Christian Zulus

Dear Filip, well, I think the "end-design" of the communist YU-section will depend on the new Minister of Defense . Under a DS or G 17+ minister the YU-section might become less patriotic, than under a DSS minister and under a SRS minister you will have a strong emphasis to the Chetniks . What about the "YU-Civil-War"-section (1991 - 2001; 2001 = Makedonia vs. Albanians) ? A year after the NATO-bombing 1999 they displayed very nice items in the extra room just before the main entrance of the museum right before the steps. After the "October Revolution" in 2000 that section vanished. Only the remains of the F-117 A are shown at the Belgrade airport. Neither the EU, nor the USA have a hughe interest, that the Belgrade Military Museum will document and display that period ... Best regards Christian

Dear Ulsterman, nice badge with perfect enamel . Have never seen it before. Is it possible to show the r.v. ? Best regards Christian

Replacement Ribbons Gentlemen, we should not forget, that the veterans themselves replached the ribbons - or suspension & ribbon - quite frequently. During the GPW the ribbons had been saved by a sort of plastic cover in the form of the suspension. I assume, that after 9th of may 1945 all soldiers removed the plastic covers . Imagine: A great party with old comrades from the GPW. You are eating a lot and drinking a liter of self-made vodka. The next day you might have go to the special shop to buy some replacement ribbons . As long as the ribbon is still firmly attached to the suspension, I wouldn't exchange. Best regards Christian

Dear Belaruski, that might be the right answer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Belenko . That creature Belenko is really a true "Enemy to the people", who cost the people of the Soviet Union a fortune in money . Best regards Christian

Dear "Explorer", sorry, but your images don't open - at least at my screen - BTW: Do you have any other name, than "Explorer", which doesn't sound, as given by the priest ... . Best regards Christian

Dear Kevin, you are almost 100 % right . In fact the T-34 had been already outdated in the war in Korea . Europe 1941 to 1945, that has been the "mission" of the T-34. I think, that the Sherman hadn't been in active use (real conflicts!) till the mid of the 1990s, but he had also been for very long decades in service. Israel produced a magnifently improved version of the Sherman and used the tank successfully (against T-34 ) in the numerous Middle East Wars. But if you compare the Sherman to the T-34/85 at the WW-II-level, the Soviet product remains superiour: - cheaper & easier to produce - lower fuel consumption - easier to repair - better gun - better soft ground driving In my opinion, there had been 3 outstanding designs - regarding economy & performance - for tanks during WW II: Besides T-34 & Sherman also the Czech/German "Hetzer" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hetzer , a small and easy to build "Jagdpanzer" on the basis of the excellent Czech Skoda 38 (t) tank. The CSSR produced that small tank destroyer for many years and exported them to Switzerland. It had been a great luck in history, that Germany did not produce the Hetzer earlier and in larger quantities . Wars are won by 3 reasons: - economy & logistics - design of the weapons - strategy, tactics & herosim of the soldiers Germany lost the war for the first two reasons and the Soviets (also the USA) won the war for the first two reasons . Best regards Christian

Dear Vic, you are speaking about the fate of most Soviet collectors . The price range of all high-end items & groups got financially out of reach, if you don't sell your house . So, a large number of collectors focus now to the other communist countries, like Yugoslavia, Mongolia, Bulgaria, etc., where the prices - even for real high-end awards - are still rather affordable: It makes a difference, if you have to pay USD 80.000,- or USD 3.000,- for a communist 1st rate top order . Best regards Christian

Dear Leigh, I hope, something - one of the great orders maybe - would really take you fancy in the future . At least your cap-collection is outstanding . Have you tried to get some information about the both topics you are interested in YU-Partisan-History ? Best regards Christian

Dear "Explorer", that's a great personal story . Here is some Solvenian stuff for you from Velimir Vuksic's OSPREY-book http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=16620 "Tito's Partisans 1941 - 45". The author is not only one of the top military experts in former Yugoslavia, but also a great artist, who has frequent exhibitions of his works. So, all the plates in his book, he painted by himself . Best regards Christian

Dear Paul, sorry, I haven't been for years inside the Military Museum . But, if I look at the Filip's photographs of the tanks outside the museum, they restored and renovated a lot. Some time ago, the tanks & guns had been very rusty and in a bad shape - specially the T-34. BTW: I love the T-34, because it's one of the most perfect products, mankind ever made : That tank actually won the GPW . The T-34 had been also somehow the blue print for the German "Panther", as the KV-1 had been for the German "Tiger I". All experts regard the T-34 as the most approbriate tank at the European war theatre in WW II: Simple, but clever designed & and easy for producing in hughe quantities. The T-34 had been also extremly long in service. It had been the recent Yugoslavian Wars in the 1990s, where that tank had been used at the battle fields. No other tankdesign had been successfully in use for over 55 years and in highly different war theatres: Europe, Asia & Africa. The aviation department of the Military Museum is in a large round building at the airport of Belgrade, where you can see some MiGs (incl. MiG-29), domestic made jets and the fragments of the shot down F-117 A. So, when you get out the plane in Belgrade, include one or two hours for visiting the aircraft collection . Best regards Christian

Dear Paul, o.k., no problem, we will wait for General Pavkovic . Filip found already the link to SND. I hope, that you don't have to move to Bagdad . Best regards Christian

Dear Jim, good arguments . I have a got a new exchange ribbon with my Nakhimov-Medal-group, but I didn't exchange the ribbon . On the other side: I wouldn't have purchased another Nevsky T 2 for my humble & modest collection without the restored top-ray of the red star: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=14011 . O.K., I only paid less than USD 290,- (some years ago) in Vienna for that Nachimov T 2 . Darrell's argument has weight: Who knows, who has done the repair work at the orders? Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, it would be interesting to know, why you collect / are interested in YU-Communist-Awards ? In my case, the story is rather simple: I have familary roots to Yugoslavia, I am a lobbyist for Serbian interests in the world of diplomacy & economy and I collect Soviet Awars since 1994 - AND YU-Awards are very nice in design and well manufactured (still very moderate in price ). Best regards Christian

"Order of Freedom": Full decoration AND mini ? Gentlemen, at my attached photograph, I see, that comrade Tito has his "Order of Freedom" AND the corresponding mini at his jacket. Did I see right ? Best regards Christian

Dear Filip, sorry ...... , the scans loaded too slowly - you have the T-34 in your photographs . Best regards Christian BTW: Many thanks for your exceptional photo documention .

Dear Filip, you didn't show the impressive T-34/85 just around the corner . Best regards Christian

That's right . Best regards Christian

Dear Jim, my first guess, a Soviet officer, who defected to the west ? I have to check the history first ... Best regards Christian BTW: I didn't knew, that such a vodka exists ....

Dear "seb16trs", that are good news - thanks for the important information . I never managed to get a copy of that book . Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, month ago, in the old "monster-thread", I already put the question, if the 3 classes of the "Order of Labour" and "Merit to the people" - the two most common orders in former Yugoslavia - might have been awarded in a consecutive way: First you get the 3rd class, then the 2nd class and at the end the 1st class. Like the Soviet Orders of "Glory" or "Labour Glory". The two documented "Orders of Labour" 3cl & 2cl in my collection had been "long service awards" to jubilees of the professional career of the receipient: First she got the 3rd class and then - years later - 2nd class. But I am rather sceptical about consecutive awardings in Yugoslavia. Does anyone know something about that topic ? Best regards Christian

Marian Furlan & Henad Bjelos: YUGOSLAVIA ARMY INSIGNIA & DECORATIONS 1918-1990 Gentlemen, in 1991 the "Militaria House" in Toronto published - in English language - that well known small guide to YU Military Awards, which covers on 92 pages not only Tito's army, but also the Royal Army since 1918. The book contains - rather original sized - illustrations in black and white. It starts with the brief sketch of the complex of Yugoslav history, from medieval Kingdom of Serbia, Djordje Petrovic and his rebellion against the Turks, Serbian independence under Prince Milos Obrenovic, to the Balkan League, assasination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and beginning of World War I, Kingdom of Yugoslavia, World War II and Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia under Tito. ISBN: 9780929757438 Militaria House, 238 Davenport Road, P.O. Box 99, Toronto, Ontario, M5R 1J6, Canada Every now and then, you can find the booklet for about USD 20,- at e-bay or Amazon. In the moment, there is now offer somewhere in the internet . It is a small book in b/w, which covers only the military awards, but better than nothing . Best regards Christian

Dear Paddy, I already posted, that I like Timo's ("Noor") Glory 2cl and the repair work. If I would look out for a Glory 2cl, it would Timo's item prefer actually to the Glory 2cl, which Igor offers since yesterday for USD 780,- (researched, thin variant, but with some queer silver & gold wash on it - maybe also some enamel repair at "SLAVA"): http://www.collectrussia.com/DISPITEM.HTM?ITEM=16954 . Best regards Christian

To restore - or not restore ... Gentlemen, we have touched a crucial question . In understand the argumentation of Ed and Bryan: Restoration "yes", but only ordered by the receipient (=veteran) of the order. Restoration "no", when ordered by museum, collector or dealer. I started collecting as early as in the mid of the 1970s: Fine arts, european paintings of the period around 1900 (orders & medals are still a smaller part of my collection). In the Fine-Arts-Business we let restore, have to restore and have to do that from time to time. O.K., oil paintings or differnt to awards from metal & enamel . What I want to say is, that the topic "restoration" is absolutly no question in most of the fields, that have to do with collecting visual arts. O.K., we don't but "new hands" to an ancient sculptur . The question is, if the restoration of an order - done by museums, collectors or dealers - is legitimate or not ? AND, as Darrell pointed out, who can tell, who has done the repair, if there are no photographs, like in Noor's case? Well, I am totally not sure about that topic and have to admit, that Ed's arguments are strong ones. It would propose to collect some pro & contras and find then a decision in our collectors community . Best regards Christian

Dear Jim, many thanks for these highly interesting links . Sushi & vodka is the ideal combination . Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, the Military Museum in Belgrade - located at one of the most beautyful spots of Europe in the old Turkish-Austrian-Serbian fortress Kalemegdan at a hill in the center of the city over the confluence of the two hughe rivers Danube & Sava - offers also a comprehensive collection of YU-Awards and an excellent documentation of the Tito-Era. It is open from 10:00 to 17:00 and you will find there also some experts in military history. Sorry, there are only links in Serbian language and the website of the museum is rather dated . http://www.muzej.mod.gov.yu/ http://sr.wikipedia.org/sr-el/%D0%92%D0%BE...%80%D0%B0%D0%B4 You shouldn't miss to visit the location, when you are in Belgrade . Best regards Christian