What is the story behind these Flags and Standards taken to Russia after WWII; then; decades later...found their way back to West???
Francis
Any part of Germany where the Russians advanced and there were flags located
the Russians took them back to Moscow. At the end of WWII all German flags
were trooped in their Victory Parade. At the end of the parade tossed into a pile.
Then stored in the basement of the museum.
After the fall of the Soviet Union an American was able to deal with the Russian
museum and pay for things they needed.
As payment to him, he was allowed into the basement and was given X amount
of time to select flags and bring out.
There as going to be a book on Imperial flags by Neil Stewart of Tiger Books III
Neil came here and spent 2- and 1/2-days doing photos with a professional
photographer. The story of the flags out of Russia as to be told in the book.
However, the project as ever completed.
As news got around, the story was that the Russians were unhappy about the flag deal.
It was rumored that if the American were ever to return to Russia, he
might not make it back out.
I doubt that anymore flags will make it out of Russia.
Steve