Soviet Administering... to Marshal Zhukov's Every Wish

[Stogieman]

I'd like to add that one thing that you cannot discount. When the paperwork comes in, there can never be any doubt as to what went with whom. No doubts as to completeness and originality. it's a shame not all collectors value those little details. It's a shame that the time will probably come when we will no longer have access to these archives. I for one would grab everything I could get, while I still can.

[Gerd Becker]

I'd like to add that one thing that you cannot discount. When the paperwork comes in, there can never be any doubt as to what went with whom. No doubts as to completeness and originality. it's a shame not all collectors value those little details. It's a shame that the time will probably come when we will no longer have access to these archives. I for one would grab everything I could get, while I still can.

Thats, what i do, Rick. I have research for the most of my higher orders and for the most of my groups. I don?t care, what is in that group and if i already have 10 Types of every order or medal, as long as its interesting or researchable or in the best case, both. I will have even more of my single pieces researched, as it is not only, that you get information about the recipient and why it was awarded, but your order gets back to life again and if you are lucky, you also have a face to go with it.

You know, i collected Imperial Minis, but i never could afford or was lucky enough to get a traceable Mini-chain. But with this soviet awards, there is so much to research, it will be enough for all my life, i guess. I only really started to appreciate collecting, since i began with Soviet Awards.

Gerd

[Guest Rick Research]

Major Dubrovin's Orders Book photo was the same one cropped and used as a postage stamp on his personnel file:

[attachmentid=25791]

[Guest Rick Research]

Still, it's always nice to know that little monkey fingers haven't tampered with an Orders Book. And here is what seems like the most thorough version of his services, which I have previously typed out above:

[attachmentid=25792]

[Guest Rick Research]

And the rest of the page up to his medical discharge:

[attachmentid=25793]

[Guest Rick Research]

And here is the maddening bit because I cannot find a GERMAN spelling to "translate" the Russian "Xaйниxeн"--

[attachmentid=25794]

"Military Commandant of the city of 'Khainikhen' in district of 'Debel'n' -- Soviet Military Administartion of the Federal Province of Saxony in Germany."

So.... "Khainikhen" was somewhere near D?beln, around Leipzig. But WHERE/WHAT?

[Dudeman]

And here is the maddening bit because I cannot find a GERMAN spelling to "translate" the Russian "Xaйниxeн"--

[attachmentid=25794]

"Military Commandant of the city of 'Khainikhen' in district of 'Debel'n' -- Soviet Military Administartion of the Federal Province of Saxony in Germany."

So.... "Khainikhen" was somewhere near D?beln, around Leipzig. But WHERE/WHAT?

My guess would be Heinehen or Heinechen.

[Guest Rick Research]

My first thought was Heinecken, the beer. Alas, I have the German zip code book and there is no place with a Post Office between Heinebach and Heinersdorf... and I can't find anything close sounding in Saxony.

[Guest Rick Research]

Citation for his first Red Star, which was put in for an OPW2. I'm working on the translations and should get the first two done this weekend:

[attachmentid=25842]

"Comr. Dubrovin in Red Army since 1932, in position of Assistant to Commander of 1st Department FOC since September 1943. For this period, C. Dubrovin carried out great work for the study, {word off margin} and arrangement of the cadres in the troops.

Many departed immediately to the operational forces of the front {word off margin} goal of control and practical relief with cadre workers {word off margin} places.

Comr. Dubrovin {"buduchi = ???} with assignments of the 47th Army, well-informed about the generals and officers of the Army Staff, which gave the possibility of correctly and with success solving questions of distribution of cadre with regard to their qualifications and skills for command in modern war. From the neglected state of documentation (personal files of officers etc), from arrival in the army in the Front Staff, he gained it {word off margin} good structure. Much and seriously he worked for studies with participants. Not {"ryadu" = ???} with this, Comr. Dubrovin worked on consultation points of the Officers Staff, increasing the instructions of the Military Council of the Front. He much and seriously {"udelnet" = ?} attention to these questions, correctly and thoughtfully approached for determining officers for positions. He passed under his hands about 4 thous. officers, determining them for posts and {"napravil" = ?} in the troops.

For great work performed for the Cadre, Comr. Dubrovin derserves to be decorated iwth the Order of 'the Great Patriotic War 2nd Class.'

{day off margin} June 1944 Commander of 1st Department OC of 1st W R Front, Lieutenant Colonel 'Kirov.'

Deserves to be awarded Ord. Pat. War 2nd Cl. Red Star, 24 July 1944 Commander of Cadre Department Colonel 'Portyanikov'

Per Decree of 1st White Russian Front, awarded Order of the Red Star 4 August 1944"

The award is actually STRUCK OUT there on the first approval-- a change of mind at the last stroke of the pen!!

[Guest Rick Research]

And citation for his 3 November 1944 long service MMM. Interesting to note that the processing for this began in August, so obviously staffs were told to get everything in AHEAD OF TIME to all go out on the same day for the entire Soviet armed forces. (Though this makes me wonder how many thousands of MMMs, ORSs, and ORBs were processed... and the recipients were killed in the interim?...) The wartime ones are always glowingly written up as if they had "done" something, but this is actually a simple "time in" award:

[attachmentid=25843]

Citation for Military Merit Medal (for 10-14 years service):

Comr. Dubrovin in busy position as Assistant to Commander of the 1st Department since October 1943.

Presented with assignments of the 47th Army, he well familiarized himself with the generals and officers composing the Army. The personnel files and study of their composition were kept and maintained in good condition. Besides that, he carried out great work realized in consultation/engagement of the officers? composition {{?ostupayutschego? = ??}} in the reserve of the Military Council of the Front. With this instruction work concerned himself conscientiously. Documents were set up with cultured literacy. Common development entirely satisfactory.

Devoted to the Party of Lenin-Stalin and Socialist Homeland.

Major Dubrovin deserves to be decorated for merit in the Red Army with the Medal ?for Military Merit.?

Commander 1st Department OC 1 WRF, LtCol ?Kirov? 14 August 1944

Deserves to be awarded Medal ?for Military Merit? Commander Cadre Department Col ?Portyanikov?

Deserves to be awarded Medal ?for Military Merit?

Front Commander Marshal of the Soviet Union Rokossovsky

Commander Front Military Council LtGen Telegin

Bestowed per PVS of the USSR 3 November 1944?

Soooo, as far as I can tell: he kept the files in an orderly fashion and made sure the writing was legible--"cultured literacy" is the best I can approximate what was written. The main word that I cannot translate-- because I cannot find any form close to this in EITHER my English to Russian or Soviet-printed Russian to English dictionaries seems to SUGGEST that the Military Soviet wanted unassigned officers hanging around "stuck" in the Army reserve to get to the front... and Dubrovin swept them on their bureaucratic way quickly enough to please the Commissars.

[Guest Rick Research]

Last, but not least-- long delayed by being on splotchy onion skin carbon paper VERY hard for me to decipher (and still not completely able to do so)--

[attachmentid=31364]

Citation for Order of the Patriotic War 2nd Class:

?Comr. DUBROVIN in this period trained and realized in the January operations ?. of all branches with knowledge of matters of selection and arrangement of officer cadres. He, by assignments of the 47th Army, ? military measures with ? and in the capacity of supplying officers to the units of the Army.

With the entire concerns of resolving questions of placing cadres, repeatedly ? in units and this serious assistance in operational decisions problems, stood in the Cadres Department. Apart from this, Comr. DUBROVIN ordered and directed serious and major work for accepting officers of the highest groups and with deciding positions for them, for this period receiving and assigning over 4,000 thousand {{sic!}} officers.

For successful fulfillment of command objectives for selection, distribution, and securing cadres of officers positions, Comr. DUBROVIN deserves to be awarded the Order ?of the Patriotic War IInd Class.?

(7?) March 1945, Commander of 1st Dept Colonel ?Kirov?

Approved 13 March 1945 Commander of Front Cadres Dept. Colonel ?Portyanikov?

Awarded by Decree of 1st White Russian Front 29 April 1945?

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Comrade Dubrovin was

The Master Of Life And Death

for every officer in the 47th Army:

deciding who went straight into the meat grinder units where survival chances were zero, and who got the plum GHQ lounge lizard positions, safe from harm, where decorations fell like stars on the soon to be victors.

[fjcp]

My guess would be Heinehen or Heinechen.

I believe there is a "Hainichen" near Leipzig.

[Guest Rick Research]

Right you are! Near BORNA, Post Code 04567, in 1934 population 7,804, textiles and iron industry, birthplace of the obscure poet C. F?rchtegott Gellert (1715-1769)

Good match up with the "off" Russian spelling -- that had been driving me crazy-- and it's a very short trip in my case.

[Ed_Haynes]

Now with me (too), though one medal "just coming" (though a restoration).

A celebratory group-shot!

(Loose, not mounted, so a bit ragged . . . but . . . still . . . )