Bob

Documented / boxed Hero of Socilist Labor arrived in the mail today Will post some scans over the weekend. Hopefully then also can get somebody to translate the document which appears to have a section which indicates what the achievement justifying the award (from 1989) specifically was:

1941 Commanding Officer 5th Airborne Brigade 1941 - 1942Commanding Officer 87th Guards Rifle Division 1942 - 1943Commanding Officer 13th Guards Rifle Division 1943 Commanding Officer 64th Army 1943 - 1945Commanding Officer XXXII Guards Rifle Corps 1951 - 1952Deputy Commander in Chief Eastern Siberian Military District 1953 - 1956Head Soviet Military Mission Albania 1953 - 1956Military Attach? to Tirana 1956 - 1960Deputy Commander in Chief Northern Military District 1966 Inspector Ministry of Defence

Aleksandr Ilich Rodimtsev (1905 - 1977, Russian: Александр Ильич Родимцев) was a colonel general in the Soviet Red Army during World War II, twice Hero of the Soviet Union (1937, 1945). He joined the Red Army in the 1920s, and fought in the Spanish Civil War on the side of the Republicans against Franco in 1936-37, where he earned his first decoration as a Hero of the Soviet Union. He is best remembered for his role in the battle of Stalingrad, where he commanded the 13th Guards Rifle Division, earning him his second order of Hero of the Soviet Union. Rodimtsev was vastly popular with his troops, and well known for his bravery. After the war he was deputy commander of the Eastern Siberian military district, then served as a military attach? in Albania, before again serving as deputy commander of the Northern military district. WIKIPEDIA

Any Mongolian items?

Cool Low serial number - must be (hopefully we will find out some day) for more than just herding cattle!

Just acquired one myself as well. Attached the pics. Figured I'd never be able to find / afford one so would go - for future display purposes - down this route. Slightly different version than the one you've shown. Soon we can start typology of fakes

Looks like Jersey has cornered the market - don't understand why these have dried up all of a sudden.

Enzo, got a scan of reverse already? I'm curious

And to end... this should give an impression of the fierce fighting

More and more...

Not so common I assume

And more... Talk about a ribbon bar

Can't stand glass, but you get the picture!

Not a sharp picture, but many rooms like these - with lots of goodies in them. Like this nice little group

The mother of all Soviet war monuments? With bullet ridden museum entrance.

Museum on the right

More inside

nice sound effects - the sound of plans, machine guns and bombs bursting as you walk through the entrance and the view inside is immediately very "socialist realist" shall we say

Not a busy day at Brest Fortress (although 100 times busier than when I was here several years ago). It was HOT! Always take a pic of the overview sign:)

The main road to Brest Fortress - heros on the side. And a nice train museum on side of the road (closed unfortunately so only pics from over the fence)

Didn't see a book shop, only some items for sale at the cashier at entrance. Forgot to post pics on Brest Fortress as wrap-up of my Belarussia impression - will follow later this week

I had a similar experience but more friendly. Drove in 2000 by car from Netherlands to St Petersburg (then on to Moscow, and Minsk and back). Around St Petersburg, Kronstadt, there's a naval base... drove straight onto the base and the pier and had about 15 submarines docked there... what else to do than take pictures? Nobody saw it. Spent 15 minutes photographing, and drove off the base again like a happy camper

Equally nice: the world famous Minsk Tractor Factory (Order of Lenin + October Revolution on the "front door") Pics of Brest Fortress tomorrow.

Nice monument (order of victory!) in central Minsk

ANd some of the stuff standing outside Tomorrow some more pics - from Brest