Soviet A Civilian Hero Of Stalingrad: F. I. Nesterenko

[Guest Rick Research]

The Traveling Museum came through today (before things shut down for the winter) with some Soviet material for me to read and, as usual, share with you all.

The medals will get posted some other time, just the award documents until next spring.

First up, 1942 edition Orders Book showing a Badge of Honor awarded in December 1942 (privileges to begin from 1 January 1943).

Fedor Ivanovich Nestorenko's Orders Book was made out on 7 January 1943

Unlike most of the few wartime Books we've seen, "valid without photograph"

[Guest Rick Research]

Decorated in the darkest hours of the war in the Soviet Union, one can only wonder at how he would have been recognized in 1945-- an Order of Lenin, or maybe even a Hero Star?

because where was he, and what was he doing?

Nesterenko's Defense of Stalingrad Medal was issued 26 December 1944 by Engineer-Lieutenant Colonel Trushkovsky, commander of "Remzabod No. 11 NKO"

Sovspeak drives me crazy, but given the limited possibilities for words beginning with "Rem" "Remont" is most likely-- "Repair/Maintenance" Factory Number 11 of the PCD.

The full stamp is a nightmare of abbreviations-- "NKO SSSR BU GAVTU RA" which comes out as

People's Commissariat of Defense of the USSR, (Military Administartion?) Supreme (Artillery Military-Technical ???) Administration of the Red Army."

Clarification of the abbreviations, if incorrect, would be MOST appreciated. :beer:

[Guest Rick Research]

Comrade Nesterenko received BOTH the military and labor Victory Medals:

Both were issued by the PolCom of Podolskogo Raion Soviet, city of Kiev-- the labor version on 27 April 1946 and the military version on 7 June 1946

[Guest Rick Research]

The last two documented medals from Nesterenko are a Large and Small Silver Medal from the All-Union Agricultural Economy (Farming) Exhibitions. Note the printing run dates and how many WERE printed on the backs of the covers:

It is too bad the actual EXHIBIT which won these prizes is never listed. Beets? Tractors? Were lists specifying these awards ever even published?

Large Silver on 17 January 1956. Small Silver on 26 January 1967:

As mentioned above, will probably be the spring of 2010 before the nextround of Epson pilgrimage brings back the medals which accompany these documents. :beer:

[Ferdinand]

You were close - ГАВТУ КА (GAVTU KA) stands for Главное автомобильное управление Красной Армии or "Main Automobile Administration of the Red Army".

I even found a reference to this very factory on the internet - it was the Авторемонтный завод ("Automobile Repair Factory") № 11 in Saratov, which was moved to Kiev in 1944.