Christian Zulus

Komandir RKKA, you want to tell us, that OVR brigades of the Soviet Fleet didn't exist in the CCCP ?????? Have a look into the documents of captain 1st rank Kandybin: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/11948-captain-1st-rank-ivan-nikolaievich-kandybin/ They are from the archives of the Russian Navy and not from Лубянка !!!! Maybe there had been some changes in the Russian Federation concerning issues of coast guard, but in the period of CCCP 1945 - 1991 it was, as Dr. Steigleder explained. Best regards Christian

Dear Christophe, many thanks for your warm welcome Best regards Christian

Komandir RKKA, sorry, you are wrong. If you don't believe me, then feel free to talk to the expert for Soviet naval affairs KzS Dr. Steigleder: +49 38323 80545 He speaks German, but also fluent Russian, due to the fact, that studied at the Naval Academy in Leningrad. Best regards Christian

Paul, sorry, I forgot to add the link to the Kandybin-thread: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php/topic/11948-captain-1st-rank-ivan-nikolaievich-kandybin/ On the 9th of Dec 2003 I had a 40 min. telephone talk with the german naval historian Kapitän zur See der Volksmarine i.R. Dr. habil. Horst Steigleder http://www.militär-verlag.de/autoren-7/autor/665-Horst_Steigleder.html about Soviet Coast Guard and about my Kandybin-group in special. Captain Steigleder explained to me, that Coast Guard in the Soviet Union had been operated by KGB naval border troops AND by the Soviet Fleet, with different tasks, of course: KGB: The everyday business against smugglers, defectors etc.on sea. OVR (Soviet Coast Guard brigades): Military tasks, as anit-submarine warfare etc., in respect to a prospective regional theatre of war. Captain Steigleder explained to me, that OVR brigades, as the 111th OVR brigade of the Baltic Fleet, commanded by Captain 1st rank Ivan Kandybin, had been rather large mixed flotillas with ships up to the size of corvets, but without submarines. There had been own submarine brigades. So the Soviet Coast Guard had 2 pure naval elements: KGB naval brigades and OVR Coast Guard brigades. Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, I did some research about the topic, who hoisted the Victory Banner on top of the Reichstag, Berlin, 1945. It seems, that sergeant Mikhail Minin has hoisted the flag. Have a look into my documentation and album about that issue on facebook: http://www.facebook....=3&l=344d7bf063 Some years ago I obtained a perfect copy of the Victory Banner by a friend from the USA here on GMIC. He got it from Australia. Now the Victory Banner is in my living room. Have a look: http://vk.com/photo113441340_268399392 Best regards Christian

Paul, in the history of the CCCP and Soviet fleet we had 2 (two) forms of coast guard: a) Ordinary coast guard under the command of the Soviet Navy. b) Special coast guard under the command of the KGB. Usually these 2 coast guard units where located in the ident harbour. If you look at my collection of all orders, medals, pins and documents from captain 1st rank Ivan KANDYBIN, who had been commander of the 111th OVR brigade, Baltic Fleet, you will find a typical example of a non-KGB coast guard unit. Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, sorry for my absence the last years. I had been quite engaged and busy in the Austrian Armed Forces and got some nice orders and medals for my job, as you can see in my facebook-album, dedicated to my activities in the army: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1107886170457.18743.1025906913&type=3&l=09e2d7e9a2 These are all the decorations, I got the last years: http://vk.com/photo113441340_267815115 To liven up our quiz, I suggest 3 measures: - to invite the old participants personally by a message to join again - to make a site on facebook for inviting to GMIC and the quiz - to make a site on vk.com - the Russian "facebook" - for inviting to GMIC and the quiz. Specially on vk.com we have a huge number of interested people - all from ex-CCCP -, who might be interested to participate. Just my thoughts ... Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, a created a special album on facebook, dealing with sergeant Gnitienko's "Glory-Trio". Have a look: http://www.facebook....=3&l=4f0e9af72d Best regards Christian

Paul, you might be right with your theory - maybe he hadn't been such an eager communist. On the tunic of a commander in such position, you usually see 3rd classes of Suvorov and/or Kutuzov. A Newsky is more common for commanders on lower levels. Maybe - due to the fact, that our commander IS a Nevsky - he personally wanted the Nevskys instead of the Suvorovs or Kutzuovs: Lt Col Nevsky with 3 orders of Nevsky Without having all the documents and papers from the military archive you can't really tell, what might have been reason for the series of 3 Nevskys. All the best Christian

The SIGNUM MEMORIAE had been reinstituted some years ago by the late crown prince Otto von Habsburg himself on behalf of his 95th birthday: Front: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1266954827074&set=a.1107886170457.18743.1025906913&type=3&permPage=1 Back: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1266954787073&set=a.1107886170457.18743.1025906913&type=3&permPage=1 My document: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1266954747072&set=a.1107886170457.18743.1025906913&type=3&permPage=1 "Signum Memoriae" on my uniform of the Austrian Armed Forces (Österreichisches Bundesheer): http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1346758022104&set=a.1107886170457.18743.1025906913&type=3&theater

Dear Bryan, there is only ONE location in Berlin, where you can find the authentic "Berlin Wall": Bernauer Strasse at the museum/memorial Quite a few institutions and private companies bought segments of the "Berlin Wall" and put them in front of their buildings All the best from Vienna Christian

Gentlemen, a dear comrade in the Austrian Armed Forces sent these two scans to me and asked, what kind of neck-decoration this might be? Any informations among the k.u.k.-experts ? Many thanks for your support Best regards Christian

Congratulations, dear Wild Card Again, I had been too late for hours . Mikhail's father, a well decorated GPW-veteran, received a Lenin (young Gorbachev worked as his assistant). Seeing it through the perspective of a historian, that great harvest had been the only positive and heroic incident in the unlucky life of Mr. Gorbachev, who killed the Soviet Union and pushed millions of people into poverty (and converted some super-hyper-criminals into "Oligarchs") . But the Soviet award mechanism had been rather fair: Mr. Gorbachev NEVER received a HSL . Best regards Christian

facebook changed the link of the photocollection Gentlemen, there had been some unneccessary changes at facebook and the permanent links of all my photocollections changed . That's the new & working Stalingrad-link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1600...mp;l=d899e9711e Best regards Christian

ЭВМ Gentlemen, I guess, it has to deal with Soviet & GDR computer systems: ES EVM (ЕС ЭВМ, Единая система электронных вычислительных машин, meaning "Unified System of Electronic Computers") The fact is, that the GDR had been the leading nation in the East in computer systems. Another fact is, that the Soviets introduced a brand new system of electronic computers for the 1980 Olympic Games. But I am not an expert in this issue Maybe someone else might go on Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, I posted 11 more photographs of the exhibited Soviet and German awards at the Stalingrad-facebook-album. Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, Gordon Craig visited me on Thuesday the 17th of Feb and we spent some nice time together at my small Stalingrad-exhibition, in company with the military historian Dr. Marcello La Speranza in an unique, wet and cold Nazi-bunker in the center of Vienna (I hope, that Gordon will post the photographs, he has done inside the bunker here at GMIC ) and visited the HGM http://www.hgm.or.at/eng/ . Best regards Christian

Dear Frank, that's great and unique All in your flat - you are living in a museum ? Best regards Christian

Dear Gordon, it would be a honour for me to show you around in Vienna - HGM, etc. -, if help is needed. Yes, I am in office on sunday (we are also a church ...), monday and thuesday and am rather flexible. Let's have lunch or dinner at the officers mess hall of the Military Command of Vienna . If you are interested, I have also access to a well preserved, massive and fortified WW-II-airshelter in the center of Vienna, where all installations are still visible and original. Our adress is: W?rzburggasse 8 1130 Wien (13th district, Hietzing) There is a link with a map of our location: http://www.mildioz.at/index.php?option=com...5&Itemid=32 We have also the renowed "Hall of Honour" of the Austrian Armed Forces in our establishment. Have a look at another facebook-photocollection: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?page=1&a...p;id=1025906913 Please contact me via christian.zulus@gmx.at or via celluar phone +43 6991 47 00 457 . Best regards Christian

STALINGRAD 1942/43 - Event & Exhibition Gentlemen, may I draw your attention to our STALINGRAD Event & Exhibition, which took place on the 18th of Janurary 2009 (the small exhibition will be open till 20th of February 2009) at the Jakob Kern-House of the Austrian Armed Forces (the place, where I do my duty as a soldier). Have a look at my documention: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1600...p;id=1025906913 (35 pics & a lot of info) Best regards Christian

Are you the happy new owner, who saved more than 27K bucks in comparison to the NY-auction ? I guess, that such an ultra-rare set for humble 10K has to be a good purchase . Best regards Christian

Dear Marcotk, sounds interesting ... I couldn't find an e-mail-adress at your - very nice - website. Please send me an e-mail to christian.zulus@gmx.at - many thanks Best regards Christian

Dear Christophe, Doc is right - it's the USS Pueblo (AGER-2), an US spy-ship, which is since 1968 in North Korea: Wikipedia answers all questions, except No. 5: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Pueblo_(AGER-2) The Soviets had the secret code by John Anthony Walker http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Anthony_Walker and needed the crypt-machine, but comrade Walker was a Warrent Officer at the US-Navy, not a colonel . Doc should be the winner, because with "USS Pueblo" he answered 4 of 5 questions . Best regards Christian

Dear Christophe, congratulations to your victory and to your lead in the quiz :jumping: Now - after a very long time - France is No. 1 and Austria No. 2 Best regards Christian, lance corporal & academic expert for history in the Austrian Armed Forces Background: "Victory Flag" (copy)

Gentlemen, at the recent NY-auction of Dimitry Markov a rather similar set had been sold for $ 37.050,- (incl. buyer's premium) Igor might sell 3 sets to me for that price . Best regards Christian