Female Soviet Soldiers from Bassevitch

In case you haven't kept up on current events, two US female officers (both West Point grads) graduated from Ranger School last week. These women are bad ass. Very proud of their accomplishments.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/08/21/433482186/first-female-soldiers-graduate-from-army-ranger-school

If you want to know how tough Ranger School is - this guy published his perspective. It's a good read.

http://rhinoden.rangerup.com/time-to-welcome-a-new-era-of-rangers-army/

Anyway, how does this relate to toys? I stumbled across this set of female Soviet WWII toy soldiers on the Toy Soldiers of San Diego website. They are manufactured in Russia. I ordered a set from an Ebay seller in Russia. It was delivered quickly and it was cool to see it packed in boxes and newspapers with Russian writing on it. I studied Russian at West Point as we prepared for the Soviet horde to invade Europe again.

Anyway, it is a great set of 54mm (1/32d scale) plastic figures in some great poses...12 in all. Women in the military was not a big deal on the Eastern front - a war of annihilation between Germany and the Soviet Union. The manufacturer is Bassevitch - based on other Ebay listings. The box art is pretty cool too.

Oh, and by the way, if you ever heard the rumor that Dr. Ruth (yes, sex therapist Dr Ruth Westheimer) was a sniper in the Israeli army - it's true.  Dr Ruth