Photographs Of Recipients Of Soviet Awards/Service Personnel.

[CtahhR]

Here is a trio in Saratov on 2nd February 1939. One of them appears to be named Boriev.

[CtahhR]

Here is a rather cheery postcard home to a sister (Leli) from a brother (Sasha) who was in Belgrade, Yugoslavia on 23rd November 1944.

[CtahhR]

Sasha went back to the same studio on 25th December 1944 for this more personal portrait for his sister. An early "For Bravery" and "For Combat Merits".

Merry Christmas everybody!

[slava1stclass]

Gents,

Future HSU Guards Major F. G. Nelidov with his six screwback awards - impressive. He was assigned to the 14th Guards Cavalry Regiment and KIA in 1945.

Regards,

slava1stclass

[Bill Garvy]

Unknown Artillery Major with an Order of the Red Banner, Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Class, Order of the Red Star, & Defense of Moscow

Pre-war photograph of an unknown Air Force enlisted man

[CtahhR]

That major looks to have some nice early plastic ribbons. This pushes back the time line of many re-ribboned awards that may have previously been thought to have been converted to plastic later. Unfortunately they perish that much faster.

The missing VOG would suggest pre-May 1945 plastic ribbons.

[Al-muell]

That indeed looks like a plastic ribbon on ORB. However, this photograph could have been taken after May 1945 as well - after all many servicemen had to wait to get a VoG, even a well-decorated major as this one could have had to wait until 1946 or 1947. But in any case, this photograph seems tosuggest that the plastic ribbons were used much earlier than it is commonly thought.

[marsino]

Grecov Semën Vasil'evič, 6 BM

[slava1stclass]

Gents,

Comrade "Eyebrows" as we've never seen him before.

Regards,

slava1stclass

[Al-muell]

Some sort of early post-war military ceremony - probably oath?
It is interesting to note, that one of the officers is wearing Polish Grunwald Cross and Order of the Revival of Poland Cavalier's Cross