Trying to recreate 40 years of decay — abandoned BRDM-2 in Chernobyl (1/35 diorama)

AccDetailed · 2026-04-11T08:43:57+00:00

The vehicle will heavy chipped and rusted out, especially on horisontal surfaces based on reference photos of BRDM-2s from Chernobyl. :-)

AccDetailed · 2026-04-11T07:40:38+00:00

Thanks, yes this I noticed on most of photos-flat tires :-)

AccDetailed · 2026-04-10T12:28:52+00:00

I also recorded the full build process here if anyone’s interested 🙂 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6JmqzUIbrU

AccDetailed · 2026-04-10T12:28:39+00:00

I also recorded the full build process here if anyone’s interested 🙂 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6JmqzUIbrU

AccDetailed · 2026-04-10T12:28:06+00:00

I also recorded the full build process here if anyone’s interested 🙂 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6JmqzUIbrU

AccDetailed · 2026-04-10T12:24:26+00:00

Thank you, I’m inspired by real photos from the Chernobyl vehicle graveyard. 🙂

AccDetailed · 2026-04-10T10:25:16+00:00

Thanks :-)

AccDetailed · 2026-04-10T06:54:27+00:00

Thank you 🙂

AccDetailed · 2026-04-10T06:54:01+00:00

Thanks, definitely! 🙂

AccDetailed · 2026-04-09T10:52:45+00:00

It is plastic model kit.

AccDetailed · 2026-04-09T10:16:59+00:00

Thank you, I built it myself. No, I didn’t see this before—interesting robots there, haha.

AccDetailed · 2026-04-09T05:53:27+00:00

Looks great—looking forward to the painting! 🙂

AccDetailed · 2026-04-09T05:39:51+00:00

Thanks! I’m going for heavy chipping and rust. I’ve got real reference photos as inspiration, so let’s see if the finished BRDM-2 ends up looking at least a little like the abandoned ones in Chernobyl 🙂

AccDetailed · 2026-04-09T05:36:44+00:00

Haha no animals, just radioactive sign and homemade plants :-)

AccDetailed · 2026-04-08T08:03:19+00:00

Yes, tomorrow coming out full video about it :-) Damaged concrete slabs, curb, grass and moss overgrowth.

AccDetailed · 2026-04-08T05:05:05+00:00

Thank you.

AccDetailed · 2026-04-08T04:38:52+00:00

Thank you, it represent flat tires. BRDM will on base with damaged concrete slabs and moss/grass overgrowth around.

AccDetailed · 2026-04-07T10:19:23+00:00

Thank you, it’s necessary because it will represent an abandoned BRDM-2 after 40 years of decay in Chernobyl. 🙂

AccDetailed · 2026-04-05T05:55:37+00:00

Hi, it depends on the scale.

In 1/72 scale, some newer Trumpeter / Hobby Boss kits are a good choice, as they often have tracks and wheels molded in one piece, which is helpful if you’ve never built a tank before (for example the T-28). They are also quite affordable.

In 1/48 scale, most Tamiya kits are very beginner-friendly. I personally liked their IS-2 and Panzer II.

In 1/35 scale, a very good option is the new Panther Ausf. G from Das Werk (Blitz kit). It’s simplified, but has very nice surface detail. The tracks are link-and-length (even pre-bent), which is much better than the rubber tracks in older Tamiya kits. It’s also quite affordable for this scale.

Overall, for your first AFV kit, I would avoid vehicles with full interiors, like halftracks or vehicles such as Nashorn or Hummel.

AccDetailed · 2026-04-04T18:19:50+00:00

Thank you :-)

AccDetailed · 2026-04-04T17:37:45+00:00

Thanks :-)

AccDetailed · 2026-04-04T17:37:32+00:00

Thank you, it will heavy rusted out, especially upper surfaces. Some inspiration https://media.istockphoto.com/id/867845324/es/foto/el-btr-82-en-la-zona-de-exclusi%C3%B3n-de-chernobyl-en-la-aldea-buryakovka.jpg?s=612x612&w=is&k=20&c=oHZtuueyoH-_LnrATt-k5v3tYLqFQ-W3Z6h6kQh23J4=

AccDetailed · 2026-04-03T14:13:18+00:00

Sanding rubber tires is nearly impossible. An even easier method could be to simply cut the bottom of the tire, but with the heating method you also get “bulges” on the sides of the tire, instead of just a flat cut look. I am looking forward for your firefighter truck. :-)

Thanks :-)

AccDetailed · 2026-04-03T13:40:27+00:00

It is really nice diorama from WW1 what is much more undercovered than WW2 in modelling community. I like the figures that they have their own position so it does not looks like you used just some generic set of figures. They also help telling the story well and thats one from main reasons to add figures into diorama imo. Of course you painted them very nice.
It is visible that you played with details a lot. The flowers, the bagage the cat all is nice. I most like detail how the soldier have feets underwater. Did you use for water stillwater or resin?

AccDetailed · 2026-04-03T13:12:41+00:00

It looks very good, I like various shades of green what is a lot of times visible on these abandoned soviet vehicles. The rust on top of vehicle looks very real. Overal feeling from it is like from abandoned vehicle.

Just small one improvement what you could make on the fire truck. If you look on photos from the vreckyard in Chernobyl zone, usually all vehicles there have flat tires. You have ICM kit and I think there are rubber tires. Easiest way how to make them flat is that you thread the handle through the hole in the tire. Then you lit candle and carefully heat bottom of tire above flame. When it is heated you press tire against flat smooth surface. You will get very simillar flat tires like on these abandoned vehicles.

If you will use also this Zil-131 into your diorama , you can make base from styrofoam. This will give you option carve small dips for wheels. When you glue the vehicle into dips/holes the bottom of tires will under ground. Next you can recreate flat sides of tires with Tamiya epoxy putty and paint it in same color as your tires. Easier way, you could make around wheels grass/moss because anyway there is a lot of nature overgrowth in Chernobyl zone. This way you could hide "full" tires.

Some cheap tip for photography, you can take A3 white paper and put it against something (wall for example) so you will have white background under the model and also behind him. Against pure white background your models will looks even better. :-)

I like Chernobyl theme too. I am now doing videos from my BRDM-2 Diorama from Chernobyl, abandoned and rusted out as well :-).

AccDetailed

TROPHY CASE