Russian Federation Awards In Wear.

[medals73]

One of the more "interesting" (and I'm not sure I say this in a positive way) figures in recent Russian/Soviet history is Alexander Ivanovich Lebed' (Алекса́ндр Ива́нович Ле́бедь, 1950-2002).

Wilkipedia (all disclaimers engaged) says of his military career:

Alexander Lebed' joined the Soviet Army's airborne troops in 1969. He was eight years as company leader at the VDV officer school in Ryazan, then served - first as battalion commander - with distinction in the Soviet war in Afghanistan in 1981/82. Later became regimental commander. In rank of colonel, Lebed' led airborne troops during the Soviet internal crises in Azerbaijan in 1988 and 1990, and in Georgia in 1989. Latter action included the brutal dispersing of a pro-independence rally in front of the government building in Tbilisi, that left twenty dead,

Lebed' was commander of the 106th Airborne Division from 1990 to 1991. He had come to national attention after the Soviet Coup of 1991, in which a conspiracy of government members opposing the perestroika sought to overthrow Mikhail Gorbachev's government and reverse his reforms. At the height of the crisis, the Army had been ordered by the coup participants to surround the White House, the seat of the Russian parliament. General Lebed' was given orders to send tanks but never took any action against the parliamentarians and Boris Yeltsin, the president of Russian SFSR.

Lebed' was promoted and became deputy to the commander of Russia's Airborne Troops, general Pavel Grachev. Alexander Lebed' was from June 1992 the commander of the 14th Guards Army, based in Moldova, playing a major role in the Conflict in Transnistria and Gagauzia crisis.

Alexander Lebed - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A few relevant images follow. (Notice his sloppiness with how he wears his awards. Pardon the stupidity, but what is the neck badge?)

To lighten the search, a couple of quotes from Wikipedia:

(On the Russians) "Most Russians don't care whether they are ruled by fascists or communists or even Martians as long as they can buy six kinds of sausage in the store and lots of cheap vodka."

(On the Soviet-Afghan War) "We began the war with lofty aims but ended up with a war against the people."

Additional wisdom? (Without getting political, please.)