Colonel Hristo Petkov Hristov.

[RedMaestro2]

I was very luck to find this beautiful and intriguing group to Colonel Hristo Petkov Hristov. I've attempted to precisely pin down Colonel Hristov's identity and nature of service (hence, all my questions on the "Misc. Bulgaria questions" thread); the result is a few theories that seem plausible to me. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be able to help with this question. I'll present the group first and then my ideas.

The following awards are in my possession:

Bulgarian:
Order of the Red Banner #8,911 (w/matching doc and case)
Order of People’s Liberty 2nd Class (w/doc and case)
Order of the 9th of September 1944 3rd Class (w/doc and case)
Medal for the 20th Anniversary of the Bulgarian People’s Army (w/doc)
Medal for the 30th Anniversary of the Bulgarian People’s Army (w/doc)
Medal for the 40th Anniversary of Victory Over Fascist Germany (w/doc)

Soviet:
Order of the Badge of Honor (w/doc and case)
Medal for Combat Service (w/doc and numbered case)
Medal for the 20th Anniversary of Victory (w/doc)
Medal for the 40th Anniversary of Victory
Medal for the 50th Anniversary of Victory
University Graduation Badge (w/case)

Though the Soviet/Russian 40th and 50th anniversary medals and university badge are undocumented, I strongly believe they are original to the set. Bulgarians are known to have received these awards, and overall they fit the portrait of an officer with strong ties to the USSR. The seller I purchased this group from originally acquired the following awards in the same lot. It's possible some of them might also be connected to Colonel Hristov.

Order of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria 2nd (?) Class
Order of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria 3rd (?) Class
Order of People’s Liberty 2nd Class
Order of People’s Liberty 2nd Class
National Order of Labor Bronze Class
Order for the 100th Anniversary of Sofia as the Capital of Bulgaria


To start, here's a picture of the group and the man.