Thursday, July 9

Preview: "Russian tank crew, 1945" - Six new figures in 35th scale from Stalingrad Miniatures...

Stalingrad Miniatures has a new big set of six Russian soldiers from the end of WWII for us this month. Seen posing for a picture or just at rest around their mount they look like an interesting proposition. See what they look like as well as the pictures that inspired the sculpts in our preview.
"Russian tank crew, 1945" - Six new figures from Stalingrad Miniatures...

Stalingrad Miniatures have been busy making a new "big set" of tankers from the end days of WWII. These figures can be sold as pairs or in the larger set of six. We have the pictures that the sculptor  Alexander Zelenkov used to help create this scene and a good look at each of the figures...

Russian tank crew, 1945
Kit No# 3201
1/35th scale
Three light grey resin figures in one set
Sculpted & boxart by Alexander Zelenkov
The first pair are sold as a set of two figures and sculpted by Alexander  Zelenkov in 1/35 scale. The figures depict a tankman in his soft crash helmet and an officer with his peaked cap looking upwards towards the tank or towards someone on it - depending on what you put up there of course...
Here they are below, with the sculpts made up in light grey resin so you can see their detail a little clearer.
The pair of photographs that were used in the creation of this sculpt are shown below, the first, with the tanker in the centre of the picture, a tall man for a tanker, but with all of the same uniform apart from the medals on his chest.
The second figure in the set looks just like this officer with his peaked cap, leather protective jacket and high boots.
Seen here put together and painted up by the sculptor very nicely, you can see these two resin figures brought to life with colour. The officer, with jacket, peaked cap and captured Walther P38 pistol in it's holster.
The tanker has a tunic and pants on, along with a map pack that hangs over his shoulder so he could well be the commander of his own tank (we think he is) as he rests against the side of his tank on the ground or up on deck. He is puffing at a cigarette as he looks on to the scene.

 You can see from looking at the back of both of these soldiers the movement, folds and weight of the clothes they are both wearing. The lighter green tunic of the tankman with the leather strap cutting into his clothing and the great baggy cavalry -style pants he is wearing are very impressive. The officer with his shoulders pushed back to show his thicker, harder leather jacket pulled and hanging backwards nicely. Again, the wrinkled pants tucked into the boots below the knees are impressive.


Russian tank crew, 1945
Kit No# 3202
1/35th scale
Three light grey resin figures in one set
Sculpted & boxart by Alexander Zelenkov
Look at these two! the body language says it all as they are seen lying against the tank at rest while looking on to the scene before them. Two tankers, one with a great coat and the other in simple tanker's tunic and breeches, they are both full-figures even though one is portrayed inside the tank's hatch. YOu can see them both put together in resin in the sculpt below.
Two pictures that inspired or were instigators of these figures are below. Notably, the smoking soldier on the hull in the centre of the picture we think are key to this - he wears the same big coat and forage style flat cap.
 These soldier piling on an ISU-152 "Beast Killer" as it was called. It was a self-propelled gun needing two loaders because of the heavy, two-part ammunition. The album says: “Our guys on the self-propelled guns fight for the front lines.”
The figures, both put together and painted up by the sculptor Alexander Zelenkov. The fellow with the "pilotka" flat forage cap leaning back in his greatcoat having a ciggie is seen in such a reclined position he could not be much less into doing anything involving duties! In the Soviet Union, the garrison cap is known as Pilotka (meaning pilot) and was a part of the air force pilots' uniform in WW1. It was the most common type of cap used by the Red Army during WWII and after, until the 1980s. The pilotka was worn during the summer months but was usually replaced by an Ushanka during the winter period.
The other soldier wearing a tanker's helmet is seen in a similar relined pose looking very calm and contented as he looks on to what is going on slightly below him. The leather belt he wears inches the waist of his long tunic that goes down below his waist and again we see some nice bulges pulls and creases in this thick pants with both soldiers long boots with trousers tucked in to them.

The reclined body language of these soldiers really does fit the scene to include all the other tankers in the larger set. Casually looking on, with the cloth on their uniform, pulled and creased to match their body language. The Red Army largely made use of the M1935 pattern field uniform which came in a summer version, made from cotton and of a khaki colour, and a winter version, which was darker in colour and mostly made from wool. Paired with this, and worn over a plain cotton shirt, the pullover field blouse, or gymnastiorka, had either a straight-point collar or a standing collar but was very simple in design having two front breast pockets and three to five buttons on the chest and neck. Rank insignia was displayed on the tip of the collar, though privates often did not display their rank insignia.

Russian tank crew, 1945
Kit No# 3203
1/35th scale
Three light grey resin figures in one set
Sculpted & boxart by Alexander Zelenkov
These last two figures of the big set can also be purchased as just these pair. We like it that all three of these pairs suit each other's body language really naturally. Both of these are sculpted again by Alexander Zelenkov and you can see how the look built up but unpainted here below.
Pictures that influenced these sculpts ar below. The Officer in his peaked bap you can see here prominently resting on the fender of this T-34. Notice his officer's peaked cap ad his goggles on them which fit the sculpture as well as his thick greatcoat also.
 Although seen far from his tank here below, this Russian tanker is wearing exactly the same gear as Alex has sculpted him in. The padded tanker's hat, the thick, wool-lined jacket that is short and pinched at the waist by a leather belt and some baggy tankers trousers tucked into high boots.
Both of these soldiers are almost mimicking each other in their body language, something you see often in real life and a nice addition from the sculptor who has painted both of the figures as you see here in the box-art editions. You can see the officer's hat in the picture below...
The jacket that the other figure is wearing  (on the right) is based on the airforce flyer's jacket and it was picked up for use with many of the tank crews during WWII. This is a fur-lined jacket with the wool-lined collar.
Again you see the pinching of the cloth on the back of the officer where the jacket is sculpted out. Also, the pilot's jacket bulges above the waist where the belt pinches at it. Nice sculpting flourishes like this really add to the lifelike realistic features on these sculptures.


"Russian tank crew, 1945"
Big set - 6 figures
Kit No# 3200
1/35th scale
Six light grey resin figures in one set
Sculpted & boxart by Alexander Zelenkov
Officers and men, the whole tank crew of this "Beast Killer" are on display outside their tank - all enjoying a text and maybe a smoke in the last year of the war. The set looks to be a very naturally cohesive team of crew and a nice set ready to be placed right into a diorama.

These figures are sold as a single set only - they are available right now - check these out and all of Alexander's other works at the  Stalingrad Website: