Happy Christmas from Russia, 1812

This year, it is my recently augmented Napoleonic Russian Army which gets to shake out for the annual Christmas Review...

It seems the event centers around the dedication of a monument to the darlings of the Russian Army - the Artillery!

Southern view.

Some closeups, working clockwise...

The "monument" is some 54mm figures given to me last year by our good friends, the Hopkins. They "get" my love of history!

The army, as seen above has 43 Infantry units.

16 Musketeers, 7 Jager, 4 Grenadiers, 4 Guard, 3 Guard Jager, and 4 4 Opolchenie

There are 21 cavalry Regiments

5 Hussars, 1 Uhlan, 2 Dragoon, 2 Mounted Jager, 4 Cossack, 3 Cuirassier, 1 Guard Dragoon, 1 Guard Uhlan, 1 Chevalier Guard, \1 Lifeguard Hussar

In suitably Russian fashion, it includes 21 Artillery batteries

Seven Line 6 lber Foot, Three Line 12 lber Foot, Five Line 6 lber Horse Batteries, one Guard 6 lber Foot, one Guard 12 lber Foot, and one Guard 6 lber Hiorse Batteries., along with four Li9mbers and 4 Engineers.

On the Leadership side, there are thirty-four command stands.

Eleven 2 figure "Corps?Army" commanders, and twenty-one Divisional commanders

Totals: Infantry: 43@ 698, Cavalry: 21@168, Artillery: 18@113, 34 Staff @ 45

Grand Total 1,024 figures and 42 guns

To President elect Trump,

Bet my...     army is bigger than yours!

Happy Christmas with love,

Vladimir Putin 

"Russian Christmas Music"- Russian in theme only, but beautiful none the less.

Russian Christmas Music, written by Alfred Reed in 1944. It is one of the most frequently performed pieces of concert band literature. Reed was commissioned to write a piece of "Russian music"  for a concert in Denver, Colorado. The concert's aim was to improve Soviet-American relations; as such, it was to include premieres of new Soviet and American works. Prokofiev's March, Op. 99 was supposed to be the Russian work, but it was discovered that the work had already been performed in the United States, and Reed was assigned to write a new piece a mere sixteen days before the concert. The piece was first performed on December 12, 1944, on nationally-broadcast NBC radio. (From Wikipedia)

Merry Christmas to one and all who celebrate it!

May there be Peace on Earth and Good Will towards all men.