"Order of Lenin, Order of Stalin (Project)", Valeriy
Durov. C. 2005, Moscow.
Subtitled "History of Institution, Evolution and
Variations". Russian text. Large 12 x 9 format hard cover,
143 pp, fine quality.
This excellent in depth research is unprecedented in its
reliance on hard to find archival sources such as internal
mint memos, governmental orders and manufacturers' shipment
lists. The text contains great number of details on the
dates of issue, names of many of the early award recipients,
minute details of the manufacturing process etc.
Photos of all known variations of the Order of Lenin are of
extraordinary quality, with extreme close-ups so often
absent in other publications in the medal collecting field.
The part dedicated to the unfulfilled project of the Order
of Stalin is also very well written and extremely well
researched. Although this "would be" award is considered no
more than curiosity by most, a few true samples produced by
the mint are known to exist in private collections. Many
interesting period photos and color illustrations of Soviet
art provide excellent background for this outstanding book.
This book is the first publication of the Encyclopedia of
Soviet Awards series (the others published to date are
excellent reference guides on the Order of the Red Banner,
Order of the Red Star, and early decorations of Soviet
republics). A truly invaluable
resource for the Soviet medal collector or historian, highly
recommended!
Item# 12870
$45.00 