The publication entered under this title is a 2014 German translation of a small book originally written in Russian by Viktor Khodyeyev, a well-known model enthusiast from the Ukraine. The German version of this book was published under the title “Modellmotoren Made in USSR” (ISBN 978-617-534-277-0).

Although a softcover publication, the book is produced to a very high standard on good-quality paper with a very durable binding. The many excellent photographic images are all in black and white, but the book is accompanied by a CD-ROM which includes good quality images of all engines covered, many of them in colour.

Unfortunately, although characterized as a “Model Engine Encyclopedia”, the book is very far from encyclopaedic in its coverage. There is a very short introductory section which includes a brief summary of the pre-WW2 and early post-WW2 years along with a few engines from that surprisingly prolific period, but for the most part the content is confined to engines made from 1950 onwards. Even then, the coverage is not complete - a number of very significant models which are well documented elsewhere are omitted.

Perhaps the book’s single greatest failing is its almost complete lack of historical detail.  Production dates and timespans are mentioned only vaguely if at all - in many cases, they are completely absent. There’s no information on serial numbers either, nor are production figures given, even as estimates. Finally, those responsible for the various designs are generally un-named. Much of the text is confined to a physical description of the engines concerned, a great deal of which is readily apparent from an examination of an actual example or even a photograph or two. As a source of information for the model engine historian, the book is frustratingly incomplete.

Another relatively minor criticism is the German translator's consistent rendering of the Cryllic letter B as W, a sound (in English) which does not form part of the Russian language. The Cryllic letter B is actually sounded as a V. Hence, for example, the MK-12B  diesel is set down in the book as the MK-12W - in fact, for English speakers it should be the MK-12V. The problem of course arises from the fact that W is pronounced as V in the German language. Just something for us Anglophones to be aware of ...........

All of this having been said, anyone interested in Russian model engines will undoubtedly find this book to be of interest. I received my copy from my great friend Peter Valicek of the Netherlands and have found it to be quite useful. The sections of interest were easily translated into English using readily-accessible scanning and translation technology. I don’t know if new copies are still available, but they must presumably show up from time to time on the on-line marketing sites. Worth a look in my view ............