Christophe

* 1966 Feb. 3: Luna-9 completed soft landing on the lunar surface. A first. It transmitted 3 cycloramic panoramas.

Photographic evidence : * 1959 (2nd event) Oct. 4: Luna-3, the first man-made object to photograph far side of the Moon is launched. Oct. 7: The USSR obtains first photos of the Moon's far side.

Hi to all, I'm back after a long absence abroad. Sorry for the delay in replying... Frank (Knarf) is certainly the winner !!!! Well done, even if all questions have not exactly been answered... Here are the answers : * 1959 (1st event) Sept. 12: Luna-2, the first man-made object to reach the Moon is launched. Sept. 14: Luna-2 successfully impacts the lunar surface. * 1959 (2nd event) Oct. 4: Luna-3, the first man-made object to photograph far side of the Moon is launched. Oct. 7: The USSR obtains first photos of the Moon's far side. * 1966 Feb. 3: Luna-9 completed soft landing on the lunar surface. A first. * 1968 Sept. 15-21: Zond-5, a prototype of the spacecraft for manned circumlunar flight flew around the Moon (a first) and splashed down in the Indian Ocean. * 1976 Aug. 18: Luna-24 lands on the surface of the Moon to collect soil samples, which then returned to Earth. It is the last vessel having ever landed on the moon. I have to say that except for 1976, Frank has globally got all right answers. Congratulations!!!! Ch.

Toc, toc... Is there someone ? Ch.

Still, no one inspired ? Or too complex ? Ch.

Hi Alex, I agree with Rick about the two last entries of the book. And, BTW, it is a Leningrad medal, not a Stalingrad one... Cheers. Ch.

Thanks Bill. Will wait. Seems worthwile... and no other option BTW... Cheers. Ch.

And you are closer than I am... Ch.

Hi Sebastien and Doc, Still waiting... Should'nt be too long now... Cheers. Ch.

Hi Bill, Have the limited editions been mailed out ? Cheers. Ch.

As precised in the small website of the exhibition, "The exhibition will be supported by a catalogue in German of 196 pages. The texts will primarily focus on extrapolating the tension between documentary photography, propaganda and artistic photography in Khaldei?s work. Further aspects will be his relation to Stalin, the obstruction of his work due to his Jewish background, and the comparison with the works of other contemporaneous Russian photographers. " Ch.

Hi Wild Card, The exhibition is located in the Martin Gropius Bau, close to the Potsdamer Platz. See the link below : http://www.berlinerfestspiele.de/de/aktuel...u/mgb_start.php Cheers. Ch.

Back for Question #200 !!! This is a question about Soviet lunar exploration. While a manned landing was never accomplished by the Soviets, they succeeded in a huge number of lunar missions, and from 1959 to 1976, accomplished a number of world firsts or records in terms of lunar exploration. What are these world "firsts" or "records" ? For each of them, you need to provide 4 elements : * the date (day, month, year), * the name of the "ship", * the nature of the accomplishment. * a photographic evidence of the accomplishment. To help you, a few hints with dates; these events took place in: * 1959 (1st event) (no photographic evidence required for this one) * 1959 (2nd event) * 1966 * 1968 * 1976 (not exactly a "first", but a "record") The winner is the first one providing ALL these elements !!! Good hunt and good luck... Cheers. Ch.

Berlin... What else ? Ch.

Thanks Marc, for your congratulations !!! I will come back to you soon, with the 200th challenge!!!! Cheers. Ch.

Thanks Bryan for the tip. I should be there end of this month, and will certainly take time to visit it. Cheers. Ch.

Thanks Christian. But, let's wait for Marc's verdict before it is congratulations time... if I win, I will have the immense priviledge to ask the 200th question of the Quiz !!!!! Cheers. Ch.

Site of the drop.

Tsar Bomba

Hi Marc, Here are my proposals : 1. What type of plane was it? A specially modified Tu-95N "Bear A" strategic bomber. The Tu-95 was accompanied by a Tu-16 "Badger" airborne laboratory to observe and record the test. 2. What was the purpose for the daily maintenance? The Tu-95 was painted with a special white reflective paint to protect it from the thermal radiation of the fireball on the occasion of the explosion. 3. On what date did its specific flight took place? 30 October 1961 4. What was its itinerary? The drop area was over land at the Mityushikha Bay test site, on the west coast of Novaya Zemlya Island, above test field D-2, near Cape Sukhoy Nos. The test location was about 55 km north of the Severny settlement and 250 km north of the headquarters at Belushya. Mityushikha Bay test range, test field D-2, Novaya Zemlya Island (located above the arctic circle in the Arctic Sea). Approximate coordinates were 73.85N, 54.50E 5. Who was its commander? Mission commander was Major Andrei E. Durnovtsev 6. What was the nickname of its main "passenger"? The device offically designated RDS-220, known to its designers as Big Ivan, and nicknamed in the west Tsar Bomba (or referred to as the Big Bomb by Sakharov in his Memoirs) was the largest nuclear weapon ever constructed or detonated. More to read there : http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Russia/TsarBomba.html Cheers. Ch.

Thanks Slava for the information and the update. This is quite consistent with the fact that the photos exhibition in the Victory Park Museum has been established between October and December 2006. At that time, I remember very well all veterans pictured were said as being still alive... So I was in fact surprised by the information provided by Ferdinand (death in 2005). Cheers. Ch.

Hi Marc, Good luck with the nappy changes... Of course you are right, Wikipedia as often is not a reliable source of infos... I had a more complete bio of Antonov, but could not put my hand on it at the moment... I wish you a good "inspiration" for the next challenge... Cheers. Ch.

And again time for a few stats... Quiz 2008 : * 27 questions asked, * with 393 answers, * and viewed more than 3,000 times. Nb of good answers for the Quiz 2008 : * 8 : Marc (Lapa) * 5 : Christian (Zulus) * 4 : Christophe & Frank (Knarf) * 2 : Auke (Ferdinand) * 1 : Alex (RedMaestro), Jim (JimZ) & Wild Card Complete statistics give since this Quiz has been launched (on 1 Nov. 2005) : * 198 questions asked, * with 2,538 answers, * This quiz has been viewed more than 25,800 times. * 39 Members of the Forum played, and 29 correctly answered at least 1 question : Nb of good answers : * 40 : Christian (Zulus) * 36 : Christophe * 16 : Frank (Knarf) * 13 : Jim (JimZ) * 11 : Bryan (Soviet) * 8 : Auke (Ferdinand), Marc (Lapa) & Simon (Red Threat) * 6 : Belaruski, Carol I & Ed (Haynes) * 5 : Dan (Hauptman) & Wild Card. * 3 : Andreas (Alfred), Ivan (Piramida) & Kim (Kimj). * 2 : Chuck (in Oregon), Gerd (Becker), Jan (vatjan) & Order of Victory. * 1 : Alex (RedMaestro), Charles (Hunyadi), Darrell, Daredevil, Dave (Navy FCO), Dudeman, Filip (Drugo), Rick (Stogieman) & Steen (Ammentorp). This is a great achievement. Thanks to all for your participation in this Quiz. Now, let's play for the 199th question, Marc's !!!! Cheers. Ch.

Hi Marc, All this is perfect, you are the winner !!!! Congratulations!!!! Here is, according to Wikipedia, a short bio of Oleg Antonov : "Oleg Konstantinovich Antonov (Russian: Олег Константинович Антонов, Ukrainian: Олег Костянтинович Антонов; February 7, 1906 (Troitsy, Moscow province, Russian Empire) - April 4, 1984, (Kiev, Ukrainian SSR)) was a Soviet aircraft designer and painter, the founder of Antonov ASTC, a world-famous aircraft company in Ukraine, later named in his honour. Biography In 1930, Antonov graduated from the Kalinin Polytechnical Institute in Leningrad. In 1946, he was appointed head of the aircraft design bureau, that was later moved to Kiev. Antonov was a Doctor of Science, academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR (1968), Hero of Socialist Labor (1966), member of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the 5th, 6th and 7th convocations. Awards and legacy Antonov received the State Award of the USSR in 1952 and Lenin Award in 1962. Antonov was also decorated with two Orders of Lenin and other orders and medals. The Antonov design bureau has the distinction of making huge and powerful aircraft throughout its existence. Antonov's AN-225 "Mriya" is currently the biggest aircraft operational (bigger than even the Airbus A-380). In November 2004, FAI placed the An-225 in the Guinness Book of Records for its 240 records. The highly popular AN-124 "Ruslan" is used worldwide for cargo transport. A street in Kiev city is named after Oleg Antonov. A coin was minted of Copper Nickel Alloy in 2006 by the National Bank of Ukraine honoring Antonov. In addition, a silver proof coin was issued by the Bank of Russia to commemorate 100 years since Antonov's birth." Bravo, Marc : Your turn ,now.... Cheers. Ch.

Let's go... My name is today closely associated to Mriya (Мрія) that means "Dream", "Inspiration" in Ukrainian... I remind the winner is the first one able to answer ALL these questions : 1. Who am I ? 2. What am I famous for ? 3. I have been awarded 3 Orders of Lenin. But, what are the 3 most prestigious Soviet Titles that I have ? Name + dates of awarding ? 4. I am a member of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, as my badge shows it. But for which convocations ? Cheers. Ch.