Introduction:

The resin figure market these days is dominated by Russian and East European companies: Evolution Miniatures, Bravo-6, Stalingrad, Master Club, Minisoldiers, Ant Miniatures, Arkebuza Model Art… the list goes on and on. Now, we have a new player on the market, ASR Sculpture, from Ukraine. ASR Sculpture is actually a one-man-band with Sergey Alekhno being a creative force behind the company. Sergey is a very talented sculptor; most of his works so far were incredibly interesting figure busts, however Sergey recently ventured in producing 1/35 scale figures… and as far as I can tell, it should be a very successful undertaking.

Review:

This review covers ASR Sculpture newest 1/35 scale two-figure resin set: Old men with brushwood (ASR35005S). The set comes packed in a sturdy cardboard box, featuring box art photo which shows assembled figures in a winter background setting. The box includes two zip-lock bags, each containing parts for one figure, and a certificate of authenticity. The signed certificate is issued to a buyer of the set and indicates casting numbers of these particular figures. A very nice touch by ASR Sculpture.

Upon closer examination the figures look superb. Cast in grey resin, the pieces are molded to a very high standard and there are no defects in the resin whatsoever. The resin parts feature protrusions and corresponding indentations, which help to properly align the pieces during the figure assembly. The fit of the parts is perfect and I was able to keep the putty work to a minimum.

The set consists of two figures, an old woman carrying firewood and an old man with an axe, both pacing slowly through the harsh winter freeze.
The old woman is depicted hunched under a large load of wood she is carrying. She wears a skirt and a heavy coat, with headscarf tied below her chin, a common practice by the elderly women in Russia and Eastern Europe. On her feet, the old woman is wearing winter woolen boots, very much resembling traditional Russian winter footwear called "valenki". The heavy bundle of firewood on her back is secured in a carrying sling, which the woman is holding with both her hands.
The old man is depicted carrying an axe and walking with the help of a long stick. He wears pants, a Russian warm wool-padded jacket called "telogreika", and a vest. He's also sporting "valenki" on his feet. On his head, the old man wears "ushanka" fur hat with its flaps down in order to protect the ears from the freezing cold.

The first thing one notices on these figures are their postures; beautifully executed, the body language suggests old age of the pair, as well as their hard work routine. The facial features of both figures are full of character with nicely portrayed wrinkles further implying their old age. Little tears on the clothes, nicely replicated boot texture... these figures really are a work of art. Although the figures are sculpted to depict Russian civilians in WW2 period, they can be used in modern day dioramas as well. I'm planning a small SFOR vignette and think these figures will be perfect for it.

Conclusion:

I'm very much impressed with this figure set. ASR Sculpture is a fairly new company, but all about this set feels very professional; the packaging and certificate of authenticity, superb resin casting and remarkable level of details. The figures look really good; their posture suggesting their age, as well as the facial details with lots of wrinkles and character.

If you want to give your Eastern front dioramas an unusual, but warm "human touch", look no further... this set is perfect for you. I'm pretty sure these old folks will turn any diorama into a show stopper.