Vadim K

Something like that, an agent or an operative. The top part of the same page lists his disciplinary actions and its a hoot. If you can post a close-up I can tell all the details, but it looks like our Comrade Adolph was arrested twice in 1922, one 5-day arrest for "excessive force" (which for a Chekist in 1922 Georgia probably meant gunning down about 30 people without any reason) and another 5-day arrest for "breaking a rifle rack". He was also "severely reprimanded" for "inappropriate use of a government seal".

Great group, Chuck! "Lichnaya" is "personal" KRO is a "kontr-razvedochniy otdel" - counter-intelligence.

No, Mr. Gvasalia has already been dead when this document was signed. The clerk has the same last name (makes you wonder what the clerk felt when signing this, dont it?) Ah, the joys of a totalitarian regime...

Brian, thats is pretty much the story except the correct name for the region is Trans-Dniester Region, or Transnistria and the 14th Army was not sent to Moldova, it was stationed there since mid-1950ies. The region rebelled in 1990 and the 14th Army was officially supposed to act as "peacekeeping" force, while in reality it aided the Transnistrian rebels. The conflict ended in 1992 and with it ended the 14th Army - it became the Russian Operational Group (ROG) which still has the peacekeeping duties in the now independent Transnistria.

Ed, what is the name of the award in the scan in post #7? I can see the beginning of word "trudovogo" peeking out, so it seems to say "Red Banner of Labor" too.

Here is how it worked, for the inquiring minds. During Stalin's times, the education system went as follows: - nachalnaya shkola ("beginner" or elementary school): grades 1-4 - nepolnaya srednyaya shkola (incomplete secondary): grades 5-7 - polnaya srednyaya shkola (full secondary): grades 8-10 Grade 4 was required minimum for rural areas, grade 7 - for urban areas. Grade 7 graduates were free to continue education in 2 year tech/trade schools and become blue-collar professionals. Only polnaya srednyaya shkola gave an HS diploma and allowed the graduate to apply to college. I dont remember when the system was changed off-hand, but by the time I started school in late 1970s, nepolnaya srednyaya shkola was extended to grade 8 and became the mandatory minimum for both urban abd rural areas.