Christian Zulus

Dear Ed, many thanks for your advice - I will not gloat too much . Well, my notes are not pure guessing, but taken out of the reference book "Cavaliers of All Three Classes of the Order of Glory" from Gnitienko's entry: I think, that Gnitienko's entry there include ALL recommendations and citations - what is your opinon ? Best regards Christian

More informations on Sgt. Gnitienko's service record Gentlemen, Sgt. Gnitienko's citations about his 3 herioc deeds, which brought him his Glory 3cl, 2cl & 1cl, you will find in post #62 in this thread: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtop...st&p=131040 Gnitienko served in the 1175th rifle regiment of the 347th rifle division. In spring 1944 ("Battle of the Crimea") the 347th rifle division belonged to the 2nd Guards Army (4th Ukrainian Front, Tolbuchin). In summer 1944 the 347th rifle division was transfered to the 51st Army and took part at the "Operation Bagration" (1st Baltic Front, Bagramjan). So, Gnitienko got his first Glory 2cl from the 2nd Guards Army at the Crimean Peninsula and his second Glory 2cl (1981 exchanged to a Glory 1cl) from the 51st Army in the Baltics. Gnitienko got his Glory 3cl at the 3rd of april 1944 - just 4 days before the beginning of the "Battle of the Crimea" - south of Perekop for rescuing four comrades from the battle field (maybe some reconnaissance mission just before the battle ?). He got his Glory 2cl for killing several Hitlerites at 24th of april 1944 during the high-tide of the "Battle of the Crimea" in the souther part of the peninsula, north of Sevastopol and just before the storm of the Sapun Heights. The 347th rifle division had been switched over to the 51th Army for taking part at the "Operation Bagration" and Gnitienko got his Glory 1cl (1981!) for killing 20 Hitlerites at the 2nd of august near Jeglava in the southern part of Latvia. So, Sgt. Gnitienko got his Glory full cavalier set for 3 heroic deeds during two major battles of the GPW: - "Battle of the Crimea (1944)" - the liberation of the peninsula (Glory 3cl & 2cl). - "Operation Bagration" - the destruction of Heeresgruppe Mitte in summer 1944 (Glory 1cl). Gnitienko (b. 1903) served in the Red Army from 1942 to 1945 and got - except his 3 Glories and a OPW 1cl in 1985 - no other Soviet Orders. He received several medals: Victory over Germany and all the jubilee stuff (no defend or capture medals). So, he got all his awards in his early 40s. Comrade Gnitienko died in november 1991 - only one day after the celebrations of the Great Socialist Octoberrevolution. Gentlemen, it would be great, if someone has further informations about the history of the 1175th rifle regiment and the 347th rifle division during "Crimea" & "Bagration" - many thanks in advance . Best regards Christian

Lieber Herr "slava1stclass", many thanks for your congratulations and the additional informations . I assume, that it had been just an error in writing, why the wrong number was listed in the special award card. Maybe the clerk filled out a card with #3646 before and wrote the same number into Gnitienko's card ? The returning of the second Glory 2cl to Moscow is just the correct way, I think ? I have heard only of one case, where the comrade kept his second 2cl or 3cl and had 4 Orders of Glory on his chest. Tell me: How exclusive is the club of Category 1 Full Cavalier set owners - how many members are there already ? Best regards Christian

Dear Andrew, Dave and Ed, many, many thanks for your congratulations and for your help and motivation in researching Sgt. Gnitienko's Glory set . Best regards Christian

Dear Dan, congratulations to your fast growing YU-collection . Your new Partisan Star is an extremly nice example of YU-made one - I only have Soviet-made ones in my collection . And your "Orden Rada" is a real beauty . Prices are still rather low for YU-items, so go on with collecting . Best regards Christian

Dear Luka, that picture looks great . Is it a family member of you ? Could you show a close up of the unknown medal Prekomorci - many thanks! Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, I have also never seen that award before and it is for 100 % NOT from Yugoslavia, I assume. The ribbon - form, size, colour & fabric - seems to me rather typical for an award from the former CSSR - Slovakian Socialist Republic or Czech Socialist Republic. That medal has almost the same ribbon, as the Socialist Slovakian medal I presented here: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=18496 Maybe that's one of the numerous foreign awards Marshal Tito got during is career ? Best regards Christian

Gnitienko's award card - p. 3 & 4 Translation needed - many thanks ! Best regards Christian

Gnitienko's award card - p. 1 & 2 Translation needed - many thanks ! Best regards Christian

Dear Ed, so, our researcher had been very industrious . Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, many thanks for your congratulations Best regards Christian BTW: I will post 4 blow-ups of the pages of the award card - maybe someone might translate the interesting entries ?

Gnitienko's award card - part 2

Gnitienko's award card - part 1

Sgt. Gnitienko received the Glory 1st class #1965 Gentlemen, I just got that e-mail from our researcher: Christian, Your research is ready. It was well worth the wait as I found the prove that Gnitienko has been awarded with Glory 1-st cl # 1965. As soon, as I have the documents, I will show the scans here at the thread . Best regards Christian BTW: So, Gnitienko's Glory-Cavalier set is one of the 1st category - without any doubts .

YU-Flag 1cl to Romanian Communist Miron-Radu Paraschivescu Gentlemen, some month ago, "pmarqulies" and me found that below mentioned beauty at our dealer in Vienna: Complete, cased, documents, but the sash is rather belached out and the asked price is rather high. Now or new GMIC-member & YU-collector from Vienna, "wlodzimierz", had a closer look at that YU-Flag 1cl. The order was confered in 1968 to the renowed Romanian writer & poet AND Secretary of the Central Commitee of the CPR Miron-Radu Paraschivescu (2nd of october 1911 - 17th of february 1971). That extraordinary high political rank resulted in a 1st class of the YU-Flag. Links to our Romanian comrade: http://www.memoria.ro/?location=view_article&id=982 http://www.editura-timpul.go.ro/paraschivescu.html http://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miron_Radu_Paraschivescu http://cerculpoetilor.net/poet.php?idp=92 Is there anyone here among GMIC - Kevin ? -, who can read Romanian and tell us, what's about comrade Paraschivescu? I think, if he was really an important comrade in Romanian history, then the price for the set - ? 1.300,- (maybe some discount ) seems to be justified - what's the opinon of our YU-experts about that? Many thanks for your help Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, if that beauty is soooooo inexpensive, would it be possible for me to get also one ? Many thanks in advance . Best regards Christian

Dear Luka, of course, the finished book HAS to be in English . I was just thinking, that at the first stages it would be easier for some experts in the Westbalkans (Ex-YU) to write in Serbo-Croatian and you and other GMIC-members could translate their research results into a proper English. Best regards Christian

Dear Luka, great idea . Let's discuss about it . 1st stage: We need a lot of excellent scans of the orders & medals (incl. minis) in all variations (and the cases in all variations). Av. & rv. of course. 2nd stage: We need a comprehensive documentation of the regulations, statutes and issued numbers of YU-orders & -medals. The question still remains: Where are the remaining stocks of "Partisan Stars", etc., etc. ? 3rd stage: We need excellent contacts to museums, archives, general staff, etc., etc. in Belgrade, Zagreb, Lublijana, etc., etc. 4th stage: We need some genius, who can write the book at least in Serbo-Croation language (translations are no problem). 5th stage: We have to publish a subscription list and to print at least 500 books in Novi Sad, Zagreb or Belgrade. O.K., we shall look to get some money from the EU for that project: History of former Yugoslavia & identity of the new states, bla, bla, bla ... Maybe some money from our friends of the RF (Putin & Co.) . We need a PMD-bible for Yugoslavia ! Best regards Christian

Dear Wlodzimierz, is that outstanding beauty already yours ? How much did you have to pay to Hans-Dieter Rauch in Vienna ? As Filip "Drugo" already noted, we have a special thread for that rare badge . Congratulations & best regards Christian

Dear Charles, here http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=16474 you can see all of them . Best regards Christian

New book about YU-Awards Dear native speakers & experts, is there anyone, who might be interested to take part in a project to produce a comprehensive book about YU-Awards ? The first stage might be to collect the material and informations on a special webspace - maybe at GMIC ? Any proposals ? Best regards Christian

Miniatures - yes or no ? Dear Ed, minis are very common in Austria since the 19th century and I think, that it had been a good invention of communist Yugoslavia to create also miniatures for the orders and medals. Why? Because there are a lot of occaisions in public life, where full decorations are too much and mere ribbon bars too less . And: You can wear the miniature almost where ever you like: Concert, cocktail party, etc. So, I think, that miniatures have their own right in phaleristics . Best regards Christian

Dear Ed, great idea to put the focus to the rather inexpensive YU-Minis . Dan showed us a case with a comprehensive collection of minis: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=16474 I am happy to have all the minis to my YU-Orders . Tito showed on his white gala-uniform all YU-decorations (no foreign ones!) as minis, but the "Order of Freedom" on his right chest in full size with all the rubies. O.K., that has been against the regulations - either minis or full decorations -, but Tito did it . So, minis played an important role in YU-phaleristics . Best regards Christian

Dear Luka, please don't take the historic discussion soooooo personal . I appreciate it very much, that here at GMIC-YU we have members from Ex-YU-states: Slovenes, Croats, Serbs, etc. And I think, that you are a very, very important member to GMIC-YU with your expertise and your collection. Please stay . But please, read again, what you have posted: Luka: "There where no Serbian minority in Croatia, those so called minoritys where serbs in yugoslav army! That army started to make road blokades and similiar... nobody can tell Croats started war!" A little bit strange .... , isn't it ? So, if there had never been a Serbian minority (except soldiers) in Croatia, why did Operacija Oluja http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Storm took place ? What you call "serbs in yugoslav army" had been babushkas (grandmothers), babys, children, women of Serbian families, who had lived in Croatia for many hundred and hundred years. And: If you don't want to read, that the former Croation leadership in the 1990s (with massive support of Germany - just listen to the Croatian singer Sanja Trumbic in 1991: http://youtube.com/watch?v=BW-ljtEM4MQ ) started the 2nd YU-War, then you will have to discuss that issue with the leading historians in the USA, Germany, Britain, etc. . That's nothing against Croats or Croatia - we all love the people and the country -, but Croatia has also - like Serbia or Slovenia - his "dark side" of history: WW II & 1990s. We have to accept, that GMIC unites members of nations, who had been at war against each other just some years ago. So please let's stay calm and let's argue in a scientific and sober way. Please send me your historic material via e-mail - many thanks . Best regards Christian

Dear Luka, great - many thanks . Best regards Christian