Soviet Order of Lenin multiples

[Bob]

So several hundreds of thousand OoL's have been awarded... but is there any reasonably accurate information on the number of "double awardees" (as well as triple, quadruple, etc.)?

Also, out of curiosity, why is the Order of Red Banner the only one with an indicator on it designating multiple awardings?

[Ed_Haynes]

Well, both hero stars have indicators for subsequent awards, but they live on another cosmic plane.

[Bob]

Well, both hero stars have indicators for subsequent awards, but they live on another cosmic plane.

Aha, yes forgot about those:)

Background of my question is twofold, curiosity and my interest in buying my first Lenin but preferably then a multiple Lenin group. Double Lenin awardee groups appear to be rare but available... I was curious to see how much more rare 3x, 4x etc groups would be.

[Ed_Haynes]

It is a really good question. Someplace, I have seen that information, . . . ???

[Paul R]

I have only seen such groupings in museums. I am sure that a documented 4x Lenin bar would go for five digits!

[NavyFCO]

I've only owned two multiple Lenin groups. One double Lenin to a HSU general who was awarded a screwback (and later had it replaced with a hanging one) and one triple Lenin to an HSL. Also one HSU that had two Lenins but one was missing. None of them brought any more of a premium than if they had multiple Red Banners or anything else like that. But of course, I sold them all before the insanity started and God only knows now that someone might go nuts over multiple Lenins and jack the price to twice what it's really worth.

But that's just my opinion.

Dave

Edited February 11, 2007 by NavyFCO

[Wild Card]

Gentlemen,

In doing a little research on this question, I came across something that struck me as interesting. First, I think that in other threads we have established the maximum number of Red Banner awards at seven or eight. Yet I find the higher Lenin Order to have been awarded to at least one recipient (Marshal D. F. Ustinov) eleven times. Now granted he did have an HSU and two HSL?s. While I do not immediately find anyone with ten awards, Chuikov did have nine Lenins - two HSU?s there.

Now there may be more than the eleven to Ustinov; but it is interesting to see that Brezhnev had only eight Lenins to go with his four HSU?s and one HSL.

Best wishes,

Wild Card

[Christophe]

Here are the multiple Lenin bearers :

11 Lenin : Marshal Ustinov

10 Lenin : Academician A.P. Alexandrov - Aircraft constructor A.S. Yakovlev.

9 Lenin : Several including Marshal Chuikov - Polar explorer I.D. Papanin - Minister of Aircraft Industry P.V. Deme,tyev - First deouty Chairman of the Gosplan V.M. Ryabikov - ...

Ch.

[Paul R]

11 Lenins! I bet that his medal bar weighed a lot!!!

[NavyFCO]

Here's a great pic of Ustinov getting his 10th Lenin in conjunction with his HSU in 1978. Sorry the pic is so wide! For a bit of fun, who can name the people in the picture? Any takers?

Dave

[Ed_Haynes]

Oh . . . wow . . .

[Ferdinand]

Wow, nice pic!

1: ?

2: ?

3: ?

4: ?

5: Ogarkov

6: ?

7: ?

8: ?

9: ?

10: Brezhnev

11: ?

12: Ustinov

13: ?

14: ?

15: ?

16: ?

17: Koldunov

18: ?

19: Kulikov?

[Bob]

Gentlemen,

In doing a little research on this question, I came across something that struck me as interesting. First, I think that in other threads we have established the maximum number of Red Banner awards at seven or eight. Yet I find the higher Lenin Order to have been awarded to at least one recipient (Marshal D. F. Ustinov) eleven times.

Where can I buy it?

Just kidding

[Bob]

Here's a great pic of Ustinov getting his 10th Lenin in conjunction with his HSU in 1978. Sorry the pic is so wide! For a bit of fun, who can name the people in the picture? Any takers?

Dave

Thanks - that's an awesome picture. The amount of "history" standing there

[Wild Card]

3. Gortskov (?)

7. Moskalenko

16. Sokolov

Incidentally, in reviewing Ustinov?s awards, something struck me as being quite out of the ordinary. As we know, he had eleven Lenins. Beyond that, are an HSU(1978), 2 HSL?s (1942 & 1961), Suvorov 1st class (1945), Kutuzov 1st class (1944), gold Stalin Prize (1953), Lenin Prize (1982), State Prize (1983)...

Just when it begins to look as though this man got it all, let?s go back and start over. There is no Red Banner and there is no Red Star. No Red Star, for some reason, I can understand; but the absence of a Red Banner really throws me. Can anyone offer a theory or explanation.

Many thanks,

Wild Card

Edited February 12, 2007 by Wild Card

[NavyFCO]

Just when it begins to look as though this man got it all, let?s go back and start over. There is no Red Banner and there is no Red Star. No Red Star, for some reason, I can understand; but the absence of a Red Banner really throws me. Can anyone offer a theory or explanation.

My theory is that he didn't have sufficient time in the military to warrant a long service Red Banner and went from "zero" to Colonel General in 1944, formerly serving as the commisar of armaments for the majority of the War as a civilian rather than a military figure. Basically, he was a very young enlisted man during the Revolution, and then didn't hold another "real" rank until he was made a Colonel General, thus missing the "lower" awards that he would have earned as a more junior officer.

Just my thought.

Dave

[Christian Zulus]

My theory is that he didn't have sufficient time in the military to warrant a long service Red Banner and went from "zero" to Colonel General in 1944, formerly serving as the commisar of armaments for the majority of the War as a civilian rather than a military figure. Basically, he was a very young enlisted man during the Revolution, and then didn't hold another "real" rank until he was made a Colonel General, thus missing the "lower" awards that he would have earned as a more junior officer.

Just my thought.

Dave

Dear Dave,

good theory .

Comrade Ustinov had been one of the most brilliant managers the economy of the CCCP ever had. I assume, that he did not have a proper military education, nor did he visit one the the famous academies .

Best regards

Christian

[Christian Zulus]

No. 13

Gentlemen,

the young General No. 13 should be Anatoly Gribkov, General of the Army, Chief of Staff of the Warshaw-Pact, 3 Lenins:

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

Great & wise general - I read his memoirs .

Best regards

Christian

BTW: Moskalenko looks already very, very ill at that photograph .

Edited February 12, 2007 by Christian Zulus

[Wild Card]

Hi NavyFCO,

Thank you for your input. Your theory makes perfect sense. I honestly was not aware of Ustinov's career path.

Hi Christian Zulus,

Yes, Comrade Moskalenko does not look all that healthy in this picture; but he did live for another another seven years. A very interesting man, Moskalenko. As you probably know, he was the one who took Beria out.

Edited February 12, 2007 by Wild Card