Ed_Haynes

Some of the dioramas at the GPW museum:

Question...Is the Museum wheelchair accessable?

Sadly, I was struck that most museums in Russia are probably not wheelchair accessable. Especially for military museums, where aging and injured GPW veterans congregate, this struck me as odd.

According to the guidebook, the main victory memorial is 141.8 meters high, representoing the 1418 days and nights of the GPW. It was desigmned by Z. Tseretsly. The stela has images of various battles of the war. At the 100-meter point is a flying victory (Nike) image with a gold wreath of glory and two angels blowing trumpets. (Socialist realism?) At the bottom of the pillar it is indeed St. George.

A number of people (incl. myself to a small extent) are not convinced that it is a fake Soyombo. If real, what would explain the Soviet screw on the suspension?

Not sure, but as we all know screws and awards often are the result of a free-and-easy mix-and-match process.

I thought nowadays all awards were produced in UB? Besides, if made in Russia, wouldn't the quality of the overall item be MUCH higher?

That was my understanding too. But, if you look at the quality of current Russian awards, this medal (even from the one poor image available) could easily fall within the poor quality range of a contemporary Russian manufacture. I'd still suspect the current awards, without exception, are of domestic manufacture. The only exception would, presumably, be a Hero, where there are still a few specimens in stock, for hypothetical future use.

That is what I was told. Impressive anyway.

Let me try this (maybe too easy?) -- where is this plaque located and why??

And the memorial hall.

P.S.: I have also noticed that there was a lot of fake medals on display in that museum, but am I roiht to say that the Soviet Armed Forces Museum has more original things displayed than the "Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War".

I, too, was sadly struck that almost everything on display at the CMGPW was a (bad and nasty) fake. All I saw fake at the Armed forces museum were Zhukov's awards and I can, I guess, understand that??

Shall work on a puzzle. Don't want to make it one of those "how many fingers am I holding up" puzzles.

Lovely LOVELY nighttime photos. I may just steal those for my computer desktop!

I decline to engage in ad hominem[ attacks, preferring "research at twenty paces at dawn".

An interesting topic has run its course, as far as I am concerned.

And I am not now, nor have I ever been, British. My ancestors were Scots, having been thrown out a mere twenty years later they could have been Australians.

I shall henceforth ignore this thread.

Did the Indians name all off their WW2 stars and medals? Would a person change them after the Independence of Pakistan if he was a Pakistani?

Sorry for getting this . . . .

We need to distinguish three populations of pre-1947 "Indian Army":

1- Those who went to India (including the Gorkha regiments and Gorkha personnel who stayed in the Indian Amry) received their medals mostly but not entirely named (maybe 85%?) about 1952-55 (I am trying to refine this chronology and the conditions for named/unnamed). An all-unnamed Indian group is rare (and usually has a tale behind it), while a 100%-named group is not common. See some of the groups I have posted. (These were made and named in the Calcutta mint.)

2- Those who went to Pakistan (many of the pre-1947 Muslims of the Indian Army) slavishly followed British policy and issued WWII medals unnamed. Hence, the massive number of poorly faked Pakistani WWII "groups" seen on the market. (Medals sent from the UK.)

3- Gorkhas that stayed in British service (Gora Gurkhas) received their medals from the British, all unnamed. (Medals from teh UK.)

Much more complex than this, but this is a "short version".

Christian, please calm down and adopt a civil tone. OK??

Ed,

On the Burma Star, I do not see any names but it does appear to have had the "Pacific" clasp at one point as there are a couple holes in the ribbon at the right places. All of my Canadian issue ww2 Campaign stars are unnmamed.

Thanks, Pat. Just that I'm more used to Indian stars, most of which are named (and they present more research interest). A shame the others didn't name theirs (only India, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand named and of their WWII medals). That silly desire to get them issued quickly (and not, as some have said, a concern of cost.) Still, interesting stuff. Congratulations!! Ed

All unnamed?

Well, for one thing, he's not MONGOLIAN. A Soviet who wandered south. Perhaps.

Much doubt. PM sent.

1- Showcase: the ornamental shield, shord, and sheath presented to the museum (see below) on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of victory (impossible to see in your picture, but it is a hard place to take pictures, in part due to the post-Soviet attitudes in place, but, then, almost everything on display is fake -- the building is far more impressive than the displays)

1a- Extra Credit - the sculpture on the steps is "The Soldier's Road to Victory" by Z. Tseretely

2- Where - the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War (Moscow)

3- I assume you are asking when the museum opened? 9 May 1995 (50th Anniversary of GPW)

See: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=9297&st=42 and following posts

Might be easier to find in Moscow than most places?

Nice ones!

Never too late to try...

Ch.

Sorry, efforts at Mongolian keep me "busy"

I would say a VERY nice one!!!!

Why Babelfish ?

Ch.

Sab logon to Fransisi nahin parte hai, bhai!

Only have finite language space in what remains of the old brain cells.

Nice one, all should bookmark it (and Babelfish the French as needed).

Focus on the gems and ignore the feces -- as true on eBay as anyplace else?

Nice thread. Thanks Darrell.

So little is known about these RVN medals.

Does anyone have any real Veitnamese-made specimens to add? I find the ongoing manufacture of these in the USA to be an interesting historical relic.

What is the big deal? Grading the condition of a medal is an art, not a science, and not anywhere as exact as grading a coin. I have seen statements of condition on medals where I have disagreed. If I were moving that medal on, and especially if it where in a field where it was the custom that an accepted and lauded expert was in the business of issuing laminated paperwork on each award, and felt that contition was over-generous, I'd feel obliged to tell a potential purchaser (especially is they had never laid eyes on the item) that while Expert says it is of such-and-such condition, but I don't think it is that good, be aware. That way there are no surprises. That seems to be just simple honesty to me. Maybe I am just more anxious to think for myself and question authority than some, but I really miss what the big deal is here.

Now . . . if it were an honest eBay seller, this would be big news, but honest real dealers do exist, a few, but an endangered species for sure.