Soviet Secrets From the Russian State Archives Vault

[slava1stclass]

To all:

Some nice images of holdings in the Russian Federation's State Archives Vault. Note that the slips of paper under each order/decoration reference the specimen's name, weight, and serial number among other things.

These items represent orders/decorations that were either: 1) awarded and never presented since the recipient could not be located and/or was MIA/KIA or 2) returned to the State Archives upon the recipient's death (until the point in time that policy was altered).

Regards,

slava1stclass

[slava1stclass]

HSUs

[slava1stclass]

HSLs

[slava1stclass]

Lenins

[Guest Rick Research]

FASCINATING!

That must also serve as part of the strategic gold reserves. It would be nice to think that they are being preserved for history, or might be returned to murdered Purge victims families, but the sheer scale must simply mean these are scrap value gold.

It would be interesting to have a giant mega list of serial numbers that will never be available-- or if said numbers DO come up, would be KNOWN to have been stolen from the treasury.

Do they also have 3 million Red Stars piled up?

[SKY MARSHAL]

On the first photo are represented Georgievsky Crosses.

Edited April 1, 2008 by SKY MARSHAL

[taun]

wtf, thats absolutly amazing.

Where is this State Archive? What else do they have? A table full of Suvorov 1st?

[Ed_Haynes]

Speechless . . . .

[slava1stclass]

What else do they have? A table full of Suvorov 1st?

To all:

How about U.S. gold dollars...

Regards,

slava1stclass

Edited April 1, 2008 by slava1stclass

[slava1stclass]

To all:

..or the world's largest gold nugget.

Regards,

slava1stclass

[Alfred]

slava1stclass,

your first post is from April the first. Is there any connection to the date?

regards

Andreas

[Paul R]

I would like to know the number of HSU, OL, and others in storage there. I am taking it that the later style OLs were for people that could not be found. What are the odds... That would really stink.

[Lapa]

...I am taking it that the later style OLs were for people that could not be found. What are the odds... That would really stink.

Paul,

I am not sure what you mean here ?!?

By law, orders and medals had to be returned to the State upon death of the recipient up until 1977.

Marc

[Lapa]

slava1stclass,

your first post is from April the first. Is there any connection to the date?

regards

Andreas

Andreas,

I don't think so. The Soviets were quite efficient at storing almost anything, as a few amazing items I've seen tend to prove.

Marc

[Paul R]

Paul,

I am not sure what you mean here ?!?

By law, orders and medals had to be returned to the State upon death of the recipient up until 1977.

Marc

Hey Marc,

Wasn't said earlier that there were orders for people that were not presented because there whereabouts were unknown?

Paul

[Andwwils]

The US coins appear to be $10 gold pieces and by the markings on the white card, are all 1900 dated coins. They may be different dates, can't tell by the scans. Those gold coins are worth around 600 to 800 USD or so each in today's market, maybe more depending upon grade. Really, in comparison to the current market value of the Orders shown, the gold coins are pocket change - literally.

Edited April 3, 2008 by Andwwils

[slava1stclass]

The US coins appear to be $10 gold pieces and by the markings on the white card, are all 1900 dated coins. They may be different dates, can't tell by the scans. Those gold coins are worth around 600 to 800 USD or so each in today's market, maybe more depending upon grade. Really, in comparison to the current market value of the Orders shown, the gold coins are pocket change - literally.

Andwwils,

The coin at bottom center appears to read 1881.

Regards,

slava1stclass

[Lapa]

Hey Marc,

Wasn't said earlier that there were orders for people that were not presented because there whereabouts were unknown?

Paul

Paul,

That may have happened, but I think that it was more the exception than the rule. What we mostly see here are orders that were returned to the State upon a recipient's death.

Marc

[usairforce]

Oh My GOD!!!!!!!!!

[meffert]

I'm not greedy. Can I just have one, please? Well, one of each if that's not too much trouble.

[Wild Card]

Overload Overload

What a wonderful opportunity for someone with the right connections and ability to write a book. One can only hope.

Thank you very much slava1stclass for sharing these fantastic pictures.

Best wishes,

Wild Card

[slava1stclass]

To all:

Here is another item from the Russian State Depository for Precious Metals' collection.

Regards,

slava1stclass

[slava1stclass]

Gents,

This old thread is definitely worth another look.

Regards,

slava1stclass

[GHB]

Many years ago when Russia was 2 months old, (as the future Russian Federation but still using RSFSR - basically February 1992) I was in St. Petersburg on a work trip and we decided to take a day to be tourists. We toured all the popular sites Hermitage, Peter the Great's Cabin (ok some out of the way places) Sts. Peter and Paul Fortress. Within the Sts. Peter and Paul Fortress is the Leningrad/St Petersburg Mint. The Mint has a museum. Did you know that? It is never open. But we got to visit.

There were rows and rows of Hero Stars with legends explaining the recipient, (i think - I read no Russian at the time) number of award and date etc. I asked our translator what it said and he said with perfect understatement "It says a lot of heroes did heroic stuff."

There was one lead star that I assumed was the first test stamping of the Hero Star. I remember the lead stamping in a room full of gold because there, it was unique.

We didn't stay long, but it sure looked a lot like the HSU picture. But they were not that close together and had more words that I (unfortunately) could not understand.

So, slava where exactly is the archive with all those hero stars. Willing tourists want to know.

GHB