Christian Zulus

Dear Wild Card, yes, Putin is playing the "voshd" now in Russia . BTW: Whenever you want to sell your Stalin-pin, let me know . Best regards Christian

Dear Dan, sorry .... , one of my medals is (with document) in the "Kandybin-group" http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=11948 and the other one (without documents) is in the collection of my 7-year-old daughter Milica, a keen violinist and something like a "Wunderkind" (already winner of some competitions), who is fancy about orders & medals since her early time and has an rather impressive (for her age) collection of Soviet and YU Awards. But - as Ed already noted - such a medal costs almost nothing. Have a look at the website of Alexei: http://home.netcom.com/~merezhko/medals.html - USD 16,- for Medal + doc is not too much . Coming back to the discussion at this thread: I don't believe, that such "golden" veteran medals ever existed till 1991. I assume, that this "gold-wash"-type of the medal has been a "marketing-trick" of our well known forgers in eastern Europe . I also don't believe - as Gerd Becker already noted -, that Stalin forced all the veterans to exchange their Belgrade-Medals to MMM. I think, that's bullsxxt . Belgrade is Belgrade & Tito is Tito. What has the liberation of Belgrade to do with the greed of Marshal Tito for western money & credits some years later ? That wouldn't have been comrade Stalin's style, to take away the Belgrade-Medals from the chests of the veterans ... Best regards Christian

Dear Belaruski, congratulations - you are a real artist . How many Soviet tanks do you have in your collection? I only have two: KV-1 with applique armour and a T-34/76, but they are just a shade of your perfectionism . Best regards Christian

Fantastic models - the photographs look like real . What's the scale of these Messerschmitts? Best regards Christian

Dear Dan, your question had been a great question, because it was a difficult one . Now we are waiting for comrade Belaruski's question #100 . Best regards Christian

Dear Chuck, many thanks for sharing that great document to us . I only have the 1936-Stalin-Constitution (German edition) in my collection. Best regards Christian

Dear Ed, I think, it is almost impossible distinguish between a "Maria Theresa Order" of 1917 and 1932 . Why? - The answer is easy: The same juwelers manufactured the order in 1917 and 1932 . The last surviving bearer of that order, the WW I fighter ace of the K&K Naval Airforce, Linienschiffsleutnant Gottfried Freiherr von Banfield, died 1986 in Trieste almost 100 years of age: http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/austrhun/banfield.php . There is a comprehensive book (2nd edtion 1944) covering ALL the awardees of WW I with the exact story of their heroic deed: http://www.amazon.de/Milit%C3%A4r-Theresie...8/dp/0656655917 . That's a fantastic book, but it sells now for around USD 400,- . Best regards Christian

Gro?es Ehrenzeichen f?r Verdienste um die Republik ?sterreich Grand Decoration of Honour for services to the Republic of Austria Gentlemen, that's my Austrian Award . Well, it didn't receive that Order from the President of the Austrian Republic - I bought an immaculate finished item from the former juweler "Alfred Reitterer" (without engraved name ) -, but it doesn't seem so unlikely, that I will get exactly this order within the coming 5 years . The outstanding Austrian architect Oswald Haerdtl http://www.azw.at/www.architektenlexikon.at/de/200.htm designed all the Austrian awards in 1952: Ehrenzeichen, etc. and also in 1935 the "?sterreichisches Ehrenzeichen f?r Kunst und Wissenschaft". Best regards Christian

Dear William, we are waiting for scans of the Archduke's order . Best regards Christian

Dear Ed, well, the chancellor's office of that order existed till the end of the 1st Austrian Republic in 1938 and MANY orders had been confered AFTER WW I - but only the Hungarian awardees received an aristocratic rank after 1918, due to the fact, that Austria was republic and Hungary still kingdom with Viceadmiral Horthy as a "Reichsverweser". BTW: The Hungarian head of state had been an Admiral, despite the fact, that Hungary had NO access to the sea . So, there are a large number of catch-up awards. The jewelers in Vienna partly still exist . They didn't only manfacture A&H-Awards, but also Imperial Russian orders, Royal Serbian orders and worked also for some other states in eastern Europe. You still can order original "copies" of all sort of historic awards from the jewelers in Vienna, if you want to spend the money . Best regards from Vienna Christian

Dear Wild Card, the badge seems to be old . It says: "Voshd (=Russian term for "leader" or in German "F?hrer") then the old writing of the Communist Party with (b) = Bolsheviks." And down in the left corner: "I. Stalin". Well, the people called Stalin "voshd", but that has never been an official title in the Soviet Union for comrade Stalin, like "F?hrer" for Hitler or "Duce" for Mussolini. You will never find "voshd" in any documents or writings. Stalins official title had been "Generalissimus of the Soviet Union" from 1945 on, but normally he was adressed simply as "Comrade Stalin" . It looks to me like an old souvinir-badge, to show one's love to comrade Stalin . Nice badge . Best regards Christian

Dear Christophe, thanks for your fair verdict to give question #100 to Belaruski . For answering his 50 % of the question, he didn't have so good hints from Dan. Best regards Christophe

Dear Herr General, the topic is not about, if you like or dislike the symbol of hammer and sickle, but if a historic flag should be mutilated, or not . BTW: You are posting some fantastic numbers of 50 + millions of deaths caused by non-western governments in Europe in the 20th century. Despite the fact, that it is strictly against the rules at GMIC to post extreme "right-wing" propaganda (as you did already), I - and I assume some other educated historians at GMIC - might be interested, how you can proof the 50 + millions of deaths in Europe caused by socialist governments . Anyway, you will have to exclude the death toll caused by the Nazi-aggression towards eastern Europe - the nations defended themselvs against Germany ... Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, you might only find the knight's decoration at the market every now and then - but there are a lot of fakes around . BTW: That's a very rare order ... Best regards Christian

Dear Dan, no idea, who the first comrade might be ... Best regards Christian

Dear Ed, at least President Putin did something against the growing influence of the US-State Department, CIA, Soros, etc., etc. in Russia . Your first link is wrong, because it shows the flag of the Russian Forces during the Yeltsin-Era. The second link is the right one, because it shows the present flag of the Russian Forces . BTW: Putin gave us back the old Soviet Anthem with the lyrics of comrade Mikhalkov http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergey_Mikhalkov (HSL, 3 Stalin Prizes: 1941, 1942 & 1950) . Best regards Christian

Dear Doc, that's a great medal Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, the "Victory Banner" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_Banner is still THE flag and the symbol of the Russian Forces in the contemporary Russian Federation. It is the most important and most prominent flag in Russian history. The Russian Duma (parliament) wanted to take away the hammer and sickle from the flag, because hammer and sickle are no recent symbols of Russia . President Putin stopped that act of disgrace to all veterans (and patriots) and sent the bill back to the Duma . Best regards Christian

Dear Belaruski, well, it seems that you might be the winner, who is entiteled to post question #100 . Pleskys at Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonas_Ple%C5%A1kys Book about him: Best regards Christian

Dear Belaruski, go into your mental archives - we have to move on to question #100 . Best regards Christian

Dear Ed, Dan's question HAS to have a communist connex - otherwise his question would not be correct. Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, that's one of the most outstanding orders in the history of phaleristics . Even 15 years ago such a very top set of that order costs a fortune - in 2007 . At J?rg Nimmergut's old book from 1991 "Orden Europas" you can see that order at the cover: Best regards & and congratulations to William Christian

Dear Belaruski, that's what I also guessed . The first guy looks more anglo-saxonian . Best regards Christian

Over 700 postings & almost 8.000 views at GMIC-Yugoslavia Gentlemen, our section is developing at a very, very, very rapid pace . A plus of 200 postings & 2.000 views in only 2 (two) weeks, that's incredible . I also think, that GMIC-Yugoslavia is one of the best structured and organized sections, which offers comprehensive informations about the subject. Many thanks to all contributors and to our native experts . Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, just 2 years ago one 1cl was sold for USD 600,-. That's a price increase of 66 % in 24 month . Best regards Christian