Russian soldiers Made in Russia

8 Responses to Russian soldiers Made in Russia

1. Jack Gibbons says:

   August 18, 2015 at 6:04 PM

   I have picked these figures up at shows over the years. Not bad, always at good prices, and a chance to show my sons and students creations of Soviet technology.

   I always like poses. I also like learning about how our former or current opponents view and display their military units in toy soldier style. Does anyone have figures from other former Soviet-bloc countries? I have two hard rubber figures from East Germany, but that’s it. What about Cuba? North Korea? Or Iran?

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2. erwin says:

   August 18, 2015 at 7:07 PM

   I have those too in the late 90’s and also the rare flat and semi-flat done by soviet factories as well included the marines, and revolution sets, some of the flat knight sets are been residue too now.
   DDR -East Germany was the main producer of communist block country making soldiers/figures ,western carriage, train tanks and in much better quality. The cowboys/Indian series were very varied and large ; made in 4 different size. Most used was 70/75 mm scale -about same as elastolin. They copied, not cloned many elastolin poses but did some out complete original beautiful poses.The post WW2 soldiers were done in large sets of poses(so far I have 26 poses) with armor too(soviet armor and crews).Most time DDR toy figures were done in hard rubber, later in more plastic type. The did two knights sets series so far, as well pirate set too. DDR toy quality was among the best in the east block.
   Bulgaria and Rumania used and cloned many Marx figures as well Italian (co-ma) in different scales ,I had their romans and Viking copies as well original and few Marx copies.
   Poland had two main factory if I’m not mistaken and did some nice sets ,figures, their knights are the best in poses and design in many poses, other were copied poses from airfix.
   Hungary and Czechoslovakia had most from others but I think they did some original(not well informed on it, neither any confirmed from then in my collection)
   In the 90’s a later unpainted Knight set made in Poland appear too, I had not see often since but was able to get two sets of them ,very nice done. Don’t know the factory
   They did tanks and other armor pose WW2 most from soviet models .The Indian western sets are more crude done in hard rubber. DDR and polish toys figures were generally done painted from factory. Most of these molds and figures are not longer being produced any more after 1990’s

   Cuba had two factory and produce limited run plastic figures for the 1954/1959 revolution, later sold painted in pedestal base at tourist stores. They produce them from 1984-1989 only. From 68-88 Cuba receive massive DDR and HK toys explicitly made with Spanish wording packs and boxes . Germany did an annual toy fare-expo in Havana from 1978-1986.Their exhibition were beautiful and huge with most dedicated to (US WESTERN ERA),yes believe or not even socialist Germany was not able to take the part of US history out, just that as in the case of their own books and movies the indian were the heroes and “proletarian fighters” against the oppressor(cowboys) and “US armies” . I most add they did few very well western/frontier movies very realistic and two American battle revolution war movies as well. But ironical the socialist message was very low and almost not noticed. So I will say the movies were more close to any standard American movie and far above any spaghetti Italian film.
   You may read a bit more here(http://newspaperrock.bluecorncomics.com/2009/10/east-germanys-indian-films.htm)

   NK had the URRS flat same figures and some imported from China as far I know.
   IRAN has their own and very hard to get, in Turkey you find some times sellers that sale Iran made figures, they had done knights and Persian sets as far I got and know .
   Viet Nam had some copied and cloned Spain/Portugal sets ,nothing great most modern figures and many from HK 70’s/80’s toys.

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   • admin says:

     August 18, 2015 at 8:07 PM

     Erwin
     The one Polish Company that made the 1797 Revolution was supposedly normally made toilet seats and wash basins and used the left over plastic to make figures.

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     • erwin says:

       August 18, 2015 at 9:04 PM

       Funny ,not surprise and not far from Cuban ones too. Incredible how poor the socialist gob take care=support the toy industry, been East Germany the only one that was left with more resources with URSS.
       The 1797 and Napoleonic polish soldiers are unique ,a bit crude but poses are great and well painted. The knights too. They did great after all under so much poverty.

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       • admin says:

         August 18, 2015 at 11:26 PM

         Erwin
         The figures were sold unpainted as well.

         Reply
         • erwin says:

           August 18, 2015 at 11:41 PM

           Interesting ,never seen the Napoleonic non painted..
3. Greg Liska says:

   August 18, 2015 at 9:31 PM

   I love these guys. I picked up a load of them for super-cheap after the wall came down. I still have them. A whole battalion’s worth (about 300) and I kept the pose break out with a correct amount of officers and converted a lot of the flag carrying guy (not shown) so that he was just couching the Ppsh in his arms. I collected up 30 broken MPC prone MG men (who are huge anyway) and repaired them, then painted them a complimentary green. The Russian made figures I kept ran from metallic green to a brownish olive. I got rid of the Kelly green ones. I use Charbens GI mortar guys as mortars for them (best I can think of) and I got Atlantic PM-1910 HMGs as the heavy MG’s (they ARE oversized for their own figures). I use the wounded guy as the MG crew.

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4. Jack Gibbons says:

   August 19, 2015 at 11:02 AM

   Erwin,

   Thanks for the great update.

   When I was a student in 1985 I traveled throughout the eastern bloc countries. I once stumbled into a department store in downtown East Berlin. It was like the scene from the Wizard of Oz – leaving the bland Kansas farmland and entering the vivid Land of Oz.

   While not an avid collector at the time I would still pick up figures and sets. I remember an entire row of Atlantic and Airfix figures in 1/72 and 1/32 scales. Sadly, this store was only for the local international embassy staffs and families. They would not accept my US $10 worth of East German currency. I remember wanting to buy the Atlantic Greek Warfleet set for only $6.00. I don’t know if carrying it around Europe would have been easy, but it was the only time I had ever seen the set at retail. I still don’t have it all these years later.

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