Christophe

I was Stalin. Being a very private man Stalin gave the order that no person should enter his bed chambers on pain of death. Later, while in his chambers he decided to test whether his guards had listened to this instruction. Pretending to scream in pain he called for the guards stationed outside the door. Fearing that their leader was in trouble the guards burst into the room. Stalin had them executed for failing to follow his standing orders. This little prank soon backfired, however, when Stalin suffered a seizure while alone in his bedroom. The guards were too afraid to enter, finding him hours later laid in a puddle of stale urine. He died three days later, in March 1953... Ch.

Congrats Dan !! :jumping: You are the winner !!! Your turn, now... Ch.

No, this one has been dismantled in 2011... Your second chance ? Ch.

All are not located in Berlin, and I think some sources are quite "old"... This list is not anymore accurate nowadays... Ch.

Dan, which one of these is the sole representation of Lenin still today in its original place ? Ch.

Question #3 In the former GDR, and in East-Berlin in particular, there were many representations of Lenin : statues, busts... With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the unification of the GDR with the former FRG, all these representations have been progressively dismantled, removed, suppressed... Nevertheless, in Berlin there is one representation of Lenin still today in its original place. Question : What is and where is this representation of Lenin ? Good hunt and good luck !! Ch.

Thanks UB. A fantastic book at Tashen Publishing House. I love (and have) it )Ch.

This is the Veliky Novgorod (Novgorod to make it short) Academic Drama Theatre named after F. Dostoevsky (1987). Ch.

Hi to all, I'm really sorry, but, unfortunately, I won't be able to connect a lot in the coming days... So, I'm pleased to offer the priviledge to ask for the next question to anyone who just wants to do it... Indeed, I will keep me aside... Good hunt and good luck. )) Cheers. Ch.

James Bond has been awarded the Order of Lenin. Film : A view to a kill. Awarded by General Anatol Gogol. I think this order has been awarded because he managed to avoid the destruction of the Silicon Valley... Ch.

You are very close. And because it's Christmas, we can consider you are the winner !! This is the Medal for 50 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 issued by the Republic of Moldova . ) Lucasz, your turn, now... Ch.

Unfortunately, yes, Jim... You found the medal (point 1) even if the name you are giving is not the exact (formal) one... Point 2 is a little harder to find... Ch.

Ho to all, It's Christmas time... So here is a real gift, an easy question ; Question #108 1. What is this medal ? 2. Who issued it ? The winner will have to answer correctly both questions. Good hunt and good luck... Ch.

I am the Ilyushin Il-2. The Ilyushin Il-2 (Cyrillic Илью́шин Ил-2) was a ground-attack aircraft (Shturmovik) in WW2 produced by the Soviet Union in very large numbers. In combination with its successor, the Ilyushin Il-10, a total of 42,330 were built, making it the single most produced military aircraft design in all of aviation history, as well as one of the most produced piloted aircraft in history. It is regarded as the best ground attack aircraft of World War II. It was a prominent aircraft for tank killing with its accuracy in dive bombing and its 37mm guns being able to penetrate tanks' thin back armour. To Il-2 pilots, the aircraft was simply the diminutive "Ilyusha". To the soldiers on the ground, it was the "Hunchback", the "Flying Tank" or the "Flying Infantryman". Its postwar NATO reporting name was "Bark". The Il-2 aircraft played a crucial role on the Eastern Front, and in Soviet opinion it was the most decisive aircraft in the history of modern land warfare. Stalin paid the Il-2 a great tribute in his own inimitable manner: when a particular production factory fell behind on its deliveries, Stalin sent an angrily-worded cable to the factory manager, stating "They are as essential to the Red Army as air and bread." Ch.

Bravo to Lukasz and UB !! :jumping: These were excellent question and answer !! Many thanks. Ch.

I suppose he is not Brigadier General Tadeusz Sawicz... Because he has not been "borrowed" from the Red Army... But... Brigadier General Tadeusz Sawicz, the last surviving Polish pilot among the 144 who fought in the Battle of Britain, died on October 19, 2011 in Toronto, Canada. He was 97. He was born on February 13, 1914 in Warsaw. After finishing high school, he enlisted in the army in 1933. A year later, he joined the Aviation Cadet School in Dęblin and served for three years in an air regiment in Warsaw. Mr Sawicz was also the last surviving officer of the Pursuit Brigade, which defended Warsaw against the German air force, the Luftwaffe, in September 1939. He fought against the Luftwaffe flying PZL P.11c fighter planes. On September 14, 1939, he flew his plane to the besieged capital, bringing orders from the Polish army's commander-in-chief to the commanders of Warsaw, according to the website of the Polish Air Force. After the fall of Poland, Mr Sawicz escaped through the south of the country to Romania before heading to France, and then on to Britain. He arrived just in time to fight in the Battle of Britain, which took place between July 10 - October 31 1940. He commanded all three Polish fighter wings in the Royal Air Force. In 1941, he organized the 316th Warsaw Squadron, which flew Hawker Hurricanes. Mr Sawicz is credited with shooting down three German aircraft, the Associated Press wrote. He was awarded the Silver Cross Virtuti Militari. He was the only Pole to be honored with the Distinguished Service Cross, which he received from the UK, US and the Netherlands. He remained in the UK after the war before moving with his wife to Canada in 1957. In Mr Sawicz's obituary, The Toronto Star wrote that Mr Sawiec worked in Montreal at Wheeler and Nordair Airlines. In 2006, he received the rank of brigadier general from then-President Lech Kaczyński. A service in his memory will be held at a later date in Warsaw. From Warsaw Business Journal Ch.

Scoreboard update! 24 points - JimZ 17 points - Harvey 17 points - UB6365 17 points - Christophe 15 points - Hauptmann 8 points - Gunner 1 3 points - Valter 2 points - kapten_windu 1 point - Tachel 1 point - K2009 1 point - Lukasz Gaszewski Question #106 to follow... Up to you, Lukasz Ch.

Hello Lukasz, Welcome to the Quiz !!! Nice to see you here !! You are the winner !!! :jumping: Congratulations !! I am the Orlov. The Orlov (sometimes spelled Orloff) is a large diamond that is part of the collection of the Diamond Fund of the Moscow Kremlin. The origin of this resplendent relic – described as having the shape and proportions of half a hen's egg – can be traced back to the 18th century Sri Ranganathasway Hindu temple, in India where it once served as the eye of the presiding deity. The as yet unnamed stone passed from merchant to merchant in the everlasting quest for profit, eventually appearing for sale in Amsterdam. Shaffrass, an Armenian millionaire who then owned the diamond, found an eager buyer in Count Grigory Grigorievich Orlov. The Count paid a purported 400,000 Dutch florins, but would likely have agreed to any amount demanded. Years before the purchase Grigory Orlov had been romantically involved with a young Catherine the Great of Russia, an affair beginning while she was still merely Empress Consort of Russia, married to the Emperor Peter III of Russia. Their affair continued as Grigory Orlov led the way in the dethronement of her husband in a coup d'etat and the elevation of Catherine to power. Their relationship carried on for many years and produced an illegitimate child, but Catherine eventually forsook Count Orlov for Grigori Alexandrovich Potemkin. Count Orlov sought to rekindle their forlorn romance by offering her the diamond, as it is said he knew she had wished for it. While he failed to regain her affections, Catherine did bestow many gifts upon Count Orlov; these gifts included a marble palace in St. Petersburg. Catherine named the diamond after the Count, and had her jeweller, C. N. Troitinski, design a sceptre incorporating the Orlov. Now known as the Imperial Sceptre, it was completed in 1784. Diamond Fund (Russian: Алмазный фонд) is a unique collection of gems, jewelry and natural nuggets, stored and exhibited in Moscow Kremlin, Russia. The Fund dates back to the Russian Crown treasury instituted by emperor Peter I of Russia in 1719. Preservation, sales and looting of imperial treasures after the Russian Revolution of 1917 is a matter of controversy and speculation. The Imperial collection was moved from Saint Petersburg to Moscow during World War I; the Soviet Diamond Fund was officially established in 1922. The treasure was first exhibited to the public in November 1967. Originally a short-term show, in 1968 it became a permanent exhibition. There is a legend concerning the diamond, dating from the time of Napoleon. As the Emperor of France's forces were approaching Moscow during the campaign of 1812, the Orlov was secreted in the tomb of a priest in the Kremlin. When Napoleon entered Moscow he gave orders that the gem be sought. After he learned of its whereabouts, Napoleon in person, accompanied by his bodyguards, proceeded to the Kremlin to secure the diamond. The tomb was opened to reveal the great gem. One of the bodyguards stretched out a hand to take the diamond, but before he had touched it the ghost of the priest rose up and cursed the invaders. Napoleon and his bodyguards are then suppose to have fled empty-handed from the Kremlin. Now, on almost all counts this would appear to be nothing more than legend, but it adds yet one more detail to this already complex and most colorful story. Lukasz, again, bravo !! :jumping: Your turn, now, for the next question... Ch.

Hint #3 :

Hi Jim, Nice to hear news from you... As you can see the Quiz is calm at the moment. Are all Members already on holidays ?Ch.

Hint #2 : I'm sparkling... Ch.

And, don't underestimate the fact that for all these operations theaters, Soviet orders and medals have been awarded (Red Star, Bravery Medal...). Ch.

Hint #1 is the Winter Palace in St Petersburg. Ch.

I have bought the "Afghanistan" version in Moscow in September 2007. I don't remember having seen it before... Ch.

Hint #1 :