Hello to all on Planet Figure ,

"Cossack" ...The mere mention of the word evokes much in our minds so perhaps I should start by saying : привіт всім на ПФ (Ukranian)

Hard fighting, hard drinking, colourful, defiant, proud. superb horseman, brave and unfliching in battle all of these could describe a Cossack no matter what period of history we look at .

The Cossack is the chosen subject that has been depicted by our very own Anastasiya under the banner of Redfox Miniatures ....she has chosen to sculpt an officer in this case a Colonel from the 17th century from the Ukraine.




The Cossacks are a group of Russian military warriors who still exist today, but without the same military power they had in the past.

The word "Cossack" is derived from the Turkic term kazak that means "free man" or "adventurer". They consisted of semi-independent Tartar groups - a Turkic-speaking people who lived in west-central Russia - or peasants escaping serfdom in Poland and Russia. The Cossacks united in the 15th century as a self-governing warrior organization that was loyal only to the Russian Czar. They settled in six different areas: the Don, the Greben in Caucasia, the Yaik, near the Ural River, the Volga, the Dnieper and the Zaporozhian, west of the Dnieper. The Cossacks accepted anyone who was considered a worthy warrior, but the new members had to believe in Christ. It is believed that most were of Slavic descent.

The Cossacks had specific customs and traditions. A child was taught the warrior-ways of the Cossacks from birth. When a male child was born, the parents would take his hand and place it on a weapon. The Cossacks were superior horsemen. By the time a Cossack was three years old he was riding horses. As children, Cossack males would stage practice battles complete with horses and sabers. The ataman, or army chief, would praise the children who exhibited bravery in these mock battles.

The Cossack lifestyle was also based on simplicity. Members shared land and lived in communes.

Almost as soon as the group was formed, governments used them for military purposes. In 16th-century Poland, the Zaporozhian Cossacks protected Poland's borders. The Russian government used the Cossacks to expand Russia's empire and protect her frontier.

One of the greatest triumphs in Cossack history was the annexation of Siberia. A merchant family, the Stroganovs, settled people in various territories, including Siberia, and expanded the fur and lumber trades. In the mid-1550s, Tartar leader Kuchum Khan took over the area in Siberia. The Stroganovs wanted to protect their lands and trade from the Tartars and called upon the Cossacks and their leader Yermak Timofeyevich. In September 1581, Timofeyevich led 840 troops to wrest the Siberian city of Sibir from Tartar control. With the use of firearms, the Cossacks easily defeated Kuchum's forces. The Cossacks lost a subsequent 1584 battle against Kuchum, but despite the loss, Siberia came under complete control of the Russian Empire in 1586.

The Cossacks gradually lost their power under Russian domination in the 17th and 18th centuries. They rebelled when their privileges were threatened but ultimately lost their autonomous status. The Cossacks continued to serve during revolutionary uprisings in Russia, but the Soviet government took away the Cossacks' administrative status.

Today there are hundreds of Cossack organizations across Russia which are seeking to reestablish Cossack traditions and political structures.

Our cossack is part of the Zaporozhian host from the 17th century .

Lots of books are available some obviously not in English




but these are also all worth getting into the library (great colour plates) .



This one is particularly good for weapons:

Continued in next post:

Onwards we go...

Lets see what we are looking at:

Title: Cossack Colonel 17th Century

Scale: 200mm

Material: Resin

No of parts: 6 plus an insert

Sculpted by : Anastasiya Podorozhna

Box Art: Anastasiya Podorozhna


This was orginally released at the world expo after which this talented sculptor sent me my purchasedcopy whilst in UK (thanks for that Anastasiya) , it was received very well packed against the ravages of the Post Office!!!

On opening the parcel I found a very nice and strong box with black and white image's on the top (no box art was available at the time but see the main picture previously ....WOW!!!) , on opening the box I found myself looking at the pieces all safe in plastic bags which was in turn surrounded by bubble wrap , no damage whatsoever.

The parts consist of the main torso , the head , 2 feathers , the right hand and the sabre (left hand sculpted onto the handle grip) , no separate base was included as this is cleverley cast onto the torso (if you do not wish to use it then Anastasiya has also added a locating hole for a rod of your choice ...I will use a brass one ).

We also have a small insert with some details on it about the Cossacks and also painting suggestions.

Prep needed was absolutely nothing on the torso , the head has a casting plug to take off from the undersides of the neck , and the hand and 2 feathers need removing from a resin former , the sword also needs the same doing to it ....all actions were performed in about 15 minutes ....then you are ready to wash and then prime the piece.

Begining with the largest bit of resin the torso , this is a really good piece of sculpting well reproduced when it was cast , the surfaces are super smooth , absolutely no mould lines to deal with , the pose is simple with the arms ready to receive the hands .

Our Cossack Colonel obviously has done well for himself , only the finest of clothes for this fellow , a good shirt, at his neck we have across, over his shirt we see a laced coat , at his waist we have a large sash . across his shoulders we are treated to a wolf pelt.

Suffice to sat all the clothing folds are excellent , well formed and in keeping with his body position.

The wrist area's are well done ready to receive the hands (dry fit these first as always) , the clothing buttons are nicely rounded , with the lacework being well defined , very clean and tight on the edges on all of them , the sash is well folded hiding under the hands . I really like the addition of the cross this in itself is a cracking bit of work .

The wolf pelt has excellent surface details and hangs naturally over his shoulders , no doubt great protection against the biting winds , the face of the wolf is an area which deserves special care to bring out skill of both the sculptor and caster.

The head now is a real character area just look at the features ...what a mean look he has , finely worked eyes and a moustache to die for , under his cap we see his unique hairstyle (oseledets or chub) this is creeping out from his cap and around the back of his ear peeking out again from the left ear ...nice touch and good to see this distinctive trait of the Cossack has not been hid under the cap)

The cap is fur edged , nice surface on this again , the actual cap "tail" hangs down at the back , on the front of the cap we have a brooch , no doubt full of precious stones .

Fit into the neck area was nice and strong with no gaps showing or filler needed.

You will need to fit the 2 feathers generally ostrich (these were the mark of a colonel).The feathers are delicate and well sculpted and when fitted to the cap look great adding another dimension to the piece.

Next we have the left hand ..this is in keeping with all the other pieces a lovely bit of work , and is a really nice sculpt , fingers are well defined , knuckles are well shown we have a nice addition in the form of a ring ...jewelled again , the hand fits into the wrist area well ...ready to receive the sword edge (he is running his hand along the cutting edge of the sword...carefully!!!)

The last piece now the sword itself , a beautiful piece of work in all area's , but I must mention the care taken on the casting former ...holding the piece safe before removal and fitting..well thought out .

The sword is a scimitar style with a wicked looking blade , you can almost cut yourself on this!!! , the hand guard has been commented on by another PF member in that it should be straighter and not as seen , I like this version but it would be easy to adapt it to a straight one..either way its an awesome looking weapon!!!

The right hand is sculpted to the handle again as before all fingers are really nicely done , they are really gripping this. fit again is spot on ...just dry fit before getting the superglue out ( I would pin the hands anyway)

Final thoughts:

This is a real pleasure to share with you all , the sculpting is a cracking bit of work brought out really well by the caster (I take my hat off to both) .The resin used results in super smooth surfaces holding the details well .

Painting will be a most enjoyable time , you can let you brush and mind go wild...no actual uniform as such just lots of fine fabrics , bright colours (blue/red/green and burgundy were particularly liked) , good opportunity to get the NMM going on the lacework , and also to bring more life into an already great face , the fur and fabrics will test your painting skills ......

........the end result will be ...a lovely addition to the display cabinet and a good companion to other cossack pieces that have been seen.

At the moment Redfox has no website ( this will I am sure be on the list to do ) so if you are going to Euro it will be available there ....you will find Anastasiya with Alexandros and Pegaso .........

......or if not then why not contact her by e mail to:

nastyapodoroz@gmail.com

you could also just contact her via PF as well

I guarantee a great service and a great product.....I for one look forward to seeing what next is coming .

Thanks for looking in

Nap

Hi folks ,

As an additional great start to the day lets have some pictures of the completed bust before the box art ...shows up the sculpting skill really well IMO .....

ENJOY

Nap