Soviet Leningrad Siege Group Police Lt Col Gusev

[Guest Rick Research]

Here's another of those oh so common mid 1990s partial groups that just do not seem to turn up any more, with documentation. These got me through my painful withdrawal in the No Imperial German Years pre-online.

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The strange thing is what gets saved and manages to remain in this sort of partial group, and what gets lost. The poor junk jubilees just seem haphazardly split up, discarded, or saved.

[Guest Rick Research]

First the Defense of Leningrad Medal document, because Comrade Gusev was there (issued 2 June 1943) during the siege and retired back there many, many years later:

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That didn't give us any "clues," per usual, but here's his 21 November 1945 issued Victory Over Germany, on which he is a Guards Major, and this was signed by Guards Major General Ivan I. "Ulitin", commanding 71st Guards Rifles Division, former commander of the 232nd and 373rd Rifles Divisions. That was NOT a Leningrad siege unit, so Gusev must have been transferred into it after the 900 days blockade was broken.

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[Guest Rick Research]

In June 1946 he was awarded a Military Merit Medal, # 2,689,365. This is the "shaved one piece suspension" type.

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This suggests that

a) he was not decorated at all for the entire war and

b) this is probably a 10 years service award, while he was still in army uniform, combining police and military service time

This is a 1946 edition Medals Book, with A series serial number, made out on 14 February 1947. There is no photograph, as usual, only the "Valid Without Photograph" stamp facing Mikhail Petrovich Gusev's name page.

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[Guest Rick Research]

By 1965 Gusev was in Taganrog, possibly retired from the police, since this 20th anniversary of Victory Jubilee was issued by the Taganrog City Military Commissariat of Rostov Province and not by a police command.

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On the back... yet another cryptic V.I.C. private phone number. See the Drutsky thread for other examples of "it's who you know, comrade."

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[Guest Rick Research]

Police Lieutenant Colonel Gusev had certainly been on active duty thereabouts when he received his 20 Years Service Medal on 27 October 1958 per 18th of that month.

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It was issued to him by Police Colonel "Stretschenko" as chief of the Police Political Committee for Rostov Province-- so perhaps Gusev was a Police Commissar?

[Guest Rick Research]

And the cover, indicating it was issued by the Ministry Of Internal Affairs (in contrast to military issues)

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Although the 1967 Police Jubilee document also refers to Gusev as Police Lieutenant Colonel (as if he was still on active duty), I suspect this was a presentation under the retired with 25 or more years service regulations. It was issued by Police Lieutenant General (1960s grade inflation!!!) "I. G...bov" on 20 June 1968, as Police Chief of Volgograd Province. (Stalingrad had been renamed by Khruschev.)

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[Guest Rick Research]

The original 1958 to ??? 20 years long service medals had a heavy silver plating which has usually turned this patina'd color. My scanner just can't cope with it, making the details looked blurred. This was Gusev's

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