Christian Zulus

Question #154

Gentlemen,

a really very easy one :

Who am I ?

The photograph shows me in the year 1945 at the age of 19, so the RS + MMM are no long service awards (1969 I got a OPW 1cl as a catch-up award).

I am of Jewish nationality and got world famous in a completly different profession - even a renowed university bears my name. Also a movie had been made about my military career in WW II, which is regarded by many experts as the best movie about the GPW. My older brother made also a brilliant career in his profession and received a proud collection of Soviet orders & medals. I died rather young.

1) What is my name?

2) What is my nick name, my parents gave to me?

3) What is the title of the mentioned movie?

4) Which famous university bears my name?

The winner is, who answers ALL four (4) questions in a sufficient way.

Best regards

Christian

Gentlemen,

that nasty incident shows clearly the political orientation of that Mr. Yuschenko .

At least Roman Shukhevych got his Hero-Title posthumous .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Shukhevych

UPA appeal poster:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_Insurgent_Army

Any official reactions from Israel, Russia, Poland or Belarus ?

Best regards

Christian

Hello Friends,

the total weight is 31/32 grams .

Do you want see other russian sabres scans ?

Take care and greetings from Rome.

Militalian

Dear Militalian,

the weight of your order is perfect .

Igor offers now s/n. 4790 for USD 5.700,- : http://www.collectrussia.com/DISPITEM.HTM?ITEM=17931

Best regards

Christian

Has anyone had contact with Eugene ("Russian Glory") recently? Several (+) e-mails have gone unanswered. Thanks.

Dear Ed,

Eugene is also a rather busy (and successful) professor for metallurgy (or something like that): http://materials.technion.ac.il/rabkin.html .

Maybe he is involved in the moment in a very time-consuming scientific project, where he has no clear mind to answer mails with phaleristic content ?

Best regards

Christian

BTW: Since our common days at Art's "other Soviet forum", where I had been insulted frequently (and in a very bad manner ) by Prof. Rabkin in the forum, I had no contact to this person.

Dear Charles,

dear Christophe,

many thanks for giving me my victory #31 .

In the moment I am just travelling from Munich to Vienna. So I will post the question tomorrow afternoon.

Best regards

Christian

Charles,

Our pleasure.

But, next time, let us search a little bit more!!!! You helped us too much on this one...

Christian,

Your turn, now!!!!

Cheers.

Ch.

No - not 1928. Closer though - March 14th, 19XX?

Dear Charles,

maybe 1933 or 1934 in Moscow, when he published his last pamphlets ?

1933: The Second International in Dissolution

1934: The Most Burning Question: Unity of Action

1934: Preface to Fundamental Laws of the Chinese Soviet Republic

http://www.marxists.org/archive/kun-bela/index.htm

Best regards

Christian

Gentlemen,

maybe someone should "officially" contact Mr. Rest, owner of MILITARIA publishing house, Vienna ?

It will be absolute neccessary to get from Stefan Rest the layout & structure of the volume about YU-non-communist-awards (items before 1941), do get a perfect matching.

I guess, it would be the best, if Bryan, as our YU Club Host & chief, sends a short e-mail (in German) to Mr. Rest with some very basic informations. In a next step, Waldemar and me could meet Stefan Rest here in Vienna.

We need also Ranko, Milan and some other native experts on board of our ship .

Best regards

Christian

Dear Belaruski,

great find .

No s/n. and no inscription ?

Gold or brass ?

Please could you post the statutes & regulations of the Belarus Hero .

Best regards

Christian

You are on the right track - but perhaps thinking a bit too hard. In 1921 he was well alive and in the good graces and protection of Lenin. Use the hint that it was probably the last known photograph of him alive...and in public...

Dear Charles,

o.k., then it might have been Vienna 1928 before the Austrian Police arrested Bela Kun, due to the fact, he entered Austria with an forged passport.

Bela Kun tried to revitalize the Hungarian Communist movement ...

I guess, Vienna 1928 had been his last public appearence .

Best regards

Christian

Keep going - the background is a bit of a help...and for another hint - this is probably the last known photo of the Hungarian Soviet Republic's leader...

Dear Charles,

so it has to be shot during the "M?rz Aktion" (March Action) in march 1921 in Central Germany (Saxonia), when the KPD tried to seize power. Bela Kun played an active role.

Well, the sculptures of Marx & Engels might also hint to Germany ...

Best regards

Christian

Dear Charles,

conference in september 1920 in Baku of the peoples of the East, where also John Reed participated ?

Best regards

Christian

Yes - that is Kun Bela - but not at a Comintern meeting. If no one else can come up with the RB # in a little bit, I will post it. And corectly he was a freelance journalist in 1910, but his main method of employment at the time was with the Kolozsv?r Workers Insurance Bureau. He was charged with stealing money from the Bureau in 1914 and there was the prospects of imprisonment, but luckily for him....WW1 started and he was able to join the KUK Army to avoid further prosecution. Later in 1917 as a POW in a Russian camp, he was the ringleader of a revolt in the camp over the distribution of Red Cross parcels. In his court marshal which would have ultimately led to his execution he appealed to the local Workers Council that he was a vital member for the revolution, citing himslef as the President of the Social Democratic Workers Insurance Bureau. The Blosheviks did not beleive him and sent a letter to Kolozsv?r to inquire of his status with the party and the bureau. The reply was sent that there was no such position and that Kun was awaiting trial for his criminal activities. When the letter arrived back at the camp, to Kun's ultimate luck.... the camp commander returned the letter to Hungary as he claimed that he had never heard of the POW by the name of Kun Bela (even though legal preceedings were pending against him!)...

This would be the first instance I have heard of an Italian bringing back a Soviet War prize!

Dear Paul,

that's exactly the point .

Best regards

Christian

BTW: For judging, if the order is genuine or not, we will need better scans ...

Dear Kevin,

many thanks for your understanding and for giving further explainations .

Let's wait for our Italian GMIC-member, what he tells us about the history of the order and maybe he will provide better scans .

It might be a very intersting story ...

Best regards

Christian

BTW: I guess, that there are not so many Italian officers, who got a Bogdan Khmelnitsky 3rd class .

Sorry Christian I must apologize, here I used the word "German" by mistake for Italian, I will correct it in my posts,

my point is I do not see why you needed to raise the concern that the item was "stolen" as there are a few possibilities to how

an Italian / German, etc.. etc.. could obtain it,

A, taken from a Russian Soldier,

B,found amongst abandoned equipment,

C,Found in a enemy position,

D,Given to him by a German or Russian.

Kevin in Deva.

Dear Kevin,

I only wanted to tell to GMIC-member "militalia", who told to us, that he has no knowledge about Soviet awards, that it might be also possible, that the Italian cavalry officer might have got the order from an dead or captured Red Army soldier.

The fact is, that thousends of Italian officers fought in the rows of Nazi-Germany against the Soviet Union - just remember Stalingrad 1942/43 .

All nations in WW II collected foreign awards - no doubt about that fact .

Coming back to our Italian GMIC-member's question:

According to the serial number, the Bogdan Khmelnitsky 3rd class should be a type 1 version, with 3 parts of the order.

Concerning the today's market value of a Bogdan Khmelnitsky 3rd class, type 1, it should be well above EUR 3.000,-, I guess. If the Italian cavalry officer got that order for himself, for fighting against the Nazis, the value of the order will be higher - no doubt, if the research will proof that fact.

Best regards

Christian

Dear Christian,

sorry if you misunderstand what I was referring too in my post, the question you asked him was;

*My underline of your words.

Surely, after all these years, it does not matter how it was acquired, as I said in my previous post "I think it is well documented fact, that soldiers on all sides, in all conflicts, have managed to appropriate each others medals, badges and insignias!! I can not recall any one on any of the websites and forums ever bring the word "stole" into play.

The way you have phrased the question gives the indication only a Germans could do such a thing, and we all know that soldiers acquire "War Booty" regardless of what nation they are from.

Kevin in Deva.

Gentlemen,

Stefan Rest, owner of MILITARIA publishing house http://www.militaria.at/ is interested.

Maybe we should make a small draft of our book - just to present the project ?

Best regards

Christian

Dear Kevin,

I guess, there is a bit of misunderstanding from your side .

The GMIC-member from Italiy told to us, that he knows nothing about Soviet Awards and I simply told him 2 possibilities to get Soviet Awards during the GPW at the Eastern Front - so, what's wrong .

Best regards

Christian

Dear Christian,

And without any evidence to prove otherwise, such a statement as above is meaningless,

I think it is well documented fact, that soldiers on all sides, in all conflicts, have managed to appropriate

each others medals, badges and insignias!!

So let he who has not sinned cast the first stone.

Kevin in Deva.

Dear Bryan,

great story of a life in pictures - thanks .

Best regards

Christian

BELA KUN ?

Dear Charles,

the comrade in question looks a bit like the Hungarian Communist Leader BELA KUN http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9la_Kun at a COMINTERN-meeting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comintern ?

I couldn't yet find the s/n. of his RB

In 1910 Bela Kun - or Bela Kohn - worked as a muck-raking journalist with sympathies for the Hungarian Social Democratic Party in Kolozsv?r.

Best regards

Christian

Count me in.

Dear Sasa,

many thanks for your support .

I guess, that Bryan already contacted you.

Best regards

Christian

Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky.

Dear Militalian,

it's the 3rd class of the SOVIET order - a rather rare, important, high-ranking and expensive item (if it is genuine & authentic):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Bogdan_Khmelnitsky

http://www.medals.org.uk/russia/ussr/ussr011.htm

With the engraved serial number, you can have the order researched and find the (old) owner of that award + a lot of datas about his career and biography. Have a look at that section of GMIC: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showforum=106

Did the Italian cavalry officer fight on the Soviet side of the Eastern Front - or on the Nazi side (and stole that order from an Red Army soldier) ?

Best regards

Christian

BTW: Do you have better scans of the order, to make out the type (there are 2 differnt types) ?

Dear Bryan,

lieber Waldemar,

Gentlemen,

maybe we should form a kind of "task-force" for going on with our book project .

Best regards

Christian

Gentlemen,

today I had a meeting with military historians in our Army HQ and there might be the possiblity, that we could publish a high-end & top-quality comprehensive book about (communist) YU-Awards at the renowed Austrian MILITARIA publishing house: <a href="http://www.militaria.at/" target="_blank">http://www.militaria.at/</a> .

2008 MILITARIA will publish a comprehensive book about pre-communist (up to 1941) YU-Awards in English, Serbo-Croation and German with top-quality photographs of av., rv. & side-view of all awards, cases & documents.

Our book could be the 2nd volume of YU-Awards, covering the period from 1941 to october 2000.

In the coming weeks I will get further informations.

Best regards

Christian

And finally, not difficult to take the number of the post of the topic you want to see, and divide by 20...

O.K., .....

So, everyone can already find any topic by dividing # setting : # post

Best regards

Christian

Maybe... but I already thought about this. But, don't forget that each of us can parameter his screen in a different manner. Some, as most of us, -I think - will decide 20 post a page; some only 10, maybe some other options....

that's why I deliberately chosed to refer to the number of the post...

Dear Christophe,

well, it's not so difficult to announce at the INDEX (and maybe at other places of the thread), that the dear members of GMIC should take the setting "20 pages", if they want to surf through the quiz-thread for getting their wanted informations - and there are already tons of highly valueable infos .

Best regards

Christian

Dear Dan,

impressive case for a nice replica of the most important communist order .

Where - and for what price - did you obtain your "Victory" ?

Best regards

Christian

Hi Vic,

As you know I've joined the club:

Case was originally a jewelers ring case which I reworked. Can easily be put back the way it was or bases switched out for display of other Orders, etc.

Dan

Dear Dan,

congratulations to your great victory .

Your answer hadn't been only correct, but also extremly informative & educative - a perfect job .

Best regards

Christian

BTW: We had already questions about (socialistic) dogs, maybe Charles might put a question about a (socialistic) cat . I love cats (and Lenin also loved cats ).