B is for Box-ticking - Revolutionary Russians & Modern Spetznaz - Italian Makers

Back across the pond and heading south to the Med'; like my US sample, the Italian sample is nothing to write home about, which is probably why I'm writing it here! However; I do have all of them in small-scale, so at some point we'll have a look at them, probably over on the Airfix Blog as comparisons with their late-issued set.

A revolution era Cossack (who would cover through to the end of WWII and our shameful repatriation of the German-allied Cossacks) from Atlantic, on a slightly small, flying horse!

He's one of those figures who tends to slide off his mount as soon as you glance at him, but if firmly fixed and painted-up, he's be a really nice stand-alone figure.

The Esci/Ertl/A-Toys set of Modern Russian special-forces or Spetsnaz should probably contain the 15 poses of the small-scale set, or at least twelve, so very much a part-set, and at a 1:35th scale, a bit small for most of their contemporaries in the toy world.

Size apart; accuracy with these is nice and all the weapons are recognisable while the kit/uniform is vary Afghan campaign 'summer' dress. The hat looking a bit like our 1930's boy scout hat (or the US 'Smoky Bear' hat) was (is still?) also used by the border forces, while the wide, flat beret is also used by regular paratroopers and marines.