Belaruski

Nice deputy badge! Like you say its influence is clear!

Not a poster, and not Stalin, but... Here is a nice 1973 dated Soviet greeting card I picked up on Ebay. I love the imagery of the Red Army badge 'evolving'!

And here's about as close as you'll get to one.. http://www.collectrussia.com/DISPITEM.HTM?ITEM=13132 Anyone believe the Soviet museum story? Or is it just a higher level of fake?

inside..

I thought it may be time to add some pictures of budionovka to this thread; I'm sure RichieC can help there! Heres's my NKVD Frontier Troops one.

I finally got one! Thanks to RichieC.(again!)

Very nice Bob! I'll not ask what it cost..

Incidentaly it's nice to see a guard of honour still carrying rifles and wearing a smart uniform. Too many countries only seem to have combat gear and assault weapons for all purposes. Honour guards and parade uniforms should look official!

I do like the last one of him kneeling before the name of Stalin!

Here are the two together. These massive crown caps are something else! The m35 furazhka is classic, but these...

Nope! This one belonged to a General officer of the border guard. I also have his green topped visor. The white one was used in whilst serving with the 'border cutters'. The naval style uniforms and insignia cover all ranks up to the top if required.

This is a rather rare cap. It's the cap of a Belarusian admiral. Belarus is landlocked, but the border troops who patrol Belarusian rivers and lakes wear naval uniform, hence this unusual cap! It's typical late Soviet style, but with Belarusian insignia buttons etc. Something you don't see everyday!

Perhaps then some of the 'buzz' of collecting TR stuff comes from the knowledge that you actually have beat the fakers? Knowing 100% that you have original items is taken for granted elsewhere, and perhaps that's where people are being naive..

I've no idea!

Thanks Christian, sorry for the late response, I've only just seen your comment! I only have these, and a KV1 at my mothers house, but hopefully in a few years I can push my son in this direction!

Christian, the small boy is my son Aleksandr in a bezkozirka. And that colonel is in MVD uniform, maybe an NKVD internal security veteran or ex border guard who went on into the militia after the war?? Here's Lukashenko greeting veterans yesterday in Minsk.

Nice group, and he's a Belarusian too! (He does live in Gomel). The 45-95 award document is relatively rare in that it has the 'pahonia' emblem on the stamp instead of the current Belarusian state emblem as adopted following the 1995 referendum.Most have the more Soviet stamp!

Happy victory day everyone!

I recently picked up this badge (thanks RichieC!) and thought I'd share it with you here. It seeems to be quite a late Soviet piece, but is still well made! A heavy 2 piece badge with a nice screwplate. Any more info appreciated! (I like the way it uses a Guards badge as its 'inspiration')

Here he is in uniform. Not naval, but you're right that he's a weapons designer

Ok, back on firmer ground here! Who is this!

Incorrect, but the clue is indeed a hint to the Kursk. Vidayevo (particularly the Ara Bay) was the home base of the now lost K-141 Kursk, In 2000 the Kursk's crew's families gathered in the naval base of Vidayevo near Murmansk waiting for news of their missing. The town is a closed one with a big naval base. It is also named after submarine commander Fyodor Vidayev, who's submarine the P-422 was lost with all hands in 1943. It is Vidayev and his men who would have been the toughest nails in the world.. Quick passage about Vidayevo: "The town was named after Fyodor Vidyaev, an impoverished trawlerman from the Volga region who became a legend during the Second World War as a fearless submarine captain. On April 8, 1942, his boat was severely damaged by a German destroyer, and Vidyaev attempted to limp home on the surface. With no power, he ordered the crew to stitch together a sail, tying it between the deck and the raised periscope. Unable to reach land, just as the crew was preparing to scuttle the submarine, they were rescued by another Soviet ship. After further combat patrols, each of them notching up successes against German shipping, in the summer of 1943 Vidyaev's Shch-422 submarine was lost with all hands. In the skilled words of Stalin's propagandists, Vidyaev made for a potent legend: the young fisherman from the south whose cunning and courage swung the battle in the Arctic against the Nazis". Not sure if his sub was a P or Ssch I've seen both used, but definately number 422! Also depending on translation Vidyaev or Vidayev.

The clue is in part 2 of the question, to drop a big hint what is the conection between a Russian submarine and the greatest tank battle of WW2?

Ok, next clue, think submarines!

Not in Belarus, Northern Russia. Think naval!