top of page
Kim's Chess Collection
No Collections Here
Sort your projects into collections. Click on "Manage Collections" to get started
Soviet/Russian Porcelain
Soviet Propaganda Porcelain Chessmen, Reds versus Whites
This is a rare and historically important Soviet Propaganda Porcelain Chessmen, also known as the Russian Reds versus Whites. The chess pieces are painted and gilt. The first run of these chess pieces was made at the porcelain produced by the Lomonosov Factory in St. Petersburg. The King stands 3.7″ tall. This version was likely made in St. Petersburg in the 1990s.
The Soviet Propaganda Chess set is an example of the propaganda porcelain produced by the State Porcelain Factory soon after the establishment of communism in Russia.in the years immediately following the 1917 Russian Revolution. The original Propaganda set was designed by two sisters who worked in the factory. Natalya Danko formed the figures and Yelena Danko painted them. Five versions of this set have since been identified as of this writing, including this set, sets marked 1921, 1923, 1925, and unidentified set, and the limited-edition Israeli version.
This set is a solid casting, like the 1925 and Israeli sets, not hollow, like the other versions. The pieces are marked on their undersides with the Soviet hammer and sickle mark, adjacent stylized crown.
The chess set has two very distinct armies. On the Communist side, the King is a blacksmith holding a sledgehammer; the Queen, a peasant woman carrying sheaves of wheat adorned with stars; Bishops are Russian soldiers, Knights are horses, Rooks are horse-headed boats, and the Pawns are female reapers holding sickles and sheaves of wheat.
On the Capitalist side: the King is represented as Death adorned with armor wearing an ermine-line cloak, the Queen, an allegory of Fortuna, holds a cornucopia brimming with gold coins; Bishops are officers of the Old Regime, Knights are horses, Rooks are boats with Pawns being suppressed workers or slaves bound in chains.
A Bit of History.
Previously the Imperial Factory until the Revolution in 1917, the Lomonosov Porcelain Factory in St. Petersburg produced propaganda sets like this from 1922 onward. As the Bolsheviks took power of the country, they wanted to make porcelain affordable for the masses. Only the upper-class were able to buy such luxuries before. The new designs also represented the communist agenda and were a form of propaganda. The Post Revolution factory produced porcelain with a propagandist slant and are often associated with Sergei Chekhonin, the factory Director of Artistic Production. Highly sought-after propagandist items like the busts of Engles and Marx and the figure of the ‘Red Army Soldier’ were soon followed by a series of small sculptures promoting the differences in ideologies. The offered set, designed by the sculptress Natalia Danko, circa 1922, reflect this popular propagandist sentiment which favored the Soviets. The Imperial Porcelain Factory has reissued several items designed by prominent Russian artists from the 1920s, inspired by the avant-garde. The largest and most expensive item in the new porcelain collection is the “Red and White” chess set.
Many thanks to Frank Camaratta for the description.
The Soviet Propaganda Chess set is an example of the propaganda porcelain produced by the State Porcelain Factory soon after the establishment of communism in Russia.in the years immediately following the 1917 Russian Revolution. The original Propaganda set was designed by two sisters who worked in the factory. Natalya Danko formed the figures and Yelena Danko painted them. Five versions of this set have since been identified as of this writing, including this set, sets marked 1921, 1923, 1925, and unidentified set, and the limited-edition Israeli version.
This set is a solid casting, like the 1925 and Israeli sets, not hollow, like the other versions. The pieces are marked on their undersides with the Soviet hammer and sickle mark, adjacent stylized crown.
The chess set has two very distinct armies. On the Communist side, the King is a blacksmith holding a sledgehammer; the Queen, a peasant woman carrying sheaves of wheat adorned with stars; Bishops are Russian soldiers, Knights are horses, Rooks are horse-headed boats, and the Pawns are female reapers holding sickles and sheaves of wheat.
On the Capitalist side: the King is represented as Death adorned with armor wearing an ermine-line cloak, the Queen, an allegory of Fortuna, holds a cornucopia brimming with gold coins; Bishops are officers of the Old Regime, Knights are horses, Rooks are boats with Pawns being suppressed workers or slaves bound in chains.
A Bit of History.
Previously the Imperial Factory until the Revolution in 1917, the Lomonosov Porcelain Factory in St. Petersburg produced propaganda sets like this from 1922 onward. As the Bolsheviks took power of the country, they wanted to make porcelain affordable for the masses. Only the upper-class were able to buy such luxuries before. The new designs also represented the communist agenda and were a form of propaganda. The Post Revolution factory produced porcelain with a propagandist slant and are often associated with Sergei Chekhonin, the factory Director of Artistic Production. Highly sought-after propagandist items like the busts of Engles and Marx and the figure of the ‘Red Army Soldier’ were soon followed by a series of small sculptures promoting the differences in ideologies. The offered set, designed by the sculptress Natalia Danko, circa 1922, reflect this popular propagandist sentiment which favored the Soviets. The Imperial Porcelain Factory has reissued several items designed by prominent Russian artists from the 1920s, inspired by the avant-garde. The largest and most expensive item in the new porcelain collection is the “Red and White” chess set.
Many thanks to Frank Camaratta for the description.
The Battle of Poltava by Григорий Пашков, circa 2000
This porcelain set represents The Battle of Poltava (1709) that was the decisive victory of Peter I of Russia, also known as "the Great," over the Swedish forces under Field Marshal Carl Gustav Rehnskiöld, in one of the battles of the Great Northern War.
It is widely believed by historians to have been the beginning of the Swedish Empire's decline as a European great power, while the Tsardom of Russia took its place as the leading nation of north-eastern Europe. The battle also bears major importance in Ukrainian national history, as Hetman of Zaporizhian Host Ivan Mazepa sided with the Swedes, seeking to create an uprising in Ukraine against the tsardom.
The Russian army:
The King is Peter the Great, the Queen is Catherine I, the bishops are Generalissimo Menshikov and Russian Admiral Apraksin.
The Swedish Army:
The King is Carl XII, the Queen is Princess Sofia, the bishops are Hetman of Zaporizhian Host Mazepa and Russian Tsarevich Alexei.
This masterpiece was created by Belarus sculptor Gregory Pashkov http://exclusivechess.by/ in a limited quantity of less than 40 sets. King is 18cm.
It is widely believed by historians to have been the beginning of the Swedish Empire's decline as a European great power, while the Tsardom of Russia took its place as the leading nation of north-eastern Europe. The battle also bears major importance in Ukrainian national history, as Hetman of Zaporizhian Host Ivan Mazepa sided with the Swedes, seeking to create an uprising in Ukraine against the tsardom.
The Russian army:
The King is Peter the Great, the Queen is Catherine I, the bishops are Generalissimo Menshikov and Russian Admiral Apraksin.
The Swedish Army:
The King is Carl XII, the Queen is Princess Sofia, the bishops are Hetman of Zaporizhian Host Mazepa and Russian Tsarevich Alexei.
This masterpiece was created by Belarus sculptor Gregory Pashkov http://exclusivechess.by/ in a limited quantity of less than 40 sets. King is 18cm.
Battle of Vienna by Leonid Golovko, circa 2010
This magnificent chess set created by the very talented artist Leonid Golovko
A true piece of art.
Battle of Vienna took place on 11 and 12 September 1683, when the Ottoman Empire period of two months laid siege to Vienna, the capital of Austria. In a large battle won by Polish-Austrian-German troops under the command of Jan III Sobieski, King of Poland. Troops of the Ottoman Empire commanded Kara Mustafa, Grand Vizier Mehmed IV. Defeat was the beginning of the decline of the Ottoman Empire and the exaltation of the Habsburgs. If the Ottoman Empire defeated the siege of Vienna in 1683, Europe as we know it, most likely wouldn't exist!
Each figure collection from the King and to the pawn, the real historic character with detailed and accurate rendering features, weapons and uniforms. All pieces are hand painted porcelain with glaze and gilding, titanium sputtering. Whiteboard-pouch made of Karelian Birch and array in itself is a work of art.
Only 13 copies made.
Material: Porcelain.
Covered with: gold, platinum, glaze, chrome-plated spraying.
Piece's height: 13-17 cm.
Chessboard material: Karelian birch.
Chessboard size: 66 x 66 cm.
A true piece of art.
Battle of Vienna took place on 11 and 12 September 1683, when the Ottoman Empire period of two months laid siege to Vienna, the capital of Austria. In a large battle won by Polish-Austrian-German troops under the command of Jan III Sobieski, King of Poland. Troops of the Ottoman Empire commanded Kara Mustafa, Grand Vizier Mehmed IV. Defeat was the beginning of the decline of the Ottoman Empire and the exaltation of the Habsburgs. If the Ottoman Empire defeated the siege of Vienna in 1683, Europe as we know it, most likely wouldn't exist!
Each figure collection from the King and to the pawn, the real historic character with detailed and accurate rendering features, weapons and uniforms. All pieces are hand painted porcelain with glaze and gilding, titanium sputtering. Whiteboard-pouch made of Karelian Birch and array in itself is a work of art.
Only 13 copies made.
Material: Porcelain.
Covered with: gold, platinum, glaze, chrome-plated spraying.
Piece's height: 13-17 cm.
Chessboard material: Karelian birch.
Chessboard size: 66 x 66 cm.
"Heroes of the Civil War" by Leonid Golovko, ca. 2000
A ceramic chess set themed on the American Civil War and consequently name "Heroes of the Civil War". The set with a king size of ca. 13 cm was made in the early 2000's by the famous Belarusian artist Leonid Golovko in a limited number of 22 copies.
The two sides, i.e. the "North" and the "South", are represented by their presidents and the most famous generals and military leaders of each side.
The persons representing the "North" are:
The King
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
The Queen
Ulysses Simpson Grant (1822-1885)
The Bishops
Benjamin Franklin Butler (1818-1893)
William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891)
The Pawns
Fitz-John Porter (1822-1901)
Henry Wager Halleck (1815-1872)
Irvin McDowell (1818-1885)
John Pope (1822-1892)
George Brinton McClellan (1826-1885)
Ambrose Everett Burnside (1824-1881)
George Gordon Meade (1815-1872)
Philipp Henry Sheridan (1831-1888)
The persons representing the "South" are:
The King
Jefferson Davis (1808-1889)
The Queen
Robert Edward Lee (1807-1870)
The Bishops
Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard (1818-1893)
John Clifford Pemberton (1814-1881)
The Pawns
Edmund Kirby Smith (1824-1893)
Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (1824-1863)
Albert Sidney Johnston (1803-1862)
Jubal Anderson Early (1816-1894)
Ambrose Powell Hill (1825-1865)*
Braxton Bragg (1817-1876)*
Photos and description by Holger Langer.
The two sides, i.e. the "North" and the "South", are represented by their presidents and the most famous generals and military leaders of each side.
The persons representing the "North" are:
The King
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
The Queen
Ulysses Simpson Grant (1822-1885)
The Bishops
Benjamin Franklin Butler (1818-1893)
William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891)
The Pawns
Fitz-John Porter (1822-1901)
Henry Wager Halleck (1815-1872)
Irvin McDowell (1818-1885)
John Pope (1822-1892)
George Brinton McClellan (1826-1885)
Ambrose Everett Burnside (1824-1881)
George Gordon Meade (1815-1872)
Philipp Henry Sheridan (1831-1888)
The persons representing the "South" are:
The King
Jefferson Davis (1808-1889)
The Queen
Robert Edward Lee (1807-1870)
The Bishops
Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard (1818-1893)
John Clifford Pemberton (1814-1881)
The Pawns
Edmund Kirby Smith (1824-1893)
Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (1824-1863)
Albert Sidney Johnston (1803-1862)
Jubal Anderson Early (1816-1894)
Ambrose Powell Hill (1825-1865)*
Braxton Bragg (1817-1876)*
Photos and description by Holger Langer.
"Battle of Borodino" chess set by Леонид Головко, circa 2000
"Battle of Borodino" chess set made by Leonid Golovko. The set depicts the Battle of Borodino with one side being the Grande Armée led by Napoleon and Murat and the other side being the Russian Army led by Tsar Alexander I. and Kutusow.
The faience pieces are huge, sizes range between 10cm and 13cm. The level of detail both in form and coloring is simply amazing and shows the full range of the artist's skill. The board-box (made inter alia of beautiful Karelian birch) is massive, the board measuring 60 cm.
The French Grande Armée is set up as follows:
King - Napoléon Bonaparte
Queen - Joachim Murat
Bishops - Louis-Nicolas Davoût & Eugène de Beauharnais
Knights - Dragons & Hussards
Rooks - gunner
Pawns - soldier
The Russian Army is set up as follows:
King - Tsar Alexander I.
Queen - Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov
Bishops - Prince Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly & Pyotr Iwanowitsch Bagration
Knights - Cossacks & Hussards
Rooks - gunner
Pawns - soldier
Description and photos by Holger Langer.
The faience pieces are huge, sizes range between 10cm and 13cm. The level of detail both in form and coloring is simply amazing and shows the full range of the artist's skill. The board-box (made inter alia of beautiful Karelian birch) is massive, the board measuring 60 cm.
The French Grande Armée is set up as follows:
King - Napoléon Bonaparte
Queen - Joachim Murat
Bishops - Louis-Nicolas Davoût & Eugène de Beauharnais
Knights - Dragons & Hussards
Rooks - gunner
Pawns - soldier
The Russian Army is set up as follows:
King - Tsar Alexander I.
Queen - Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov
Bishops - Prince Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly & Pyotr Iwanowitsch Bagration
Knights - Cossacks & Hussards
Rooks - gunner
Pawns - soldier
Description and photos by Holger Langer.
The Ancients - Kislovodsk, circa 2010
“The Ancients” set. The white side represents the European/Russian culture, the dark side represents the Asian culture.
This specific model/design was produced in a single copy by Porcelain factory in Kislovodsk, Russia. Hand made and hand painted, king is 15 cm. The level of the details is absolutely incredible.
This specific model/design was produced in a single copy by Porcelain factory in Kislovodsk, Russia. Hand made and hand painted, king is 15 cm. The level of the details is absolutely incredible.
Mohammedan India by Kislovodsk, circa 2015
"Mohammedan India"
Decor: underglaze and overglaze paints, painting
preparation of liquid gold, decoration with chandeliers.
Figures: porcelain.
Design by Alexander Lyubkin
The height of the pawn is 6.5 cm. The height of the queen is 13.5 cm.
Decor: underglaze and overglaze paints, painting
preparation of liquid gold, decoration with chandeliers.
Figures: porcelain.
Design by Alexander Lyubkin
The height of the pawn is 6.5 cm. The height of the queen is 13.5 cm.
Fiddler on the Roof by Noi Volkov, circa 2022
Unique, colorful porcelain Chess set on a theme of Jewish Wedding and a group of "clayzmers" (traditional Jewish musicians). "Fiddler on the roof". Handmade and painted by Israeli artist Noi Zolkov. 2022.
The Battle on the Ice by Kislovodsk, 1970s
Very rare vintage chess set Battle on the Ice, made in Kislovodsk factory.
The Battle on the Ice was fought between the Republic of Novgorod led by prince Alexander Nevsky and the crusader army led by the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Knights on April 5, 1242, at Lake Peipus. The battle is notable for having been fought largely on the frozen lake, and this gave the battle its name. The battle was a significant defeat sustained by the crusaders during the Northern Crusades, which were directed against pagans and Eastern Orthodox Christians rather than Muslims in the Holy Land. The Crusaders' defeat in the battle marked the end of their campaigns against the Orthodox Novgorod Republic and other Slavic territories for the next century.
Material: Porcelain and WoodKing 4 6/16" with a base of 1 3/8"Pawn 2 3/4(7/8)" with a base of 1 3/8"Chess board 23" x 23" x 4 1/4" (corner leg to corner leg) with squares 1 15/16"Country of Manufacture: Russian Federation
The Battle on the Ice was fought between the Republic of Novgorod led by prince Alexander Nevsky and the crusader army led by the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Knights on April 5, 1242, at Lake Peipus. The battle is notable for having been fought largely on the frozen lake, and this gave the battle its name. The battle was a significant defeat sustained by the crusaders during the Northern Crusades, which were directed against pagans and Eastern Orthodox Christians rather than Muslims in the Holy Land. The Crusaders' defeat in the battle marked the end of their campaigns against the Orthodox Novgorod Republic and other Slavic territories for the next century.
Material: Porcelain and WoodKing 4 6/16" with a base of 1 3/8"Pawn 2 3/4(7/8)" with a base of 1 3/8"Chess board 23" x 23" x 4 1/4" (corner leg to corner leg) with squares 1 15/16"Country of Manufacture: Russian Federation
Solomon v Suleiman Russian Set, 1995
Solomon v Suleiman porcelain chess set. Two copies made by Russian Jewish refugees in Israel, made for 3,000 birthday of Jerusalem; King is 12cm.
Soviet Porcelain Chess Set (Zugdidi/Kislovodsk), ca. 1980
A Soviet porcelain set from the 1980's with a king size of slightly more than 10 cm. One side in white, the other side stained in dark grey.
According to Isaak Linder, the design goes back to Georgian porcelain artists from the Zugdidi Porcelain factory in Zugdidi/Georgia (Linder, Schach - Schachfiguren im Wandel der Zeit, p. 83, 122-125). However, the set shown by Linder differs slightly from this set insofar as the bishops are wearing capes over their heads rather than hats and also in the colours, which seem to be much darker in the set attributed by Linder to the Zugdidi porcelain factory. Similar sets were also sold under the brand of the Kislovodsk porcelain factory, located some 200 miles away on the Russian side of the border.
The figural chessmen are shown in traditional Georgian or Caucasian dress. The kings are dressed in a "chokha", a name derived from the Persian language. Before the Persian invasion, these wollen coats were referred to as "talavari". In Russia this type of coat is named "cherkeska". It is a typical and very traditional type of garment and a Georgian symbol of pride, worn until today on many formal occasions. The chokha comes in four different types and forms part of the typical cossack uniform. A typical feature of the chokha are the cartridge holders on both sides of the chest called "masri". In former times these were used to hold paper cartridges for muskets, but with the advent of modern weapons these were replaced with ornamental bullets or cartridges calles "masrebi" or "gaziri". The uniform of the king is completed with a richly embroidered overcoat called "burka", a hood-like headdress wrapped around the neck called "bashlyk", a traditional hat called "papakha", usually made of wool or fur, and the traditional cossack dagger called "khanjali" worn on a belt. The queen is likewise dressed in the traditional dress of a rich Georgian woman. She is wearing a long dress called "kartuli", with a beautifully decorated belt. The traditional headdress consists, inter alia, of a white veil called "lechaki", a thin bolster, usually made of silk and cottong called "kopi" and a cardboard rim sewed with velvet called "chikhta". The rooks are shown as towers with onion shaped domes, the knights as rearing horses, which may be seen as a reference to the dzhigit horsemen among the cossacks, the bishops dressed as cossacks dressed with a closed burka wearing a bashlyk and a papakha and the pawns as sitting cossacks.
Description and photos by Holger Langer
According to Isaak Linder, the design goes back to Georgian porcelain artists from the Zugdidi Porcelain factory in Zugdidi/Georgia (Linder, Schach - Schachfiguren im Wandel der Zeit, p. 83, 122-125). However, the set shown by Linder differs slightly from this set insofar as the bishops are wearing capes over their heads rather than hats and also in the colours, which seem to be much darker in the set attributed by Linder to the Zugdidi porcelain factory. Similar sets were also sold under the brand of the Kislovodsk porcelain factory, located some 200 miles away on the Russian side of the border.
The figural chessmen are shown in traditional Georgian or Caucasian dress. The kings are dressed in a "chokha", a name derived from the Persian language. Before the Persian invasion, these wollen coats were referred to as "talavari". In Russia this type of coat is named "cherkeska". It is a typical and very traditional type of garment and a Georgian symbol of pride, worn until today on many formal occasions. The chokha comes in four different types and forms part of the typical cossack uniform. A typical feature of the chokha are the cartridge holders on both sides of the chest called "masri". In former times these were used to hold paper cartridges for muskets, but with the advent of modern weapons these were replaced with ornamental bullets or cartridges calles "masrebi" or "gaziri". The uniform of the king is completed with a richly embroidered overcoat called "burka", a hood-like headdress wrapped around the neck called "bashlyk", a traditional hat called "papakha", usually made of wool or fur, and the traditional cossack dagger called "khanjali" worn on a belt. The queen is likewise dressed in the traditional dress of a rich Georgian woman. She is wearing a long dress called "kartuli", with a beautifully decorated belt. The traditional headdress consists, inter alia, of a white veil called "lechaki", a thin bolster, usually made of silk and cottong called "kopi" and a cardboard rim sewed with velvet called "chikhta". The rooks are shown as towers with onion shaped domes, the knights as rearing horses, which may be seen as a reference to the dzhigit horsemen among the cossacks, the bishops dressed as cossacks dressed with a closed burka wearing a bashlyk and a papakha and the pawns as sitting cossacks.
Description and photos by Holger Langer
Gardner Porcelain Chess Set, ca. 1950-2000
A Russian porcelain set from the second half of the 20th century, made by the Gardner factory in Verbilki near Moscow, which already exists since 1766, together with a divided porcelain board bearing the "Gardner" mark underneath. The chessmen as soldiers, painted black and natural, with a king size of 8.5 cm. Both sides with under the glaze red and gold decoration.
The king with a greyhound, the queen with two cats at her feet. The bishop as an officer with lap dog and cannon, the knight as a horse with goat, and the pawn as a soldier with sentry box and goose.
The rook is displayed as a ship, which is particularly interesting, as this is something very often seen in Russian sets, e.g. the ivory sets from Kholmogory, an example of which I have shown below. It is derived from the very early shapes of rooks typical for the ancient periods and the middle ages, where rooks were usually carved "with a body of rectangular outline, with wide surfaces generally taller than broad, but frequently also square and with the top cut away diagonally downwards to form pinnacles", as Hans Wichmann puts it. One theory describes this form as the silhoulette of a chariot, another one describes it as the symbolised form of the giant bird ar-Ruchch, commonly known from the middle eastern mythology as "Roc" or "Ruk" (hence the term "Rook", according to this theory). However, the form of the ancient pieces could also be mistaken as the outline of a boat or small ship, which was the interpretation of many chess carvers in today's Russia. They carved the rook as a ship or boat, and until today the Russian name of the rook is "ладья" (lad'ja), which also means barge or boat.
Many thanks to Holger Langer for the photos and the description.
The king with a greyhound, the queen with two cats at her feet. The bishop as an officer with lap dog and cannon, the knight as a horse with goat, and the pawn as a soldier with sentry box and goose.
The rook is displayed as a ship, which is particularly interesting, as this is something very often seen in Russian sets, e.g. the ivory sets from Kholmogory, an example of which I have shown below. It is derived from the very early shapes of rooks typical for the ancient periods and the middle ages, where rooks were usually carved "with a body of rectangular outline, with wide surfaces generally taller than broad, but frequently also square and with the top cut away diagonally downwards to form pinnacles", as Hans Wichmann puts it. One theory describes this form as the silhoulette of a chariot, another one describes it as the symbolised form of the giant bird ar-Ruchch, commonly known from the middle eastern mythology as "Roc" or "Ruk" (hence the term "Rook", according to this theory). However, the form of the ancient pieces could also be mistaken as the outline of a boat or small ship, which was the interpretation of many chess carvers in today's Russia. They carved the rook as a ship or boat, and until today the Russian name of the rook is "ладья" (lad'ja), which also means barge or boat.
Many thanks to Holger Langer for the photos and the description.
Russian Porcelain Chess Set "1812" by Gzhel, circa 1980s
Russian Porcelain Chess Set "1812" by Gzhel. Hand painted. Signed by the author Y. Garanin. Second half of the 20th Century (probably around 1980?).
Russian Porcelain Set, Early 20th Century
An Early 20th Century Porcelain Set Depicting Russian Caricatures.
Hand-painted set from the estate of Hope and Billy Levene
King Height: 4 6/8 inches
All pieces are different.
Hand-painted set from the estate of Hope and Billy Levene
King Height: 4 6/8 inches
All pieces are different.
bottom of page