Russian Federation Cossack medal "For the defense of Transnistria"

[TacHel]

I was recently surprised to find this medal for sale on the site of a German militaria shop. Although not incredibly valuable, it is rare to see them on the western market and I saw myself immediately jumping on it as if it were. To be perfectly honest, my main interest was the fact one of its recipients was Major-general Alexander Lebed.

Major-general Alexander Lebed wearing his Defence of Transnistria medal top row 2nd from center immediately following his Soviet Order of the Red Banner. He obviously considered it quite special to mount it that high in the order of precedence of his many other awards.

The link below give s a quite acceptable resume of the conflict including the participation of General Lebed and his troops and of Ukrainian and Russian Cossack units.

BBC NEWS Dniester conflict

The medal was produced and bestowed by the Union of Cossacks. It was awarded to Cossacks, members of the Union of Cossacks, as well as other citizens and stateless persons for personal courage and bravery displayed in the battles for freedom and independence of Transnistria.

Early awards hung from this green and red ribbon, this was later changed to the "ribbon of St George" as seen above.

Don cossacks also produced and awarded this medal which often accompanies the other one on their uniform. The medal "Defender of Transnistria"

Link to web site Cossack Awards (in Russian)

Edited September 21, 2013 by TacHel

[JapanX]

They used design of super rare Ochakov and Ismail gold crosses that were issued in 1788 and 1790 respectively.

He we have an example of Ochakov cross

http://visualrian.ru/en/site/gallery/index/id/510926/context/%7B%22history%22%3A%7B%22category%22%3A%22wars%22%2C%22period%22%3A%221980%22%7D%7D/

[TacHel]

Another shot of general Lebed, the medal now hangs 4th from center top row behind the Soviet Order of the Red Banner, Soviet MVD medal For courage in a fire and the Russian Federation's commemorative medal 300 years of the Russian Navy, but still in front of all other Soviet, Russian and foreign awards.

Bearing in mind this was in the mid to late 90s when the order of precedence was almost left to the whim of the wearer, no official regulation was even remotely followed or even enforced, it is still interesting to note how highly he rated this particular award, especially since it was a Cossack award usually frowned upon and even scoffed at by the military.

[TacHel]

Another shot of general Lebed, here signing autographs for Cossack officers.

[JapanX]

I see you deleted my previous posts...

Too bad...

Well, guess you indeed "fail to see any of my points"...

No worry.

I`ll help you

Bearing in mind this was in the mid to late 90s when the order of precedence was almost left to the whim of the wearer, no official regulation was even remotely followed or even enforced, it is still interesting to note how highly he rated this particular award, especially since it was a Cossack award usually frowned upon and even scoffed at by the military.

This is not true.

There always was regulation like Ministry of Defense order #210 from 28.01.1997 (Приказ Минобороны РФ от 28.03.1997 N 210 "О Правилах ношения военной формы одежды военнослужащими Вооруженных Сил Российской Федерации".

Unfortunately this General violated any regulation before, during or after 1997.

But then again he violated even direct orders from Minister of Defence ...

As for this picture

and your comment "the pic might've been taken in 1996..."

Of course it was made after 1999

This is how his awards looked in 1996 (during president election campaign)

Edited September 25, 2013 by JapanX

[JapanX]

And even in 1999 his medals looked like this (still no shiny trinket on the right chest in sight...)

Edited September 25, 2013 by JapanX

[JapanX]

Here it is closer

[Mathomhaus]

http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_09_2013/post-753-0-91789200-1380121380.jpghttp://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_09_2013/post-753-0-28877500-1380121408.jpg

Here are photos that I took of the monument over General Lebed's grave in the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow. It’s certainly one of the larger and more elaborate military memorials... and that's saying a lot considering all the other monuments to famous Russians that are in the Convent's cemetary,

You can clearly see the medal in question carefully sculpted with all of his other awards and decorations.

Regards

Edited September 25, 2013 by Mathomhaus

[JapanX]

Yep.

He really liked this bling bling...

Well, for uninformed spectator this breast star will look just like a St.Andrew.

And I bet it was the real intention of Lebed when he decided to pin it above all his awards on the right chest (above his combat RS !!!).

Edited September 25, 2013 by JapanX

[JapanX]

In case you are wondering what in this blin bling ...

It is so-called "St.Andrew premium".

Here it is

[JapanX]

In case you are wondering when this General got his ...

In 2000

http://www.fap.ru/prem_laur.php?lt=believe&id=1844

[JapanX]

He is opening new school-year of Cadet military school in 2001

Edited September 25, 2013 by JapanX

[TacHel]

I see you deleted my previous posts...

Too bad...

Well, guess you indeed "fail to see any of my points"...

No worry.

I`ll help you

This is not true.

There always was regulation like Ministry of Defense order #210 from 28.01.1997 (Приказ Минобороны РФ от 28.03.1997 N 210 "О Правилах ношения военной формы одежды военнослужащими Вооруженных Сил Российской Федерации".

Unfortunately this General violated any regulation before, during or after 1997.

But then again he violated even direct orders from Minister of Defence ...

As for this picture

post-3030-0-27281700-1379780196.jpg

and your comment "the pic might've been taken in 1996..."

Of course it was made after 1999

This is how his awards looked in 1996 (during president election campaign)

'>

[JapanX]

Yep, plan A...

Well, I believe that all materials in this thread are closely related to this Cassack cross.

Actually we now can date every "movement" of this cross in the General bar and see how it looks "in auction".

[Mathomhaus]

Sorry that this takes you off of your theme, but since one of you mentioned the wearing of Umalatovas:

In 2007, I attended by accident the June graduation of the cadets of the Moscow Suvorov Academy. The cememony was held on the plaza in front of the State Historical Museum in the shadow of the equestrian statue of Marshal Zhukov. In and amongst the photos that I took that day is one of a faculty officer who appears to me to be wearing a Umalatova medal (the last one on the top row), specifically the Medal for 80th Anniversary of the Soviet Armed Forces. At the time, I mentioned what I thought it was to some collector friends and they all scoffed at me. Could I be right that a serving officer could get away with wearing an Umalatova medal on his uniform?

Regards

Edited September 25, 2013 by Mathomhaus

[JapanX]

Easy

But I tell you one thing guys - there are different officers in Russian army and many (especially combat) officers will never wear on their uniform these ridiculous trinkets ...

But then again it must be so tempting to stuff your chest with flashy gongs

[TacHel]

Unfortunately, "easy" is all too true... But things seem to be getting better as time progresses. It really does look like the Umalatova in question (pic below), but was there the red enamel of the Soviet banner? It's difficult to tell in the photo.

Keep in mind there are quite a few public medals concerning the anniversaries of military academies and such establishments that are readily worn on military uniforms by both staff and students..

And yes, the few photos I found of officers following regs were "real" combat vets, "real" soldiers. Umalatovas are actually rare nowadays, and public medals are getting scarcer. With the number of awards just in the Defense Ministry, you kind of wonder why somebody would need to embellish their "rack" with blingblings...

[Mathomhaus]

As you know, photographing a medal from a distance on a sunny day can result in all sorts of lens flare, so the jury may be out on if it’s the same enameled planchet – but if you allow for image degradation from being enlarged beyond all reasonable limits, I think he’s definitely wearing the same ribbon.

When the Academy administrators at the graduation realized that they needed extra space to admit the second of two cadet color guards, I was in a part of the crowd that this officer had to move aside. I was quite honored when, not knowing that I was a tourist, he referred to me as an “esteemed parent”!

BTW: I asked the folk at CollectRussia for their permission to use one of their medal photos and they were glad to say yes.

Regards

[JapanX]

My eyes, my eyes!

[TacHel]

Yup, no doubt about it... It's definitely the Umalatova...

Kinda sad when you think about it... A LtCol, charged with the instruction of young soldiers giving such a bad example. Kind of weird, when you look at his other medals (from your close up), he seems to have the Medal for Military Valour, the Medal for Excellence in Military Education, and I think the Jubilee Medal 850 Years of Moscow.

Edited September 26, 2013 by TacHel

[Rogi]

In case you are wondering what in this blin bling ...

It is so-called "St.Andrew premium".

Here it is

Pleas tell me that bling bling has diamonds lol

[JapanX]

Naturally!

At cavalier's own expense ...