kimj

You are correct Christian! Congrats!

Otto Yulievich Schmidt is his name and he is a, in his days the most famous, polar explorer. Although he planed more than walked the ice. Later he was outmanouvered for his position by Papanin another famous polar explorer and double HSU.

More on Schmidt:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Schmidt

When I looked for him I learnt that the Chelyuskin has been found. This year! I guess it's true what they say: you learn something new everyday.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5368448.stm

Anyway now it's your turn.

/Kim

Not a bad guess Christian. He is a scientist but it?s not Kurchatov.

Perhaps it?s time for some clues....

Our man is a HSU and a ?cool headed? dude when is out doing his thing. He also has a direct connection with the very first men who got the title Hero of the Soviet Union.

That should get you going in the right direction.

/Kim

Not too easy this time I hope...

Questions:

Who is this man?

What was he famous for?

/Kim

It's the monument in Vienna dedicated to the liberating red army soldiers. Known on the streets as "Denkmal des unbekannten Pl?nderers" (roughly Monument to the unkown plunderer). I guess liberation is all a question of point of view...

Here is a photo of the plaque:

/Kim

*edit* Forgot to mention date. As the plaque says 19 August 1945. *end edit*

Very nice pic Dave!!!

Here is one with him and his buddies.

From left to right:

Anton?n Sochor (16.7.1914-16.8.1950)

Josef Bur??k (11.9.1911-30.6.2002)

Richard Tesař?k (3.12.1915-27.3.1967)

I posted this pic on the soviet award forum when we put the list of foriegn heroes together.

Well, I posted the list on the other forum. So I?ll ?defend" my list.

The names of German HSU comes from a list of foreign awardees of the title Hero of the Soviet Union. It is a list of people who did not have soviet citizenship and were made HSU. It?s not a list of ethnic groups so Sorge doesn?t fit the criteria. Why? Because Sorge was not a German citizen when he got his, posthumous, title he had been a soviet citizen since 1925. Illegally? Yes, because you couldn?t have double citizenship back then. But being a spy means going outside the law.

Erich Honecker was made HSU 25 August 1982. I don?t have the Prikaz so I can say why he got it. But the day is the same as his birthday...(Happy 70th birthday Erich! Here?s a little something from the guys in the Poliburo.) Political ?heroes? were in fashion then. Zhivkov and Husak got one each roughly the same time.

Ed, there is a list of foreign HSU in Shishkov page 28-29, 2nd volume. Not complete but close.

/Kim

Here is the back and the silver stamp.

/Kim

Here is some more Swedish stuff to look at!

This is the "Svenska Arm?ns Skyttemedalj vid Prisskjutning med Eldhandvapen" roughly Swedish Army Medal for Shooting with a Firearms at Prize shooting. It doesn't get any better translation from me. I know it sounds a bit strange but I think you get the text with it.

Made from 191X- today. This one is marked 1939 on the rim.

/Kim

Christophe, here is the forum:

http://www.samlarforum.nu/

If it's against any rules posting it here just remove it. Then send me a PM... By the way, "Utm?rkelser" is Swedish for Awards. If you need more translation help just ask. Perhaps the nice moderator on the soviet section there will help you...

Rick, they are issued like this today but designed in 1941. Perhaps this is the explanation why they don't have the normal look: Front: Current king in profile; Back: Your organisation of choice.

/Kim

I'll dig for some more to show. But I'm not sure if I have much more military related of interesst.... Will get back on this.

Just posted this pic on Swedish forum and thought you might like it here too In my opinion it's one of the most attractive Swedish awards.

Full name is "Civilf?rsvarsf?rbundets f?rtj?nsttecken", The Civil Defence Union's badge of Merit. As you can see it comes in three classes: gold, silver and bronze. I have just one with ladies bow. But I'm working on it...

/Kim

Looks like a good exhibit. But i live too far away for this one.

By the way I recognize the Stalin painting from an exhibit in Stockholm: "Agitation for happiness". It's called The great oath (Stalin's speach at The Second All-Union Congress 26 january 1924). You just got to love those titles ) The size is just as impressive: 235cm x 175cm !!!

/Kim

Hi Ron

Welcome to the forum!

Strange that research came back empty on a gold star... Anyway, a couple of years ago a book with most gold star numbers. Your number, no 688, is Локтионов Андрей Федорович. More on this side:

http://www.geroi.apifarm.ru/doc/6/14/4

I know my limitations and leave translation to online translators or kind collectors who know Russian.

Is your star a small klododka type? Would it be possible to post a pic? So we all can be jealous. I know I am.

A.F. Loktionov

Christophe I think it could be the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle or possibly the Norwegian order of St Olav. I know she had both.

/Kim

You are correct Order of Victory! It is the old Bolshevik that escaped Stalin's purges.

Here is a pic of comrade Kollontai:

Here is the question:

I was part of Lenin?s first government. He didn?t hold it against me that I was a Menshevik before I became a Bolshevik in 1914. Later I made a career as a diplomat. I went to Mexico and the Scandinavian countries.

The state awarded me the order of Lenin and Red Banner of labour (twice).

Who am I?

Not too hard nut to crack I hope...

/Kim

Yes! I got it! Oh no, now I have to come up with a question... No, just kidding. I will give it some thought and get back later today or tomorrow.

Chuck, in the Spanish civil war Tito was responsible in recruiting volonteers from Yugoslavia. I also heard that he never actually was in Spain. But there is also some rumour that he was involved in a murder of a Yugoslavian anarcist/communist in Barcelona. So if he never was in Spain he could not have been involved...

Very nice pic Bryan!

Now what to ask... Not too easy and not too hard.

/Kim

My guess: Josip Broz Tito.

I can't add much to your thread Rick. But I can show the badge on the photo.

Osoaviakhim did have uniforms. But I have no reference book or have ever seen one. Perhaps there is some article from some obsucre Russian collector magazine somewhere... if we're lucky. I think most people see Osoaviakhim as less "sexy" than Red Army stuff. I remember when I asked one of my friends to look for Oso-stuff. His responce was "Really? Why????" What I mean is that I won't hold my breath waiting for a book on the subject.

/Kim

Thanks!

This one didn't come with papers. But a Finnish collegue has a document dated 1974(!), badge No 3610. That would make mine a bit later than 1974. So a later batch is perhaps the best guess.

Dudeman, do you remember if the serialnumber style were similar to this one?

/Kim

Just got this in the mail and thought I would share. It's a badge for veteran's of the fighting at Hanko/Hang? or Gangut in Russian. Hanko is a penninsula in Finland the Russian got after the Winterwar.

These veteran's badges are not that expensive but rich in history. And finding one from that special unit can be a real treasure hunt.

/Kim

Now if I just could find the document or documented medal group...

Victory Day in Russia today! Slava Geroyam!

Of course Mondvor! Why run to the bookshelf when the best reference is on line....

Ed I agree that AVERS is a somewhat suspect source. But take it for what it is.

1st class

1. version 6 000

2. ver. 20 000

3. ver. 1 000

2nd class

1. ver. 20 000

2. ver. 100 000

3. ver. 1 000

Perhaps Andrew (MONDVOR) can comment on these numbers. Are they just a guess or ...

Here is the mondvor direct link:

http://www.mondvor.narod.ru/MOtlSluz.html

/Kim

According to AVERS 6 there are three variations of both first and second class.

1. without nut

2. with nut

3. with a pin instead of screwpost

If anybody has any interesst of number of each variation let me know and I'll post.

/Kim

Very nice Caucasus document Doc! It's not too often one can see the Georgian awarded ones!

On a side note I can add that defence of Kiev has NO prefix letter, just the number. So I guess it wasn't that important after all..

/Kim