Uniform of security officers during the Civil War. Summer uniform of the Red Army

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.

On January 15 (28 old style), 1918, the Council of People's Commissars (SNK) adopted a decree on the organization of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA), built on strictly class principles. The Red Army was recruited on a voluntary basis and only from conscious peasants and workers.
Here: >>Military uniform of the Soviet Red Army 1941-1945.
By the spring of 1918, it became clear that there were not so many “conscious volunteers” from among the peasants and workers. And the Bolsheviks planned to increase the Red Army to 1.5 million bayonets. IN AND. Lenin abandoned the principle of volunteerism and initiated the transition to compulsory military service for workers. Also, about 5 thousand officers and generals of the tsarist army are mobilized into the Red Army.

During the years of the Civil War (generals and officers), they were called military specialists (military experts), and occupied the most responsible positions in the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic (Revolutionary Military Council) - which led the construction and combat activities of the Red Army. Their further fate is the topic of another article, just for reference, during the most difficult period of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War (from August 1941 to May 1942), the Chief of the General Staff was: Shaposhnikov B.M. former colonel of the Tsarist Army, in 1917 commander of the grenadier regiment. One of the few to whom Comrade himself. STALIN addressed himself by his first and patronymic names.

Red Army soldier 1918 and volunteer of the Bashkir Red Army 1918

Due to the difficult situation of industry and lack of money, it was decided to adapt the existing uniforms to the needs of the Red Army. By introducing a number of distinctive features of belonging to the Red Army.

Almost until the end of the 1920s, the army used the uniforms of the former tsarist army, devoid of imperial emblems, insignia and symbols. Significant reserves left by the troops of the former allies were also used. Entente who fought in Russia (1919-1922). So at first the Red Army presented a very motley appearance. Photos of military uniforms of the Soviet Red Army were taken from private collections kept by various owners, that is, these are real samples, and not so-called reproductions or pictures painted by artists that look like popular prints.

Budennovka model 1922 and 1939-41

A distinctive feature of the uniform of the soldiers of the Red Army were colored tabs across the front around the buttons, and a pointed helmet made of cloth, colloquially called Budyonnovka (it owes its name to the soldiers of the first cavalry army of Budyonny. S.M.).

Military uniform of the Soviet Red Army

Budyonnovka, disputes about the time of its appearance have not subsided to this day. Either it was produced in large quantities in 1913, as part of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov. Either on December 18, 1918, after the announcement of the competition, a new type of winter headdress was approved - a cloth helmet, or they were made for the parade in Berlin for the expected victory in the First World War. You decide...

Military uniform of the Soviet Red Army photo

While industry was being established and the army was being reformed, the military uniform was developing according to the type we’ll inform, we’ll change, we’ll patch up. A new, strictly regulated uniform of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA) has been introduced January 31, 1922., included all the necessary items and was uniform for Red Army soldiers and commanders.

Red Army Red Army soldier in summer and winter uniform 1923

Already by 1926, the Red Army had achieved one hundred percent provision of military personnel with clothing in accordance with all standards and reports, which indicates a serious approach to strengthening the young Red Army.

Red Army soldier of the Red Army in summer and winter uniforms 1924

It should be noted that at the end of the 30s, in terms of industrial production, the USSR took first place in Europe and second place in the world, and in terms of the growth rate of industrial production it began to occupy a leading position, and the growth rate of military production was more than twice as high as growth of industrial production in general, you understand when VICTORY in the war began to be forged.

Squadron commander 1920-22. Cavalry division commander 1920-22.

By 1935, all throwing was completed, most traditional ranks had been restored, and a large number of military uniforms had been adopted.

commander of a separate squadron, cavalry 1927-29, Red Army soldier field uniform, armored forces 1931-34.

The production of various types of weapons grew at an unprecedented pace; one should not think that our grandfathers won VICTORY exclusively with meat and three-line guns.

Red Army rifleman infantryman in winter camouflage and military instructor of the OGPU 1923

Back to the article "Military uniform of the Soviet Red Army", a hitherto underrated uniform and equipment of the Red Army, in terms of comfort, color, design and variety, although shortages of certain types of materials and quantities will haunt our army to this day.

major Terek Cossack cavalry units and junior lieutenant mountain cavalry units. uniform 1936-41

These included distinctive uniforms for air and tank forces.

It was these troops that propaganda focused on, increasing their prestige and significance; even then it was clear to experts on whom victory on the battlefields would largely depend, otherwise everyone praised the Wehrmacht troops, especially the military air forces (Luftwaffe) not knowing that they did not have, for example, strategic aviation, “miscalculation?” and what kind.

captain and lieutenant in Air Force flight uniform 1936-43

1935 New uniforms and insignia were introduced for all Red Army personnel. The previous official ranks by category were abolished, and personal ranks were established for commanders; the old ones were partly preserved for the military-political, military-technical, military-legal, military-medical and junior command staff. On May 7, 1940, general ranks were established for the senior command staff of the Red Army and on July 13, 1940, general uniforms were introduced.

The tunic, which appeared in 1924 with breast pockets and a stand-up collar with elongated edged buttonholes according to the branch of service, has been compulsory since 1935. The wearing of a white collar has been established. Until 24, there were no differences between the uniforms of the beginning personnel and the Red Army in terms of cut and quality of material, but to strengthen unity of command, significant differences were introduced in the cut of the jacket for the command, administrative, economic and political composition of the Red Army.

The color of the tunics is protective, khaki; for armored forces - steel-gray. For the commanding staff, they were sewn from wool and cotton fabrics.

In winter, Red Army soldiers and junior command personnel were required to wear cloth uniforms, but in almost all units they wore cotton uniforms all year round. Along the edge of the collar and cuffs of the commander's tunic, along the seam of the breeches - dark blue or gray tankers - there was a colored cloth piping.

The commander's shirt usually had detachable, inflated pockets, while on the Red Army's the pockets were simply attached and the sleeves were reinforced with pentagonal elbow pads.

The commander's breeches had an extended silhouette of the middle part, two waist cuffs, and less often - one back cuff. The crease on the breeches was not smoothed out. The leg straps are with buttons, the waistband is with belt loops or in the form of a high stitched bodice. The Red Army trousers did not have edges. Red Army trousers also had side pockets and a watch pocket, but only commander trousers had a back pocket. The trousers had pentagonal knee pads, and the trouser legs were tied with thin ribbons. The command staff were entitled to boots - chrome or cowhide; with untucked trousers - boots. Instead of boots, boots with gaiters were allowed. Long-term conscripts were provided with cowhide boots. In winter, it was allowed to wear warm felt boots with leather trim, white or black felt boots. When out of formation, long-term conscripts were allowed burka boots. The Red Army soldiers sported yuft or cowhide boots; later, under People's Commissar C.K. Tymoshenko, tarpaulin appeared, at the moment more than 150 million shoes have been produced from tarpaulin, mainly military ones (Search for “tarpaulin” and you will learn a lot). Due to a shortage of raw materials, boots with green or black tapes were used. A piglet raised on a private farm was supposed to be skinned, and under no circumstances should it be burned as it is now. Before the war, you could even see a cavalryman wearing bandages! Only those commanders who were entitled to a riding horse wore spurs on their boots.

Command staff - except for aviation and armored forces - for everyday wear were entitled to a single-breasted jacket with six large buttons, a turn-down collar, chest patch pockets and welt side pockets.

The ceremonial uniform of the command personnel was an open steel-colored jacket with patch breast pockets and welt side pockets, with scarlet edging along the collar and straight cuffs. They wore it with a white shirt and black tie, straight trousers or breeches; in formation - with equipment. A cap was required with the jacket; a cap was also allowed with a tunic. For everyday wear, command and control personnel - except for aviation and armored forces - were entitled to a single-breasted jacket with six large buttons, a turn-down collar, chest patch pockets and welt side pockets.

The overcoat for the command and control personnel of the ground forces was sewn from drape or overcoat cloth of dark gray color (for tankers - steel). It was double-breasted, 35 - 45 cm from the floor, with a trimmed hem, with 4 buttons along the side, with open lapels, with semi-slanting pockets covered with flaps, with a counter pleat on the back and a straight tab on buttons sewn to the side half-flaps. The slit was fastened with 4 small uniform buttons.

The cavalry overcoat was longer than the infantry overcoat and had an enlarged back slit with five buttons. The Krasnoarmeysky one had the same cut and differed from the commander's one in the worse quality of the cloth. The waist belt was mandatory - it was taken away only from those arrested.

The everyday cap, adopted for all categories of military personnel, had a colored band according to the branch of service and a khaki-colored top with piping. Above the angular, elongated “Voroshilov” visor with bolsters along the edge, a black oilcloth chin strap was fastened with two brass buttons with a star.

The crown was slightly higher than the band, with a convex front part; a steel spring rim was inserted inside (by the way, our invention, look at the chewed caps of that time in other armies). A large red star was attached to the middle of the band.

Headdresses of the Red Army: officer's cap, summer cap of the Red Army soldier, cap of the armored forces, kubanka of the Terek Cossack units 1935

The top of the caps of Red Army soldiers and junior commanders was often made of cotton, the caps of commanders were made only of wool, the commander’s band was black velvet, and the Red Army man’s was cloth. The band and piping differed in color, depending on the type of troops; the pre-war colors of the caps remained in the 70s. The caps, intended for combined wear with a steel helmet, were made from the same fabric as the uniform. The command staff had a colored border along the bottom of the cap and the edge of the lapel; a cloth star was sewn on the front in the color of the branch of service, and a small enamel one was attached on top of it. At the beginning of 1941, protective caps without colored parts were introduced for wartime.

Introduced in March 1938, a cotton Panama hat for hot regions, with wide stitched brims and ventilation blocks in the cap wedges, has survived to this day practically unchanged.

For the Terek and Kuban Cossack units in 1936, black fur hats were adopted: for the former - with a light blue bottom, for the latter - with a red bottom. For the rank and file, it was crossed twice with black soutache; for command personnel - either with it, but in gold, or with a narrow gold braid. A separate cavalry brigade of mountain nationalities wore brown fur hats with a red top, crossed in the same way. The black fur cap, slightly tapering at the top, of the Don Cossack units was slightly higher than the Kubanka; the red bottom, just like the last one, was crossed in two rows with black soutache or gold braid; a star was attached to the front. The traditional outfit was complemented by Red Army symbols and insignia.

Red Army soldier dress uniform Kuban cavalry units 1936-41. Dress uniform of the Don Cossack cavalry units 1936-41.

Due to the shortage of military dress uniforms (adopted back in 1941), it was in this model of 1936 that the victorious cavalry soldiers marched at the victory parade in 1945.

For Terek Cossacks, Circassians were sewn from steel-gray cloth, for Kuban Cossacks - from dark blue; the edges and holders were trimmed with black soutache; cartridges with a white or nickel-plated head were inserted into the gazyr sockets (9 in each). The sides were buttoned end-to-end with counter hooks up to the waist, and the back slit reached there. The lining of the Circassian coat was the same color as the beshmet - light blue Terek and red Kuban. It was sewn cut at the waist, with a slit from the transverse seam, reliefs on the back and a butt clasp on hooks. Light blue cloth trimmed the sides to the waist and the collar; Cavalry buttonholes were sewn onto it, and insignia were sewn onto the straight sleeves of the beshmet (and slightly flared circassian sleeves). The sides and collar of the command staff's beshmet were decorated with gold braid; the everyday one was khaki, with light blue cloth piping. Terets and Kuban residents were entitled to trousers of a general army cut - with light blue and red piping, respectively. The tops of the black soft boots had a visor; a belt for a Circassian coat or beshmet - Caucasian type: narrow, black leather, with a set of white metal. In addition to hats and kubankas, a hood of a Caucasian cut was worn, with a black braid trim: light blue for the Terek Cossacks, frontal for the Kuban. A long, shaggy black felt burka of the Caucasian type was trimmed at the neck with black leather and fastened with cord ties or a hook.

A Don dark blue Cossack jacket with pleats at the back of the cut-off skirt was edged with red cloth along the stand-up collar and cuffs with a toe, and was fastened end-to-end with hooks. Cavalry buttonholes were sewn onto the collar, and sleeve insignia were sewn onto the cuffs (2.5 cm above the toe). The Don Cavalry trousers were decorated with scarlet single-row stripes 4 cm wide. In addition to the hat, a gray cap of the Caucasian type was worn with black braid.

The uniform of a separate cavalry brigade of mountain nationalities included, in addition to a brown fur hat, a red Caucasian shirt, trousers with red piping, a black Circassian coat with sides, sleeves, neck and gazyrs trimmed with black twisted cord, in which the command staff had cartridges with artistic Caucasian silver tips , and for privates - nickel plated. The Caucasian belt set was finished accordingly.

The stand-up collar of the formal satin shirt and the front slit were fastened with black cord buttons and loops. The large rectangular flaps of the patch breast pockets had the same fastener.

Continue reading here: >> Military uniform of the Soviet Red Army pre-war period.

Here: >> Military uniform of the Soviet Red Army 1941-1943 .

Here: > > Military uniform of Wehrmacht soldiers Eastern Front.

Here: >> German military uniform of the Second World War.

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 completely unfastened 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 sewn from 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.

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.

New uniforms and insignia were introduced for the Ground and Air Forces of the Red Army, and insignia for the Naval Forces of the Red Army, respectively. For the command staff of the Ground and Air Force, personal military ranks were established: lieutenant, senior lieutenant, captain, major, colonel, brigade commander, division commander, corps commander, army commander 2 and army commander 1st rank. For military personnel of other branches of the military and types of service activities, the corresponding ranks are:

• for the military-political personnel of all branches of the military: political instructor, senior political instructor, battalion commissar, regimental commissar, brigade commissar, divisional commissar, corps commissar, army commissar of 2nd and 1st ranks;
• for military-technical personnel of all branches of the armed forces: military technician of the 2nd and 1st ranks, military engineer of the 3rd, 2nd and 1st ranks, brigade engineer, divisional engineer, coring engineer, arming engineer;
• for military-economic and administrative personnel of all branches of the military: technical quartermaster 2nd and 1st ranks, quartermaster 3rd, 2nd and 1st ranks, brigintendant, divintendant, corintendent, armintendant;
• for military medical personnel of all branches of the military: military paramedic, senior military paramedic, military doctor of the 3rd, 2nd and 1st ranks, brigade doctor, divisional doctor, corvette doctor, army doctor;
• for military veterinary personnel of all branches of the military: military veterinary assistant, senior military veterinary assistant, military veterinarian of 3, 2 and 1 ranks, brigade veterinarian, divisional veterinarian, corvet veterinarian, army veterinarian;
• for the military legal staff of all branches of the military: junior military lawyer, military lawyer, military lawyer of 3, 2 and 1 ranks, brigade lawyer, divisional military lawyer, military lawyer, army lawyer.

The same decree introduced the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union.

In order to popularize and attract more people willing to serve in the Automotive Armored Forces and the Air Force of the Red Army, their own uniform colors were adopted for them - steel and dark blue, respectively.

For the command and command staff (from middle to senior inclusive) of all branches of the military, except the Air Force, a khaki-colored cloth cap was introduced for the summer period (for the Automotive Armored Forces - steel color) with a band and piping of instrument cloth in the color of the branch of service, and a cap with edging of the same color. On the front of the commander's and command staff's caps was an additional star made of cloth of the same color with piping, on which a red enamel Red Army star was superimposed. The edges of the sewn fabric star protruded beyond the edges of the enamel Red Army star by about 2 mm.

In the Air Force of the Red Army, for all personnel (including privates), the cap was replaced by a cap: dark blue for command and command personnel (from middle to senior inclusive), and khaki for junior command (junior command) and private personnel, with blue edging and a sewn-on fabric star of the same color - with a Red Army star superimposed on top.

For the junior command (junior commander) and rank and file of the Ground Forces of the Red Army, the same cap was introduced as for the command and command personnel, but not cloth, but cotton. In addition, for these compositions of all branches of the Red Army troops, including the Air Force, a khaki cap was also required without edging and a sewn-on fabric star, with a red enamel Red Army star - for combined wear with a steel helmet. In winter, everyone should wear it with a steel helmet Red Army servicemen a gray woolen balaclava was worn, its cut reminiscent of a “balaclava”.

For command personnel, starting from middle and above, a double-breasted overcoat was introduced: steel color for the Armored Forces, dark blue for the Air Force, and dark gray for everyone else. On the overcoats of senior command personnel, along the edge of the collar and cuffs there was piping in the color of the branch of service, and on the overcoats of marshals of the Soviet Union, commanders of the 1st and 2nd ranks, piping also ran along the sides.

A single-breasted closed jacket (with closed lapels) in khaki color was supplied to the Red Army Ground Forces (except for the Armored Forces and the Air Force). Along the edge of the collar and cuffs there was a piping in the color of the military branch. Buttonholes were sewn on the collar of the jacket. Loose-fitting trousers of the same color with a French jacket and breeches were installed - blue for the Cavalry and Horse Artillery and dark blue for all other branches of the military. Both trousers and breeches had colored piping according to the type of service.

A single-breasted open jacket (with open lapels), respectively, steel and dark blue in color - with red or blue piping along the edge of the collar and cuffs - was supplied to the command staff of the Automotive Armored Forces and the Air Force. The French jacket was worn with a white shirt, black tie and untucked trousers (under boots) of the same color as the French jacket, or breeches (under boots) of the established colors for the corresponding branch of the military, with colored piping according to the type of service.

For everyday wear in the ranks, for command personnel of all branches of the military, a khaki-colored tunic was approved, along the cuffs and edge of the collar with piping in the color of the military branch and with buttonholes on the collar. The gymnast was worn with a cap.

With the exception of the headdress, the uniform of junior command and rank and file remained the same.

New equipment was introduced for command and control personnel: a waist belt with a five-pointed star, long and short shoulder straps made of brown leather.

New insignia were also established, both in the Ground Forces and in the Navy, determined by buttonholes and for command and political personnel - by sleeve insignia.

Also in 1936, lapel emblems of the military branches were approved in the amount of 17 varieties.

By order of the NKO of the USSR No. 67, in 1936, a special uniform for Terek, Kuban and Don Cossacks was established. For the first two, the uniform consisted of a kubanka, a beshmet, a Circassian coat with a bashlyk, a burka, trousers and Caucasian boots. The uniform differed in color: among the Terek Cossacks the top of the Kubanka was light blue, and among the Kuban Cossacks it was red, etc. The Don Cossacks wore a hat, a Cossack jacket, trousers and boots. Another special uniform was established for the personnel of the cavalry brigade of mountain nationalities. The everyday uniform, with the exception of the Caucasian shirt, generally did not differ from the usual cavalry uniform, and the dress uniform included a fur hat, a Caucasian shirt, trousers, a Circassian coat with a hood, a cloak, boots, equipment with a dagger and a Caucasian saber.

In the same year, a unified uniform for the military communications service (VOSO) was introduced. The uniform items were army-wide, but had their own instrument colors, emblems, and armbands.

A special uniform was introduced in 1936 for command and teaching staff and students of the Academy of the General Staff of the Red Army. They were provided with a khaki cap with a crimson band and white piping, a double-breasted dark gray overcoat, a single-breasted woolen jacket and a khaki tunic. All items of clothing had a turn-down collar made of black velvet, on which there were rectangular crimson buttonholes with golden edging (diamond-shaped on overcoats). The untucked trousers were made from khaki woolen fabrics, and the breeches were made from dark blue woolen fabrics. Both trousers and breeches had crimson stripes and white piping along the seams.

In March 1938, partial changes were made to the uniform of the Red Army: command staff were allowed to wear a jacket with dark blue trousers untucked, and for units stationed in the south, a khaki cotton Panama hat was adopted as a summer headdress. In 1940, special buttonholes were introduced for cadets of military schools and regimental schools.

In July 1940, new ranks were introduced: lieutenant colonel and senior battalion commissar, new insignia were introduced accordingly, and in November 1940, new military ranks and insignia were established for privates and junior commanding officers.

In January 1941, full marching infantry equipment was introduced for Red Army soldiers. It consisted of a belt, a shoulder strap, a cartridge bag, a spare fabric cartridge bag, a grenade bag, a shovel case, a food bag, a food bag, a canteen case, a fabric backpack, a cover for tent accessories, and a pouch for gun accessories.

The winter uniform of command personnel (from middle to senior inclusive), as well as midshipmen of long-term service, included: a hat with earflaps, an overcoat made of black greatcoat cloth, a double-breasted jacket made of black merino cloth with a white shirt and a black tie (for off-duty uniforms) , a dark blue cloth jacket with a stand-up collar, black untucked trousers made of merino cloth, chrome boots and boots (for coastal marching clothing, when worn with boots, it was allowed to tuck the trousers into the boots). The summer uniform included: a cap with a white cover, a black jacket with a white shirt and tie (for off-duty uniforms), a dark blue cloth or white cotton jacket with stand-up collars, black cloth or white cotton trousers, and boots. The commander's uniform also included a rubberized raincoat, and in the polar regions a combined leather coat with fur, which were only allowed to be worn outside of formation.

The winter uniform of the Red Navy men and foremen of conscript service included: a hat with ear flaps, an overcoat made of black overcoat cloth, a dark blue flannel shirt (wool or cloth) and a white uniform shirt made of Flamsky linen with a blue sailor collar (dark blue flannel was worn only over white uniform, the blue sailor collar of which extended outwards), a vest, a cloth tie-front for wearing with an overcoat or peacoat, black cloth trousers untucked, a black leather waist belt with a nickel-plated brass badge (with a stamped anchor and a star), chrome boots (similar to those - and command staff) and boots (for coastal marching clothing, when worn with boots, it was allowed to tuck trousers into boots). The demi-season outerwear was a black pea coat made of merino cloth with lining. Summer clothing consisted of a dark blue flannel shirt (to be worn in cold weather over a white uniform shirt with a sailor collar straightened out), a white uniform shirt with a sailor collar, a vest, black cloth or white trousers made of Flam cloth, a waist belt, and a visor - for enlisted personnel (Red Navy men and senior Red Navy men), or caps - for junior commanders and command personnel (for senior officers 2nd And 1st articles - with a star, for chief petty officers - with an emblem [cockade] in the form of an anchor with a rope intertwining it and an asterisk).

The work clothes of private and junior command and control personnel of the USSR Navy consisted of a gray canvas shirt with a buttoned breastplate and a stand-up collar, and gray canvas trousers (when wearing a work shirt over a white uniform, the strap and collar were left unbuttoned, the blue sailor collar was exposed outside ). For engine crews of ships (electromechanical combat units), a jacket made of blue calico with a stand-up collar, similar in cut to a jacket, and blue calico trousers were installed as working clothes. Ushanka hats for all personnel of the Red Army Navy were initially the same - made of black merlushka and topped with black instrument cloth, differing only in the sign-emblems: for private and junior commanders and commanders - a red enamel star (after 1940 for chief petty officers and senior sergeants Navy - its own emblem); for middle, senior and senior commanders and commanders - a “crab” commander’s badge. By order NK Navy No. 426 of October 20, 1939 for command and superior compositions of the USSR Navy

The combination of different sets of clothing was designated by number, so for example, for command personnel, the combination of a cap with a white cover, a white jacket, black trousers and boots was the summer casual uniform No. 2 at temperatures from +20 °C to +25 °C, and the combination of a black cap, dark - blue jacket, black trousers and boots - summer casual uniform No. 3 at temperatures from +15 °C to +20 °C. For private and junior command and control personnel, for example, a summer casual uniform could be No. 3 at temperatures from +15 °C to +20 °C (black visor or cap, dark blue flannel worn over a white uniform shirt [sailor collar out], vest, black trousers, boots and waist belt), and under No. 1 at temperatures from +25 ° C and above (peaker cap or cap with a white cover, white uniform shirt, vest, white trousers, boots and waist belt - except for the KBF and the Northern Fleet, for which the above-mentioned Rules established this uniform only outside the formation).

War 1941-1945

With the beginning of the war, some items and details of clothing that unmasked military personnel (insignia, stars, buttons, varnished visors and harnesses on caps) were replaced with the same ones, but in a khaki color. Sleeve insignia were abolished, colored bands and piping according to the type of service were abolished, and for generals and above, khaki-colored tunics and trousers without stripes were introduced for everyday wear.

Many women were drafted into the Red Army and a special uniform of clothing was introduced for them. In addition to the usual overcoats and tunics, women were supplied with a beret in the summer, a coat and a khaki-colored woolen dress.

In 1942, personal military ranks were introduced for the engineering and technical personnel of the Air Force, artillery and armored forces. The uniform was similar to the command staff, but special emblems were sewn on the left sleeve. In April 1942, special ranks were introduced for the quartermaster service; the uniform of the military personnel did not differ; the emblem introduced for the generals of the quartermaster service was used. In May 1942, guards military ranks were introduced and guardsmen were given a special badge common to all branches of the military. The exception was the military personnel of the Guards ships, for whom their own special Guards badge was established. In addition, for the rank and file, a rep orange and black guards ribbon was installed on the visor. In July 1942, stripes for wounds were introduced: dark red for a light wound and golden for a severe wound.

The most radical changes to the uniform followed on January 6, 1943, when shoulder straps were introduced.

Shoulder straps were divided into field and everyday. Their difference for the shoulder straps of the command staff was that the field of the field shoulder straps, regardless of the type of troops, was always protective in color, while everyday ones were golden or silver (for quartermasters, military lawyers, doctors and veterinarians). The shoulder straps were framed with piping in the color of the branch of service; the gaps on field shoulder straps were burgundy (for quartermasters, military lawyers, doctors and veterinarians, brown), on everyday shoulder straps - the colors of the branch of the military. On the field and everyday shoulder straps of generals and marshals there were no emblems of the military branch (with the exception of quartermasters, military lawyers, doctors and veterinarians); there were also no emblems on the shoulder straps of all infantry personnel. There were emblems on the shoulder straps of officers of other branches of the military. The field shoulder straps of privates and junior officers were also khaki in color with piping in the color of the branch of service and with burgundy stripes (brown for the medical and veterinary services). Everyday shoulder straps of privates and junior command personnel were the colors of the branch of service, edged with black (infantry, aviation, cavalry, technical troops) or red (artillery, armored forces, medical and veterinary services) edging, with golden stripes (for medical and veterinary services, silver ). On everyday shoulder straps, the emblem of the military branch (except for infantry) was attached and numerical and alphabetic codes for the names of military units were applied. For cadets of military institutions, only everyday shoulder straps were installed, which differed from the everyday shoulder straps of privates and junior command personnel by the presence of golden (for quartermasters, military technicians, doctors and veterinarians, silver) braid along the entire edge of the shoulder strap.

Also, ceremonial and everyday shoulder straps were introduced for the personnel of the Navy, while maintaining sleeve insignia only for the middle, senior and senior command and control personnel of the Naval Service, and without sleeve insignia for the Coastal Service. The ceremonial shoulder straps of admirals, generals and officers were made of gold (floating personnel) or silver (coastal units of the Navy) braid, with colored edgings and stars - silver on gold braid and vice versa. Everyday shoulder straps were made of black cloth. The shoulder straps of privates and junior officers were also made of black cloth. A shoulder strap was worn on the shirts - a shortened shoulder strap. Emblems were placed on the shoulder straps of military personnel of the naval engineering, engineering, technical, medical and veterinary services.

Along with the shoulder straps, the buttonholes were changed. As for the buttonholes on the overcoat, they were only of two varieties according to the form of clothing - field and everyday, and two varieties in composition - buttonholes for marshals and generals and buttonholes for the rest of the Red Army. The field buttonholes of both were khaki. At the same time, a button was sewn at the top of the buttonhole: for marshals and generals with the Coat of Arms of the Soviet Union, for everyone else with the star of the Red Army. Marshal's and general's buttonholes were trimmed with gold (in the medical and veterinary service, silver) edging; for all others, with edging of the military branch. Everyday buttonholes were exactly the same, but for marshals and generals the field of the buttonhole was: red for marshals and generals, black for artillery and tank generals, blue for aviation, crimson for quartermaster and technical services, dark green for medical and veterinary services. All the others had the field of the buttonhole in the color of the branch of service.

The buttonholes on the uniform were different for marshals, generals, senior command and command personnel, middle command and command personnel, junior command and command personnel and privates. The Marshal of the Soviet Union had a double gold edging on the collar of his ceremonial uniform and embroidered gold oak leaves, which were also embroidered on the cuffs. The generals had a double gold (silver for the medical and veterinary services) piping and embroidered gold (silver) laurel leaves. On the cuffs of the generals, three gold (silver) buttonholes - "columns" - were embroidered. In the everyday uniform, there was no sewing or buttonholes, but there was piping in the color of the military branch on the collar and cuffs.

Senior command staff in full dress uniform wore buttonholes on the collar in the form of two gold stripes intertwined with silver thread and located on a parallelogram in the color of the branch of service. The collar was trimmed with piping in the color of the military branch. The buttonholes of servicemen of the engineering, technical, military-legal, medical and veterinary services were silver, intertwined with gold thread. Two gold (silver) buttonholes - "columns" - were embroidered on the cuffs of the uniform. In the everyday uniform, there were no sewing and buttonholes, but there was piping in the color of the military branch on the collar and cuffs; in the field uniform, there were no buttonholes and piping.

The buttonholes and badges on the cuffs of the middle command and command staff were based on the same principle, however, there was one stripe on the buttonholes, and there was also one badge on the cuff.

The buttonholes of junior command and command personnel and privates were the same shape and color as those of the officers. On the buttonholes of junior command personnel one longitudinal golden stripe was sewn (for commanders - a silver one); The privates' buttonholes were clean. Buttonholes were worn only in full dress uniform.