Ed_Haynes

A frustrating, incomplete, undocumented, researched but not fully translated group -- I don't even have his rank or full name, but I am sure some kind person will take pity on the illiterate крепостной крестьянин and help out.

Still, for all the limitations, I think this is an interesting group, one worth sharing.

What else is there to say??

And, while I'm sure there is much more to be learned by a careful reading and translation, here (thank the gods) is a translation of the core of the recommendation.

(You haven't mislaid those tissues, have you?)

And part 4, the bottom.

And the reverse, part 3.

Part 2.

But he did get a (very) real OPW 1 with a very illegible recommendation.

And finally!

One certificate missing and (strangely?) no jubilee OPW.

More and more.

And still more.

And more.

More.

We'll get around to his OPW1 recommendation (= clumsy effort to create suspense), but let me run fairly quickly through the stack of other documents, two to a scan. Let me know if you want more details, as they may help fill gaps in the tale.

And THE award.

The award booklet.

Reverse.

Not translated, so . . .

The award record card, obverse.

A lot of medals, but a lot of meaning?

Yes.

Go get your box of tissues.

Are you back now? OK.

As there's no service record (so no murky poorly xeroxed photo), there may be more research yet to do, but quite a story emerges anyway. Thanks to all who have helped so far.

The group is (strangely?) free of the various jubilee and anniversary medals. Maybe Vladimir Vasilevich had enough real things that he didn't need to be bothered with them?

The only (partial) exception is his 1985 OPW1.

And Victory over Germany.

With ten days left in the Second World War on the Eastern Front, while fighting in the streets of Berlin, Captain Kulishenko was again wounded, on the same day he earned his Nevsky, 28 April 1945.

By the time the War ended, his unit had fought from the border in June 1941 to Moscow, down to Stalingrad, through the Ukraine, and finally into the very heart of the Nazi empire! He had been wounded FIVE TIMES, and no doubt proudly wore his Nevsky, two Red Banners and Red Star on his uniform. The final title of his unit is as follows:

?156th Guards Brandenburg, Order of the Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Artillery Regiment, 77th Guards Chernigovskii, Order of Lenin, Order of Kutuzov, Order of the Red Banner Division.?

With the end of the War, he was demobilized in 1946 and returned home to his mother in the city of Pologi. He was twenty-three years old.

His Berlin certificate.

The translation.

And the blessedly simple reverse.

Part 2.