Christian Zulus

Gentlemen, our YU-expert Milan "Orden Master" switched over from YU-Awards to royal Serbian Awards at a time, when the royal awards had been still affordable. Now their prices skyrocketed like the Russian imperial awards. O.K., it's a little bit , but have a look at the beautyful predessors of our YU-Awards. Most of them had been manufactured in Vienna, the more or less cultural center of the Serbs in the 18th & 19th century - even their (written) language had been invented in Vienna . Milan's collection: http://www.orden.stojanovic.ch/ Best regards Christian

Dear Ivan, your grandfather got really the full range of 1st classes . You still keep all his awards ? Would it be possible, that you start a new thread showing us your grandfather's orders . My daughters grand-grand aunt got only the two "Orden Rada" for long service in journalism , but as a member of the high aristocracy (countess Boreli from Zadar), she had not been soooooo convinced from Communism . My grand uncle Josef "Sepp" Gradl worked - as a top-communist - from 1945 to 1955 in key positions of the Austrian police. After the Soviet Army left Austria, they kicked him out and he never got any awards from the Austrian Republic . Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, our chairman Nick gave us a own section - many thanks to him . Please do the postings concerning NEW topics in NEW threads, so we can get away from that "monster-thread" . Might it be possible, that one of our YU-Experts can try to post a overview catalogue - as in the "other" Soviet forum - about YU-Awards as a pinned thread for our new section - many thanks in advance . Many thanks to all comrades, who supported the establishing of the Yugoslavia-GMIC-section . Best regards Christian

NEW QUESTION ? Gentlemen, now a really easy question about a well known guy, who earned a large collection of Soviet medals . Who am I? What did I do? What is so special about my medals? Try to guess - you will know that comrade, even without his medals at his chest . Best regards Christian

Website about Yugoslavian Military History Gentlemen, here http://www.vojska.net/eng/ you will find a well made and comprehensive website about Yugoslavian Military History in fourteen (14) different languages. Best regards Christian

They are BIG Best regards Christian

Dear Ivan, is it the same grandfather, who had been a comrade to my grand uncle Josef Gradl in the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War ? As I already told you, Josef Gradl had been rescued from the Nazis by Yugoslavian Partisans in WW II . Best regards Christian Austrian Communist Josef Gradl (in the middle) in 1939:

IAR-95 "Spey" Dear Carol, found it - it's the Spey: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAR_95 . It was really a pity, that the joint venture between Romania & Yugoslavia broke . So neither the Romanians, nor we could build a supersonic fighter. But the Spey lives on as the Chinese FC-1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FC-1 . Our Novi Avion or "Yugo-Rafaele" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novi_Avion was never born . Hope my answer is right . Best regards Christian

Dear Eric, a very strange badge ... As far as I can tell, the red star & coat of arms of the CCCP look as on authentic "Academy Badges". But the rest is completly queer . Maybe an "expert" in the Baltic states doctered that piece with Soviet and Polish parts together . Best regards Christian

Dear Bryan, no discussion about that - it's logic . "Partisan Star" 3cl & Soviet made . Best regards Christian

Dear Ed, congratulations to your 7.000 postings You started the YU-thread - many thanks . Please could you help us with promoting our wish for a own YU-section at the staff. Many thanks in advance . Best regards Christian

Yugoslavian GMIC-Section Gentlemen, our Chairman Nick wrote me today, that he will look into it. So, let's hope . Some statistics: Including my "YU-shot down F-117 A"-thread we have right now at GMIC 312 YU-related postings with 4.055 views. Gentlemen, that's a quite hughe number and the demand for YU-Awards (still very, very moderate prices!) is growing. Best regards Christian

Dear Ivan, fantastic piece in an icredible beautyful presentation box . How much did you pay for the order? Best regards Christian BTW: Could you give us a small overview about the market & price situation for YU-Awards now in Belgrade - many thanks in advance .

A hughe, heavy and well made YU-Order Dear Dan, if you are really looking for big & heavy stuff (vertical pin for 100 % !), then look out for the "Order of Yugoslavian People's Army" 3cl or 2cl. On my scan you can see, how big these two beasts really are in comparison to a "Partisan Star": http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtop...st&p=157108 . For the gold plated 2nd class it is important to look for a genuine silver example - it's simply heavier . Among the more common YU-Orders I regard the "People's Army" - beside the "Partisan Star" as the most beautiful and most classic design. Just look at the 3 dudes at center: They really look heavy - specially the guy with the massive hammer . The golden 2nd class has been confered only 9.137 times and the silver 3rd class 45.384 times. So, these are rather moderate numbers. Prices & market situation in the USA: One year ago a 2nd class sold at e-bay for USD 158,-. Some time ago the great dealer Alexei http://pw1.netcom.com/~merezhko/militaria.html sold a boxed 3rd class for USD 65,- and a boxed 2nd class USD 120,-. These are the scans of the two "People's Army" Alexei sold: "People's Army" seems to be a little bit rare now . Maybe contact our "Orden Master" Milan for getting the items for a rather moderate price. Best regards Christian BTW: Igor asks USD 25,- for a Labour-3cl-Mini: http://www.collectrussia.com/DISPITEM.HTM?ITEM=3816 .

Getting closer ... Dear Carol, so we have to deal with CNIAR Industria Aeronautică Rom?nă . I assume, that at the same time, when Romania developed with Yugoslavia (SOKO) the IAR-93 or our ORAO (= eagle), they also tried to develop their own mach-2-aircraft - also with Rolls-Royce engines. The project might have been stopped, because it had been more economically to stay with the MiG-21, which is still in service: http://www.defense-update.com/news/lancer.htm . Up to now, I did not find any traces about that ambitious project in the www . Best regards Christian

Dear Dan, yes, you are exactly right - I just didn't mention them in my post . I already posted some of my CCCP-coins here: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=14224 . Best regards Christian

Dear Carol, one step further . In the 1960s & 1970s Romania had big troubles with the "Great Brother" CCCP. Almost an invasion - like 1968 in the CSSR - seemed to be possible. Romania had somehow a "YU-position" among the socialistic states, with almost closer ties to France, than to the CCCP. So, there had been a need for fighter-jet. But who should deliver the engines & technique: France, CCCP - ? Why did Romania not by some french "Mirage"? Best regards Christian

Dear Bryan, our Serbian friend Milan "Orden Master" from Switzerland would be a perfect choice for the host, because he has the knowledge about the topic, is a Serbian native speaker and - despite the fact he switched over to royal YU-Awards - he owned a comprehensive collection of (nearly all!) YU-Awards from the Tito-Era. Best regards Christian

Dear Dan, great and beautiful piece . ... and welcome to the Yugo-community . The ribbon bar(s) are usually in the box. The miniature you have to get extra - they can be "rather" expensive in comparison to the order, but from the right source, you might get it for a few dollars . I like the design of the the "Orden Rada" 3cl & 2cl: Pure, simple & typical. The 1st class of that order is a little bit "kitsch". Dan, try to get a "Partisan Star 3cl", as long as they sell for less than USD 100,-, if you look around at the market. An item from Soviet production: Enamel is much better! For me, the "Partisan Star" is the most typical (and most famous) of all YU-Awards : http://www.collectrussia.com/DISPITEM.HTM?ITEM=15929 Best regards Christian

Dear Bryan, many thanks for your support . If the price would be a bargain, I will collect them - just to "round up" the genuine YU-Awards and to show the decline of YU-Awards after 1991. At least I want to buy "Order of Freedom" from Gen. Pavkovic, if I might make a fortune in the coming time . Best regards Christian BTW: Yugoslavia has more replies than Cuba and almost as much as Albania, but still not a GMIC-section by it's own .

Gentlemen, that case is another proof, how liberal the Soviet regime had been . Maybe he also got some medals for participating in the GPW - wrong side, but who cares . Serious: As a true and native German Mr. Johannes had some arguments towards the NKVD-interrogations, why he had to serve for some month in TR-Army. As a Russian, the NKVD would have shot him or sentenced for many years to labour camp in Siberia. Very interesting case - many thanks for sharing to us . Best regards Christian

Dear Vic, congratulations to your promotion to the rank of a "Senior Member" . Great and artistic stamps - I never saw them before . I myself have a small collection of the well known stamps of the 1940s showing the Soviet awards - you can see them in the 1st book about CCCP-Military-Awards from Dr. Herfurth. They are very common and not rare at all. Years ago I bought a very nice made "souvenir"-album with a collection of stamps dealing with Lenin inside. Also not rare and rather common. Appropriate stamps & souvenir pins & badges should belong to every serious collection of CCCP-Awards Best regards Christian

Dear Carol, many thanks for the informations. But it is correct, that we are in the 1970s. Germany ? - chancelled because of the Tornado-project ? Romania ? - maybe they stole some blue prints from the Soviet design bueros ? So, I don't have to look through my MiG-library . Best regards Christian BTW: The MiG-29 had been the supreme jet-fighter-concept of the 1970s, concerning superiority, easyness to fly, STOL-ability & economy, I assume .

Dear Carol, many thanks for your classification link . So, we are talking about alternative blue-prints for the MiG-29-Project and about the 1970s in the CCCP, I assume . You showed one model with two engines to us and another one with one engine . The design of the two models remembers me to the typical design of the MiG-buero . The answer of your question No. 3 should be easy: The MiG-29 went into skies & production . I have some books about MiG-designs and will study them . Best regards Christian

To be - or not to be ... Gentlemen, we have the phaleristic Yugoslavia from 1943 to 1991 we all know, collect and appreciate. We have a new (old) state at the Westbalkans from october 2000 (= the Soros, CIA & BND "Operetta-Putsch" ), which was first called "Yugoslavia", then "Union of Serbia and Montenegro - SCG" and now "Republic Serbia", with their own orders and medals in an traditional "Royal Style". What had been the phaleristic reality in the years between 1991 and 2000? On one side they government used 1:1 high-end "copies" of top YU-Awards, i.e., as Milan pointed out with the two "Freedoms" to the two generals, who fought 1999 against the NATO. On the other side they made, as Bryan showed to us, they confered very cheap made and bad done copies (but using old dies!) of YU-Awards - no Red Star, but the Serbian Double Eagle in the center. What represents the "Order of Freedom", which got General Pavkovic 1999 from Slobodan Milosevic ? It looks the same, like Tito's "Freedom". I would like to call the YU-Awards of the period 1991 to 2000 "transitional" and would keep them in our - might be - GMIC-Yugoslavia-section and not transfer them to some "non-communist" sections at GMIC. Gentlemen, what is your opinion about my proposal ? Best regards Christian