Dudeman

Nice facial hair!

I don't know about this particular uniform, but these marshall uniforms and hats have been manufactured for years from stocks of cloth and items at the tailor factories that produced the originals "back in the day".

This book looks "assembled". Are you certain this is good?

McDaniel/Schmidt p. 55

The metal content didn't change during the suspension type. The head is platinum (and thus doesn't oxidize) and the base is gold (not plated).

Sweet!

Nice collection. The second row, second from right badge is a post-soviet Ukrainian badge.

Can you say "needle in a haystack"? Good luck, however.

Egor Kirillovich Sorokin

Are you positive this set wasn't manufactured? That's quite a rack there and I'm sure this person would be researchable and/or legendary - quite a lot of valor awards there plus LONG service.

I remember seeing an award (Patriotic War II?) to a gynecologist.

It's your choice, but I'm afraid the number may be scratched up too bad. To make the solder apply easier, you want a rough surface that a jeweler would probably file up. Also, you're taking a risk that the heat from either melting the solder or reapplying it could crack the enamel. You're trying to get a serial number that you're going to pour another $75 of research/translation into even if you get it. It's interesting enough as is.

Maybe I'm just a devil's advocate, but the guy was a LT and the writeup's not very substantial. A CSM is probably about right.

Well, I was prepared to pay $57K - I guess it's out of my reach now.

I've got a great article somewhere on GULAG uniforms that explain branch insignia and show excellent pictures, but I just can't put my finger on it. I did find another Russian language booklet with artist renderings of what your man would have worn. The belt is light brown with an open buckle and appears narrower than the thick "Sam Browne"-type belts. The cap is a blue topped "crown"(?) and has a red stripe around the portion that surrounds the head (I don't know what you call it).

The Red Star Bordello in Odessa. They served great margaritas and mai-tai's!

I've seen a few sources say that the RSFSR were distributed even after the introduction of the USSR version until the old stocks were exhausted.

If you don't want to wait, the McDaniel reference has one awarded NOV 43 on pg. 268

A documented Republic Red Banner is a real rarity. Is the CCCP Red Banner for long service? There's a good chance that this plaque was attached to a gift service pistol (Mauser?) that he carried and had to surrender upon retirement.

Senior Test Pilot. Astrakhan Oblast, Vladimirovka.

Nice example of a mirrored Red Banner and original screwback nut.

I've seen several Sevastopol medal documents issued in 1943 and 1944 to mainly navy personnel, but also a few army too.

OK, logic shows you have a stronger case. Your document's S/N starting with an "I" and the handwriting on the award page resembles those in the McDaniel book p. 198 along with the 50XXXX s/n from the approximate time period 1976 vs. 1981. Please be aware of problems, however. If the document was written by the same individual over a four-five year time, this points to a centralized issuing point that would have greater control over the accuracy of the information. As I freely admit, errors do happen. Also, although the handwriting on the award pages resemble each other (yours and the McDaniel example), the first pages' handwriting do not. Does it make sense that one person would write one page and another person the other? Please listen me out. From what I've seen, I believe both your Glory I and book to be authentic, maybe even the set being complete. I don't think it's wise to assert with absolute certainty that a Glory cavalier book has never been faked or a blank example has never been taken from the mint/issuing point. If your dealer had access to Suvorovs from a museum and the plethora of high-end items which you were offered, is it plausible he couldn't have had access to a blank cavalier document? If unissued Glory Is, the Order of Stalin, and other unique "prototype" awards escaped from the mint, I wouldn't insist so certainly that if someone offered a crisp $50 for a blank booklet, a mint official looking to feed his family wouldn't think twice about giving someone a harmless, blank booklet not even made of precious medals and belonging to a state the didn't exist anymore. If your supplier had your individual's set minus the OGI (which frequently occurs), a blank document acquired from corrupt individual/a lax control point (which is a real possibility), and an unissued Glory I (of which it is known escaped from the mint and were sold in the time period you mentioned) it would be easier to assemble the set than you ascribe.

We have presented verifiable information from references/archives, that admittedly could be mistaken/flawed. Mistakes are frequent on more common awards, but as I've stated earlier, on such a prestigious award, the chance of a mistake would be much lower since privileges and status rode on the title Cavalier. Many serial numbered OG Is were minted, but not issued or donated to a museum. Your piece, again judging from research, MAY be one of these. Several were stolen/smuggled(?) from the mint and sold before the days of documentation. If you choose to ignore the information presented and rely on conjecture instead (which COULD equally be the truth), than you must be open to admitting unpleasant scenarios like someone in the early 90's manufactured the set using a blank, original book. No one has yet questioned the originality of your particular Glory I or your particular book, however as you mentioned "everything is possible" either in the 80's or today for that matter. Since your S/Ns don't agree with the research, your version of events could be correct as well as the version of someone assembling a set from a loose Glory I and an altered/completely filled-in blank, but original booklet. A possibility for you would be to run down the S/Ns on either side of 1965 and/or 3646 and see when they were awarded. If both numbers for example come down to your 1980 awarding date, than that may be enough "evidence" to completely convince someone. Since your S/Ns don't agree with the research, maybe at this point all we can do is rely on conjecture.