Anybody who has seen period photos of World War II Soviet soldiers will note that many times their uniforms are decorated with medals and awards. Occasionally a figure manufacturer will provide these molded into the chest leaving the modeler to paint, but the majority of plastic figures do not. Eduard has been working through various subjects within its colored photo etch range, and now we get not just one, but two sets of Soviet World War II uniform insignia and metals in full color! This review covers the early war period, 1940-1943.

This small set is chock full of enough decorations to award an entire regiment of 1/35 scale figures. Included are both uniform rank insignia for officers and enlisted, as well as various medals and badges. You also don’t need to be an expert to use these, as there are full instructions that cover each award, medal, and rank and its name and English equivalent. This set also covers the collar tabs as seen in the early war period. Insignia for tank crew, infantry, and artillery are all included. Detail is fantastic, with some having up to four colors printed on an area covering only a few millimeters! I didn’t even realize some of the detail until looking at zoomed in scans of the etched fret I did for this review. Stunning to say the least!

Application is as simple as cutting the items you desire and applying to the chest of your figure with a small dot of superglue. I recommend scraping away the paint of your figure where you will be attaching these as that will help with adhesion.

If you’re into Soviet World War II figures, this is one set to have on hand to add that final touch. Thanks to Eduard Model Accessories and IPMS/USA for the review sample.