Kusma Krjutschkow, 4th Don Cossack Regiment, 1914

[Martin Antonenko]

Thank you, mates! Same to you and your family!!!

------------------------------------------

37. Day, December 22, 2017

Today I made another efforts to take some pictures of my Cossack head unter natural light, on which the colour tones - especially those of the skin! - looks
passably realistic...:

Outside we have the gray "broth", which is so typical for my home region...
Cheers

 

[Martin Antonenko]

38th Day, December 25, 2017

Everything is quiet, woman makes family visits, outside sh ... weather, that means: Best painting conditions!

I have just finished with the cap and the storm strap. It was fun, from the light reflections of deep black to pure white to zoom and blend as gently as possible ...:








So - the head is ready!

Tomorrow the torso will be on the program ...


Nice holidays still!

 

[Martin Antonenko]

39. Day, December 26, 2017

Now it starts with the body of our hero!

Modeling and casting are without blemish, (very good work, Heinz!), The attachment points for rifle and saber are already given and - most importantly - the middle part of the eternally long lance is firmly attached to the figure.









I'll start with the field blouse that was officially called "Gymnastiorka" (or "Gymnasterka"), but was often called "Rubashka", which means "peasant shirt".

This gymnastiorka, model 1911, was a tremendously practical and easy-to-make garment!





The Gymnastiorka was so practical that the Red Army reintroduced it in 1943, when after the victory in Stalingrad the new uniforms - with shoulder straps! - were reintroduced!

In the summer the Gymnastiorka was unlined ...



... at winter time it had a thin lining ...:



Officers and NCOs could enjoy the "luxury" of two breast pockets ...


... simple soldiers had to do without these breast pockets ...:


Actually, the Gymnastiorka should have metal buttons, two on the neck and three to four on the button placket on the chest ...

... in reality, however, all sorts of buttons came up!

That was due to the logistical system of the Tsarist army!

The uniforms were not centrally manufactured and delivered to the troops, but each regiment bought his uniform fabric at the peace site (military district, garrison town) - and in the war right where they were.

Therefore could - as the pictures show in this post here! - have a Gymnastiorka all sorts of shades, from dark green to khaki-white!


How "corlorful" a closed unit could come therefore shows this picture quite well ...:

There was one more thing on which the army hung like a fetish:

Once a week in peacetime (and, if possible, at war!) the soldier had to remove the white cloth collar from his Gymnastiorka ...

...and fix an new one in it...:

Wioth this Gymnastiorka I will start my work at the Torso of my Cossack - with "Jo Jonja's Texture Paste" to Show rough wool.
Tomorrow.
Cheers

 

[Martin Antonenko]

Some additions to the "Gymnastiorka"...:

At the Guard Units special colored strips of fabric were sewn on the button-facing of the Gymnastiorka - and often above the cuffs..: - whereby each regiment had its own color combination ...:












Officers also wore the two breast pockets with such piping ...:






Each guard regiment had its own color combination ...:






This has nothing to do with our Cossack - but I did not want to leave it unmentioned!
(But for what else have I been collecting the many pictures for years?)


Summary:
What we can still see in addition to the variety of colors is that the gymnastics kas were made of relatively coarse fabric - they must have scratched enormously on the skin!

So before I start painting, I have to use "Jo Sonja's Textur-Paste" again!


Cheers

 

[Martin Antonenko]

40. Day, December 27, 2017


Now it's up to "Jo Sonja's texture Paste" again!




I diluted a bit of the stuff with water ...



... and took first with the thick brush on the spots where I wanted it.

Then, with an old paint brush that no longer holds the tip (in this case very desirable!), I made my "rough cloth structure".

With the light (!) moistened brush, I have made the structure paste with rapid "cross strokes" (once longitudinal, even across, etc.) in the form, whereby I followed the "flow direction" of the fabric.
More or less regularly I have the brush on a kitchen towel properly stripped to make sure that I did off some of the paste , instead of spreading the stuff just differently!
I have also taken great care not to coat details that are not made of fabric (straps, cartridges, hands, buttons, etc.) with the paste!

At the end of all this effort, the structure paste rewards me with a very thin, rough-looking layer, which is quite similar to the coarse material of the gymnastics ka.
The fact that the stuff was really very thin applied, the drapery has not been compromised in the least ...:










Cheers

 

[Martin Antonenko]

41. Day, December 28, 2017

Primed.

With this...:




I am satisfied - the rougher (but not too much!) fabric structure of the field blouse is well to be seen...:










Cheers

 

[Nap]

Hi Martin

Catching up !!

Love the effect you achieved on the peak really nicely done

And boy what references on the uniform texture!!! ...I bought a tube of the JS texture after seeing it in use here ..got a few ideas for it !

Meanwhile what better way to spend my time than to watch your progress

Thanks for sharing

Nap

 

[Martin Antonenko]

42. Day, December 29, 2017

Today I started to paint the "Gymnastiorka" field blouse.

But before that was spoiled for choice: Which color do I take for that? Almost everything is possible between dark green and light beige, as we have seen.

Ultimately, I opted for a color combination that is closer to the lower - darker - end of the spectrum ...:




The war in which Kusma Kryuchkov earned his order was only a few days old when he made his famous reconnaissance ride!

And consequently the uniforms were not yet worn, bleached by the sun and dust, and robbed of their original color by washing with curd soap and soda.

We need to introduce them ourselves like this...:







So I chose these colors ...:



And this one for the two visible Buttons...:




Now the collar looks like this...:











I'm satisfied - but what's your opinion...?


Cheers

 

[Martin Antonenko]

43. Day, December 30, 2017

Outside it's raining cats and dogs - and this means: Best "painting weather"...!

I went on a little further today and made the wrinkles relatively hard - for it's a thin summer Shirt...:




Cheers

 

[Martin Antonenko]

44. Day, December 31, 2017


Forst I made today a litte button for the front of the "Gymnastiorka"-blouse.
Then I continued painting...:







The were my last brushstrokes in 2017!

In the new year I will go on!



(Happy new year to you all!)

 

[Nap]

Martin

Coming along there , again nice references

If I may perhaps take the highs back a bit ...in 2018 of course !

Happy new Year

Nap

 

[Martin Antonenko]

45. Day, January 3, 2018

Storm "Burghilde" rages over northern Germany and makes every effort to overturn the house ...!

Ideal painting weather to start with the back of my Cossack - unfortunately no ideal photography weather!

It is so dark outside, that I have managed only a single reasonably presentable photo ...




Cheers

 

[Nap]

Hi Martin

Stay safe and inside ,..if the roof flies off save the resin !

Happy painting whatever the weather is like !

Nap

 

[Martin Antonenko]

First of all I would save my tomcat "Vitja"...



After that the Resin, than my car, my documents - and aaarrrrrggghh, it seems to me I left something behind...aaah, oh ves, Mrs. Rohmann...
(But psssst - don't tell her...)

 

[Nap]

Martin

Strange that I have the same order of saving !! except ...books replace the gorgeous cat you have ! .....

But don't tell Carole ..lol

Nap

 

[Martin Antonenko]

46. Day, Januar 4, 2018


The first sleeve...:












Cheers

 

[Viking Bob]

Martin, I have just caught up with this epic project. Excellent background information and looking forward to more.
Regards for 2018.

 

[Nap]

Martin

Now the uniform is coming together nicely with one of the arms done.........keep going !

Martin, I have just caught up with this epic project. Excellent background information and looking forward to more.
Regards for 2018.

Bob ....2 weeks detention for you and 100 lines for not paying attention...lol .......

It a great SBS eh ...love the research

Nap

 

[Martin Antonenko]

47. Day, January 5, 2018


Well - "Gymnastiorka"-Fieldblouse is ready painted...:










Next week I will continue with the shoulder boards, cartouche bag and leather belts.

Nice weekend to you all!


Cheers

 

[Martin Antonenko]

48. Day, January 7, 2018


Tomorrow I want to start with the shoulder boards of my Cossack - and today's the theory ...:

At first glance, the epaulettes of the bust seem rather big ...:




And that's just right, because in the Russian (and the Bulgarian) army epaulets were worn, which were significantly larger than those of other states!

Here is the size comparison of a Russian and a German shoulder board...:




Russian epaulets ("Pogony") consisted of four components in 1914:

First of all, the pieces themselves ...:



They were attached 1914 with button and pool on the shoulders ...:




As we have already seen by the "Furashka" cap, the colors of the Don Cossacks were dark blue and red:




This was also evident at the epaulets ...:




The second component was the regimental monogram and regimental number.

The Don Cossacks wore a Cyrillic "D" as a regimental monogram - that stood for "Donskogo Kasachi Woiska" (= "Don Cossack Host")




Along with the monogram stood the regimental number. In 1914, a total of 54 regiments of Don Cossacks invaded the field, as well as 36 independent sotnias (hundreds / squadrons) for special tasks and a special formation, the "Ataman Regiment".

But let's stay with the "normal" Don regiments!

They were numbered throughout. Kuzma Kryuchkov belonged to the 4th Don Regiment, so he wore this number with mongram on the epaulets ...:




During the war, the shoulder pieces of the entire Russian army were more and more simplified. So fell from 1916 the Cyrillic "D" and it appeared only the regimental number ...





... and more later even the number fell away! Since we show Kryuchkov in 1914, both must be there!


The third component was the button that held the epaulettes on the shoulder. It was embossed of whitemetal - so appears silver - and showed the Russian double eagle as a coat of arms ...:




The fourth and final component was the rank insignia itself. For troopers and NCO's silver strands were worn!

Note: Cossacks - whether officers, NCO's or enlisted men! - NEVER wore gold components on the rank insignia. Their color was silver!

The ranks of the Cossacks had different names than those of the remaining Russian cavalry and went back to old designations.

For troopers and NCO's these were 1914 ...




Kuzma Krutschkow was at the time of his heroic deed in the summer of 1914 "Prikashnij" ...:




His epaulets looked therefore like this ...:




Exactly such epaulettes we see in this Illustration from an "Osprey" issue ...:




Tomorrow I will try to paint at least the regimental numbers and the monograms - to paint these freehands I dread - honestly said - a bit ...


Cheers