On August 19, sea wolves celebrate the birthday of the Russian vest. On this day in 1874, by a high Imperial decree, a striped sweatshirt received official status as part of the Russian sailor’s equipment. The time has come to reveal the main mysteries of the “sea soul”.
First, a short prologue. If before this you read something about the origin of vests, then consider that you have wasted your time. What is written in Russian is a flawed compilation of a compilation. Today, on the unofficial birthday of the Russian vest, you have a happy opportunity to learn SOMETHING about this element of the “sea” wardrobe, if, of course, you need it for some reason.
Now the prologue itself. Every person is a blood and flesh son of his land. A bearer of its language, culture, stereotypes, misconceptions and stupidity. But one day this earthly creature to the core, the “land rat”, the existential “root crop” has the opportunity to go to the open sea. Gravity decreases, the turnip stretches out and the “root crop” dies, and instead of it, what is called “tumbleweed”, “tear it off and throw it away” is born.
Maritime culture is the first experience of globalization. Sailors all over the world don’t care about flags, state borders, or religion. Everything on land loses value for them immediately after they overcome seasickness and cross the equator. After this, they already know that life, in which you feel hard flesh under your feet, is an illusion, a deception, bullshit. The whole truth, the true reality, happens in the sea, where the shores are not visible. Instead of the old hobbling on alumina, a person acquires a floating, soft gait, in which there is a slight disdain for everything that is harder than a deck board and that absorbs the dandy click of heels.
Sailors are aliens on our planet, a global alternative to “soil existence”, an anti-system for the “earthly order”. It was in such a culture that a strange and at the same time very deep in meaning cult of a thing could be born, which the Western world calls breton shirt (Breton shirt), and we, Russians, “telnyashka”.
Why is she striped?
Until recently, every cabin boy knew that the sea is inhabited not only by fish and aquatic creatures, but also by spirits. Lots of spirits! Establishing normal contact with them and finding mutual understanding is the key not only to a safe voyage, but also a guarantee of a sailor’s life expectancy. Mother destiny rules the sea directly, without the intermediary of “common sense.” In this regard, the main task of any person on the high seas is not to provoke fate to bad luck. Over many millennia, this goal has formed around itself a whole system of knowledge, a real science, which people dependent on the earth’s surface blithely call sea superstitions.
Sailors do not like to test axioms through personal experience. The experiments of physicists and the careless curiosity of lyricists are alien to him. All he has to do is strictly follow tradition, because it is difficult for drowned people to learn from their own mistakes.
Don't take a woman on a ship, don't whistle, don't kill seagulls, don't swim after crossing the equator; an earring in the ear so as not to drown, a tattoo so as not to become a ghost after death - everything carries its own specific meaning, where functionality is adjacent to mysticism and protective magic.
From time immemorial, Breton fishermen, when going to sea, wore striped (black and white) robes. It was believed that the robe protected them from the aggression of undines, mermaids and other evil spirits. Perhaps the Breton vest played the role of underwater camouflage, protecting from the gaze of sea demons. Or perhaps another function was attributed to the alternating horizontal stripes by Breton fishermen: one thing is for sure, the striped shirt played the role of a talisman.
During the period of the Great Geographical Discoveries, when there was an acute shortage of personnel in the world, many Breton fishermen joined the European fleets. But most of the Bretons, oddly enough, ended up on Dutch rather than French ships. Maybe because they paid well there, maybe because the Bretons didn’t really like the French usurpers, and maybe the Dutch, liberal by nature, did not forbid the Bretons from wearing their provocative striped outfits. It was the beginning of the 17th century; by the end of the century, the vest will become a global fashion trend for all European sailors.
How many stripes are on the vest?
Of course, we can simply count the stripes on the vest of the same paratrooper, but here too we will be disappointed. In Russia, since the Soviet period, the number of stripes on vests depends on the size of a particular sailor, marine or border guard. Relatively speaking, at size 46 there will be 33 of them, and at size 56 – 52. The numerological problems of the vest could be put on hold if it were not known for sure that numerical symbolism in the “Breton shirt” still exists. For example, in the standard adopted by the French Navy in 1852, the vest had to have 21 stripes - according to the number of Napoleon’s great victories. However, this is the "land rat" version. 21 is the number of success, good luck in the cult card game of sailors Vingt-et-un (aka “Blackjack”, aka “Point”). The Dutch and English had a numerological component in the number of stripes. Thus, in the middle of the 17th century, ship crews engaged by the Dutch East India Company preferred “Breton sweaters” with twelve horizontal stripes - the number of ribs in a person. Thus, as some experts in maritime tradition explain, the sailors cheated their fate by showing that they had already died and became ghost skeletons.
How the Breton shirt became a vest
Russian sailors in New York, 1850s. Still no vests
The first time a Russian saw a vest was most likely in the second half of the 17th century, when Dutch merchant ships began to visit Kholmogory and Arkhangelsk. Sea dogs from the Netherlands, along with the British, were the main trendsetters in the field of naval ammunition. It is no coincidence that Peter I completely adopted the Dutch naval uniform for the nascent Russian fleet. True, without the “Breton shirts”. The latter appeared in fragments in Russia in the 40s and 50s of the 19th century: merchant marine sailors sported vests who exchanged or bought them in some European port.
There is a story that in 1868, the Grand Duke and Admiral Konstantin Nikolaevich Romanov received the crew of the frigate “General Admiral”. All the sailors came to the meeting wearing striped shirts that they had bought in Europe. The sea wolves praised the functionality and convenience of striped sweatshirts so much that a few years later, in 1874, the prince brought a decree for the emperor to sign, officially including the vest in naval ammunition.
How was the “sea soul” born?
However, the vest became a cult a little later. After the Russo-Japanese War, demobilized sailors filled Russian cities. They were reminiscent of the residents of the New York Bronx, only instead of hip-hop they danced dances like “Yablochka”, talked about how they fought for Port Arthur, and looked for adventures on their own. The main attribute of these dashing sailors, the “soul wide open,” was the vest, which at that time began to be called the “sea soul.” It was at this time that the first mass acquaintance of the “sea soul” with the collective Russian soul took place. The union of “two lonely souls”, which occurred in 1917, gave a mixture that blew up Russia. The Bolsheviks, who actively used sailors in their seizure of power as a natural anti-system to any “land” order, in 1921, having suppressed the Kronstadt rebellion, finally rid themselves of the unwanted reflection of the “sea soul”.
Why does a paratrooper need a vest?
Premiere of the Airborne Vest in Prague, 1968
The vest has always been associated with the water element, but not with the air element. How and why did a parachutist in a blue beret acquire a vest? Unofficially, “Breton shirts” appeared in the wardrobe of paratroopers in 1959. Then they began to be awarded for a parachute jump on water. However, it is unlikely that this minor tradition could have grown into a “striped” cult, which eventually arose in the Airborne Forces. The main decultivator of the vest in the Airborne Forces was the legendary Airborne Forces commander Vasily Margelov. It was thanks to his frantic enthusiasm that the striped sweatshirt officially became an essential part of a paratrooper's wardrobe.
The abduction of the “sea soul” by “paratroopers” was resisted in every possible way by the Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Navy, Sergei Gorshkov. Once, according to legend, at a meeting he entered into an open argument with Vasily Margelov, calling the appearance of a paratrooper in a vest with the unpleasant word “Anachronism.” Vasily Filippovich then harshly besieged the old sea wolf: “I fought in the Marine Corps and I know what paratroopers deserve and what they don’t!”
The official premiere of vests with blue stripes occurred during the Prague events of August 1968: it was the Soviet paratroopers in striped sweatshirts who played a decisive role in ending the Prague Spring. At the same time, the debut of the famous blue berets took place. Few people know that the new look of the paratroopers was not prescribed by any official document. They received their baptism of fire by the free will of the “patriarch” of the Airborne Forces - without any unnecessary bureaucratic red tape. Knowledgeable people who can read between the lines saw in the Prague fashion show of Soviet paratroopers a hidden challenge from the Airborne Forces commander to the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The fact is that Margelov stole not only a vest from the sailors, but also a beret.
The official premiere of the berets was scheduled for November 7, 1968 - a parade on Red Square. But the main thing is that the berets had to be black and crown the heads of the marines subordinate to the Navy. The Navy received the right to the first night by special Order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 248 of November 5, 1963. But five years of careful preparation went down the drain due to the pirate fashion raid of the “landing party”, which at that time did not even have the formal right to wear a beret, not even a vest. The new outfit of paratroopers received legitimacy almost a year after the Prague events thanks to Order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 191 of July 26, 1969, which introduced new rules for wearing military uniforms. Who would dare to prohibit airborne troops from wearing a vest and beret after they practically single-handedly extended the life of “developed socialism” in Eastern Europe.
Spiteful critics saw the roots of Vasily Filippovich’s passion for the attributes of the Navy in the desire to annoy his opponent from the Navy and jealousy of the Marine Corps, in which Margelov served during the war. I would like to believe that the Airborne Forces commander had more serious reasons - for example, belief in the superpower of the vest, understanding of the “striped” soul, which he learned about when he fought side by side with “flared” sailors during the war.
There is a very funny hypothesis that the chief paratrooper’s passion for horizontal stripes was born in the wake of the popularity of the British film “This Sporting Life” among the Soviet military elite. This depressing drama explores the harsh world of English rugby players. The film, released in 1963, for some mysterious reason became a cult favorite among military leaders. Many military commanders lobbied for the creation of subordinate rugby teams. And Vasily Filippovich generally ordered the introduction of rugby into the paratroopers training program.
The film can hardly be called spectacular; There are not very many episodes where rugby is played, so it is very difficult to form an opinion about the intricacies of the game. It seems that the main impression on Margelov was made by one of the most brutal moments of the film, when the main character is deliberately injured by a player from the opposing team. This team player wears a striped uniform that resembles a vest.
"There are few of us, but we are wearing vests"
"Striped Devils" Marines during the Great Patriotic War
This is not empty bravado. Horizontal stripes create an optical effect that is larger than it actually is. Interestingly, the Soviet sailors and marines who participated in land battles during World War II were called “striped devils” by the Germans. This epithet is associated not only with the shocking fighting qualities of our warriors, but also with Western European archetypal consciousness. In Europe, for many centuries, striped clothing was the lot of the “damned”: professional executioners, heretics, lepers and other outcasts of society who did not have the rights of a city dweller were required to wear it. Of course, the appearance of Soviet sailors in vests in a “land” situation caused primitive fear among unprepared German infantrymen.
What do all these colored stripes mean?
Today, almost every branch of the military in Russia has its own vest with stripes of a unique color. T-shirts with black stripes are worn by marines and submariners, with light green stripes by border guards, with maroon ones by members of the Special Forces of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with cornflower blue stripes by soldiers of the Presidential Regiment and FSB special forces, with orange ones by employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, etc.
The criteria for choosing a specific color for a specific branch of the military is probably a military secret. Although it would be very interesting to know why, say, FSB special forces soldiers sport vests with cornflower blue stripes. But time will pass, and the secret will still become clear.
Alexey Pleshanov
The vest, otherwise called a sweatshirt, vest, or even the romantic phrase “sea soul,” begins its history with the advent of the European sailing fleet. It is believed that the white-blue or white-blue coloring of the vest helped during sea voyages to always see sailors against the backdrop of snow-white sails, as well as to observe them in the water if they accidentally fell overboard.
The first naval ones appeared in the Breton fleet back in the 16th century. Then they had exactly 12 black and white stripes, the number of human ribs. In this way, the sailors wanted to deceive death itself. She was supposed to take the sailors for already dead and not touch them. And this is not a random belief, because in those days, traveling by sea was a very dangerous activity.
The tradition with 12 transverse stripes was adopted from the British by the Dutch. But the French sailors already had 21 stripes on their vests, each of which symbolized one of Napoleon’s major victories. The European experience of using vests was transferred to Russian soil only on August 19, 1874, by order of Grand Duke Konstantin Romanov.
Initially, a white-and-blue striped vest belonged exclusively to sailors of the Russian military fleet. And if at the end of the 19th century the naval vest consisted of white and blue stripes, among which the white stripes were much wider, then in our time this item of clothing contains white and blue stripes of the same width (approximately from 0.5 to 1.5 cm). Previously, vests were made from cotton and wool (in equal quantities), but now in most cases 100% natural cotton is used. The service life of a vest in the navy is one year.
During World War II, German soldiers and their allies well remembered the striped vests of the Marines (they had black and white stripes). It’s not for nothing that our sailors were nicknamed “striped devils.” And it’s not just about the courage and bravery of Russian sailors. The Europeans remembered very well that striped clothes had previously been worn by executioners, outcasts, terminally ill people and other outcasts of society who simply had nothing to lose.
Often, during battles, Marines dressed in the uniform of the ground forces for camouflage, but they always wore a vest. It was not only a comfortable piece of clothing for them, but also a special amulet. Russian warriors have also long had a tradition of putting on a clean shirt before battle. And nautical vests replaced them perfectly.
Airborne vest
Nowadays, the Airborne Forces are armed with vests with light blue stripes alternating with white. And the tradition of rewarding paratroopers who made the first parachute jump into water began in 1959. It was then, during the exercises, that Colonel V.A. Ustinovich presented the paratroopers with naval vests as a reward for successfully completing the assigned task. Although the idea of introducing vests with blue and white stripes into the Airborne Forces was carried out by the commander of the Airborne Forces V.F. Margelov and earlier, back in 1954-1959, as well as at a later time.
In the end, it was decided to make the vest an official part of the military clothing of the Airborne Forces, but only replace the blue stripes with light blue ones, symbolizing the color of the daytime sky in bright weather. And already in 1969, during the conflict in Czechoslovakia, all paratroopers wore uniform vests. Officially, this item of military clothing was assigned to the Airborne Forces by the Order of the USSR Ministry of Defense in 1969.
Vests for border troops
Since about the 1990s, vests of various colors have appeared in many branches of the military, in addition to the Navy and Airborne Forces. Border guards acquired white and green striped vests. This is due to the fact that in the 80s, a separate Vitebsk Airborne Division was suddenly transferred to the jurisdiction of the KGB of the USSR, which is why the light blue stripes were repainted green.
Then the paratroopers perceived this as an insult and oblivion of their military honor, but after the collapse of the USSR, when the division went to Belarus and again became part of the Airborne Forces, the tradition of wearing white and green vests was already firmly rooted among the border guards. And it hasn't changed to this day.
Vests of different types of troops
The colors of military vests for different branches of the military, Special Forces (special forces) and GRU (intelligence) were determined in Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 532 of 05/08/2005. In accordance with this document, the following types of vests were defined:
- Navy - vests with white and dark blue stripes. The same vests are worn by cadets of naval, as well as civilian river and sea schools;
- Airborne troops - vests with white and light blue stripes;
- Border troops - white and green striped vests;
- FSB special forces and the Presidential Regiment - vests with white stripes and cornflower blue stripes;
- Ministry of Emergency Situations - white and orange striped vests;
- Special forces of the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Rosgvardia) - vests with white and maroon (burgundy) stripes.
Special mention should be made about sweatshirts with black and white stripes. You can often read that such vests are used by submariners and even the Marine Corps. However, it is not. Today, these types of troops use ordinary sailor vests with stripes of white and dark blue.
Along with vests of different colors, the Russian troops also use berets of several shades, from orange to black and green. Often, berets are part of the dress uniform or are issued to military personnel for some merit (for example, after passing sports standards). That is, the right to wear a beret often needs to be earned through hard work or some heroic deed.
Although vests are now used for everyday wear by many troops, only those with dark blue or light blue stripes can be called a classic naval vest (such vests are worn by Navy sailors and paratroopers).
On August 19, Russia celebrates the birthday of the Russian vest. It was on this day in 1874, on the initiative of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich Romanov Emperor Alexander II signed a decree on the introduction of a new uniform, by which a vest (a special “underwear” shirt) was introduced as part of the mandatory uniform of a Russian sailor.
Workers of the sea and river fleet have their professional holiday annually on the first Sunday of July.
How the vest used to look, what the stripes are like and what their color means, see the infographics from AiF.ru.
History of the vest
The vest appeared during the heyday of the sailing fleet in Brittany (France), presumably in the 17th century.
The vests had a boat neckline and three-quarter sleeves and were white with dark blue stripes. In Europe at that time, striped clothes were worn by social outcasts and professional executioners. But for Breton sailors, according to one version, a vest was considered lucky clothing for sea voyages.
In Russia, the tradition of wearing vests began to take shape, according to some sources, in 1862, according to others, in 1866. Instead of narrow jackets with uncomfortable stand-up collars, Russian sailors began to wear comfortable flannel Dutch shirts with a cutout on the chest. Under the shirt, an undershirt was worn - a vest.
At first, vests were issued only to participants of long-distance hikes and were a source of special pride. As one of the reports of that time says: “lower ranks... mainly wore them on Sundays and holidays when going ashore... and in all cases when it was necessary to be smartly dressed...”. The vest was finally established as part of the uniform by an order signed on August 19, 1874 Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich. This day can be considered the birthday of the Russian vest.
The vest has a great advantage over other underwear shirts. Fitting the body tightly, it does not interfere with free movement during work, retains heat well, is convenient to wash, and dries quickly in the wind.
This type of light sea clothing has not lost its importance today, although sailors now rarely have to climb the shrouds. Over time, the vest came into use in other branches of the military, although in few places it is an official part of the uniform. However, this item of clothing is used both in the ground forces and even in the police.
Why is the vest striped and what does the color of the stripes mean?
The blue and white transverse stripes of the vests corresponded to the colors of the Russian naval St. Andrew's flag. In addition, sailors dressed in such shirts were clearly visible from the deck against the background of the sky, sea and sails.
The tradition of making stripes multi-colored was strengthened in the 19th century - the color determined whether a sailor belonged to a particular flotilla. After the collapse of the USSR, the colors of the vest stripes were “distributed” among the various branches of the military.
What does the color of the stripes on the vest mean:
- black: submarine forces and marines;
- cornflower blue: presidential regiment and FSB special forces;
- light green: border troops;
- light blue: Airborne Forces;
- maroon: Ministry of Internal Affairs;
- orange: Ministry of Emergency Situations.
What is guy?
In the navy, a guy is called a collar that is tied over the uniform. The real meaning of the word "guys" (from the Dutch geus - "flag") is a naval flag. The flag is raised daily on the bow of ships of the 1st and 2nd ranks during anchorage from 8 a.m. to sunset.
The history of the appearance of the guy is quite prosaic. In the Middle Ages in Europe, men wore long hair or wigs, and sailors wore their hair in ponytails and braids. To protect against lice, hair was smeared with tar. To prevent tar from staining their clothes, the sailors covered their shoulders and back with a protective leather collar, which could be easily wiped clean from dirt.
Over time, the leather collar was replaced with a fabric one. Long hairstyles are a thing of the past, but the tradition of wearing a collar remains. In addition, after the abolition of wigs, a square cloth collar was used for insulation - in cold windy weather it was tucked under clothes.
Why are there three stripes on the butt?
There are several versions of the origin of the three stripes on the butt. According to one of them, three stripes symbolize three major victories of the Russian fleet:
- at Gangut in 1714;
- at Chesma in 1770;
- at Sinop in 1853.
It should be noted that sailors from other countries also have stripes on their butts, the origin of which is explained in a similar way. Most likely, this repetition occurred as a result of borrowing the form and legend. It is not known for certain who first invented stripes.
According to another legend, the founder of the Russian fleet Peter I there were three squadrons. The first squadron had one white stripe on its collars. The second has two stripes, and the third, especially close to Peter, has three stripes. Thus, the three stripes began to mean that the naval guard was especially close to Peter.
On August 19, Russia celebrates the birthday of the Russian vest. It was on this day in 1874, on the initiative of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich Romanov, that Emperor Alexander II signed a decree on the introduction of a new uniform, by which the vest (a special “underwear” shirt) was introduced as part of the mandatory uniform of the Russian sailor.
Workers of the sea and river fleet have their professional holiday annually on the first Sunday of July.
How the vest used to look, what the stripes are like and what their color means, see the infographic.
The vest appeared during the heyday of the sailing fleet in Brittany (France), presumably in the 17th century.
The vests had a boat neckline and three-quarter sleeves and were white with dark blue stripes. In Europe at that time, striped clothes were worn by social outcasts and professional executioners. But for Breton sailors, according to one version, a vest was considered lucky clothing for sea voyages.
In Russia, the tradition of wearing vests began to take shape, according to some sources, in 1862, according to others, in 1866. Instead of narrow jackets with uncomfortable stand-up collars, Russian sailors began to wear comfortable flannel Dutch shirts with a cutout on the chest. An undershirt was worn under the shirt - a vest.
At first, vests were issued only to participants of long-distance hikes and were a source of special pride. As one of the reports of that time says: “lower ranks... mainly wore them on Sundays and holidays when going ashore... and in all cases when it was necessary to be smartly dressed...”. The vest was finally established as part of the uniform by an order signed on August 19, 1874 by Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich. This day can be considered the birthday of the Russian vest.
The vest has a great advantage over other underwear shirts. Fitted tightly to the body, it does not interfere with free movement during work, retains heat well, is convenient to wash, and dries quickly in the wind.
This type of light sea clothing has not lost its importance today, although sailors now rarely have to climb the shrouds. Over time, the vest came into use in other branches of the military, although in few places it is an official part of the uniform. However, this item of clothing is used both in the ground forces and even in the police.
Why is the vest striped and what does the color of the stripes mean?
The blue and white transverse stripes of the vests corresponded to the colors of the Russian naval St. Andrew's flag. In addition, sailors dressed in such shirts were clearly visible from the deck against the background of the sky, sea and sails.
The tradition of making stripes multi-colored was strengthened in the 19th century - the color determined whether a sailor belonged to a particular flotilla. After the collapse of the USSR, the colors of the vest stripes were “distributed” among the various branches of the military.
What does the color of the stripes on the vest mean:
Black: submarine forces and marines;
cornflower blue: presidential regiment and FSB special forces;
light green: border troops;
light blue: Airborne Forces;
maroon: Ministry of Internal Affairs;
orange: Ministry of Emergency Situations.
What is guy?
In the navy, a guy is called a collar that is tied over the uniform. The real meaning of the word "geus" (from the Dutch geus - "flag") is a naval flag. The flag is raised daily on the bow of ships of the 1st and 2nd ranks during anchorage from 8 a.m. to sunset.
The history of the appearance of the guy is quite prosaic. In the Middle Ages in Europe, men wore long hair or wigs, and sailors wore their hair in ponytails and braids. To protect against lice, hair was smeared with tar. To prevent tar from staining their clothes, the sailors covered their shoulders and back with a protective leather collar, which could be easily wiped clean from dirt.
Over time, the leather collar was replaced with a fabric one. Long hairstyles are a thing of the past, but the tradition of wearing a collar remains. In addition, after the abolition of wigs, a square cloth collar was used for insulation - in cold windy weather it was tucked under clothes.
Why are there three stripes on the butt?
There are several versions of the origin of the three stripes on the butt. According to one of them, three stripes symbolize three major victories of the Russian fleet:
At Gangut in 1714;
at Chesma in 1770;
at Sinop in 1853.
It should be noted that sailors from other countries also have stripes on their butts, the origin of which is explained in a similar way. Most likely, this repetition occurred as a result of borrowing the form and legend. It is not known for certain who first invented stripes.
According to another legend, the founder of the Russian fleet, Peter I, had three squadrons. The first squadron had one white stripe on its collars. The second has two stripes, and the third, especially close to Peter, has three stripes. Thus, the three stripes began to mean that the naval guard was especially close to Peter.
The vest in Russia is more than just an item of military uniform, it is a legend, tradition, history. It’s not for nothing that the vest, from a typically naval uniform, has expanded to cover all branches of the military in modern Russia, acquiring a variety of colors.
The nautical undershirt with blue and white stripes has a long history dating back to the days of the sailing fleet. It is known that it was introduced into wide use by Dutch sailors. The Dutch naval uniform with a short black peacoat, bell-bottom trousers, a blue flannel jacket with a large cutout on the chest and an undershirt with blue stripes became popular in many countries.
However, the vest was “invented” not by the Dutch, but by the Bretons back in the 16th century. Breton sailors wore knitted jersey shirts with 12 (the number of ribs in the human body) black stripes - this is how they tried to deceive their death, which would take the sailors for skeletons and begin to touch them. When not on duty, sailors knitted their own undershirts, which were practical, comfortable, did not restrict movement and protected from the cold.
In Russia, the vest became part of the uniform of the Navy in the second half of the 19th century. At that time, military reform was carried out in Russia with changes in the structure, weapons and, of course, uniforms of military personnel, including sailors. In 1874, Emperor Alexander II approved the “Regulations on the allowance of the commands of the Naval Department in terms of ammunition and uniforms,” which, in particular, spoke about uniforms for the “lower ranks of ships and naval crews” of the Russian fleet. The vest was defined as follows: “A shirt knitted from wool in half with paper; The color of the shirt is white with blue transverse stripes, spaced one inch apart (4.445 cm). The width of the blue stripes is a quarter of an inch... The weight of the shirt is supposed to be at least 80 spools (344 grams)...".
Sailors of the ship Varyag
At first, vests were purchased abroad, and only then production was established in Russia. Mass manufacturing production of vests first began at the Kersten factory (by the way, the German Friedrich-Wilhelm Kersten in 1870 received a medal at the All-Russian Manufacture Exhibition and the title of hereditary honorary citizen of St. Petersburg) in St. Petersburg (after the revolution - the Red Banner factory).
The stripes of the vest acquired the same size and width of about 1 cm only in 1912, and the composition of the material and the vest began to be made from cotton. The vest has remained in this form to this day. Its characteristics are determined by GOST 25904-83 “Knitted marine sweatshirts and T-shirts for military personnel. General technical conditions". This GOST determines both the composition and quality of knitted material for tailoring, vests, and its “design”.
The vest has become not only a convenient and practical item for a naval sailor, but also a symbol of masculinity, valor, perseverance, and true masculine character. People leaving the Navy and in civilian life continued to wear a vest as a symbol of their involvement in a special type of troops. Over time, the vest was introduced into the uniform for the Airborne Forces (Airborne Forces) in 1969, but the color of the stripes was sky blue. And the history of the appearance of the vest by Airborne Forces employees is as follows.
Vest in the Airborne Forces
In 1959, exercises were conducted on mass water landings. The weather was very rainy and windy, and headquarters officers led by General Lisov jumped from the first plane. We jumped from a height of 450 meters. The last to jump was Colonel V.A. Ustinovich. After he climbed out of the water onto the shore, he took out his naval vests from his bosom and handed them to the landing participants, as a symbol that the landing was carried out on the water. Since then, it has become a tradition to present vests to those who, in addition to the usual landing, also jumped onto the water. V.F. Margelov, commander of the Airborne Forces in 1954-1959 and 1961-1979, began to promote the idea of introducing the vest as an element of the Airborne Forces uniform. Only the vest for the paratroopers was decided to be made not with dark blue stripes, but with light blue ones. The first to wear them were units and formations of the Airborne Forces that took part in the events in Czechoslovakia in 1968. On July 26, 1969, by order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 191, new rules for wearing military uniforms were introduced, in which the wearing of a vest in the Airborne Forces was officially enshrined.
Paratroopers in blue vests
Vest with green stripes
Since the 1990s, vests with stripes of different colors began to appear in other troops. This is how border guards began to wear vests with green stripes. The paratroopers who served at that time say that in the late 80s the Vitebsk Airborne Division was transferred to the KGB of the USSR, as a result of which the blue vests and berets were “repainted” green, which was perceived by the former paratroopers as an insult to their military honor. However, after the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the division was transferred to Belarus, where it again became an airborne unit. But the tradition of border guards wearing green vests remains.
Vests in the Russian Armed Forces
Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 532 of May 8, 2005 “On military uniforms, military insignia and departmental insignia”, in particular, determined the colors of vests for various branches of the Russian Armed Forces, namely:
Navy - dark blue vests
Airborne Forces - blue vests
border troops - light green vests,
special forces of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs - maroon vests,
FSB special forces, Presidential Regiment - cornflower blue vests
Ministry of Emergency Situations - orange vests
Also, a naval vest with dark blue stripes is included in the uniform of cadets of naval and civilian maritime and river educational institutions.
As you can see, there is nothing mentioned here about a black vest! It is often attributed to submarine and marine units, but in accordance with Decree No. 532, they have the same vest as ordinary military personnel of the Russian Navy, that is, with dark blue stripes.
In general, the introduction of vests of different colors for different branches of the military has somewhat diminished the authority of the vest, but, nevertheless, this does not apply to naval and landing vests with dark blue and light blue stripes.
Voentorg "Patriot" offers Navy vests, Airborne vests, Marine Corps vests and Airborne vests wholesale and retail. You can buy vests in Yekaterinburg or Nizhny Tagil, and also order them through our online store. Wholesalers and group purchases receive special conditions.