Introduction

Monumental propaganda was a plan in USSR to promote revolutionary and communist ideas through monuments and building decorations using images of leaders of the revolution. This concept gave rise to Soviet school of sculpture and evolved into Socialist realism style. Here the art for promotion of Soviet lifestyle, physical health and for example the Young Pioneer Organization.

The Vladimir Lenin All-Union Pioneer Organization was a mass youth organization in USSR similar to Scout organizations in the West. It was created in 1922 and ceased to exist in 1991, however, somewhat similar volunteer organizations exist nowadays in modern Russia and other countries. The public image of the pioneer was very positive and they were used to promote lifestyle for the young members of Soviet society. At the time of Socialist realism movement in 1930is there were a lot of monuments dedicated to pioneers erected in parks, pioneer summer camps and other public areas. They were typically wearing pioneer uniform and a tie, with flag, bugle and other items. Standalone monuments and grouped, made of plaster and painted white.

The kit

Armour35 from Russia continue their series of monuments for 1/35 with these 3 new releases – Pioneer bugler (ARM35205), Pioneer girl with a flag (ARM35206) and a set of those two together – Young Pioneers (ARM35207). All these monuments are basically 65mm sculpts (to represent a child sculpture in 1/35) made by Andrey Malygin (same master made monuments of Girl with an Oar and Girl with a Ribbon).

The set ARM35207 comes in a small cardboard box with image of the assembled product on the package plus some basic information. The resin parts are placed into 3 clear plastic bags – small platform that can be used as pedestal, a girl and a boy. The latter two have also another bag inside the larger one for smaller parts like heads, hands, etc.

Detail

The boy is dressed in summer uniform of the Soviet Pioneer – sandals, shorts and a short sleeved shirt. The obligatory item that identifies him as a pioneer is a necktie which is here worn in a standard manner. The boy has one of his hands on his hip and another one is holding a bugle. The torso has a part of the shoulder while his head and arms are separate parts. Little clean-up is necessary – to remove casting supports for shoulders and to remove arm with a bugle. The assembly is very straightforward – there are location marks for each part and they sit tight (I did not remove the hand with a bugle from the casting block). The casting is exceptional and I am really impressed by the folds of the flag on the bugle, uniform and overall quality of the body and head.

The girl is also dressed in summer uniform which included sandals, short sleeved shirt, a skirt and a necktie. Her left arm is hanging next to her body and her right arm holds a flag. The head, left arm and right arm with the flag are separate parts from the torso. They have similar style attachment points and no filler would be necessary to build the figure. Sculpture and casting is exceptional again. Facial details, hair, clothes folding and folding of the banner are well done. There is a light casting seam on the back of her neck in my sample, which is easy to polish off. The banner has 3 additional parts which would require assembly (2 resin parts and a piece of brass wire). Cyanoacrylate glue would be necessary for the build.

Conclusion

These monuments can be placed together as a pair of pioneers or they can be used as single monuments (also available for individual purchase, see ref # above) in a Soviet era settings, pre WW2, during WW2 or post war. You can even think of something like modern day Russia as you can see some of those statues or similar ones in the collections and museums. Of course how and where you use these figures/statues is up to you and one can imagine fictional settings, conversions, basically anything.

Overall, this is another welcome release from Armor35 and the true highlights are great sculpture and high quality casting. Easy assembly seems to be an attractive point as well.