Buddies, Translation needed...

[Keykey]

Could anyone tell me what it says? It's carved on the back of the metal part of my Zorki 4?

Please see attachment.

Hope it doesn't mean, "Haha. It's a fake, You Idiot!" ;)

Thanks

Keykey

[Kim Coxon]

Can't tell you exactly what it says but it looks like a presentaion inscription to me. Quite a lot of the cameras had them, a bit like getting an inscribed gold watch for x years faithful service to the company. (not that that happens much these days!)

Regards
Kim

Could anyone tell me what it says? It's carved on the back of the metal part of my Zorki 4?

Please see attachment.

Hope it doesn't mean, "Haha. It's a fake, You Idiot!" ;)

Thanks

Keykey

[Kim Coxon]

If you can wait a couple of days, I will get my wife's russian teacher to translate for you. However, I was going to wait till the "funnies" had finished ;)

Kim

Hey:)

It is an inscription, like Kim says, but congratulates the owner for getting to the head of the queue at the local bakers' collective; unfortunately, the latest five year plan put camera production ahead of wheat production, so please accept this camera in place of the loaf of bread you wanted. If you require film, please go to the local dairy collective, where supplies of milk are about to run low... :D :D

ManGo

[denishr]

I'll take a quick shot at it (with the help of my dear wife, who once studied Russian :)):

"To dear Vovotschka (sp?)
for 15th anniversary (birthday?)
from Grandpa Volodia (sp?)"

So, it's a present to Vovotschka from his/(her?) Grandpa for his/(her?) 15th birthday (i don't think it would be an anniversary present).

Maybe some of our FSU members will provide a better translation, but I think I'm not that far off the mark :)

Regards,

Denis

Edit: the date is October 31, 1990, I guess.....

Another edit: Vovotschka is definitely male, so it's the present from HIS Grandpa for HIS 15th birthday... It says "Dorogomu" (denoting masculine.....)

Heck, my language skills are getting rusty :)

[Keykey]

Thanks, guys.

Keep coming. I kind of enjoy the "funnies".

Of course, I really appreciate denishr's serious help too.
So this camera is not just a photographing machine but also presents a story and history behind.

That's my initiative in the first place.

Of course, it'll be even better if Vovotschka had already taken some great shots with it (I believe he/she had). I'll try to pass it on. :)

Keykey

[varjag]

Deinshir is correct.

"To dear Vovochka, on 15th birthday, from his grandpa Volodya".

Both Vovochka and Volodya are diminutive/affectionate forms of Vladimir, a male name.

[denishr]

Deinshir is correct.

"To dear Vovochka, on 15th birthday, from his grandpa Volodya".

Both Vovochka and Volodya are diminutive/affectionate forms of Vladimir, a male name.

Thanks for clearing this :) I knew I was close, but the script is not very readable, at least for me.... with my rusty Cyrillic... It's been a long time....

Denis