Foreign Awards To Soviets.

[medals73]

Very interesting. Thanks.

Is there an image of the medal?

Did it continue to be worn even under postwar anti-socialist Italian governments?

[desantnik]

Thanks for the information!

I only have a photocopy of the blank award certificate.

[rocketscientist]

Pictures of the Italian Partisan's star can be found here:

http://forum.worldwar.it/Public/data...6_IMG_2306.JPG

http://forum.worldwar.it/Public/data...3_IMG_2305.JPG

(courtesy of 128 legio, member of WorldWar, italian militaria forum)

[EricFG]

History can be so cool sometimes.

[medals73]

Thanks for the links.

[marcotk]

Fascinating topic... Have been working for some time with a fellow Italian to research one of these Soviet Partisan.. ..(Speculation Alert)..there are rumors that not only escaped POWs were among Italian partisan units but also Soviet Agents (..NKVD/KG?)

Here is one of the certificate we are talking about (courtesy of Mr. Azad, aka Komandir RKKA). This one is signed by the Italian President of the Republic (at that time Sandro Pertini Sandro Pertini - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). This particular soldier, Com. Bagirov, was an aintiaircraft arty commander, wounded, captured, entered the wehrmacht, escaped and joined the Italian partisans.

Изображение-003.jpg Изображение-004.jpg

[marcotk]

Here you can see Captain (and later Major - after WW2 ended) Khovrin... codename Walter.
Misteriously came by parachute to Italy, spoke fluent Italian, and was a very influential commander in the regions of Padua and Treviso. After the war immidately went back to Russia with a bran new (and bigger) star on his shoulders... Unfortunately both the TsAMO and the ANPI archives (National Italian Partisan Association) were of no use.

walter2.jpg walter1.jpg

[aironmeiden]

Originally Posted by marcotk

Here you can see Captain (and later Major - after WW2 ended) Khovrin... codename Walter.
Misteriously came by parachute to Italy, spoke fluent Italian, and was a very influential commander in the regions of Padua and Treviso. After the war immidately went back to Russia with a bran new (and bigger) star on his shoulders... Unfortunately both the TsAMO and the ANPI archives (National Italian Partisan Association) were of no use.

Attachment 41816 Attachment 41817

Marco this was super interesting! :thumbsup
Really nice one!

[Kirchgoens]

Originally Posted by marcotk

Here is one of the certificate we are talking about (courtesy of Mr. Azad, aka Komandir RKKA). This one is signed by the Italian President of the Republic (at that time Sandro Pertini Sandro Pertini - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). This particular soldier, Com. Bagirov, was an aintiaircraft arty commander, wounded, captured, entered the wehrmacht, escaped and joined the Italian partisans.

By name, this dude is likely to have been ethnic Azeri.

[desantnik]

I finally found the book I referenced above. It is called in Russian Советские партизаны в итальянском движении сопротивления and published by "Progress" in Moscow in 1970. It apparently is a translation from Italian of the book by Mauro Galleni titled I partigiani sovietici nella Resistenza italiana, published by Riuniti. The Soviet book contains a nice breakdown of their contingent numbering 4981 partisans with details of their operations and their areas of operation. Unfortunate, though perhaps understandable, there are no photos. Now that being said I have to keep looking b/c I swear I had yet another book with photos...:mad: