Women in military uniform, 18th century. Rank insignia of the Russian Army

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A Brief History of Men's Fashion in the 18th - Early 20th Century

In a place with the Kultura.RF portal, we recall how the male appearance has changed over the course of several centuries.

Lush outfits and petimeter dandies

Costume of Peter I. Everyday caftan, camisole. Semi-silk, woolen fabric, linen ribbed fabric, fringe. Early 18th century Photo: reenactor.ru

Male caftan. 18th century Photo: mylitta.ru

Costume of Peter I. Festive caftan, camisole, pants. Cloth, satin, cotton baize, silk thread, embroidery. Turn of the XVII - XVIII centuries. Photo: reenactor.ru

For a very long time - until the 18th century - the men's costume was not inferior to the women's in brightness and abundance of decorative details. The clothes of that era differed from modern ones, but the basis of the men's three-piece suit was already formed then. Today it is a jacket, vest and trousers, and in the 18th century - a caftan, camisole and culottes.

The caftan, as a rule, was sewn so that it tightly fitted the torso to the waist, but the floors - knee-length were wide. The cuffs on the long sleeves were also spacious. The caftan did without a collar, the outer garment was only partially fastened or not fastened at all: a camisole was visible under it. He almost completely repeated the style of the caftan, but was usually sleeveless.

Culottes - as they were called in France - short pants, the prerogative of noble and wealthy people. During the French Revolution, the rebellious commoners were called "sans-culottes", that is, "without culottes": they wore long trousers that were comfortable to work in.

Everyday men's suits were made of wool and cloth, formal suits were made of velvet, silk, and satin. The tailors tried to emphasize almost all the details of the caftan and camisole with decor - embroidery, gold and silver galloons, and the cuffs and collar of the shirt were trimmed with lace.

Under the camisole, men, like women, wore a shirt. At that time, she played a very important hygienic role, because often the rest of the clothes from expensive fabrics could not be washed. Aristocrats preferred shirts made of thin snow-white linen. Stockings were worn with short pants, white ones were also considered the most elegant.

European aristocrats paid much attention not only to clothes, but also to shoes and accessories. Shoes with high heels by modern standards were decorated with buckles. Boots were also worn, but less often: they were shoes for travel, travel and hunting. A wig was put on the head, richly sprinkled with powder. Its most popular type is a faux hairstyle with tightly curled curls on the sides and a ponytail tucked into a black bow. Keeping the wig clean and tidy was tricky, but still easier than having to style your own long hair. The costume was completed by a cocked hat, a long cloak and many decorative details: gloves, a snuffbox, a cane, rings and other jewelry. Fees for the appearance of the then dandy, or, as they were called in France, "petimeter", took a little less time than the lady.

"Great Male Refusal" and Dandy

Men's suit. Tailcoat. 18th century Photo: letopis.info

Men's suit. 18th century Photo: costumehistory.ru

Men's suit. Frock coat. Early 19th century Photo: foto-basa.com

By the end of the 18th century, fashionable clothing had become both simpler and more comfortable. Although France was the trendsetter in that era, in the field of men's suit this role gradually passed to England. Unlike the French aristocrats, who spent most of their time at the royal court, English gentlemen lived most of the year on their country estates, and horse racing and hunting were the most popular pastimes. This required an appropriate suit. Men began to wear frock coats - robes like kaftans, but simple and loose. They were equipped with both a collar and clasps - a convenient protection from the weather.

Later, a tailcoat came into fashion - a kind of frock coat with cut floors. Over time, the floors of the tailcoat became more and more narrow, and gradually turned into tails. And on caftans, and on frock coats, and on tailcoats, they always made a cut in the back, so that it was convenient to ride. Under the tailcoat, they wore not a long camisole, but a short vest, which was already very reminiscent of a modern one. And gradually the suit for an active lifestyle turned into an elegant urban one.

The silhouette of the costume changed in general: it became more and more elongated. And with it, the ideals of male beauty also changed. A slender and fit figure was now a matter of pride.

At the end of the 18th century, men abandoned brocade and silk and began to wear only woolen and cloth robes. Luxurious trim, lace on shirts, and powdered wigs, and cocked hats are gone. Soon, short pants were also “cancelled” - they, like white stockings, were worn only on the most solemn occasions, for example, at a ball. In everyday life, they switched to long pants: first, tight-fitting pantaloons, and then the trousers we are used to today. It was a time that is sometimes called the "great male rejection" - the rejection of the colorful suit.

First in England, and then in the rest of Europe, dandyism was born - a cultural canon that included both costume and demeanor. Dandies were distinguished by restraint and exquisite conciseness of the outfit. Former luxury was replaced by minimalism. But every detail of the elegant suit - the color of the waistcoat, the fabric of the shirt, the knot of the tie - was carefully thought out. At the same time, it was supposed to look at ease, as if the selection of a suit did not cost its owner any effort. The famous Pushkin line “you can be a smart person and think about the beauty of your nails” speaks of such an important component of a dandy's life as self-care. Well-groomed, perfectly shaved, in an immaculately snow-white shirt, slender - this is the image that men of the first quarter of the 19th century aspired to.

In the 19th century, the men's suit changed slowly, it was the details that played an important role in it. The tailcoat has become the most important piece of clothing, appropriate in any situation. Over time, the width of the lapels, the line of the shoulder and the length of the tails changed, but in general it remained the same. In addition to frock coats and tailcoats, men began to wear business cards - a cross between these two attire. The top hat became the most fashionable headdress for more than half a century. And the funny word "shapoklyak", familiar to many since childhood, actually means a special cylinder with a hidden spring. The high headdress could be folded down so that it would not interfere when a man entered the premises. Vests remained the only relatively bright item in the wardrobe. Sewn from velvet or silk fabrics, including patterned ones, they contrasted with dark tailcoats and light trousers. There were an incredible number of ways to tie a tie, and one or the other was in fashion.

Restrained classics and "graceful men"

Men's suit. 2nd floor 19th century Photo: mir-kostuma.com

Men's suit. 2nd floor 19th century Photo: mir-kostuma.com

By the 1840s, the tailcoat began to move into the category of a formal, evening suit, and a more comfortable frock coat became everyday wear. Ten years later, the jacket began to supplant him. Gradually, the functionality of clothing took up and a men's suit was formed, similar to the modern one. The "hero of time" became a business man, for whom convenience was the main thing. From the middle of the 19th century, elegant fabrics completely disappeared from the men's suit. Even waistcoats have now become restrained, they were usually sewn to match the color of trousers. A three-piece suit appeared, in which all three items are sewn from the same material. Shirt collars, once tall and uncomfortable, have shrunk, and ties that were once cravats have become narrow strips of cloth. Outerwear has also changed: instead of voluminous capes and raincoats, coats have come into fashion. Cylinders were still worn, but with the advent of the bowler hat - a hat with a rounded, very rigid crown - they became an accessory exclusively for evening dress. In a word, that system of everyday and evening costume has developed, which exists to this day.

Over time, clothing became more and more loose, because, among other things, sports began to influence it. Men began to wear cropped trousers, blazers, jackets, tweed jackets, soft castor hats and straw boaters. Tuxedo appeared as a kind of evening suit.

Having formed, the basic men's wardrobe changed slowly: the classic suit became quite comfortable, its cut masked figure flaws well. In addition, it was almost universal - both modest officials and aristocrats could wear the suit.

Ready-to-wear factories have made trendy contemporary clothing more accessible and common. Therefore, the dandies of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries had to think over the details of their costume even more carefully than petimeters and dandies. There were many nuances of what and in what situation it is appropriate to wear. There were even special articles and publications with instructions like "Handbook of a graceful man." However, even at the beginning of the 20th century, it was not enough to read it and order a good wardrobe to the tailor - one could not do without talent and taste or position in society.

And although it seems that much has changed since then, a modern man, if he only agrees to take fashion seriously, can find a lot in common between himself and the fashionistas of the past.

The history of men's costume: from the 18th to the beginning of the 20th century

Uniform of a military officer

The Russian military uniform has undergone many changes, improvements and innovations throughout its history. This was due to the will of the ruler, a change in ideology, and the influence of Western European military fashion.

Most of the Russian emperors were adherents of the military fashion of Western Europe, so the Russian military uniform was often similar to the uniforms of other European armies. And only Emperor Alexander III gave the military uniform the appearance of national clothes.

Pre-Petrine era

in Russia until the end of the 17th century. There were almost no standing troops, so there were no military uniforms. The squads of princes were dressed in the same clothes as civilians, only armor was added.

True, some princes sometimes acquired uniform clothes for their squad, but these were isolated cases.

The government of Tsar Michael in 1631, expecting a war with Poland, sent Colonel Alexander Leslie to Sweden to hire 5,000 infantry soldiers.

In the 17th century, during the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, “Regiments of the Foreign System” were formed - military units formed from “eager” free people, Cossacks, foreigners and others, and later from subordinate people on the model of Western European armies.

The first unified military uniform in Rus' can be considered the clothes of the archery regiments. They appeared in the 17th century.

archers

Sagittarius- service person rider or infantryman armed with "fiery battle". Archers in Russia made up the first regular army.

Streltsy regiments had a uniform and obligatory dress uniform for all (“colored dress”). It consisted of an upper caftan, a hat with a fur band, trousers and boots, the color of which (except for trousers) was regulated in accordance with belonging to a particular regiment.

caftan- outerwear for men

Common in weapons and clothing of all archers:

• gloves with brown leather cuffs;
• in the campaign, the muzzle of a squeak or musket was closed with a short leather case;
• the berdysh was worn behind the back over any shoulder;
• a sash was worn over the waist belt;
• there were no buttonholes on the marching caftan;
• The external distinction of the senior officers (“initial people”) was the image of the crown on the cap and staff embroidered with pearls, as well as the ermine lining of the upper caftan and the edge of the cap (which indicated high-born princely origin).

The dress uniform was worn only on special days: during the main church holidays and during ceremonial events.

Every day and in military campaigns, a “wearable dress” was used, which had the same cut as the dress uniform, but was made of cheaper gray, black or brown cloth.

S. Ivanov "Archers"

Streltsy regiments during the struggle for power opposed Peter I and were repressed by him. The form of the European model in Russia was introduced by Peter I, mainly borrowing it from the Swedes.

The era of Peter I

Peter I created a regular army on the basis of the "Regiments of a foreign system", which existed during the reign of his father, and archery units. The army was recruited on the basis of recruitment (also, until the middle of the 18th century, the obligatory service of the nobles was preserved). Peter, from his predecessors, inherited an army already adapted for further reconstruction. There were two “elected” regiments in Moscow (Butyrsky and Lefortovsky), commanded by “foreigners” P. Gordon and F. Lefort.

In his "amusing" villages, Peter arranged two new regiments: Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky, completely according to a foreign model. By 1692, these regiments were finally trained and made up the 3rd Moscow elective regiment, headed by General A. M. Golovin.

Officer of the Life Guards of the Semyonovsky Regiment from 1700 to 1720

At first, the officer uniform of the Peter's army was no different from the soldier's. Then they introduced the "commander's insignia" - an officer's scarf. This detail was borrowed from the Swedes, with the exception of the colors, which reproduced the colors of the Russian flag. According to the rules, the scarf was worn over the right shoulder and tied at the left hip, but our officers adapted to wear it around the waist - it was more convenient in battle. Petrovsky's scarf, with changes, survived to the present - in the form of a ceremonial officer's belt.

Grenadier of an infantry regiment from 1700 to 1732

The armament of each soldier consisted of a sword with a harness and a fuse. Fuzeya - a gun, the castle of the fuzei was flint; in necessary cases, a baguinet was mounted on the fusee - a five- or eight-pointed trihedral bayonet. The cartridges were placed in leather bags attached to the sling.

Captain and Lieutenant of the Musketeer Companies of the Infantry Regiment from 1763 to 1786

Captains and the sergeants instead of the fusee were armed with halberds - axes on a three-yard shaft.

Sergeant of the Infantry Regiment with a halberd from 1700 to 1720

One of the companies in each regiment was called the grenadier, and the peculiarity of its weapons were wick bombs, which were kept by the grenadier in a special bag. grenadiers- selected units of infantry and / or cavalry, designed to storm enemy fortifications, mainly in siege operations.

Dragoons- the name of the cavalry (cavalry), capable of also acting on foot. Dragoons in Russia were mounted and on foot.

Fanen Junker of the Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment, 1797-1800

Since 1700, the uniform of a soldier consisted of a small flattened cocked hat, a caftan, an epanchi, a camisole and trousers.

Cocked hat

Epancha- a wide sleeveless round raincoat with a hood for men, and for women - a short, sleeveless fur coat (obepanechka). Imported from the Arab East.

Camisole- men's clothing, sewn to the waist, knee-length, sometimes sleeveless worn under a caftan.

The hat was black, the edges of the brim were trimmed with braid, and a copper button was attached to the left side. When listening to orders from the elders, the younger ones took off their hat and held it under their left armpit. Soldiers and officers wore their hair long to the shoulder, and in ceremonial occasions they powdered it with flour.

The caftans of the infantrymen were made of green cloth, those of the dragoons were made of blue, single-breasted, without a collar, with red cuffs (a lapel on the sleeve of men's clothing).

Cuff of the 8th Cuirassier Regiment of the French Army (1814-1815)

The caftan was knee-length and supplied with copper buttons; epancha for cavalry and infantry was made of red cloth and had two collars: it was a narrow cape that reached to the knees and poorly protected from rain and snow; boots - long, with light bells (funnel-shaped expansion) were worn only on guard and when hiking, and ordinary shoes were stockings and blunt-toed greased heads with a copper buckle; the stockings of the army soldiers were green, and those of the Preobrazhenians and Semenovtsy after the Narva defeat were red, according to legend, in memory of the day when the former "amusing" regiments did not flinch, with a general "embarrassment" under the onslaught of Charles XII.

Fuselier of the Life Guards of the Semyonovsky Regiment, from 1700 to 1720

The Grenadiers of the Guard differed from the Fusiliers (soldiers armed with flintlock guns) only in their headdress: instead of a triangular hat, they wore leather helmets with an ostrich plume.

The cut of the officer's uniform was the same as that of the soldiers, only sheathed along the edges and on the side with gold galloon, the buttons were also gilded, the tie, instead of black cloth, like the soldiers, was white linen. Attached to the hat plume from white and red feathers.

Infantry general in a hat with a plume

In full dress, officers were required to wear powdered wigs on their heads. The officer was also distinguished from the ordinary by a white-blue-red scarf with silver, and the staff officer had gold tassels, which were worn high on the chest, near the collar.

Under Peter I in Russia, epaulettes also appeared on military clothing. The use of shoulder straps as a means of distinguishing the servicemen of one regiment from the servicemen of another regiment began in 1762, when shoulder straps of various weaving from a garus cord were installed for each regiment. At the same time, an attempt was made to make the shoulder strap a means of distinguishing between soldiers and officers, for which in the same regiment officers and soldiers had different weaving of shoulder straps.

In the future, the form of uniforms changed, although in general the samples of Peter the Great were preserved, which became more and more complicated. After the Seven Years' War, the cult of Frederick the Great developed. The convenience in the form of uniforms was forgotten; they tried to make a fine fellow out of a soldier and give him such a uniform, the maintenance of which in order would take all his free time from service. Especially a lot of time was required for the soldiers to keep their hair in order: they combed it into two boules and a braid, powdered it on foot, and on horseback they were allowed not to powder their hair and not to curl it into boules, taking it into one dense braid, but it was required to grow and to comb a mustache high or, who does not have one, to have overhead.

The soldier's clothes were narrow, which was caused by the requirement of the then standing and especially marching without bending the knees. Many parts of the troops had elk trousers, which, before putting on, were wetted and dried already in public. The outfit was so uncomfortable that in the manual for training, the recruit was ordered to put it on no earlier than after three months in order to teach the soldiers how to use such clothes.

The era of Catherine II

During the reign of Catherine II, the uniform was not observed very carefully. Guards officers were weary of it and out of order did not wear it at all. It was changed at the end of Catherine's reign at the insistence of Prince Potemkin. He said that “curling, powdering, weaving braids - is this a soldier’s business? Everyone must agree that it is more useful to wash and scratch your head than to weigh it down with powder, lard, flour, hairpins, braids. The soldier's toilet should be such that he got up, then he's ready. The uniform of the army was simplified and consisted of a wide uniform and trousers tucked into high boots;

Cavalier guard in full dress (1793)

Private and chief officer of an infantry regiment in the form of 1786-1796.

But in the cavalry, and especially in the guards, the uniform remained shiny and uncomfortable, although complex hairstyles and leggings disappeared from the ordinary uniform of the troops.

The era of Paul I

Paul I carried out his own reform of the army, because. discipline in the regiments suffered, titles were given out undeservedly (noble children were already assigned to some rank, to this or that regiment from birth. Many, having a rank and receiving a salary, did not serve at all). Paul I decided to follow Peter the Great and take as a basis the model of the modern European army (Prussian), seeing in it a model of discipline and perfection. The military reform was not stopped even after the death of Paul.

S. Schukin "Portrait of Emperor Paul I in ceremonial uniform and cocked hat"

The uniform consisted of a wide and long uniform with tails and a turn-down collar, tight and short trousers, patent leather shoes, stockings with garters and boot-shaped boots and a small triangular hat. The regiments differed in the color of collars and cuffs, but without any system, they were difficult to remember and were poorly distinguished.

Hairstyles again become important - the soldiers powder their hair and braid it into regular length braids with a bow at the end; the hairstyle was so complicated that hairdressers were brought into the troops.

Powder is not gunpowder

Buckles are not guns,

A scythe is not a cleaver

I am not a Prussian, but a natural hare!

Grenadier of the Pavlovsky Regiment

Grenadiers wore tall cone-shaped hats (grenadiers) with a large metal shield in front; these hats, like a ceremonial headdress, were preserved in the Pavlovsky Life Guards Regiment.

According to eyewitnesses, the soldiers on the campaign suffered the most from varnished shoes and tight trousers that rubbed their legs.

The era of Alexander I

Emperor Alexander I was a supporter of a magnificent military uniform, which became even more uncomfortable. Pavlovskaya form in 1802 was replaced by a new one. Wigs were destroyed, boots-like boots and shoes were replaced with boots with trouser clasps; the uniforms were significantly shortened, narrowed and looked like tailcoats (the tails on the uniforms were left, but the soldiers had short ones); standing solid collars and shoulder epaulettes and epaulettes were introduced; officers' collars were decorated with embroidery or buttonholes and were generally colored; shelves were distinguished by their colors. The light and comfortable cocked hats were replaced by new hats, high, heavy and very uncomfortable; they bore the common name of shakos, while the straps on the shakos and the collar rubbed the neck.

Shako- a military headdress of a cylindrical shape, with a flat top, with a visor, often with a decoration in the form of a sultan. It was common in many European armies at the beginning of the 19th century.

The highest commanding officers were assigned to wear the then huge double-cornered hats with feathers and edging. It was warm in the bicorne in winter, but very hot in summer, so the peakless cap also became popular in the warm season.

S. Schukin "Alexander I in the form of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment"

Shoulder straps were introduced at first only in the infantry (red), then the number of colors was increased to five (red, blue, white, dark green and yellow, in order of the regiments of the division); officer shoulder straps were sheathed with galloon, and in 1807 they were replaced by epaulettes.

D. Dow "Portrait of General Pyotr Bagration with epaulettes"

Epaulets- shoulder insignia of a military rank on a military uniform. They were common in the armies of European countries in the XVIII-XIX centuries, especially during the Napoleonic wars. By the middle of the 20th century, they had practically gone out of circulation.

Subsequently, epaulettes were also given to the lower ranks of some cavalry units.

Pavlovsky cloaks were replaced by narrow overcoats with standing collars that did not cover the ears. The equipment included a mass of belts, which was difficult to keep in good order. The uniform was complex and hard to wear.

From the day of the accession to the throne of Alexander I and until 1815, officers were allowed to wear particular dress outside of service; but at the end of the foreign campaign, as a result of fermentation in the army, this right was abolished.

Staff officer and chief officer of the grenadier regiment (1815)

The era of Nicholas I

Under Nicholas I, uniforms and overcoats were at first still very narrow, especially in the cavalry - officers even had to wear corsets; nothing could be put under the overcoat. The collars of the uniform were fastened tightly and strongly propped up the head. The shakos were too high, during parades they were decorated with sultans, so the entire headdress was about 73.3 cm high.

Bloomers (cloth in winter and linen in summer) were worn over boots; boots with five or six buttons were worn under them, since the boots were very short. Ammunition of white and black lacquered belts required constant cleaning. A huge relief was the permission to wear, first out of order, and then on the campaign, caps similar to the current ones. The variety of forms was great.

Chief officer of the Life Guards Volynsky Regiment (1830)

Simplifications in the form of uniforms began only from 1832: in 1844, heavy and uncomfortable shakos were replaced by high helmets with a sharp pommel, officers and generals began to wear caps with visors; The troops were provided with mittens and earmuffs. Since 1832, officers of all branches of arms have been allowed to wear mustaches, and officers' horses are not allowed to trim their tails or cut their heads.

Non-commissioned officer of laboratory companies (1826-1828) - peaked cap

In the last years of the reign of Nicholas, the uniform acquired instead of the French Prussian cut: dress helmets with ponytails were introduced for officers and generals, uniforms for the guards were sewn from dark blue or black cloth, coattails on army uniforms became short, and white trousers with full dress and On solemn occasions they began to sew on red stripes, as in the Prussian army.

In 1843, transverse stripes were introduced on soldier's shoulder straps - stripes, according to which ranks were distinguished.

In 1854, shoulder straps were also introduced for officers. Since that time, the gradual replacement of epaulettes by shoulder straps began.

The era of Alexander II

I. Tyurin "Alexander II in the form of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment"

The troops received a convenient form of uniform only in the reign of Emperor Alexander II. It had a beautiful and spectacular appearance and was at the same time spacious and allowed the insulation to be pulled out in cold weather. In February 1856, tailcoat-like uniforms were replaced by uniforms with a full skirt. The cavalry retained their shiny uniforms and their colors, but the cut was made more comfortable. All received spacious overcoats with a turn-down collar with cloth buttonholes that covered their ears; uniform collars were lowered and broadened.

The army uniform was first double-breasted, then single-breasted. Bloomers were worn in boots only on a campaign, then always at the lower ranks; in summer the trousers were linen.

Private and adjutant of the Life Guards of the Lithuanian Regiment (in everyday and dress uniforms), 1862

Beautiful, but uncomfortable helmets remained only in the cuirassiers and in the guard, who, in addition, had caps without visors. The ceremonial and ordinary dress was a kepi. Lancers continued to wear diamond-topped shakos.

A convenient and practical hood was introduced, which helped the soldier in the winter. Backpacks and bags were lightened, the number and width of straps for wearing them were reduced, and the soldier's burden was lightened.

The era of Alexander III

I. Kramskoy "Portrait of Alexander III"

By the beginning of the 70s of the XIX century. short hair was required. The uniform of this era was quite comfortable. The emperor sought to nationalize the military uniform. Only the guards cavalry retained their former rich clothing. Uniformity and ease of wearing and fitting were put at the basis of the new uniform. The headgear, both in the guards and in the army, consisted of a low, round lamb hat with a cloth bottom; the hat is decorated with the St. Andrew's star in the guard, in the army - with the coat of arms.

Cossack of the Ural Cossack army, chief officer of the Life Guards of His Majesty's Cossack regiment and adjutant general of the Cossack troops (1883)

A uniform with a standing collar in the army with a straight back and a side without any edges was fastened with hooks that can be freely altered, broadening or narrowing the uniform. The guards uniform had a slanting border with a piping, a colored high collar and the same cuffs; the uniform of the cavalry, with its transformation exclusively into dragoon regiments (except for the guards), became similar to the uniform of the infantry, only somewhat shorter.

Lamb ceremonial hat

The lamb ceremonial hat resembled an ancient boyar. Wide trousers tucked into high boots. In the army, overcoats were fastened with hooks so that in sunny weather a shiny object would not draw the attention of the enemy and cause fire. For the same reason, sultans and helmets with brilliant coats of arms were abolished. In the guards, overcoats were fastened with buttons. In the infantry and other types of weapons, caps with bands were introduced, the difference between one regiment and another was based on a combination of colors of shoulder straps and bands. The division differed from the division by the numbers on the shoulder straps.

V. Vereshchagin "Officer of the line battalion in a white tunic and red trousers"

Alexander II introduced tunics and linen shirts for wearing in hot weather, and Alexander III made sure that the uniform of a soldier resembled peasant clothes. In 1879, a tunic with a standing collar, like a shirt-shirt, was introduced for soldiers.

The era of Nicholas II

G. Manizer "Portrait of Emperor Nicholas II in the uniform of the 4th Infantry Imperial Family of the Life Guards Regiment with the badge of the Order of St. Vladimir IV degree"

Emperor Nicholas II almost did not change the form of uniforms. The form of the guards cavalry regiments of the era of Alexander II was only gradually restored. The officers of the entire army were given galloon (instead of the simple leather introduced by Alexander III) shoulder harness.

A. Pershakov “Portrait of P.S. Vannovsky "(visible harness)

For the troops of the southern districts, the ceremonial headdress was considered too heavy and was replaced by an ordinary cap, to which a small metal coat of arms is attached.

The most significant changes followed only in the army cavalry. A modest uniform without buttons at the beginning of the reign of Nicholas II was replaced by a more beautiful double-breasted, sewn at the waist and with a colored edging along the side of the uniform. A shako was introduced for the Guards regiments.

In each cavalry division, the regiments are given the same colors: the first is red, the second is blue, the third is white. The former colors remained only in those regiments for which some historical memory was associated with their color.

Ceremonial cap of the era of Nicholas II

The caps were also changed: not the bands, but the crowns, were made colored so that the color of the regiment could be seen at a great distance, and visors were given to all lower ranks.

In 1907, following the results of the Russo-Japanese War, the Russian army introduced as a summer uniform a single-breasted khaki tunic with a stand-up collar on hooks, with a five-button fastener, with pockets on the chest and on the sides (the so-called "American" cut) . The white tunic of the former sample has fallen into disuse.

Tunic of the Russian army of the era of Nicholas II

In aviation, on the eve of the war, a blue tunic was adopted as working clothes.

In the Russian Empire, after the death of Peter the Great, in the subsequent years of the reign of Russian monarchs, the form of uniforms changed, but in general the samples of Peter I were preserved, only they became more and more complicated, especially after the Seven Years' War, which entailed the cult of the Prussian king Frederick II the Great. The desire for convenience in the form of uniform was completely forgotten; it was replaced by the desire to make a soldier look good and give him such a uniform, the maintenance of which in order would take all his free time from service.

Military uniform of the Russian army of the 18th - early 19th centuries.

1. Officer of an infantry regiment (during the reign of Anna Ioannovna, 1732-1742).
2. Officer of the hussar regiment (during the reign of Catherine II, 1776-1782).
3. Grenadier of the musketeer regiment (period of the monarchy of Paul I, 1797-1801).
4. Officer of the Jaeger Regiment (during the reign of Emperor Paul I, 1796-1801).

Especially a lot of time the soldier used to keep his hair in order; hair was combed into two curls and a braid and powdered on foot; in the equestrian style, it was allowed not to powder the hair and not to curl it into curls, taking it into one dense braid, but it was required to grow and comb the mustache high or, who did not have them, to have false ones. The soldier's clothing was extremely narrow, which was caused by the requirement of the then standing and especially marching without bending the knees. Many parts of the troops had elk trousers, which, before putting on, were wetted and dried already in public. The outfit was so uncomfortable that in the manual for training, the recruit was ordered to put it on no earlier than after three months, having previously taught the soldier to stand upright and walk, and even on this condition, “dress it little by little, from week to week, so as not to suddenly tie him up and disturb him."

The uniform during the reign of Peter III and in the subsequent reign of Catherine II was observed, especially in the guards, very inaccurately, and even in the army, unit commanders allowed themselves to arbitrarily change their uniforms. Guards officers out of formation almost never wore uniforms. All this evoked ideas about a change in military uniform, which was changed at the end of Catherine's reign at the insistence of Prince Potemkin, who said that "curling, powdering, weaving braids - is this a soldier's business? Everyone must agree that it is more useful to wash and scratch your head than weigh down with powder, lard, flour, hairpins, braids. A soldier's toilet should be such that it gets up, then it's ready."

Army uniforms have been greatly simplified and made much more comfortable; it consisted of a wide caftan and trousers tucked into high boots; but in the cavalry, and especially in the guards, military uniforms remained as before in the form of a brilliant and uncomfortable uniform, although complex hairstyles and leggings disappeared from the ordinary form of uniforms for troops. Paul I transplanted the entire Prussian uniform of the troops to Russia. The form of uniform was a wide and long uniform with tails and a turn-down collar, tight and short trousers, varnished shoes, stockings with garters and boots, and a small triangular hat.

The regiment differed from the regiment in the color of collars and cuffs, but these colors were without any system and extremely variegated, difficult to remember and poorly distinguished, since the colors included such as apricot, isabella, celadon, sand, etc. Hairstyles are once again gaining importance; soldiers powder their hair and braid it into regular length braids with a bow at the end; the hairstyle was so complicated that the troops had special hairdressers.

The military uniform of the Russian army under Peter III and the end of the 18th century during the time of Paul I.

1. Carabinieri during the reign of Peter III.
2. Non-commissioned officer, hussar of the Life Guards of Paul I.
3. Private cuirassier during the reign of Emperor Paul I.
4. Flute player of the Preobrazhensky Regiment of the time of Emperor Paul I.

The form of uniforms for sailors during the time from Peter I to Catherine II almost does not change, but only becomes more complicated; the sides and collars of the camisoles of the highest ranks are embroidered with gold, boots are put on the legs, the hair is collected in boules and braids and powdered. The forms of uniforms in the period from 1764 to the beginning of the 19th century were quite diverse; during this time, naval gunners had all the uniforms of red color, helmets with a bear crest served as their headdress; the sailors had white combat camisoles with the same lapels, double-breasted, with a gray-green collar and cuffs, and working camisoles, the so-called bostrogi, were single-breasted gray-green, in both cases short pants to the knees, in summer white, linen; high boots; the hat was original, felt, high, with a lapel at the bottom, reminiscent of a Russian Greek. In summer, the sailor's working suit consisted of a teak camisole with blue longitudinal stripes and boots. In general, it should be noted that the uniform of sailors of the 18th century was quite well adapted to his work and quite comfortable.

Camp of Catherine's soldiers. Illustration by Alexandre Benois for the publication "Pictures on Russian History". 1912 Wikimedia Commons

A recruit of the 18th century, after a long journey, ended up in his regiment, which became a home for young soldiers - after all, service in the 18th century was lifelong. Only from 1793 was her term limited to 25 years. The recruit took an oath that forever separated him from his former life; received from the treasury a hat, a caftan, a cloak-epancha, a camisole with trousers, a tie, boots, shoes, stockings, undershirts and trousers.

The "Instruction of the colonel's cavalry regiment" of 1766 prescribed to teach the privates "to clean and screw up trousers, gloves, a sling and a belt, tie a hat, put a casket on it and put on boots, put spurs on them, plant a scythe, put on a uniform, and then stand in the required a soldier's figure, to walk simply and to march ... and when he gets used to everything, begin to teach rifle techniques, horse and foot exercise. It took a lot of time to teach the peasant's son to behave valiantly, "so that the peasant's vile habit, evasion, antics, scratching when talking were completely exterminated from him." The soldiers had to shave, but they were allowed to grow mustaches; hair was worn long, to the shoulders, and on ceremonial days they were powdered with flour. In the 1930s, soldiers were ordered to wear curls and braids.

It took a lot of time, "so that the peasant's vile habit, evasion, antics, scratching during conversation were completely exterminated from him"

Coming to a company or squadron, yesterday's communal peasants were included in their usual form of organization - a soldier's artel ("so that there were at least eight people in porridge"). In the absence of a developed supply system (and the shops and shops that are familiar to us), Russian soldiers have adapted to provide themselves with everything they need. Old-timers taught newcomers, experienced and skillful ones bought additional provisions with artel money, repaired ammunition themselves and sewed uniforms and shirts from state-owned cloth and linen; Money from salaries, earnings and awards was deducted to the artel cash desk, at the head of which the soldiers elected a sedate and authoritative "expenditor", or company headman.

This arrangement of military life made the Russian army of the 18th century socially and nationally homogeneous. The feeling of connection in battle provided mutual assistance, supported the morale of the soldier. From the very first days, the recruit was told that now “he is no longer a peasant, but a soldier, who by his name and rank is superior to all his previous ranks, differs from them indisputably in honor and glory,” since he, “not sparing his life, provides of his fellow citizens, defends the fatherland ... and thus deserves the gratitude and mercy of the Sovereign, the gratitude of fellow countrymen and the prayers of spiritual ranks. Recruits were told the history of their regiment, mentioning the battles where this regiment participated, and the names of heroes and generals. In the army, yesterday's "mean peasant" ceased to be a serf, if he had been before. A peasant boy became a "state servant" and in the era of constant wars he could rise to the rank of non-commissioned officer and even - if he was lucky - to the chief officer. The "Table of Ranks" of Peter I opened the way to obtaining a noble rank - in this way, about a quarter of the infantry officers of the Peter's army "came out to the people". For exemplary service, an increase in salary, awarding a medal, promotion to corporal, sergeant was provided. "Faithful and true servants of the fatherland" were transferred from the army to the guards, received medals for battles; for distinction in the service, the soldiers were awarded "a ruble" with a glass of wine.

A serviceman who had seen distant lands on campaigns forever broke with his former life. The regiments, which consisted of former serfs, did not hesitate to suppress popular unrest, and in the 18th and 19th centuries the soldier did not feel like a peasant. And in everyday practice, the soldier got used to living at the expense of the townsfolk. Throughout the 18th century, the Russian army did not have barracks. In peacetime, it was lodged in the homes of rural and urban residents, who were supposed to provide military premises, beds and firewood. Release from this duty was a rare privilege.

In everyday practice, the soldier got used to living at the expense of the townsfolk.

Fusiliers of infantry regiments 1700-1720 From the book "Historical description of clothing and weapons of the Russian troops", 1842

In the short days of rest from battles and campaigns, the soldiers walked with might and main. In 1708, during the difficult Northern War, the brave dragoons “became quarters in the towns. Wine and beer were collected before the convoy. And a certain rank of the gentry drank unbearably. They reproached those viciously, and also beat them with the sovereign's name. But fornication still appeared. Imali in the corners of the dragoons of the shvadrony gentry. There were those young children and there is no passage from these whores to girls and women "gentry"- noblemen (gentry) who served in the dragoon squadron ("shkvadron"). These young nobles did not give the women a pass.. Our colonel and worthy cavalier Mikhail Faddeyich Chulishov ordered to frighten all those who are impudent and beat them with batogs.<…>And those dragoons and granodirs, who were from the battles of small battles, they rested and drank koumiss with Kalmyks and Tatars, flavored with vodka, and then fought with fists with the neighboring regiment. De we, reproached, fought and lost our bellies, and de you hovil and sveev Svei- Swedes. were afraid. And in the distant shvadron they staggered and barked obscenely, and the colonels did not know what to do. By the sovereign's command, the most malicious were sent and broadcast and fought in batogs on the goats in front of all the front. And two of ours from the shkvadron also got the dragoon Akinfiy Krask and Ivan Sofiykin. They were hung around the neck. And Krask’s tongue fell out from the strangulation, it even reached the middle of his chest, and many were amazed at this and went to look. "Official notes (diary) of Simeon Kurosh, captain of the dragoon shvadron, Roslavsky.".

And in peacetime, the stay of the troops in any place was perceived by the townsfolk as a real disaster. “He fornicates with his wife, dishonors his daughter… eats his chickens, his cattle, robs him of his money and beats him incessantly.<…>Every month, before leaving the quarters, the peasants must be gathered, questioned about their claims, and their subscriptions taken away.<…>If the peasants are dissatisfied, they are given wine to drink, they get drunk, and they sign. If, in spite of all this, they refuse to sign, then they are threatened, and they end up silent and signing, ”general Langeron described the behavior of soldiers at the checkpoint in Catherine’s time.

The soldier fornicates with his wife, dishonors his daughter, eats his chickens, his cattle, takes his money and beats him incessantly.

The officers had the opportunity for more refined leisure - especially abroad. “... All other officers of our regiment, not only young, but also elderly, were engaged in completely different matters and concerns. All of them, almost in general, their zealous desire to be in Koenigsberg stemmed from a completely different source than mine. They had heard enough that Konigsberg is a city that is full of everything that can satisfy and satiate the passions of the young and those who spend their lives in luxury and debauchery, namely: that there was a great many taverns and billiards and other places of entertainment; that you can get anything in it, and even more so, that the female sex in it is too prone to lust and that there is a great many young women in it, practicing dishonest needlework and selling their honor and chastity for money.
<…>Before two weeks had even passed, when, to my great surprise, I heard that there was not a single tavern left in the city, not a single wine cellar, not a single billiards and not a single obscene house, which would be unknown to our gentlemen officers, but that not only are they all on the register, but quite a lot of them have already made close acquaintances, partly with their mistresses, partly with other local residents, and some have already taken them to themselves and for their maintenance, and all in general have already drowned in all the luxuries and debauchery ”, - Andrey Bolotov, the former lieutenant of the infantry regiment of the Arkhangelsk city, recalled about his stay in Koenigsberg conquered by Russian troops in 1758.

If in relation to the peasants "impudence" was allowed, then in the "front" discipline was demanded from the soldiers. The soldiers' poems of that era truthfully describe the daily drill:

You go to the guard - so grief,
And you will come home - and twice,
In the guard we are tormented,
And how you change - learning! ..
Suspenders are on guard,
Wait for stretch marks for training.
Stand up straight and stretch
Don't chase the pokes
Slaps and kicks
Take it like pancakes.

Violators under the "Military Article" were expected to be punished, which depended on the degree of misconduct and were determined by a military court. For "magic" was supposed to be burned, for the desecration of icons - cutting off the head. The most common punishment in the army was "chasing gauntlets", when the offender was led with his hands tied to a gun between two ranks of soldiers who struck him on the back with thick rods. The one who committed the offense for the first time was taken through the entire regiment 6 times, the one who committed the offense again - 12 times. Strictly asked for the poor maintenance of weapons, for deliberate damage to it or for "leaving a gun in the field"; sellers and buyers were punished for selling or losing their uniforms. For repeating this offense three times, the guilty person was sentenced to death. Theft, drunkenness and fighting were common crimes for the servicemen. The punishment followed for "inattention in the ranks", for "being late in the ranks." A latecomer for the first time "will be taken for guard or for two hours, three fuzes Fusee- smoothbore flintlock gun. on the shoulder". A latecomer for the second time was supposed to be arrested for two days or "six muskets per shoulder." Those who were late for the third time were punished with gauntlets. For talking in the ranks was supposed to be "deprivation of salary." For negligent guard duty in peacetime, a “serious punishment” awaited the soldier, and in wartime, the death penalty.

For "sorcery" was supposed to be burned, for the desecration of icons - cutting off the head

Especially severely punished for the escape. Back in 1705, a decree was issued according to which, of the three fugitives caught, one was executed by lot, and the other two were exiled to eternal hard labor. The execution took place in the regiment from which the soldier fled. The flight from the army took on a wide scale, and the government had to issue special appeals to deserters with the promise of forgiveness for those who voluntarily returned to duty. In the 1730s, the situation of the soldiers worsened, which led to an increase in the number of fugitives, especially among recruits. The penalties were also increased. The fugitives were expected either by execution or hard labor. One of the decrees of the Senate of 1730 reads: “Which recruits learn to run abroad and will be caught, then from the first breeders, for fear of others, they will be executed by death, hanged; but for the rest, who are not breeders themselves, to inflict political death and exile them to Siberia for government work.

The usual joy in soldier's life was to receive a salary. It was different and depended on the type of troops. The soldiers of the internal garrisons were paid the least - their salary in the 60s of the 18th century was 7 rubles. 63 kop. in year; and cavalrymen received the most - 21 rubles. 88 kop. If we take into account that, for example, a horse cost 12 rubles, then this was not so little, but the soldiers did not see this money. Something went for debts or into the hands of resourceful marketers, something - to the artel cash desk. It also happened that the colonel appropriated these soldiers' pennies, forcing the rest of the officers of the regiment to steal, since they all had to sign expenditure items.

The rest of the salary the soldier squandered in a tavern, where sometimes, in dashing courage, he could “scold everyone obscenely and call himself a king” or argue: with whom exactly did Empress Anna Ioannovna “live prodigally” - with Duke Biron or with General Minich? Drinking buddies, as expected, immediately denounced, and the talker had to justify himself with the “immeasurable drunkenness” usual in such cases. In the best case, the case ended in “chasing gauntlets” in their native regiment, in the worst case, with a whip and exile to distant garrisons.

The soldier could argue with whom exactly did Empress Anna Ioannovna "live in prodigality" - with Duke Biron or with General Minich?

Bored in the garrison service, the young soldier Semyon Efremov once shared with a colleague: “Pray to God that the Turk gets up, then we would get out of here.” He escaped punishment only by explaining his desire to start the war by the fact that "while young, he can serve." The old servicemen, who had already smelled gunpowder, thought not only about feats - among the “material evidence” in the affairs of the Secret Chancellery, conspiracies seized from them were preserved: unfaithful tongues and from all kinds of military weapons ... and me, your servant Mikhail, create like a lion with strength. Others, like ordinary Semyon Popov, were driven by longing and drill to terrible blasphemy: the soldier wrote with his own blood a “letter of apostasy”, in which he “summoned the devil to himself and demanded wealth from him ... so that through that wealth he could leave military service.”

And yet the war gave a chance to the lucky. Suvorov, who knew perfectly well the psychology of a soldier, in his instruction “The Science of Victory” mentioned not only speed, onslaught and bayonet attack, but also “holy booty” - and told how in Ishmael, taken by a brutal assault under his command, the soldiers “divided gold and silver in handfuls ". True, not everyone was so lucky. To the rest, “who remained alive — that honor and glory!” - promised the same "Science to win."

However, the army suffered the biggest losses not from the enemy, but from diseases and the lack of doctors and medicines. “Walking around the camp at sunset, I saw some regimental soldiers digging holes for their dead brethren, others already burying, and still others completely buried. In the army, quite a few suffer from diarrhea and putrid fevers; when officers also move into the realm of the dead, for whom, during their illness, they are certainly better looked after, and doctors use their own medicines for money, then how can soldiers not die, left in illness to their fate and for which medicines are either dissatisfied, or absolutely not available in other shelves. Diseases are born from the fact that the army stands in a square, a quadrangle, that defecating feces, although the wind blows a little, spreads a very bad smell through the air, that Liman water, being used raw, is very unhealthy, and vinegar is not divided among the soldiers, which On the shore, dead corpses are visible everywhere, drowned in the estuary in the three battles that took place on it ”- this is how army official Roman Tsebrikov described the siege of the Turkish fortress Ochakov in 1788.

For the majority, the usual soldier's fate fell: endless marches across the steppe or mountains in the heat or mud, bivouacs and overnight stays in the open, long evenings in "winter-apartments" in peasant huts.

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The Russian army, which owns the honor of victory over the Napoleonic hordes in the Patriotic War of 1812, consisted of several types of armed forces and military branches. The types of armed forces included the ground forces and the navy. The ground forces included several branches of the army, infantry, cavalry, artillery and pioneers, or engineers now sappers. The invading troops of Napoleon on the western borders of Russia were opposed by 3 Russian armies of the 1st Western under the command

107 Cossack regiments and 2.5 Cossack horse artillery companies participated in the Patriotic War of 1812. They constituted irregular searches, that is, part of the armed forces that did not have a permanent organization and differed from regular military formations in recruitment, service, training, and uniforms. The Cossacks were a special military estate, which included the population of certain territories of Russia, which constituted the corresponding Cossack army of the Don, Ural, Orenburg,

The army is the armed organization of the state. Consequently, the main difference between the army and other state organizations is that it is armed, that is, in order to perform its functions, it has a complex of various types of weapons and means that ensure their use. In 1812, the Russian army was armed with cold and firearms, as well as protective weapons. To edged weapons, the combat use of which is not related to the use of explosives for the period under review -

Illustrations of uniforms of the Russian army - artist N.V. Zaretsky 1876-1959. Russian army in 1812. SPb., 1912. Light cavalry general. General of the retinue EIV General of the light cavalry. Walking form. General of the retinue of His Imperial Majesty in the quartermaster department. Parade uniform. Parade uniform. Private Izyum Hussar Regiment. Parade uniform.

His Imperial Majesty's Own Convoy was the formation of the Russian guard, which carried out the protection of the royal person. The main core of the convoy were the Cossacks of the Terek and Kuban Cossack troops. Circassians, Nogays, Stavropol Turkmens, other mountaineers-Muslims of the Caucasus, Azerbaijanis, a team of Muslims, from 1857 the fourth platoon of the Life Guards of the Caucasian squadron, Georgians, Crimean Tatars, and other nationalities of the Russian Empire also served in the Convoy. The official date of the founding of the convoy

Officers of the Cossack troops, who are under the Office of the Military Ministry, full dress and festive uniforms. May 7, 1869. The Life Guards Cossack Regiment marching uniform. September 30, 1867. Generals in the army Cossack units full dress. March 18, 1855 Adjutant General, listed in the Cossack units in full dress. March 18, 1855 Adjutant wing, listed in the Cossack units in full dress. March 18, 1855 Chief officers

Until April 6, 1834, they were called companies. January 1827, 1 day - On officer epaulettes, to distinguish ranks, forged stars were installed, as at that time introduced in regular troops 23. July 10, 1827 - In the Don horse artillery companies, round pompoms are installed at the lower ranks of red wool, officers have silver drawings 1121 and 1122 24 . 1829 August 7 days - Epaulettes on officer uniforms are installed with a scaly field, following the model

THE EMPEROR, on the 22nd day of February and the 27th day of October of this year, the Highest command deigned to 1. Generals, Headquarters and Ober-officers and lower ranks of all Cossack troops, except for the Caucasian, and except for the Guards Cossack units, as well as civil officials, consisting in the service in the Cossack troops and in the regional boards and administrations in the service of the Kuban and Terek regions, named in articles 1-8 of the attached list, Appendix 1, to have a uniform according to the attached hereto

Military uniforms are called clothes established by rules or special decrees, the wearing of which is mandatory for any military unit and for each branch of the military. The form symbolizes the function of its bearer and his belonging to the organization. The stable phrase honor of the uniform means military or corporate honor in general. Even in the Roman army, soldiers were given the same weapons and armor. In the Middle Ages, it was customary to depict the coat of arms of a city, kingdom or feudal lord on shields,

Since 1883, the Cossack units began to favor only standards that fully corresponded in size and images to the cavalry standards, while the cloth was made according to the color of the uniform of the army, and the border was the color of the instrument cloth. From March 14, 1891, the Cossack units were granted banners of reduced size, that is, the same standards, but on black banner poles. Banner of the 4th Don Cossack Division. Russia. 1904. Sample 1904 is fully consistent with a similar model of cavalry

Astrakhan Cossack Army The Astrakhan Cossack Army was formed in 1776-1799 from settlers from the Don, Kalmyks and Tatars. After the Napoleonic wars of 1817, the Astrakhan army was re-formed. The seniority of the army has been assigned since 1750 - the date of the founding of the Astrakhan Cossack regiment. In 1854, it was ordered to have 3 cavalry regiments in the army. The Astrakhan army consisted of two departments, the 1st department included the villages of Kazachebugrovskaya, Krasnoyarsk, Chernoyarsk,

Adjutant General, Chief Officer of the Life Guards of His Majesty's Cossack Regiment and Cossack of the field cavalry regiments of the Ural Cossack troops in the usual form orders for the military department of 1883 64 and 72. Headquarters and chief officers serving in the military district departments and institutions subordinate to them, ordinary uniform and chekmen order of the military department of 1892 305. Life Guards Caucasian Cossack squadrons 1 Trumpeter of His Imperial Majesty,

As the researcher of the history of the Caucasian linear Cossacks V.A. Kolesnikov, the Khopersky Cossack regiment existed for almost a century and a half 1775-1920, starting with a convoy-police team, staffed from residents of only four settlements on the eastern outskirts of the Voronezh region, then by the beginning of the 20th century. grew into a serious fighting unit, replenished with Cossacks from two dozen villages of the Khopersky regimental district of the Kuban army ... The Khopertsy can deservedly be called the old-timers of the Kuban

In the reign of Alexander III there were no wars or major battles. All decisions on foreign policy were made personally by the Sovereign. The post of state chancellor was even abolished. In foreign policy, Alexander III took a course towards rapprochement with France, and in building the army, much attention was paid to recreating the naval power of Russia. The emperor understood that the absence of a strong fleet had deprived Russia of a significant part of its great-power weight. During his reign, the foundation was laid

The clothing of military personnel is established by decrees, orders, rules or special normative acts. Wearing a naval uniform of a naval uniform is mandatory for military personnel of the armed forces of the state and other formations where military service is provided. In the armed forces of Russia, there are a number of accessories that were in the naval uniform of the times of the Russian Empire. These include shoulder straps, boots, long overcoats with buttonholes.

The sign system of the uniform of the White armies was directly influenced by the symbols of the White movement of the state national, St. George and parts of death. By 1917, white, blue and red were considered state colors, while white, black and yellow were erroneously associated with the idea of ​​monarchy, the ribbon on the anniversary medal of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty is an example of this. At the beginning of 1918, white-blue-red

From the author. In this article, the author does not claim to fully cover all issues related to the history, uniform, equipment and structure of the Russian army cavalry, but only tried to briefly talk about the types of uniforms in 1907-1914. Those who wish to get more deeply acquainted with the uniform, way of life, customs and traditions of the Russian army cavalry can refer to the primary sources given in the bibliography for this article. Dragoons At the beginning of the 20th century, the Russian cavalry was considered

The gorget is a crescent-shaped metal plate approximately 20x12 cm in size, suspended horizontally by the ends on the officer's chest near the throat. Designed to determine the rank of an officer. More often in the literature it is referred to as an officer's badge, neck badge, officer's badge. However, the correct name for this element of military clothing is gorget. In some publications, in particular in the book A. Kuznetsov Awards, the gorget is mistakenly considered a collective award sign. However, this

Perhaps there is no more well-known and noticeable element of the officer uniform of the Russian tsarist army than epaulettes on the shoulders of officers and generals, but the history of epaulettes in the Russian army has less than one century, more precisely about eighty years. Sometimes in some publications you can find the statement that epaulettes appeared on Russian military uniforms in 1762-63. However, this is not true. These are epaulettes from a garus cord. Some similarity with epaulettes is given by the ends hanging down from the shoulder in the form of a fringe.

Espanton protazan, halberd Espanton, protazan partisan, halberd are actually ancient weapons of the pole type. Espanton and pierced weapons are piercing, and the halberd is piercing and chopping. By the end of the 17th century, with the development of firearms, they were all hopelessly outdated. It is difficult to say what Peter I was guided by when introducing these antiquities into service with non-commissioned officers and infantry officers of the newly created Russian Army. Most likely on the model of Western armies. As weapons, they played no role,

A document regarding the clothing of the army, filed by Field Marshal Prince Grigory Potemkin-Tavrichesky in the name of the Highest Name in 1782 as far as his prosperity, he weighed himself down with iron armor of protection, such protection even extended to horses; then, undertaking long trips and forming squadrons, they began to lighten themselves; full armor changed into half and

They do not emit a warlike roar, they do not sparkle with a polished surface, they are not decorated with chased coats of arms and plumes, and quite often they are generally hidden under jackets. However, today, without this armor, unsightly in appearance, it is simply unthinkable to send soldiers into battle or ensure the safety of VIPs. Body armor is clothing that prevents bullets from entering the body and therefore protects a person from being shot. It is made from materials that scatter

Not only historical documents, but also works of art that take us back to the pre-revolutionary past are filled with examples of the relationship between servicemen of different ranks. The lack of understanding of a single gradation does not prevent the reader from isolating the main theme of the work, however, sooner or later, one has to think about the difference between the addresses Your Honor and Your Excellency. Few people notice that in the army of the USSR the appeal was not abolished, it was only replaced by a single one for all

The shoulder straps of the tsarist army of 1914 are rarely mentioned in feature films and historical books. Meanwhile, this is an interesting object of study in the imperial age, during the reign of Tsar Nicholas II, uniforms were an object of art. Before the start of the First World War, the distinctive signs of the Russian army differed significantly from those that are used now. They were brighter and contained more information, but at the same time they did not have functionality and were easily visible in the field.

Very often in cinema and classical literature there is the title of lieutenant. Now there is no such rank in the Russian army, so many people are interested in the lieutenant, what is the rank in accordance with modern realities. To understand this, we need to look at history. The history of the appearance of the rank Such a rank as a lieutenant still exists in the army of other states, but it does not exist in the army of the Russian Federation. It was first adopted in the 17th century in regiments brought to the European standard.

Considering all the stages of the creation of the Russian armed forces, it is necessary to delve deeply into history, and although during the time of the principalities we are not talking about the Russian empire, and even more so about the regular army, the emergence of such a thing as defense capability begins precisely from this era. In the XIII century, Rus' was represented by separate principalities. Although their military squads were armed with swords, axes, spears, sabers and bows, they could not serve as a reliable defense against extraneous encroachments. United army

In Russia, the name of Tsar Peter I is associated with numerous reforms and transformations that radically changed the patriarchal structure of civil society. Wigs replaced beards, shoes and over the knee boots replaced bast shoes and boots, caftans gave way to European dresses. The Russian army, also under Peter I, did not stand aside and gradually switched to the European equipment system. One of the main elements of the uniform is the military uniform. Each branch of the military receives its own uniform,

An example of the shoulder straps of the personnel of the Officer Rifle named after. General Drozdovsky division. In this case, the arrows. The ranks are the same as in the Imperial Army. Shoulder straps of the personnel of the Kornilov shock division. The Kornilovites have a black and white color on the flank. These are their siblings, these are the Markovites in a hurry. The ranks are the same as in the Imperial Army. For the not long independent history of Ukraine after 1917