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Wargaming the Seven Years War with 40mm miniatures, done by: Johann-Peter Scheck and Anselm Scheck

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Cossacks! (1)



A horde of cossacks is invading the western part of Prussia, marauding and harassing the local population.... this is the common image we have of that population; and contemporary sources told already about their cruelty and ferocity (see my older post about the destiny of the Eastern Prussian town Gumbinnen 1759, just on the eve of the battle of Jaegersdorf - here.)
The cossacks mostly had a non-national self-concept because of their origins in a definition just to be against someone or something (formerly the Zsar, e.g.) - so their community was a basin for outlaws, refugees and haunted people. Their nationalities were different, also their roots. Nowadays, we locate them in Ukraine and in western Russia
For preparing the painting of their dresses, I looked also on russian sites to get more informations about them. Under a huge choice I also found the interesting fact of a cossack culture revival in Ukraine.
This sources gave me the push to paint them in different, individual dresses, but with one colour theme: a sandy, raw umbra, flour and some crimson red accents.
The miniatures are Matthias-Manske figures, placed on separate bases for a skirmish formation. They should be the Russian answer to the Prussian Jaegers.

I changed the colours of the images and took out all the contrast - sorry for that. I was just inspired by the russian film "Taras Bulba" - all around a dusty, sabulous atmosphere....






















































Jozef Brandt: Cossacks Return from a Campaign (1894).
source: http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/
















scene of the russian film "Taras Bulba". 
Mode of life of Ukrainian Cossacks; source: http://ukraine.ui.ua/

just an eyecandy: a cossack girl
source: http://ua-travelling.com/en/article/cossacks-way-of-life

14 comments:

  1. Marvelous figures with very nice painting and wonderful pictures.

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  2. Splendid figures with great animation and painting.

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  3. Great stuff - nice figures, lovely paintwork

    -- Allan

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    1. Thank you, Allan - but it lacks of a good story as in your posts!!
      _Peter

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  4. Une atmosphère exceptionnelle, comme d'habitude...on se prend à avoir peur face à ces superbes figurines, avides de sang et de trésors...et le trésor féminin de la dernière photo est, lui aussi, mémorable...

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    1. Merci, Phil! tu as raison, la dernière photo équilibre l´impression du tonneur des cossaques masculins.. vraiment une beauté captative.
      _Peter

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  5. Super work. Total art - from the figures, through to the painting, and final photo composition. You rock !

    BTW - Great painting on the cossack girl too ... who makes that figure ??

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    1. Thanks, Steve, so nice to read that! the figure of the cossack girl would be a fine cast, I guess - unfortunately not available..
      _Peter

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  6. Great post, Peter. Great photograpy, the viewer can almost feel the heat and choke on the dust.

    Regards,
    Steve

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    1. Thanks, Steve! Glad to hear news from you. A bientot, Peter

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  7. As always with your blog great atmosphere and wonderful photography,and the the last photo is much appreciated. I hope you don't mind but I've added her to my reference archives...maybe she will feature in a painting one day ;-)

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  8. Die sind ja klasse; das letzte Bild ist vielleicht mein liebstes.

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