Soviet Jakob Pavlovich Grebennik's Life Inside The Organs

[Guest Rick Research]

Here is the group, award booklets, Orders Books, Medals Book will follow.

The ONLY things missing from this group, 1938 to 1991 are his 1938 Khasan Badge and Award Book, and the document to his 50th Abnniversary of the Ukrainian KGB Badge.

[Guest Rick Research]

The "prize" here is his 1938 mirror reverse Order of the Red Banner serial number 2,772, one of 1,985 awarded for the Japanese "pre-war" invasion.

As can be seen, he modified it himself after the 1943 regulations change to ribbon suspension, wearing this (and he WORE it) for more than 50 years thereafter. Think of that when we collectors moan about "condition!"

[Guest Rick Research]

This qualifies as a "researched group" because-- although Grebennik's State Security records may NEVER be unsealed, his Award Record Card WAS brought up from the depths of the Archives by Dave's sinister minions (able to pass through locked doors, solid walls, and assume any human shape at will! ) :

born in 1916, he was a private in the 35th Rifles Regiment. Note that this specifies that the award was for Lake Khasan:

A collective farmer, he was admitted to the Communist party in 1939, presumably solely on the basis of being a Red Banner hero in those days. You would THINK that this would have given him a double "leg up" on career advancement, but you would be WRONG:

[Guest Rick Research]

NOT from the Grebennik group (unfortunately)-- just to illustrate-- the Khasan Badge:

Unfortunately, it is not possible (yet?) to obtain pre-Great patriotic War citations, so the heroic deed which earned this then extremely prestigious award for the possibly wounded Red Army private are not known. Apparenly he had "peaked" at 22, because he would never again receive a decoration for bravery or war merit. He DID, however, apparently join "the organs of State Security" immediately after his discharge-- as later paperwork will show.

The next documentation for Comrade Grebennik is four years later, when we find him a Junior Lieutenant of State Security, receiving the Medal for the Defense of Stalingrad:

If you saw the movie "Enemy At The Gates" you can probably guess what role in the "defense" blue-capped Comrade G. played!

As you will have noted from the medals above, he later received the Khruschev era Medal for the Defense of Kiev as well, here KGB issue, although his rank (typically) is not specified:

[Guest Rick Research]

Grebennik's Victory Over Germany Medal document, issued by the Ukrainian M(as it then was)GB:

Next along, chronologically, was his 1948 Armed Forces Jubilee Medal, also Ukrainian MGB issue:

Something, you see, had gone Hideously Wrong with Yakov Pavlovich's State Security career!

[Guest Rick Research]

Although he was not arrested-- or at least he never lost eventual credit for years of service time-- he did NOT receive his 10 years of service Military Merit Medal when he should have, 1948.

He DID, however, receive (rather peculiarly) a new Medals Book rather than having his MMM entered in his 1939 Orders Book:

Three years late getting his routine "good conduct" medal! Hmmmmm...

perhaps his conduct was NOT good-- as defined by The Organs Of State Security?

[Guest Rick Research]

His 15 years service Red Star came along right on schedule.

And again, he received a NEW Orders Book, rather than having this entered in his existing one (with its single entry):

and then the 1958 Jubilee, Ukrainian KGB issue:

Finally! After 15 years, a RANK entered again-- Senior Technical Lieutenant. After 21 years of uniformed service; after receiving a spectacular "pre-war" Red Banner; after living through two of the bloodiest battles of WW2... at 42 years old, Comrade Grebennik was only a 1st Lieutenant! And a TECHNICAL one at that:

one shudders at considering WHAT, exactly, THAT might have meant!

[Guest Rick Research]

In 1959 he received the newly created Medal for XX Years Service in the KGB, Sr. Tech. Lt., Ukrainian KGB issue:

As of 1962, as seen above when he received the final campaign medal of WW2 for Defense of Kiev in 1941, he was still in the KGB. He served at least 25 years, never rising above his by-1958 rank, as this KGB issued Veteran of the Armed Forces Medal document shows:

the rest of his medals paperwork are merely for the "still alive" jubilees, ad I can post them if anybody wants to see more retired KGB type documents.

I can't be certain, but he may well have still been on active KGB service in 1965:

His rank as shown seems to indicate that he had NOT been passed into the reserves (i.e. retired) as of the 20th Jubilee of Victory.

[Bob Hunter]

WOW! Impressive group!

[David Gregory]

Rick,

Very interesting group!

I wonder just how many Soviet troops were involved in the Khasan Lake "incident" and how many of their awards and documents have survived to be researched and treasured by collectors today.

David

[kimj]

Oooooooo..... Khasan GREAT group Rick!!!!! I think this is the first group I have ever seen with a no doubt connection to Khasan. Not the more common: "Well, in this range of serialnumber it should be..." and so on.

Now I think I need to comfort myself with my Khasan badge..... without document...

/Kim

Edited December 30, 2005 by kimj

[Ed_Haynes]

Lovely, just lovely.

[Stogieman]

Pretty spectacular group Rick

[Gerd Becker]

Fantastic group, Rick. Especially with the very early and proudly worn ORB 1st type

Thanks for sharing

Gerd

PS: Keep me in mind, when you write your testament

[NavyFCO]

You just have to think of what it must have been like for him the first few months of the War, strutting around as a Junior Lt. with a Red Banner on his chest. He must have been THAT GUY that folks referred to when they said: "Oh yeah... He's a war hero." It was a pretty rare sight back in that day to see anyone with an award, but a junior officer? WOW!

Neat group, and I'm glad that it researched out.

Dave

[Mondvor]

Rick, this is an excellent group! My congratulations.

Actually, "Jr. Lieutenant of State Security" was not the same as a regular Jr. Lieutenant. It corresponded to Sr. Lieutenant in regular troops, so he was wearing three squares, not one. BTW, the rank of "Sergeant of State Security" was an officer's rank as well and corrsponded to Lieutenant in regular troops.

[Guest Rick Research]

Fast forward to January 2008: the lunatics are running the collecting asylum.

Gather round, children. Let us play the

What Is This Group Quote Unquote Worth TODAY Game.

Bear in mind that I do not sell my collection items, ever. This is simply to attempt to get a non-insane grip on what Current Market Forces would "value" a group like this at TODAY.

I assure you

friends, fellow mortals

this group was Once Upon A Time honest-to-God affordable.

[Paul R]

A set to love!  

[Egorka]

Impressive set! 

[ruiz]

Amazing group!!!!!!