Russian/Ukranian volunteer uniform photo

[TrondK]

I just found this exotic photo on the internet. A very interesting uniform- i would love to learn more from this piece of history.

I dont understand what the cyrillic text says, so if it is something ugly then i am sorry for that. I just wanted to share this rare bird as soon as i saw it.

[Frundsberg]

Well, seems it is just a modern propaganda. Text says that Georgian Cross were during WWII awarded only to the Russians who served in Wehrmacht and never to the Soviet troops. Today the ribbon of the Georgian Cross is famous symbol in Russian propaganda to commemorate WWII.

[Dimas]

There mentioned that the St George's cross orders recipients in WW2 exists in the Russian Corps (in the service in 3rd Reich) only. In the USSR was newer established St. George's cross ribbon, only Guards ribbons and order of Glory. Most probably that picture was made against a modern politic of use of these ribbons everywhere being celebration of 9th May, the victory day. Some of the peoples as me myself are regret this idea.
Just take a look why. There absolutely no respect and connection to that date

[TrondK]

Hm interesting. Thank you for your assistance guys, i regret quitting my russian language course now.

I also noticed the cockade looked somewhat new on the photo, but i was not 100% sure what to believe since we still find strange relics from the past.



People should have more respect for these symbols.. Thanks for the link Dimas

[Dimas]

It's Imperial Russian cockade

[TrondK]

It looks so high/hollow in construction compared to the one i have, so that is why i believed it was of new construction when i wrote the post last night. (the Em model)

And I know the officer model is of alittle different constrution, so late night posting is not always a good idea.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Ignoring the text, do you guys think it is an original period photo?

Cheers, Ade.

[Frundsberg]

About the originality - why not. This man on the photo maybe earned his St. Georgy Cross in WWI. Uniform is strange but there very many strange uniforms were used when we are talking about foreign volounteers. For example Estonian East Batalions had very mixed uniforms in 1941-42 - Soviet, old Estonian or Latvian army, German, some items sent from home against the winter etc. Actually the song Dimas posted gives 100% accurate answer to the question - a nice music and very good and honest words.

[HPL2008]

As the German text on the photograph implies, this is a member of the Russisches Schutzkorps, also known as Russisches Schutzkorps Serbien, Russisches Korps, Russische Werkschutzgruppe or Russisches Wachkorps.

This was a German-controlled, Serbia-based security formation raised from Russian emigrants living on the the Balkans (many of them former Czarist/White Army soldiers who had fled westward after the Russian Civil War) and other exiled Russians as well as some 300 former POWs.

Its members wore uniforms of Czechoslovak and Yugoslavian origin with unique insignia: Enlisted men's rank insignia were displayed as sleeve chevrons while officers' rank was displayed on the collar patches. Bizarrely, in addition to that, all wore Russian-style shoulder boards displaying their former rank in the Czarist army, which was not necessarily identical to their current rank. Caps sported silver-and-black oval cockades.