When shoulder straps were introduced in the army. The history of shoulder straps in the Russian army, in what year they were introduced, how they were modified

01.10.2019

The entire period of the existence of the USSR can be divided into several stages according to various epoch-making events. Typically, changes in political life states are leading to a number of cardinal changes, including in the army. The pre-war period, which is limited to 1935-1940, went down in history as the birth of Soviet Union, and special attention should be paid not only to the state of the material part of the armed forces, but also to the organization of the hierarchy in management.

Before the beginning of this period, there was a kind of disguised system by which the military ranks of the Soviet army were determined. However, the question of creating a more advanced gradation soon arose. Although the ideology did not allow for the direct introduction of a structure similar to the one currently used, for the reason that the concept of an officer was considered a relic of the tsarist era, Stalin could not help but understand that such a ranking would help to clearly establish the boundaries of the duties and responsibilities of commanders.

At modern approach there is one more advantage to the organization of army subordination. The activity of personnel is greatly facilitated, since it was possible to develop individual functionality for each rank. Here it should be noted that the transition to the introduction of officer ranks was being prepared for several years. The very fact that such concepts as “officer” or “general” are returning to everyday life was perceived critically by military leaders.

Military ranks of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army

In 1932, a decree of the Council of People's Commissars was published, according to which the previously existing division into conditional categories was abolished. By December 35th, the transition to ranks was completed. But until 1943, the ranks of privates and junior officers still included job titles. The entire contingent was divided into the following categories:

command staff;
military-political;
boss;
military-technical;
economic or administrative;
medical and veterinary;
legal;
private.

If we imagine that each composition had its own specific ranks, it becomes clear that such a system was considered quite complex. By the way, it was possible to put an end to its remnants only closer to the 80s of the XX century. Reliable information on this issue can be obtained from the edition of the military charter of the Armed Forces of the Red Army of 1938.

Stalin's strange decision

The totalitarian regime, which was especially pronounced during the Great Patriotic War, did not even allow thoughts contrary to the opinion of I.V. Stalin, and his decision to return shoulder straps and officer ranks to the Red Army was openly criticized not only in foreign press, but also the brightest representatives Soviet command.

The reform in the army came at the hottest stages of the war. At the beginning of 1943, their former ranks and epaulettes "returned" to the officers. Dissatisfaction was caused by the fact that the builders of communism had long ago renounced these archaisms.

By decision of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces, a corresponding Decree was adopted. Until now, historians consider this decision somewhat strange.

Firstly, only a person who clearly understands the ultimate goals can decide to reform the army during the period of active hostilities.
Secondly, there is a certain risk that the soldiers will feel certain steps back in this measure, which will significantly break their morale.

Although the end justifies the means, and there is always a percentage of the probability of a positive outcome of the reform. Naturally, the Western press saw in this the first notes of the loss of the Soviet Union in the Second World War.

It cannot be assumed that the new shoulder straps were an exact copy the epaulettes of tsarist Russia, and the designations, and the titles themselves differed significantly. The lieutenant replaced the second lieutenant, and the captain replaced the staff captain. Personally, Stalin was the initiator of the idea of using stars on shoulder straps of various sizes.

For example, the highest ranks in the army of the USSR since that time were designated by large stars (marshal - one star with a coat of arms). Only later did history find out the real reason for this decision of the leader. At all times, the era of Peter's reforms was revered and evoked a feeling of patriotism. The return to that scheme, which established the rank of each serviceman, should have inspired the fighters of the Red Army. Despite the war, the USSR was preparing for the Great Victory, which means that Berlin must be taken by officers whose ranks are consonant with the ranks of the allied countries. Was it politically motivated? Definitely yes.

Military ranks in the 50s - 80s of the century

Shoulder straps and ranks in the army of the USSR until the end of its existence were revised more than once. Almost every decade in history was marked by reforms. So, in 1955, the title "Admiral of the Fleet" was abolished, and the title "Admiral of the Fleet of the USSR" was established. Later, everything returned to its place with the interpretation "... for consistency between the ranks of senior officers."

In the sixties, it was decided to designate education by adding the specialty of an engineer or technician. The complete hierarchy looked like this:

junior engineer lieutenant - engineer-captain;
major engineer and so on respectively.
junior technician-lieutenant - captain of the technical service;
major of technical service and further respectively.

By the mid-eighties, the idea was ripe to completely remove the previously existing line between command personnel, to equate the ranks of military personnel with different educations, to establish a single training profile, to bring the ranks into line ground forces and naval forces. Moreover, this correspondence does not consist only in consonance. The fact is that more and more exercises began to be carried out, in which several branches of the armed forces are simultaneously involved. For effective management of the army, the names of these genera began to be excluded from the ranks. By a decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces, military ranks in the Soviet army ceased to contain special articles.

Since 1969, the wearing order has been introduced military uniform. It is now subdivided into front, everyday, field and work. The working uniform is only for privates and sergeants passing military service. The shoulder straps of the military personnel of the ground forces, the air force and the navy differ in color. For the category of sergeants, foremen, warrant officers and midshipmen, the following norm is established: SV - red shoulder straps, Air Force - blue, shoulder straps of the USSR Navy - black.

The corporal on the chase wears a cloth strap located across. The shoulder straps of the SV and VVS contain the letters SA, which stands for "Soviet Army". Navy epaulettes differ not only in color, but also in the presence of a gilded letter F. Since 1933, on the purse of a foreman, the strip has been located along, and before that it was supplemented with a transverse strip, forming a semblance of the letter “T”. Obtaining a new rank of senior warrant officer since 1981 is accompanied by the addition of a third star on the shoulder strap.

By the way, in modern army the ensign's asterisks are located across, and the senior ensign form a triangle. In Soviet times, these stars lined up in a row along the shoulder strap.

Shoulder straps for the dress uniform of the officers were made in gold color. The borders and stripes had the same color differences as in the previous categories. The general of the army before the reforms of 1974 wore shoulder straps with four stars. After the transformations, they were replaced by one big star together with the coat of arms of the USSR. The same can be said about Navy veterans.

The highest officers in the rank of marshal, in addition to the star on shoulder straps, wore a special badge indicating the type of troops. Accordingly, he was added to the rank as a supplement. This provision has been abolished only in Russian army which was formed in 1992. The highest rank in the Soviet Union is Generalissimo. Today, the President of the Russian Federation is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, and the marshal is considered the second most important in the hierarchy.

Exactly 70 years ago, a significant event for everyone who once wore epaulettes took place - on January 10, 1943, by order of NPO No. 24, the adoption of the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 01/06/1943 was announced. "On the introduction of shoulder straps for the personnel of the Red Army." The design of shoulder straps, their shape, the location of the stars, the emblems of the military branches will change, but the insignia themselves will remain unchanged until the very end of the existence of the Red (Soviet) Army in 1991-93.

Then this event was sensational - the dimensions, shape, surface pattern of the Soviet shoulder straps almost completely repeated the shoulder straps of the tsarist army so hated by the Bolsheviks. Which arrived like nails to the shoulders of those whom the communists contemptuously called "gold chasers."
There were only minor changes. For example, they abandoned shoulder straps without stars (the royal full general did not have stars on shoulder straps). To revive the technology of making gold ribbons, we had to look for old masters. With difficulty, they found one who worked for the Bolshoi Theater.

As in the Imperial Army, two types of shoulder straps were established in the Red Army: field and everyday. The field of field shoulder straps was always khaki, and they were sheathed along the edges (except for the bottom) with colored cloth piping according to the branches of the military. Field epaulettes were supposed to be worn without emblems and stencils with a khaki button with a star, in the center of which there is a hammer and sickle.

Field epaulette of an ordinary aviation. Everyday epaulettes of an infantry corporal, junior sergeant of electrical units, aviation sergeant. Field epaulettes of senior sergeant of infantry and foreman of aviation

Everyday shoulder straps had a field of colored cloth according to the type of troops, emblems according to the type of troops, and shaped brass buttons with a star. On the everyday shoulder straps of privates and sergeants, it was supposed to apply the unit number with yellow paint on a stencil (which was not carried out everywhere, and disappeared by itself).
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Field epaulets junior lieutenant of artillery, lieutenant armored forces. Everyday shoulder strap of a senior lieutenant of aviation. Field epaulette of the captain of electrical parts.

The captains suffered the most from this new old introduction - from senior commanders (one sleeper) they turned into junior ones (one clearance and four small stars).
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Everyday shoulder strap of an artillery major, Field shoulder straps of a lieutenant colonel of the railway troops, colonel of the infantry

Not many people know that from 1943 to 1947, the stars on the shoulder straps of a lieutenant colonel and colonel were not located in the gaps, but next to them. This is how the stars were worn on the shoulder straps of the tsarist army, but the problem was that in the tsarist army the stars were smaller (11 mm) and fit perfectly between the gap and the edge of the shoulder strap.
And the stars of the 1943 model of the year for senior officers were 20 mm., And when placed between the clearance and the edge of the shoulder strap, the sharp ends of the stars often went beyond the edge of the shoulder strap and clung to the lining of the overcoat. There was a spontaneous shift of the colonel's stars to the gaps, which was standardized in 1947.
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Everyday epaulets of combined arms major general and lieutenant general. Field epaulette of the Marshal of the Soviet Union (belonged to Tolbukhin)

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It was at the same time that the old-fashioned word "officer" returned to the official military lexicon. This happened gradually and imperceptibly (in the NPO Order No. 24, officers are still referred to as "middle and senior command and command staff"). This was due to the fact that the term "officer" did not legally exist throughout the war, and the cumbersome "commander of the Red Army" remained. But the words "officer", "officers", "officers" sounded more and more often at first in informal everyday life, and then gradually began to appear in official documents.
It has been established that for the first time the term "officer" officially appeared in the holiday order of the People's Commissar of Defense dated November 7, 1942. And since the spring of 1943, with the advent of shoulder straps, the word "officer" began to be used so widely and everywhere that in postwar period the front-line soldiers themselves very quickly forgot the term "commander of the Red Army." Although formally the term "officer" was fixed in military use only with the publication of the first post-war Charter of the internal service.
And finally, one more clipping from an old newspaper, but already German, in Russian.
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Why do you think Stalin introduced shoulder straps in 1943? There is, for example, the assumption that the introduction of epaulettes was influenced by Stalin's love for Bulgakov's Days of the Turbins. Why not an option...

January 6, 1943 in the Red Army, and February 15 and Navy shoulder straps were introduced as insignia.

Shoulder straps - a quarter of a century considered by the Bolsheviks a symbol of evil.

Shoulder straps are an attribute of "bourgeois armies" protecting the "interests of landlords and capitalists" ...

Motivation

Bolshevism has evolved.

From nihilistic in relation to everything traditional, to everything national, to "everything that is beautiful and normal," 1 his ideology turned into an increasingly tolerant one.

It turned out that much more would have to be taken from the "cursed past" into socialism than it seemed in 1917.

Because, from the point of view of most people, it is "nice and normal"!

Because in Russia - in contrast to, say, Austria and Hungary - they are used to the fact that a military man should be in uniform.

And not only in Russia. “In general, when we entered Poland,” Yu.N. Novikov, who then commanded the battery, recalled about July 1944, “the attitude of the Poles was quite interesting: they saw a new army, an army in uniform (and not the one that went into these areas between the Western Bug and Vepshy at the end of September 1939. - Auth.) Officer units, they had some kind of feeling. And they "questioned all the time, asked us to sing the Anthem of the USSR. And when we sang this anthem, in which there were words that Russia rallied all the other parts, it was a majestic anthem, not "International", this also played a certain role in the mood of the Poles "2.

Of course! After all, shoulder straps, and "Great Russia rallied forever", and the dissolution in May 1943 of the "headquarters of the world revolution" - the Comintern - all indicated that the USSR from the embryo of the "world republic of Soviets" was becoming normal, nation state. A state that defends the interests of its peoples - and not the "world proletariat".

It is possible that it was precisely the desire to present the USSR as a civilized country that prompted Stalin to decide in the spring of 1942 to introduce "generally recognized insignia - shoulder straps." After all, N.N., who then commanded the artillery of the Red Army, Voronov testified that shoulder straps were also designed to help interaction with the allies 3 . And just in the spring of 1942, Stalin was strenuously seeking the opening of a "second front" ...

Inheritance

The war also forced us to remember the glorious past of Russia and its army more often.

It encouraged, aroused the desire "not to shame."

According to the head of the Logistics of the Red Army A.V. Khrulyov, developing the first samples of shoulder straps, the quartermasters copied something from other armies, "made something themselves."

But then Stalin ordered: "Show me the epaulettes that the tsar had" 4 .

As a result, according to the constructive type, the Soviet shoulder straps were repeated by the Russians.

Pentagonal or hexagonal. The soldiers - from colored cloth.

For sergeants - too, with transverse or longitudinal stripes.

For officers - from a metal galloon in two or three rows, with colored gaps between the rows and with stars.

The generals - from a wide galloon with a zigzag pattern.

Field epaulettes - made of khaki cloth.

Together with shoulder straps they introduced new form clothes - cut and details reminiscent of the Russian 1910s.

Field blouses with a standing (instead of a turn-down) collar, officer's tunic, dress uniforms with a standing collar and galloon buttonholes on the cuffs. Overcoat buttonholes in the shape of a parallelogram (instead of diamond-shaped).

(True, the old uniform was allowed to be worn. Until the end of 1943, many wore shoulder straps on old tunics with a turn-down collar).

Correcting the editorial of Krasnaya Zvezda on January 6, 1943, Stalin emphasized: “It must be said that shoulder straps were not invented by us. We are the heirs of the Russian military glory. We do not refuse it ... "6

Discipline

Another aspect of the problem was revealed to Stalin, apparently, by those commanders of the fronts and armies who supported the idea of introducing shoulder straps. They noted that "this is not only decoration, but also order and discipline" 7 .

The Decree of the Council of People's Commissars of December 15, 1917 explained the abolition of ranks and insignia by the fact that one cannot emphasize the superiority of one "citizen Russian republic"over the other.

But life quickly made me realize that there can be no equality in the army.

Because the army is not just bosses and subordinates. In the army, a subordinate, on the orders of his superior, must go to his death!

And he will not always be conscious enough for this. Many will have to suppress the instinct of self-preservation due to the habit of following orders.

To develop such a habit in the army, there must be iron discipline.

So, the subordinate cannot look at the boss as an equal! You can not obey an equal - who is he, they say, such?

This natural inequality should also be reminded by the appearance of the boss.

And already in 1919, the Red Army had to introduce insignia for positions. And in 1935 - according to military ranks.

But the insignia that existed by the 42nd - buttonholes - did not distinguish commanders as much as shoulder straps. Especially field buttonholes, introduced in August 41st in the army - khaki, with triangles painted in the same color, "cubes", "sleepers" and general stars. They simply merged with the collar of the tunic into one faded tone.

The military uniform looked like civilian "clothes".

Stalin's pause

It is difficult to say who came up with the idea to introduce epaulettes - from Stalin or from those quartermasters who, from the beginning of 1942, were designed by his order external differences for the guards. But the idea was born later spring 42nd: already in May, Stalin introduced her to the Main political administration Red Army. And at the end of September or the beginning of October, he spoke about the introduction of epaulets as a matter decided 8 .

And this is understandable. What's the point of introducing shoulder straps in an army that is retreating? She will only think angrily: "Is there nothing else to do?"

In order for shoulder straps to give the desired effect, it was necessary that they be associated with a fracture, with a cleansing thunderstorm. With a new, victorious army!

And the end of September - the beginning of October of the 42nd - this is the time when no one knew whether it would be possible to keep Stalingrad ...

When the troops who tried to unblock Leningrad during the Sinyavino operation died in the encirclement ...

When the Germans in Operation "Michael" expanded the "Ramushevsky corridor", which led to their semi-encircled Demyansk grouping in the Novgorod region ...

And only on November 19 a cleansing thunderstorm struck - Operation Uranus. On the 23rd, the German army that stormed Stalingrad was surrounded.

This date - November 23, 1942 - was included in the draft decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the introduction of shoulder straps. Having imposed a resolution "for", Stalin nevertheless waited still - but by January 6, 1943, it became clear that the enemy would not break out of the ring ...

Army reaction

The production of millions of pairs of shoulder straps was delayed. The transition to wearing them, which began on February 1, 1943, could not be completed either by February 15 or by March 15. Senior Lieutenant A.Z., who fought on the North Caucasian Front. Lebedintsev could not get epaulettes until June, and some pilots and tankers entered the Battle of Kursk without them on 9 ...

What was the reaction of the Red Army? Those who were torn away from the past by the propaganda of the 1920s and 1930s experienced a shock. Here are just a few responses recorded on the Don Front.

“Even before, I had an aversion to shoulder straps, but now the old one is returning, we will again wear shoulder straps” (junior military technician Rozhdestvensky).

“For 25 years under Soviet rule, we fought against the old order, and now shoulder straps are being introduced again. Probably, they will soon introduce elders, as they were before, and then landowners and capitalists ...” (senior sergeant Volkov).

"Again they want to make the old system and the fascist army, because the fascists wear shoulder straps" (political instructor Balakirev) 10 .

From now on, for this "anti-Soviet agitation" they were registered in a special department ...

There was also a reaction, which was recalled, for example, by N.I. Zhukov, then a lieutenant of the guard: "How strange it was for us with epaulettes, they laughed at each other that they looked like" white "officers" 11.

Those who, despite many years of propaganda, felt what “beautiful and normal” meant, rejoiced!

"[...] We proudly wore a new uniform with gold shoulder straps and enjoyed universal respect," recalled V.M. Ivanov, who studied in 1943 at the Artillery Academy 12 .

"[...] We, the boys with the rank of" cabin boy, were proud of shoulder straps, like orders, "- testified writer Valentin Pikul, who graduated from the 43rd school of the Navy cabin boy 13 .

And the scout of the 142nd Infantry Regiment A.A. Baranov, setting off on the night of July 3, 1943 on the Bryansk Front on a sortie to the enemy trenches, protested against the order to remove shoulder straps (as was supposed to go behind enemy lines):

"Why take off your shoulder straps? If you really have to die, then die as an officer" 14!

officers

The last quote is to die an officer! - extremely remarkable. After all, Baranov was only a senior sergeant!

Yes, and officers in the USSR by July 43rd were formally called "commanders and chiefs" (more precisely, middle and senior command and command staff). The word "officer" appeared only in the titles of the positions "liaison officer" and "officer General Staff". True, in the order of the People's Commissar of Defense of May 1, 1942, Stalin called the Soviet command cadres "officers" - but this had no consequences.

Propaganda of the 1920s and 1930s kept repeating: officers are in the bourgeois armies. These are the servants of the landlords and capitalists, the executioners of the workers and peasants...

But in the USSR, shoulder straps were historically associated with officers ...

Not in vain, seeing in March 43rd in Syzran a man in uniform - pilot O.V. Lazarev, - several military men, who were still wearing buttonholes, "all, as one, turned their heads" in his direction and saluted 15 . In shoulder straps means the bosses! But Lazarev was an ordinary Red Army soldier ...

And - a rare case! - the authorities began to indulge the mass consciousness.

Without making changes to the charters yet, after January 6, 1943, she gave the go-ahead to calling middle and senior commanders also officers.

Just look at the article in the Red Star, central authority People's Commissariat of Defense of January 31, 1943. The usual expression "commanders and fighters" is adjacent to the new one - "officers and fighters". Mention is made of "our officer corps", "the honor of the combat uniform of a Soviet officer" 16 ...

No wonder Sergeant Baranov wanted to feel like an officer. It's an honor to be them!

It is not surprising that A.A. Cherkashin later believed that their graduation "became the first officer graduation in Soviet army":" We were announced that we would go to the graduation course in Moscow on Red Square with the first parade of the Soviet officer corps. .) 17

And from July 24, 1943, middle and senior commanders and chiefs - from junior lieutenant to colonel inclusive - began to be formally called officers.

The decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR issued that day divided the servicemen not into private, junior command and command and command and command staff (as before), but into private, sergeant, officer and general.

Esprit de corps

After all, he has shoulder straps on.

A military uniform with shoulder straps can no longer be confused with civilian clothing! Such a uniform will immediately remind you that the work of the military is special: "for the common good" they "sacrifice their blood and life" 18 .

This form makes the concept of "honor of uniform" quite clear.

She cannot be shamed by indecent behavior.

It cannot be simplified - for example, dragging sacks or bundles in it along a city street ...

All this began now, from the 43rd, to inspire the Soviet military. “Yesterday I read a new memo for officers,” Captain O.D. Kazachkovsky wrote to the Guards on January 17, 1944. “Obviously, almost everything will be as before. Special attention in relation to women. An officer is a gallant, cultured cavalier in society" 19 ...

And here is the demobilized guard lieutenant I.G. Kobylyansky - yesterday's student - hires, having returned to Kyiv on December 30, 1945, a porter: it is not appropriate for an officer to carry unsightly boxes in front of passers-by. And faced with the distrust of the professor - he doubted that Kobylyansky finished three semesters before the army - "excitedly" asks: "Is the officer's word of honor not enough for you?" twenty

Immediately after personal military ranks were introduced in the Red Army on September 22, 1935, three workers met the company commander Klapin on Vitebsk Street. “Look,” one said, looking at the squares in Klapin’s buttonholes, “today he wears cubes, and in three days he will put on golden shoulder straps ... We hung lieutenants and captains in 1818 on poles, and now they are being brought in again” 5.

P.S. The January decree obliged the Red Army soldiers to wear new insignia. But no circular could make you fall in love with shoulder straps. And medical instructor Yulia Drunina and millions of her brothers-front-line soldiers fell in love with:

I am close to army laws,
Not without reason I brought from the war
Field wrinkled shoulder straps
With the letter "T" - honors foreman.

1. Apukhtin S. At the front after the revolution // Military story (Paris). 1968. July. N 92. S. 38.
2. Drabkin A.V. In war as in war. M., 2012. S. 571.
3. From the memoirs of the Chief Marshal of Artillery N.N. Voronova // Military History Journal. 1963. N 1. S. 114.
4. Ortenberg D.I. Forty third. Chronicle story. M., 1991. S. 16.
5. RGVA. F. 9. Op. 39. D. 8. L. 396.
6. Ortenberg D.I. Decree op. S. 17.
7. Ibid. S. 16; According to the memoirs of Army General A.V. Khruleva, former boss Main Logistics Directorate of the Red Army // Military History Journal. 1963. N 1. S. 115.
8. Ortenberg D.I. Decree. op. S. 15; From the memoirs of Marshal of the Soviet Union A.M. Vasilevsky // Military History Journal. 1963. N 1. S. 114.
9. Lebedintsev A.Z., Mukhin Yu.I. Fathers are commanders. M., 2004. S. 150; Lipatov P.B. Uniform of the Red Army and the Wehrmacht. Insignia, uniforms, equipment of the ground forces of the Red Army and the armed forces of Germany. M., 1995. S. 21.
10. Stalingrad epic. Materials of the NKVD of the USSR and military censorship from the Central Archive of the FSB of the Russian Federation. M., 2000. S. 391.
11. Zhukov N.I. Baptism of fire on the Kirov land // On Western front: between Moscow and Smolensk. Kirovsky district Kaluga region during the Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945. (Memoirs, documents, articles). Kaluga, 2005, p. 148.
12. Ivanov V.M. War through the eyes of a lieutenant. 1941 - 1945 years. SPb., 2001. S. 181.
13. Valentin Pikul: "I love strong personality" // Pravda. 1987. May 17. N 137 (25124). P. 3.
14. "Fiery arc". Battle of Kursk through the eyes of the Lubyanka. M., 2003. S. 45.
15. Lazarev O.V. "Flying Tank" 100 sorties on IL-2. M., 2013. S. 85.
16. Transition to new insignia - shoulder straps // Red Star. 1943. January 31. No. 25 (5396). C. 1.
17. Cherkashin A. For the Russian land! For Pushkin!.. // Muscovite. 1991. May. Issue. 6. P. 7.
18. Short story cavalry guards and the cavalry guard regiment. SPb., 1880. S. 1.
19. Kazachkovsky O.D. Physicist at war-2. M., 2001. S. 132.
20. Kobylyansky I.G. Direct fire on the enemy. M., 2005. S. 278, 285.

70 years ago in the Soviet Union, shoulder straps were introduced for the personnel of the Soviet Army. Shoulder straps and stripes in the Navy were canceled in Soviet Russia after the October Revolution of 1917 by a decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR (they were considered a symbol of inequality).

Shoulder straps appeared in the Russian army at the end of the 17th century. Initially, they had a practical meaning. They were first introduced by Tsar Peter Alekseevich in 1696, then they served as a strap that kept a gun belt or cartridge pouch from slipping off the shoulder. Therefore, the epaulette was an attribute of the uniform of only the lower ranks, since the officers were not armed with guns. In 1762, an attempt was made to use epaulettes as a means of isolating the military personnel of different regiments and isolating soldiers and officers. To solve this problem, each regiment was given shoulder straps of different weaving from a garus cord, and to separate the soldiers and officers, the weaving of shoulder straps in the same regiment was different. However, since uniform pattern was not, shoulder straps performed the task of the insignia poorly.

Under Tsar Pavel Petrovich, only soldiers began to wear shoulder straps again, and again only for a practical purpose: to keep ammunition on their shoulders. Sovereign Alexander I returned the function of insignia to shoulder straps. However, they were not introduced in all branches of the military, in the infantry regiments they introduced shoulder straps on both shoulders, in the cavalry - only on the left. In addition, then shoulder straps did not denote ranks, but belonging to one or another regiment. The number on the shoulder strap indicated the number of the regiment in the Russian imperial army, and the color of the shoulder strap showed the number of the regiment in the division: red denoted the first regiment, blue - the second, white - the third, and dark green - the fourth. in yellow army (non-guards) grenadier units were designated, as well as the Akhtyrsky, Mitavsky hussar and Finnish, Primorsky, Arkhangelsk, Astrakhan and Kinburn dragoon regiments. To distinguish the lower ranks from the officers, the shoulder straps of officers were first sheathed with gold or silver galloon, and a few years later epaulettes were introduced for officers.

Since 1827, officers and generals began to be designated by the number of stars on epaulettes: ensigns had one star each; second lieutenants, majors and major generals have two; for lieutenants, lieutenant colonels and lieutenant generals - three; staff captains have four. On epaulettes, captains, colonels and full generals did not have stars. In 1843, insignia were also established on the shoulder straps of the lower ranks. So, the corporals got one badge; for non-commissioned officers - two; senior non-commissioned officer - three. The sergeant-major received a transverse stripe 2.5 cm wide for shoulder straps, and ensigns received exactly the same stripe, but located longitudinally.

Since 1854, instead of epaulettes, shoulder straps were also introduced for officers, epaulettes were left only for ceremonial uniforms. Since November 1855, shoulder straps for officers have become hexagonal, and for soldiers - pentagonal. Officers' shoulder straps were made by hand: pieces of gold and silver (rarely) galloon were sewn onto a colored base, from under which the field of shoulder straps shone through. Asterisks were sewn on, gold stars on a silver shoulder strap, silver stars on a golden shoulder strap, of the same size (11 mm in diameter) for all officers and generals. The shoulder strap field showed the number of the regiment in the division or the type of troops: the first and second regiments in the division were red, the third and fourth were blue, the grenadier formations were yellow, the rifle formations were crimson, etc. After this, there were no revolutionary changes until October 1917 of the year. Only in 1914, in addition to gold and silver shoulder straps, were first established field shoulder straps for the army. Field shoulder straps were khaki (khaki), the stars on them were oxidized metal, the gaps were indicated by dark brown or yellow stripes. However, this innovation was not popular among officers, who considered such epaulettes ugly.

It should also be noted that officials of some civilian departments, in particular, engineers, railway workers and the police, had shoulder straps. After February Revolution 1917, in the summer of 1917, black shoulder straps with white gaps appeared in shock formations.

November 23, 1917 at a meeting of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee approved the Decree on the destruction of the estates and civil ranks, along with them, shoulder straps were also canceled. True, in the white armies they remained until 1920. Therefore, in Soviet propaganda, shoulder straps for a long period of time became a symbol of counter-revolutionary, white officers. The word "gold chasers" has actually become a dirty word. In the Red Army, military personnel were initially allocated only by position. For insignia, stripes were established on the sleeves in the form of geometric shapes (triangles, squares and rhombuses), as well as on the sides of the overcoat, they denoted the rank and belonging to the military branch. After civil war and until 1943, the insignia in the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army remained in the form of buttonholes on the collar and sleeve chevrons.

In 1935, personal military ranks were established in the Red Army. Some of them corresponded to the royal - colonel, lieutenant colonel, captain. Others were taken from the ranks of the former Russian Imperial Navy- lieutenant and senior lieutenant. The ranks that corresponded to the former generals were retained from the former service categories - brigade commander (brigade commander), division commander (division commander), commander, army commander of the 2nd and 1st ranks. The rank of major was restored, which had been abolished under Emperor Alexander III. Outwardly, the insignia remained practically unchanged compared to the samples of 1924. In addition, the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union was established, it was already marked not with rhombuses, but with one big star on the collar flap. On August 5, 1937, the rank of junior lieutenant appeared in the army (he was distinguished by one head over heels). On September 1, 1939, the rank of lieutenant colonel was introduced, now three sleepers corresponded to a lieutenant colonel, not a colonel. The colonel now received four sleepers.

On May 7, 1940, general ranks were established. Major General, as in the days Russian Empire, had two stars, but they were located not on shoulder straps, but on collar valves. The lieutenant general was given three stars. This is where the similarity with the royal ranks ended - instead of a full general, the lieutenant general was followed by the rank of colonel general (he was taken from the German army), he had four stars. Following the colonel general, army general (borrowed from French armed forces), had five stars.

On January 6, 1943, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, shoulder straps were introduced in the Red Army. By order of the NPO of the USSR No. 25 of January 15, 1943, the decree was announced in the army. In the Navy, shoulder straps were introduced by order of the People's Commissariat of the Navy No. 51 dated February 15, 1943. On February 8, 1943, shoulder straps were established in the People's Commissariats of Internal Affairs and State Security. On May 28, 1943, shoulder straps were introduced at the People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs. On September 4, 1943, shoulder straps were established in the People's Commissariat of Railways, and on October 8, 1943, in the USSR Prosecutor's Office. Soviet shoulder straps were similar to the royal ones, but there were some differences. So, officer army shoulder straps were pentagonal, not hexagonal; the colors of the gaps showed the type of troops, and not the number of the regiment in the division; the clearance was a single unit with the epaulette field; color piping was introduced according to the type of troops; stars on shoulder straps were metal, silver and gold, they differed in size for senior and junior ranks; ranks were designated by a different number of stars than in the imperial army; shoulder straps without stars were not restored. Soviet officer epaulettes were 5 mm wider than the royal ones and did not have ciphers. Junior lieutenant, major and major general received one star each; lieutenant, lieutenant colonel and lieutenant general - two each; senior lieutenant, colonel and colonel general - three each; captain and general of the army - four each. For junior officers, shoulder straps had one gap and from one to four silver-plated stars (13 mm in diameter), for senior officers, shoulder straps had two gaps and from one to three stars (20 mm). For military doctors and lawyers, the stars were 18 mm in diameter.

Badges for junior commanders were also restored. The corporal received one badge, the junior sergeant - two, the sergeant - three. The senior sergeants received the former broad sergeant-major's badge, and the foremen received the so-called. "a hammer".

For the Red Army, field and everyday shoulder straps were introduced. Assigned military rank, belonging to any kind of troops (service), insignia and emblems were placed on the field of shoulder straps. For senior officers, the stars were originally attached not to the gaps, but to the galloon field nearby. Field epaulettes were distinguished by a field of khaki color with one or two gaps sewn to it. On three sides, shoulder straps had edgings in the color of the type of troops. Gaps were introduced: for aviation - blue, for doctors, lawyers and commissaries - brown, for everyone else - red. For everyday shoulder straps, the field was made of galloon or golden silk. The silver galloon was approved for everyday shoulder straps of the engineering, quartermaster, medical, legal and veterinary services.

The epaulettes of the generals, unlike those of officers and soldiers, were hexagonal. The general's epaulettes were gold with silver stars. The only exceptions were shoulder straps for the generals of justice, medical and veterinary services. They received narrow silver epaulettes with gold stars. Unlike the army, the naval officer's shoulder straps, like the general's, were hexagonal. The rest of the naval officer shoulder straps were similar to those of the army. However, the color of the piping was determined: for officers of the ship, engineering (ship and coastal) services - black; for naval aviation and aviation engineering service - blue; quartermaster - raspberry; for everyone else, including justice officers, red. The command and ship staff did not have emblems on shoulder straps.

Application. Order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR
January 15, 1943 No. 25
"On the introduction of new insignia
and about changes in the form of the Red Army"

In accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of January 6, 1943 "On the introduction of new insignia for the personnel of the Red Army", -

I ORDER:

1. Set the wearing of shoulder straps:

Field - servicemen in the active army and personnel parts prepared for sending to the front,

Everyday - by servicemen of other units and institutions of the Red Army, as well as when wearing full dress uniforms.

2. The entire composition of the Red Army to switch to new insignia - shoulder straps in the period from February 1 to February 15, 1943.

3. Make changes to the uniform of the Red Army personnel, according to the description.

4. Enact the "Rules for wearing uniforms by personnel of the Red Army."

5. Allow the wearing of the existing uniform with new insignia until the next issue of uniforms, in accordance with the current terms and supply standards.

6. Commanders of units and chiefs of garrisons strictly monitor the observance of uniforms and the correct wearing of new insignia.

People's Commissar of Defense

I. Stalin.

January 6, 1943 73 years ago in the Soviet Union, shoulder straps were introduced for the personnel of the Soviet Army.

Order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR№ 25 January 15, 1943
"On the introduction of new insignia and changes in the form of the Red Army"
In accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of January 6, 1943 "On the introduction of new insignia for the personnel of the Red Army", -
I ORDER:
1. Set the wearing of shoulder straps:
Field - by servicemen in the active army and personnel of units being prepared for dispatch to the front, everyday - by servicemen of other units and institutions of the Red Army, as well as when wearing dress uniforms.
2. The entire composition of the Red Army to switch to new insignia - shoulder straps in the period from February 1 to February 15, 1943.
3. Make changes to the uniform of the Red Army personnel, according to the description.
4. Enact the "Rules for wearing uniforms by personnel of the Red Army."
5. Allow the wearing of the existing uniform with new insignia until the next issue of uniforms, in accordance with the current terms and supply standards.
6. Commanders of units and chiefs of garrisons strictly monitor the observance of uniforms and the correct wearing of new insignia.
People's Commissar of Defense
I. Stalin.

Shoulder straps and stripes in the Navy were abolished in Soviet Russia after the October Revolution of 1917 by a decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR (they were considered a symbol of inequality).

Shoulder straps appeared in the Russian army at the end of the 17th century. Initially, they had a practical meaning.

They were first introduced by Tsar Peter Alekseevich in 1696, then they served as a strap that kept a gun belt or cartridge pouch from slipping off the shoulder. Therefore, the epaulette was an attribute of the uniform of only the lower ranks, since the officers were not armed with guns.

In 1762, an attempt was made to use epaulettes as a means of isolating the military personnel of different regiments and isolating soldiers and officers.

To solve this problem, each regiment was given shoulder straps of different weaving from a garus cord, and to separate the soldiers and officers, the weaving of shoulder straps in the same regiment was different. However, since there was no single pattern, the shoulder straps performed the task of insignia poorly.

Under Tsar Pavel Petrovich, only soldiers began to wear shoulder straps again, and again only for a practical purpose: to keep ammunition on their shoulders. Sovereign Alexander I returned the function of insignia to shoulder straps. However, they were not introduced in all branches of the military, in the infantry regiments they introduced shoulder straps on both shoulders, in the cavalry - only on the left. In addition, then shoulder straps did not denote ranks, but belonging to one or another regiment. The number on the shoulder strap indicated the number of the regiment in the Russian imperial army, and the color of the shoulder strap showed the number of the regiment in the division: red denoted the first regiment, blue - the second, white - the third, and dark green - the fourth. Army (non-guards) grenadier units, as well as the Akhtyrsky, Mitavsky hussar and Finnish, Primorsky, Arkhangelsk, Astrakhan and Kinburn dragoon regiments were designated in yellow. To distinguish the lower ranks from the officers, the shoulder straps of officers were first sheathed with gold or silver galloon, and a few years later epaulettes were introduced for officers.

Since 1827, officers and generals began to be designated by the number of stars on epaulettes: ensigns had one star each; second lieutenants, majors and major generals have two; for lieutenants, lieutenant colonels and lieutenant generals - three; staff captains have four. On the epaulettes of captains, colonels and full generals there were no stars. In 1843, insignia were also established on the shoulder straps of the lower ranks. So, the corporals got one badge; for non-commissioned officers - two; senior non-commissioned officer - three. The sergeant majors received a transverse ribbon of 2.5 cm thickness for shoulder straps, and ensigns received exactly the same ribbon, but located longitudinally.

Since 1854, instead of epaulettes, shoulder straps were also introduced for officers, epaulettes were left only for ceremonial uniforms. Since November 1855, epaulettes for officers have become hexagonal, and for soldiers - pentagonal. Officers' shoulder straps were made by hand: pieces of gold and silver (rarely) galloon were sewn onto a colored base, from under which the field of shoulder straps shone through. Asterisks were sewn on, gold stars on a silver shoulder strap, silver stars on a golden shoulder strap, of the same size (11 mm in diameter) for all officers and generals. The shoulder strap field showed the number of the regiment in the division or the type of troops: the first and second regiments in the division were red, the third and fourth were blue, the grenadier formations were yellow, the rifle formations were crimson, etc. After this, there were no revolutionary changes until October 1917 of the year. Only in 1914, in addition to gold and silver shoulder straps, were first established field shoulder straps for the army. Field shoulder straps were khaki (khaki), the stars on them were oxidized metal, the gaps were indicated by dark brown or yellow stripes. However, this innovation was not popular among officers, who considered such epaulettes ugly.

It should also be noted that officials of some civilian departments, in particular, engineers, railway workers and the police, had shoulder straps. After the February Revolution of 1917, in the summer of 1917, black shoulder straps with white gaps appeared in shock formations.

On November 23, 1917, at a meeting of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, the Decree on the destruction of estates and civil ranks was approved, along with them, shoulder straps were also canceled. True, in the white armies they remained until 1920. Therefore, in Soviet propaganda, shoulder straps for a long period of time became a symbol of counter-revolutionary, white officers. The word "gold chasers" has actually become a dirty word. In the Red Army, military personnel were initially allocated only by position. For insignia, stripes were established on the sleeves in the form of geometric shapes (triangles, squares and rhombuses), as well as on the sides of the overcoat, they denoted the rank and belonging to the military branch. After the Civil War and until 1943, the insignia in the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army remained in the form of buttonholes on the collar and sleeve chevrons.

In 1935, personal military ranks were established in the Red Army. Some of them corresponded to the royal - colonel, lieutenant colonel, captain. Others were taken from the ranks of the former Russian Imperial Navy - lieutenant and senior lieutenant. The ranks that corresponded to the former generals were retained from the former service categories - brigade commander (brigade commander), division commander (division commander), commander, army commander of the 2nd and 1st ranks. The rank of major was restored, which had been abolished under Emperor Alexander III. Outwardly, the insignia remained practically unchanged compared to the samples of 1924. In addition, the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union was established, it was already marked not with rhombuses, but with one large star on the collar flap. On August 5, 1937, the rank of junior lieutenant appeared in the army (he was distinguished by one head over heels). On September 1, 1939, the rank of lieutenant colonel was introduced, now three sleepers corresponded to a lieutenant colonel, not a colonel. The colonel now received four sleepers.

On May 7, 1940, general ranks were established. The major general, as in the days of the Russian Empire, had two stars, but they were located not on shoulder straps, but on collar valves. The lieutenant general was given three stars. This is where the similarity with the royal ranks ended - instead of a full general, the lieutenant general was followed by the rank of colonel general (he was taken from the German army), he had four stars. The next colonel general, the general of the army (borrowed from the French armed forces), had five stars.

For the Red Army, field and everyday shoulder straps were introduced. According to the assigned military rank, belonging to any kind of troops (service), insignia and emblems were placed on the field of shoulder straps. For senior officers, the stars were originally attached not to the gaps, but to the galloon field nearby. Field epaulettes were distinguished by a field of khaki color with one or two gaps sewn to it. On three sides, shoulder straps had edgings in the color of the type of troops. Gaps were introduced: for aviation - blue, for doctors, lawyers and quartermasters - brown, for everyone else - red. For everyday shoulder straps, the field was made of galloon or golden silk. The silver galloon was approved for everyday shoulder straps of the engineering, quartermaster, medical, legal and veterinary services.

There was a rule according to which gilded stars were worn on silver shoulder straps, and silver stars were worn on golden shoulder straps. Only veterinarians were an exception - they wore silver stars on silver shoulder straps. The width of shoulder straps was 6 cm, and for officers of military justice, veterinary and medical services - 4 cm. troops - black, doctors - green. On all shoulder straps, one uniform gilded button with a star was introduced, with a hammer and sickle in the center, in the Navy - a silver button with an anchor.

The epaulettes of the generals, unlike those of officers and soldiers, were hexagonal. The general's epaulettes were gold with silver stars. The only exceptions were shoulder straps for the generals of justice, medical and veterinary services. They received narrow silver epaulettes with gold stars. Unlike the army, the naval officer's shoulder straps, like the general's, were hexagonal. The rest of the naval officer shoulder straps were similar to those of the army. However, the color of the piping was determined: for officers of the ship, engineering (ship and coastal) services - black; for naval aviation and aviation engineering service - blue; quartermaster - raspberry; for everyone else, including justice officers, red. The command and ship staff did not have emblems on shoulder straps.