Russian Federation Opposition Communist Party medals and document

[Dolf]

Hi Dolf,

Hey, that's definitely one good reason! Just never seen this done before and although I'd seen the pic before I never noticed this aspect of it till just now. I know that way back when the original Red Banners (if I remember correctly) were worn on a circular piece of red cloth or ribbon... or was it the early Orders of Lenin? Can't remember which... my brain is a bit foggy. Too much sugar today and too little sleep last night.

I also considered that it was a way to lay out a pattern for placement of the awards. I know that when I was in NJROTC one of the biggest chores after washing, drying and pressing my uniforms was in putting all the insignia and awards back on just so in their proper positions. Sometimes it would require several tries to get everything "just right".

But I do wonder why he wouldn't use cloth to match the color of his tunic? Kinda stands out this way.

Very interesting nonetheless.

Dan

Being a vet, I've been told before by more experienced gentlemen on the hobby that they are allowed every kind of excentricities, such as not respecting the order of precedence of their awards, mixing awards of different periods, etc, so I guess that includes preserving his nice uniform from unnecessary holes (I suppose his low pension won't allow him to shop as often as Putin or from where he gets his suits ) by hanging them on a piece of cloth.

Maybe he thinks that grey color fits nicely with the color of his uniform

Or more seriously that's probably what he managed to get!

Dolf

[Hauptmann]

Being a vet, I've been told before by more experienced gentlemen on the hobby that they are allowed every kind of excentricities, such as not respecting the order of precedence of their awards, mixing awards of different periods, etc, so I guess that includes preserving his nice uniform from unnecessary holes (I suppose his low pension won't allow him to shop as often as Putin or from where he gets his suits ) by hanging them on a piece of cloth.

Maybe he thinks that grey color fits nicely with the color of his uniform

Or more seriously that's probably what he managed to get!

Dolf

Hi Dolf,

Could very well be. Makes as much sense as anything else. Just don't know why I didn't see it the first few times I saw the picture. Now it just stands out like a sore thumb. And it's not under all of his awards either. Perhaps the ones they are not on the cloth are regular pin back pieces. Very in-ter-est-ing!

Dan

[Dolf]

Hi Dolf,

Could very well be....

And it's not under all of his awards either. Perhaps the ones they are not on the cloth are regular pin back pieces. Very in-ter-est-ing!

Dan

Yes, maybe those not on the grey cloth are indeed regular pinback pieces, probably not as devastating for his uniform as regular screwback ones.

Or that's all the grey cloth he managed to get and there's not enough room for all his awards! Who knows!

From what I read and hear about life in Russia these days things don't seem easy for a lot of people! These men and women who gave their blood for the Motherland would certainly deserve more!...

Dolf

[Hauptmann]

Yes, maybe those not on the grey cloth are indeed regular pinback pieces, probably not as devastating for his uniform as regular screwback ones.

Or that's all the grey cloth he managed to get and there's not enough room for all his awards! Who knows!

From what I read and hear about life in Russia these days things don't seem easy for a lot of people! These men and women who gave their blood for the Motherland would certainly deserve more!...

Dolf

Amen to that my friend! All vets should be revered in their various societies... as should the elderly. That last point is one thing I've long admired about many oriental cultures.

Seems in so many societies both these groups get tossed out in favor of the young and inexperienced. I for one, when I see a vet, regardless of the type of their service, war or peacetime, I always want to shake their hand and thank them. But often I'm too embarrassed as I tend to be an introvert in many ways. Although I often act the extrovert as a way to overcome what are to me very awkward situations. So most folks that know me would never guess I'm actually quite bashful and not good or comfortable in social situations. It's just like cold calls either on the phone or in person. Can't stand them!

But I deeply respect both groups and appreciate what those who have gone before have done for all of us. It's just like the Nam vets... they really got the shaft. I was too young to have much impact one way or the other and like most kids just wanted to play and go to school and well, be a kid. But I remember growing up with the war... every night on the TV, radio, papers, magazines... you name it... for as long as I can remember. I full well expected it would go on long enough that I'd probably end up going myself as I wanted a service career. But then it ended... and it was like... no one made a big deal! No parades, no cheering or ticker tape parades. No mass celebrations like at the end of WWI or WWII. To me, even during those younger years, being a historian I compared it in my mind and it was like "What a gyp!" And I know the vets must have felt a gazillion times worse! Here they did what their country asked of them... at least in the form of our politicians... and what did they get for their troubles and sacrifices.

At least we've done a bit better in some ways as a society since then. But we still have one heck of a long way to go!

As for me... I salute all vets in my heart and whenever possible in person with a hearty handshake and a heartfelt thanks for all they've done, whether it was a few years as a clerk during peacetime or in combat during the war. Every vet and his family sacrifices... I've known enough to know that. They all deserve all the respect we can give them and more... and those Russian vets too. And that of course is one good thing that we Soviet/Russian collectors and historians try to do. Give them that respect and keep their memory and their history alive.

Dan

[Hauptmann]

And Dolf... by the way... as you're a vet... Thanks!!!!

[Dolf]

And Dolf... by the way... as you're a vet... Thanks!!!!

Dan,

Sorry to disappoint you but I'm no vet buddy! Where did you get that idea?

I was born in a country where a war began when I was five (Angola) and actually witnessed people kill and get killed at that age for the 1st time, then lived all my youth hearing about that war in the news (as well as other wars of course, such as Vietnam, etc), or from soldiers who had been in action, then a civil war started when I was 17-18 and it was total chaos everywhere in town, I can't count how many nights and days we couldn't get out and with the fear of being hit by the bullets flying all around the best thing to do was to crouch or prone and wait for the fightings to end in the safest place in the house... I remember one day I was out with a friend and when we came back to my place there were machine gun fights in the street but as we couldn't see the guys that were hidding in the gardens and behind walls, as for a couple of minutes there were no shots we decided to run the last few meters... Big mistake! One (or more, I just don't know as I haven't seen them!) of the guys probably ahead of us must have heard steps behind him/them and not knowing who we were shot a few bursts at us with his Kalashnikov... We weren't hit by miracle I guess, as we felt and heard the bullets flying all around us... Scary, trust me!

But I've never even been in the Army, when the time came I was already in Portugal and the war in the colonies was over so they didn't need everyone to join and simply didn't call me, putting me on reserve.

While still in Africa I almost joined one of the Parties, but before I did something stupid my parents put me on an airplane to Portugal, so despite I was used to war and guns (I could recognise by their sound if it was a Kalashnikov, or a Ppsh, or a G3 or a Uzi... you name it) and handled plenty of them that belonged to fighting friends or acquaintances, never used them on people or in a real fighting situation...

Only killed a few animals but that was before the civil war and it was with my father's shotgun

Cheers,

Dolf

[Dolf]

Hi Dolf,

I know that way back when the original Red Banners (if I remember correctly) were worn on a circular piece of red cloth or ribbon... or was it the early Orders of Lenin? Can't remember which... my brain is a bit foggy. Too much sugar today and too little sleep last night.

Dan

Sorry, I wanted to reply to this before but I missed it somehow.

I believe it was the old Red Banner from the RSFSR that was worn on a circular rosete, a piece of a red kind of ... paper (?) or was it cloth (?).

Dolf

[Hauptmann]

Dan,

Sorry to disappoint you but I'm no vet buddy! Where did you get that idea?

Cheers,

Dolf

Hi Dolf,

Very sorry... misunderstood your post #51:

"Being a vet, I've been told before by more experienced gentlemen on the hobby that they are allowed every kind of excentricities,"

Took that to me you were saying you were a vet.

However, sounds like you certainly were too close for comfort in more than a few "combat" situations.

So let's make a correction... not a vet, but "thanks for surviving" as don't know what we'd do without you. In some ways I'd think you are a vet... you survived some combat and some very sticky situations involving same at a very young age. And hey, you've certainly got my respect. I've never had bullets flying around me... never even been anything but an observer in a reenactment. So you're way ahead of me there. One major difference between what you went through and being a soldier... at least much of the time they have choices and they're at least trained and paid to be soldiers. You, as a kid had no choice and you certainly didn't get paid but sounds to me like you went through an awful lot of the same dangers and such.

Anyhow many apologies for the misunderstanding but again, you certainly have my respect.

Dan

[Hauptmann]

Sorry, I wanted to reply to this before but I missed it somehow.

I believe it was the old Red Banner from the RSFSR that was worn on a circular rosete, a piece of a red kind of ... paper (?) or was it cloth (?).

Dolf

Yes, think you're right on that one. Just knew it was the Red Banner... just the earliest type. As to what it was I believe cloth... I don't think paper would have held up to constant wear under so many different conditions.

Thanks!

Dan

[Dolf]

Hi Dolf,

Very sorry... misunderstood your post #51:

"Being a vet, I've been told before by more experienced gentlemen on the hobby that they are allowed every kind of excentricities,"

Took that to me you were saying you were a vet.

Hi Dan,

I'm the one who is sorry for my far from perfect rusty english.

By "being a vet" I meant the old man in the picture, sorry again for the misunderstanding.

However, sounds like you certainly were too close for comfort in more than a few "combat" situations.

Oh yes, definetely too close, and what's worst, unarmed, which made me feel as fragile as a sitting duck!

On the other hand, and giving it some thoughts later, I think maybe it was better I was unarmed, because a guy with a gun that shoots against other guys, sooner or later the "enemy" will shoot at you too, so...

So let's make a correction... not a vet, but "thanks for surviving" as don't know what we'd do without you. In some ways I'd think you are a vet... you survived some combat and some very sticky situations involving same at a very young age. And hey, you've certainly got my respect. I've never had bullets flying around me... never even been anything but an observer in a reenactment. So you're way ahead of me there. One major difference between what you went through and being a soldier... at least much of the time they have choices and they're at least trained and paid to be soldiers. You, as a kid had no choice and you certainly didn't get paid but sounds to me like you went through an awful lot of the same dangers and such.

Anyhow many apologies for the misunderstanding but again, you certainly have my respect.

Dan

No need to be sorry, it was my mistake

As a civilian in a city transformed into a battlefield, with the machine gun bullets, the grenades and rockets and even kattyusha fire all around, yes, I guess I was lucky surviving, many didn't

The next morning after that day they fired at me, with my sisters we picked a lot of bullets on the floor on that area (it was just at the gate giving entrance to our home), and one of my sisters still keeps all that stuff. The bushes and the walls and the floor were full of holes in that spot! Sometimes when I visit her I still look at those bullets and think: "Gee, one of these could have my name on it!!!" Glad it didn't, otherwise I wouldn't be here now chatting

Cheers,

Dolf

[Hauptmann]

Hi Dan,

I'm the one who is sorry for my far from perfect rusty english.

Hey, no apologies necessary my friend! I mean, there are Americans who, at least in my opinion, can't speak decent English... and I'm talking about those who are native born and raised! I think you're doing a tremendous job. So please, don't feel bad or give it a moments thought. Such things happen.

Glad it didn't, otherwise I wouldn't be here now chatting

Amen to that my friend! Again, don't know what we'd go without you. We're all, each and every one of us a crucial part of the whole that is our club. I for one am very glad you're safe and sound and chatting away.

Dan

[Riley1965]

Here's a link for more information.

http://www.soviet-awards.com/forum/showthr...light=Umalatova

Doc

[Hauptmann]

Hi all,

Got another one! I'm really gettin' hooked on these.

[attachmentid=51205]

[attachmentid=51206]

Again, more detailed at:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=8255...533;entry100640

Dan