Un elemento del quale abbiamo parlato a proposito dell'ultima partita è stato la resistenza offerta da un reparto di Streltsi nella difesa della ridotta russa. Ma chi erano gli Streltsi (o Streltzi o, ancora, Strelzi)?
Nati come guarnigioni cittadine nelle principali città russe nel XVI sec., raggiunsero un livello di potere notevole che gli conferiva un carattere di vera e propria casta, con privilegi incredibili. Il loro incarico si tramandava di padre in figlio, così come i relativi vantaggi. I loro reparti, principalmente di fanteria ma anche di cavalleria, costituirono a lungo l'ossatura dell'esercito russo. All'epoca dell'avvento al potere di Pietro I il Grande, le loro capacità sui campi di battaglia era ormai affievolito e, nel corso delle prime fasi della guerra contro gli svedesi, si comportarono piuttosto malamente. Inoltre, le loro ingerenze nella creazione e deposizione degli Zar fecero sì che Pietro I si decise a diminuire il loro polere politico, creando un nuovo genere di esercito. Nel 1698 una loro rivolta fu soffocata nel sangue e con la deportazione di migliaia di Strelzi verso le inospitali frontiere russe. Benchè molti di essi furono più tardi incorporati nell'esercito regolare, il potere e l'esistenza stessa degli Streltsi cessarono del tutto di esistere.Il loro nome significa, in russo, "moschettieri": di fatto, oltre all'arma da fuoco erano tipicamente armati cion una grossa ascia a due mani, chiamata "Berdiche" che veniva anche utilizzata come supporto per poggiarvi il moschetto durante il fuoco. Ogni reggimento aveva un'uniforme di colore diverso: consiglio vivamente di fare riferimento a questo sito, ricchissimo di dettagli uniformologici, anche per quel che riguarda le bandiere.
Per quanto riguarda i pezzi, quelli della Zvezda non hanno, come al solito, paragoni. Bellissimi! e, anche se il loro valore sul campo può lasciare a desiderare, sono elementi coloratissimi e pittoreschi che non possono mancare sul tavolo di gioco, almeno per le battaglie fino al 1698.
Una curiosità: in molte scatole della Strelets sono contenuti, come pezzi "bonus", figure diverse di Streltsi (una per scatola), abbastanza ben fatti e proporzionati, anche se non all'altezza dei pezzi Zvezda e, comunque, come collezionabili (cioè non possono essere acquistati tutti insieme in un'unica confezione).
Nelle foto sono rappresentati Streltsi del 1°(in rosso), 2° (in grigio chiaro) e 6° (in giallo) Reggimento degli Streltsi di Mosca.
In last topics we spoke about the resistance of the Streltsi in the Russian redoubt. So who were the Streltsi (or Streltzi, or Strelzi)? The Streltsi (Russian: “musketeer”) formed a military corps established in the middle of the 16th century that formed the bulk of the Russian army for about 100 years, provided the tsar’s bodyguard, and, at the end of the 17th century, exercised considerable political influence. Originally composed of commoners, the streltsy had become a hereditary military caste by the mid-17th century. Living in separate settlements (slobody), they performed police and security duties in Moscow and in the border towns where they were garrisoned; they often also engaged in trades and crafts. In 1681 there were about 55,000 streltsy, 22,500 of whom were stationed in Moscow. The streltsy became discontented and unreliable in the second half of the 17th century after the government began paying them in land instead of money and grain. They then became involved in the succession struggle begun in 1682 between rival partisans of the half brothers Peter I and Ivan V. Supporting Ivan, they staged a revolt against the Naryshkin family (the relatives of Peter’s mother, who had assumed actual power), named both Ivan and Peter tsars, and made Ivan’s sister Sophia regent. In 1698, having unsuccessfully attempted to unseat Peter I (the Great) and restore Sophia to the regency (Peter had displaced her in 1689), the streltsy were forcibly disbanded by the tsar, with hundreds of them being executed or deported. Though revived briefly by Peter to participate in the Great Northern War (1702), the corps was gradually absorbed into the regular army thereafter.
They were armed with a musket and a large axe named "Berdiche", which they used as a rest for the firing musket. Each regiment wore a different colour pattern of the uniform. I strongly suggest to see this site, which contains fundamental information both about uniforms and flags. About miniatures, as usual, Zvezda have no match. They are very nice and colourful and, even you can find them often unuseful, they cannot be missing on your table, at least in the battles up to 1698. "The company Strelets have been producing bonus figures in many of their sets which portray these troops, so that certainly adds a lot of variety, although Zvezda clearly have a different style and quality (from Plastic Soldier Review).
In the pictures are reported Streltsy from Moscow' regiments n. 1 (in red), 2 (in light grey) and 6 (in yellow).
Una curiosità: in molte scatole della Strelets sono contenuti, come pezzi "bonus", figure diverse di Streltsi (una per scatola), abbastanza ben fatti e proporzionati, anche se non all'altezza dei pezzi Zvezda e, comunque, come collezionabili (cioè non possono essere acquistati tutti insieme in un'unica confezione).
Nelle foto sono rappresentati Streltsi del 1°(in rosso), 2° (in grigio chiaro) e 6° (in giallo) Reggimento degli Streltsi di Mosca.
In last topics we spoke about the resistance of the Streltsi in the Russian redoubt. So who were the Streltsi (or Streltzi, or Strelzi)? The Streltsi (Russian: “musketeer”) formed a military corps established in the middle of the 16th century that formed the bulk of the Russian army for about 100 years, provided the tsar’s bodyguard, and, at the end of the 17th century, exercised considerable political influence. Originally composed of commoners, the streltsy had become a hereditary military caste by the mid-17th century. Living in separate settlements (slobody), they performed police and security duties in Moscow and in the border towns where they were garrisoned; they often also engaged in trades and crafts. In 1681 there were about 55,000 streltsy, 22,500 of whom were stationed in Moscow. The streltsy became discontented and unreliable in the second half of the 17th century after the government began paying them in land instead of money and grain. They then became involved in the succession struggle begun in 1682 between rival partisans of the half brothers Peter I and Ivan V. Supporting Ivan, they staged a revolt against the Naryshkin family (the relatives of Peter’s mother, who had assumed actual power), named both Ivan and Peter tsars, and made Ivan’s sister Sophia regent. In 1698, having unsuccessfully attempted to unseat Peter I (the Great) and restore Sophia to the regency (Peter had displaced her in 1689), the streltsy were forcibly disbanded by the tsar, with hundreds of them being executed or deported. Though revived briefly by Peter to participate in the Great Northern War (1702), the corps was gradually absorbed into the regular army thereafter. 
They were armed with a musket and a large axe named "Berdiche", which they used as a rest for the firing musket. Each regiment wore a different colour pattern of the uniform. I strongly suggest to see this site, which contains fundamental information both about uniforms and flags. About miniatures, as usual, Zvezda have no match. They are very nice and colourful and, even you can find them often unuseful, they cannot be missing on your table, at least in the battles up to 1698. "The company Strelets have been producing bonus figures in many of their sets which portray these troops, so that certainly adds a lot of variety, although Zvezda clearly have a different style and quality (from Plastic Soldier Review). 
2 commenti:
Excellent post Gentlemen! And an excellent link to Richard Sanders article from the Early Modern Wargame Group. I have the original in an old issue of "Gorget & Sash" and his work is outstanding, as is your painting, very nicely done indeed.
Bill
Sir William the Aged
warsoflouisxiv.blogspot.com
That should be "Early Modern Warfare Group", obviously. Slip of the mind behind the keyboard ;-)
Bill
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