In the Pink

[Rob Nichols]

Since I restarted my model building in lock down, I've been building progressively more complicated kits, and I've decided I need a bit of a break from it. I thought I'd make something a little different, and with one exception, something a little more straightforward.

 

A little different: A Tank as protest.

 

I thought I'd build a model of the "Pink Tank". This was originally a Monument to Soviet Tank Crews erected in Prague. It was intended to represent Lt I. G. Goncharenko's T-34-85 medium tank of the 63rd Tank Brigade, the first tank to enter Prague in May 1945 and subsequently knocked out in the street fighting. However, the monument was an IS-2m heavy tank instead.

 

 

On the night of 27/28 April 1991, art student David Černý and friends painted the tank pink and erected a large finger suggesting an obscene gesture on its turret, signing the work "David Černý and the Neostunners". Černý was arrested under an often-abused law concerning "hooliganism", and after an official protest by the Soviet government, the tank was re-painted green.

 

On 20 June 2011, the Pink Tank temporarily returned to Prague as part of a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet occupation forces.[7] Its return included the erect middle finger, and the entire piece was placed on a barge on the Vltava river and displayed near the Charles Bridge until 1 July 2012.

 

 

There didn't seem to many choices as to JS-2 kits, and as I wanted a fairly simple build I opted for the Tamiya 1/48 Russian Heavy Tank JS-2 Model 1944 ChKZ.

 

 

I've been building exclusively 1/35 tanks recently, so I was interested to try a different scale.

 

The kit was a very straightforward and satisfying build. It included a set of weights so the model has a nice feel to it. I was particularly please that the plastic link tracks went together nicely and were the simplest solid tracks I've assembled so far. Fortunately, as the Pink Tank is painted entirely pink including the tracks, I didn't have to worry about how I'd separate them from the main body to paint them. Comparing them with the photos of the Pink Tank, if anything they sag a little too much😃.

 

 

Of course the most challenging part of the build was the finger. This I made out of air-dried DAS clay. I simply rolled a cylinder and then sculpted the knuckles and nail. I was pleased with my first attempt and stuck with that. I built up the base of the finger a little and it affixed fairly easily to the commander capola. I didn't even have to glue it.

 

 

I primed the tank in Vallejo White. Then mixed some pink and red acrylic and sprayed that on. I started a little darker than my target colour, and then applied a thin coat of lighter pink to get a reasonable effect. I'm pleased with the results so far. I need to add a little weathering, but not very much as the images I'm aiming to reproduce show the tank reasonably clean.

 

 

 

Looking at the images here, the finger is a little large ... 

 

Once the weathering is done I plan to build a base for it .... and I have a hull that I think could just nicely fit under it ... I plan to go aboating!

[APA]

Cool idea 😁👍🏻

My imediate thought when seeing the actual vehicle is how to make the model look real. The actual vehicle has a fresh paint look with very little contrast I'm guessing pin washing would be a nightmare! Good luck with it 😎

 

Nice finger btw 👆

 

Andrew

[Maginot]

What a brilliant project. I doffs me hat to your cultural and historical reference. Bravo!

[Rob Nichols]

Thank you for your kind comments.

[Maginot]

Das. Of course, Das! I'd forgotten all about Das. This solves a materials dilemma as I plan my first diorama. Die Das ist gut! Danke.

[Longbow]

Well, that’s a little different

 

Very cool idea.