapo with the KGB, but better with the NKVD and from what i have seen, NKVD items are quite expensive, maybe not like SS-stuff, but you pay definately more than for a group or Order/Medal to a non-NKVD Soldier.

Gerd

ahh, 77th RD, for more info see here:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=10282

Absolutely mindblowing, Dave

Its unbelievable, that he was not made HSU.

Thanks for posting this great research. Excellent little group.

Gerd

Yes, the capture/liberation awards were awarded under mass ukaz dated 9 June 1945. That's not when everyone physically received them, of course, but that's when they were authorized, thus the preprinted Ukaz date in the document for each.

Hope that helps!

Dave

Absolutely! Thanks, Dave.

Jim you probably know this, but here is, what the MODVOR-website says about this Medal. I am sorry for the bad english, its a babelfish translation.

"Some differences in the die of medal are noted. These differences are most noticeable during the study of pursuits and buttonholes on Stalin's tunic. The edging of pursuits and buttonholes is well noticeable in some copies of medal. The edging is absent in other copies, buttons and image of coat of arms are smoothed. Probably, data of relief change could occur because of the temporary wear of the die of medal. However, is not excluded the possibility of existence of two different it is specific die, that deserve their isolation into the separate versions. At the given moment this question remains open."

Nice one. Is it the one, we talked about on the phone lately?

I also look forward to the research

Rick summed it up nicely. Go ahead and get research for them, you won?t be dissappointed.

Gerd

Beautiful citation, no question about that!

Slightly off topic, the Vienna and Budapest liberation medals were awarded under the Ukaz of 9/6/1945. I forgot (or perhaps never new it), was that a mass award Ukaz?

Sergei

Thank you, Sergei. Beside the fact, that he was obviously a brave man, its interesting, that he was in an Assault Engineering Sapper Battalion. Its the first time i heard about such unit.

I don?t know the answer to your question, but i would like to know as well, so if anyone can clarify this, i would appreciate it very much.

Thanks again

Gerd

Sorry to contradict you Gerd, but the tower in the middle of the Medal for the 800th Birthday of Moscow is not the Spasskaya tower, but the Blagoveshchenskaya tower. See below :

Your thread as been completly high-jacked!

No problem, Bryan, i appreciate interesting contributions. And thank you for the correction, you are absolutely right.

Gerd

Thanks, Bryan, very interesting I am going to look, if i can grab a 3rd class of the soviet production for my collection.

Thanks again, great info, Bryan

You are absolutely right, OoV. Its also the Spassky-tower on the Defense of Moscow Medal. My fault, sorry.

So the Stolpnje-examples are definately the soviet made pieces, right? I really want one of those. What should i pay for a 3rd class?

The artwork on some of these is amazing No, i don?t need another collection-field

Thanks for sharing these documents, OoV.

It is real. It is shown in countless Russian movies. The same is done when an officer get promoted. He drinks vodka until the star is between his teeth. My dad and his friends immitated the tradition with their college graduation badges.

Thanks for the confimation, Simon. Good to know for sure. Its such a typical russian tradition in my opinion and i like it very much. I have seen an insufficient amount of russian films until now obviously. Hope, i can change that soon.

Thanks again

Gerd

Thank you, Auke

Gerd

Here it is...

Pictures Courtesy: www.mondvor.narod.ru ? Andrew Kusnetzov

Hi OoV,

i meant, its on the reverse of the Medal for the 800th Birthday of Moscow(see below), not the Defense of Moscow Medal.

Picture courtesy: www.mondvor.narod.ru

Gerd

The Spassky-Tower is also shown on the Order of Victory, the Order of Kutuzov, the 40 years Victory Medal and the 800 Anniversary of Moscow-Medal, if i am not mistaken.

Thanks, OoV and Pete

Pete, its downgraded, because the Order of the Red Star is higher in precedence of the orders. This COULD BE one of the cases, where the one, who decided in the chain, though: "Lets give this guy a real bravery award like Glory 3rd class than a Red Star", because the Glory was allways looked at as a real bravery award, which is not the case for the Red Star, which was somehow devalued, when they started to award these for 15 years Long Service.

Gerd

Thanks a lot, everyone I?ll do my best together with Rick to keep the high quality of the Soviet Section.

Gerd

Russian Ribbons are most likely Vodka-resistent

Interesting story, if its true. I have heard about the tradition to put your medals in Vodka and drink it until you hold the medal in your tooth, but i don?t know, if it was a real tradition or just hearsay...

Gerd

You finally found a second class of your favourite order, congrats, Bryan And its a nice one!

Thank you, Dan

Good eye, Andreas. I agree, the P looks like on a variation 1.