Soviet Grigory Zakharovich Sharapov

[RedMaestro]

This is the newest group in my collection, a small and somewhat incomplete set awarded to Grigory Zakharovich Sharapov (please correct me if this is wrong. I am no good with Russian handwriting).

Order of the Red Star (#388,189)

Two Combat Merit Medals (630,829 and unnumbered)

Undocumented Victory over Germany

Undocumented Leningrad medal

His Order of Glory 3rd Class (#399,974) and Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class (#839,427) are missing, unfortunately, along with the documents for two of his medals. I don't actually have the medals in my hands yet, nor will I see them until the beginning of June (complicated diplomacy around here). However, some research was included, and I will have it tomorrow to post.

Thanks!

-Alex

Edited May 18, 2008 by RedMaestro

[RedMaestro]

Sorry that the bottom part of the previous image is cut off. That portion didn't come out well in the scan from the seller, so I just deleted it.

[Guest Rick Research]

The "missing" Glory and Patriotic War are all but certainly fraudulent numbers added anyway, so no big "loss," though it mars the book--

those numbers would not FOLLOW a circa 1949 long service MMM with NO serial number.

The "B" on the Orders Book suggests an NCO, but the first numbered MMM and nice August-September 1943 Red Star are promising!

It all depends on where and when one learned alphabets. I'd render his family name as Tscharapov.

[Christophe]

Hi Alex,

I agree with Rick about the two last entries of the book.

And, BTW, it is a Leningrad medal, not a Stalingrad one...

Cheers.

Ch.

[RedMaestro]

Thanks for your input!

The added entries are disappointing. The worst part about it though is that the dealer, Russian Awards, didn't mention this on his website. His only comment about the group was "All items in good condition." Considering his fairly good reputation, I am surprised he did not mention this problem, especially since he should have known whether they were false or not based on the research. I hope this failure to note the entries was an honest mistake (as has happened before) or a case of forgetfulness and not intentional. I will send him an email to inform him of this problem. I will probably keep the group anyway, since I think the value of what is included is greater than the price I paid for it.

And thanks Christophe for pointing out my mistake with the medal! I edited my first post and changed that.

-Alex

Edited May 18, 2008 by RedMaestro

[Lapa]

Thanks for your input!

The added entries are disappointing. The worst part about it though is that the dealer, Russian Awards, didn't mention this on his website. His only comment about the group was "All items in good condition." Considering his fairly good reputation, I am surprised he did not mention this problem, especially since he should have known whether they were false or not based on the research. I hope this failure to note the entries was an honest mistake (as has happened before) or a case of forgetfulness and not intentional. I will send him an email to inform him of this problem. I will probably keep the group anyway, since I think the value of what is included is greater than the price I paid for it.

And thanks Christophe for pointing out my mistake with the medal! I edited my first post and changed that.

-Alex

Alex,

Before you complain to Alex regarding the entries, wait to receive the research included. There you'll have the Uchotnaya Kartochka, which shows all the awards the person received, as well as their serial numbers.

If that it does not match, then complain.

Marc

[Guest Rick Research]

Absolutely right! Nothing is ever truly verified without an Awards Record Card!

The OPW2 might turn out to be one of the delayed very late 1940s ones, but the serial number of the 1945 Glory is much more dubious. I'd just ignore those and focus on the rest. If you're happy with the price you've paid, any loss in value from a screwed-with Book is going to be more than compensated for by verified research on the first MMM and ORS.

Those should turn out to be from the ALL Awards Make Good Reading citations period.

[RedMaestro]

Absolutely right! Nothing is ever truly verified without an Awards Record Card!

The OPW2 might turn out to be one of the delayed very late 1940s ones, but the serial number of the 1945 Glory is much more dubious. I'd just ignore those and focus on the rest. If you're happy with the price you've paid, any loss in value from a screwed-with Book is going to be more than compensated for by verified research on the first MMM and ORS.

Those should turn out to be from the ALL Awards Make Good Reading citations period.

Indeed! This is the earliest documented award in my collection and the first time I will ever have research () so I am quite excited! I'll post the research when it comes later today. No translation is included, so I would appreciate it if anyone here could help with that (thanks in advance ).

-Alex

[RedMaestro]

Here it is

[RedMaestro]

[RedMaestro]

[RedMaestro]

[RedMaestro]

So now, with my extremely limited Russian, I conclude that the OGPW II and OG III were added entries. Problem solved. No complaints about the dealer, though he really should have mentioned the tampered-with booklet.

Any help with the documents is appreciated. If anything is too small or hard to read, let me know and I will repost.

Thanks!

-Alex

Edited May 18, 2008 by RedMaestro

[koopyetz]

RedMaestro:

You have posted a medal "For Defense of Leningrad"

The back of the ARC lists a medal " For Defense of Stalingrad"

[Guest Rick Research]

AGH! Cyrillic always comes in at night time, my local, when bad vision and poor lighting/reflection on my computer monitor make my bad vision even worse. But here goes:

Awards Record Card as

Junior Lieutenant of the Reserves

Born 1920 in Novokhobansk, Nevel'sky Raion, Velikolugskaya Oblast.

Candidate member of the CPSU since 1943

Primary education, Russian.

In Red Army October 1940 to December 1946

11) decorated as: Deputy Commander of a mechanized station of the 18th Independent Railways Battalion/Mechanized 15th Railways Brigade

12) now: (no date on ARC-- see below) 40 Km Construction Master, Sharkovtschinsky Bridge, Po......skaya Oblast

MMM 630,829 on 15.10.43 per 15th Railways Brigade

ORS 388,189 on 10.12.43 per the same

Defense of Stalingrad, Victory Over Germany

unnumbered MMM shown as 30.12.56-- which would be a TEN YEARS long service award from that date. This entry does not match any of the other writing and seems to indicate that he must have been BACK in the military, witha total of 10 years time in at that point. There is no date filled in on the ARC, but because the handwriting and entry does not match, I do NOT think it was filled out in 1956, but earlier-- probably 1946 or so when he got his medals around time of discharge. The MMM was NOT given for long service to CIVILIAN railways employees, so he had to be back in the army. That's a mass long service Ukaz date.

The citation is his recommendation for the Order of the Red Star, when he was a Yefreiter (!) listed as Track Controller in the 18th Battalion of Mechanized Railways Workers.

Basically, he was recommedned for exceeding all assigned work goals by 200-250%!

something about railway across the River (Volchyn?), then on 28.9.43, working in a pair with Yefreiter (Ovchinikov?) to prepare 2 6 meter bridge trestle frames in 24 hours-- actually got them done in 9 hours, saving 15 hours.

and so on, similar sorts of truly epic over achievement. The citation concludes that he deserves the award for his "heroic work" and it is impossible to dispute THAT!

It would appear that he was a VERY junior miracle worker, and for once, actually got an award that he deserved without his status being used as an excuse for a downgrade by the higher ups!

[RedMaestro]

Thanks so much Rick! That is really quite interesting! He did deserve that red star. So now I just need research for the numbered Combat Merit Medal. One question though, if the research does indeed show that he was awarded a medal for Stalingrad, why is the included medal for Leningrad? How did that happen? I'll have to work on correcting that.

Thanks again!

-Alex

Edited May 18, 2008 by RedMaestro

[Guest Rick Research]

It's written in 2 lines on the ARC

Sta-

lingrad

and I think SOMEBODY's brain leapt "lingrad" to "Leningrad" in tossing in a filler. As Ed likes to say, we can never REALLY know if loose unnumbered medals actually BELONG in a group... but in this case, I think it safe to say that one does NOT, and a Stalingrad should.

[RedMaestro]

So now, with my extremely limited Russian, I conclude that the OGPW II and OG III were added entries. Problem solved. No complaints about the dealer, though he really should have mentioned the tampered-with booklet.

Hold on, what was I saying? Yes, I should complain, between the added entries and the wrong campaign medal. Hopefully I will be able to swap the Leningrad for Stalingrad without a problem. I'll send an email a see if this can be resolved.

-Alex

[Lapa]

Hold on, what was I saying? Yes, I should complain, between the added entries and the wrong campaign medal. Hopefully I will be able to swap the Leningrad for Stalingrad without a problem. I'll send an email a see if this can be resolved.

-Alex

Alex,

In this case, I do believe that you should indeed complain. From what I have observed, Alex (the dealer, not you) is not overly good at identifying documents that were tampered with.

Marc

[Ed_Haynes]

Yes, I'd certainly discuss this with the dealer. A nice group has been forever tarnished by fake entries and at the very least you are iowed the right campaign medal to restore the group. Makes you wish there were a way to get rid of the fake entries, but they will remain a permanent blot on this nice little group.

Are all the dealers getting sloppy? Still, sloppy is better than dishonest (which is what you get with some others).

[RedMaestro]

I have just received an extremely disappointing response to my email.

"hi alex sorry but i won't be able to exchage this medal for you. this group was for consigment sale and what is why i want to give you full refund thank you"

This is ridiculous. I don't want a full refund. My problem isn't with the group. In fact, if I had known about the faked entries, I probably would have bought it anyway. I have three problems with this whole thing:

1. That I was sold a partially faked item without being informed

I know dealers are dishonest often enough. However, from Russian Awards, which has a fairly good reputation as far as I know, I was surprised.

2. That I received the wrong campaign medal

(points 1 and 2 should have been obvious to the dealer because of the research, and 2 should be easy to resolve)

3. These issues aren't being fixed

What I want is an apology (believe it or not, I still havent got an "I'm sorry"), and the correct campaign medal. Neither should be too hard. The failure to do either is what surprises me most.

Well, I won't waste my time ranting too much longer. Incidents like this are all common to many of you, I am sure. Anyway, if anyone would like to trade a Stalingrad medal for this Leningrad one, let me know. I can throw in a coulple of bucks too.

-Alex