1:72 Turkish Infantry in Winter Uniform 1877 Russo-Turkish War 1877

Strelets-R 1:72 Turkish Infantry in Winter Uniform, the Russo-Turkish War 1877

A figure set in 1:72 scale from the manufacturer Strelets-R devoted to Turkish infantry in winter uniform during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877. The set serves as an addition to dioramas and display case scenes; it is not a kit of hardware.

The real subject

The campaign in the Balkans in the years 1877 and 1878 took place largely in the cold season and in mountain terrain, where the weather influenced the movement of the armies as strongly as the opponent did. A winter uniform with a longer greatcoat and items against the cold is therefore not just a costume detail, but a substantial characteristic of the whole campaign. For a modeler it is a set that naturally points toward a winter diorama.

Building and painting tips

A winter scene has its own rules. Snow is not white but a very light gray-blue, and as soon as you stand purely white figures on it they are lost. Keep the uniforms in darker muted tones, therefore, and save white only for the highest places of the layer of snow. The greatcoat and the folds of the cloth come out when you use a more pronounced wash and then lift the edges with an almost dry brush two shades lighter. Apply a pasty mixture imitating slushy snow to the lower part of the characters, so that the figures optically stand in the terrain, not on it. Before painting, do not forget to deburr the parting lines and to apply primer, as without it the paint does not hold on soft plastic. Glue to the bases with cyanoacrylate.

Who the set is for

• Builders of winter dioramas from the conflicts of the 19th century
• Modelers who want to try snow and weather effects
• Wargamers playing the Balkan campaign in 1:72
• Collectors of historical figure sets

The set is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints, bases and terrain material are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.