Russian rural roads

[giles the zog]

What was the construction method for rural Russian roads ?

Obviously, not tarmac, but I'm assuming that some would at least be made up of stone/rubble hard core, with most being otherwise unpaved ?

I'm asking because I want/need to do up a load of "roads" for next February's big game.i created about 24' of tarmac road for AVBCW (and need more), and was planning on a similar amount using the roof felt I have.

I was thinking of a medium greybase, highlighted with light grey, and then weathered for the more substantive roads.

For the trsacks, dark brown, highlighted with grey (to represent the gesture made towards a hardcore stone surface sinking into the mud).

Any other ideas/suggestions ?

TIA

[Ahistorian]

The "Battle of Kursk" & other Eastern Front boards I've seen just have mud tracks that are 1-4" wide depending on how important they are.

It's hard to underestimate how terrible rural transportation was in most of the world until the last 50 years or so.

[Too Bo Coo]

The "Battle of Kursk" & other Eastern Front boards I've seen just have mud tracks that are 1-4" wide depending on how important they are.

It's hard to underestimate how terrible rural transportation was in most of the world until the last 50 years or so.

Absolutely.  One can sort of argue that at least in the US a transnational 'mad max' could not exist before the Eisenhower system as the linkages between jurisdictions was as hoc, at best....  The whole affair was terribly organic for a long time.  I think that also helps explain why when you look at turn of the century Worlds Fair 'future' exhibits, it always showed long and orderly interstates and such.  The history of road construction is very interesting. 

Heck, even in modern Russia is does not take long to see mud roads outside of Moscow....

[Mahwell skel]

I think in WW2 there are photos of roads cut through forested areas where they simply cut down the trees and lopped the logs into road width size pieces and lay them down next to each other to create a roadway. Or otherwise I think they followed any railway tracks.

[giles the zog]

Thanks for the feedback.
Looks like I'll be going for:

• stone coloured roads for a few feet in the centre of village and other key locations
• the soil coloured orads with a grey highlight to represent the initial efforts to upgrade roads
• more plain soil/mud tracks

I've also seen/read about the log cord roads as well, I think the Germans did a lot of them for Barbarossa. I'll have to work out how I can add some balsa wood sections to the roof felt sections that allow the flexibility withoutn the blsa wood coming off mid game.

That suits me fine, wil help cut down on the A/Cs and other shiney stuff and make Cavalry much more effective and desireable.

 

[cuprum]

Russian traditions unchanged. We have a saying: "In Russia are no roads - there is only direction." 



Before the revolution in Russia the vast majority of roads were the usual unpaved. After the rain, these roads become almost impassable. Only a few roads near St. Piterburg and Moscow had a gravel surface.

In the city of large streets could be cobblestone road, small streets could have wooden flooring for pedestrians.

[Cory]

I have seen drybrushed strips of corduroy cloth used for corduroy roads that worked fairly well in 15mm. For 28mm we have used irregular length bamboo skewers glued to a length of felt.

[Mark Plant]

Thanks for the feedback.
Looks like I'll be going for:

• stone coloured roads for a few feet in the centre of village and other key locations
• the soil coloured orads with a grey highlight to represent the initial efforts to upgrade roads
• more plain soil/mud tracks

I don't think I've seen any villages with paving anywhere from that period. Maybe bits of the Baltic.

My roads are all dirt, all the way.

[Etranger]

I think in WW2 there are photos of roads cut through forested areas where they simply cut down the trees and lopped the logs into road width size pieces and lay them down next to each other to create a roadway. Or otherwise I think they followed any railway tracks.

That would be a cordouroy road!

Here's some inspiration for you. Track down the page a bit to 1909-1915: Colour photographs of Imperial Russia  http://www.retronaut.com/2010/06/imperial-russia-in-colour-1909-1915/?utm_content=buffer7e5c7&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer from http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/empire/gorskii.html

[smirnoff]

Russian traditions unchanged. We have a saying: "In Russia are no roads - there is only direction." 

That looks remarkably like sections of the M53 in southern Siberia.
Even if it isn't large sections of it look (and drive) like that.

That said there were some excellent sections of road in Russia as well.

[huevans]

IIRC, the only first rate paved road in Russia in WW2 was the Moscow-Berlin Rollbahn. Everything else would be dirt / mud / snow.

[cuprum]

Over the past ten years the condition of roads in Russia has improved markedly. But still very inadequate.

Here is an excerpt from the Russian book, dedicated road construction:

USSR received from the Russian Empire unimproved road network length of 1450 thous. km, of which only 24.3 thous. km were hard coatings - crushed stone, gravel and cobblestones.
In the USSR in the first five years (1928-1932 gg.) was built 90 thousand. km of roads, of which 12.5 thousand. km of paved. During the Second Five-Year Plan the length of paved roads increased by 39,4 thous. km. By the beginning of World War II in the three years of the third five-year plan were built 59.5 thous. km of paved roads. Particular attention was paid to the construction of roads with improved asphalt and cement-concrete surfaces, the length which in 1941 amounted to more than 7 thousand. Km. In this period were built such important roads as Moscow - Minsk, Amur-Yakutsk highway, Chunskii and Usinsk tracts, Gorky - Murom - Kulebaki, Gorky - Arzamas and others.
During the Great Patriotic War Road troops of the Soviet Army was restored, built and repaired more than 1 million. roads. and bridges, paved over 5 thousand. km of paved roads and put in forest and marsh area over 10 thousand. km wooden rutting roads.