TacHel

Luckily, only 1 in 7 parcels is checked for duty here... The only 2 times in more than 3 decades I was asked to pay duty, I was able to prove what I purchased wasn't available in Canada and thus got out of it.

Upon further examination... Good luck reading the name.

Yeah, just as I thought. The recipient is living... So I'll leave you with the original photo for now. Sorry. Just wouldn't feel right.

Seriously, I don't know what the international postage union have agreed upon but for the past year or so international shipping has slowed to an exact science of 12 days once out of country. I used to mail items to France and they'd get it within 48 to 72 hours! Now, 12 days... I'd get parcels from anywhere inside continental Europe (except Belgium, a bit slower sorry ) within 2 to 5 days, now 12... Same for Russia, Australia... It takes EXACTLY 12 days for a parcel from anywhere on Earth to my front door once it leaves the country of origin. Mind boggling! Cannot be a coincidence!

Won't happen... The more a package is expected during the holidays the slower it'll go... The very first day you have to go back to work, during the only 30 minute interval when nobody can answer the door, is when the postman will ring and leave a note saying you can pick it up at the post office the next day after 13h00... Unless it's a Friday, and it'll be a Friday, then you'll have to twiddle your thumbs until Monday. That'll be the one day you'll leave work late and get stuck in traffic... And then it get's worse! Just trying to make sure you don't get your hopes up too high...

Oh and by the way... I wasn't afraid in any shape or form that it was stolen... I meant if the recipient had simply departed with it, that he wouldn't be pointed at for doing so.

Addenda. Current sellers have become quite adept at producing fake documents. When in doubt, refer to these pages below, if what you're considering purchasing isn't there, walk away. Ministerial awards of the Russian Federation List of awards of independent services of the Russian Federation

Very nice! Congrats on a really really sweet set!

I have a friend who's a retired Gendarme, we often exchange items, find ribbons for each other etc... He sent me this for Christmas! It is attributed, in original box and with award certificate! Please accept my apology for not showing the reverse or the certificate for now. The award was one for valour and wounds received and the citation is so specific that even if I hid the name, very little effort would be required to trace down the recipient. I want to make sure with my friend that it's actually OK to do so. But still... WOW!

I'm no expert... But if those 2 medallions are indeed original and over 200 years old... I'm Napoleon IV... You can see blue enamel over the lettering... Hmmm... Like I said, I'm no expert, but had I held this in my hand in a shop, I would've left with my money still in my account.

I thoroughly read all three establishment orders and found no clause stating only one could be earned. I've seen photos of award ceremonies for all three medals and have yet to see anybody wearing more than the one. Now, having said that, the award criteria for the Medal "Participant in Military Operations in Syria" means it would logically be awarded to anybody in theatre, even the liberators of Palmyra, and later the EOD personnel. I guarantee you I'll keep a sharp eye out in the future to see if I can find a photo of a Russian serviceman wearing more than one.

Just got them in and one is hanging from the wrong ribbon!! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! Don't they know how difficult it is from this side of the ocean to find replacement ribbon?

Dang!... I feel worse than ever now...

I've always used the word to define a mild depression or general malaise, ennui... Bored shitless...

There ya go Megs... I've received quite a few more Russian items in the past months... I'll soon send you a batch with black backgrounds so you don't have to waste time on that.

Beautiful docs!

Nice, this is the first time I see modern personnel records.

Quite surprised it took so long myself. But if you can find Provisional Instruction N° 1403/DEF/EMAT/CAB/ADM/REC from the French Army High Command of 14 April 2015, I think they just got tired of waiting and came straight out and allowed army personnel to wear it. The government only followed suit two months later. The darn thing had been tolerated for a century, I very much doubt the civilians would'Ve ever done anything about it without the army nudging them this way.

Any info on the recipients?

Nice!

A small problem until you're caught... I believe there's a 5 year minimum jail term.

Here's a link to the official decree

The medal for the war wounded (Médaille des blessés de guerre) that has existed albeit unofficially for a century has finally been decreed as official by the French government. Provisional instruction N° 1403 of 14 April 2015 from the Army High Command allowed the insignia for the war wounded, this has now been ratified by decree n° 2016-1130 of the President of the Republic of 17 August 2016. It is now an official decoration of the French Republic. The photo below shows the model described in the decree. .