Chuck In Oregon

Hello Dave Yes, they do kind of look like torpedo tubes, now that you mention it. That wouldn't have occurred to me, though, without you mentioning it. They just looked like weird barrels of some sort to me. I defer to your naval knowledge and I appreciate you sharing it. I don't think that I knew about center-mounted torpedo tubes, either. Yes, the hat badge is silver. I'm told that might have been for an officer specialist or senior technician/warrant officer equivalent. Is that correct? His family was pretty convinced that he wasn't a combat officer but that he definitely was an officer of some sort, and they specifically mentioned chartmaker. I like your story about the family you lived with in Russia. I wonder how the father managed to survive and even thrive. I mean, it stands to reason that they didn't liquidate all of them, but I know that at least in Georgia, they sure as heck tried. Your friend's family was an unusual exception. Was there a story behind that? David, I like groups with family histories that go with them. I only have a very few, but I'll share what I have and pass along the stories to the extent I know them. I hope to see others do the same. Chuck

Levan continued his naval service through the Great Patriotic War. However, nothing lasts forever, not even the careers of loyal naval officers who served in at least three wars -- Russo-Japanese, The Great War and The Great Patriotic War. Shortly after the war, during the purges of former Tsarist officers, Levan was arrested and executed as an enemy of the state, based on his service as an officer in the Imperial Fleet. NB: Corrected in Post #8. Levan was rehabilitated in 1958. What that meant in practical terms, as best I understand it, was that his family regained whatever party privileges they might have been entitled to and they were no longer barred from whatever social services might have been available. They could work, receive health care, buy food and so forth. The late-era pension reforms provided a pension for the survivors of rehabilitated executed persons. Of course, you needed a document to prove that was what you were. No, there was no end to the insults. That meant that many Soviet families needed to apply for duplicates of their ancestor's long-lost rehabilitation certificate. That's what this last item is. It's a 1986 duplicate of Levan's rehabilitation certicate, issued by the Tbilisi Red Banner Caucasus Military Region, and it entitled his family to their meager pension. One more story of a lost soul. Chuck

The second photo, the one of the gun crew, came with this group but I can't explain it or tie it in with Levan. We might speculate that it is on board his ship, or one of them, but there is no way to know for sure. Levan continued his naval career on past the revolution and became a naval officer, rank unknown, in the Soviet Fleet. That is his hat badge you see here.

That's Levan Oganesovich Muradbekov you see there in the first photo. On the back of the photo is a note to his sweetheart, written from Port Arthur in 1904. He's obviously quite smitten with her. The badge is probably his ship's badge, probably a custom piece for the ship's officers. I don't know for sure, but I think so. It's an eight-rivet piece, solid silver with a solid gold letter and crossed silver anchors over a blue enamel cross, or more accurately an X. The badge is in perfect condition, no damage to either metal or enamel and with only a normal patina. There are no proof or maker's marks. One might speculate that it was made in a local Port Arthur jeweler's shop. Sailors need something to do while they're in port and shopping is on that list. He has scratched his initials at 10:00 on the reverse. According to his descendants, Levan was a naval mapmaker or chartmaker. They weren't exactly sure except that it was something like that.

Like most of us here, my history readings have been replete with accounts of various and sundry atrocities, purges and holocausts great and small. However, I remember my very real shock when my close friend and counterpart in Georgia first told me the story of his family. As I wrote previously, his grandfather was executed in 1923 for being a former White officer. His uncle was executed -- they still say liquidated -- for "harboring anti-Soviet thoughts". God forbid, and could you possibly make that up? His father was expelled from university and lost all of his party privileges for being a relative of an executed "enemy of the people". There is not a doubt in my mind that I would not have survived those horrors. Chuck

... And here is the letter. The stamp is the same as the award. Chuck

I simply cannot read the cursive in either of these two documents. At the risk of great embarassment if I'm wrong, I'll tell you what my conversation notes of the time say. The postcard is a picture of the recipient of this award. I didn't write down his name and I can't read it. Yes, I'm an idiot. He is writing home and saying that he is all right after being wounded while escorting some wounded soldiers back to a hospital. Pretty much an "I'm OK, don't worry" letter. The second document (next post) is a 1915 letter from the Imperial Red Cross that accompanied the award you see here. It says that he is awarded the highest Red Cross medal for bravery in saving a group of wounded soldiers under his care and bringing them safely to a hospital. This award is in outstanding condition. The circle and pin are silver, the pin is proofed and maker marked. The cross is gold and proofed. The enamel appears to be the highest quality transparent red enamel over an interesting design in the gold. There is no damage or wear to any portion of this badge. Except for some patina, it is perfect. Avers 5 shows an 1878 example of this award as item #216. However, it says it is (or was then?) a woman's award and that it was silver and enamel, with no mention of gold. I believe that this is a documented presentation of the very highest award that the Imperial Red Cross could bestow. However, I am always willing to be corrected and to learn more. Chuck

... And here is the reverse.

... And here is the front side of the execution confirmation order.

Sandro Ivanovich Gvasalia was 38 in the summer of 1923. He had been condemned to death and was being held in Senaki Prison in Georgia. This first document is a June 27, 1923, decoded order from the Georgian Cheka (ChKG) in Tbilisi (Tiflis) for his execution. The second document (next post) is dated July 2, 1923. It is a report from the ChKG to the Poti Politburo (Poti is an important Georgian Black Sea port and it was the equivalent of a regional capital) that Gvasalia had been executed. Note that it appears that Mr. Gvasalia was required to sign his own death warrant. Of course, I may have this confused, but that's the way I read this and it's what my notes say. The folds and staple marks along the edges suggest that these documents came from Mr. Gvasalia's own file in the archives. Mr. Gvasalia may well have been a criminal. However, it is possible, and even likely, that he was a former White Russian officer or sergeant. After Georgia capitulated in 1921, there was supposed to have been an amnesty for White soldiers. Well, that didn't exactly happen. What did happen was that most White officers and NCOs were rounded up and executed in and around 1923 and many of the ordinary enlisted men were exiled. The grandfather of a very close friend of mine was executed in this purge. If this kind of document is offensive to this forum, I will be glad to pull it. Otherwise, Mr. Gvasalia's execution comes to light 82 years later, here at GMIC. Chuck

Thank you, Dudeman and Rusty. Chuck

In the top left photo he is wearing the GTO-2nd Step badge you can see here. Not one like it, this exact one. In the top right photo he is wearing a Voroshilov Shooter's Badge. I have several, but one didn't come with this group. The same for the Jubilee Medal for 50 Years of the Soviet Militia that he is wearing in the bottom right photo. Then there are the bottom two badges. The one on the left is a DOBROKHIM badge and the one on the right is a Ministry of Sports badge. I have never come across either of these badge variants before or since, not in books or "in the wild". Have any of you seen them? The condition of the bottom two is poor, that of the top badge is excellent, as nice an example of this badge as I have ever seen. I cannot reconcile the discrepancy. I have only seen the condition of the bottom two badges come about in two ways. The first is after having lain under polluted water in a wet Tbilisi basement for decades, which I think accounts for these. The other is as a dug item, most commonly a grave-dug item. But why the excellent condition of the GTO badge? Was it in a drawer upstairs? I haven't a clue. Chuck

Let me introduce Tob. Leonid Filipov. At least, that's what I think his name was. Reading Russian cursive is very difficult for me. Please feel free to correct me. I have over-enhanced the reverses so that you might read them a little better. Chuck

* * * * * Come early and often, JT-W. We're having a lot of fun here. Yes, I know this next item isn't a shoulder board. Heck, it isn't even military, but I didn't think there would be much interest in a thread titled "Civilian Department Cuff Decorations". What this is, I think, is a cuff decoration (there must be a name for these but I don't know it) from the uniform of a civilian general in the Department of Cartography, late 19th century. It is an oddball item, I admit, but when I first saw it I knew I was going to buy it. One thing I like about this forum is that it motivates me to go through my files and boxes and -- I almost said organize, but that would be giving me too much credit -- at least try to straighten them out a little. In doing so, I keep coming across things I have forgotten all about. Like this one. Chuck

Here's an example of the badge that went with Post #5. I was re-reading this thread and thought, "As long as I've got them, why not post examples of the badges that match the other two gramotas?" Chuck

... And here is an example of the GTO 2nd Step badge. This is a silver variant and the only example of this badge that I have been abe to find thus far. Chuck

Here is a Georgian GTO Gramota dated 24 June, 1943. It is, nominally, for passing the 2nd Step norms but it refers to a different kind of contribution altogether. It is interesting in that it was awarded to militia lieutenant Gverditeli in respect of his work with Tbilisi's Club Dynamo and the army reserves. Chuck

* * * * * Hi Jan Thank you for the kind words. I've only been a member for a month and already they've promoted me beyond the level of my abilities. Georgecl and I are hosts of the Imperial Russian forum. Be sure to visit us there. Check out George's "Pagoni" thread to see some of his truly impressive shoulder boards. I love good documents and it seems like they are appreciated and enjoyed here at GMIC. You'll be seeing more of my things as time goes on. I have found that being retired is a very busy occupation. I don't know how I ever found any time for work. It's good to have things to do and to share. I have received two small groups of nice collectible militaria in the last month or so and I have another one on the way. I'll have it in hand in early January. There will be some nice hardware to share and a collection of original unpublished photos of Imperial Russian and Soviet soldiers. I am really looking forward to that. I have always enjoyed pictures and I'll be posting more of them here and on the Imperial forum. Stay in touch. This place already feels like home. Chuck

I think this is the only other one I own. The picture was cut from a large class photo. My guess is that the original photo (or page?) showed him and the other instructors at his institute. There are student pictures on the reverse. Chuck

George, words simply fail me. Those are spectacular. I have never seen, much less been offered, anything of that quality. I hate it that my vocabulary limits me to "WOW!" Thank you for sharing. Here's one that I own. Chuck

I'm pretty sure there is a variant of this gramota in one of the Avers books, but I can't seem to find it right now. Anyway, this is the Caucasus RKKA -- and, as stated in its text, formerly XI Army -- variant. I don't think there are many of these left. I know this is the only one I have ever come across. It is one of my best documents. This third anniversary gramota commemorates the recipient's participation in the Revolution. It acknowledges the debt of the nation for the sacrifices that this gramota symbolizes. My Russian is rudimentary, but that's what I think it says. Chuck

I sold almost all of mine earlier this year. These are just a few that didn't go along with the large group I sold, for reasons that I no longer recall. Um, yes ... that does happen more and more these days. Chuck

Thank you for the additional information, comments and help. I have another document, much more interesting, that I think you will really enjoy. I'll post it soon, maybe tomorrow. Chuck

This is a 1930 photo of a military training unit made up of Tbilisi University students. It looks like a mixture of young officers (wearing various ranks) and cadets. I hope this scans OK. There is some terrific detail here. There's a lot to learn from the weapons, gear and uniforms. I only see one sidearm and I see one very unusual belt. They're posing on a typical cobblestone street in Tbilisi, the kind you can still find today, off of the main streets. Enjoy. Chuck

* * * * * Hello David Once again I was going through a stack of old documents and I found this gramota. It is a 1934 version of the document I previously posted, except that this variant is for passing some GTO norms rather than for a specific accomplishment. I.e., it's not an "Otlichnik" document. It's probably in the best condition of any of the old ones that I have ever come across. Note that it is numbered to the badge that it accompanied. I hope you enjoy it. I have a LOT of old Soviet and Imperial documents. I'll try to post more as time allows. Chuck