Soviet Private Stefan Kuzmich Bolshunov

[RedMaestro]

I recently picked up this small group to Private Stefan Kuzmich Bolshunov during my trip to Estonia (I also visited Russia, Finland, and Sweden).

Bravery Medal #2,844,012 - 1.6.45

Medal for Victory over Germany

Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class (1985) #2,603,625

Also included are a case, documents for the Victory Over Germany medal and OGPW, two military ID books, and war invalid documents. The document for the Bravery Medal is missing, but its serial number and award date are included in both of the ID books.

For now I will just post the group and the two medal documents. The military ID booklets are very heavily scribbled-in - a gold mine of information. Of the groups in my collection, this one probably has the most information available without even paying for research. In fact, I wonder if any research beyond the citation is even necessary, considering that essentially everything that would be on an award record card is here. I am going to get some help translating the ID's before I post them, though.

Alex

Edited September 19, 2010 by RedMaestro

[RedMaestro]

Reverse of the medals

[RedMaestro]

VoG document

[RedMaestro]

Order of the Great Patriotic War 1985 document

[IrishGunner]

Well done my young friend.

But I hope you didn't spend all your time in those wonderful countries hunting down researchable groups! I hope you met a lot of young Russians, Estonians, Finns, and Swedes.

And just think you can go back and hit Norway, Latvia, and Lithuania! :cheers:

[Noor]

If you have a name, you can now check Bravery medal citation online free of cost :whistle:

[RedMaestro]

If you have a name, you can now check Bravery medal citation online free of cost

Done long ago But thanks for the suggestion!

The Bravery Medal was for suppressing German self-propelled artillery during the crossing of the Oder. Two enemy guns were set aflame, and the battery withdrew, allowing Soviet engineers to set up a ferry. Through all of this Bolshunov "devoted all his strength and ability to destroy the enemy."

Edited October 21, 2012 by RedMaestro