TacHel

The darn thing is, I'd have more respect for him if he only wore the one real medal...

LMAO! Yeah! Got to give him that! He's way ahead of many others!

And may I add... WOW!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGGGGGGGGHHHH!! Look at the crap he's wearing with the 300 Years of the Navy medal... They should have a sergeant-at-arms at the Kremlin main gate with a club to beat those blingbling baubles off of these guys! To show up for an official function in front of the President, at the Kremlin, wearing Umalatova garbage! It just blows my mind.

He would've drowned in the flood from the weight of the blingbling he wears with his real medals...

Weird the medal didn't originate with the МЧС... One can easily guess Shoigu's previous job with his approval of this medal out of the Defense Ministry...

I believe the term "biblical proportions" is justified in this case... http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2013/post-3030-0-09498300-1380755469.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2013/post-3030-0-83797900-1380755474.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2013/post-3030-0-57236100-1380755479.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2013/post-3030-0-53161700-1380755484.jpg http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2013/post-3030-0-38664400-1380755537.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2013/post-3030-0-35638100-1380755542.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2013/post-3030-0-39578700-1380755546.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_10_2013/post-3030-0-68795800-1380755668.jpg

Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu recently presented a new medal to members of military units who helped in flood relief and control during the disastrous floods in the Russian far East. I'll post the establishment Order as soon as I find it.

For a 1/72 scale model, that is SERIOUSLY GOOD!

Guy! The detailing on that Order is simply gorgeous!

Sweet! I'm always impressed with guys who can make a 1/72 model look so fine! I used to build in the 1/32 and even 1/24 scales, easier to detail with my limited talents.

Yup, no doubt about it... It's definitely the Umalatova... Kinda sad when you think about it... A LtCol, charged with the instruction of young soldiers giving such a bad example. Kind of weird, when you look at his other medals (from your close up), he seems to have the Medal for Military Valour, the Medal for Excellence in Military Education, and I think the Jubilee Medal 850 Years of Moscow.

Personally, I never heard of a single segregated Canadian unit...

Unfortunately, "easy" is all too true... But things seem to be getting better as time progresses. It really does look like the Umalatova in question (pic below), but was there the red enamel of the Soviet banner? It's difficult to tell in the photo. Keep in mind there are quite a few public medals concerning the anniversaries of military academies and such establishments that are readily worn on military uniforms by both staff and students.. And yes, the few photos I found of officers following regs were "real" combat vets, "real" soldiers. Umalatovas are actually rare nowadays, and public medals are getting scarcer. With the number of awards just in the Defense Ministry, you kind of wonder why somebody would need to embellish their "rack" with blingblings...

Another shot of general Lebed, here signing autographs for Cossack officers.

WOW! I am sooo impressed with your attention to detail and your talent with painting! The leather cross strap, the MC ribbon, the shoulder insignia! Simply outstanding!

Another shot of general Lebed, the medal now hangs 4th from center top row behind the Soviet Order of the Red Banner, Soviet MVD medal For courage in a fire and the Russian Federation's commemorative medal 300 years of the Russian Navy, but still in front of all other Soviet, Russian and foreign awards. Bearing in mind this was in the mid to late 90s when the order of precedence was almost left to the whim of the wearer, no official regulation was even remotely followed or even enforced, it is still interesting to note how highly he rated this particular award, especially since it was a Cossack award usually frowned upon and even scoffed at by the military.

I was recently surprised to find this medal for sale on the site of a German militaria shop. Although not incredibly valuable, it is rare to see them on the western market and I saw myself immediately jumping on it as if it were. To be perfectly honest, my main interest was the fact one of its recipients was Major-general Alexander Lebed. Major-general Alexander Lebed wearing his Defence of Transnistria medal top row 2nd from center immediately following his Soviet Order of the Red Banner. He obviously considered it quite special to mount it that high in the order of precedence of his many other awards. The link below give s a quite acceptable resume of the conflict including the participation of General Lebed and his troops and of Ukrainian and Russian Cossack units. BBC NEWS Dniester conflict The medal was produced and bestowed by the Union of Cossacks. It was awarded to Cossacks, members of the Union of Cossacks, as well as other citizens and stateless persons for personal courage and bravery displayed in the battles for freedom and independence of Transnistria. Early awards hung from this green and red ribbon, this was later changed to the "ribbon of St George" as seen above. Don cossacks also produced and awarded this medal which often accompanies the other one on their uniform. The medal "Defender of Transnistria" Link to web site Cossack Awards (in Russian)

EAGLE ALBATROS 'NUF SAID...