Jubilee Award Badge "15 Years Of The People's Home Guard Of The P.M.R.".

[Greg Collins]

Here's a badge to commemorate 15 years of Pridnestrovie (1992-2007). Marshal Suvorov's image on the front. Appears to be made of a heavy alloy such as tomback.

[deValcourt]

Nice piece. I am always looking out for some of the newer stuff coming from the FSU.

I do have to mention that I've always thought the Russians could have done a better job with poor Marshal Suvorov's profile image. For the longest time, because of the hair, ruffled shirt and the turned up nose, I thought it was a profile of some prim, stuffy old "mistress of the house":). The awards in his honor are generally beautiful, but...well, you get the rest.;)

Phillip

[desantnik]

Here's a badge to commemorate 15 years of Pridnestrovie (1992-2007). Marshal Suvorov's image on the front. Appears to be made of a heavy alloy such as tomback.

More specifically, it's the 15th anniversary of the people's militia, not to be confused with militstiya or police - kind of like the Brit Home Guard or US National Guard. Boy, translation can be difficult sometimes :).

[Greg Collins]

Hmmm... I would imagine, given it's size and circumstances, that the "peoples' militia" is another term for Pridnestrovie's standing army- purely defensive.

[desantnik]

Transnistria (Prinestrovie) has a standing army and air force. The narodnoe opolchenie are irregulars, and may include its regional "cossack" forces.

I don't know what is considered "purely defensive", but Transnistrian news articles themselves reported that Transnistrian volunteers went to at least, Southern Ossetiya, maybe including Abkhazia, and fought in Georgia in 2008.

[Greg Collins]

Great information- thanks! After viewing their (Pridnestrovie's) website, I would have thought they had more than enough work at home forging a new country and, with relations being not entirely good with Moldova, would have thought they would keep their forces at home and at some stage of readiness.

[deValcourt]

Now as crazy as this might sound: is it just me, or did all of these regions seem more stable when they were part of the Soviet Union? Now I didn't say happier, just more stable - to borrow State Department speak.:rolleyes:
P.

[desantnik]

At what price stability? North Korea, the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Uzbekistan, Iran, most former colonies (including the US) et al appear(ed) "stabile" until the people fed up by the imposed stability had the chance to throw up the BS flag.

[Greg Collins]

I was watching a t.v. news report from the area of Georgia that touches South Ossetia the other day... they were interviewing a farmer- fairly large scale wheat farmer- who had been the leader of a co-op during the Soviet period. He had lost 2/3 of his crop during the recent "unpleasantness". He made the statement, "Weren't we happier during the Soviet days? Now we are free... with empty pockets". I hear similar stories quite a bit from people from the former Warsaw Pact countries with whom I have contact (primarily because of the collection).

[desantnik]

The grass is always greener on the other side. There are some pretty poignant museums and monuments to the victims of Soviet aggression.

I don't think you'd find many Balts that were happier during the "good old days", as well as Western Ukrainians, etc.

The only people clamoring to hobble together a resurrected Soviet Union seem to be the Russians and the Belarussians...and lest I forget, Transnistrians:).