Drugo

Who buys it... well, he deserves it.

Congratulations, Bryan, seriously! Well deserved... All the best, Filip

I'd like to comment that picture, but it's better to not... Does anybody know where is that sign now?

Yes, Anatoly, here is mine. Regards, Filip

Gentlemen, back from Belgrade, where I found my grandfather's IIIcl. 5 torches order. It's cased and with document (1957), the box is in very poor condition, but it's still a nice set, and of course very significant for me. Regards, Filip

Dear Wlodzimierz, take a look here. Regards, Filip

Dear Ed, I agree with you, and that's why I won't comment further. Dear Luka, I hope one day our people will understand the great mistakes and crimes that were commited in our countries, the lies they were told by nationalistic criminals from both sides (from the so-called "Velika Srbija" to the so-called "Domovinski Rat"), and live in peace and prosperity as all developed countries should live. In the meantime, I'll go to Losinj on holiday in a couple of weeks. I'll send you a postcard. Regards, Filip

Sure. If we could only have jumped the '90s. And maybe find a better place where to land after the jump. Regards, Filip

Yours is later issue, Filip. I didn't find any info about that, but in my opinion and experience, from what I saw different times in different places, when they changed the medals from 5 to 6 torches, they also changed the boxes (as you see on Soviet's case there's a 5 torches coat of arms stamped). If I'm wrong please correct me...

Take also a look at this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHoOzjdVQ9U

Nice medals, Gentlemen! Here's the last one, to complete the puzzle: 50 years, issued in 1991, in the very last months of old Yugoslavia... Regards, Filip

I didn't check the link, but I seriously thought it was Milosevic. They look very similar, at least on this medal.

Awful.

Dear Filip, I believe, as Christian said, that it is a private issue, since I don't see the Yugoslavian coat of arms anywhere. Do you know anything more about this Narodna Tehnika (which I believe to to be the name of this school for technicians)?

Let's say than that the 1999 bombardment of Serbia was a huge flop, for a few simple reasons: 1) The absolute ignorance about what was going on in Kosovo and its history in western countries: the media have always to show two well recognizable sides, the good guys and the bad guys. This always lead to misunderstandings and prejudice. From 1997/98 Milosevic had undertaken an ethnical cleaning of the Albanian population of Kosovo (almost the 90% of the population of the region). This is well known and no doubt it happened. Not the right way to solve the problem, that's sure, but from 2000 on, the Serbs of the region are suffering the same treatment by the Albanian population, and if the KFOR would leave the place, it would grow on a bigger scale. Serbs policemen risk their life everyday, they couldn't and they can't drive through some parts of their country because they would get shot without any different reason than being Serbs. Kosovo is a Serbian region from the XI century, the biggest part of its history was written there. Its official name is Kosovo and Metohija, but Metohija nowadays is not politically correct. From the Greek met?chio, it means "property of a monastery". In Kosovo there were, and there are still those who survived, some of the most beautiful, rich and old orthodox Christian churches, built more than 800 years ago, and today on the UNESCO heritage list. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/724 http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/268 Kosovo represents the 15% of the Serbian national territory. Could it be possible to solve this problem with the indipendence of the region? Imagine if the Mexicans start settling in Texas, and when they reach the 80% of local population, they start to build their own schools, hospitals, a parallel underground social system. They stop paying taxes and giving credit to the authorities. Finally, they ask for indipendence. Would you agree with it? It's easier to judge than to ask ourselves uncomfortable questions... 2) The humanitarian crisis that spread because of the bombings. Because of the conflict (if you prefear this term), the ethnical cleaning increased 100 times, while the civilian population had not only to escape from Serbian army, but also from NATO bombs. Europe was prepeared to punish Serbia, but didn't want a mass of people of tens of thousands of refugees to cross their borders. Where to put them? 3) Milosevic's position in Serbia was already getting weak, and his popularity had notably decreased in the last years of the '90s. But for those who conducted for years their underground struggle against him, the western bombs meant only one thing: western countries abandoned them. They didn't understand. They didn't help. Now they bomb their cities, not only military objectives, but factories, bridges, roads, TV stations, they are killing hundreds of innocent people (how to forget the bombed train on 13th April, while it was crossing a bridge in Southern Serbia?). Aren't these war crimes? Nationalism spread all other the country again, due to a "humanitarian war" that was more seen as an injustice by who had to live day and night under the constant fear of death. The anger was the right weapon Milosevic was looking for to keep his tragical play on stage a little more. I remember a sentence, written on the wall of a civilian defence bunker in Belgrade at the time: Bringing peace with bombs is like preserving the virginity of a girl f****** her. Sad, but true.

Especially now that Serbia entered the Partnership for Peace... What Christian said is true, there was much more going under the surface, that we don't know yet.

Sasa, hvala ti puno! So, the NFJ was the organization that coordinated the big works of reconstruction after the war? Were maybe the Students' work Brigades part of this project? I'm interested in this aspect because my grandmother took part in one of those, in order to be able to complete her studies at university (as many others at that time...). Regards, Filip

Sasa, you're probably right. But I couldn't find ant different meaning, that's why I thought what I said earlier... In your case, does it change something speaking about the date of issue? Where was the "Narodni Front Jugoslavije" expression used? Thank you, Filip

That is from Yu that's sure... Look at the three cyrillic letters "NFJ". They should stand for Narodna federativna Jugoslavija (Popular Federativ Yugoslavia). If this is true, we can even start dating the badge before 1963, the date in which the official name was changed in Socijalisticka Federativna Jugoslavija (Socialist Federativ Yugoslavia). Regards, Filip

Don't know... Maybe you're right, and I'm wrong, and it's the youth-club... I'm considering it again from the pictures at the bottom of the AMSS homepage. I'm sure it will be an easy issue for those who live there... let's wait and see. Regards, Filip

-No, it's not the youth-club... I actually don't know what they mean with "podmladak" in this case. -Of course SSOJ is what Sasa said! Well done... And I never heard of the PPT. -No, I don't know how the auction ended. Regards, Filip

AMS is the "Auto Moto Savez" Srbije - Autocar union of Serbia. The 2nd one I can't really remember at the moment what SSOJ stands for, but I'm sure other people here will be able to answer you, it's nothing unusual.... I never saw the 3rd one. Sorry Filip

Here's an example of an officer visor cap: Regards, Filip

I love to collect low-interesting militaria (not only medals), because as a student now I coudln't have some nice pieces that I managed to get for a few euros, or even for free! So, ehm ehm, for those of you who don't collect Yugoslavian medals, don't trust Christian, these pieces are really poorly made and antiaesthetic..................... believe me! Do NOT buy your first piece (because I fear it wouldn't be the last...)!

Christian... do they pay you for this propaganda? Regards, Filip