Soviet Armor, Photographed in Detail

Three main battle tanks

• 1977 Soviet T-54M: 52 photos at 6240 × 4160. The T-54M program brought older T-54s up to T-55 standard with the V-55 engine, new radios, night sights and the stabilized 100 mm D-10TG gun. It is a transitional design, and that is useful to know before you choose a kit.
• T-62: 971 photos of the exterior. The photos were first taken for a photogrammetry project, which explains the very high count. If you want to build a 3D model from photos, see our photogrammetry photo sets.
• T-72: 34 exterior photos at 6000 × 4000 of the tank that entered production in 1971. About 20,000 were built.

Infantry carriers, tracked and wheeled

The carriers are where Soviet armor modelers find the most variety:

• BMP-1: 53 photos, exterior and interior, of one of the most mass-produced Soviet military vehicles.
• BMD-1: 88 photos of the airborne fighting vehicle, built to be dropped from cargo aircraft and produced from 1968 to 1987. It was photographed in Ukraine.
• BTR-80 command vehicle: 89 photos of the 8×8 wheeled amphibious carrier in its command version, with a telescopic antenna mast.
• MT-LB: 53 photos of the multi-purpose amphibious tracked carrier, designed in the 1960s.

Tractors, launchers and guns

• AT-T heavy tractor: 43 photos of the tracked artillery and engineer tractor, in service from the late 1940s to the late 1970s.
• R-11M missile system: 62 photos of the missile on its tracked launcher, built on an ISU-152K chassis. More missiles are on the Soviet aircraft and missiles page.
• The 2S7 Pion self-propelled gun, the D-30 howitzer, the ZiS-3 field gun and Soviet anti-aircraft guns are on the artillery page.

Same vehicles, different cameras

These packs come from several contributors, so the technical details differ. The T-54M was shot on a Fujifilm X-T3 in the United States. The T-72, BMP-1, BTR-80 and MT-LB packs were shot on Sony cameras at 6000 × 4000. The BMD-1 was photographed on an iPhone 11 at 4032 × 3024. That is still plenty for detail work, but the files are smaller. Each product page lists the camera, the resolution and the file size, so you can compare before you buy.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a pack that shows inside a Soviet vehicle?

Yes. The BMP-1 pack includes interior photos. For more interiors from other countries, see military vehicle interiors.

Can I build a photogrammetry model from the T-62 pack?

The photos were taken for that purpose, and the license allows you to build your own 3D models from them for your projects. Results depend on your software and how much cleanup you do. You may not resell the photos or the pack.

Are these vehicles in their original Soviet colors?

Not necessarily. They are preserved vehicles, and many were repainted by museums or later users. Check period photos for a specific army and date.

Where can I find Soviet buildings and towns for a diorama?

Our post-Soviet aesthetic page collects buildings and places photographed across the former USSR.