Soviet Captain Zinovy Mikhailovich Grudina

[Ed_Haynes]

Blank (pre-printed, like we've seen) page, then . . .

[Ed_Haynes]

A pre-printed text spread, included for historical interest (I hope):

[Ed_Haynes]

Final page (whew) . . .

[Ed_Haynes]

Next document . . . exterior . . .

[Ed_Haynes]

Part 1

[Ed_Haynes]

Closeup on photo

[Ed_Haynes]

Last page (all pre-printed)

[Ed_Haynes]

Next . . .

[Ed_Haynes]

Next page-spread . . .

[Ed_Haynes]

Next (for text, thereafter there is pre-printed text -- let me know if you wish to see it)

[Ferdinand]

His first name is 'Zinovy'.

[Ed_Haynes]

And . . . finally . . .

[Ed_Haynes]

Spread 1

[Ed_Haynes]

Next . . .

[Ed_Haynes]

And the photo (we all age, don't we?) . . .

[Ed_Haynes]

The End

All wisdom and insights valued, as always . . .

Edited March 11, 2008 by Ed_Haynes

[Guest Rick Research]

Yes, first name Zinovy.

Victory Over Germany issued at Starasinyaskaya RVK.

1958 as Senior Lieutenant by Khmelnnytsky Oblast, Ukrainian KGB (where he remained thereafter)

1978 as Captain Retired, same.

In his most common ohoto he is wearing the upper row of ribbons upside down-- MMM to center andORS to shoulder.

1970 Jubilee as Captain.

#16 is Chauffeur 3rd Class license, in uniform of a Junior Sergeant in the air force

#20 KGB Reserve Officers ID Book issued 30 June 1960 (so he got the chop in Khruschev's budget purge)

This shows him as born 15 December 1915 in the village of Martovaya, Pechenezhkogo Raion, Kharkov Oblast.

Seniority as Captain = 18 June 1956.

Served in the KGB "operative" department.

To be liable to reserve duty until 1970.

Member of the CPSU since 1941.

Married, 2 children (no names)

Served in Red Army 1.12.37 to 2.4.42 and

"in the Organs" 23.12.43 to 1.6.60

various reportings in and out

final release from reserve obligation 13.11.70

#s 29-32 is an ID as Supernumerary Auto Transport Inspector for the State Automobile Inspectorate, for the year 1960

#33 is his pension book from the KGB, as a Captain with 25 years service, to receive 100 rubles a month pension effective 1 June 1960

I lose track with too many posts, lost in my own scribbles to retype.

[Ed_Haynes]

Thanks, Rick.

Now to see if there is any chance of researching the missing Red Stars. MMM as a likely long service award will tell us nothing. As KGB, research joy unlikely, but I am asking anyway.

Also, I guess, 0.00% or ever reuniting the Red Stars, though stranger things have happened.

[Guest Rick Research]

Yes-- second one definitely in a long service Ukaz range. But the FIRST one.....

[Lapa]

Thanks, Rick.

Now to see if there is any chance of researching the missing Red Stars. MMM as a likely long service award will tell us nothing. As KGB, research joy unlikely, but I am asking anyway.

Also, I guess, 0.00% or ever reuniting the Red Stars, though stranger things have happened.

Ed,

A few documents raise some questions (well, that is, for me at least):

1. Order book: traces of bleaching?

2. Document for badge for 25 years of victory: this is the wrong (standard army) type for someone serving/having served in the KGB. It should have a hard cover, be numbered and be signed by Andropov.

3. The same official stamp is being used over a period of 20+ years on a variety of documents; I find that to be at least quite unusual.

Marc

[Lapa]

Yes-- second one definitely in a long service Ukaz range. But the FIRST one.....

Rick,

It could be related to the fight against Ukrainian partisans. If I remember rightly, fighting went of for about 10 years after the end of the war.

Marc

[Ed_Haynes]

Ed,

A few documents raise some questions (well, that is, for me at least):

1. Order book: traces of bleaching?

2. Document for badge for 25 years of victory: this is the wrong (standard army) type for someone serving/having served in the KGB. It should have a hard cover, be numbered and be signed by Andropov.

3. The same official stamp is being used over a period of 20+ years on a variety of documents; I find that to be at least quite unusual.

Marc

Not quite sure what you are talking about, more details please.

1- What bleaching? Around the corroding staples (water damage?)?

2- This is "rocket science"?

3- ???

Others, please comment.

And, Marc, can you please refer me to some items in your collection that you have posted here? As they are undoubtedly authentic, I'd like to see them.

[Lapa]

Not quite sure what you are talking about, more details please.

1- What bleaching? Around the corroding staples (water damage?)?

2- This is "rocket science"?

3- ???

Others, please comment.

And, Marc, can you please refer me to some items in your collection that you have posted here? As they are undoubtedly authentic, I'd like to see them.

Ed,

I am a bit puzzled by your answer and its general tone. If you do not welcome my comments for some reason, please let me know and I'll simply skip over your requests to do so.

I have posted little on this forum, so what? Are we in a contest to see who pees the furthest?

If you have a look on "the other forum" or on the Mondvor forum, you'll find quite a few of the items currently under my guardianship - in all cases, I use the same nickname, that should make life easier for anyone to find me. However, I don't understand why credibility implies extensive ownership (maybe some sort of an American criterion); if we go this route, I guess people such as Igor Pak are not credible

I have been studying and collecting exclusively Soviet awards, documents and uniforms for over 15 years. Although the collecting days are coming to an end given the recent price increases, the studying keeps going on. From the start - being a mere mortal and conscious that my intellectual abilities have limits - I made the conscious decision to specialize in one field, and to become as knowledgeable in it as is possible (an approach an academic researcher would most likely understand).

Despite my best efforts, not all of my items have turned out to be genuine, but all in all, I've had what I consider to be a rather high success to failure ratio. And I, for one, regularly reassess my items - even those acquired from trusted sources - in light of newly acquired knowledge (by the way, most of it coming from Russian-speaking sources these days; sorry for those who don't master the language, but as I read before somewhere on this forum, lack of knowledge is no excuse).

Anyhow, end of the

Now back at the original matter at hand:

1- What bleaching? Around the corroding staples (water damage?)?

TO ME, the white stains are suspicious, and could indicate bleaching of all/some of the original entries. There seems also to be a difference in the existing rust, which could be due to artificial aging. How can I tell: handled too many doctored documents in 15+ years.

2- This is "rocket science"?

What has rocket science to do with anything here?

It happens that there was a specific type of document issued to KGB members. It is extremely rare, I have never handled one although I've been looking for one actively for many years. First below is a very bad quality picture of the real thing.

The MVD also issued its own specific, serial-numbered document, which is scarce to rare.

The army issued both soft-covered (most common type) and hard-covered, serial-numbered documents - blue, green and brown covers, which are scarce (2nd and 3rd pictures below).

Definitely not rocket science, simply knowledge. So my question remains: why would your guy, who had a long career in the NKVD then the KGB, receive a regular army version and not the one specific to his branch of service? Feel free to dismiss it if it bothers you.

3- ???

NKVD and KGB documents are popular. It is known that some

a) stamps have been faked,

b) original stamps have been "liberated" and by pure chance met with blank documents.

IN MY EXPERIENCE, it is very unusual to find a series of varied documents, issued over a period of 20+ years, which all use the same stamp; I am not saying that it is totally impossible - when dealing with the Soviet Union, impossible seems to be a word to handle with extreme caution - just that it is suspicious. Once again, feel free to dismiss if bothering.

Marc

Edited March 13, 2008 by Lapa

[Ed_Haynes]

Somewhat reluctant to get back into this abusive environment . . .

Limited research in:

[Ed_Haynes]

And . . .

Have at me.