My VDV Russian Paratrooper (Chechnia) Impression
 

Hello,

Just finished my VDV impression and took it out for a spin at a local game. I must admit I find the whole load-out very comfortable, the boots especially!

Hope you like it, constructive criticsm please!

Unbelievable buddy!!!! Looks great!!! Graet job on the whole thing.

Which vest is that?

Pete, it's an old design from late 80s. It's called "lifchik" or "belt A".

I do have a RD-54 (which would suit Airborne look), but it does not look good on my 6ft 1" frame and substantial chest size (too much beer). To be honest I find the Rd-54 quite uncomfortable, and much prefer the Afghan chest rig in the picture, with a service belt for my RPK mag pouch and water bottle (and a makarov or Tokarev pistol if I can ever get one).

It is marked 13 5 88, which i assume is the manufacturing date, and has a strange triangular stamp with russian writing.

Fits 6 AK mags pretty well and has plenty of pouches for grenades and other snazzy bits of kit.

Thanks Vlad and Beastor.

That looks insane!! :D

найс мэн !!

Great setup, Beastor, your resolve to create so many nice Soviet/Russian impressions is very impressive. But, as I like to nit-pick, here are a few comments:

1. No self-respecting "desantnik" (VDV soldier) will allow himself to be seen in public without a striped "tel'nyashka" undershirt, it's an unforgivable act of supreme blasphemy!
2. They often remove the lower pockets from the field uniform tunic because it's usually worn tucked in.
3. Their standard field footwear now is laced boots.
4. If your CO saw you without the white under-collar on the tunic, you'd be sure to be peeling potatos for the entire company for at least a couple of days :)

Other than that, excellent impression!

nice, looks really good

This is my favourite of your impressions bud, it's just ace!

Thanks for the good feedback guys!

The embarassing thing is though Igor01 I actually have a "tel'nyashka" shirt (see attached pics), but didnt wear it on the day as I thought you couldn't see it due to the BDU collar. I dont know why i thought that....

Ah, the under-collar, I really should get my arse in gear about that, none of my Russian loadouts have that at all!

I would love to get russian lace ups, but the only russian lace boots i can get are those strange ones with the built in gaiter (see attached pics).

I saw some (Soviet era) pics of VDV's with the jack boots on in field exercises so I went with them instead (they are comfier too!)

No worries, I am just being picky :) What colour stripes is your tel'nyashka? It's hard to tell from the pic but they look dark blue which would be the Navy one, not VDV which is light blue.

It was the navy one I am afraid, the stripes are dark blue!

Do you recognise those strange half breed boots I have with the laces and gaiters built in?

I have seen them on Warsaw pact forces and even on Aghan special forces (the Soviet backed regime), but not, alas, on VDV.

I personally never saw these boots in military use in USSR/Russia, but that of course doesn't mean much. Where are they made, what are the markings on them? If there are any non-Cyrillic , it's safe to assume that such boots in all likelihood are not used in Russia.