Christian Zulus

Dear William, these are outstanding beauties - many thanks for sharing them to us . The former President of our "Austrian - Yugoslav Society" (founded 1936, but now renamed to "Austrian - Serbian Union", where I have the honour to work as the Secretary General http://www.oejg.net ), Heinz Fischer (now President of Austria http://www.hofburg.at/index.php?sid=48&amp...amp;language=en ), got such a 1st class at the 12th of september 1988. Heinz Fischer had been President of our bilateral & official society from 1983 till 1993, when the Austrian state dissolved our society with the argument, that Yugoslavia as a state doesen't exist anymore . After the NATO-war 1999 we gained the right again - with strong support from Austrian industry & banks - to reestablish the "Austrian - Yugoslav Society" in january 2000. Heinz Fischer did a lot for the bilateral relations between Yugoslavia & Austria and is still President of the Austrian "Vuk-Karadzic-Society" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vuk_Stefanovi...ad%C5%BEi%C4%87 for cultural exchange and supports the needs of our "Austrian - Serbian Union". Could you please tell me, who of our diplomats got - and when - the other 1st class of the Yugoslavian Flag ? I assume, that person had been a former ambassador to Yugoslavia. Best regards Christian BTW: Do you collect YU-Awards, because of their sheer beauty - or do you have a special relationship or interest to the Westbalkans ?

Dear Bryan, no, it just happend by accident . A year ago I had a professional photographer as a guest, showed him around and he was impressed by the medals and also by the "heroic" photographs of the bearers in the PMD-bible and in other books. The weather was excellent, he had an b/w-film in the camera and asked me, if he can make some photographs with me & the medals on - also in a somehow "heroic" style like on the old photographs. The result had been the YU-Commissar-photograph and this other one. A little bit in this thread, because it doesn't show a YU-cap . It shows me as a Soviet "Hero of Socialist Labour" and I use that photograph - without the HSL - for commercial purposes also, because it got really excellent: Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, that's the direct link to Yuri's YU-section: http://www.netdialogue.com/yy/Europe/Yugos...a/SFRY/SFRY.htm . Best regards Christian BTW: William, many thanks for giving the link to us .

Gentlemen, well, I think, I need new glasses: IKOM & Zagreb are not located in the CCCP . Best regards Christian

Dear Mr. Margulies, many thanks for your valid insight-information about Belgrade as a market for YU-Awards and welcome to GMIC-Yugoslavia . I assume, your service at the US Embassy had been a rather pleasent time in your life - Belgrade is in terms of overall "life-quality" one of the finest locatians in Europe (if you have some money to spend ). What had been your impressions about Serbia & Belgrade? Could you tell us something about the numismatic club(s) in Belgrade? Did you buy YU-Awards in Belgrade? Some years ago I bought for EUR 30,- an Soviet Order of the "Red Banner" serial nummer 333.348 (10/10 condition) from a friend in Belgrade, which he got from the numismatic club. Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, sorry, I just realized, that the photograph at my GMIC-profile is far too small to make out that special cap badge. Here in full size again: Best regards Christian

Dear William, sorry, it had been my mistake . I regarded the "Grand Star" as the 1st class of the order - among CCCP-orders you just count from 1 to 3 . Do you have a link to Yuri Yashnev's website ? Best regards Christian

Might be "Made in the CCCP" ? Best regards Christian

Dear Leigh, don't worry, there is a big amount of written content at 64 pages . That's a very special question to a very special topic . You should contact the author of the book, Velimir Vuksic (b. 1954), directly. He worked at the Belgrade Military Museum and still has full access to the archives. He lives now in Zagreb (he is Croat) and is also a great military painter and illustrator: Dipl.-Ing. Velimir Vuksic Ilica 54 10.000 Zagreb Croatia velimir.vuksic@zg.tel.hr http://pubwww.srce.hr/husar/ (his website - partly still under construction!) I think, that he ist the "1st adress" for your wanted documentations . Best regards Christian

Great stuff, Leigh - almost a complete collection . Best regards Christian

Dear Leigh, so, the small book would fullfill your intentions for 100 % Best regards Christian

Dear Jim, these are true words . For that reason the surviving crew members of the K-19 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_submarine_K-19 should receive the Nobel Peace Prize, as Gorbacev suggested . They never got their HSUs only RBs . Let's take a drink for those, who are still out on patrol..... Many thanks for the Foxtrot-link. Best regards Christian BTW: During the "Cuba-Crisis" - caused by a nuclear provocation by the US-Administration in Turkey, close to the CCCP-border - had been the world very close to to a 3rd world war. Kennedy - as an unexperienced president and suffering from very bad health (almost like the late Brezhnev) - played a dangerous game. Also Khrushchev presented a rather "weak" figure in that game. The memoirs of Soviet General Anatoly Gribkov http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatoly_Gribkov , who played the Soviet key-role during "Anadyr" at Cuba, a worth reading (sorry, only in Russian or German ).

YU-cap-badge of political commissar or officer of a "Proletarian Brigade" Gentlemen, at my GMIC-profile http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showuser=922 you will see me with a Titovka in solid quality and with the badge of either a political commissar or an officer of a "Proletarian Brigade". The badge is ident to the one shown in post #1, BUT with an golden "hammer & sickle" in the middle of the red star. The badge had been the same to commissars and officers of the YU-Elite-Forces in WW II. Got the badge for a few cents at a flea market in Belgrade. Best regards Christian

Dear Frank, seems that you are the winner again . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasili_Alexandrovich_Arkhipov I didn't find anything about such an incident in my 2 books about Soviet subs from Peter Huchthausen and other submarine publications . Best regards & congratulations Christian BTW: At least I am a rather well "scout" for getting to the answers .

Velimir Vuksic: "Tito's Partisans 1941 - 1945" Gentlemen, may I recommend a small, but comprehensive, well written and excellent illustrated book about WW II in Yugoslavia at a moderate price: http://www.ospreypublishing.com/title_detail.php/title=S6755 Best regards Christian

Yugoslav People's Army existed till mid 1992 Gentlemen, I found out, that the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) existed as long, as to the 8th of may 1992 (!), when she became the Yugoslav Army (Vojska Jugoslavije - VJ). Till that time - and I assume also months later on - Yugoslavia still confered communist military awards, with the JNA-logos. So, we have a time of 50 years - 1943 to 1992 - of communist military awards in Yugoslavia. Best regards Christian

Designer of the "Partisan Stars": Antun Augustincic (1900 - 1979) Gentlemen, I installed a new thread about the famous sculptor & medal-designer Augstincic: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=16619 Best regards Christian

Antun Augustincic - Yugoslavia's most famous sculptor Gentlemen, the Croatian sculptor Antun Augustincic (1900 - 1979), educated in Paris and Zagreb, designed the "Partisan Stars" and other early YU-Awards. In the 1970s Yugoslavia built a comprehensive museum in Croatia for it's most famous sculptor: http://www.mdc.hr/augustincic/eng/home.html Best regards Christian

Dear Jim, I am rating Gavrilov - specially with Rach #2 & #3 - higher than Kissin or Grimaud: The first has an immaculate and stupend technique, but no real insight and true emotion and the second doesn't have the technique to play these concerts at the same level as the great "Count" Rach himself . But the benchmark are still Rach's - ultra-cool - own recordings of his concerts (NAXOS) - the same, as Beethoven would play his "Mondscheinsonate" himself ... Rach lived in Switzerland and during the GPW he gave propaganda-concerts for the Soviet Union, despite the fact, that he left Russia due to the Octoberrevolution. Back to your question: Without enemy fire - only "fire" - and without retaliation, but with KEY, I would guess, that it's Marshall Malinovski and the K-19-incident - but that's not the answer. "Key" & naval officer & ship/high (or deep) sea points to a submarine, to a nuclear submarine with ballistic missiles on board. Two person on board have the key for launching the rockets: The CO + the political officer, who have to use the key simultanous. But I don't remember such incident at all . For what else do you need a key on board of a ship, then for launching missiles ? Dave might know the answer, he is an authentic FCO of the US-Navy . Best regards Christian

Dear Vic, congratulations - these are very fine pieces . The one with the vertical pin belongs to Dan "Hauptman" . Best regards Christian BTW: Unnumbered Orders of Labour are rarer and have a higher market value .

Dear Jim, should have been an extraordinary fine concert tonight . Gravilov is suits very well as a pianist for Rach's #3 and the Simon-Bolivar-Youth-Orchestra (+ their conductor) are absolute first rate. Some weeks ago I had talks with the ambassador of Venezuela in Vienna to start a cultural exchange & partnership (in terms of classical music) between Serbia & Venezuela (Chavez is very popular in Serbia ). I would like to bring together some of our great solists from Serbia with that fantastic youth orchestra. I never heard the young Venezulenians live in concert . Tell me: How precise had been the intonation and the harmony among the strings? The brass is famous in Venzuela! Coming back to your quiz question: So, it has neither to do with Sevastopol, nor Novorossyisk ("small land"), Stalingrad, Budapest or Vienna ? Might be a case in the Baltic Sea 1944/45, Soviet ship, submarine, vessel, etc. attacked by a hughe German ship with thousends of (civilian) refugees on board ... So, no retailiation ... Best regards Christian

Thanks for the hint . So, it is a "real" Naval Officer at the high sea + ship - not a naval pilot, naval infantry, danube flottillia, etc. ? Best regards Christian

Would be great - your question might be too general . 3 b) I can only guess: Marshal Zhukov ? Best regards Christian

Dear William, congratulations to both sets (4 awards + ribbons + cases) . Do you know the history of these orders - foreign politicans or diplomats? So you are the lucky owner of the 2nd & 3rd class of Yugoslavia's highest ranking order . Do you also have a "Hero of Socialist Labour (YU)" in your collection, you use as your avatar in the "other" forum ? Best regards Christian BTW: Many thanks for participating at GMIC and showing your treasuries to us .

Dear "Wild Card", great set . That's the ID-card + badge of a member of the Supreme Soviet of the Kasach-Republic . Very cool photograph . Best regards Christian