Christian Zulus

NEXT QUESTION Gentlemen, if Jim says, that I answered his question to 100 %, then I will hand over the right to put the coming question to GMIC-member Dan "Hauptmann", due to the fact, that I wouldn't be back to my library not before wednesday. Best regards Christian

BERIA Gentlemen, I guess, that the comrade in question was a (very) prominent communist leader of the Soviet Union, whose patron had been Joseph Stalin himself and who died in the 1950s and his nationality had been non-Russian. The picture with the eye had been published in the West just before his death. O.K., the comrade in question is Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria (29 March 1899 ? 23 December 1953) . His eye is shown at the cover of TIME - Beria: Enemy of the People: 5 month later Beria - also infamous for sexual sadism & perversion - was a dead man ... Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavrentiy_Beria tells: Accounts of Beria's fall vary considerably. According to the most recent accounts[citation needed] Khrushchev convened a meeting of the Praesidium on June 26, where he launched an attack on Beria, accusing him of being in the pay of British intelligence. Beria was taken completely by surprise. He asked, "What's going on, Nikita Sergeyevich? Why are you picking fleas in my trousers?" Molotov and others then also spoke against Beria, and Khrushchev put a motion for his instant dismissal. Malenkov then pressed a button on his desk as the pre-arranged signal to Marshal Georgy Zhukov and a group of armed officers in a nearby room. They immediately burst in and arrested Beria. Beria was taken first to the Moscow guardhouse ("gauptvakhta") and then to the bunker of the headquarters of Moscow Military District. Defence minister Nikolai Bulganin ordered Kantemirovskaya Tank Division and Tamanskaya Motor Rifle Division to move into Moscow in order to prevent any possible attempts of Internal Troops loyal to Beria to rescue him. Beria's henchmen such as Vsevolod Merkulov, Bogdan Kobulov, Sergey Golgidze, Vladimir Dekanozov, Pavel Meshik, Lev Vlodzimirskiy were also arrested. Pravda announced Beria's arrest only on July 10, crediting it to Malenkov and referring to Beria's "criminal activities against the Party and the State." In December it was announced that Beria and six accomplices, "in the pay of foreign intelligence agencies," had been "conspiring for many years to seize power in the Soviet Union and restore capitalism." Beria and his henchmen were tried by a special session ("Spetsialnoye Sudebnoye Prisutstvie") of the Supreme Court of the USSR with no defense counsel and no right of appeal. Marshal Ivan Konev was the chairman of the court. Beria was found guilty of: 1) treason; It was alleged, without any proof, that "up to the moment of his arrest Beria maintained and developed his secret connections with foreign intelligence services". In particular, attempts to initiate peace talks with Hitler in 1941 through the ambassador of Bulgaria were classified as treason, it was not mentioned that Beria was fulfilling the orders of Stalin and Molotov in this respect. It was also alleged that Beria, who in 1942 was involved in the organisation of the defence of the North Caucasus, tried to let the Germans occupy the Caucasus. There were also allegations that "planning to seize power, Beria tried to obtain the support of imperialist states at the price of violation of territorial integrity of the Soviet Union and transfer of parts of USSR's territory to capitalist states". These allegations were due to Beria's suggestion to his assistants that in order to improve foreign relations it is reasonable to transfer Kaliningrad Oblast to Germany, part of Karelia to Finland and Kuril Islands to Japan. 2) terrorism; Beria's order to execute 25 political prisoners in October 1941 without trial was classified as an act of terrorism. 3) counterrevolutionary activity during Russian Civil War; In 1919 Beria worked in the security service of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, he maintained that Hummet party which subsequently merged with the Adalat Party, the Ahrar Party and Baku Bolsheviks to establish the Azerbaijan Communist Party gave him such an assignment. Beria and all the other defendants were sentenced to death. When the death sentence was passed, according to Moskalenko's later account, Beria begged on his knees for mercy, but he and his subordinates were immediately executed on 23 December 1953. (See Citizen Kurchatov documentary for more details on his death[1]). Apparently his body was cremated. However, according to other accounts including his son's[citation needed], Beria's house was assaulted on 26 June 1953, by military units and Beria himself was killed on the spot. A member of the court which tried Beria, Nikolay Shvernik, has subsequently allegedly told Beria's son that he had never seen Beria alive. Beria's wife and son were sent to exile to Sverdlovsk. They were released in 1964; his wife Nina died in 1991 in exile in Ukraine, his son Sergo died in October 2000 still defending his father's reputation. After Beria's death the MGB was separated from the MVD and reduced from the status of a Ministry to a Committee (known as the KGB), and no Soviet police chief ever again held the kind of power Beria had wielded. In May 2000 the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation refused an application by members of Beria's family to overturn his 1953 conviction. The application was based on a Russian law that provided for rehabilitation of victims of false political accusations. The court ruled, however, that "Beria was the organizer of repression against his own people, and therefore could not be considered a victim". However, the Supreme Court found Vladimir Dekanozov, Pavel Meshik and Lev Vlodzimirskiy guilty of abuse of authority, instead of crimes against the state, and the sentence for them was posthumously changed from death to 25 year imprisonment. Best regards Christian

Following the failed coup attempt, Kryuchkov was imprisoned for his participation. However, in 1994 the State Duma freed him in an amnesty. Some surviving members of the "Gang of Eight" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gang_of_Eight...Soviet_Union%29 - as Marshal Yazov - received recently high orders & medals from the Russian Federation by President Putin. Officially NOT for the coup attempt, but for other great deeds towards the Russian Army and the Russian State . Best regards Christian BTW: My grandmother, who lives in my house, is now 99 years old and at excellent health ...

Gentlemen, Vladimir Alexandrovich Kryuchkov died at the 23rd of november 2007: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Kryuchkov Wise guy, who had been a close friend to Markus "Misha" Wolf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markus_Wolf and who supported Putin's career as a KGB-officer. Kryuchkov's patron had been Yuri Andropov http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri_Andropov . Does anyone know, why he died so (rather) young (only 83 years old ...) - what was his "unspecified illness" ? Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, I am almost sure, that the eye belongs to "Saint Karl" Might be from a famous illustration or painting . Well, I wrote my master thesis about Karl Marx, but I can't answer 100 % of Jim's question . Best regards Christian

Dear Belaruski, I think, that the basic design - concerning artistic quality - of that medal is rather fine and good , BUT the finish is more than crude . It's something like a private medal of a Veterans Club ? Best regards Christian

Research of the citations is ready Gentlemen, yesterday I got an e-mail from our researcher, that the citations-research is finished, but that "the translation would take about two weeks. Once it?s ready I?ll email it to you." So, let's wait 2 weeks for the exact & detailed story of heroic deeds of Sgt. Gnitienko . Best regards Christian

KARL MARX Gentlemen, if the Lord's eye is printed on the Dollar, why not Marx's eye on the Red Star - at least Marx is the "God of Socialism" . Best regards Christian

Dear Paul, it's just a speculation from my side, after Rick noted, that a RBL might have been awarded after 20 years of service at the Railroads ... In the Soviet Army - before issuing the 3 long service medals - the officer got after his 25-years-Lenin for 30 years of service a 2nd RB. But I am not sure, that there had been a 1:1 similar system in all branches of civil service. Maybe only the Railroads, Police, Aeroflot etc. might have had such systems. I guess, that the civil services had not such a regulated system, as the Soviet Army had: You can get an RBL for long service, but it is not regulated. Let's wait, what our native experts can tell us . Best regards Christian

Dear Rick, interesting statement . There had been long service awards in civil service ? - 10 years: Labour Medal - 15 years: BoH - 20 years: RBL - 25 years: Lenin Do you have further informations about that issue ? Best regards Christian

Dear Jim, might be the eye of the comrade I used as my avatar ????? Best regards Christian

Dear Jim, congratulations to your really well deserved victory #10 . Now you belong to the exclusive club of the "Meritorious Answerers" . Best regards Christian BTW: Jim's Wiki-link to comrade Rasulzade shows THE photograph, so Jim HAS to be the winner ...

Dear Dan, some more hints would be very wellcome . I know the face of the comrade in question, but I still couldn't find him in Stalin's biography - and I know the life of comrade Stalin rather well ..... I found no matching in history among: - early Bolshevik - helped Stalin before he got "Stalin the Voshd" - playwriter - statesman Dan, what's your definition of a "statesman" ? Prime Minister, President or also Deputy-Ministers, secretaries of important ministers, etc. ? Best regards Christian

Dear Dan, no problem ..... Sorry, I forgot to congratulate to your recent great victory at Christophe's quiz - you are now our "shooting star" . So, we have to look in Stalin's biography for a non-Russian playwriter, communist, who helped the Voshd a lot in his early years . Best regards Christian

Dear Dan, one question: Is it a type error? Should it be "a man of steel" (= comrade STALIN) ? Best regards Christian

Lieber Waldemar, congratulations . Now you have all 3 classes of the Partisan Star . How much did you pay for that 1cl ? Best regards Christian

Dear Charles, the comrade at the right on your last pic is LENIN . But what has comrade Lenin to do with a non-Soviet, who had been POW ? Trotsky had a gang of "Leather-Boys" around him - in red dresses . Best regards Christian

Dear Charles, o.k., if that's not a Soviet photograph, then I would see, that these gentlemen look rather "German". Might be a group of German officers before - or after - WW I. Here is the person in question again, the non-Soviet with a love for boys in leather, but a bit blown up - maybe it helps ... : Best regards Christian BTW: GOOGLE delivers also rather "queer" results, not only with "Boys & Leather", but also with 100 % military items, as "Gas Masks" and "Uniforms" - specially "SS" and "Afrika Korps" .

Gentlemen, if the "Iron Felix" might be close to the answer, but he is not in the car, then maybe Josif Unschlicht alias Jankel Jurowski might be in the car ? Comrade Unschlicht had been somehow a deputy of Felix Dzerzhinsky and he had been responsible for finishing up with the Czarist's family. Best regards Christian

Dear Bryan, many thanks for that great video . It's great, that such people like this business man, invest USD 2Mio. to create such a beautiful sculpture park . Best regards Christian

Tombac-Hero for EUR 2.200,- starting-price at auction in Vienna Gentlemen, at the Dorotheum in Vienna a Tombac-Hero + large document to a Maj.-General will start at EUR 2.200,- (+ fees & taxes!) at the coming auction in Vienna: http://www.dorotheum.at/auktionen/auktions...n/lot/2285.html Best regards Christian

Grand Star 1cl at Lanz-Auction with an est. of EUR 1.000,- Gentlemen, Lanz-Munich offers at the coming auction, at the 27th of november, a 1cl, which belonged to a very prominent Austrian politican: http://www.sixbid.com/home/auctions/lanz/m.../la140/a140.htm (go to item No. 58 !) Anton Benya had been for many years the president of the Austrian Trade Union and the president of the Austrian Parliament: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Benya I think, that the estimated hammer-price of EUR 1.000,- is rather low for such a rare order to such a historic personality . Best regards Christian

Our "benchmark" Gentlemen, today I had a very positive phone call with Stefan Rest. My opinion is, that the "Red Bible" http://www.collectrussia.com/DISPITEM.HTM?ITEM=11010 has to be our benchmark. The retail-price of the book should be below EUR 100,-. Best regards Christian

Dear Sebastijan, that I also read somewhere: officer + 10 years service + submarine = gold wash badge. So, the "modern" officers YU-submarine-badge in silver might be for service below 10 years and the one in gold for service over 10 years ? Many thanks, Sebastijan, we already might have some sort of systematism in the field of YU-submarine-badges . Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, no more inputs & infos to Radzyevsky's Marshal's Star ... Best regards Christian