SOVIET GENERAL'S SWORD AND DOCUMENT GROUPING - LED SOVIET FORCES CRUSHING THE 1956 HUNGARIAN UPRISING
Extraordinary grouping of documents from the estate of Soviet General Peter Nikolaevich Lashchenko, a Hero of the Soviet Union and infantry commander during World War II. Lashenko also led a Special Corps of Soviet troops during the Soviet military intervention in Hungary in 1956, and assisted in the arming, organizing and training of the Egyptian army after the 1967 War. Included in the grouping are 26 separate ornate personalized documents, the vast majority in red presentation leather binders with personalized gilt lettering and designs, each congratulating Lashchenko primarily upon his 70th and 80th birthdays in 1980 and 1990. Among those sending regards are marshals and generals V. ARKHIPOV, V. MAIHALKIN, C. AGANOV, Y. IVANOVSKI, A. ALTUNIN, Y. GERASIMOV, P. LUSHEV, D. YAZOV, G. ZHAKAROV, V. DANILOV, P. KILEMOV, N. SHLYAGA, B. ERMAKOV, S. SOKOLOV, P. LUSHEV, with one greeting signed by ten officers, another signed by almost 100, and a greeting signed by cosmonauts ANDRIYAN NIKOLAYEZ, GEORGY BEREGOVOY, and ten other cosmonauts. ALSO: a rare Soviet general's dress sword which accompanied the documents, presumably Lashchenko's, a cavalry sword 42 1/4" long overall, bright steel blade, the grip a light brown hard plastic or composite. The hand guard and upper part of the grip are engraved with Soviet stars and wreaths. The sword is sold with matching steel scabbard with hanger ring. Both sword and scabbard are in excellent condition.