A while ago we saw a terrific “Big Set” of civilians from Stalingrad Miniatures that showed a lot
of humanity from the eastern front. We have had a chance to build two of this set in our review and thought you would like to see how they build up in our review...
Double Build Review from Stalingrad Miniatures:
European Refugee Woman, 1939-45
1/35th scale
#S-3112
8 parts in Grey Resin
Sculpted by Alexander Zelenkov
Elderly Lady, Europe 1939-45
1/35th scale
#S-3115
6 parts in Grey Resin
Sculpted by Alexander Zelenkov
Available from Stalingrad Miniatures Distributors Worldwide
The new set of WWII era Civilians from Stalingrad Miniatures features these eight "European Refugees" that could be from any western European countries by their dress – We previewed this set recently but have been lucky enough to be able to build two of the figures in this set.
The new set of WWII era Civilians from Stalingrad Miniatures features these eight "European Refugees" that could be from any western European countries by their dress – We previewed this set recently but have been lucky enough to be able to build two of the figures in this set.
In this review we will look at how these figures are
composed and represented and as a little extra build them for you and show you
how they are painted up (not by us mind you) - and we will show you the rest of
the set in a preview after the review.
Alexander Zelenkov was inspired to make a set of Western European
refugees as maybe a bit of a follow on from his excellent Russian refugees set
we looked at also here on TMN.
Some great and very evocative features
of the faces and body language of the set really grabbed a few people’s
attention so of course something like this set in another setting would be
welcomed by modellers.
This is the "Big Set" that thiese two releases were part of - also sold seperately of course...
This is the "Big Set" that thiese two releases were part of - also sold seperately of course...
...And some of the scenes which inspired these scenes. Refugees in any city or town in Western or central europe during the war and after the war were all to common a sight. People either moving away from the battle, away from where they were taken in the war and some simply to somewhere new to start a new life. These pictures and some of the others in this article were used in the conception and sculpting of all the figures in this set.
Figures from Stalingrad Miniatures come sealed in a zip-loc
bag inside a small black box with the painted figures on the outside of the
box. Those of you who are familiar with our reviews of Stalingrad’s figures
here on TMN will know that they are finely sculpted, need a little clean up and
often some engineering fiddling but the end result is second to none on the
market.
European Refugee Woman, 1939-45
1/35th scale
#S-3112
8 parts in Grey Resin
Sculpted by Alexander Zelenkov
This first figure comes in ten parts of light grey resin. There
are some casting blocks to remove but nothing in anywhere “dangerous” to the
surface although there were a few holes that needed to be filled once the
surface was broken on both of these figures – three between them so nothing
serious. The largest part of this first figure of the woman walking is the large thick coat, buttoned up at the neck.
She also carries a large sack on her back that is strapped to her by a thin cord over the arms. Interestingly she may be wearing tights, and if she was she would be either rich or in a uniform of sorts. Tights were NOT in huge supply during the war. When you cut this woman free of the casting block you will notice that she is a little top heavy. Evidenced here in the support from the casting block thoughtfully included to prevent the figure's legs snapping at the thin feet joint in transit.
This older woman is seen carrying a few bags in not just her hands but on her back – she obviously has a lot of stuff or she is carrying something for someone else?
An older woman, she looks like the grandmother or an older mother, maybe a servant or someone who has lived a hard life as it comes across on her face.
Now these are interesting - the handles of the bags are
supplied in resin. Now I like the idea but I have been once bitten by thin
resin handles that cannot be thin enough. I’ll be replacing/ supplanting these
with something else…
The two arms to hold the bags are simple enough and well
sculpted. You can see all the fingers here pretty clearly. Like all of the
parts there is a little clean up needed in the palms and the places with thin
bits of resin bleed out.
Construction
The kit, the arms and the head socket all go together
pretty easily and in about ten minutes. This is not what you need to see. It is
the cleaning of the shoes from excess resin that take five minutes and the bags
that can take the rest of your evening if you are not careful.
I decided – after a few breakages in the effort to thin
these resin bag handles, to use lead foil to make the handles instead. This
would be pliable and not so fragile whilst positioning them into the woman’s
hands. There was also some hollowing of the hands to be done with a vice drill.
But BE CAREFULL! I broke her finger on the left hand and although I glued it on
you can see the crack here in the final pictures. You will not see them in the
painted up figure however.
The construction of the bags took far too long. But the
realistic hanging of them is worth it. I fear that either I am rubbish at
making resin thin without breaking or just slow at construction because it took
me an hour or so at the least to get the straps into a good position to sit
naturally in the hands of the woman. Once she was assembled though, she does look great…
Firstly a shot that might have influenced this figure
...And here she is all put together. You can see the echo of that picture in this sculpt...
The figure painted to show what's possible with this sculpt.
Elderly Lady, Europe 1939-45
1/35th scale
#S-3115
6 parts in Grey Resin
Sculpted by Alexander Zelenkov
The second figure comes in six parts of light grey resin. Again
there are casting blocks to remove but nothing that will have you clenching
your cheeks - although there were one or
two holes that needed to be filled once the surface was broken on this woman
figure.
The larger casting block holds the older woman’s head, her bag and her two arms. I was relieved to see that the left arm on this figure held the small straps for her bag so no metal foil was need here. The cuffs, the fingers and hands are nicely detailed in this sculpt.
The face as well – it just oozes older lady of once maybe an upper class. The looks like she is trying to show she has money with those tiny sculpted earrings and that lovely hat with a thick band. The cheekbones, the old wrinkled eye sockets and her thin angular face show again why the sculptor is so very good at what he does.
However, I did notice that she was also holding something in her right hand…Of course it was the lead for her little dog! Well it was the stub of the dog's lead anyway. There is nothing supplied for this wire that makes the dog's lead so I will use some thin brass wire. A Cunning plan was forming in my head as I could also see that she would have trouble standing on her own. This wire would help with that balance problem.
Here is the little pooch she is walking in this sculpt - tongue out and all the little blighter!
...And if you think there is nothing to sculpting something like this - then look at this size comparison...
The long fur lined coat she wears looks as expensive as the other clothes she is wearing. It is worn over a long dress that again is expensively made with a lot of extra material in the front and prominent stitching on the bottom seam. The sculptor has skilfully gathered the dress at the knees in a very life-like fashion.The bow around the neck is where the head sits in fairly easily. You may need to slightly fill that gap with superglue but the crack is more of a joint with the dress that one up the neck.
The dress is pulled together at the waist with a large thick button. This pulls the waist into a tight waistline of the dress which highlights her slim and once probably very nice body (each to their own…) She wears higher heels also, Everything about this woman scream upper class and old money – but down and out in the circumstances of war.
Construction
Again this was an easy kit to assemble – until you get to the hard bit that is not resin. The arms and the head socket all go together pretty easily and in about ten minutes. And again it takes five minutes to clean the shoes from excess resin. I also drilled two small holes for the handbag straps to fit into the bag of a positive fit.
Again this was an easy kit to assemble – until you get to the hard bit that is not resin. The arms and the head socket all go together pretty easily and in about ten minutes. And again it takes five minutes to clean the shoes from excess resin. I also drilled two small holes for the handbag straps to fit into the bag of a positive fit.
I used the brass wire to stick inside the dog (owwwwww) but first I needed to use the pin drill to make a small hole to house the wire in both the neck of the dog and the hand of the elderly woman. I measured the right type of angle and length I needed for the dog’s lead /wire, and bent a little right angle at the end so it sat into the closed hand of the woman on the right. I angled the wire slightly outwards so the dog would not be walking below her feet.
A shot that might have influenced this figure from the sculptor
Here she is - with her pooch holding her aloft - looking pretty annoyed about her new way of life - "on the road" - the dog looks as happy as Larry he is going out for a walk...
The figure painted to show what's possible with this sculpt.
Ok - to sum up both of these figures i would say a challenging construction at the soft stuff. The cutting into the hands to make handles and ropes fit. However when you are done with the delicate work (and little clean up) you are left with two of the nicest figures of refugees from a once well-off Western Europe that are visibly looking worn and a shadow of their former proud selves.
Top marks to the sculptor for again showing why he is at the top of the tree amongst his peers.
Adam Norenberg
These two figures and the rest of the big set are now available from Stalingrad’s Distributors worldwide
This set comes with 8 figures in all - and we thought that we would show you the others in the set we did not review - but they are built up and painted so you can still gauge their quality pretty well...
This set of nine figures – (and a dog) are seen on the long
road walking away from danger – they are seen in some fairly nice clothes, to
me they can be from anywhere from the Blitzkrieg of 1940 to the End of the
European conflict in 1945. You could even use these for some of your European
refugee scenes of the Far East.
The figures unpainted
In all of these the
sculptor has provided some inspiration and guidance shots to us – use these as
you like – a lot are taken from the eastern front around Germany late in WWII.
1/35th scale
S-3111
This attractive young woman is seen walking with what may
either be her young son or younger brother – she is definitely just old enough
to be his mum. These two resin figures are seen intertwined, carrying a battered
suitcase with their worldly possessions.
The figures unpainted
A shot that might
have influenced these figures
1/35th scale
S-3113
S-3113
Young “Vladimir Putin” is walking down the road carrying not
only his suitcase but another leather and a back pack type of bag with all he
can take before it is stolen. In his hat and coat he would have been a well to
do man and his suit underneath is another level of detail that set this figure
off nicely.
The figure unpainted
A shot that might
have influenced this figure
1/35th scale
S-3114
S-3114
These two are not taking the baby out for a walk! They have
everything they own tucked inside this makeshift trolley as they trundle down
the road. Both young mother and daughter look well wrapped up against the cold
and can I say pretty well to do if their clothes and ornate push chair or pram
are something to go by.
The figures unpainted
A shot that might
have influenced these figures
Refugee Girl, Europe
1939-45
1/35th scale
S-3116
1/35th scale
S-3116
This girl I think is carrying all of that lady’s stuff! The
apron she wears betrays her as maybe the hand servant of that rich elderly
woman – maybe not – but the fact she is carrying a big box and even the house
plant make me think she is bound to the older woman – some very nice social
comment there in this well-formed figure…
The figure unpainted
All of these figures
and the big set are now available from Stalingrad’s Distributors worldwide