Valter

Yes, this is yugo partisan hat badge. These came in several avriants - enammeled, painted, probably plain too. This one seems to be enammled once (the star) and the tricolora still has some enammel left. Nice catch anyway, these badges are not so easy to find and are not cheap.

I saw that action too - when I saw the hook, it was "no go" for me. Only now I realize the combination is strange and highly unlikely too. Too good to be true. Are the medals all original? Lubeck cross'es center disc is a bit rotated, 5 minutes past noon - should be that normal?

Albanian and Yugoslav partisans cooperated, as Sascha said, and some yugoslav units operated on Albanian territory, so it's quite possible that some Albanian unit moved to Yugoslav ground too. Even more likely for officers, perhaps some exchange, training, coordination of actions... I don't know anything about Albanian partisan uniforms and insignia, but it wouldn't be impossible if they "borrowed" something from Yugoslavs.

Very nice pins there, Paja! Thanks for posting!

Valter,

Thank you for the recommendation. I have been able to secure three good examples due to your assistance.

Very interesting and rare thread here - thanks to all for the information and contribution.

M.

I'm glad to help!

I'd like to add... that anything I see that either is or "should be" rare/scarce/hard to come by that suddenly shows up in droves either online or at shows, etc., raises all sorts of red flags and a resounding "Kirk to the bridge" in my head.

Dan

That was my major concern with these nice looking crosses. The pictures provided are convincing, BUT: for several years, I've seen none of these, and then suddenly it appears one guy has all four (or 5??) of them , and he sells them out, and next week another butch... No way! Plus, I've read a warning about this orifice321 and his business "reputation". ;-)

I would vote for Dave's 2nd opinion - large silver and two small ones. Two bronze medals were less common. And since there are no long service and yubilee medals, no mobilisation cross, it was probably a private, not an oficer (which could also get MVK + 2 signum laudis, but that would be rare, especially with no other awards). And since no wound medal, he was quite a lucky guy, beside his bravery.

Due to the first part of the question, my answer would be Alexander Isayevich Solzhenitsin. The world heard for his story for the first time in his a short story "One day of Ivan Denisovich", which is largely autobiographic. BUT he didn't have a daughter, but three sons.

Well, that was not so difficult at all, Dan is correct!

Bukhara and Khorezm, and Frunze was the pacificator.

Here are a couple of links, the first two are a very good article about little-known Soviet operations in Central Asia.

http://www.cgsc.edu/carl/download/csipubs/baumann/baumann_ch3_pt1.pdf

http://www.cgsc.edu/carl/download/csipubs/baumann/baumann_ch3_pt1.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukharan_People%27s_Soviet_Republic

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D1%83%D1%85%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%8F_%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D1%8F_(1920)

If I'm not mistaken, the two countries are Armenia and Azerbaijan, formerly known as the Democratic Republic of Armenia and the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, respectively. As for the military leader, I believe that it was Grigory Ordzhonikidze, the leader of the newly-created 11th Army.

Unfortunately, not correct. Armenia and Azerbajdzan are not in CENTRAL Asia, and as far as i know, Armenia was never a name to khanate.

Well, I can read Russian (at least names), so that makes it somewhat easier...

Yes, you are correct Valter - it's an Albanian antipartisan badge.

*sigh* I was hoping to keep y'all occupied for longer than 48 minutes...

Your turn!

You meant: anti-fashist partisan badge ;-)

Sorry for being so quick...

Here we go - after all the trouble I caused you with tachanka, let's stay with the obscure but fascinating history of russian Civil war.

There were two short-lived soviet republics in Central Asia, that were bearing names of ancient khanates. Which were these two countries and which famous Soviet military leader helped to bring them to the embrace of SSSR?

It's Albanian commemorative medal for antifashist fighters (Medalja Shqiptare e Kujtimit Lufta Antifashiste Nacional Clirimtare) - sorry, there are several possible translations and I do not speak albanian, except few curses.

Coutry - People republic of Albania, awarded to members of anti-fashist resistance during WW2 (awarded after the war).

YES!!!!!!!!!! Jim, you finally find it - tachanka, sometimes translated as "assault cart" or "machine-gun cart" was a fusion of ancient (chariot or cart) and modern (machine gun) and served in cavalry units, most notably during Civil war. Many believe it was invented by Makhno, although it was in use in tzar's army already. This was the only way heavy and bulky machine guns could follow swift moves of cavalry units.

It became legendary in and after Civil war, starring in many movies (i.e. Chapayev, Esli zavtra voyna and many others), songs, literature (i.e. Isaak Babel's short story "Learning about tachanka"). It was still used in WW2, although quite obsolete, and was retired only in 1950's when Soviet army disbanded cavalry units. Her bigger, younger cousins are tanks and other combat vehicles, who took both the role of cavalry and cavalry's fire support - tachanka. More aqbout the name issue etc. in wikipedia. On russian wiki page, you have more pictures, including recently restored tachanka that was found in some woods.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tachanka

http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D0%B0%D1%87%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BA%D0%B0

here's the song, one of my all-time, all-world favorite songs; the cartoon is called Songs of firey years.

the monument in Kahkovka, nowdays Ukraine

http://www.photoukraine.com/english/photos/region/27/581

Chariot of victory - if you meant Indian BMP-2K, no, it's not BMP.

Now I must leave home, I'll be back to check answers ASAP.

Damm, I didn't konw it would be so hard...

Another hint: persons very often connected with me are Nestor Makhno and Budyonny.

Actually, suggestion of a chariot is VERY close - they just called it a bit different...

Not Chariot of glory in St. Petersburg... I this monument is many years pre-soviet...

Sorry windu, on horse.ru I cannot find the answer (it shows only a starter page). Jim, close, close, but NOT artillery units...

Windu, you're almost there! Troyka is any kind of three-horse-drawn cart or sledge, military or civilian, but we are looking for something more specific...

LOL, not horse in Voronezh, but it is something behind the horse(s)... (and not a tail or horse's a** or it's excrements ;-)

Jim, Windu, you're getting closer!

But it's not "just" the horse... :-)

... I didn't say I have a film all on my own... I just starred in films. And my moment of history was in 1905, not in Civil war...

Here's another one: I'm smaller then a tank, but I had KIND-OF similar role in some battles... Not the same, just remotely similar. Read all my hints carefully...

SORRY!!! There was my lapsus - POTYOMKIN'S moment of history was in 1905, and MINE (the answer to the ?) was in Civil war (1917-1921/22). For some reason, I cannot edit my older post. I apologize.

So, to summarize the question:

I'm a fusion of milleniums old tradition and modern times.

They called me "pride" and "beauty", but nobody really knows where my name comes from; it's not a unique, personal name, but a generic name.

They never gave me a medal, but they errected me a monument.

I starred in film and cartoon movies, and there are many songs about me.

I was retired in 1950's, but my younger bigger cousins are still on duty.

What's my name? Where is my monument?

additional info:

I'm not one & only of my kind. I'm not ship, neither tank. I'm smaller then a tank, but I had KIND-OF similar role in some battles... Not the same, just remotely similar.

My great-great-great ... granduncles have been in service with ancient Egyptians, Asyrians, Persians.

My glory days were during Civil war (1917-1921/22).

... I didn't say I have a film all on my own... I just starred in films. And my moment of history was in 1905, not in Civil war...

Here's another one: I'm smaller then a tank, but I had KIND-OF similar role in some battles... Not the same, just remotely similar. Read all my hints carefully...

Unfortunately, neither Katyusha... Alexander the Great at Gaugamela didn't have to face a rocket launchers... But thanks for the link, I wasn't aware Katyusha has a monument too.

OK, if that was too difficult, another hint: My glory days were during Civil war.

Good way of thinking, Harvey, closer than Gunner and Dan, but not the correct answer. Maybe this "name" wass a bit misleading, at least at first replies - it's not a unique, personal name, but a generic name.

I'll give another hint:

My great-great-great ... granduncles have been in service with ancient Egyptians, Asyrians, Persians...