Finally

It has been a long time, but I'm finally back!

I was planning on taking a break from Post-Soviet miniature painting by focusing on some WWII miniatures, but that didn't go as planned. I waited a while for some Kelly's Heroes miniatures, got them, but then didn't like them (great character, but inconsistent sculpting and the weapons are far too small). After that I decided to go with AB Figures, I waited some more for those to arrive (pretty quick from Australia, however), but after I got those I didn't like them that much either (not enough character - a bit on the small side). I suppose I'm just picky and no one really makes the Eastern Front miniatures I really want to paint. I was also waylaid for two weeks because of bleach burns on my hands (tried to clean the outside of our house with bleach that wasn't diluted enough ... all healed now) and a work trip.

After finding some inspiration on the new RH Models forum I decided to go back to the Chechen Wars and start my Russian forces in earnest. I chose to first do my impression of some OMON troops I always liked the look of. To assemble these guys I chopped the back pockets off a batch of modern Russians and the heads and collars off some of these. I sculpted three back pockets on some and two long back pockets on others. Almost all got hoods sculpted on them. For variety I head swapped half of them. I painted them with a variety of camouflage schemes with the winter SMK (blue/gray) pattern being the main theme. The SMK pattern was used quite extensively during the First Chechen War (different variations can be seen) and to a lesser extent during the Second Chechen War (with even more variations, some even with brown not gray splotches).

It took a few weeks to modify and paint these guys, but in the end I'm very pleased with them. I have another nine to do in similar manner. I just have to get in the sculpting mood.

RH Models RUS20E; RUS20* with head swap; RUS26* with head swap

RH Models RUS20E; RUS20* with head swap; RUS25O; RUS20E

RH Models RUS20COME; RUS23E; RUS20E; RUS20* with head swap

RH Models RUS23* with head swap; RUS21* with head swap; RUS20BGE

January, 1995: Russian Interior Ministry troops near Grozny.

January 4th, 1995: OMON on patrol in Grozny.

January 4th, 1995: OMON on patrol in Grozny.

February 11th, 1995: Russians on APC in Grozny.

Russian OMON patrols village (April, 1996).

Russians working demonstration outside Samashki, April 15th, 1995.

Russians preparing at Pervomayskaya (January 12th, 1996).

Some More Khaki

While waiting for some WWII miniatures I kicked out a batch of khaki garbed Post-Soviet War troopers. They'll work for any number of early conflicts, but I was inspired by pictures of Moldovan troops during the Transnistrian War. I'm not certain if pro-Moldovan forces purposely wore white headbands, but I've seen pro-Russian forces in red headbands, so I've decided to go with white for these guys.

RH Models MULT*AK with head swap

RH Models EERKESTAK

RH Models MULT20COM; MULT20AK; BANDRPK

RH Models MULTBHRPG; MULTBHCOM; MULTBHAK

RH Models MULTBHAK

Moldovan forces in trench, Moldova, 1992.

The Police

Today I finally got a chance to take some pictures of a group of Post-Soviet police I finished last weekend. I was a bit slowed down by vacation and a burned hand (not good). It took extra time to make these, but it was a "labor of love" so I enjoyed it thoroughly. The conversion involved lots of head swaps, green stuff pants, a green stuff jacket extension, sculpted shoulder boards and filed off breast pockets. Although you can't see it in all of the pictures where appropriate figures got painted shoulder boards, pants stripes and collar tabs. I didn't have too many pictures to go on, but I think they definitely look the part of Post-Soviet police and other officials (primarily in Moldova) taking civil unrest into their own hands. When you see a policeman sporting an RPG you know the situation is bad!

I'm not sure what's coming next, but I'm feeling a WWII itch coming on ... yeah!

RH Models URB14 with head swap; URBRPG with head swap; URBAK with head swap; URBRPK with head swap

RH Models URBAK with head swap; MULT20AK; EERKESTAK with green stuff jacket extension; URB14 with head swap

RH Models RUSG9* with head swap and green stuff pants; RUSG9* with head swap; RUSG10A with green stuff pants

RH Models EERKESTAK; MULT20AK; MULT*AK with head swap

RH Models MULT51 with head swap; MULT52 with head swap

Moldovan Police (1991-1992).

Entrance to Gaguazia, Moldova (December, 1991).

Moldovan policemen eating in Bendery, Moldova (February 4th, 1992).

Russian vice-president talking to servicemen in Bendery, Moldova (April 6th, 1992).

Soviet police uniform.

This morning I finished a big set of miniatures I've been working on for a few weeks. I normally paint less miniatures at a time, but lately I've been trying to push it (17 this time!). For this batch I also had a lot of head swaps and green stuff sculpting I wanted to do. This bunch is meant to supplement my Georgian forces and my Transnistrian forces as well as provide some troops for the start of my Moldovan government forces. They should have many uses - any time there's a need for Soviet/Post-Soviet forces in khaki using older equipment. The bulk of them are based on Rolf's RMR figures. I swapped the heads on most to give them a lot variety and sculpted pants (some with side pockets) on most to give them an on-campaign, unregulated look. I left only one figure in a helmet with pants tucked in the boots. Next up is a big batch of Soviet police!

RH Models RMRAKH; RMRAK* with head swaps (all with pants sculpted with green stuff)

RH Models RMRAKH; RMRAK* with head swaps (some with pants sculpted with green stuff)

RH Models RMRAK* with head swaps (all with pants sculpted with green stuff)

RH Models RMRRPK; RMRRPK with head swap and with pants sculpted with green stuff

RH Models MULTBHCOM; MULTBHRPG

RH Models NEGSPOT with head swap; NEGSPOT

Pro-Russian fighters rest in Bendery, Moldova (June 30th, 1992).

Georgian fighters withdraw near Gumista River/Sukhumi (September, 1992).

Georgians in Gagry (September, 1992).

In the last couple of weeks I also read two books related to my blog posts, The Moldovans: Romania, Russia, and the Politics of Culture by Charles King and Georgia: In the Mountains of Poetry by Peter Nasmyth. Both books are from a series of books called Caucasus World: Peoples of the Caucasus. King's book is one of the few Moldovan history books out there. Most of the book concerns what it means to be Moldova and Moldovan and how this has changed over time. The last part of the book concerns Transnistria, but besides a few good photographs I hadn't seen before this section wasn't all that helpful to me (I've read it all elsewhere). Nasmyth's book, although part of the same series, is written in a completely different style - a travelogue. Although the dates of his adventures aren't always clear the substance and treatment of his exploration Georgian sub-cultures is great. It took me a while to read it, but it was interesting. There are two more books in series that I'll have to read sometime soon, one concerns Abkhazians and the other Chechens.

To take a break from all the camouflage I went with a batch of all khaki (with the exception of one KLMK camouflaged guy that slipped in). I painted them with the Transnistria War in mind, but most could be used for any Post-Soviet War, especially the wars in Georgia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

RH Models MULTBHAK; MULTBHRPK; MULTBHAK

RH Models MULT*RPG with head swap; MULT*AK with head swap; MULT*SNI with head swap

RH Models MULT20AK; MULTBAK; BANDAK; MULT20AK

RH Models MULTBHGREN

RH Models makes plenty of great radio figures so I was excited to paint these last two. I'll probably paint up more later, just because - not because I need more. I made the antennas with hairs from a dust bin brush.

RH Models MULTBHCOM; RUSRADB

Fighter (separatist?) walks by burned out truck in Bendery center (June 30th, 1992).

Russian-speaking nationalists look on slain fighter [censored] in Bendery, Moldova (June 23rd, 1992).

Government soldier taking a break with French photographer Patrick Roberts (October 26th, 1993).

Government soldiers in Senaki, Western Georgia (October 26th, 1993).

Camouflage ... Yup, I've had enough of it for a few weeks. I still love it, but I could sure use a break. Bring on the plain khaki!

To beef up my Pro-Russian separatist force I painted another batch of KLMK garbed fighters. I had fun with head swaps again. My favorite is the ranger style field cap.

RH Models MULT*AK with head swap; MULT20AK; MULTBHRPG

RH Models MULT20AK; MULTBAK; BANDAK; MULT52 with head swap

RH Models MULTBHPKM; MULT*AK with head swap

RH Models MULT*COM with head swap; MULTBHAK; MULTBHCOM

Transnistrian National Guard in Bender (July 5th, 1992).

Transnistrian miltiamen patrolling road (July 1st, 1992).

For fun I added a Georgian fighter to this group. I was inspired by a photograph I found that was taken during the defense of Sukhumi. In the image the soldier is shown wearing a sphera helmet (no secondary cover), some sort of early Russian body armor and KZS pants. I swapped a head to get the helmet right, added a green stuff collar and extended the pants with more green stuff. I couldn't get the shoulder pads correct so I went with a slightly different style of early armor. I think the effect is similar.

RH Models RUSBARRPK with head swap (and green stuff)

Georgian fighters tending wounded near Sukhumi (July, 1993).

Kora-1 Body Armor

Sphera (SSH94) helmet