Christian Zulus

ANSWER Dear Christophe, many thanks for your offer - I will try my best . 1. City and complete name of the location ? - Moscow & "Victory Park" (Park Pobedy) 2. Name of the room ? - "Hall of Glory" (Zal Slavy) 3. When has it been possible for the public to see this specific Order for the 1st time ? - well, the location, monuments & museum had been officially built from 1983 to 1995 (50th anniversary of victory), the Metro-station had been opened 2003 and the different churches even later. I think they are still working at the site. So, I guess: X-mas 2005 or 1995 ? Sorry, I have never been to "Victory Park" ... Best regards Christian

Well, I think, that "Victory" is rather hughe and located in one of the recently built/finished memorial-locations in the Russian Federation. I think, that "Victory" had been already presented at GMIC . Best regards Christian

Dear Bryan, so, we already spotted 4 persons . Who are the other 2 comrades? Best regards Christian

To gospodin "slava1stclass": "Лепа реч и гвоздена врата отвара." ("A nice word may open an iron gate."): These are good and true words . Here in Vienna we say: "Der Ton macht die Musik" ("The sound makes the music.") . Any news about the publishing date of your "Glory-Book"? Maybe you could share some items of your great collection with us at GMIC . Pozdrav Christian

Dear Doc, the research is going on . But besides my interest (as a historian), how the mistake happened, I have no problem with my Glory-set, because it is "problem free" . I only quote Slava's opinion about faked books, he posted at the "other" Soviet awards forum. Best regards Christian

Dear Ron, I just checked the entry of Red Banner #2 and I think, that it was NO "long-service-order". Medal & Red Star: yes. (10 & 15 years) Sorry for my mistake . Best regards Christian

Dear Bryan, dear Christophe, many thanks for the great pics It has been my first time, to see comrade Ustinov as a (rather) young guy . So, to receive 2 (two) Octoberrevolutions was not soooooo uncommon ? One from the CCCP and one from the Republic ? Best regards Christian BTW: Central Armed Forces Museum is THE "Mekka" for Military-fans, because it is the home of the "Victory-Banner" from the Reichstag - the most important symbol of the GPW.

Gentlemen, I collect Soviet Awards for all the excellent reasons mentioned in the postings at this thread - and for 2 reasons more: - my scientific interest in the history of the CCCP - focusing on the period 1927 to 1991 and - in the mid 1990s I obtained my "crown jewels" really cheap - today the prices are out of reach ... Best regards Christian

Dear Ron, great group of a top-gun pilot 54928 = missing Lenin 5768 = missing Motherland 3cl (very low s/n.!) The two "long-service-orders" - Red Star & Red Banner #2 - are also missing. Best regards Christian

Second Order of the Oktoberrevolution !!!!!!!! Dear Ferdinand, many thanks for the nice pics of the late Marshal Pstygo, even if we don't see him with full decorations to make out his RB #7 & RB #8 . What we can make out at the scans is, that comrade Pstygo wears 2 (two) Orders of the Oktoberrevolution(!!!!) . Such cases are rare and against the regulations and statutes of the order. I only know two further comrades, who received a second Oktoberrevolution: - Brezhnev (that has to be logic ) - Volodymyr Shcherbytsky (Владимир Васильевич Щербицкий), who had been party-chief in the Ukraine for many, many years. How could these happen? Rather simple: The first Oktoberrevolution the comrades received from the Supreme Soviet of the CCCP and the second award they got from the Supreme Soviet of Ukraine . Best regards Christian

Dear Dave, at least we have the two photographs shown at this GMIC-thread with RBs #7 . O.K., that's not revolutionary, but might be a very first step. We will need more photomaterial and records & documents from the mint: Did they produce these items (before dec. 1991!) or not? It should be possible to bring some light into the dark clouds of mystery, which partly cover our nice hobby (or business). For my taste, there is generally to much "mystery" in collecting Soviet Awards , but the truth shall make us free ... Best regards Christian

Discussion about that subject at the "other" Soviet awards forum from the year 2002 to 2004 Gentlemen, I just checked my old postings at the "other" Soviet awards forum and the discussion about the subject "RB #6+ - yes or no?" and want to sum up the different viewpoints in the year 2002 till 2004. All postings can be found in this thread: http://www.soviet-awards.com/forum/showthr...?t=16&pp=10 . Paul McDaniel (phoned by Eugene Rabkin) stated, that he heared from a relyable source in Russia, that RB #7, #8, etc. have never been manufactured and don't exist. After that statement the owner of the "other" Soviet forum noted at his website, that no RBs beyond #6 do exist. RB #6+: NO. Eugene Rabkin posted, that he knows about the existence of about 20 genuine and authentic RBs #7, which had been produced by the mint and a maximum of 10 pieces might have been confered. RB #8 had been never produced and the mentioned awardee got an ordinary RB. RB #7: YES & RB #8: NO. Dietrich Herfurth (phoned by myself) stated, that he is not shure, if the RB #8 (belonging to a collector in Germany) he photographed for the new edition of his booklet, had been an actually issued one or manufactured by the Moscow Mint (with original tools!) after the end of the Soviet Union. RB # 6+: YES, but maybe mint-made in the 1990s. The fact is, that the Moscow Mint had have (the website is now death) a commercial site, where they sold (for rather high prices) genuine and authentic Soviet Orders & Medals fresh from the mint and in 10/10-quality to anybody, who was willing to pay the sums at the price tags. I also heard rumors, that the mint produced RBs #9 with the original tools. Here are the official websites of GOZNAK and St.-Petersburg-MD: http://www.goznak.ru/eng/site.shtml?id=5 (engl.) http://www.mintspb.ru/ (russ.) The results of the discussion at this thread at GMIC showed, that at least RB #7 was documented by photographs with the bearers in uniforms. Had been ever any RBs #6+ at the market, which had not been fakes at the first sight? If yes, I think they would not have had a PMD-authentication, because his viewpoint was, that they don't exist. Are there any RBs #6+ at Russian museums? Does anyone have a RB #7, RB #8 or RB #9 in his collection and regards that piece as authentic and genuine? Gentlemen, many thanks for your support in advance - maybe we can bring some light into the mystery . Best regards Christian

Dear "Order of Victory", great set, for at great artist! It would be even greater, if it would be from the early 1940s with the ORGINAL signature in blue ink of comrade Stalin and with the filled in entry of issuing date in the small ID-booklet . But the price, Igor asks for his Stalin-1cl-set, is moderate - taking the rarity and historical weight into consideration. Best regards Christian

Dear Ed, wise words - you are exactly right . Such groups like that http://www.collectrussia.com/DISPITEM.HTM?ITEM=12161 would be great pieces of human history, if the group would contain the torne out photographs, include the big HSL-award-document, the medal "People's Physician of the CCCP" and the prize-medal shown on the photograph (Lenin-Prize ?). The asked price would be o.k., if the booklets wouldn't be mutilated and the big document included. Igor notes about the group: "The recipient, Galina Safronenko, was Chief Gynecologist of the Kherson Region of the Ukraine. She is still remembered there as an extraordinary doctor who had saved many lives. The citation in his Hero's certificates reads "for outstanding achievements in safeguarding health of Soviet people". Another point is, that the collectors argue, that Labour Awards can't be researched. But if someone manages to get access to the archives of the (former) Supreme Soviet, than everything might be possible. There have to be records about confering Labour Awards. Best regards Christian

Books from Markus Wolf Gentlemen, comrade Wolf wrote also several books - about his life, the life of his friends, history and cooking (!) - and one had been translated into English: http://www.amazon.com/Man-Without-Face-Mar...TF8&s=books Best regards Christian BTW: F?r Deutsch Sprechende ist hier der Link zur Hauptrede auf Wolfs Begr?bnis, die sein langj?hriger Freund, der deutsche Filmemacher Manfred Wekwerth, am 25. November 2006 gehalten hat: http://www.kpoe.at/presseblick/1266.html .

Soviet Prize-Medals as super-bargains? Dear Christophe, many thanks for the link I also think, that this - USD 800,- to 850,- - would be the present price range. I have in my collection the medal "Meritorious Pilot of the CCCP" (no s/n. and with the rv. ident with the picture in the right corner at p. 134 in Herfurth's booklet) and this - also extremly rare - medal sells at the present for the same money. It is rather strange, that the ultra-rare state-prize-medals have such a moderate market value . Except the Stalin-Prize-Medals, which cost several times more, but are still - in relation to rarity & historical importance - completly underrated in their value. Maybe the Prize-Medals are to rare to gain adequate market prices ? So, do you have a new question for us ? Best regards Christian

Dear usairforce, nice mixed badges . Can you tell us more about them? Best regards Christian

Gentlemen, Col.-Gen. Markus Wolf died last month unexpected : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markus_Wolf I have got copies of his personal records from the Stasi-Ministery (MfS) and figured out his Soviet Awards: 26.02.66: 20 yrs. Victory 08.05.70: GPW 2 cl 30.11.70: 100th birthday Lenin 26.06.73: Red Banner 31.01.75: Friendship of Nations 23.09.75: 30 yrs. Victory 11.03.81: Strenghtening of Fellowship of Arms Medal 08.02.85: Red Banner (no #2 !) 03.05.85: 40 yrs. Victory A rather impressive list for a foreigner - and no "Birthday-Awards" . Maybe his FoN and the second RB come close to his birthday at the 19th of january, but these two birthdays haven't been so-called "round" or "half-round" birthdays, when top-comrades usually received their Lenins, RBs, HSUs, RBLs, etc. RB & FoN had been typical awards for meritorious comrades in the secret service. Besides of these Soviet awards, comrade Wolf got the full range of all GDR-awards, some CSSR-awards and a lot of other foreign awards. Would be nice to see Wolf's complete group + all documents at the market . Best regards Christian

Dear Christophe, simply "Krupskaya-Medal" - nothing more . BTW: I have never seen such a medal at the market - have you any idea about the market value? The medal looks nice and the design is good. Best regards Christian

KRUPSKAYA-MEDAL Dear Christope, congratulations, you are right . It is the so-called "Krupskaya-Medal" - rather rare and rather unknown. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadezhda_Kons...novna_Krupskaya Here is the entry of this medal in Dr. Herfurth's booklet (4th edition): So it is your turn, Christophe . Best regards Christian

Heavy cloud of suspicion & doubt at GMIC To Mr. "slava1stclass", if you say, yes the 3 medals + the document looks o.k. and appear legit, where do you mark out the "heavy cloud of suspicion/doubt"? I want to remind, that you posted in the "other" Soviet awards forum, that you have never seen a doctored - old & worne ones, not new ones, fresh from the stock with faked entries - Cavaliers Booklet. You are THE expert of the Order of Glory in the collectors community. So, if your remarks about Cavaliers Booklets, should not be valid anymore, please show us some scans of your large and impressive collection, which show forged old, rotten & smelly Cavaliers Booklets . I assume, the "sentiments"-discussion might be initiated by the feeling: "These awards are not in my collection - had not been traded by me -, so they have to be fakes" . Gnitienko's Glory-Trio is a set of your very 1st category, with Cavaliers Booklet, all entries, photograph and stamp of the military commissariat. Besides of these facts, Gnitienko's Glory 1 cl medal is in an almost 10/10 condition, due to the fact, that he received his order in 1981. Glory-sets of your 1st category had not been at the market for a long time - they are rather rare and only a few hundred might exist. Dave mentioned, that the market value of Gnitienko's set might be about USD 8.000,- and it might be rather difficult to find a buyer - a "not right-minded collector" - for that "heavy clouded" set. That is a (bad) joke in my eyes. I assume, that you would buy that set at the spot for USD 8k and trade it to one of the listed collectors, who are waiting for 1st-category-set, for about USD 16k - 100% profit . To all: At the the top of this page it is written "For the serious collector of military history" and NOT "For the eager and ambitious trader & buzinezman" . I am collecting. I never sold or traded one item. I want to research the "crown juwels" in my modest collection. I have a strong scientific interest in the history of the Soviet Union. Best regards Herr Zulus, MSc (WU)

Issuing number of the Cavaliers Booklet not listed in the special award card Dear Andrew, many thanks for your support . Gregory (another "Gregory"), who conducts the research of Gnitienko's Glory-Trio told to me, that it is really strange, that the issuing number of the Cavaliers Booklet - I # 503369 - is not listed at his special award card. Andrew, what do you about that fact - did they work in a rather "sloppy" way in 1980/81? Another theory about the mismatching s/n.: Maybe Gnitienko's Glory 1 cl + Cavaliers Booklet never reached Charkov - got lost, was stolen, etc. - and Moscow sent a new medal with a new Cavaliers Booklet to Charkov ? Would it be possible to ask the heirs & relatives of Gnitienko about the case, or is it to difficult to dedect them somewhere in the region of Charkov? Would it be possible to find some newspaper articles about Gnitienko?

Dear Dave, many thanks for the scan . It is very small .... Do you still have the datas of the set - receipients name, s/n. and so on? What type of Cavaliers Booklet or OK is that? It looks unusal - the stamps also . How did the forgery took place - they took a fresh OK from the stock? It would be a great attachment to fake-section at GMIC. Best regards Christian

Dear Dave, Believe me, if I would offer Gnitienko's Glory-Trio right now, here at the spot, for USD 8.000,-, then I would have within one hour 4 offers from Russia, 3 offers from China, 2 offers from the USA and one offer from Vienna, Austria (also a Russian guy) . Believe me, I wouldn't sell the set for USD 20.000,- and I am happy to have it . Nobody has ever shown to the collectors community a perfectly doctored or faked old, used, smelly and worne Cavaliers Booklet. Do you really think, that forgers obtained a blank booklet 10 years ago and gave the booklet to one poor devil to use it for 10 years, that it gets smelly and spoiled ? The Glory-Trio is problem-free and research will show, where the clerical mistake took place - Soviet Union was a mess in the 1980 and the administration in agony. Best regards Christian

Dear Dave, many thanks for that highly interesting story: Could show at least the bad scans to us and tell us the datas of the set. Many thanks in advance . Best regards Christian