For The Biggest Brains In The Red Army!-- Little Brown Books

[Rick Research]

You'd think that graduates of the Soviet Union's highest command academy would have gotten something flashy, colorful, and impressive to hang on their walls as proof they were the Best And Brightest, Biggest, Baddest Bolsheviks... wouldn't you?



But you'd be wrong!

[Rick Research]

I've tweaked the brightness a bit trying to make the cover titles clearer on these drab chocolate brown booklets.

The Class of 1943 on the left may have originally had gold lettering, which tends to go greenish. The Short Course of 1947 on the right had red lettering.

[Rick Research]

On newspaper type paper, here is the Graduation information and attested photo of Colonel Popov, then holder of an Order of the Red Banner and 1938 "Jubilee" Medal.

Colonel General Kuznetzov, the academy Commandant, signed this, stating that Popov's grades were "satisfactory."

Note the wartime heading "Death to the Fascist Occupiers!"

[Rick Research]

Immediately after the war, higher commanders who already held General rank and had proven themselves in wartime combat attended for "finishing" classes that did not require the full curriculum.

Major General Ibyansky got "very good" grades, as attested by Commandant General of the Army/Hero of the Soviet Union M. Zakharov.

Back to the usual format-- with name change showing ONE Order bestowed on the institution-- though the paper is STILL crappy!!!

[Rick Research]

And Ibyansky's cheerful visage. Note he is wearing an Order of Kutusov 2nd Class, one Order of Lenin (for long service), FOUR Orders of the Red Banner (one for long service), a 1938, Defense of Moscow, and Victory Over Germany. He would add a FIFTH long service ORB as Lieutenant General.

There would be no wearable badge for graduates of the Academy until 1951. For the actual badges, a couple of varieties over time are shown at



http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...shilov+Academy

[Vadim K]

Beautiful.

Note the wartime heading "Death to the Fascist Occupiers!"

"Death to the German Occupiers", actually.

[bnz. 42]

You'd think that graduates of the Soviet Union's highest command academy would have gotten something flashy, colorful, and impressive to hang on their walls as proof they were the Best And Brightest, Biggest, Baddest Bolsheviks... wouldn't you?

But you'd be wrong!

Agree. Simply because Russians never do that (hang on the walls their graduates).

Note the wartime heading "Death to the Fascist Occupiers!"

Yes, they were tough

Rick, tell me, where do you get all this staff?

[Rick Research]

Fascist/German. Wups!

Few and far between... Ibyansky's stuff was sold off in '97 and this left over crumb was all I got.

[Rick Research]

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