At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the cut of the uniform and the method of wearing it were determined by Order No. 176 of December 3, 1935. There were three types of uniforms for generals: everyday, weekend and dress. There were also three types of uniforms for officers and soldiers: everyday, guard and weekend. Each type of uniform had two options: summer and winter.

Numerous minor changes were made to the uniform between 1935 and 1941. The field uniform of the 1935 model was made of fabric of various shades of khaki color. The main distinctive element of the uniform was the tunic, which in its cut resembled a Russian peasant shirt. The cut of the tunic for soldiers and officers was the same. The flap of the breast pocket on the officer's tunic had a complex shape with a protrusion in the shape of the Latin letter "V". For soldiers, the valve often had a rectangular shape. The lower part of the collar of the tunic for officers had a triangular reinforcing patch, while for soldiers this patch was rectangular. In addition, soldiers' tunics had diamond-shaped reinforcing stripes on the elbows and back of the forearm. The officer's tunic, unlike the soldier's, had a colored edging. After the outbreak of hostilities, color edging was abandoned.

There were two types of tunics: summer and winter. Summer uniforms were made from cotton fabric, which was of a lighter color. Winter uniforms were made from woolen fabric, which had a richer, darker color. The officers wore a wide leather belt with a brass buckle decorated with a five-pointed star. Soldiers wore a simpler belt with a regular open buckle. In field conditions, soldiers and officers could wear two types of tunics: everyday and weekend. The weekend tunic was often called a French jacket. Some soldiers who served in elite units wore tunics of a special cut, distinguished by a colored stripe running along the collar. However, such tunics were rare.

The second main element of the uniform of both soldiers and officers were trousers, also called breeches. Soldiers' trousers had diamond-shaped reinforcing stripes on the knees. For footwear, officers wore high leather boots, while soldiers wore boots with windings or tarpaulin boots. In winter, officers and soldiers wore an overcoat made of brownish-gray cloth. Officers' overcoats were of better quality than soldiers' overcoats, but had the same cut. The Red Army used several types of hats. Most units wore budenovki, which had a winter and summer version. However, the summer budenovka was everywhere replaced by the cap, introduced in the late 30s. In the summer, officers preferred to wear caps instead of budenovkas. In units stationed in Central Asia and the Far East, wide-brimmed Panama hats were worn instead of caps.

In 1936, a new type of helmet (created on the basis of the French Adrian helmet) began to be supplied to the Red Army. In 1940, noticeable changes were made to the design of the helmet. The new helmet of the 1940 model everywhere replaced the helmet of the 1936 model, but the old helmet was still widely used in the first year of the war. Many Soviet officers recall that Red Army soldiers did not like to wear helmets, believing that only cowards wore helmets. Officers everywhere wore caps; the cap was an attribute of officer power. Tankers wore a special helmet made of leather or canvas. In summer they used a lighter version of the helmet, and in winter they wore a helmet with a fur lining.

The equipment of Soviet soldiers was strict and simple. Some units still used a brown leather backpack from the 1930 model, but such backpacks were rare in 1941. More common was the 1938 model canvas duffel bag. The base of the duffel bag was a rectangle 30x10 cm. The height of the duffel bag was 30 cm. The duffel bag had two pockets. Inside the duffel bag, the soldiers wore foot wraps, a raincoat, and in the pockets there were rifle accessories and personal hygiene items. At the bottom of the duffel bag, poles, pegs and other devices for setting up tents were tied. There were loops sewn onto the top and sides of the duffel bag, to which the roll was attached. The food bag was worn on the waist belt, under the duffel bag. The dimensions of the sack are 18x24x10 cm. In the sack the soldiers carried dry rations, a bowler hat and cutlery. The aluminum pot had a tight-fitting lid, which was pressed by the handle of the pot. In some units, soldiers used an old round pot with a diameter of 15 cm and a depth of 10 cm. However, the food bag and duffel bag of the 1938 model were quite expensive to produce, so their production was discontinued at the end of 1941.

Each Red Army soldier had a gas mask and a gas mask bag. After the war began, many soldiers threw away gas masks and used gas mask bags as duffel bags, since not everyone had real duffel bags. According to the regulations, every soldier armed with a rifle was required to have two leather cartridge bags. The bag could store four clips for a Mosin rifle - 20 rounds. Cartridge bags were worn on the waist belt, one on each side. The regulations provided for the possibility of wearing a large fabric cartridge bag that could hold six clips - 30 rounds. In addition, the Red Army soldiers could use a cloth bandolier worn over the shoulder. The compartments of the cartridge belt could accommodate 14 rifle clips. The grenade bag held two grenades with a handle. However, very few soldiers were equipped according to regulations. Most often, Red Army soldiers had to be content with one leather cartridge bag, which was usually worn on the right side. Some soldiers received small sapper blades in a fabric case. The shoulder blade was worn on the right hip. If a Red Army soldier had a flask, he wore it on his waist belt over his sapper blade.

During bad weather, soldiers used raincoats. The raincoat-tent was made of khaki-colored tarpaulin and had a ribbon with which the raincoat-tent could be secured to the shoulders. Raincoat tents could be connected in groups of two, four or six and thus obtain awnings under which several people could hide. If a soldier had a duffel bag of the 1938 model, then a roll, consisting of a raincoat and an overcoat, was attached to the sides and on top of the bag, in the form of a horseshoe. If there was no duffel bag, then the roll was carried over the shoulder.

The officers used a small bag, which was made of either leather or canvas. There were several types of these bags, some of them were worn over the shoulder, some were hung from the waist belt. On top of the bag was a small tablet. Some officers carried large leather tablets that were hung from the waist belt under their left arm.

There were also several types of specialized uniforms. In winter, tank crews wore black overalls and black leather jackets (sometimes black leather trousers were included with the jacket). Mountain shooters wore specially cut black overalls and special mountain boots. Cavalrymen, and primarily Cossacks, wore traditional clothes instead of uniforms. The cavalry was the most variegated branch of the Red Army troops, since a large number of Cossacks and representatives of the peoples of Central Asia served in the cavalry. Many cavalry units used standard uniforms, but even in such units items of Cossack uniform were often found. Before the war, Cossack troops were not popular, since many Cossacks did not support the Bolsheviks during the Civil War and went to serve in the White Army. However, in the 30s, regiments of Don, Kuban and Terek Cossacks were formed. The personnel of these regiments were equipped with uniforms with many details of the traditional Cossack costume. The field uniform of the Cossacks during the Great Patriotic War was a combination of uniform items from the 1930s, pre-revolutionary Cossack uniforms and uniforms from the 1941/43 model.

Traditionally, Cossacks are divided into two groups: steppe and Caucasian. The uniforms of the two groups differed significantly from each other. If the steppe (Don) Cossacks gravitated towards the traditional military uniform, then the Caucasians dressed more colorfully. All Cossacks wore high hats or lower kubankas. In field conditions, Caucasian Cossacks wore dark blue or black beshmets (shirts). Ceremonial beshmets were red for the Kuban Cossacks and light blue for the Terek Cossacks. Over the beshmet, the Cossacks wore a black or dark blue Circassian coat. Gazyrs were sewn on the chest of the Circassian coat. In winter, Cossacks wore a black fur cloak. Many Cossacks wore bashlyks of different colors. The bottom of the Kubanka was covered with material: for the Terek Cossacks it was light blue, and for the Kuban Cossacks it was red. There were two stripes running crosswise on the material - gold for officers and black for privates. It should be borne in mind that many soldiers recruited from the southern regions of Russia continued to wear a kubanka instead of the earflaps required by regulations, even if they did not serve in the cavalry. Another distinctive feature of the Cossacks were dark blue riding breeches.

In the first years of the war, Soviet industry lost significant production capacity, which ended up in German-occupied territory. However, most of the equipment was still transported to the east and new industrial enterprises were organized in the Urals. This decline in production forced the Soviet command to significantly simplify the uniforms and equipment of soldiers. In the winter of 1941/42, more comfortable winter uniforms were used for the first time. When creating this uniform, the sad experience of the Finnish campaign was taken into account. The Red Army soldiers received padded jackets, cotton trousers and hats with earflaps made of synthetic fur. Officers were issued sheepskin coats or fur coats. Higher officers wore hats instead of earflaps. The troops fighting on the northern sector of the front (north of Leningrad) were equipped with special northern uniforms. Instead of sheep's sheepskin coats, some units used seal sakuis. For footwear, soldiers wore special boots made of dog fur or lined with wool. Ushankas for soldiers who fought in the north were made from real fur - dog or fox.

However, many units never received a special winter uniform and the Red Army soldiers froze in standard overcoats, insulated with items requisitioned from the civilian population. In general, the Red Army was characterized by the widespread use of civilian clothing, this was especially clearly visible in winter. So, in winter, many Red Army soldiers wore felt boots. But not everyone was able to get felt boots, so even in winter most of the Red Army personnel continued to wear tarpaulin ones. The only advantage of tarpaulin boots was that they were loose enough that they could be insulated with additional foot wraps and newspapers, turning the shoes into winter boots. Soviet soldiers did not wear socks - only foot wraps. Socks were too much of a luxury to wear in loose boots. But the officers, if they managed to get a pair of socks, did not deny themselves the pleasure of putting them on. Some units were luckier - the personnel of these units received felt boots with galoshes, which was especially useful during the autumn and spring thaw. In 1942, the Red Army soldiers were dressed in rather colorful uniforms. The tankers wore black, gray, blue or khaki overalls. Synthetic leather and rubber were widely used in the manufacture of uniforms. Cartridge bags were made from tarpaulin or impregnated tarpaulin. Leather waist belts were everywhere replaced by canvas ones.

Instead of blankets, the Red Army soldiers used overcoats and raincoats. In addition, a roll of an overcoat or raincoat successfully replaced a duffel bag for soldiers - things were rolled inside. To remedy the situation, a new duffel bag was introduced, similar to the one used by the Tsarist army during the 1st World War. This duffel bag was a canvas bag with a neck secured by a drawstring and two shoulder straps. In 1942, uniform items from the USA and Canada began to arrive in the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease. Although most of the uniforms coming from America were made according to Soviet designs, American uniforms were also found. For example, the USA supplied 13 thousand pairs of leather boots and one million pairs of soldier’s boots to the USSR, and in Canada they sewed overalls for Soviet tank crews.

The uniform for women who served in the Red Army was determined by several documents. Before the war, the distinctive details of women's dress and dress uniforms were a dark blue skirt and beret. During the war, the order of women's uniforms was fixed by orders issued in May and August 1942. The orders maintained the wearing of a skirt and beret. In the field, these uniform items were made of khaki-colored fabric, and the exit uniform included a blue skirt and beret. These same orders largely unified the women's uniform with the men's. In practice, many female military personnel, especially those serving on the front lines, wore men's uniforms. In addition, women often altered many uniform items for themselves, using discarded uniforms.

The experience of fighting in Finland showed the need to have white camouflage overalls in the troops. This type of overalls appeared in 1941. There were several types of winter overalls, usually consisting of pants and a jacket with a hood. In addition, the Red Army units were equipped with many camouflage summer overalls. Such overalls, as a rule, were received by scouts, sappers, mountain shooters and snipers. The overalls had a baggy cut and were made of khaki-colored fabric with round black spots. It is known from photographic documents that the Red Army soldiers also used reversible camouflage overalls, which were green on the outside and white on the inside. It is not clear how widespread such overalls were. A special type of camouflage was developed for snipers. A large number of narrow strips of material imitating grass were sewn onto the khaki-colored overalls. However, such overalls are not widely used.

In 1943, the Red Army adopted a new uniform, radically different from that previously used. The system of insignia was equally radically changed. The new uniform and insignia largely repeated the uniform and insignia of the tsarist army. The new rules abolished the division of uniforms into daily, weekend and dress uniforms, since in wartime conditions there was no need for weekend and dress uniforms. Details of the ceremonial uniform were used in the uniform of special forces units performing guard duty, as well as in officer uniforms. In addition, the officers retained their dress uniform.

By Order No. 25 of January 15, 1943, a new type of tunic was introduced for soldiers and officers. The new tunic was very similar to the one used in the tsarist army and had a stand-up collar fastened with two buttons. The soldiers' tunic had no pockets, while the officer's tunic had two breast pockets. The cut of the trousers has not changed. But the main distinguishing feature of the new uniform was the shoulder straps. There were two types of shoulder straps: field and everyday. Field shoulder straps were made of khaki-colored fabric. On three sides, the shoulder straps had a border in the color of the branch of service. There was no piping on the officer's shoulder straps, and the branch of the military could be determined by the color of the gaps. Senior officers (from major to colonel) had two gaps on their shoulder straps, and junior officers (from junior lieutenant to captain) had one. For doctors, veterinarians and non-combatants, the gaps were red with a brownish tint. In addition, a small gold or silver badge was worn on the shoulder straps near the button, indicating the branch of the military. The color of the emblem depended on the type of troops. The shoulder straps of marshals and generals were wider than those of officers, and the shoulder straps of military doctors, lawyers, etc. - on the contrary, narrower.

Officers wore a cap with a black leather chinstrap. The color of the band on the cap depended on the type of troops. The crown of the cap was usually a khaki color, but the NKVD troops often used caps with a light blue crown, tank crews wore gray caps, and Don Cossacks wore gray-blue caps. The same order No. 25 determined the type of winter headdress for officers. Generals and colonels had to wear hats (introduced back in 1940), while other officers received regular earflaps.

The rank of sergeants and foremen was determined by the number and width of the stripes on their shoulder straps. Usually the stripes were red, only doctors and veterinarians had a brownish tint. Petty officers wore a T-shaped stripe on their shoulder straps. Senior sergeants had one wide stripe on their shoulder straps. Sergeants, junior sergeants and corporals had three, two or one narrow stripe on their shoulder straps, respectively. The edging of the shoulder straps was the color of the branch of service. According to the regulations, the emblem of the military branch was supposed to be worn on the inside of the shoulder straps, but in practice, soldiers wore such emblems very rarely.

In March 1944, a new uniform for the Marine Corps was adopted, which was more convenient for use on land. Since the Soviet Navy remained in ports for most of the war, many sailors took part in battles on land. The marine infantry was used especially widely in the defense of Leningrad and in the Crimea. However, throughout the war, Marines wore the standard Marine uniform, supplemented by some items from the ground field uniform. The last order concerning uniforms was issued in April 1945. This order introduced the dress uniform; soldiers first wore it during the Victory Parade on Red Square on June 24, 1945.

Separately, it would be worth examining the colors of the military branches in the Red Army. The types of troops and services were designated by the color of the edging and insignia. The color of the field of the buttonholes showed belonging to the branch of the military; in addition, a small badge in the buttonhole indicated membership in a certain branch of the military. Officers wore gold-embroidered or enamel badges, while soldiers used colored edging. The sergeants' buttonholes had a border in the color of the branch of service, and they were distinguished from the soldiers by a narrow red stripe running through the buttonhole. Officers wore caps with piping, while soldiers used caps. The edgings on the uniform were also the colors of the military branch. Belonging to a branch of the military was determined not by any one color, but by a combination of colors on different parts of the uniform.

Commissars occupied a special position in the army. There were commissars in every unit from the battalion and above. In 1937, the position of political instructor - junior political officer - was introduced in each unit (company, platoon). The insignia of commissars was generally similar to the insignia of officers, but had its own characteristics. Instead of chevrons on the sleeve, the commissars wore a red star. Commissars had black edging on their buttonholes, regardless of the type of troops, while political instructors had colored edging on their buttonholes.

Sources:
1. Lipatov P., “Uniforms of the Red Army and the Wehrmacht”, Tekhnika Molodezhi, 1996;
2. Shunkov V., “Red Army”, AST, 2003;
3. Shalito A., Savchenkov I., Roginsky N., Tsyplenkov K., "Uniform of the Red Army 1918-1945", 2001.

There is a lot of information on Soviet uniforms and equipment on the Internet, but it is scattered and unsystematic. Several years ago I began to be interested in Soviet uniforms and equipment, then it grew into an article. Of course, I am far from being the ultimate truth, so I will be glad if more knowledgeable people correct and supplement the article. I also did not consider emblems and insignia.

First, a little history. Even before the First World War, a uniform appeared in the Russian army, consisting of khaki trousers, a tunic shirt, an overcoat and boots. We have seen it more than once in films about the Civil and Great Patriotic Wars.

Soviet uniform from World War II.

Since then, several uniform reforms have been carried out, but they mainly affected only the dress uniform. The “edgings, shoulder straps, and buttonholes in the uniforms” changed, but the field uniform remained virtually unchanged.

In 1969, the field uniform was finally replaced. The cut of the trousers has changed, they have become less baggy. The tunic was replaced with a fully unbuttoned jacket. According to one version, the replacement of the tunic with a jacket was caused by the need to decontaminate clothing in the event of a nuclear war. Removing a radioactive tunic over the head is dangerous to health, so it was recommended to tear it apart, rendering it unusable, which was an unjustified waste of property. The jacket could be unbuttoned and removed without loss.

A tunic of the 1943 model and a closed jacket of the 1969 model.

The uniform was sewn from thick cotton fabric. The trousers had two regular mortise pockets on the side, the jacket had two mortise pockets at the bottom. Compared to modern types of form, and even by Western standards of that time, this is very little. Shiny buttons and cockades, as well as colored shoulder straps, had to be replaced with green ones in wartime.

Soviet uniform and equipment of the 1969 model. A live illustration of the Rules for wearing military uniforms. Trousers, jacket, cap, boots. Equipment: belt with shoulder straps made of artificial leather. On the belt there is a pouch for magazines (under the soldier’s right hand) and a grenade (under the left hand), and a bayonet-knife. On the shoulders there are duffel bag straps with a chest strap (forming the letter H). The strap of the gas mask bag runs diagonally across the chest.

Soviet uniform and equipment of the 1969 model. On the back there is a duffel bag. A large bag on the side is a gas mask.

Tarpaulin boots

A visual aid to shoe care.

The main footwear was tarpaulin boots with foot wraps. Kirza is, roughly speaking, a rubberized tarpaulin. This material was developed before the Great Patriotic War to save leather. The boot top is sewn from tarpaulin. The lower part, a kind of “galosh”, is made of leather, because When walking, it is subject to significant loads that the tarpaulin cannot withstand.

The underwear was in the form of a shirt with long sleeves and long underpants made of white fabric, the so-called. "beluga". In summer it was made of thin cotton, in winter it was made of flannel. Such underwear is still found in the army.

Headdress - cap.

The pilot appeared at the beginning of the twentieth century, when military aviation began to emerge. Initially it was called a “folding pilot’s hat.” A soldier is not allowed to wear a hat. The main headdress then was caps. But the pilots wore a leather flight helmet during the flight, and had to put their cap somewhere. The cap could easily be folded and put in a pocket. Subsequently, the cap became a popular soldier's headdress due to its simplicity and cheapness.

In winter - an overcoat and a hat with earflaps.

Work uniform

There was also a work uniform. It was intended for dirty work such as construction, loading and unloading or equipment repair. The winter version - a padded jacket and trousers reminiscent of a collective farm sweatshirt - could also be worn as a field

Winter work jacket

There were also more advanced items of clothing.

— SUMMER GYMNASTER OF THE RED ARMY COMMAND AND MANAGEMENT STAFF: Introduced by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR No. 005 of February 1, 1941.

The summer tunic is made of khaki cotton fabric with a turn-down collar fastened with one hook. At the ends of the collar, khaki-colored buttonholes with insignia are sewn.

The tunic has a chest placket with a three-button fastener and two stitched chest pockets with flaps on one button. The sleeves have cuffs with two buttons. Metal tunic buttons of the established pattern.

— THARS OF COMMAND AND MANAGEMENT STAFF OF THE RED ARMY: Introduced by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR No. 005 of February 1, 1941.

Bloomers of the existing pattern without edging. Summer bloomers are made of khaki cotton fabric, and winter ones are made of wool blend fabric of the same color. The bloomers consist of two front and two back halves, have two side welt pockets and one back pocket, a waist cuff at the back and a strip at the bottom. The bloomers are fastened with five buttons and one hook.

— SHIRT OF PRIVATE AND JUNIOR COMMANDING STAFF OF THE RKKA: Introduced by order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR No. 190 of July 19, 1929.

Summer shirt of the 1928 model for the ground and air forces of the Red Army. The shirt is made of cotton fabric (tunic), dark khaki color, with a turn-down collar, fastened in the middle with one metal hook and having buttonholes at the ends, in the shape of a parallelogram, in the color assigned to the branch of the military; Insignia of position and established encryption are placed on the buttonholes. The shirt is fastened with three buttons, parallel to which there are two patch pockets on the chest, covered with flaps fastened with one button. The sleeves end with cuffs fastened with two buttons, and at the place where they are sewn to the cuffs, the sleeves have two folds, located 7-8 cm apart from each other. Letrubes are made in six sizes.

Red Army cloth shirt arr. 1928 for the ground and air forces of the Red Army. The shirt is made from khaki-colored merino or coarse wool cloth with a stand-up collar, fastened in the middle with two metal hooks and having buttonholes at the ends, in the shape of a parallelogram, with sides 8 cm X 3.5 cm in the color assigned to the branch of the military; Insignia of position and established encryption are placed on the buttonholes. The shirt is fastened with three buttons, parallel to which there are two patch pockets on the chest, covered with flaps fastened with one button. The sleeves end with cuffs fastened with two buttons.

Note. Buttons on the shirt must be metal, oxidized, small in size with a star, of the type established by order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR of 1924 No. 992.

Summer shirt with elbow pads, model 1931, for all branches of the military. The letrubah [type A] is made from a tunic (cotton diagonal) khaki color with two patch breast pockets covered by flaps, a turn-down collar fastened with one uniform button, and sleeves with cuffs. The waist of the shirt is sewn at the sides and at the shoulders in two parts: front and back. The front part of the waist from the neck to the bottom of the pockets has a cut covered with strips. The straps are located in the middle of the waist and are fastened with one button onto the loop of a piece of fabric hemmed on the inside of the top strap. The upper ends of the straps near the collar are fastened with one small uniform button, sewn at the top of the lower strap onto the through transverse loop of the upper strap. The collar does not have hooks and, under certain conditions provided for wearing the uniform, can be opened with the top button undone. The sleeves at the cuff sewing have two folds. At the back of the sleeves over the elbow seam there are patched elbow pads. On both sides of the collar, edged buttonholes are sewn in the color of the cloth assigned to the branch of the military. The buttonholes have the shape of a parallelogram with a finished length of 8 cm and a width of 3.25 cm, including the edging. The transverse ends of the buttonholes should be parallel to the bevel of the front ends of the collar. The established metal insignia for positions and badges according to the established encryption are placed on the buttonholes. […]

Basically, the flying jacket of type B […] differs from the flying jacket of type A in that the flying jacket of type B has an elongated strap in all heights by 4 cm; a hook and loop for fastening the collar and three through loops on the top placket […]. Three small general-army buttons are sewn onto the bottom placket in the places corresponding to the loops. A hook is sewn into the right end of the collar, and a loop into the left end.

Cloth shirt with welt pockets, model 1931, for all branches of the military. The cloth shirt consists of the following parts: the front part, which has a placket in the middle, fastened with three through loops on three metal buttons with a Red Army star, a back, a stand-up collar fastened in the middle with two metal hooks, two flaps of the breast pockets, fastened to the Red Army shirt button, sleeves without folds at the bottom with cuffs fastened with two loops on two Red Army buttons. Flap welt internal pockets.

Canceled by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR No. 25 of January 15, 1943. All Red Army personnel will switch to new insignia - shoulder straps in the period from February 1 to February 15, 1943. Allow the wearing of the existing uniform with new insignia until the next issue of uniforms in accordance with the current deadlines and supply standards.

№1 -Private soldiers in tunics. 1941; №2 -Private soldiers in tunics. 1942; №3 №4 -St. a lieutenant in a tunic with everyday insignia; №5 -An officer in a tunic with field insignia; №6 -Illustration of an officer’s tunic from 1940-43.

Summer uniform of the Red Army for the period 1943-1945.

— GYMNASTERS: A new type of gymnasts was introduced by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR No. 25 of January 15, 1943.

They presented the same tunics of the existing model with the following changes:

The collars of tunics of all types, instead of turn-down ones, are stand-up, soft, fastened with through loops in the front with two small uniform buttons.

The top placket is located in the middle and is fastened with three small uniform buttons with through loops.

Shoulder straps of the established type are fastened to the shoulders.

Sleeve insignia (officer's sleeve triangles) on tunics are abolished.

Instead of patch pockets, the tunics of commanding officers have welt (internal) pockets covered with flaps. No elbow pads.

Tunics for privates and sergeants - without pockets. With elbow pads - ().

On August 5, 1944, breast welt pockets were introduced on the tunics of women privates and sergeants.

On September 16, 1944, sergeants and Red Army soldiers were also officially allowed to have chest welt pockets, but only in case of receiving an unwearable officer's uniform after putting it in order. Throughout 1943, one could find old-style tunics with a turn-down collar, which were allowed to be worn until new uniforms were issued.

№1 -Privates in soldiers’ tunics (on the left is a private in an officer’s tunic) 1944; №2 -Two sergeants. On the left - in a soldier's tunic, on the right - in an officer's uniform; №3 -Illustration of soldiers' tunics arr. 1943; №4 -Soviet and American officers during a meeting on the Elbe; №5 -St. Sergeant in an officer's tunic; №6 -Illustration of officer's tunics mod. 1943

— PARTY UNITED: Senior and middle command and command personnel of all branches of the military

The uniform is single-breasted, with a detachable bodice, fastened at the left side with five large buttons. The collar is rigid, standing, fastened with two or three hooks and loops. The upper edge and ends of the collar are trimmed with piping. On the collar of the uniform, at an equal distance from its upper and lower edges and 1 cm from the ends, buttonholes (without edging) are sewn from instrument cloth (color according to the branch of service) 8.2 cm long and 2.7 cm wide. On the buttonholes, respectively The established form has one or two strips sewn with gold or silver thread, intertwined with silver or gold thread: strips 5.4 cm long and 6.5 mm wide with a gap between them of 0.5-1 mm. The sleeves of the uniform are two-seam, with straight stitched cuffs, edged along the upper edge and ends. On the cuffs of the sleeves, according to the established form, there are two or one vertical buttonholes (columns) embroidered in gold or silver. On the tail of the back there are sewn leaves, at the ends of which one large button is sewn. Piping along the edge of the left side, collar, leaf and cuffs, color - according to the branch of service. All buttons are shaped, brass.

The color of the edging for the infantry, quartermaster and military legal services is crimson, for artillery, auto-armored troops, medical and veterinary services - red, for aviation - blue, for cavalry - light blue and for engineering troops - black.

The color of the buttonholes for the infantry, quartermaster and military legal services is crimson, for artillery and auto-armored forces - black, for aviation - blue, for cavalry - light blue, for medical and veterinary services - dark green and for engineering troops - black. The color of sewing on the buttonholes for the quartermaster, military-legal, medical and veterinary services is silver, for all others - gold. Shoulder straps of the established type.

№1 -Lieutenant-artilleryman in full dress uniform; №2 -Servicemen of the 150th Idritsk SD against the background of their assault flag, hoisted on May 1, 1945 over the Reichstag building in Berlin (Victory Banner). In the photo, participants in the storming of the Reichstag, escorting the flag to Moscow from the Berlin Tempelhof airfield on June 20, 1945 (from left to right): Captain K.Ya. Samsonov, junior sergeant M.V. Kantaria, Sergeant M.A. Egorov, senior sergeant M.Ya. Soyanov, captain S.A. Neustroev (06/20/1945); №3 -Illustration of a ceremonial uniform mod. 1943

Literature/documents:

• Types of fabrics used for sewing uniforms of the Red Army (article number, composition, color, application). ()
• Rules for wearing uniforms by Red Army personnel dated January 15, 1943. (download/open)
• A typical list of clothing belongings of junior commanders and rank and file of the Red Army for summer and winter in peacetime and war. Introduced by order of the NPO of the USSR No. 005 of February 1, 1941. ()

“Uniforms of the Red Army 1918-1945” is the fruit of the joint efforts of a group of enthusiasts: artists, collectors, researchers, who give all their free time and money in tribute to one common idea. Recreating the realities of the era that troubles their hearts makes it possible to get closer to a truthful perception of the “central event of the 20th century” - the Second World War, which undoubtedly continues to have a serious impact on modern life. The decades of deliberate distortion of the historical truth about this war experienced by our people not only deprived us, our descendants, of a reliable and complete idea of ​​the uniform and clothing provision of the Red Army, but also managed to sow erroneous stereotypes in the minds of generations. The created photo reconstructions will be useful not only to specialists and collectors, but also to domestic filmmakers, writers, politicians, as well as military costume reenactors.

Description of the uniform of the Red Army 1918-1936.

In December 1917, shortly after the victory of the October Revolution and the establishment of the dictatorship of the proletariat in Russia, at the so-called congress on the demobilization of the old army, it was decided to begin forming units of the new socialist army. The decree on the organization of the Red Army was issued by the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR on January 15, 1918. The formation system provided for the consolidation of volunteers from the military personnel of the old army into separate units, the creation of units from volunteers who did not serve in the old army, as well as the use of Red Guard detachments.

During this initial period, the Soviet government was unable to create a regular army and provide it economically in the conditions of private industry, private trade, sabotage of employees and disorganization of the state apparatus.

The units of the volunteer Red Army were small and unstable, staffed by elected command personnel who did not have any insignia; in terms of uniforms, they were marked by a variety of outerwear and hats, due to the winter period. The most common items were (installed in May 1912 and supplied to the rank and file of the old army) hats made of artificial astrakhan fur and cloth single-breasted overcoats.

By May 1918, a decisive transition to a regular Red Army was determined: a military administrative apparatus and a system of universal military training were created, the principle of voluntary recruitment and election of command personnel was abolished. Large-scale formation of regiments and divisions began. The introduction of the first distinctive sign indicating membership in the Red Army dates back to the same time.

On May 7, 1918, by order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic (RVSR), it was established Chest sign Red Army soldier and commander of the Red Army in the form of a wreath of laurel and oak branches, on top of which was attached a red five-pointed star with the “plow and hammer” emblem. On the same day, by order of the People's Commissar for Military Affairs, a competition for the best uniform was announced.

In fact, there were so many stocks of clothing left over from the old army that until the beginning of 1919, the procurement of uniforms was practically not carried out. The task of the supply authorities was only to account for and deliver supplies. But, nevertheless, in the conditions of the unfolding Civil War, it was necessary to somehow emphasize the affiliation of the personnel with the Red Army and their official position.

The first such items were approved on December 18, 1918 winter headdress, which later received the name “budennovka”, distinctive insignia of command personnel in the form of triangles, squares and rhombuses for wearing on the left sleeve, as well as sleeve insignia in the form of emblems of the main branches of the military. The cockade badge for the headdress in the form of a five-pointed star with a plow and a hammer was installed by order of the People's Commissar for Military Affairs on July 29, 1918.

1919 is characterized by the beginning of industry's work on defense. Unlike the old army, the system of using contractors was destroyed, which, however, did not lead to the centralization of clothing supplies, since suppliers everywhere actively used local resources. On April 8, 1919, the first samples of uniforms were installed: new headdress, infantry and cavalry overcoats-kaftans and summer shirt. They were sewn on all types of clothes buttonholes and chest flaps made of cloth in colors according to the branch of service, as well as sleeve flaps insignia. Until the end of the Civil War, the new uniforms were used along with a variety of old army uniforms, casual items and civilian clothing.

The new Red Army star for the headdress - summer and winter helmet - approved on June 11, 1922, had a stamped image in the middle of an intersecting hammer and sickle.

For all special bodies of the GPU - OGPU in June 1923, it was established dress Red Army cavalry type with insignia of special colors, as well as trousers and a winter headdress in dark blue. Internal, border troops and special forces units (CHON) were also entitled to a Red Army uniform with its own colors of buttonholes, breast flaps and a cloth star on the headdress.

The transition to combat training in peacetime conditions, which began in 1923-1924. provided for a significant reduction in the costly maintenance of personnel units of the Red Army with their partial replacement by formations recruited on a territorial basis. At the same time, it was considered necessary to reduce the cost of production of military clothing, making it more practical and eliminating unnecessary differences in the Red Army uniform, which lost their significance with the end of the Civil War.

On May 13, 1924, instead of the impractical summer headdress of the 1922 model, summer cap made of cotton fabric of khaki color. Then on May 30th it was introduced summer a new-style tunic shirt without colored chest flaps and two patch chest pockets. Subsequently, in June-July 1924, all the main items of uniform were changed and new ones were introduced insignia .

The official position of a serviceman in accordance with the assigned category was now determined by metal insignia: triangles, squares, rectangles (since 1925), rhombuses, covered with red enamel and placed on buttonholes. The set of color schemes for buttonholes of various branches of the military was reduced to a minimum, the number of badges for specialties - emblems - was reduced, and sleeve insignia were abolished.

At first, no differences were envisaged between the uniforms of Red Army soldiers and commanders, but already on August 4, 1924, in connection with the transition to strengthening unity of command, significant differences were introduced in the cut of the jacket for command, administrative, economic and political personnel Red Army. Immediately after this, on August 8, 1924, the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR approved dark blue uniforms for the air force and sleeve insignia for military pilots and military aeronauts.

The uniform of the organs and troops of the OGPU in 1924 underwent similar changes. In addition, by the beginning of 1925, only two versions of buttonholes were retained for the OGPU - maroon and light green - and two samples of colored cloth caps corresponding to them were introduced.

In 1926, the Red Army achieved one hundred percent provision of military personnel with clothing in accordance with all standards and reports. This made it possible to establish clear rules for wearing uniforms, which were announced by order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR on February 26, 1926. According to these rules, dress was divided by time of use - into summer and winter, by purpose - into everyday, guard and marching (the difference was determined only by the completeness of weapons and equipment). Mixing military uniforms with non-uniform clothing was prohibited, and the wearing of insignia, awards and badges was regulated.

In order to increase the service life of summer headdress and improve its appearance, February 4, 1928 for all branches of the military Red Army, in addition to the cavalry, a cloth industry was installed cap khaki instead of cotton. For the cavalry and horse artillery, cloth cloth had been introduced a year earlier. caps special colors assigned to each regiment. Colored Cavalry caps lasted almost three years before being completely replaced by a single color cap, introduced on January 12, 1929.

By the beginning of the 30s. In the USSR, great strides were made in standardizing products ordered from industry. The Red Army's clothing supply department periodically approved detailed technical specifications for new items of uniform and equipment. On November 18, 1932, taking into account the new types and standards of clothing supplies, new “Rules for wearing uniforms by military personnel of the Red Army” were issued, which were in force until 1936.

The increased importance of armored forces and aviation, changes in their organization and the rapid saturation with new equipment required increased attention to the personnel of these branches of the military. On April 10, 1934, a meeting of the People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs approved a new uniform for commanding personnel - aviators and tank crews - to be worn from January 1, 1935. The new uniform included a colored cap with a “square” fiber visor, an open jacket and trousers with piping, as well as a double-breasted overcoat. For the armored forces, the uniform had a steel color and red trim, for the air forces it was dark blue and light blue trim.

By the end of 1935, the final transition to the creation of armed forces built entirely on the personnel principle was ripe. On September 22, 1935, the Supreme Council of the USSR, instead of outdated job categories, established personal military ranks for the command staff of the Red Army, after which a general certification was carried out within two months. In connection with these events, a large change of uniforms was prepared.

On December 3, 1935, the People's Commissar of Defense signed an order introducing new uniforms and insignia for all personnel of the Red Army. Insignia and the uniform itself, with its distinctive details, as a whole constituted a strictly verified system that made it possible to accurately determine a serviceman’s belonging to the branch of the military or service, as well as to a certain composition within the branch of the military.

Military ranks reflecting the specialty corresponded to the ranks of command personnel and were grouped as follows: military-political personnel, military-technical, military-legal, military-economic and administrative, military-medical and military-veterinary. Command, military-political, military-technical and military-legal personnel wore uniforms of various branches of the military, and the command staff of the quartermaster, military medical and military-veterinary services, regardless of the type of troops, were entitled to a single uniform with the emblems of the corresponding service.

The military personnel of the command staff were distinguished by the edging of their buttonholes made of gilded braid and sleeve insignia - squares, corresponding to the assigned rank. Highest military rank - marshal Soviet Union - provided for special differences: large stars embroidered with gilded tinsel on diamond-shaped buttonholes edged with gilded thread, the same stars on the sleeves and sleeve chevrons made of wide gilded braid; band caps , buttonholes and the edging is red.

The system of personal military ranks provided for special ranks for military political workers. "Political instructors" (up to a level equal to the rank " captain"), and (more senior) "commissars" - had on all types of clothing sleeve insignia of the political composition - red five-pointed stars with an image of a hammer and sickle embroidered in gilded thread. According to the rules for wearing uniforms, issued on December 17, 1936, political workers of all branches of the military (except for students of military academies) were not supposed to wear the emblems of the military branches on their buttonholes. This emphasized independence from unit commanders, to whom on May 10, 1937, political workers were officially equal in rights, just as was the case before 1925. When in July–August 1940, during the period of strengthening unity of command, the commissars of units and subunits were moved to the positions of deputy commanders for political affairs, all political workers were required not only to wear lapel emblems kind of troops, but also to master the corresponding military specialty.

The military-technical personnel - "military technicians" and "military engineers" - did not have sleeve insignia (with the exception of the technical insignia Air Force) and wore a uniform and buttonholes all branches of the military, distinguished only by the emblem in the form of a crossed hammer and French key. From January to September 1942, engineers of all branches of the military were gradually assigned command ranks with the prefixes technician ("technician-lieutenant") and engineer ("engineer-colonel"), as well as all the distinctions of the command staff - sleeve insignia and gold edging buttonholes

The rank of quartermaster was held by command personnel of all military branches who performed economic and administrative tasks. The personnel of the quartermaster service were entitled to their own uniform of a general army standard in khaki color with red edging, without sleeve insignia, with a band caps and dark green buttonholes. The distinctive emblem depicted a wheel with an overlaid French key, compass and helmet. In 1942, with the introduction of regular ranks, the economic and administrative composition of each branch of the military was assigned a uniform identical to the command staff of this branch of the military, and commander's insignia with an emblem on the buttonholes in the form of a hammer and sickle with a red star superimposed.

The medical and veterinary personnel of the Red Army bore the ranks of “voenfeldsher” (“voenvetfeldsher”) and “military doctor” (“military veterinarian”) at various levels. Dress differed from the lapel emblem established for quartermasters in the form of a bowl entwined with a snake. The golden emblem denoted the medical service, the silver one the veterinary service.

According to the “Regulations on the clothing and baggage supply of the Red Army in peacetime,” approved on May 27, 1936, the main set of uniforms required by the standards for the commander and the Red Army soldier consisted of caps with a colored band according to the branch of service (for enlisted personnel - with a top made of cotton fabric), caps, winter helmet, cloth tunic or jacket (for command personnel), cotton tunic, cloth and cotton trousers and overcoat. In addition, the rules for wearing uniforms, approved on December 17, 1936, allowed to wear felt onesies during the winter period. boots or felt boots, short fur coats, bekesha, finka hat, leather coat or a jacket, as well as a muffler.

All general army uniforms were the same color - khaki and gray, with the exception of armored troops, all of whose uniforms were steel-colored, and air Force, where the command personnel were entitled to dark blue uniforms (except for summer ones), and the rank and file were entitled to the usual general army uniform.

On April 20, 1936, the Central Executive Committee of the USSR issued a resolution “On the removal of restrictions on service in the Red Army for the Cossacks.” Following this, on April 23, by order of the People's Commissar of Defense, a description of a special uniform for the Terek, Kuban and Don Cossack units was announced.

Cossack uniforms stood out sharply due to the cut of their items, as well as their colors, which made it possible to distinguish their “military” affiliation. For commanding officers, rank and file and long-term service, uniforms differed in materials and finish. Fur kubankas and hats were used as headdresses in full dress uniform and in winter.

Photos of the uniform of the Red Army 1918-1936.

Red Army soldier, 1918	Red Army soldier, volunteer of the Bashkir Red Army, 1918	Commissioner, 1918-20
Commander companies, 1919	Commander squadron, 1920-22	Commander of the cavalry division, 1920-22.
Infantry shooter in winter camouflage, 1920-21.	Military director of the OGPU Inspectorate, 1923.	Red Army soldier in summer uniform, infantry, 1923-24.
Red Army soldier in winter uniform, infantry, 1923-24.
OGPU employee in everyday uniform, 1924-27.	Assistant Battalion Commander in Field Uniform, Infantry, 1925-26.	Presiding officer of a military tribunal in winter uniform, 1924
Head of the station department of the OGPU. Transport departments of the OGPU, 1925-34.	Assistant commander of a separate squadron, cavalry, 1927-29.	Red Army soldier in field uniform, armored forces, 1931-34
Red Army soldier, cavalry, 1931-36.

Description of the uniform of the Red Army 1936-43.

The uniform received noticeable differences from the army cloth command staff of the bodies and troops of the NKVD of the USSR, introduced on December 27, 1935. This was preceded by the decision of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks of September 10, 1935, according to which all organizations, institutions and individuals were prohibited from wearing uniforms and insignia similar or similar to the Red Army. However, the situation soon changed, and already on July 15, 1937, by order of the People's Commissar of Internal Affairs, the same uniform was introduced for all NKVD personnel as in the Red Army with minor differences in the cut of some items.

An unusual uniform was introduced on October 27, 1936 for full-time command, teaching staff and students of the newly formed General Staff Academy. The main features of this form were black velvet collar of a French jacket, tunic and overcoat, white piping and stripes on the trousers. Using what is for buttonholes, band caps and the stripes were set to an “infantry” crimson color; those who preferred to save sewing money wore ordinary breeches for infantry command personnel with a crimson edging and without stripes when wearing a tunic. This colorful uniform was canceled on May 22, 1940, shortly before the introduction of uniforms for Red Army generals.

Based on the results of the assessment of the military operations against Finland (December 1939 - March 1940), a number of decisions were made to reorganize the military command system in order to ensure clear unity of command. As one of the measures to strengthen the authority of command personnel, on May 7, 1940, general ranks were established for the senior command staff of the Red Army and on July 13, 1940, general uniforms and insignia .

They turned out to be similar to the uniform of pre-revolutionary Russian generals: closed jacket colors khaki with chest welt pockets, trousers with stripes, hat and an edged overcoat with coat of arms buttons. The cut of the single-breasted dress uniform was borrowed from the German army. In addition to the above, the generals of the Red Army were entitled to a cap (ceremonial and everyday) with a round gilded cockade, a ceremonial overcoat and white cotton jacket .

Basic insignia were placed on diamond-shaped buttonholes edged with gilded thread. Ranks of combined arms generals (red buttonholes) were indicated by gilded metal stars, and the ranks of artillery and tank generals (black buttonholes), as well as aviation (blue buttonholes), signal troops, engineering troops, technical troops and quartermaster service (crimson buttonholes), in addition, also a gilded emblem of the corresponding branch of the military. Marshals of the Soviet Union wore red when wearing a general's uniform. buttonholes, decorated with gold embroidered stars in a hammer and sickle pattern with intersecting laurel branches, gold embroidered sleeve squares (also with laurel branches) and large sleeve stars.

While the senior command staff was preparing to try on the new general uniform, changes were made insignia middle and senior command staff. On July 26, 1940, by order of the People's Commissar of Defense, their new description was announced. The gold edging of the buttonholes of commanders, from junior lieutenant to colonel, was now done with gilded thread, and the sleeve insignia of command personnel acquired a brighter appearance: the squares of the new type differed in the number and width of gold braid with gaps and edging made of red cloth.

No less serious attention was paid to increasing the level of responsibility and raising the authority of the junior command level. On November 2, 1940, the People's Commissar of Defense signed an order establishing military ranks for private and junior command personnel and approved the “Regulations on the service of junior command personnel,” which established strict conditions for obtaining corporal and sergeant ranks and contained a detailed description of the new insignia.

The new type of junior command buttonholes, which were supposed to begin wearing on January 1, 1941, were equipped with a narrow red gap in the middle and a yellow metal triangle in the upper corner. On the buttonholes for petty officers, in addition, a narrow gilded braid was sewn parallel to the edging. The signs denoting ranks, starting with “junior sergeant,” were enamel triangles, which previously corresponded to the positions of junior commanders.

By the beginning of 1941, there was a serious need to reduce the variety of uniforms of the Red Army and, most importantly, to revise the standards for clothing supplies for military personnel. In this regard, it was decided to introduce for the supply of personnel uniforms that were not only uniform in color and pattern for all branches of the military, but also universal for the preparation of uniforms that differ in purpose and time of use. Many items were to be cancelled, such as open jackets Air Force and motorized armored troops, Cossack uniforms - which provided the prestige of their military branches, but made it difficult to supply and maneuver with supplies. To solve this problem, it was necessary to significantly improve the input form, without advertising all the changes made.

The corresponding order of the People's Commissar of Defense, issued on February 1, 1941, was classified “top secret.” Of all its contents, only the following were made public: the transition to a single color of uniforms, the introduction of new, more popular fabrics, and the gradual introduction of beautiful ceremonial uniforms to supply combat units. The supply standards for commanding and rank and file personnel established for peacetime and wartime were not subject to disclosure. According to these standards, the simple uniform that was to be accumulated by the beginning of the mobilization deployment of the army consisted of: caps colors khaki(in winter - hat with ear flaps sample 1940), tunics with bloomers in color khaki(for ordinary personnel in winter and summer - only a cotton tunic) and a single-breasted dark gray overcoat with a hook-and-eye fastener. For the winter period, in addition, the following items were provided: a sheepskin coat or a wadded coat jacket with a quilted jacket (commanders - fur vest), cotton trousers, fur mittens and felt boots .

Photos of Red Army uniforms 1936-1943.

Marshal of the Soviet Union in everyday uniform, 1936-40.	Red Army soldier, infantry, 1936	Senior political instructor, artillery, 1936-40.
Military engineer 2nd rank, technical troops, 1936-43.	Quartermaster 2nd rank to everyday uniform, 1936-42.	Ensign , air Force. 1941
Captain, motor transport units of artillery, 1936-40.	Senior Lieutenant in everyday form, Air Force, 1936-40	Red Army soldier in summer overalls, armored forces, 1935.
Lieutenant in marching uniform, armored forces, 1938-41.	Captain, Air Force, 1936-40.	Lieutenant in flight uniform, Air Force, 1936-43.
Separated commander, motor transport parts, 1938-40.	Protective anti-chemical cloth, 1936-45 gt.	Brigade commander in everyday uniform of the General Staff Academy, 1936-40.
Senior Lieutenant State security in everyday form, NKVD, 1936-37.	Senior lieutenant State security in everyday form, NKVD, 1936-37	Senior lieutenant State security in winter uniform. NKVD. 1936-37
Sergeant State Security, NKVD, 1937-43.	Major, internal troops of the NKVD 1937-43.
Red Army soldier, NKVD border troops 1937-41.	Shooter in winter camouflage, 1939-40.	Shooter in winter field uniform, 1936-41.
Red Army soldier and full dress uniform of Kuban Cossack cavalry units, 1936-41.	Red Army soldier in full dress uniform of the Don Cossack cavalry units, 1936-41.	Major in full dress uniform of Terek Cossack cavalry units, 1936-41.
Ensign in full dress uniform of the mountain cavalry units, 1936-41.	Marshal of the Soviet Union in everyday uniform, 1940-43.	Major General in full dress uniform, 1936-41.
Major General tank troops in everyday uniform, 1940-43.	Major General in marching uniform, 1940-43.	Lieutenant General in summer uniform, 1940
Major General aviation in summer uniform, 1940-41.	Lieutenant in summer casual uniform, infantry, 1940-43.	Lieutenant in marching uniform, NKVD border troops, 1940-43.
Lieutenant colonel in everyday uniform, artillery, 1940-43.	Senior Battalion Commissar, Artillery, 1940-41.	Captain in everyday uniform, armored forces, 1940-41.
Captain in casual uniform, Air Force, 1940-41.	Lieutenant in casual uniform, Air Force, 1940-41.	Captain in summer uniform, Air Force, 1940-41.
Red Army soldier, cavalry, 1940-41.	Lance Sergeant, infantry. 1941	Younger sergeant, infantry, rear view 1941
Corps commissar in everyday uniform, infantry, 1941-42.	Corps Commissar, Infantry, 1941-42.	Battalion commissar in full dress uniform, infantry, 1941.
Cadet military aviation school in full dress uniform, 1941	Red Army soldier in full dress uniform, infantry. 1941	Lieutenant colonel in winter casual uniform, artillery, 1941-43.
Lieutenant, infantry. 1941	Lieutenant in wartime marching uniform, ground forces. 1941-43	Major, Air Force, 1941-43.
Major, cavalry, 1940-43	Red Army soldier in winter uniform, engineering troops, 1941-43.	Ensign in marching uniform, armored forces, 1941-43.
Sniper in summer camouflage. 1941-45	Scout in summer camouflage, 1941-42.	Sniper in autumn camouflage, 1941-45.
Observer fighter of the MPVO self-defense group, 1941-44.	Corporal to marching uniform, infantry, 1941	Corporal, infantry, rear view, 1941
	Junior lieutenant and wartime marching uniform, ground forces, 1941-43.	Senior Red Navy man, 1940-41.
Engineer, captain 2nd rank . Navy. 1941-43	Red Army soldier, armored forces, 1941-42.	Red Army soldier, ground forces, 1941-43.
Red Army soldier, cavalry. 1941-42	Taiki commander in winter uniform. 1942-44	Captain 3rd rank , Navy. 1942-43
Naval aviation pilot, 1941-45.	Submachine gunner, mountain rifle units, 1942-43.

Source: A. Shalito, I. Savchenkov, N. Roginsky, K. Tsyplenkov - A uniform Red Army 1918-1945"

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The clothing of military personnel is established by decrees, orders, rules or special regulations. Wearing a naval uniform is mandatory for military personnel of the state armed forces and other formations where military service is provided. In the Russian armed forces 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

In 1985, by Order of the Minister of Defense of the USSR 145-84, a new field uniform was introduced, the same for all categories of military personnel, which received the common name Afghanka. It was the first to be received by units and units located on the territory of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. In 1988 In 1988, Order of the USSR Ministry of Defense 250 dated March 4, 1988 introduced the wearing of a dress uniform by soldiers, sergeants and cadets without a jacket in a green shirt. From left to right

MAIN QUARTERMAN DIRECTORATE OF THE RED ARMY INSTRUCTIONS FOR LAYING, FIT, ASSEMBLY AND WEARING MARKING EQUIPMENT OF THE RED ARMY INFANTRY FIGHTER MILITARY PUBLISHING DATE NPO USSR - 1941 CONTENTS I. General provisions II. Types of equipment and composition of the kit III. Equipment fit IV. Stowing equipment V. Making an overcoat roll VI. Assembling equipment VII. Procedure for donning equipment VIII. Instructions for operating equipment IX.

Continuity and innovation in modern military heraldry The first official military heraldic sign is the emblem of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation established on January 27, 1997 by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation in the form of a golden double-headed eagle with outstretched wings holding a sword in its paws, as the most common symbol of the armed defense of the Fatherland, and a wreath is a symbol of the special importance, significance and honor of military labor. This emblem was established to indicate ownership

Considering all the stages of the creation of the Russian armed forces, it is necessary to dive deeply into history, and although during the time of the principalities there is no talk of the Russian empire, and even less of a regular army, the emergence of such a concept as defense capability begins precisely from this era. In the 13th 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 reliable protection against outside attacks. United Army

The emblem of the Airborne Forces - in the form of a parachute surrounded by two aircraft - is known to everyone. It became the basis for the subsequent development of all symbols of airborne units and formations. This sign is not only an expression of the serviceman’s belonging to the winged infantry, but also a kind of symbol of the spiritual unity of all paratroopers. But few people know the name of the author of the emblem. And this was the work of Zinaida Ivanovna Bocharova, a beautiful, intelligent, hardworking girl who worked as a leading draftsman at the headquarters of the Airborne Forces

This attribute of military equipment has earned its rightful place among others, thanks to its simplicity, unpretentiousness and, most importantly, complete irreplaceability. The name helmet itself comes from the French casque or from the Spanish casco skull, helmet. If you believe the encyclopedias, then this term refers to a leather or metal headdress used to protect the head by military and other categories of persons operating in dangerous conditions by miners,

Until the end of the 70s, the field uniform of the KGB PV was not much different from that of the Soviet Ground Army. Unless it’s green shoulder straps and buttonholes, and the more frequent and widespread use of KLMK camouflage summer camouflage suit. At the end of the 70s, in terms of the development and implementation of special field uniforms, some changes occurred, which resulted in the appearance of summer and winter field suits of a hitherto unusual cut. 1.

Summer uniform of the Red Army for the period 1940-1943. SUMMER GYMNASTER FOR COMMAND AND MANAGEMENT STAFF OF THE RED ARMY Introduced by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR 005 of February 1, 1941. The summer tunic is made of khaki cotton fabric with a turn-down collar fastened with one hook. At the ends of the collar, khaki-colored buttonholes with insignia are sewn. The gymnast has a chest plate with a clasp

Camouflage clothing appeared in the Red Army back in 1936, although experiments began 10 years earlier, but it became widespread only during the war. Initially, these were camouflage suits and capes of spotted color with spots in the shape of amoebas and were unofficially called amoeba in four color schemes: summer, spring-autumn, desert and for mountainous regions. In a separate row are white camouflage coats for winter camouflage. Much more mass produced.

Even during World War II, squads of Marines struck terror into German soldiers. Since then, the latter have been given a second name: black death or black devils, indicating inevitable reprisals against those who encroach on the integrity of the state. Perhaps this nickname has something to do with the fact that the infantryman wore a black peacoat. Only one thing is known for certain: if the enemy is afraid, then this is already the lion’s share of victory, and, as you know, the motto is considered a symbol of the Marine Corps

USSR Navy staff sleeve insignia Information presented on this page, order numbers, etc. , based on materials from the book by Alexander Borisovich Stepanov, Sleeve Insignia of the Armed Forces of the USSR. 1920-91 I Patch of anti-tank artillery units ORDER OF THE PEOPLE'S COMMISSIONER OF DEFENSE OF THE USSR dated July 1, 1942 0528

Order on the Naval Forces Workers-Cross. Red Army 52 of April 16, 1934 Specialists of private and junior command personnel, in addition to sleeve insignia, also wear specialty insignia embroidered on black cloth. The diameter of round signs is 10.5 cm. The circumference of signs according to specialties for long-term servicemen is embroidered with gold thread or yellow silk, for conscripts with red thread. The design of the sign is embroidered with red thread.

June 3, 1946 in accordance with the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, signed by J.V. Stalin, the Airborne Troops were withdrawn from the Air Force and subordinated directly to the Ministry of the Armed Forces of the USSR. Paratroopers at the November 1951 parade in Moscow. The sleeve insignia on the right sleeve of those walking in the first rank is visible. The resolution ordered the Chief of Logistics of the USSR Armed Forces, together with the Commander of the Airborne Forces, to prepare proposals

By order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic 572 of April 3, 1920, sleeve insignia of the Red Army were introduced. A detailed analysis of the history of patches and chevrons of the Red Army of all periods in the Voenpro material. Introduction of sleeve insignia of the Red Army stages, features, symbolism Distinctive sleeve insignia are used to identify military personnel of certain branches of the military. To better understand the specifics of the sleeve insignia of the Red Army and the chevrons of the Red Army, we recommend

Soviet mountain riflemen in an ambush. Caucasus. 1943 Based on the significant combat experience gained during the Great Patriotic War, the Main Directorate of Combat Training of the GUBP Ground Forces of the Red Army took up a radical solution to the issues of providing the latest weapons and equipment to the Soviet infantry. In the summer of 1945, a meeting was held in Moscow to discuss all the problems facing combined arms commanders. At this meeting, presentations were made by

In the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army of the Red Army, in the summer they wore ankle boots, or boots, and in the cold winter they were given felt boots. In winter, senior command personnel could wear burka winter boots. The choice of shoes depended on the rank of the serviceman; officers were always entitled to boots and on the position they held. Before the war, many improvements and changes took place in the field

From buttonholes to shoulder straps P. Lipatov Uniforms and insignia of the ground forces of the Red Army, internal troops of the NKVD and border troops during the Great Patriotic War The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army of the Red Army entered the Second World War in a uniform of the 1935 model. Around the same time, they acquired their usual We see the appearance of Wehrmacht soldiers. In 1935, by order of the People's Commissariat of Defense of December 3, new uniforms and insignia were introduced for all personnel of the Red Army

They do not emit a warlike roar, they do not sparkle with a polished surface, they are not decorated with embossed 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 penetrating the body and, therefore, protects a person from shots. It is made from materials that dissipate

The uniform of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA), which was a combination of military uniforms, equipment and insignia, was sharply different from all its analogues that existed in the pre-war years. It was a kind of material embodiment of the abolition of the class division of citizens and civilian (and then military) ranks declared by Soviet power in November 1917.

The Bolsheviks believed that in the free army of the new state of workers and peasants they were creating, there could be no external forms that would indicate the power and superiority of some over others. Therefore, following military ranks and ranks, the entire system of external insignia that existed in the Russian army - stripes, shoulder straps, orders and medals - was abolished.

Only job titles were preserved in the appeals. Initially, two forms of address were allowed: citizen and comrade (citizen battalion commander, comrade platoon commander, etc.), but soon “comrade” became the generally accepted form of address.

When forming the first units and formations of the Red Army, stocks of uniforms stored in the warehouses of the Russian army demobilized in 1918 were widely used. Therefore, the Red Army soldiers and commanders were dressed in marching shirts of the 1912 model, khaki color, approved by Tsar Nicholas II, trousers of the same color, tucked into boots or windings with boots, as well as caps.

They differed from the Russian military personnel and the White armies created during the Civil War only by the absence of shoulder straps, a badge and a red star on the band of their cap.

To develop new uniforms for the Red Army, on April 25, 1918, a special commission was established, which already in December of the same year submitted a new type for approval to the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic (the Revolutionary Military Council - the body that managed the military development and combat activities of the Red Army during the Civil War). headdress - the famous “Budenovka”, distinctive insignia for command personnel and distinctive insignia of the main branches of the military. They were approved on January 16, 1919 and became a kind of starting point for a rather long process of creating a uniform that was used during the Great Patriotic War.

The diameter of the sleeve star of the Marshal of the Soviet Union and Army General, together with the edging, was 54 mm. The sleeve star of the Marshal of the Soviet Union and combined arms generals had a border of red cloth 2 mm wide, the sleeve star for other generals had a border in the color of the branch of service (crimson, blue or red), 2 mm wide. The diameter of the sleeve star together with the edging was 44 mm.

The army general's chevron was a single square made of gold galloon 32 mm wide, and in the upper part made of red cloth 10 mm wide. Generals of the military branches were entitled to one square made of gold braid 32 mm wide, with a 3 mm wide edging at the bottom according to the branch of service.

The commanding staff's chevrons, which looked very impressive, were abolished shortly before the start of the Great Patriotic War, and with its beginning, in the active army and marching units, insignia were replaced by field insignia: all branches of the military were required to wear khaki-colored buttonholes with khaki-colored insignia. The wearing of commissar stars on the sleeves of political workers was also abolished.

A radical change in the system of insignia occurred on January 15, 1943, when, in accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of January 6, 1943, People's Commissar of Defense I.V. Stalin issued an order “On the introduction of new insignia for the personnel of the Red Army.” In accordance with this order, new insignia were introduced - shoulder straps.

In their form, the shoulder straps of the Red Army were similar to the shoulder straps adopted in the Russian army before 1917. They were a strip with parallel long sides, the lower end of the shoulder strap was rectangular, and the upper end was cut at an obtuse angle. The shoulder straps of marshals and generals have the top of an obtuse angle cut parallel to the bottom edge.

Military personnel in the active army and personnel of units preparing to be sent to the front were required to wear field shoulder straps, and military personnel of other units and institutions of the Red Army were required to wear everyday shoulder straps. Both field and everyday shoulder straps were edged along the edges (except for the bottom edge) with colored cloth edging. According to the assigned military rank, belonging to the branch of the military (service), insignia (stars, gaps, stripes) and emblems were placed on the shoulder straps, and on the everyday shoulder straps of junior command, enlisted personnel and cadets of military schools - also stencils indicating the names of the military unit (connections). Field and everyday shoulder straps of generals and all infantry personnel - without emblems, in other branches of the military - with emblems.

For Marshals of the Soviet Union and generals, the shoulder straps were made of specially woven braid: for field shoulder straps - from khaki silk, for everyday ones - from gold wire.

With the introduction of shoulder straps, the functions of buttonholes were reduced mainly to indicating the military affiliation of Red Army soldiers, while the placement of buttonholes on jackets and tunics was completely abolished.

On the collar of the uniform of senior and middle command personnel there were longitudinal buttonholes made of instrument cloth without edging. The finished length of the buttonholes was 82 mm, width - 27 mm. Color of buttonholes - by branch of service:

infantry - crimson;

artillery - black;

armored forces - black;

aviation - blue;

cavalry - light blue;

engineering and technical troops - black;

quartermaster service - raspberry;

medical and veterinary services - dark green;

military-legal composition - crimson.

On the buttonholes of senior officers there are two longitudinal stripes, sewn with gold thread, intertwined with silver thread. On the buttonholes of middle command personnel there is one stripe.