toy soldiers in the USSR

[Alex]

Yes, this photo was taken at the end of the 80s the unit with a color photographic film. But then I was already an adult (older than it is now)
Actually, I was born in 1962, so I'm quite old ....
Yes, these figures were about the scale of 54 mm and molded them I made of colored plasticine, heavily decorated with multicolored foil. A lot of armor, jewelry, coats and shields - everything was done in colored foil
12 thousand - it's about the amount of my army
I took as a basis for those state formations which were from the Volga region, and the English Channel to s 12-13 century and came up with for them the state apparatus, the army, their costumes and their geopolitical interests - all of which I invented. So it was a fantasy, only slightly relying on the real story
I believe that in this thread I can complement Constantine ( MicroWorld ), because we were born almost in the same epoch, and he, too, was fascinated by toy soldiers.
I think you know that in these years we have lived enough in isolation, especially related to the "world of things", "consumer goods"
In Russia, there was a long tradition of toy soldiers, it was the closest in form to the "Nuremberg miniature"
Since the formation of the range it is not engaged "Market demand" solutions and officials - that it looked pretty pathetic, like this:



Figures produced at this time Western companies were not available to us, in most cases we do not even know about their existence and diversity. Very rarely, some figures fall into the hands of us and regarded as a great value.
Nevertheless, in these primitive toy soldiers it was a great advantage:
- their innuendo awakened imagination
- I wanted to do something to better yourself, as this can not be bought
I am pleased to tell you more, if it will be interesting to someone.

[stenfalk]

I can understand your words very well. I have spent my youth in the GDR and I am only 7 years younger than you. My experiences aren´t dissimilar like yours. You could not buy a lot of model kits. The best were of KP from Czechoslovakia. We painted with nitro-lacquer which ate away the surfaces but there was nothing else. Nevertheless it has triggered enthusiasm for the rest of life.

[Sho]

Ohh yeah.. I forgotted, how big these was..

[Beano Boy]

12.000,that all sounds, and looks sweet to me Alex.
With the greatest respect i am of course referring to The Toy Figures ,
and not to those isolated times of the iron curtain. BB

[MicroWorld]

Maybe I'll can find the remains of my army and to photograph it this weekend. Most of my soldiers were killed or missed in action 40 years ago, but some veterans survived.
Yes, most of our soldiers were flat. When I saw a real soldiers (my friend's father worked abroad and brought to him 5-6cm figures of the American soldiers 1960-70's) - it was a shock! That's why I hate "nuremberg miniature" even today.
My first 1:72 figures were a polish-made copies of Airfix-Matchbox-ESCI-Atlantic... Poles made very many figures during late 1980's. I exchanged with polish modellers: NOVO (ex-FGOG) aircraft kits for figures. Thanks to them, I have some exotics - such as Atlantic's hospital and so on.


stenfalk, I like GDR - the land of Plastikart, PIKO and VERO!!!

[Marvin]

Thanks for sharing this with us. Really interesting to me to see the different styles of these figures.

[Alex]

Of course, I also love the GDR. Flexible "cowboys and Indians - it was a dream, too.
Thank you for supporting the theme, I hope you will complete my speech.
And thank you all for your interest in this topic.
Indeed - the way soldiers in the Soviet Union was so unusual that it deserves attention.
But I'll start with a little history.
Toy soldiers in Russia had been a very long time. For ordinary people - it was the wooden soldiers, of various sizes, mostly the size of a palm.

For children of noble families - tin soldiers made in Germany. In the late 19th century, near Moscow was a workshop, which produced the figures. like Nuremberg.
istory soldiers continued after the revolution in Russia, in the 20s there were many small workshops that produced figures, still copying Nuremberg
But beyond the story begins mass production of toy soldiers, and we can say that it is 30 years
A group of engineers and artists developed a model and form for cast and - casting technology of Aluminium alloys. using metal waste
But if the West toys made by private firms that specialize in the manufacture of toys, the USSR always loved to go their own way.
Industry in the USSR was a centrally manageable. And she was socially oriented. This reduced the overall effectiveness of course. And this is expressed in the fact that all the manufactures , including the military, had also little items "Consumer"
Thus, where it is technologically possible, at various factories producing and toy soldiers. It has been based upon existing design, but each factory made his mold. Thereby produced a huge variety of figures, albeit rather primitive.





On this picture, however, mostly figures released after the Second World War.
I will continue later

[Cryns]

Thanks for writing this fascinating topic.

12000 handmade toy knights? That is incredible!

What you show us are only figures depicting Russian soldiers.
I wonder if enemy soldiers were produced in USSR.
Did Russian factories produce Germans, Nazies, Teutonic Knights, Turks etc.?

And was there any political or idealistic idea behind toy soldiers in the USSR?
It looks like all of these soldiers are succesful and victorious.
Toys for propaganda.
Did any factory produce DEAD or WOUNDED Russians?
I don't see any of them though the Russian armies were known for extremely high numbers of casualties in every war again.
Or did they only show dead and wounded enemies?
Or no enemies at all?

The flat, grey marines (second picture from the top) is interesting: that looks like typical socialist art design.

The best were of KP from Czechoslovakia. We painted with nitro-lacquer which ate away the surfaces but there was nothing else.

Stenfalk I am intrigued by your story as well. Can you show a picture of those nitro-lacquer KP toys you made as a child?

colored plasticine, heavily decorated with multicolored foil. A lot of armor, jewelry, coats and shields - everything was done in colored foil

We need better pictures Alex! Multicolored foil?
How can you cast different colors of plasticine in one figure?

[Peter]

Thanks for sharing! This is very interesting!

[Alex]

Thank you !
"Enemies came later, only the set of" Battle of Lake Peipsi "came the knights - the crusaders.
Until that time, not made nor enemies, nor figure, depicting loss. It was believed that this - children's toys and not for collectors. Therefore, to represent the fallen children thought wrong.
Yes, of course, these soldiers were part of the propaganda, as well as almost all of the USSR - was aimed at the development of patriotism. So it is understood in the USSR.
The figures reflect an ideology but a very relative. Only during the Great Patriotic War were released paper (!) Soldiers, depicting Soviet soldiers and German soldiers.
Children also made easy: the army separated by color. Soldiers often produced in 3 versions;
- Painted green paint with pink body and red flags. Almost all the children called them "Russian"
- The same soldiers, but painted a dull silver or bronze paint. No individual color elements. These figures children liked less and they are automatically ranked as the enemy. The most common - Germans (sorry, my German friends ...)


Note that the colored paint on the faces of the soldiers was abraded. This attrition was all different, which gave individual person. Therefore, beloved children soldiers "knew by sight"
Mr.Cryns - Since these my pieces are stored in my home country (not all -Many lost) I will try to make some photos for you.

[Susofrick]

Thanks for sharing! This is very interesting!

Agree totally with Peter! Don't dare disagree! They DID send someone!

[vellek]

This is a fascinating topic. Thanks for posting!!

[Cryns]

Since these my pieces are stored in my home country (not all -Many lost) I will try to make some photos for you.

That would be great.
But only if you find joy in taking the pictures.
And when it does not take too much of your time.

But as you see, there are many more members being interested in the history of USSR toy soldiers and also in your amazing childhood modeling work.

[Alex]

Mr. Cryns - You forced me to experience some excitement. Yesterday I opened a dusty box in the attic ...
Unfortunately it turned out that not all of my collection to be in my house - is often found in the house of my sister. (Great and the best part, including my pride - the cavalry)
Yet here they are. They closely boxes and a little crushed, but just a couple of seconds - and they're ready to fight again. Please be indulgent these soldiers, more like a Christmas decorations ... They in the majority older than many of the guys who are reading this forum .. This figram an average of 40 years ..

[Beano Boy]

The old saying, " From small Acorns Giant Oaks Grow ", comes to mind.
They certainly are a part of a wonderful collection of colourful toy figures Alex.
So thanks for getting them out of that dusty box.
Boxes are always full of history in one form or another.
Cavalry? Yes Please.
i realize it will take time to set up,but i for one would love to see them. BB

[Susofrick]

That's passion! Great work even then! And you were about 14 when you made them?

[Cryns]

You forced me to experience some excitement. Yesterday I opened a dusty box in the attic ...

I am glad to read this Alex. This is an experience you will only have once or twice in your life: re-discover your own work again after 35 years. You may experience this once more again in the far future, but then you will be an old man.

Wonderfull and very surprising to see these handmade knights of yours.
It looks like someting between toyknights and handmade dolls. A little bit of science fiction added to medieval history.

And some Russian grenadiers or musketeers of Czar Alexander too.
I see Turcs (or Bashkirs? Persians?)
And we even see black skeletton knights with copper axes.
And finally I see Han Chinese shooting ancient crossbows.

Now I can't stop to see in my mind a boy from Moscow back in the 1970's cutting colored foil, glue it to his plasticine knights, day after day, year after year.

Thank you so much for posting these.

" From small Acorns Giant Oaks Grow "

Well said BB.

[Alex]

Thank you for those words, I touched by ..
In fact, I sculpted quickly these huge army, as I first thought through carefully conveyor technology .. I made templates and molds for the production of chain mail and other ..
I actively sculptl the army until the age of 15 years. Then I fell in love .... and began, like many, is another life altogether, and other hobbies.
But I did not stop at all.

[Beano Boy]

Alex, i had this impression in mind, that you ate an awful lot of chocolates just to obtain all that silver paper,and that like Billy Bunter, might have exploded with quite a loud giant bang! BB

[Alex]

I really have a sweet tooth ... but colored foil is provided on all of our friends and acquaintances for my hobby. In addition, the store could buy a foil for children's creativity. She was also colored.