Soviet Soviet & Eastern Block Quiz

[Drugo]

Unfortunatelly not only good guys took part in history... I thought that this was still on topic because related somehow to the partisan struggle in Yugoslavia during the war.

Nevermind, I'll pay more attention in future.

Regards,

Filip

[Christian Zulus]

Dear Ivan,

congratulations to your victory .

Best regards

Christian

I think the man in the picture is Milan Nedić a General in the Yugoslav army and Prime Minister of the "Government of National Salvation" during WWII

Ivan

[Christian Zulus]

Dear Ivan,

you have to give a new question to us .

Best regards

Christian

Dear Ivan,

congratulations to your victory .

Best regards

Christian

[Christophe]

Ivan (Piramida),

Your turn, now...

Cheers.

Ch.

[Christophe]

Again, a few stats :

This small game has now been launched more than 19 months ago now (on 1 Nov. 2005), and since :

* 121 questions asked,

* with 1,428 answers,

* This quiz has been viewed more than 13,700 times.

* 33 Members of the Forum played, and 26 correctly answered at least 1 question :

Nb of good answers :

* 22 : Christian (Zulus)

* 18 : Christophe

* 10 : Bryan (Soviet)

* 8 : Simon (Red Threat)

* 6 : Belaruski and Jim (JimZ)

* 5 : Carol I and Ed (Haynes).

* 4 : Auke (Ferdinand), Franck (Knarf) and Wild Card.

* 3 : Andreas (Alfred), Ivan (Piramida) and Kim (Kimj).

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

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

This is a great achievement. Thanks to all for your participation.

Now, let's continue to have fun with the 122nd question... Ivan's!!!

Ch.

Edited June 2, 2007 by Christophe

[Christophe]

Here is an updated version of the Summary.

Summary

Here are all the topics dealt through our questions and answers of this little Quiz.

Are shown below :

* Subject / question dealt - Number of the post where has been asked the question.

Awards / Orders & Medals

* GDR - Title Hero fo the GDR - #153

* GDR - Order of Karl Marx - #359

* India - Ashoka Chakra awarded to Soviet citizens - #131

* Mongolia - Medal Cosmonaut of the MPR - #110 & #601

* Russia - Order of Merit for the Country - #441

* SSR Georgia - Order of Red Banner of Labour - #222

* USSR - Honorary Revolutionary Weapons - #874

* USSR - Order of Lenin - #88

* USSR - Order of Stalin - #243 & #1228

* USSR - Order of Suvorov - #1341

* USSR - Orders with Serial Number 001 - #585 & #1366

* USSR - Medal for Bravery - #170

* USSR - Medals for Defense / Capture / Liberation - #25

* USSR - Krupskaya Medal of Merit in Teaching and Education - #625

Personalities (Awards)

* France - Marcel Lef?vre's awards - #186

* Mongolia - S?khbaatar, Dandzan & Choibalsan - #1242

* USSR - Vasily Blyukhner - #1366

* USSR - Vice-Admiral Georgi Kholostyakov - #1341 & #1345

* USSR - Marshal Georgi Zhukov's awards - #2 & #1366

* USSR - Recipients #1 of some of the USSR major orders - #585 & #1366

* USSR - Recipients of several classes of major awards of GPW - #1388

Personalities (Identification)

* Austria - Commander Alexander L?hr - #1131

* China - Li Zensheng - #1279

* Egypt - Hakim Abdel Amer - #278

* Germany - Klara Zetkin - #30

* India - Subadar Birta Sing Gurung - #290

* Romania - Henri Coanda - #1119

* Romania - Maj-General Mihail Lascar - #928

* Romania - Hermann Oberth - #1059

* Russia - Valery Gergiev - #352

* Russia - Pyotr Nesterov - #854

* Russia - Admiral Fedor Ushakov - #81

* UK - Winston Churchill - #780

* UK - Baroness Clementine Spencer-Churchill - #329

* USA - Henry Morgenthau Jr - #932

* USSR - Sultan Amet-Khan - #574

* USSR - Commander Vasili Arkhipow - #1065

* USSR - Georgiy Baidukov - #1004

* USSR - Snr-Lieutenant Vicktor Belenko - #1095

* USSR - Lavrentyi Beria - #944

* USSR - Alexander Buchin - #426

* USSR - Marshal Semyon Budyonny - #743

* USSR - General Vassily Chuikov - #20

* USSR - Yevgeni Dolmatovski - #1271

* USSR - Vasily Grosman - #1266

* USSR - Lt-General Kuzma Gurov - #718

* USSR - Lt-General Ignatii Karpezo - #236

* USSR - Mikhail Katukov - #1396

* USSR - Alexandr Kollontai - #376

* USSR - Marshal Ivan Konev - #66

* USSR - Nikita Khrushchev & friends - #623

* USSR - General Yakov Kreiser - #695

* USSR - Nadezhda Krupskaya - #1128

* USSR - Igor Kurchatov - #979

* USSR - Lenin, Trosky and Stalin - #920

* USSR - Nikolay Masalov - #504

* USSR - Pyotr Masherov - #752

* USSR - Vsevolod Merkulov - #252

* USSR - Sergey Mikhalkov & family - #878

* USSR - Maria Oktiabrskaia - #1141

* USSR - Lieutenant Os'kin - #1196

* USSR - Lyudmila Pavlichenko - #1050

* USSR - Zina Portnova - #490

* USSR - Nina Potsova - #302

* USSR - Alla Pugachova - #267

* USSR - General Aleksandr Rodimtsev - #735

* USSR - General Isaac Salzmann - #533

* USSR - Svetlana Savitskaya - #1046

* USSR - Professor Otto Schmidt - #564

* USSR - Marshal Boris Shaposhnikov - #772

* USSR - Georgi Shpagin - #249

* USSR - Konstantin Simonov - #1307

* USSR - Maj-General Nikolai Stakhanov - #986

* USSR - Marshal Joseph Stalin - #732 & #1200

* USSR - Fedor Tokarev - #1303

* USSR - General Matvei Vainrub - #708

* Yugoslavia - General Milan Nedic - #1418

* Yugoslavia - General Konstantin Popovic - #671

* Yugoslavia - Marshal Josip Tito - #364, #603 & #1226

Historical events

* 1942 - Last defender of Brest Fortress - #847

* 1942 - Operation Uranus - #955

* 1943 - Battle of Neretva - #1411

* 1945 - Capture of Vienna - #1345

* 1969 - Czechoslovakia Hockey Riots - #515

* 1979 - Visit of French President in Berlin - #891

Architecture / sites

* Baku - Monument to Kirov - #386

* Berlin - Check Point Charlie - #164

* Berlin - First Soviet Parade Tribune - #1327

* Berlin - Palast der Republik, Honecker's office - #1313

* Minsk - Monument to Victory - #618

* Moscow - Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War - #518 & #648

* Moscow - Fountain of the Friendship of Nations - #1233

* Moscow - State Kremlin Palace - #522

* New York - USSR Pavilion at the 1939 International Exhibition - #205

* Prag - Monument to Stalin - #537

* St Petersburg - Statue of Lenin - #46

* Stalingrad - Fountain "Playing Kids" - #230

* Stalingrad - Great Patriotic War Memorial - #60 & #995

* Sutjeska - Tjeniste Monument to Battle of Sutjeska - #665

* Vienna - Monument to the Red Army - #553

Aircraft, weapons, military equiment...

* IAR-95 "Spey" fighter - #955

* KV-1 tank - #826

* Mig 15 - #896

* Obyekt 279 tank - #940

* Sergei Mironovich Kirov tank - #1105

* TB-3 & I-16 aircraft - #1035

* Tupolev 144 - #1204

Other topics

* Dogs & Military Leaders of WW2 - #648

* Gagarin's car - #460

* Iran, Serbia, Venezuela & International Community - #915

* Operation Solo - #804

* Psychotronic weapons - #1082

* Red Army's ranks (Senior Marshal of Communications Troops &Senior Marshal of Engineering Troops) - #581

* Soviet defectors - #1165

* SOXMIS (Soviet Mission in West-Germany) - #902

* Fyodor Vidayev + Kursk submarines - #1285

* "The Watch That Went To Moscow" - #309

[Christian Zulus]

Dear Christophe,

you forgot at the #1-section Filip (Drugo) .

Serbia (Ivan & Filip) already scored 4 victories .

Best regards

Christian

Again, a few stats :

This small game has now been launched more than 19 months ago now (on 1 Nov. 2005), and since :

* 121 questions asked,

* with 1,428 answers,

* This quiz has been viewed more than 13,700 times.

* 33 Members of the Forum played, and 26 correctly answered at least 1 question :

Nb of good answers :

* 22 : Christian (Zulus)

* 18 : Christophe

* 10 : Bryan (Soviet)

* 8 : Simon (Red Threat)

* 6 : Belaruski and Jim (JimZ)

* 5 : Carol I and Ed (Haynes).

* 4 : Auke (Ferdinand), Franck (Knarf) and Wild Card.

* 3 : Andreas (Alfred), Ivan (Piramida) and Kim (Kimj).

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

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

This is a great achievement. Thanks to all for your participation.

Now, let's continue to have fun with the 122nd question... Ivan's!!!

Ch.

[Christophe]

Dear Christophe,

you forgot at the #1-section Filip (Drugo) .

Serbia (Ivan & Filip) already scored 4 victories .

Best regards

Christian

Correct, Christian. I have corrected it.

Filip, sorry for this...

Cheers.

Ch.

PS : Ivan your turn, now...

[Piramida]

OK sorry for making you all wait here is my question.

Who am I?

1. I finished law studies at Jagiellonian University

2. I lived in Paris from 1931 to 1938

two very small hints to start off with, if there is trouble more will follow

Ivan

[Christophe]

Hi Ivan

What would you say of Marshal Michał Rola-Żymierski ?

Here is his profile in Wikipedia :

"Michał Rola-Żymierski was born as Michał Łyżwiński in Krak?w on September 4, 1890. In 1910 he started studies at the law faculty of the Jagiellonian University. In 1914 he joined the Polish Legions and fought with distinction on many of the most important battlefields of the Austro-Hungarian Eastern Front. After the Pledge Crisis of 1917 he retired from the Austro-Hungarian army and returned to Krak?w, where he finished his law studies and graduated from the Krak?w Trading School.

In 1918 he joined the reborn Polish Army and took part in the Polish-Bolshevik War. He initially commanded the II Infantry Brigade and then was promoted to the commander of the prestigious Polish Legions 2nd Infantry Division. After the war he was sent to Paris, where he graduated from Ecole Superieure de Guerre. Upon his return he was promoted to General. Żymierski served in Warsaw as the Deputy Chief of Administration of the Polish Army. During the coup of 1926 he fought on the losing government side. In 1927 he was court-martialled and found guilty on the politically motivated and trumped-up charges of bribery and embezzlement, and was demoted to private first class, expelled from the army and sentenced to 5 years in prison.

Upon his release in 1931 he was canvassed by the Soviet intelligence and became a secret member of the KPP. After Stalin's decision to disband the Polish Communist Party in 1938, Żymierski emigrated to France. However, shortly after the outbreak of World War II he returned to Poland and in 1943 he became the deputy commander of the Gwardia Ludowa and then (since 1944) the commander of Armia Ludowa. As such he was promoted by the communist-backed PKWN back to the rank of General and became the commander-in-chief of the Polish Army fighting alongside the Soviet Union (the Polish Armed Forces in the East). Minister of defence in Provisional Government of Republic of Poland (Rząd Tymczasowy Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, January to June 1945). On May 3, 1945, by order of Stalin he was promoted to the rank of Marshal of Poland.

Since 1946 Żymierski was the head of the Commission of State Security. He was responsible for repressions against the former resistance fighters, members of the Polish 2nd Corps and non-communist politicians, as well as for usage of the Polish Army against the citizens of Poland in the infamous Action Wisła. Until 1949 he also held the post of Minister of National Defence. In this year he was replaced by Polish-born Soviet Marshal Konstanty Rokossowski, who received the rank of Marshal of Poland and held his office until 1956. As an effect of stalinist purges organised in Poland by Bolesław Bierut Żymierski was arrested in 1953. However, he was released in 1955 without any charges.

After the end of stalinism in Poland he held various posts, including head of the National Bank of Poland (between 1956 and 1967) the honorary head of the ZBoWiD (Society of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy, an organisation of Polish war veterans). He was also a member of the Polish United Workers Party and after Jaruzelski's introduction of martial law in Poland Żymierski also became the member of its Central Committee and of the Front of National Unity. He died in Warsaw on October 15, 1989. He was the last pre-WWII officer to hold a rank of Marshal of Poland."

Cheers.

Ch.

[Christophe]

I should have precised that Marshal Rola-Zymierski has been awarded the Order of Victory on 9 August 1945.

Ch.

[Piramida]

Bravo Christophe

Your answer is absolutely correct, good luck with the next question

Ivan

[Christian Zulus]

Dear Christophe,

congratulations to your victory #19 .

I just came home from cd-recordings with the Serbian pianist Natasa Veljkovic http://www.veljkovic.net - Robert & Clara Schumann. So, I just saw the result of Ivan's question .

I had been a good and rather difficult question, despite the fact, that our comrade showed a Polish uniform .

Best regards

Christian

Bravo Christophe

Your answer is absolutely correct, good luck with the next question

Ivan

[Christian Zulus]

Gentlemen,

here is another photograph of Marshal Rola-Zymierski in Potsdam 1945:

And 2 pictures of another - more famous - Polish Marshal:

In full decoration:

Best regards

Christian

[Christophe]

So, my turn, now...

Question #123

Who am I ?

My military career has been quite successful, even if during the GPW, I had the opportunity to act infamously.

After the war, I occupied two very high rank positions during nearly 10 years.

But, because of one of my subordinates, I have been dismissed from all my positions and demoted.

I have even been stripped of all my awards.

Who am I ?

The winner will be the first to find :

1. Who is our unknwon man ?

2. How infamously did he act during the GPW ?

3. Which very high rank positions did he hold during nearly 10 years ?

4. Why has he been dismissed ?

5. What is the list of the awards he has been stripped of (please, name the 15 most important ones).

Good hunt and good luck...

Cheers.

Ch.

[Christian Zulus]

Dear Christophe,

tricky question .

I think, that he is not one of the Marshals / Admirals of the Fleet of the Soviet Union, because they kept all their awards, after being politically dropped.

He should be a GPW-General/Admiral, who lost a battle in the war, but made a brilliant career in the Ministery of Defense, Navy or General Staff till 1955 - a time, where some of Stalin's Generals/Admirals lost their positions.

There had been some cases in the Navy, I guess .

Best regards

Christian

[Christophe]

Dear Christophe,

tricky question .

I think, that he is not one of the Marshals / Admirals of the Fleet of the Soviet Union, because they kept all their awards, after being politically dropped.

He should be a GPW-General/Admiral, who lost a battle in the war, but made a brilliant career in the Ministery of Defense, Navy or General Staff till 1955 - a time, where some of Stalin's Generals/Admirals lost their positions.

There had been some cases in the Navy, I guess .

Best regards

Christian

Christian,

Wrong directions.

A first hint : I played a role in the Budapest events of 1956.

Ch.

[Knarf]

Hello,

The man could be Air Marshal Novikov

His awards 3 x Lenin, 3 x Red Banner, 3 x Suvorov 1st degree, Katuzov, Working Red Banner, 2 x Red Star and some others (2 x Hero of the Soviet Union), Medal for Merit (USA)

During the war he was involved into several battles : Kuban, Kursk,Kiev, Korsun, Ternopol, Leningrad, Karelian Campaign, operation"Bagration", Vistula-Oder, K?nigsberg,Berlin and against Japan

Stalins "purge of the Victors" had cost him title, Rank and decorations. He spent six years in Mr. Beria`s prisons.After Stalins death rank and decorations were restored.

He he became Commander of Long Range Aviation and Air Force Deputy Commander-in-Chief. 1956 - 1967 he was head of the Higher Civil Aviation School in Leningrad.

he passed away in 1976.

It was said, that he was a drinking man like myself.

Hope it is correct

Frank

[Christophe]

Hi Frank,

Good try, but he is not the man... He did no play a role in Budapest in 1956.

A new hint about our unknown man : his rank and decorations have never been restored to him.

Cheers.

Ch.

[Christian Zulus]

Hi Frank,

Good try, but he is not the man... He did no play a role in Budapest in 1956.

A new hint about our unknown man : his rank and decorations have never been restored to him.

Cheers.

Ch.

Ivan Aleksandrovich Serov

Dear Christophe,

many thanks for the 2 hints .

The comrade in question is former KGB- and GRU-chief Ivan Alesandrovich Serov (1905 - 1990) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Serov , he had been - beside Yuri Andropov - the mastermind on Soviet side in Budapest 1956, lost his position (GRU), his rank (Army General) and his decorations (6x Lenin, etc., etc.) and never got the medals back.

His infamous act during the GPW - correct: BEFORE the GPW ! - had been the Katyn massacre http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katyn_massacre , which had been his personal criminal act.

Well, Serov had been fired for almlost the same reasons as Zhukov , despite the fact, that the army didn't really like him as the head of GRU.

I couldn't find the complete list of his decorations, but I think, that he might have got - besides his 6 Lenins - one or two Suvorov 1cl, RB, RBL (?), RS and maybe a HSU or HSL + Medals: Moscow, Victory over Germany, etc.

There is a Russian book about Serov and here a review in German language: http://www1.ku-eichstaett.de/ZIMOS/forum/docs/buch5.htm

Best regards

Christian

[Christophe]

Hi Christian,

Well done . He is the General of the Army Ivan Serov.

You did well on most of the questions except one : why has he been dismissed ?

About the complete list of his most important awards; I'll post them as soon as this question will get an answer.

Cheers.

Ch.

[Christian Zulus]

You did well on most of the questions except one : why has he been dismissed ?

Dear Christophe,

as I already mentioned: Zhukov & Serov got to powerful for the comrades in the Politburo, so they were send to the desert (Zhukov didn't loose rank & decorations!) .

Serov never stood before court for Katyn, etc., etc.

Officially: Serov should have stolen a lot of gold in Germany after the liberation ...

Best regards

Christian

[Christophe]

Christian,

There is a precise event / fact that led Serov to be dismissed. Any idea ?

Cheers.

Ch.

[Christian Zulus]

Christian,

There is a precise event / fact that led Serov to be dismissed. Any idea ?

Cheers.

Ch.

Dear Christophe,

o.k., they took the case of GRU-Colonel Oleg Vladimirovič Pen'kovskij http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleg_Wladimirowitsch_Penkowski , a friend of GRU-chief Serov, to kick him out.

Pen'kovskij had been a spy for the NATO inside the GRU and delivered fruitful informations for the West during Berlin-crisis (1961) and Cuba-crisis (1962). He was shot after the trail 1963 in Moscow.

Best regards

Christian

Edited June 5, 2007 by Christian Zulus

[Christophe]

Excellent Christian!!!

This is, again, a well deserved victory!!! Congratulations!!

The main awards of Serov were :

* Title of Hero of Soviet Union

* 6 Orders of Lenin

* 5 Orders of the Red Banner

* Order of Suvorov 1st Class

* 2 Orders of Kutuzov 1st Class

* Medals...

Christian, your turn now.

Cheers.

Ch.