RUSSIAN STRELETS INFANTRY

"XVI - XVII A.D."

The streltsi were Muscovy’s first standing army. Formed in 1550, they were initially only 3,000 strong but grew in numbers and proved themselves formidable on the field of battle. They quickly became an elite, but as time went on they became more concerned with their prestige and influence than military effectiveness, and by the late 17th century they did not perform well in combat. They were also a very conservative body, and both these factors provoked the animosity of Tsar Peter I (‘the Great’), who used their attempted revolt in 1698 to massively reduce their numbers and power. Nonetheless until that time they could be considered the backbone of the Muscovite Russian armies during their many wars with Poland, Sweden and the Turks amongst others.

Aantal:

• 46 figuren in 11 verschillende standen