Soviet Soviet & Eastern Block Quiz

[Christian Zulus]

Hi Belaruski,

Well done!!! A very subtile question... We all lost, no victory there... But,as Christian was the 1st one to bring the "Kursk" clue, is it his turn now ? Or do you want to ask us another challenge ?

Cheers.

Ch.

Dear Christophe,

I think, that it would be more fair, if Belaruski would post another question - as long, as anyone will be able to answer his questions .

"Kursk" had been hardly close to right answer of Belaruski's question and "Kursk" standing alone, didn't gave much logic.

Best regards

Christian

[Belaruski]

Ok, back on firmer ground here!

Who is this!

[Christian Zulus]

Gentlemen,

that smart looking comrade seems to be a very meritorious constructor of a successful weapon system during the WW II - according to his decorations & the missing uniform (usually the constructors were photographed with general's uniforms).

He shows us at the photograph:

- HSL (later version, after the GPW!)

- Stalin-Prize

- Suvorov 1cl

- Lenin (3x)

- GPW 1cl

- Red Star

- a medal (?)

I know most constructors of aircrafts, some of tanks & guns, but hardly any of ships, boats & submarines.

So, I will guess, that our comrade in question is a famous naval constructor .

HSL, Stalin-Prize & Suvorov 1cl shows to us, that he has been really a "big fish" .

Best regards

Christian

[Belaruski]

Here he is in uniform.

Not naval, but you're right that he's a weapons designer

[Christian Zulus]

FEDOR TOKAREV

Here he is in uniform.

Not naval, but you're right that he's a weapons designer

Dear Belaruski,

many thanks for your hint .

Despite the old photograph without rank insignia, only 2 Lenins, old uniform and without beard, we can exclude from the term "weapons designer" navy, but also aircrafts & tanks, because the comrades are well known .

So, we have left: Guns .

Hmmm...., it's Fedor Vasilievich Tokarev .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fedor_Tokarev

http://www.tokarev.com/eng/

What disturbed me, was the modern type hanger of his HSL, because Tokarev had been one of the very first comrades to receive a HSL - before the GPW!

Has anyone an explaination about Tokarev's HSL-hanger ?

Best regards

Christian

TT 33

SVT 40

Edited May 6, 2007 by Christian Zulus

[Christian Zulus]

New question #112

Gentlemen,

who am I ?

Some of my decorations:

- HSL

- 6x Stalin-Prize

- 1x Lenin-Prize

- 3 Orders of Lenin

- etc., etc., ....

A photograph of me during the GPW:

Happy hunting .

Best regards

Christian

[Christian Zulus]

Some statistics ....

Gentlemen,

the actual list of meritorious answers to Christophe's "Soviet & Eastern Block Quiz":

Nb of good answers :

* 19 : Christian (Zulus)

* 15 : Christophe

* 9 : Bryan (Soviet)

* 8 : Simon (Red Threat)

* 6 : Jim (JimZ) and Belaruski.

* 5 : Carol I and Ed (Haynes).

* 4 : Franck (Knarf) and Wild Card.

* 3 : Andreas (Alfred), Auke (Ferdinand) and Kim (Kimj).

* 2 : Chuck (in Oregon), Gerd (Becker), Ivan (Piramida), Jan (vatjan) and Order of Victory.

* 1 : Dan (Hauptman), Darrell, Daredevil, Dave (Navy FCO), Dudeman, Rick (Stogieman) and Steen (Ammentorp).

I hope, the list is correct .

The "french" cultural circle with Christophe, Bryan & Carol I is rather strong with 29 good answers .

Almost as strong as the "germanic" cultural circle with Christian, Franck, Andreas, Auke & Gerd with 31 good answers .

Best regards

Christian

[Christophe]

Question #112

Could he be the famous russian composer Nikolai Yakovlevich Myaskovsky (Николай Яковлевич Мясковский) (April 20, 1881 ? August 8, 1950) ?

Her is his very well done "official" site :

http://www.myaskovsky.ru/

and his Wikipedia entry :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolai_Myaskovsky

Cheers.

Ch.

[Christian Zulus]

Question #112

Could he be the famous russian composer Nikolai Yakovlevich Myaskovsky (Николай Яковлевич Мясковский) (April 20, 1881 ? August 8, 1950) ?

Her is his very well done "official" site :

http://www.myaskovsky.ru/

and his Wikipedia entry :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolai_Myaskovsky

Cheers.

Ch.

Dear Christophe,

the sphere of intellectuals is correct, but it is not a composer - sorry .

Also the decorations & prizes seem to be very typical for one of Stalin's favorite composers, if you might take into account, that the comrade in question - Myaskovsky ? - got the Lenin-Prize before his 6 Stalin-Prizes .

Some hints:

- As far, as I know composers didn't get uniforms of the Red Army, because they didn't have move at the front line.

- To sit before a type-writer wouldn't be a typical picture of a composer - piano would be more matching .

- The comrade in question got his Lenin-Prize after the 6 Stalin-Prizes.

- An "official" photograph of the artist:

Now the answer should be rather easy .

Best regards

Christian

[Christophe]

He is the author / poet Konstantin Simonov (Константин Михайлович Симонов) (28 November 1915 - 28 August 1979).

Like Grossman, Simonov has been a war correspondent for the military paper Red Star.

Here is his site :

http://www.simonov.co.uk/

and his Wikipedia entry :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_Simonov

Cheers.

Ch.

[Christian Zulus]

Dear Christophe,

congratulations - that's the right answer .

I assume, that Simonov had been the highest decorated war correspondent .

Since the 1930s he had been at every battle field, where the Red Army fought - starting with Spain ...

Best regards

Christian

BTW: It is an interesting fact, that usually composers scored always the highes number of Stalin-Prizes - due to the fact, that Stalin loved music ?

He is the author / poet Konstantin Simonov (Константин Михайлович Симонов) (28 November 1915 - 28 August 1979).

Like Grossman, Simonov has been a war correspondent for the military paper Red Star.

Here is his site :

http://www.simonov.co.uk/

and his Wikipedia entry :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_Simonov

Cheers.

Ch.

[Christophe]

Thanks Christian.

Let's try what I think is an easy one. Should be a really easy one....

Question #113

1. Whose office is this (or was this) ?

Hint : the pic has been taken in 1993.

2. Where is (was) this office ?

City, exact location, name of the building.

and, as a bonus :

3. What is (was) the color of the carpet ?

The easiest question in my mind...

The winner will be the first one to correctly answer these two questions.

Good hunt and good luck.

Cheers.

Ch.

[Christian Zulus]

Dear Christophe,

well, that's a place without style, elegance or comfort - I wouldn't like to work in such an office .

It seems to be located in a so called "Plattenbau" in a former communist country.

The interior is extremly tasteless, so I would guess, that the room is located in former East-Berlin .

It's a rather small office and not the office of a state- and partyleader or minister.

Maybe it's located in that building:

Stasi-Headquarters in Normannenstra?e 22, Haus 1, 10365 Berlin-Lichtenberg. It's now a museum.

Might be the office of one of Mielke's generals ?

There you can find excellent moving panorama-views of Mielke's office and all the additional rooms:

http://www.live-reisen.com/stasi/ (you need "java" to watch!)

Maybe Markus Wolf ? - but he had a bit more taste .

Best regards

Christian

[Christophe]

Good try Christian!!

It is (was) in East-Berlin. This partial answer is correct . And, you are right about the extreme tasteless aspect of the office.

But, all the rest is wrong : it is not in the Stasi HQ (look at the shape and size of the windows, and the ones in the courtyard are even smaller than the one visible on your pic...).

It is not Mielke or Wolf's office.

But, you are in the right direction.

Good hunt and good luck.

Cheers.

Ch.

[Christian Zulus]

Dear Christophe,

yes, you are right: The window doesen't match ... .

Might be a room at the SED-HQ ?

They had larger windows in that style.

But I don't think, that's an office of one of THE top-officials of the GDR.

Military ?

Soviet Forces in the GDR ?

No idea ...

Best regards

Christian

BTW: The panorama-views of the Stasi-HQ are really great .

[Bryan]

Hehe, I know the exact answer.

1. Whose office is this (or was this) ?

Erich Honecker's office

2. Where is (was) this office ?

City : Berlin

Building : "Palast der Republik" which is being destroyed right now.

3. What is (was) the color of the carpet ?

The carpet was orange and not "Schwarz, Rot, Gold" as you already told me.

[Christophe]

Bryan, We have a winner!!!!! Congrats!!

Your answers are perfect.

And, as I already told you... :

Erich Honecker's office in the Palast der Republik was located "G3 Domseite".

Erich Konecker had several offices... probably one in each of the most important official building.

The one I showed was obviously a basic one... and I did not succeed finding a pic showing Erich Honecker in it.

Erich Honecker's main office was not far from here, in what is now called the Staatsratsgeb?ude, the building on the Schlossplatz with the arched portal from which Karl Liebknecht proclaimed a german socialist republic in 1918.

Bryan, again, bravo!!! And your turn, now...

Cheers.

Ch.

PS 1 : I will be back in Berlin in 10 day time. I'll take pics of what remains of der Palast des Republik.

PS 2 : Here is a pic of the carpet of Erich Honecker's office.

[Christian Zulus]

Dear Bryan,

congratulations to your #10 victory .

Now the "Francophone"-group has as many good answers as the "German-language"-group: 31 vs. 31 .

(1st group includes Romania and 2nd includes Holland.)

One of the ugly leatherchairs from the "Palast der Republik" is now in a country house for renting in Poland: http://www.ferien-miete.de/details.php?object=4327 (please scroll down - besides the billiard-table).

As it looks, Honecker hardly used that office .

Best regards

Christian

Edited May 7, 2007 by Christian Zulus

[Bryan]

I will think about a new question tonight.

[Christophe]

(...)

Now the "Francophone"-group has as many good answers as the "German-language"-group: 31 vs. 31 .

(1st group includes Romania and 2nd includes Holland.)(...)

Christian

Christian,

Don't forget we are 3 Members only against... 5!!!

Cheers.

Ch.

[Christian Zulus]

Christian,

Don't forget we are 3 Members only against... 5!!!

Cheers.

Ch.

Dear Christophe,

that's correct .

But I have noticed, that there rather few French speaking people at the militaria forums around - why ?

The French speaking population is as large- France, Switzerland, Canada, Africa, etc. -, as the German speaking population, but that's not represented in our collectors world.

So, the French are the real heros .

Best regards

Christian

[Christophe]

Thanks Christian!!!

But, in our collectors world, we don't need to be too many collecting french orders and medals... These are in my opinion clearly undervalued. But, anything is relative / comparable...

Cheers.

Ch.

Edited May 7, 2007 by Christophe

[Ed_Haynes]

And we are NOT talking about their election?

[Christophe]

Ed,

Our Chairman was in Paris these two last days. Ask him his impressions... Not yet the spirit of the French Revolution... but, step by step... Bahh... I forgot...

Cheers.

Ch.

Edited May 7, 2007 by Christophe

[Christian Zulus]

And we are NOT talking about their election?

Dear Ed,

dear Christophe,

well, that tiny (165 cm) Hungarian aristocrat (de Nagy-Bocsa) might raise the interest in Paris for orders & medals from Austria-Hungary & from the Horthy-Era .

At least as a PR-man for the German top-company "Alfred K?rcher GmbH & Co. KG" http://www.karcher.com/ France's new president did a great job .

Who knows, what the future will bring : Maybe the Hungarians might elect a French aristocrat as president of Hungary?

Anyway, Sarko as president for France might be good for Hungary in the EU .

Best regards

Christian

BTW: K?rcher cleans the world - even Mt. Rushmore in the USA - and K?rcher will clean France .

Edited May 7, 2007 by Christian Zulus