Hero Of The Soviet Union Jakov Iosifovich Dzhugashvili.

[desantnik]

For your viewing pleasure. This Umalatova awarding was made 18 MAY 1999to Stalin's son Yakov Iosifovich Dzhugashvili. Has anyone else seen an Umalatova HSU awarding?

Photo is from the Stalin Museum in Gori, Georgia.

[deValcourt]

This is a first for me. In fact, I'd like to know what reason was given for the awarding other than an accident of birth and being captured. I suppose since his father refused to exchange any German prisoners for his offspring, and the bizarre circumstances surrounding his death in Germany all lends itself to a sympathy awarding, but other than that...Like I said, I'd like to read the citation for this posthumous set - very interesting awarding.:thumbsup

Phillip

[desantnik]

I was impressed that the museum's Russian-language tour was more objective than I thought I thought it would be. The tour guide said there were two versions of Yakov's concentration camp death, the Russian version that he was executed and that German version that he committed suicide. Apparently the death was witnessed by four or five prisoners, and they all had different versions.

[deValcourt]

Originally Posted by desantnik

I was impressed that the museum's Russian-language tour was more objective than I thought I thought it would be. The tour guide said there were two versions of Yakov's concentration camp death, the Russian version that he was executed and that German version that he committed suicide. Apparently the death was witnessed by four or five prisoners, and they all had different versions.

And then there's the third version that he was shot while trying to escape - the more heroic version derived from documents seized by the US Department of Defense and presented to Yakov's daughter, Galina, who rejected this explanation and presented the fourth version - that he was never captured by the Germans at all, but was killed in action in 1941. Either the NKVD(GB)-MGB history re-writing departments are very skilled or she lived her entire life in sad denial.:(

One thing though about the objectivity of the tour; perhaps Stalin's Georgian roots make him less loathsome there than anywhere else. Just a thought.:)

Phillip