Christian Zulus

Dear Gerd, yes, the low numbered OPW 1cl would be worth to be researched, but I am still waiting for the results of the Glory-Trio-Gnitienko-research ... I just got a new mobile phone with a 3.2 megapixel camera and I will try to make some close-up shots of the duplicate OPW 2cl . Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, many thanks for your commentaries . I think, that I had just good luck with the research, because Kandybin's small flotillia hasen't been too secret . I also found some relatives of Commodore Kandybin in the USA, but they hardly knew anything about their grand-grand uncle. Kandybin's son moved back to the region of Kursk, where his father was borne, I got his e-mail-adress, but he never answered my mail . Does anyone know something about the composition of a coastal guard flotillia in the Baltic Sea in the late 1950s ? What I found out, that Kandybin's flotillia had no submarines (the subs had been a unit of their own in the same harbour), but a wide range of boats, vessels and ships - up to corvettes (maybe frigates). And the KGB-Naval-Frontier-Guard had their own boats at the same harbour. Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, nice & typical posters, I haven't seen before . Many thanks for sharing . Best regards Christian

Dear Ivan, congratulations to your victory . Best regards Christian

Fantastic group - congratulations . Two aspects are interesting about this group: - a university professor received a Labour Glory 3cl (usually only for teachers at more or less normal schools) . - an officer in the reserve received 3 long service awards (MMM, RS & Medal) for 10, 15 & 20 years, despite the fact, that he discharged from the army after 10 years in service . Best regards Christian

2nd scan:

2 scans of the whole Kandybin-group Gentlemen, here are two (rather bad ) scans of the group. Best regards Christian

Dear Gerd, from the front to the rear: - OGPW 1cl, T2 / V1, s/n. 26.707 - OGPW 2cl, T2 / flatback, s/n. 796.715 - OGPW 1cl, T3 (1985), s/n. 1.034.542 Some years ago, I got another OGPW 1cl, T2 / V1, s/n. 196.750 and an really beautiful (mint-condition!) OGPW 2cl, T2 / starback (duplicat!), s/n. 46.653 "d". Best regards Christian

Dear Bob, your are right , but I have heard of an aristocrat in Britain - his name should be Ashcan or Ashtray or something similar -, who has much more than 15 VCs in his collection . BTW: A VC is maybe 100 times more expensive at the market, than a HSU and this guy collects, collects and collects . We are living in a strange world ... Best regards Christian

Dear Dave, dear Bob, I already mentioned in post #24, that I don't think that our "Oligarchs" are buying our Soviet Orders: It's simply the new emerging upper-middle-class in Russia . The better the economy is running in Russia, the more these folks will get and the demand for interesting Soviet Awards will grow constantly. Lecture in economics: The effective market price = meeting point of supply & demand . Best regards Christian

Dear Bryan, many thanks for your interesting find . This item reminds me in design a bit at the Soviet RBL. Looks nice . Well, it's not an official order - maybe a badge or prototype ? Can you post the eBay-datas + price here at GMIC ? Maybe our native experts know, what the "Order of the National Front" might be ... Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, my very first Soviet Medal has been "40th Anniversary of Victory ...", military version, which I got as a present from a girl friend in 1992, who bought it at a flea market in Berlin. Due to the fact, that I got some time before the old Herfurth-book of 1987 "Milit?rische Auszeichnungen der UdSSR" and the small & nice NOVOSTI-booklet of Putnikov about Soviet Awards, I already had some basic knowledge about the subject. In december 1993 I recogized, that the nice orders & medals, shown in the two books, had rather moderate price tags in the shop windows. At the beginning of january 1994 I started to collect and invested in a few month about USD 10.000,- into Soviet Awards - had been a rather good investment . My first awards - as a collector - have been: - Lenin, s/n. 180.922, for USD 650,- - October Revolution, s/n. 24.318, for USD 200,- - HSL, s/n. 10.852, for USD 700,- (Prices in 1,4 : 1 relation USD : EUR) Well, I bought the first 3 orders at rather expensive prices for that days ... Here is a photograph of the very beginning of my modest & humble collection from end of january 1994: (the shiny RB screwback turned out to be a casted fake an the RB in front is a #3 with s/n. 8.426 - not a fake ) Best regards Christian

Dragi?a Cvetković ? Dear Filip, might the person be the former (1939 - 1941) YU-prime minister Dragi?a Cvetković in older years, who died 1969 in Paris in exile ? Best regards Christian

Quiz-Question #121 deals again with Yugoslavia & WW II Gentlemen, the new quiz-question #121 deals again with Yugoslavia & WW II: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtop...st&p=180007 Filip ("Drugo") scored the last victory with question #120 . Have a look at the quiz-thread and please participate at our quiz . Best regards Christian

The "Gardebatallion" is not only for representation, but is (almost) an elite force of the Austrian Army, specialisized in "Objektschutz" (defense & security of objects, i.e., buildings, etc.). That's the Wiki-entry of them (only German): http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardebataillon . For representation they still use the very old and outdated FN FAL-rifle (last used at the Falklands by the British as L1 A1 http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/L1_A1 ): http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/FN_FAL . The young men at the Austrian "Gardebatallion" are well trained and have proper uniforms . Best regards Christian

Dear Filip, difficult question .... I assume, that the (not so young) comrade on the left with the JNA-soldiers has to be one of the heroes of the Yugoslav Partisan War in WW II, who got at least a "Partisan Star 1cl" or even an "Order of Freedom" . I will have to do some research in my library & internet . Best regards Christian

We have a new winner Gentlemen, Filip ("Drugo") is new at the quiz and thought, that only 1 answer is allowed . He sent the correct answer via PM to me: Quiz, Today, 09:14 Fall Weiss Congratulations to Filip for his first victory . The "Fall Weiss" ("Case White") had been the Battle of Neretva http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Neretva and Yul Brynner played a leading role ("Vlado") in the movie "The Battle of Neretva" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_of_Neretva . So it is Filip's turn to put the new question #121 . Best regards Christian

Sorry, Ed, I could only find that one photograph of the dog . Best regards Christian

Yes, I also had that prototype in my mind . Best regards Christian

Dear Christophe, I think that's the point: Not the mint, a kind of large juweller manufactured the Victory. So, no engraved s/n. . If there are any painted numbers at the rv. of a Victory, the museum might have attachted them. All Victories are handmade and look slightly different. So, it seems to be neccessary to have excellent scans of ALL Victories, to tell, which Victory belongs to which person. And also to tell, if a Victory at the market (King Michael ) is a juweller's copy or not. The fact is, that the Victories got "fictional" s/n. - Zhukov #1, etc., etc. Best regards Christian

Dear Ed, the doggy tries to smell, if there is some polonium at the wreath . No, just a joke . In Austria everything, which deals with a "prominent" person, is checked by police dogs: All rooms, all gifts, all cars ... everything! Such dogs are clever & wise . Best regards Christian

Yes, that's really great - and the photographer stood just in the right position . I also like the pic with the doggy . Best regards Christian

Dear Filip, sorry ...... , if I wouldn't have posted the photograph of the famous actor Yul Brynner under my "White"-question, then your answer could have been correct, because the "Bela Garda" had been also "White" . Two more hints: - that famous actor points to a great movie, which everyone knows and most of us have seen it. - the colour "White" has been given by the Germans and generally used by the Axis-Powers in Yugoslavia during a certain period of time. I am 100 % sure, that you exactly know the answer to my question . Best regards Christian BTW: Maybe you can start a new thread about the "Bela Garda" at our YU-section - that's a highly interesting topic .

Quiz-Question #120 deals again with Yugoslavia & WW II Gentlemen, the recent quiz-question deals again with YU: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtop...st&p=179725 It shouldn't be too diffucult for the active participants of our YU-section to answer that question: What has the colour "WHITE" to do with Yugoslavia in WW II ? Happy hunting . Best regards Christian

New question #120: Communist Yugoslavia Gentlemen, now again a rather easy question for our quiz : What has the colour "WHITE" to do with Yugoslavia in WW II ? A rather well known person from Vladivostok, who has something to do with my question: Best regards Christian BTW: I posted the new quiz-question also at the YU-section http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtop...st&p=179728 . So, be quick with the answer, if you want to score the point .