Boys of the 1970s should thank the white guard midshipman for their red army tin soldiers, who served in the anti-Soviet Russian All-Military Union under General Kutepov. This man was the first in the USSR to start engraving figures using classical technology, and it was his works that formed the basis of the typical Soviet tin soldier.

The master was named Lev Alexandrovich Maidanovich. He created his first figure from plaster while working as a painter in France. The military theme was close to him, as he was a hereditary military man and a graduate of the Midshipman School, having participated in the Civil War before emigrating to Paris.

It was in Paris that he achieved mastery in creating miniature sculptures and began working on dioramas. Lev Alexandrovich made soldiers from different eras and branches of the military based on historical sketches. He also created copies of the armor of ancient Russian warriors based on drawings by A.V. Viskovatov and models of Russian warships.

Additionally, he is known for his numerous dioramas with vibrant compositions from Russian fairy tales. Maidanovich's works were sold in large batches, allowing him to support a large family with his wife and four children.

Despite his success, after World War II, Lev Alexandrovich returned to the USSR. In Almaty, he worked on dioramas depicting animals for the Museum of Paleontology.

Since 1960, he lived in Sergiev Posad, where he collaborated with the Moscow Patriarchate. Here he created a series of historical dioramas with models of churches, including a large model of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and the diorama 'Holy Rus'.

Maidanovich continued to work on tin soldiers, using the classical method of the German engraver Ludwig Frank and working with the finest surgical instruments. The outstanding master passed away in 1984 at the age of 85. Today, his works are kept in museums across the country.