Name
From "bogatyrka" to "frunzevka"
There is a version in journalism that the "Budyonovka" was developed back in the First World War: in such helmets, the Russians were allegedly supposed to go through the victory parade in Berlin. However, no confirmed evidence of this has been found. But according to the documents, a competition for the development of a uniform for the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army is clearly traced.
The competition was announced on May 7, 1918, and on December 18, the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic approved a sample of a winter headdress - a "helmet", which was introduced by order of January 16, 1919. At first, the helmet was called the "hero", in the division of V.I. Chapaev - "Frunze" (by the name of the commander-5 M.V. Frunze), but in the end they began to be called by the name of S.M. Budyonny, to whose 4th Cavalry Division helmets were sent among the first ...
There were no analogues to the pointed khaki cloth cap in the regular armies of Europe. It resembled the sphero-conical "helmets" of Ancient Rus' with chain mail aventails descending onto the shoulders.
Design
Stars crimson, blue, orange
Budenovka was created for the cold season (although from April 1919 to February 1922 it was already considered an all-weather headdress). Her nape, folded in half, bent up and fastened with two buttons on the sides of the cap, could be lowered and fastened with two buttons under the chin, covering the ears and neck. A cloth five-pointed star was sewn in front in color according to the type of troops. Infantry - crimson, cavalry - blue, artillery - orange (from February 1922 black), engineering troops - black, armored forces (future armored forces) - red (black from February 1922), aviators - blue, border guards - green, escort guards (from February 1922) - blue.
Until February 1922, the stars had to be outlined (departing 3 mm from the edge) with a black (and for black stars red) strip 5-6 mm wide. The cockade of the Red Army - a copper red star - was attached to the cloth star.
On June 27, 1922, Budyonovka was also assigned to the Chekists. At first, it was dark blue with a dark green cloth star, and from March 1923, for the Chekists in transport, it was black with a crimson star. Since April 1923, the star on the dark blue helmet was, depending on the type of service, black with a white edging, gray or blue, and in August 1924 the helmet of the Chekists (except for transport workers) became dark gray with a maroon star.
Battle path
1941 was met with them
During the Civil Budyonovka, it did not receive much distribution. The devastation that reigned did not allow the entire Red Army to change into a new uniform, and the vast majority of Red Army soldiers fought in caps and hats of the Russian army.
On January 31, 1922, a summer Budyonovka was introduced - made of linen or cotton fabric in gray or a color close to it, without a nape, with two visors - in front and behind. "Hello and goodbye" - this is how this "summer helmet" was dubbed (already very much reminiscent of the "pickelhaube" - a German helmet covered with a protective cover with a pointed pommel). In the summer of 1920, in Northern Tavria, there was a case when a white officer - a participant in the First World War - could not understand anything, peering into the advancing chains of the Reds. What the hell, are they really Germans? ..
However, this helmet turned out to be uncomfortable, and already in May 1924 it was replaced by a cap.
The "classic" Budyonovka from February 1922 again became the winter headdress of the Red Army. Now this "winter helmet" was sewn not from protective, but from dark gray cloth and became more rounded and not as elongated upwards as in Civil. Especially low, with a weakly expressed "spire", its silhouette was in 1922 - 1927.
From August to October 1926 (and in fact until the spring of 1927: it was not possible to re-adjust the machine "attachment" of the stars) there was no cloth star on it. From November 1932, the backplate was supposed to be lowered only at -6 Celsius and below.
Since December 1935, the helmets of the command staff of the Air Force were dark blue, and the helmets of the armored forces were steel.
On July 5, 1940, the Budyonovka coat, which did not protect well from the cold during the "winter war" with Finland, was abolished and replaced with a hat with earflaps. But it took a long time to sew millions of earflaps, and Budyonovka used to be worn even in 1941-1942. Let us recall the film footage of the parade on Red Square on November 7, 1941 - a unit with Lewis light machine guns taken "on the shoulder" (also a legacy of the Civil War) marches in Budyonovka. A fighter in a Budenovka and a summer tunic (!) Is also captured in a photograph taken in May 1942 near Kharkov. And the front-line soldier, whose memoirs were recorded by the military translator Elena Rzhevskaya, was given a “lightning rod helmet” back in March 1943 ...
legends
Farewell to the "lightning rod"
A romantic halo appeared at Budenovka only in the 1950s, when it firmly settled on posters, illustrations, and postcards. And already in 1964, the critic Felix Kuznetsov blamed the author of the "Arctic Novel" Vladlen Anchishkin for the "duty" image of the guardian of revolutionary morality, grandfather Surmach - with a "grimy Budyonovka" on his head ...
And before that, the helmet was not very respectfully called a "lightning rod" (because of the "spire" extended upwards), or even a "mind rod". In the Far East in 1936, one commander liked to ask, pointing to the “spire” of the helmet: “Don’t you know what this is? This is when they sing“ Our mind boils indignantly ”[the third line of the then anthem of the USSR -“ The Internationale ”.- A.S.], steam comes out of this spire "...
It is believed that Budyonovka was developed back in tsarist times - during the First World War. However, such an opinion is today recognized as only one of the versions of the emergence of a recognizable headdress. And when did the idea of \u200b\u200btailoring Budyonovka actually appear?
"Royal" version
This version is supported by modern historical literature. According to this hypothesis, in order to participate in the Victory Parade in Berlin for the Russian Imperial Army in 1915, they developed a headdress that resembled in its shape the Budyonovka that the Red Army soldiers later wore. But because of the war, the headdress remained lying in warehouses. And only after the October Revolution in 1918, he entered the disposal of the Bolsheviks.
The version turned out to be quite slim. However, according to journalist and writer Boris Sopelnyak, this theory is just "one of the most common, but there is not a word of truth in it." And he emphasizes that in the USSR, in part, they also supported this version of the origin of Budyonovka. Documentation was always cited as evidence, containing orders and reports on the development of new uniforms for the Red Army and signed by the chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Soviet Republic, Lev Trotsky. The uniform approved for the Red Army included Budyonovka, which at that time lay in the former tsarist army warehouses. But in the version in which this headdress was on conservation, it could not be used. The coat of arms of the Russian Empire and the double-headed eagle, which were present on the cap, could not serve as symbols of the Red Army. And they were closed with a large five-pointed star. And it was originally blue.
By the way, the documents cited as evidence, dated to the post-revolutionary years, were used by many Soviet historians as a counterargument against the "royal version" of the origin of Budyonovka. Moreover, neither in the military nor in the civilian archives inherited from the Russian Empire, there are no papers that would indicate the development of new uniforms for the tsarist army.
In February 1918, the Red Army was created, which required its own uniform, different from the uniforms previously adopted in tsarist times. To this end, on May 7, 1918, by order of the People's Commissariat for Military Affairs of the Republic, a competition was announced for the development of a new form. Even world-famous artists participated in this competition - V.M. Vasnetsov, B.M. Kustodiev, S.T. Arkadyevsky and the master of the historical genre M.D. Ezuchevsky.
Sketches of the new form were accepted for a whole month - until June 10, 1918. Moreover, the headdress, and overcoat, and other parts of the uniform were described in detail in the order itself. All artists had to adhere to these criteria. On December 18, 1918, the winter version of Budyonovka was approved. And already at the very end of the same year, the first combat unit of the Red Army - a detachment formed in Ivanovo-Voznesensk - received a new form and went to the Eastern Front at the disposal of Mikhail Frunze. That is why Budyonovka was first called "Frunzevka". By the way, this hat also had one more name - “bogatyrka”, because of the similarity of its shape with the ancient Russian helmet.
Opponents of the Red Army origin of Budyonovka pointed out in their studies that at the time of the October Revolution, a new uniform was already in the quartermaster warehouses, developed, by the way, according to the sketches of Vasily Vasnetsov, who subsequently participated in the May 1918 competition. The royal uniform consisted of long-brimmed overcoats with fastening arrows and cloth helmets, which were a stylization of old Russian heroic helmets. Evidence of this form also slipped in émigré memoirs. However, all this can be called into question. Moreover, the sketch of a new uniform presented in 1918 by Vasnetsov, which repeated (and only!) The uniform of the tsarist army for the parade, apparently, was also liked by the Bolsheviks. But the uniform lying in the warehouse was full dress, not military! Therefore, most likely, Vasnetsov made adjustments to his previous version.
However, there is one “but”, which leads to slight confusion from the “Soviet” origin of Budenovka. The country after the revolution and the First World War was financially ruined. And where did the Bolsheviks manage to get so much money to provide the new Army with uniforms? But here it is worth remembering that the royal uniform was sewn for the parade, which means that there were not so many sets of it. In other words, the Bolsheviks still had to sew it, and not immediately. Therefore, during the Civil War (1918-1922), instead of Budyonovka, many Red Army soldiers wore hats and caps of the tsarist army on their heads.
blue to orange
The star on Budyonovka was not originally red. First, it was made in the blue version, and then it was assigned its own color depending on the type of troops. A crimson star was sewn on for the infantry, a blue star was left for the cavalry, and orange for the artillery (and in 1922 it became black). The engineering troops were given a black star, the armored forces (future armored forces) received a red one, and the aviators a blue one, etc. On top of the cloth star, a copper red star was also attached.
Chekists received Budyonovka only in June 1922. Moreover, they had a dark blue color, and the star was made of dark green cloth. In 1923, their Budyonovka was "repainted" black, and the star - crimson. In 1924, their helmet became dark gray, and the star became maroon.
From summer helmet to winter version
Budenovka of the 1918 model was intended for the cold season. She had a long nape that folded in half and fastened on the sides with 2 buttons. If necessary, it was unfolded to cover the ears and neck.
From April 1919 to February 1922, Budyonovka became an all-season dress. And on January 31, 1922, a linen Budyonovka was introduced without a nape and with two visors, which were located at the back and front of the helmet. For this, the people called the headdress "Hello, goodbye." In addition, it very much resembled a German helmet because of the sharp tip. This often led to confusion of the White Guards. For example, in the summer of 1920, there was a case in Northern Tavria (in the Crimea), when a white officer who fought in the First World War mistook the Red Army for the Germans.
Therefore, the helmet resembling a German helmet was replaced with a cap in May 1924. As for the budenovka, approved back in 1918, it returned to the Army again in February 1922, becoming a winter headdress. At the same time, its shape acquired a roundness, and the pommel ceased to be so sharp and very prominent. In this version, Budyonovka lasted until 1927. True, from the summer of 1926 to the spring of 1927, this Budyonovka was “deprived” of a star, because it could not be stitched in any way.
During the war with Finland, the helmet showed itself not in the best way. Therefore, it was abolished in July 1940, replacing it with a simple hat with earflaps. But since a huge number of earflaps were required, the Budyonovka had to be worn until 1942. And in some cases, the Budenovka was issued to soldiers even until March 1943.
From lightning rod to symbol
Budenovka had many names, among which was the "lightning rod" or "mind rod". She got such an offensive name because of the sharp pommel. There is even a legend about this: the red commander, who served in the Far East in 1936, liked to ask his subordinates what “spire” means in Budyonovka. And then he himself answered: “This is for when they sing the Internationale, so that at the words “Our indignant mind boils” steam can escape through this spire ...”.
However, artists, directors and writers managed to change the offensive and mocking attitude towards this helmet. True, the romantic image of Budenovka appeared only in the 1950s. And from that moment on, she was actively, since she was recognizable, depicted on posters and postcards. By the way, thanks to the efforts of these people, to this day Budyonovka remains a solid symbol of Russia for foreigners.
Let's make a reservation right away that the question of the origin of the headgear, later known as "Budyonovka" and the rest of the uniform corresponding to it, is ambiguous and there are several points of view on it. An official position has taken root in Soviet military and historical literature, which says that the Budenovka (as well as the overcoat, tunic, etc., as discussed below) appeared in 1918 and was created specifically for the emerging Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA). However, in modern historical, and especially popular science literature, the version that this uniform appeared around 1915 and was developed for the Victory Parade of the Russian Imperial Army in Berlin and Constantinople is practically not questioned. Let's try to understand this case.
The main argument of Soviet historians is the lack of documents that accurately indicate the creation of a new form under the tsarist government. And indeed it is. Such papers have not yet been found either in the military or in the civilian archives. At the same time, historians had at their disposal a complete set of documentation from 1918, allowing them to draw seemingly quite reliable conclusions. First of all, this is the order of the People's Commissar for Military Affairs No. 326 dated May 7, which spoke of the creation of a commission to develop a new form. It included famous Russian artists V. M. Vasnetsov, B. M. Kustodiev, M. D. Ezuchevsky, S. Arkadievsky and others.
Sketches were accepted until June 10 of the same year, therefore, less than a month was allotted for everything. The same order indicated in some detail how the people's commissariat sees the new uniform. This is important, especially when coupled with extremely tight deadlines. It is also documented that already at the end of 1918 the first combat unit received a new form. It was a Red Guard detachment formed in Ivanovo-Voznesensk, which went to the Eastern Front to join the troops of Mikhail Frunze. And, by the way, they called the new headdress "Frunzevka" or "hero". The first cavalry army of Semyon Budyonny did not yet have a new uniform.
It would seem that everything is clear, but only at first glance. There is indirect, but quite documentary evidence.
So, in the study of O. A. Vtorov “The beginning of the continuation. Russian Entrepreneurship and Russian Social Democracy” we read:
“... In the quartermaster's warehouses there was already a new uniform, sewn by the N. A. Vtorov concern according to the sketches of Vasily Vasnetsov. The uniform was sewn by order of the Court of His Imperial Majesty and was intended for the troops of the Russian army, in which she was to pass at the Victory Parade in Berlin. These were long-brimmed overcoats with “talks”, cloth helmets stylized as old Russian helmets, later known as “Budenovkas”, as well as sets of leather jackets with trousers, leggings and caps, intended for mechanized troops, aviation, crews of armored cars, armored trains and scooters. This uniform was transferred during the organization of the Cheka to the employees of this structure - the armed detachment of the party.
So, the first evidence is found. We note right away that this is not the only confirmation of the “imperial” version, it was also found in an émigré memoirist, but in Soviet Russia this source was neglected.
The second argument is metaphysical, which does not detract from its weight. The fact is that the style of the new form did not fit into the ideology of the revolutionary republic at all. Old Russian motifs, clearly seen in helmets or “heroic” hats, loose tunic shirts and long overcoats with “talks” (cross-arrows-clasps), emphasized the national identity of the soldiers, which did not fit into the cosmopolitan concept of the world revolution. Under all the documents cited above is the signature of L. D. Trotsky, who could not miss such a blatant discrepancy. By the way, the stars on Budyonovka were originally blue, but they were sewn with a red insert with a plow and a hammer. The sickle and hammer, as well as multi-colored (according to the types of troops) stars, appeared only in subsequent modifications of the form.
At the same time, the new form fits perfectly into the style of Vasily Vasnetsov's works. The singer of ancient Russian knights was, in fact, the creator of the heroic image, which is used in the concept of a new patriotic uniform. And there is enough evidence that the artist was engaged in the development of military uniforms. Note that the authorship of V. Vasnetsov is not rejected by Soviet military historians either, they only transfer the moment of the creation of the form to a later time.
There is also a purely economic aspect. Was it really possible in a country devastated by the war and disorganized by the revolution to sew a sufficient number of sets of new uniforms in just a few months? It looks like a utopia. As well as the fact that in a month it was possible to develop the concept of uniforms and almost immediately bring the idea to industrial production. You need to understand what the technical conditions and speed of information transfer were in 1918.
Most likely, the form really already existed, and the commission only approved it and finalized it. Apparently, this was more related to symbolism, and not to an ideological concept. Trotsky chose the lesser evil - he, in fact, had no other option. Or use what was in the warehouses, or do without new uniforms at all, as the people's commissar himself originally proposed to do. And the story with the commission and the competition was invented in order to break the chain of historical continuity, because it is useless for the soldiers and commanders of the Red Army to flaunt in overcoats sewn for the triumph of the imperial troops. And the lack of documents is probably due to this. Mentions could be destroyed so as not to discredit the new revolutionary mythology, of which the legendary Budyonovka became a part. By the way, the name of Trotsky himself was also almost completely erased from the archives of the Red Army.
So, apparently, the uniform invented for the Victory Parade in the Great War really existed. It was created by order of the Court of His Imperial Majesty around 1915-1916.
The ideological concept was developed by the artist Vasily Vasnetsov, perhaps someone else helped him in technical matters. The uniform was sewn by the concern of M. A. Vtorov at Siberian factories and was stored in army warehouses. It seems that the number of sets of the new uniform was not large, which could indicate its ceremonial character. Indirectly, this is also evidenced by the fact that in practice the new form did not show itself brilliantly and after 20 years was completely out of use.
The last episode was the Finnish war, after which Budyonovkas were finally replaced with fur hats with earflaps, and overcoats with quilted jackets and sheepskin coats.
The fate of the form turned out to be unenviable, although it could have been glorious. And, you see, it is very symbolic. Vasnetsov's form repeated the history of the whole country redrawn by the revolution: instead of an early victory and peace, we got a long-term civil war with millions of new victims. And the triumphant "hero" of the Russian soldiers remained in the people's memory as the Red Banner "Budenovka".
K.Yu. Goncharov
The traditions of military heraldry and symbols, uniformology, vexillology (flag science) have more than one century in the armies of this or that state. So, until the beginning of the 20th century, signs and various kinds of emblems worn on uniforms served as an addition to the diversity inherent in the colors and designs of the elements of military uniforms themselves. And the uniform itself was rather a model of aesthetics and ceremonial beauty, rather than being adapted for wearing in combat and marching conditions in our modern sense.
Over time, the uniform of protective colors has become almost the only and universal type of military uniform used in all armies of the world. For the first time, the British introduced the protective coloring of the uniform (the so-called "khaki" color) in their army during the Anglo-Boer War (1899 - 1902).
As a result of the technical revolution, the specialization and versatility of the military branches increased, and accordingly, the need arose for a more thorough development of practical, comfortable uniforms and military insignia and distinction.
In Russia, after the revolution of 1917, all the traditions of the Russian army were largely abolished or completely destroyed. Since 1918, in the future Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA), created on the basis of the Red Guard detachments, the historical symbols of the Russian army were almost completely swept aside, and in subsequent years a new uniform was introduced.
However, at first it was impossible at one moment to come up with, develop and mass-produce a new uniform for the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army. Having destroyed what was before, it is much more difficult to create something else from scratch - and even in the conditions of the civil war in Russia. Therefore, when forming parts of the Red Army, stocks of uniforms of the old Russian army were used, but, basically, without insignia. It was also allowed to wear military uniforms of arbitrary samples and civilian clothes. In this connection, the order of the People's Commissar for Military Affairs L. Trotsky (Bronstein) dated September 30, 1918 No. 929 stated:
“Recognizing that it is desirable to supply the army with completely suitable uniforms and footwear brought with them by people called up for military service, I authorize:
- Acquire clothing and footwear by order of the military authorities for money from the named persons, provided that these items are fully wearable.
- The price for all items of uniform and footwear purchased from persons entering the service in the Red Army is to be established periodically for a period of 3-4 months by resolutions of meetings at the district commissariats for military affairs, announced in orders for the district.
The entire personnel of the Red Army mostly wore cloth caps, hats (sometimes with a red ribbon on the headdress), protective shirts with a standing collar, cloth trousers tucked into boots or windings with boots, overcoats and sheepskin coats. Commanders, commissars and political workers often wore leather caps and jackets. Since 1919, British and American frenchies have become widespread. Leather jackets were adopted from the aviation units of the tsarist army.
On May 7, 1918, by order of the People's Commissar for Military Affairs, a competition was announced to develop new uniforms for the Red Army soldiers, in which famous Russian artists V.M. Vasnetsov, B.M. Kustodiev, M.D. Ezuchevsky, S. Arkadyevsky and others.
On December 18, 1918, the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic (RVSR) approved a new type of headgear, as well as distinctive signs of command personnel - in the form of triangles, squares, rhombuses, depending on the position held. At the same time, the colors of the instrument cloths were also determined to distinguish the uniforms of the military branches. In the army units, 4,000 headdresses were tested, which were then called “heroes”, because they resembled ancient Russian helmets in appearance. The Red Army soldiers of Ivanovo-Voznesensk were the first to put on the “bogatyrka”. Subsequently, the Red Army helmet - "hero" was called by the names of military leaders, in part of which new uniforms were first received - M.V. Frunze and S.M. Budyonny: "Frunzevka" and "Budyonovka". The last name took root and entered the dictionaries of the Russian language, it is known to this day.
Original origin version
There is a version that a headdress of such an original form was developed even before the revolution and began to be produced during the First World War, but was stored in warehouses and did not enter the troops. It was supposed to dress the soldiers in pointed cloth helmets at the parade in Berlin, scheduled for the summer of 1917, where they were supposed to portray Russian knights - heroes (hence the name “bogatyr” itself appeared). Models of hats and overcoats were developed by the artist Viktor Vasnetsov.
Since specialized publications on the uniform of the Red Army ignore the version that even before the revolution a headdress resembling an old Russian helmet was created, we will try to pay attention to some important points.
Firstly, they are often credited with the creation of all the symbols of the Red Army - a five-pointed star (moreover, it is blue, not red!), New badges, etc. none other than Trotsky. Up to the “idea” of such a headdress as the future “Budyonovka”. Let's make a reservation right away: it is very, very doubtful that the "demon of the world revolution" Leiba Bronstein, under the pseudonym Trotsky, suddenly inflamed with love for everything Slavic and would have given the idea of consonance of the new uniform of the new army of the Republic of Soviets with ancient Russian images. It is known that Trotsky was appointed as the People's Commissariat of War in February 1918, and he was the chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic (and the People's Commissariat of Railways concurrently, from 1920 to 1921) since 1919. In 1925, Trotsky was removed from the post of the People's Commissariat of Defense for opposition activities. Even if Trotsky proposed something like this in terms of developing a new uniform and symbols, however, it is unreasonable to assign all the laurels to the “gentleman with a cane”, as one of the party members (I.I. Skvortsov) called him, and even to a Russophobe and a lover of executions of every tenth Red Army soldier and other radical measures - it is simply stupid.
Secondly, the artist Viktor Vasnetsov really often used the image of a Russian knight when creating his patriotic posters during the First World War. For example, we can see a similar image of the Russian hero-hero fighting with the three-headed “Snake Gorynych” on a poster created in 1914. The poster was dedicated to the "Charity Bazaar to help the victims of the war." And therefore, it is quite understandable that Viktor Vasnetsov could have taken the old Russian helmet as a model in advance when creating a new front headdress.
Thirdly, there is information about who specifically could put into production such a headdress as the “bogatyrka”:
“... in the quartermaster's warehouses there was already a new uniform, sewn by the N.A. concern. Vtorov based on sketches by Vasnetsov and Korovin. The uniform was sewn by order of the Court of His Imperial Majesty and was intended for the troops of the Russian army, in which she was to pass at the victory parade in Berlin. These were long-brimmed overcoats with “talks”, cloth helmets stylized as old Russian sholoms, later known as “Budenovkas”, as well as sets of leather jackets with trousers, leggings and caps, intended for mechanized troops, aviation, crews of armored cars, armored trains and scooters. This uniform was transferred during the organization of the Cheka to the employees of this structure - the armed detachment of the party.
It seems quite logical that overcoats in the archery style (with straps - "conversations" on the chest) and "helmets of the Russian knight" - "bogatyrs" were developed under Nicholas II to raise the spirit of soldiers, and reminders of the great history of Russia (the cut itself and the appearance of this overcoat resembles an archery caftan of the second half of the 16th century).
Be that as it may, the most common type of military clothing of that time was a khaki shirt (later it became known as a tunic) with a standing collar, green trousers tucked into boots or boots with windings and a cloth "pointed" helmet. In cold weather, Red Army soldiers and commanders wore a soldier's or officer's overcoat fastened with hooks.
In general, it should be noted that until 1922 the appearance of various parts of the Red Army, volunteer formations of the Red Army and the personnel of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Fleet was stunning in its diversity, parrot motley and idiocy, a completely ridiculous hodgepodge of uniforms and the most diverse, sometimes contradictory, symbols. A brilliant description is given by the Russian diplomat G.N. Mikhailovsky, who found himself in May 1919 in Sevastopol, not yet occupied by the Reds, who once saw how
“Across the city along Nakhimovsky Prospekt from Ekaterininskaya Street, literally, a “red cavalcade” drove through - all in red robes from head to toe, with white high leggings - not so much Red Army soldiers as “Red Indians” of a new type. A crazy cavalcade (special detachments of the Crimean Cheka) swept through the empty city very picturesquely, which looked like a page from a cinematic novel ... ".
Nevertheless, the need for the introduction of a regulated uniform for the Red Army became obvious to the military-political leadership of Soviet Russia. It is not for nothing that the difficulties in supplying the Red Army, and not only with uniforms, but for all items of military expenditure, led to the creation on November 10, 1918 of the Extraordinary Commission for the Supply of the Red Army, headed by L.B. Krasin. A.I. was appointed Chusosnabarm. Rykov, whose work on supply "gave particularly valuable results in supplying the army with weapons and ammunition."
The devastation in the heads and, accordingly, in the country devastated by the civil fratricidal war could continue for a long time, but it was impossible to destroy everything indefinitely and to the "foundation, and then ...". This destruction “to the ground” threatened the Bolsheviks themselves with the fact that it would be generally unrealistic to restore something from the ruins. And even more so “to build a world where whoever was nothing will become everything” in the desert, into which all the same staunch Trotskyists with their leader really wanted to turn Russia. Apparently in order to drive someone again for another forty years through the next desert. Therefore, it is not surprising that in 1929 the “great revolutionary” L. Trotsky was expelled from the USSR for anti-Soviet activities. What happened to him next is well known to everyone who is interested in history.
History of uniform changes
By order of the RVSR No. 116 of January 16, 1919, the first description of a winter headdress for all military branches was announced. It was a helmet made of khaki cloth lined with cotton. The helmet cap consisted of six spherical triangles tapering upwards. At the top, a round plate 2 cm in diameter was sewn in, covered with the same cloth. In front, the helmet had a stitched oval visor, and in the back, a nape pad descending down with elongated ends, fastened under the chin with buttons. When folded, the backplate was fastened with loops on leather straps to two cap buttons covered with colored cloth. Above the visor, a cloth star with a diameter of 8.8 cm was sewn onto the helmet, in color according to the type of troops, outlined along the contour with a black edging (for a star made of black cloth, a red edging was provided). A cockade badge was attached to the center of the star.
A sample badge-cockade for headgear was established by order of the People's Commissar for Military Affairs on July 29, 1918 No. 594. It was made of yellow copper and had the shape of a five-pointed star with a crossed plow and hammer in the center (not to be confused with the hammer and sickle - this emblem appeared on military cockades in 1922). The front side of the badge was covered with red enamel. The outer ends of the star fit into a circle with a diameter of 36 mm, and the inner ends - 20 mm.
A cloth helmet with a quilted soft visor had a colored five-pointed star with colors according to the type of troops (at that time a red star was sewn only on the left sleeve of a summer shirt or overcoat). So, in the infantry they wore a crimson star on the helmet, in the cavalry - blue, in the artillery - orange (the order refers to the "orange" color), in the engineering and sapper troops - black, airplane pilots and aeronauts of balloons - blue, border guards - traditionally green. The star had a black border; accordingly, a red border was introduced for the black star. The helmet was worn in cold weather. Of the three types of similar headdresses created for the Red Army, the cloth helmets of the Civil War were the tallest and had large stars.
By order of the RVSR No. 628 of April 8, 1919, the uniform of the Red Army soldiers was regulated for the first time. A summer shirt, infantry and cavalry overcoats (in the order they are called caftans) and a headdress were introduced. The headgear for the cold season was the newly approved and somewhat modernized cloth helmet. This sample was called "Budyonovka" - according to the division of S.M. Budyonny, in which he first appeared. The star of the winter headdress, in accordance with the new description, had a diameter of 10.5 cm and was 3.5 cm away from the visor.
Despite the introduction of uniforms, until 1922 the troops were not fully provided with them, so many wore out the uniforms of the old Russian army, which remained in large numbers in warehouses or captured by the Red Army as trophies. As shoes, in addition to the established leather bast shoes, boots with windings, simple bast bast shoes or old soldier's boots were often used. The commanders of the Red Army could wear officer-style boots or even civilian cut, but in this case they were made at their own expense.
By order of the RVSR No. 322 of January 31, 1922, all previously established uniforms, with the exception of leather bast shoes, which still continued to exist, were canceled, and a single, strictly regulated form of clothing was introduced instead. A single cut of the overcoat, shirt and headdress was established.
A headdress (helmet) of winter and summer type was introduced, somewhat modified. Following the example of a winter helmet, a summer headdress also acquired a pointed spherical-conical shape. The summer helmet for all branches of the military was made of tent linen or cotton fabric in light gray or a color close to it and did not have cuffs on the back of the head (in May 1924, this headgear was again replaced by a cap). A chin strap made of the same fabric as the helmet was fastened in front.
The cut and color of the winter helmet have been largely changed. The helmet of the 1922 model was made of dark gray uniform cloth, the cap of the helmet became lower and more rounded. The diameter of the sewn-on star has increased and has become 9.5 cm.
On April 13, 1922, the Red Army badge was changed. Instead of a plow and a hammer, they began to depict a sickle and a hammer on it.
In 1926, the color of the cloth of the helmet was changed from dark gray to protective, in accordance with the color of the cloth uniform of the Red Army of the 1924 model. In addition, on August 2, 1926, by order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR No. 415, the cloth star sewn onto a winter headdress was abolished, and the Red Army badge should be attached directly to the helmet, at a distance of 7 cm from the sewing of the visor. The buttons on the cap of the helmet were ordered to be sewn on small metal buttons, installed in 1924.
In this form, the helmets existed until 1927, despite the hasty cancellation of this order in October 1926 and the formal restoration of the cloth star. Various models and modifications of this headgear were used by the troops until the end of the 1930s, when caps, caps and winter hats finally replaced the Budyonovka. So, by order of the NPO of the USSR No. 176 of December 3, 1935, new uniforms and insignia are introduced for all personnel of the Red Army. At the same time, the winter helmet of the command and command staff was still a winter helmet, established by order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR No. 474 of September 3, 1927. Although this winter helmet only slightly differed (made of semi-coarse dark gray cloth) from the previously established sample in 1922, the front of the new helmet was still sewn with the correct five-pointed star from instrument cloth assigned to the military branch of the color with a red arm attached to it Yeysk icon. The outer ends of the star were located on a circle with a diameter of 8 cm.
Such a famous headdress of the Red Army as Budyonovka lasted until July 1940. By order of the NPO of the USSR No. 187 of July 5, 1940, instead of a winter helmet, i.e. "Budyonovka", earflaps were introduced: for senior, senior and middle commanding staff and long-term servicemen - from woolen fabric and gray natural fur, for conscripts - from cotton helmet cloth and gray faux fur.
The highest, senior and middle commanding staff are allowed to sew hats at their own expense from natural lamb and gray astrakhan fur.
Nowadays, "Budyonovka" is only an attribute of feature films about the Red Army and the Civil War, and has become a collector's item for military history lovers, a souvenir for foreigners - we are talking about a remake souvenir, "Budyonovka", which is replicated with the help of tailoring by enterprising craftsmen.
K.Yu. Goncharov
1 Narkomvoen - People's Commissar for Military Affairs.
2 People's Commissariat of Railways - People's Commissar of Communications.
3 Narkomvoenmor - People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs.
4 Vtorov Nikolai Alexandrovich (1866-1918), Russian financial figure, businessman. The owner of the partnership "A.F. Vtorov with sons” (large trade in Siberia) and a number of industrial enterprises. He founded the Moscow Industrial Bank (1916), created (by 1917) an industrial and financial concern. Encyclopedia of Russian merchants. Website of the Society of Merchants and Industrialists of Russia: www.okipr.ru.
5 It is possible that instead of the name of the artist Korovin, the name of Kustodiev should have been. In any case, in all other sources (see the list of references) it is B.M. Kustodiev as co-author V.M. Vasnetsov in the development of new elements of the uniform of the Russian army.
6 Chusosnabarm - Extraordinary Commissioner of the Defense Council for the supply of the army.
