Christian Zulus

Dear Simon, you are right: The excel-file says, that he had been Div. Com. the whole (1942 - 45) period . Sorry, I didn't check the file before . So it might have been a rather early Nevsky, as Andrei notes when the "system was still under construction". My humble opinion: There are some Nevsky T 1 receipients at the level of a Division Commander, but there might be no Nevsky T 3 receipients at that level. Gentlemen, what is your opinion about that? Best regards Christian

Dear Ed, dear Christophe, you are right: Igor offers the wrong ribbon . Eddie from the "other" Soviet-forum notes, that the Afghan Order of (Labour) Glory is an order for civilian merits. This is also shown clearly via the symbols at the av. - my humble opinion. So it is very interesting, that Lt.-Col. Shubin was decorated also for civilian merits. Best regards Christian

Dear Andrei, Brilliant theory - many thanks . Best regards Christian

Bojchuk's Nevsky Dear Simon, dear Andrei, many thanks for the photograph & additional informations . Comrade Bojchuk wears a Nevsky T 1. Comrade Bojchuk promoted to Division Commander on January 1944. Conclusion: Comrade Bojchuk received his Nevsky T 1 long time before he got Division Commander. Best regards Christian

CNN-Interview with General Varennikov Gentlemen, here you'll find a CNN-Interview with that famous Soviet General: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/episo...ews/varennikov/ Best regards Christian Zulus

Dear Ed, Igor sells orders on wrong ribbons? Igor's ribbon matches perfectly to the colours of the medal . What do you think? Best regards Christian

Dear Paul, many thanks for your more modern example The right side of the booklet seems to me not filled out . And again, we meet a very "nice" guy . Best regards Christian Zulus P.S.: Michail Lavrentiev's Druzhinnik-Badge is of the very first type with enameled surface - not painted, as in the later versions.

Lt.-Col. Shubin's Order of Glory Dear Ed, many thanks for the link . For me it is obvious, that Lt.-Col. Shubin received the "Order of Glory" from Afghanistan. Thats the Afghanistan-Glory from Igor's website: [attachmentid=59786] Best regards Christian

General Varennikov Dear Ed, many thanks for putting the focus on Gen. Varennikov . He might have been the most important (Soviet) military figure in the 4th Afghanistan War. At the photograph you posted we can see a Motherland 2cl, but the link in Russian language mentions only a Motherland 3cl. On all other photographs you can also see the Motherland 2cl: http://www.valentinvarennikov.ru/gallery.html Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentin_Varennikov notes, that he is a Cavalier of the Order of Glory . That's stupid, because comrade Varennikov was an Red Army officer, when he stormed the Reichstag in Berlin. At the photograph-link of the general's personel website you can see him in march 1945 with 2 ORBs & 2 OGPWs. It seems, that he received his Motherland 2cl for achievments in Afghanistan. What do you think about this? Best regards Christian

Dear Ed, many thanks I think, the list is very valuable for further research. Cool painting of Gen. Lebed . Who is the Lt.-Col. with the Motherland 3cl? Was Lebed the only one, who promoted to Motherland 2cl in Afghanistan? Best regards Christian

Gen. Lebed - Full Cavalier of Motherland? Gentlemen, I also found no evidence, that comrade Lebed promoted to a full Cavalier of Motherland. If you look at the photograph Simon posted, then you will make out some new Russian orders. So the photograph seems to be rather recent and I don't think, that Lebed had got a catch up 1cl . So it seems like an error in transcription again - like with the Glory for an Lt.-Col. - and the 1cl should be the 2cl we can make out at the photograph. Best regards Christian Zulus P.S.: How many full Cavaliers of Motherland exist? Only 13 receipients? Does anyone have their biographies and/or citations? Was the Motherland more or less a special award for handling new technique - aircrafts, submarines, etc. - and for military merits abroud (including diplomacy!) or a rather general military award as the Red Star?

Dear Doc, that's correct Maybe someone should find out some details about the military career of Lt. Colonel Shubin. I think, that - as Ed noted - comrade Shubin might have received the Afghan Order of Glory. Best regards Christian

Order of Glory confered to a Lt.-Col. in Afghanistan? Ed, how should it be possible, that a Lt.-Col. Shubin gets a Glory 3cl? That's a pure NCO award . Might be an error in the transcription or in the records. Best regards Christian

Afghanistan - Soviet yearly losses + memorial Source: Magazine "Soviet Soldier" (engl. ed.) 9/1991, p. 19 [attachmentid=59712]

Afghanistan - Soviet total losses Source: Magazine "Soviet Soldier" (engl. ed.) 9/1991, p. 18 [attachmentid=59711]

Afghanistan - Young Soviet KIA Gentlemen, that's what the mother of this young comrade - and all mothers & wifes - received for her dead son: Red Star + 2 medals Source: Magazine "Soviet Soldier" (engl. ed.) 10/1991, p. 20 Best regards Christian Zulus [attachmentid=59710]

Gentlemen, I am not sooooo mad about the Order of Glory - I have also two cute Nevsky T 2 in my modest collection: s/n. 4.556 & s/n. 9.534 - sorry, still unresearched . But I assume, that a well preserved Glory 2cl will move close to the USD 1.000,- price tag. Despite the fact, that a Glory 2cl won't never hit the price tag of a Nevsky T 3. Best regards Christian Zulus

Dear Ed, many thanks for your great and comprehensive list . About the Glory 3cl I am still very sceptical, as a pointed out at the other thread. Best regards Christian

Glory & Afghanistan ???? Dear Ed, I have never seen any real evidence for a Glory confered for Afghanistan - it dosen't make any phaleristic sense either . In my humble opinion the Glory - as the OGPW, Victory, etc. - is always linked with the defending of the Soviet Motherland against the Nazis. They are genuine GPW-Awards! ORB & Red Star + Medals are before GPW and Motherland & Courage + Medals are long after the GPW. Best regards Christian

Lieber Gerd, I have more OGPWs in my collection, than Glory's O.K., Igor's price tags are rather high, but what is your opinion about the price-gap between Glory 2cl & Nevsky? Liebe Gr??e aus Wien Christian P.S.: Igor sells slowly, but he sells his stock.

Market realities: Glory 2cl vs. Nevsky Gentlemen, as you can see at Igor's dealer's website only the Glory 2cl of Sgt. Radko is researched (without english translations!) - Glory 3cl + the two Valour-Medals have no research yet. Let us have a look at the current market realities concerning Glory 2cl and Nevsky. Both orders have exactly the identical rarity and citations for both orders are always rather meritorious. Both orders have a brilliant and typical design. But the price tags of these orders are very different: A nice Glory 2cl with good preserved gold, thin variant, etc. will sell about USD 550,-. A nice Nevsky will sell for much more money: - USD 4.000,- to USD 7.000,- for a T 1 - USD 2.000,- for a T 2 - USD 1.250,- for a T 3 O.K., the Nevsky is for officers and the Glory 2cl for NCOs and soldiers, but the price-gap is hughe - up to my humble opinion too hughe . So the asked USD 1.500,- + for Sgt. Radko's 2 Glory + 2 Valour group might become a good investment, if the demand of the ex-Soviet market will still increase. Best regards Christian Zulus P.S.: I never understood the price-gap between Nevsky T 1 & Nevsky T 2, because all Nevsky T 2 are converted Nevsky's T 1 ...

Rarity-ratio of Glory vs. Labour Glory Gentlemen, I had been a bit unprecise in the rarity-ratio, because I referred to the issued orders. If you take all the unissued Glory 1cl & Labour Glory 1cl into account (most of them might be at the market), than it might be only around 1:2,5 for the Labour Glory 1cl against Glory 1cl. Best regards Christian Zulus

Gentlemen, due to affluent money in Moscow, St. Petersburg, etc. the prices went up - and will move further on . Our world market for Soviet Awards IS the trading place of the National Heritage of the Russian People. So we don't act in a market for commodities, but in a rather "special" market like for relics of the Catholic Church . Despite the price of that highly interesting Glory & Valour group, it might become a real "gem" for research: 4 pure battle awards to an NCO . O.K., the asked price would be more fair, if the complete research + translations would be included ... But for the current market situation the price for that set looks rather "normal" and in my humble opinion the market value of the Order of Glory is still rather underrated - specially the Glory 2cl seems like a real bargain in comparison to other military awards of the same rarity, i.e., Nevsky. Might be, that in summer 2007 a dealer will ask USD 3k for the set, if it is still circulating at the market . Best regards Christian Zulus

Dear Ed, you are right: The rarity-ratio of the two Glory 1cl is rather precise 1:10 for the labour award, but the rarity-ratio of full Cavalier sets including the Cavalier's booklet might be only 1:2 to 1:3 for the labour award, because the Cavalier's booklet had been introduced in the 1970s, so many knights of the Order of Glory already passed away and many sets were "broken" in the early 1990s, when they merged at the Western markets. So full Cavalier sets of the (military) Glory inkl. Cavalier's booklet are rather rare at the market. Breeding cattle or pigs is an important task, but defending your Motherland with heroic deeds is something differnt . Best regards Christian

Lieber Gerd, but these awards are sold about the mentioned price . Maybe with a certain discount. These prices are too much for us "old" collectors in the West, but still rather moderate for the "new" collectors in the East . Imagine more than 40 USD-billionaires are living in Russia . As long as the market pays these prices and the social class of the rather to very rich people in Russia is still increasing, the prices for SU-Awards will rise, rise and rise. The economic law of supply & demand - we live in a capitalistic society . If a Labour-Glory full Cavalier-Set (in 7/10 condition) sells for USD 15k, than what would be the current price for a (Military) Glory full Cavalier-Set (in 9/10 condition)? As Dave pointed out, military awards have been always more expensive, than civil awards. Liebe Gr??e aus Wien Christian