I am very far from being a supporter of the old Soviet Union, or of the direction of Russian politics in the years since the fall of the USSR, but I've always had a respect for the Red Army.
That of course is based on the Soviet sacrifices of the Great Patriotic War, but I suppose I am a sucker for the propaganda image of the worker-soldier, grim in battle, but ready to relax with a glass of vodka and a rousing song (let's not talk of the rape of German women or the oppression of the majority of Eastern Europe). One of the great projectors of that propaganda image was the the Red Army Choir - now the Alexandrov Ensemble (properly the Academic Ensemble of Song and Dance of the Russian Army named after A. V. Alexandrov).
The crash of the Russian Defence Ministry's Tupolev Tu-154 is of course a tragedy, and would have been whoever it was on board and whenever it happened. But the fact that it happened on Christmas Day (as we celebrate it in the West) and that 64 of the 96 killed were members of the choir does tug at the heartstrings somewhat.
So, ignore the uniforms and the lyrics if they upset you, but sit back and enjoy some rousing music.
It's been a little while since I did a round-up of purchases from charity shops. So here goes...
First up is a bottle of stuff I picked up a couple of months ago. I'm sure it'll come in for basing (or I may have to make a pile of coal a la 'Railway Children')
The next I picked up last week. I don't know if they're ornaments or the remains of a chess set, but with a little dry-brushing they will make monumental statuary.
And last Friday I hit the Pulp jackpot when the shop I went into had a half a shelf devoted to Egyptian bits and pieces!
And while we're on Pulp, how about the greatest Pulp Hero of all time? Not terrain, but it came from a charity shop.
Where can I get Snowy in a space suit?
And not from a charity shop, but terrain, are these skull beads which came from China via eBay and arrived just before Halloween. They're a tad out of scale for normal use - but what is Pulp and Lost World without giants and giant apes?! Thanks to Martin Cooke for the tip (he got the red ones and put them to good use).
