Soviet Scribbled, Illegible, Crossed Out, & Faded

[Guest Rick Research]

This Larry-King-shouldered administrative Lieutenant Colonel appears to have once served as the Grand Vizier for Pharoah Imhotep. Aside from his "Curse of the Mummy" visage, what I bought this for are his very nice (but not focussed enough to identify completely) individual rows of "D profile" painted ribbon bars.

The stamp is from the Podolsky RVK of the city of Kiev... but what on earth are his NAMES?

Kalishyok(?), Prokofy Mikh(aelovich)?

[Guest Rick Research]

Poor Comr. artillery Colonel Kiva doesn't even have a 1st name-- though he has a very nice set of awards on this probably wartime-taken photo (no Victory Over Germany)

Note the nice clean newest single Red Banner ribbon over his dingy 5 ribbon bar that begins with two more Red Banners... and note the dark "ghost" spots and multiple puncture holes where his screwback Red Banners have moved across both sides of his chest.

In Col. Kiva's case, the reverse is both faded and abbreviated. He was commander of the 48th SOMETHING, and this OLD photo was attested 07.02.56 at the Beloggtarsky RVK of SOME city but... try as I can, I can't make anything else out. Help!!!

[Ferdinand]

I think the abbreviation is 'oiptabr' - Otdelnaya Istrebitelnaya Protivotankovaya Artilleryskaya Brigada (Independent Destroyer Anti-Tank Artillery Brigade). The city might be Zaporozhe?

[Guest Rick Research]

I am amazed that the abbreviation could be identified!

[Eric Gaumann]

The top photo I'd say:

ORB,ORS

DoL,VoG?,?

CoBu,VoG(again??),??

??. MfVL?

On Col. Kiva's chest it almost looks like he's got a DoL and a DoK before a CSM. But that can't be a DoK given the date, right??

In any event I love that picture.....those thin bars and wartime date....super!!

I'm still on the fence as to wether those are two ORSs, not ORBs on the big bar. The center stripe looks grayer, but that could be wear/fading/grubbiness. It still don't explain what looks like the white, outer stripe of a ORB ribbon on both ribbons though.

[Guest Rick Research]

Yup-- the outer stripes are curled into the sides on the separately tabbed on ribbons, so they look cleaner than the grubby fronts.

Imhotep's buddy definitely has an ORB first, then could be an OPW1 or an ORS.