09-28-2012, 05:32 PM (This post was last modified: 09-28-2012, 08:30 PM by Bill Garvy.)
[SIZE="3"]Will post the Red Star upon receipt later next week. In the meantime I thought you might enjoy the documentation.
Record card
Order booklet nr. A-206517
1. Last name: Nikiforov
2. First name and patronymic: Pyotr Mikhailovich
3. Military rank: Captain
4. Sex: Male
5. Year of birth: 1918
6. Place of birth: Village of Aleksandrovka, Krasny Kholm Raion, Kalinin Oblast
7. Party membership (since which year): Member of the Communist Party since 1942
8. Education: 7 classes
9. Nationality: Russian
10. Since which year in the Red Army: Since 1935
11. Place of service (name of the unit) and position at the time of the award: Battalion commander in the 241st Artillery Regiment, 39th Army, Kalinin Front
12. Current place of service and position: Chief of the Operational Record Section of District Artillery Depot nr. 3622
13. Home address of the awardee: 4 Berezanskaya Street, city of Nezhin
14. Record of all awards received:
Names of the orders and medals Their numbers Numbers of the documents Ground of award
Order of the Red Star 62640 Temporary certificate nr. 166935 Order of the Kalinin Front nr. 0431 of November 2, 1942
Medal for the Victory over Germany - Permanent certificate nr. Zh-0133177 Decree of May 9, 1945
Medal for Combat Merit 3133728 Decree of April 30, 1947
Signature of the awardee: [signed]
I confirm the correctness of the data and the signature of the awardee (position and signature):
Chief of District Artillery Depot nr. 3622
Colonel [signed] /Ostroukhov/
September 29, 1949
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1. Last name, first name and patronymic: Nikiforov, Pyotr Mikhailovich
2. Rank: Captain
3. Position and unit: Battalion commander in the 421st Army Artillery Regiment
Nominated for: Order of the Red Banner
4. Year of birth: 1918
5. Nationality: Russian
6. Party affiliation: Member of the Communist Party
7. Participation in the Civil War, the following combat actions for the defense of the USSR and the Patriotic War (where and when): Has been participating in the Patriotic War since June 22, 1941
8. Wounds and contusions received during the Patriotic War: No
9. Since when in the Red Army: Since November 1935
10. Drafted by which military commissariat: Volunteer, city of Odessa
11. Awards received previously (for which merits): No
12. Permanent home address (of the prospective awardee or his family): ______________
Short, concrete description of his combat feat or merits:
Captain Nikiforov is a talented and rising artillery officer, dedicated to the socialist motherland.
Commanding an artillery battalion on the Rzhev axis during the fighting on September 26 and 27, 1942, he carried out his combat missions to suppress and destroy enemy firepower in an excellent manner. Captain P.M. Nikiforov skillfully directed the battalion’s artillery fire, covering our advancing infantry and successfully making the artillery fire coincide with the infantry’s maneuvers. During this battle his battalion demolished two buildings housing enemy infantry, destroyed one light vehicle with enemy officers, suppressed and destroyed 5 enemy artillery and mortar batteries, and killed over 125 soldiers and officers.
In combat, Captain Nikiforov is a brave and courageous commander. Through his personal example of bravery and skill he always inspires the men of the battalion. Repeatedly his battalion fired using direct lay from open firing positions and bravely and persistently smashed the enemy combat formations.
Captain P.M. Nikiforov’s tally includes a considerable number of destroyed enemy pillboxes and batteries and killed enemy troops.
Commander
Lieutenant Colonel [signed] /Smirnov/
Military commissar
Senior Political Officer [signed] /Zerzev/
October 2, 1942
He deserves to be awarded the Order of the Red Banner.
Deputy commander of the Artillery of the 39th Army
Colonel [signed] /Breido/
Military commissar of the Artillery headquarters
Battalion Commissar [signed] /Baikov/
October 5, 1942
He deserves to be awarded the Order of the Red Star.
Commander of the 39th Army
Major General [signed] /Zygin/
Member of the Military Council
Hero of the Soviet Union
Brigade Commissar [signed] /Boiko/
October 9, 1942
I don't know where you are getting Pyotr (Пётр) from as both documents read "Петр" (Petr). This ё/e situation is a very problematic thing in modern Russia.
Unless I am mistaken, Russian for "Peter" is indeed Pyotr, however from what I have noticed many russian-speakers don't differntiante between "yo" and "ye" in writing.
In writing Russians often ignore the diaeresis (some purists don't consider the 'ё' a separate letter, but just a variation of the 'е'), but they definitely pronounce the letter like 'yo'. In western transliterations (primarily English) we often ignore the diaeresis for some reason (Gorbachev seems to more common than the more correct Gorbachov); mainly, I guess, because these translator are unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the Russian language.
But isn't that the problem of the english transcription as such? To me "Kh" doesn't sound like "X" at all. Even "H" would be better... And all those "Zh"...
For example, in Poland (with the transcription still miles away from being perfect) have no doubt that Nikita Sergeevich's surname was Chruszczow instead of Khruschev. But we're getting off-topic here...
Al-muell Wrote:But isn't that the problem of the english transcription as such? To me "Kh" doesn't sound like "X" at all. Even "H" would be better... And all those "Zh"...
For example, in Poland (with the transcription still miles away from being perfect) have no doubt that Nikita Sergeevich's surname was Chruszczow instead of Khruschev. But we're getting off-topic here...
The problem is that the English language doesn't have that 'Х' sound (Polish, German, Dutch, and all Slavic languages do). 'Kh' is just a letter combination somebody came up with to transliterate that Russian letter. I'd say that 'H' is just as poor a solution.
