TacHel

Here's an example of a pretty common award. The Cross for the Revival of the Cossacks. It comes in various classes, various colours depending on the host, slightly varying designs, different ribbons etc. But as you can see, it is of quite simple manufacture. This is actually one of the higher quality examples.

I recently started researching the awards of the re emerging Cossack societies and related military units. In case you didn't know, one automatically comes with the other, and we're not simply talking about regiments here, we're talking about entire armies. For military historians, FYI, they've reformed the Grand Don Cossack Army. Cossack units have fought alongside regular Russian troops in Georgia, in Transnistria and in the Caucasus.

Amur Cossacks, Astrakhan Cossacks, Baltic Cossacks, Black Sea Cossacks, Central Cossacks, Don Cossacks, Kuban Cossacks, Orenburg Cossacks, Siberian Cossacks, Terek Cossacks, Trans-Baikal Cossacks, Ural Cossacks, Ussuri Cossacks, Yakutsk Cossacks... Quite the list.

They have developed their own ODMs and wear them alonside official Russian Federation ODMs, public awards, Umalatovas etc. Their WW2 veterans who served with the Wehrmacht have been seen even wearing their German WW2 decorations. Each Cossack "host" (society) has its own ODMs, and the Union of Russian Cossacks (of which all hosts are part of) also has its own ODMs.

Below is not the norm for Cossack ODMs, it is quite THE exception... To date, although a few quality medals have been minted, the majority of their awards are borderline crude and of low quality. The award below if the Order of Ataman (chieftain) Platov 1st class. Again I must stress, this is exceptional for a Cossack award. I thought I'd show you the top, then we'll move down...

Very nice! What's the size on these out of curiosity?

Dan

I included the size under the picture in the original post.

The reverse.

Just got this beauty in the mail today!

Commemorative Breast Badge for 25 Years of the Federal Protective Service (FSO).

From the initial pictures I was afraid it migth be plastic but no, solid heavy all metal multi piece contruction badge.

Height = 1 7/8 inch (4,6 cm)

Width = 1 5/8 inch (4,1 cm)

Awesome set! Congrats!:jumping:

Thanks Karnet!

Unfortunately, the new model Orders are still only depicted as drawings, albeit slightly larger.

Here's the imperial model, well, one version anyway. The modern award has modified eagles and for some reason, the rider goes the opposite way. I think the imperial model did not have the central yellow stripe on the red ribbon. (Can somebody confirm this?)

The other awards all came from the Soviet Era. This one has imperial roots, they went all the way back for this one.

Presidential Decree number 1099 of September 7, 2009.

This is the new Order of Kutuzov, ribbon mounted and bestowed in a single grade (class).

My apologies, to date, I haven't found a decent size picture.

Presidential Decree number 1099 of September 7, 2009.

This is the new Order of Ushakov, ribbon mounted and bestowed in a single grade (class).

My apologies, to date, I haven't found a decent size picture.

Presidential Decree number 1099 of September 7, 2009.

This is the new Order of Alexander Nevsky, ribbon mounted and bestowed in a single grade (class). Quite similar to the original imperial design.

My apologies, to date, I haven't found a decent size picture.

Presidential Decree number 1099 of September 7, 2009.

This is the new Order of Nakhimov, ribbon mounted and bestowed in a single grade (class).

My apologies, to date, I haven't found a decent size picture.

TacHel, can You answer to my proposition about book on e-mail? Regards,

E-mail sent. Thank you! :beer:

May be, this:http://www.bratishka.ru/specnaz/vv/vityaz/symbol.php

I still cannot find anything on the particular cross...:unsure:

Are they plastic or metal?

All metal, nice and heavy.

Nah, I was wearing my "Poutine is for poor Quebecois" shirt.

LMAO! Poutine huh? Yuk! I wouldn't feed that to my dog! :cheeky:

Hi, TacHel! If You want have more information about Ukrainian military badges, I have special book on this theme. This catalogue incl. badges of MIA, MoD, NG, Border Service and many many other. This book printed in 500 ex. in Poltava this year.

I'm extremely interested.

Is it still available?

How much is it?

What are the chances of acquiring one through you?

Were you wearing your "I'm a rich American tourist" T-shirt again?:whistle:

Hi, Gents! "Участнику Сухумской СО - АВ" is unofficial badge of veteran's brotherhood MIA Special Force Detachment "Vityaz". Sukhumi incident is assault of jail in august 1990. See www.bratishka.ru

Good luck!

Tsarenko, could you give me a more precise URL please? Like one directly to the info you mention.

Thank you,

This however is either an unadopted prototype or a fantasy item... Be careful, they're starting to hit the markets...

Here are the current parachutist badges of the Ukrainian armed forces. Just gorgeous aren't they!?! Left to right are the 1st, 2nd and 3rd class awards.

I'm still looking for the exact prerequistes between the classes.

Two more models for you. Both unadopted, hence, both unofficial. But unfortunately found in many market places advertized as the real thing.

The one on the left is merely the Soviet model without the red enamel on the star. The other looks like a badge of the Association of Airborne Veterans.

This is the model you will unfortunately most often find on the market, with the bicepalic eagle. It is a non adopted prototype produced in great numbers and readily available.

Russian Federation parachutist breast badges are becoming more and more common on the western market... Or are they? Be careful what you buy, it might not be what you expect.

The modern badge is identical to its Soviet predecessor minus the red star. Its design is detailed in Order of the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation #182 dated 6 April 2005.

Notice I said "identical to its Soviet predecessor minus the red star", and stopped, that's because that's all they did. The star wasn't replaced by anything else contrary to what you will find on the market. No bicephalic eagle, no gold star, nada.

This is it. A bit planer looking but still, the ONLY approved official para badge. This also applies to the "excellent parachutist" and "parachutist instructor" badges.