Prince Fedorovitch Cuirassiers

Here is the first of the Russian Cuirassier Regiments. This is what Kronoskaf says:


"Until 1732, the regiment was a unit of dragoons known as the "Yaroslavskiy Dragoon Regiment". In 1732, when Baron Munnich reorganised the Russian Army, the regiment was converted into the "3rd Cuirassier Regiment". It then successively became the "Bevern Cuirassier Regiment" in 1733, the "Braunschweig Cuirassier Regiment" in 1738, and the "Holstein-Gottorp Cuirassier Regiment" in 1742. The regiment was finally renamed the "Fedorovitch Cuirassier Regiment" in 1752.

The regiment counted 5 squadrons (10 companies for a total of about 800 men) and was stationed in Estonia and Livonia. Because of recruitment difficulties, it usually fielded only 4 squadrons while the fifth served as a reserve and for replenishing the ranks of the other squadrons. Each company consisted of 4 officers, 5 NCOs, 2 musicians and 69 troopers."

Figures are Foundry, as most have been recently. Similar problems with the horses though!

Russian Horse Grenadier Regiments (2)

Here are three more Horse Grenadier Regiments making a total of 5 done. They are St.Petersburgski, Rizhskiy and Ryazansky. Foundry figures and not bad either although the horses need a lot of work as the moulds are getting old. Next week you will start seeing Cuirassiers.

Russian Horse Grenadier Regiments (1)

My last post showed Horse Grenadiers as elite companies in Dragoon Regiments. Here are two 'proper' Horse Grenadier Regiments (the first of 5 planned). Kargopolski on the left and Narvski on the right. They are both identical (except for horse colours) and show the fawn coloured shabraques that distinguish them from the pale-blue shabraques of the Dragoons.

There is a lot of Russian cavalry planned - enough to keep me going until the summer.

Russian Horse Grenadiers

Here are Foundry Russian Horse Grenadiers but not those from actual Horse Grenadier regiments - these are the elite company of Dragoon regiments. The sole difference is that those from Dragoon regiments had blue shabraques while those of the Horse Grenadiers were all cream coloured.

The lower three pictures are of a very nice vignette showing a Horse Grenadier removing a dodgy shoe from his mount.

I am now painting five Horse Grenadier regiments which you will see over the next few weeks. All five campaigned in the SYW.

Dismounted Russian Dragoons

Two regiments of dismounted Russian Dragoons - Nizegorodski at the front and Treski behind.
Foundry figures, a bit comic-book but otherwise okay figures. The horse Grenadiers next week are much nicer figures..

Russian Dragoons (2)

Here are two more Russian Dragoon Regiments - Tobolski at the front and Archangelgordski at the back.

The bottom picture shows the three command bases for the 'faux' dragoons - Regiments Kazanski, Kievski and Novotroitsky. With a total of 16 squadrons one will be able to field any number of regiments up to seven in varying numbers of squadrons. Next week - dragoons on foot and following soon Horse Grenadiers.

Russian Dragoons (1)

Here are two Russian 28mm SYW Dragoons Regiments - Nizegorodski at the front and Tverski behind. All Russian dragoons looked the same so the only way you can tell the regiments apart was from the small regional cost-of-arms on the double-headed eagle on the Leibflag flag.

I will be painting 4 'real' Dragoon regiments and 3 'faux' regiments. The latter were dragoon regiments converted to Cuirassiers during the course of the war but it is unknown when they received their new uniforms (remember they were almost constantly on campaign) and certainly they are unlikely to have been given heavy Cuirassier horses to replace their rather small (by comparison to Prussian dragoon horses) horses.

The blue in the pictures is somewhat lighter than I have painted them, I have favoured a medium blue for the first coat and a cornflower-medium blue mix for the shading. The figures are from Foundry and are again Copplestone sculpts, like the majority of the Prussians, and are superb.