A highly detailed photo book depicting Soviet Airborne forces in Afghanistan (1979-1989)
What started as a handbook for reenactors became a start-to-finish chronicle of the Soviet Intervention in Afghanistan. The central focus of the book is a massive collection of high-quality photographs that visually illustrates the progression of the conflict and tracks the development and application of Soviet uniforms and equipment from 1979 to 1989.
Hundreds of painstakingly recreated impressions depict Soviet soldiers of the 345th Regiment and their supporting units at every phase of the war. Authentic practices and variations are exhibited and described in unprecedented detail. Accompanying texts simultaneously narrate the minutiae of soldiers’ lives in relation to the broader history of the 40th Army.
Uniforms and History of the Soviet Airborne: The 345th Regiment in Afghanistan is an invaluable reference to anyone with an interest in the Soviet Army or the Soviet Intervention in Afghanistan.
Work began before we decided to write a book. Our team organized several photoshoots to display the uniforms and equipment we used to model the Soviet Army.
We initially intended to compile a catalog that depicted military servicemen in each branch of the Limited Contingent of Soviet Forces in Afghanistan. Eventually, we realized the immeasurable scale of such a project and decided to focus our efforts on the representation of one Airborne Regiment.
We started to create an illustrated guide for living history enthusiasts, but the project became something greater. This book accompanies the story of a war and the experiences of an entire unit with hundreds of painstakingly recreated visual displays. Historians, reenactors, equipment enthusiasts, and uniform collectors alike will surely consider it a valuable resource.
A picture is worth a thousand words. Our manuscript is tastefully presented in a contemporary style and generously illustrated with full-color images on photo-quality paper.
Two teams collaborated internationally for over a year to create hundreds of exact depictions of soldiers. Dozens of veterans were interviewed and tens of thousands of documentary photographs were analyzed to ensure the validity of the material presented. Quality was our highest priority.
No other reference like this exists for the Soviet Intervention in Afghanistan. Soviet-Afghan conflict is underrepresented and sparsely documented in Western literature. Russian-language works primarily consist of first-person memoirs. Researchers that want to study materials and minutiae to develop a broader understanding of the weapons, uniforms, and daily life of Soviet soldiers would otherwise have to search for scattered information from various sources.
This book presents everything in a sensible and digestible format. Our carefully curated collections display most of the equipment used in the war in the way that it was actually used and implemented.
We are aiming to take delivery of both Standard and Signed Editions of the book no later than October 1, 2021, which will allow us to put books in the hands of our backers in time for the 2021 holiday period.
Our team consist of highly skilled and higly motivated individuals, who have layed hundreds of hours of dedicated work towards this project.
Risks and challenges
Although this is the first book of our own production, members of our team all have relevant experience to successfully complete the project. The book manuscript is now complete and all the photographs taken. Final editing is proceeding as scheduled. An established printer with decades of the experience is waiting for the final file.
Other Ways You Can Help
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