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

"On the introduction of new insignia and on 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. Install the wearing of shoulder straps:

Polevykh - by servicemen in the active army and personnel of units prepared for sending to the front, everyday - by servicemen of other units and institutions of the Red Army, as well as when wearing ceremonial uniforms.

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

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

4. Introduce 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 the uniform, in accordance with the current terms and norms of supply.

6. Unit commanders 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 in the Russian army appeared 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 the strap of a gun or a cartridge pouch from slipping off the shoulder. Therefore, the shoulder strap was an attribute of the uniforms of only the lower ranks, since the officers did not arm themselves with guns.

In 1762, an attempt was made to use shoulder straps as a means of separating servicemen from different regiments and separating soldiers and officers.

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

Under Tsar Pavel Petrovich, only soldiers began to wear epaulets again, and again only for a practical purpose: to keep the ammunition on their shoulders. Tsar Alexander I returned the function of insignia to shoulder straps. However, they were not introduced in all types of troops, 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 a particular regiment. The number on the pursuit 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 stood for the first regiment, blue for the second, white for the third, and dark green for the fourth. Army (non-guard) grenadier units, as well as Akhtyrsky, Mitavsky hussars and Finland, Primorsky, Arkhangelsky, Astrakhan and Kinburn dragoons regiments were designated in yellow. To distinguish the lower ranks from the officers, the shoulder straps of the officers were first trimmed with gold or silver galloon, and a few years later epaulettes were introduced for the officers.

Since 1827, officers and generals began to be designated by the number of stars on their epaulets: ensigns had one star each; for second lieutenants, majors and major generals - two; for lieutenants, lieutenant colonels and lieutenant generals - three; the staff captains have four. There were no stars on the epaulettes of captains, colonels and full generals. In 1843, insignia were instituted on the shoulder straps of the lower ranks. Thus, the corporals had one stripe; for non-commissioned officers - two; senior non-commissioned officer - three. The sergeant major received a 2.5-centimeter-thick cross strip for shoulder straps, and the ensigns received exactly the same stripe, but located longitudinally.

Since 1854, instead of epaulets, shoulder straps were introduced for the officer corps, epaulettes were left only for ceremonial uniforms. From November 1855, shoulder straps for officers became hexagonal, and soldiers - pentagonal. Officer's shoulder straps were made by hand: pieces of gold and silver (less often) braid were sewn onto a colored base, from under which the shoulder strap shone through. The stars were sewn on, on the silver chase there were gold stars, on the gold chase there were silver ones of the same size (11 mm in diameter) for the entire officer corps and generals. The shoulder straps 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, grenadier formations were yellow, rifle units were crimson, etc. After that, 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 in the field. The field shoulder straps were khaki (khaki), the stars on them were metal oxidized, the gaps were indicated by dark brown or yellow stripes. However, this innovation was not popular among officers who considered such shoulder straps ugly.

It should also be noted that officials of some civilian departments, in particular, engineers, railroad 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 compounds.

On November 23, 1917, at a meeting of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, the Decree on the destruction of estates and civilian ranks was approved, along with them, shoulder straps were 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 the counter-revolutionary, white officers. The word "golden chase" has become a de facto abusive word. In the Red Army, servicemen were initially allocated only according to positions. 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 affiliation to the branch of the army. After the Civil War and until 1943, insignia in the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army remained in the form of collar tabs and sleeve chevrons.

In 1935, personal military ranks were established in the Red Army. Some of them corresponded to the royal ones - colonel, lieutenant colonel, captain. Others were taken from the ranks of the former Russian Imperial Navy - lieutenant and senior lieutenant. The ranks, which corresponded to the previous generals, were retained from the previous service categories - brigade commander (brigade commander), division commander (division commander), corps commander, 2nd and 1st rank army commander. The rank of major was restored, which was canceled even during the reign of Emperor Alexander III. Outwardly, the insignia practically did not change in comparison with 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 (it was distinguished by one kubar). On September 1, 1939, the rank of lieutenant colonel was introduced, now three sleepers corresponded to a lieutenant colonel, not a colonel. The colonel has now received four sleepers.

On May 7, 1940, the ranks of general were established. The Major General, as in the days of the Russian Empire, had two stars, but they were located not on the shoulder straps, but on the collar flaps. The Lieutenant General was awarded three stars. That was where the similarities with royal ranks ended - instead of a full general, the rank of colonel general followed the lieutenant general (he was taken from the German army), he had four stars. Next to Colonel General, General of the Army (borrowed from the 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 NKO 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 of February 15, 1943. On February 8, 1943, shoulder straps were instituted 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 epaulettes were similar to those of the tsars, but there were some differences. So, the officer's 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 lumen was a single whole with the shoulder strap field; color edging was introduced according to the type of troops; the stars on the shoulder straps were metal, silver and gold, they differed in size among senior and junior ranks; ranks were indicated by a different number of stars than in the imperial army; shoulder straps without stars were not restored. Soviet officer shoulder straps were 5 mm wider than tsarist ones and did not have encryption. The 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; the captain and the general of the army - four each. For junior officers, shoulder straps had one gap and from one to four silvered 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 asterisks were 18 mm in diameter.

The stripes for junior commanders were also restored. The corporal received one stripe, the junior sergeant - two, the sergeant - three. The senior sergeants received the former wide sergeant-sergeant's mark, and the foremen received the so-called. "hammer".

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 shoulder straps. For senior officers, the stars were originally attached not to the gaps, but to the galloon field nearby. Field shoulder straps were distinguished by a khaki-colored field with one or two gaps sewn to it. On three sides, shoulder straps had edging in the color of the type of troops. Clearances were introduced: for aviation - blue, for doctors, lawyers and quartermasters - brown, for everyone else - red. For everyday epaulettes, the field was made of galloon or golden silk. The silver galloon has been approved for the 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 gilded shoulder straps. Only veterinarians were an exception - they wore silver stars on silver shoulder straps. The width of the shoulder straps was 6 cm, and for officers of military justice, veterinary and medical services - 4 cm.The color of the shoulder straps depended on the type of troops (service): in the infantry - crimson, in aviation - blue, in cavalry - dark blue, in technical troops - black, doctors - green. All shoulder straps had one uniform gilded button with a star, with a sickle and a hammer in the center, in the Navy - a silver button with an anchor.

The shoulder straps of the generals, in contrast to the officers and soldiers, were hexagonal. The general's shoulder straps were gold with silver stars. The only exception were shoulder straps for generals of justice, medical and veterinary services. They received narrow silver shoulder straps 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 the army ones. However, the color of edging was determined: for officers of the ship, engineering (ship and coastal) services - black; for naval aviation and aviation engineering service - blue; quartermaster - crimson; for everyone else, including the justice officers, it is red. The command and ship staff had no emblems on their shoulder straps.

On January 6, 1943, the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR "On the introduction of new insignia for the personnel of the Red Army" was published. This document ordered the introduction of new insignia instead of the existing ones - shoulder straps for the personnel of the Red Army, as well as approve samples and descriptions of new insignia.
A quarter of a century after the revolution, the country's armed forces returned to their historical uniforms.

In the editorial material of the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper dated January 7, 1943, it was emphasized that “today the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR is being published on the introduction of new insignia - shoulder straps for the personnel of the Red Army. This event is an important event in the life of the army, because it is designed to further strengthen military discipline and military spirit. "

The central body of the People's Commissariat of Defense of the USSR reminded that "shoulder straps with clear and distinct outlines of insignia distinguish the Soviet commander and the Red Army soldier, emphasize the rank, military specialty and make it possible to further strengthen military discipline and smartness."
The main military newspaper of the country wrote on this day:
“We have first-class military equipment, and every day there will be more and more of it. The country sent its sons - loyal soldiers to the fronts, and the mighty force of the Soviet soldier became famous throughout the world.
The people have nominated from their midst cadres of commanders, cadres of the military intelligentsia - the bearers of everything heroic and noble that is in itself. Our soldiers and commanders in fierce battles with the enemy raised the honor of Russian weapons. The importance of the commander in the army is great. He has a primary role in battle, in the entire military life.
The role of the sovereign commander must be emphasized and strengthened in every possible way. This, in particular, will be facilitated by shoulder straps with their clear designations of service seniority. "
“Krasnaya Zvezda” reminded that “shoulder straps were a traditional decoration of the gallant Russian army. We, the legitimate heirs of Russian military glory, take from the arsenal of our fathers and grandfathers all the best that helped raise the military spirit and strengthen discipline. The introduction of shoulder straps once again confirms the glorious continuity of military traditions, which is so valuable for an army that loves its fatherland and values ​​its native history. Shoulder straps are not only a piece of clothing. This is a sign of military dignity and military honor. "
In the editorial material of the newspaper it was emphasized that “the content of the military uniform is determined by the fighting spirit of the troops, their glory, their moral strength, and their traditions. Putting on shoulder straps - new insignia and military honor - we will feel even more clearly the duty that lies with the army defending its homeland from the German fascist bands. The people will give the army these badges of honor, while demanding that the honor of the army be maintained on the battlefields. "
The article also recalled: “Our officers have been granted great rights by the people, but at the same time they have imposed great responsibilities on them. To fight selflessly for the homeland, always feel like an educator of the Red Army masses in everything, always and in everything to instill in the minds of his subordinates a feeling of love for the homeland, a correct understanding of his military duty - this is the duty of a Soviet officer.
The shoulder strap must constantly remind the commander of this duty. Wearing shoulder straps should instill in every soldier a sense of pride that he has the honor of being a member of the valiant Red Army, a sense of pride both for himself and for our entire army. "
“Krasnaya Zvezda” especially emphasized on this day: “We put on shoulder straps in the great and difficult time of the Patriotic War. Let us immortalize these signs of military distinction and military honor with new exploits for the glory of our fatherland and our heroic army! "

Everyone in epaulettes

The use of the words “officer” and “officers” in the editorial material of Krasnaya Zvezda is especially interesting. For the first time since 1917, the word "officer" appeared in the May Day order of the People's Commissar of Defense in 1942. This document noted that "the Red Army has become more organized and stronger, its officer cadres have become battle-hardened, and its generals have become more experienced and perspicacious."
However, the word "officer" was officially legalized in the second half of 1943.
Work on a new uniform and insignia was carried out even before the war. According to some reports, the first samples of uniforms and shoulder straps were developed back in 1941.
In the study "Uniforms of the Red Army and the Wehrmacht" by Pavel Lipatov, it is indicated that "new insignia and uniforms have been developed since the middle of 1942, taking as a basis the galloon and field shoulder straps of the Russian imperial army. They were looking for old masters, who once weaved gold patterned ribbons, revived a half-forgotten technology. Trial samples were cut - lush and archaic double-breasted dress uniforms-frock coats with gold embroidery and thick epaulettes ”.
Temporary technical conditions, in which there was a description of the emblems and insignia on the shoulder straps, were published on December 10, 1942.
According to Pavel Lipatov, the new uniform was originally supposed to be introduced only in the guards, but the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Comrade Stalin decided to put shoulder straps on everyone.
In the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, it was emphasized that insignia - shoulder straps - serve to determine the military rank and belonging of military personnel to a particular type of troops (service). According to the assigned military rank, belonging to the branch of troops (service), insignia (stars, gaps, stripes) and emblems are placed on the shoulder straps, and stencils indicating the name of the military unit are also placed on the daily shoulder straps of junior command personnel, rank-and-file personnel and cadets of military schools (connections).
As the researchers of the domestic military uniform note, in their shape the shoulder straps of the Red Army were similar to the shoulder straps adopted in the Russian army until 1917. They were a strip with parallel long sides, the lower end of the shoulder strap is rectangular, and the upper end is cut at an obtuse angle. In the shoulder straps of marshals and generals, the top of the obtuse corner is cut parallel to the lower edge.
For the first time in Russia, shoulder straps appeared under Peter the Great in 1696. But in those days they were not insignia and were intended to hold the straps of a cartridge or grenade bag on the shoulder of an ordinary soldier.
Then the infantrymen wore, respectively, only one shoulder strap on the left shoulder, the lower edge of which was sewn on, and the upper one was fastened to the caftan and later the uniform. In that era, shoulder straps were absent from officers, cavalrymen and artillerymen. In other words, they were not in those branches of the military in which there was no need for them.
Since 1762, shoulder straps have become insignia and determine the belonging of a soldier to a particular regiment. Under Paul I, shoulder straps again perform only one function - holding the belt of a cartridge bag, but in the reign of Alexander I they again become signs of distinction.
In the armed forces of Soviet Russia, shoulder straps were canceled on December 16, 1917.

Shoulder straps in the Red Army 1943, 1944, 1945

(on the example of shoulder straps of artillerymen)

On January 6, 1943, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (PVS) of the USSR "On the introduction of shoulder straps for the personnel of the Red Army" was signed, announced by the order of the NKO No. 24 dated January 10, 1943. Following it, on January 15, 1943, the order No. 25 "On the introduction of new insignia and on changes in the uniform of the Red Army" (). In it, in particular, it was determined that field shoulder straps are worn by servicemen in the active army and personnel of units prepared for sending to the front. Everyday shoulder straps are worn by servicemen of other units and institutions, as well as when wearing a dress uniform. That is, there were two types of shoulder straps in the Red Army: field and everyday. Differences were also introduced in shoulder straps for commanding and commanding personnel (see the regulations on commanding and commanding personnel), so that you can distinguish the commander from the chief.

It was ordered to switch to new insignia from February 1 to February 15, 1943. Later, by order of the NKO of the USSR No. 80 dated 02.14.1943, this period was extended until March 15, 1943. By the beginning of the transition to summer uniforms, the Red Army was fully provided with new insignia.

In addition to the above-mentioned directive documents, the Instruction of the Technical Committee of the Main Quartermaster Directorate of the Red Army (TC GIU KA) No. 732 on January 8, 1943 "Rules for the selection, fastening on uniform items and wearing epaulettes by the personnel of the Red Army" was later issued, as well as a number of technical specifications of the TC GIU KA. In addition, some technical documentation was adopted long before the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. So, for example, the Temporary Technical Conditions (VTU) TC GIU KA No. 0725, in which there was a description of the emblems and insignia (stars) on the shoulder straps, were published on December 10, 1942.

The dimensions of the shoulder straps were set:

• Null- 13 cm. (Only for women's clothing)
• First- 14 cm.
• Second- 15 cm.
• Third- 16 cm.
  The width is 6 cm, and the width of the shoulder straps of officers of justice, medical, veterinary and administrative services is 4 cm. The length of the sewn shoulder straps was set 1 cm longer for each size.
  The width of the general's shoulder straps is 6.5 cm. The width of the shoulder straps of the generals of medical, veterinary services and the highest beginning. composition of V.-yur. service - 4.5 cm

Varieties of field shoulder straps according to the manufacturing method:

• Soft sewn-in shoulder straps( ) consisted of a field (top), lining (lining), padding and edging.
• Soft removable shoulder straps( ), in addition to the above-mentioned details, had a half-strap, a lining of a half-strap and a jumper.
• Rigid removable shoulder straps( ) differed from soft ones in that during their manufacture, fabrics were glued and shoulder straps were glued with a paste consisting of 30% wheat flour and carpentry glue, as well as the presence of an additional gasket made of electrical cardboard - press board, jacquard or calibrated, 0.5 - 1 mm thick ...

- Colors of field and everyday shoulder straps of the Red Army -.

- Military ranks of the USSR Armed Forces 1935-1945 (table of ranks) -.

Shoulder straps of the junior command, commanding and rank-and-file personnel of the Red Army
(privates, sergeants and foremen)

FIELD RUNS: The field shoulder straps have always been khaki. The shoulder straps were edged (trimmed) along the edges, except for the bottom, with colored cloth edging according to the branches of the army or service. The stripes on the shoulder straps of the junior command and command staff were silk or semi-silk braid. The patches were produced in various sizes: narrow (1 cm wide), medium (1.5 cm wide) and wide (3 cm wide). The junior command staff was entitled to a burgundy lace, and the junior commanding staff - brown.

Ideally, stripes should have been sewn on shoulder straps in factories or in sewing workshops attached to military units. But often the servicemen themselves attached the stripes. In conditions of a frontline deficit, stripes made from scrap materials were often used. The use of everyday (golden or silver) stripes on field shoulder straps and vice versa was widespread.

Field shoulder straps were supposed to be worn without the emblems of the combat arms and stencils. On the shoulder straps, uniform iron 20-mm buttons of a khaki color with a star, in the center of which a sickle and a hammer, were placed.

This type of shoulder straps existed until December 1955, when double-sided shoulder straps were introduced. In the period from 1943 to 1955, the manufacturing technology of these shoulder straps changed several times. In particular, in 1947 and 1953 (TU 1947 and TU 1953)

Field shoulder straps of junior command personnel on the example of the senior sergeant of artillery. The patch (galloon) is sewn in the factory on a sewing machine. Iron buttons of a protective color.

EVERYDAY RUNS: Everyday shoulder straps of junior commanding officers, junior commanding officers and enlisted personnel were edged (trimmed) along the edges, except for the lower one, with colored cloth edging, and also had a field of colored cloth according to the type of troops. The stripes on the shoulder straps of the junior command and command staff were silk or semi-silk braid. The patches were produced in various sizes: narrow (1 cm wide), medium (1.5 cm wide) and wide (3 cm wide). The junior command staff was entitled to a golden-yellow galloon, and the junior commanding staff - silver.

Everyday shoulder straps were given golden emblems according to the type of troops and yellow stencils denoting a unit (unit). It should be noted that stencils were rarely used.

Uniform golden brass 20-mm buttons with a star, in the center of which a sickle and a hammer, were placed on the shoulder straps.

This type of shoulder straps existed until December 1955, when double-sided shoulder straps were introduced. In the period from 1943 to 1955, the manufacturing technology of these shoulder straps changed several times. In particular, in 1947 and 1953. In addition, since 1947, encryption has ceased to be applied to everyday shoulder straps.

Everyday shoulder straps of junior command personnel on the example of an artillery sergeant. The patch (braid) was sewn by the soldier himself. There are no ciphers, as on most shoulder straps. Buttons: top-brass (respectively yellow-golden color), bottom-iron.

Shoulder straps of senior and middle command and command personnel of the Red Army
(officers)

FIELD RUNS: The field shoulder straps have always been khaki. The shoulder straps were edged (trimmed) along the edges, except for the bottom, with colored cloth edging. One or two burgundy-colored gaps for the command staff and brown for the commanding staff were sewn on the shoulder strap. According to the assigned military rank, belonging to the branch of the army or service, insignia were placed on the shoulder straps.

On the shoulder straps of the middle command staff - one gap and silver-plated metal 13-mm sprockets.

On the shoulder straps of the senior command staff, there are two gaps and metal silver-plated 20-mm stars.

On the shoulder straps of the command personnel, in addition to the command personnel of the infantry, silver-plated emblems were installed according to the type of troops and service.

On the shoulder straps there are uniform metal 20-mm buttons of a khaki color with a star, in the center of which there is a sickle and a hammer.

Field shoulder straps of the middle command staff on the example of ml. lieutenant of artillery. The star denoting the title must be silver. In this case, the silvering has worn off.

EVERYDAY RUNS: The field of shoulder straps of the commanding staff of golden silk or golden galloon. The field of shoulder straps of the engineering and command staff, indentation, medical, veterinary, military-legal and administrative services - from silvery silk or silvery braid. The shoulder straps were edged (trimmed) along the edges, except for the bottom, with colored cloth edging. According to the assigned military rank, belonging to the branch of the army or service, insignia were placed on the shoulder straps.

On the shoulder straps of the middle command staff - one gap and metal golden 13-mm stars.

On the shoulder straps of the senior command staff there are two gaps and metal golden 20-mm stars.

On the shoulder straps of the command staff, in addition to the command staff of the infantry, golden emblems were installed according to the type of troops and service.

The emblems and asterisks on the shoulder straps of the engineering and command staff, the quartermaster, administrative and medical services are gilded. On the shoulder straps of the military veterinary staff, the stars are gilded, the emblems are silvered.

On the shoulder straps there are uniform golden 20-mm buttons with a star, in the center of which there is a sickle and a hammer.

The shoulder straps and insignia of the middle and senior command staff of the military legal service fully corresponded to the shoulder straps and insignia of the senior and middle command staff of the medical and veterinary services, but with their own emblems.

The shoulder straps of the military-administrative staff were exactly the same as the shoulder straps for the senior and middle commanding staff of the medical and veterinary services, but without the emblems.

These shoulder straps existed until the end of 1946, when the technical conditions of TU TK GIU VS No. 1486 dated October 9, 1946 for officers of the Armed Forces, shoulder straps with a cut off corner were installed, i.e. shoulder straps became hexagonal.

Everyday shoulder straps of the middle command staff on the example of the shoulder straps of an artillery captain. The button must be golden.

Shoulder straps of the highest command personnel of the Red Army
(generals, marshals)

FIELD RUNS: A field of shoulder straps made of silk braid of a special weaving on a cloth lining. The color of the shoulder straps is protective. The color of the edges of the epaulettes: generals of arms, generals of artillery, tank forces, medical and veterinary services, the highest beginning. the composition of the military legal service - red; aviation generals - blue; generals of the technical troops and the quartermaster service - crimson.

The stars on the shoulder straps were embroidered in 22 mm silver. On the shoulder straps of generals of the medical, veterinary service and the highest beginning. the composition of the military legal service - gold, 20 mm in size. Buttons on shoulder straps with a coat of arms are gilded. On the shoulder straps of generals honey. services - gilded metal emblems; on the shoulder straps of generals blows. services - the same emblems, but silvered; on shoulder straps of the highest beginning. the composition of the v. legal service - gilded metal emblems.

By order of the NKO of the USSR No. 79 dated 02.14.1943, shoulder straps were installed, incl. and for the highest engineering and technical personnel of the signal troops, engineering, chemical, railway, topographic troops, - to the generals of the engineering and technical service, according to the model established by the generals of the technical troops. With this order, the highest beginning. the composition of the military legal service began to be called generals of justice.

EVERYDAY CHAINS: A field of shoulder straps from a galloon of a special weaving: from a golden drag. And for generals of medical and veterinary services, higher beginning. the composition of the military legal service - from a silver drag. The color of the edges of the epaulettes: generals of arms, generals of artillery, tank forces, medical and veterinary services, the highest beginning. the composition of the military legal service - red; aviation generals - blue; generals of the technical troops and the quartermaster service - crimson.

The stars on the shoulder straps were embroidered on the gold field - in silver, on the silver field - in gold. Buttons on shoulder straps with a coat of arms are gilded. On the shoulder straps of generals honey. services - gilded metal emblems; on the shoulder straps of generals blows. services - the same emblems, but silvered; on shoulder straps of the highest beginning. the composition of the v. legal service - gilded metal emblems.

By order of the NKO of the USSR No. 61 of 02/08/1943, generals of artillery were set to wear silver emblems on their shoulder straps.

By order of the NKO of the USSR No. 79 dated 02.14.1943, shoulder straps were installed, incl. and for the highest engineering and technical personnel of the signal troops, engineering, chemical, railway, topographic troops, - to the generals of the engineering and technical service, according to the model established by the generals of the technical troops. Probably with this order, the highest beginning. the composition of the military legal service began to be called generals of justice.

These shoulder straps existed without fundamental changes until 1962, when by order of the USSR Ministry of Defense No. 127 of May 12, sewn-on shoulder straps with a steel-colored field were installed on the generals' ceremonial overcoats.

An example of everyday and field shoulder straps of generals. Artillery generals from 8.02.1943 additionally had artillery emblems on their shoulder straps.

Literature:

• Uniform and insignia of the red army 1918-1945 AIM, Leningrad 1960
• Shoulder straps of the Soviet Army 1943-1991 Evgeny Drig.
• Color table for field and everyday shoulder straps of the Red Army ()
• The newspaper "Krasnaya Zvezda" dated January 7, 1943 ()
• Article by Alexander Sorokin "Field shoulder straps of soldiers, sergeants and officers of the Red Army, model 1943"
• Website - http://www.rkka.ru

article ID: 98653

70 years ago, shoulder straps were introduced in the Soviet Union for the personnel of the Soviet Army. 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 in the Russian army appeared 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 the strap of a gun or a cartridge pouch from slipping off the shoulder. Therefore, the shoulder strap was an attribute of the uniforms of only the lower ranks, since the officers did not arm themselves with guns. In 1762, an attempt was made to use shoulder straps as a means of separating servicemen from different regiments and separating soldiers and officers. To solve this problem, each regiment was given shoulder straps of various weaving from a yarn cord, and to separate soldiers and officers, the weaving of shoulder straps in the same regiment was different. However, since there was no single sample, the shoulder straps performed the task of insignia badly.

Under Tsar Pavel Petrovich, only soldiers began to wear epaulets again, and again only for a practical purpose: to keep the ammunition on their shoulders. Tsar Alexander I returned the function of insignia to shoulder straps. However, they were not introduced in all types of troops, 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 a particular regiment. The number on the pursuit 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 stood for the first regiment, blue for the second, white for the third, and dark green for the fourth. Army (non-guard) grenadier units, as well as Akhtyrsky, Mitavsky hussars and Finland, Primorsky, Arkhangelsky, Astrakhan and Kinburn dragoons regiments were designated in yellow. To distinguish the lower ranks from the officers, the shoulder straps of the officers were first trimmed with gold or silver galloon, and a few years later epaulettes were introduced for the officers.

Since 1827, officers and generals began to be designated by the number of stars on their epaulets: ensigns had one star each; for second lieutenants, majors and major generals - two; for lieutenants, lieutenant colonels and lieutenant generals - three; the staff captains have four. There were no stars on the epaulettes of captains, colonels and full generals. In 1843, insignia were instituted on the shoulder straps of the lower ranks. Thus, the corporals had one stripe; for non-commissioned officers - two; senior non-commissioned officer - three. The sergeant major received a 2.5-centimeter-wide cross strip for shoulder straps, and the ensigns received the exact same stripe, but located longitudinally.

Since 1854, instead of epaulets, shoulder straps were introduced for the officer corps, epaulettes were left only for ceremonial uniforms. From November 1855, shoulder straps for officers became hexagonal, and soldiers - pentagonal. Officer's shoulder straps were made by hand: pieces of gold and silver (less often) braid were sewn onto a colored base, from under which the shoulder strap shone through. The stars were sewn on, on the silver chase there were gold stars, on the gold chase there were silver ones of the same size (11 mm in diameter) for the entire officer corps and generals. The shoulder straps 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, grenadier formations were yellow, rifle units were crimson, etc. After that, 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 in the field. The field shoulder straps were khaki (khaki), the stars on them were metal oxidized, the gaps were indicated by dark brown or yellow stripes. However, this innovation was not popular among officers who considered such shoulder straps ugly.

It should also be noted that officials of some civilian departments, in particular, engineers, railroad 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 compounds.

On November 23, 1917, at a meeting of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, the Decree on the destruction of estates and civilian ranks was approved, along with them, shoulder straps were 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 the counter-revolutionary, white officers. The word "golden chase" has become a de facto abusive word. In the Red Army, servicemen were initially allocated only according to positions. 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 affiliation to the branch of the army. After the Civil War and until 1943, insignia in the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army remained in the form of collar tabs and sleeve chevrons.

In 1935, personal military ranks were established in the Red Army. Some of them corresponded to the royal ones - colonel, lieutenant colonel, captain. Others were taken from the ranks of the former Russian Imperial Navy - lieutenant and senior lieutenant. The ranks, which corresponded to the previous generals, were retained from the previous service categories - brigade commander (brigade commander), division commander (division commander), corps commander, 2nd and 1st rank army commander. The rank of major was restored, which was canceled even during the reign of Emperor Alexander III. Outwardly, the insignia practically did not change in comparison with 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 (it was distinguished by one kubar). On September 1, 1939, the rank of lieutenant colonel was introduced, now three sleepers corresponded to a lieutenant colonel, not a colonel. The colonel has now received four sleepers.

On May 7, 1940, the ranks of general were established. The Major General, as in the days of the Russian Empire, had two stars, but they were located not on the shoulder straps, but on the collar flaps. The Lieutenant General was awarded three stars. That was where the similarities with royal ranks ended - instead of a full general, the rank of colonel general followed the lieutenant general (he was taken from the German army), he had four stars. Next to Colonel General, General of the Army (borrowed from the 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 NKO 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 of February 15, 1943. On February 8, 1943, shoulder straps were instituted 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 epaulettes were similar to those of the tsars, but there were some differences. So, the officer's 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 lumen was a single whole with the shoulder strap field; color edging was introduced according to the type of troops; the stars on the shoulder straps were metal, silver and gold, they differed in size among senior and junior ranks; ranks were indicated by a different number of stars than in the imperial army; shoulder straps without stars were not restored. Soviet officer shoulder straps were 5 mm wider than tsarist ones and did not have encryption. The 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; the captain and the general of the army — four each. For junior officers, shoulder straps had one gap and from one to four silvered 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 asterisks were 18 mm in diameter.

The stripes for junior commanders were also restored. The corporal received one stripe, the junior sergeant - two, the sergeant - three. The senior sergeants received the former wide sergeant-sergeant's mark, and the foremen received the so-called. "hammer".

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 shoulder straps. For senior officers, the stars were originally attached not to the gaps, but to the galloon field nearby. Field shoulder straps were distinguished by a khaki-colored field with one or two gaps sewn to it. On three sides, shoulder straps had edging in the color of the type of troops. Clearances were introduced: for aviation - blue, for doctors, lawyers and quartermasters - brown, for everyone else - red. For everyday epaulettes, the field was made of galloon or golden silk. The silver galloon has been approved for the 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 gilded shoulder straps. Only veterinarians were an exception - they wore silver stars on silver shoulder straps. The width of the shoulder straps was 6 cm, and for officers of military justice, veterinary and medical services - 4 cm.The color of the shoulder straps depended on the type of troops (service): in the infantry - crimson, in aviation - blue, in cavalry - dark blue, in technical troops - black, doctors - green. All shoulder straps had one uniform gilded button with a star, with a sickle and a hammer in the center, in the Navy - a silver button with an anchor.

The shoulder straps of the generals, in contrast to the officers and soldiers, were hexagonal. The general's shoulder straps were gold with silver stars. The only exception were shoulder straps for generals of justice, medical and veterinary services. They received narrow silver shoulder straps 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 the army ones. However, the color of edging was determined: for officers of the ship, engineering (ship and coastal) services - black; for naval aviation and aviation engineering service - blue; quartermaster - crimson; for everyone else, including the justice officers, it is red. The command and ship staff had no emblems on their 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. Install the wearing of shoulder straps:

Field - by servicemen in the army in the field and personnel of units prepared for sending to the front,

Everyday - by the servicemen of the rest of the units and institutions of the Red Army, as well as when wearing ceremonial uniforms.

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

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

4. Introduce 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 the uniform, in accordance with the current terms and norms of supply.

6. Unit commanders and chiefs of garrisons strictly monitor the observance of uniforms and the correct wearing of new insignia.

People's Commissar of Defense

I. Stalin.

On January 6, 1943, new insignia were introduced in the Red Army, or rather, they did not introduce, but returned the shoulder straps, canceled in 1917. The traditional royal shoulder straps were taken as a basis, but let's leave these details to fashion historians - we are interested in something else today. Why did they bother with this whole vegetable garden with reformatting the military uniform at a time when every penny was counted?

And this is by no means an idle question, because only 25 years ago these same shoulder straps were canceled "forever" and were not canceled from the bay. Shoulder straps were banned in order to establish equality between soldiers and officers - in fact, the word "officer" was also essentially banned. For more than 20 years there were no officers, but commanders. And then everything was returned back - why?

In the central newspapers of that time, many articles were devoted to the "promotion" of this event. Formally, the main reason for the introduction of new insignia was " strengthening discipline and unity of command". Moreover," graceful "attempts were constantly made to combine civil equality and a strict system of power-subordination - something like" freedom is a conscious need to obey superior commanders“On the whole, of course, the problem of one-man command was, given that the whole country had turned into a military camp. It was necessary to somehow reformat the civilian population to fit the realities of wartime.

However, as an experienced conspiracy theorist, it seemed strange and suspicious to me that only a third of the “airtime” is devoted to the “promotion” of the alleged main reason for the innovations. The bulk of the arguments went to the formation of continuity between the Russian and the Red Army, starting as early as Peter the Great.

At first glance, the message is simple - "we are the legitimate successors" of the heroic Kutuzov and Suvorov, and not the reactionary Kolchak and Denikin, so we seem to be able to wear epaulettes now. However, it seems to me that the real message is a little deeper.

The fact is that by the end of 1942 the forces of the USSR were exhausted to the limit, any careless "movement" could put the country on the brink of disaster - in fact, in the famous order No. 227 " No step back!"This is stated in plain text. The motivation for mobilization and defense among the Soviet people in these conditions naturally fell, and decadent sentiments grew.

On the other hand, Hitler's propaganda worked quite successfully with the thesis - " we are fighting not against Russians, but against communists and Jews "... And in fact, our country was not a socially homogeneous organism that would, as one, support the Soviet regime under any conditions. therefore, apparently, it was decided to consolidate the people not only on the basis of the communist idea, but also on the basis of the national Russian idea.

Moreover, the communist idea during the war gave a blunder in the context that its thesis that - " The working class does not fight against the working class " failed miserably. It turned out that the German working class is not just fighting, but is also carrying out direct genocide of our working class.

Thus, the "shoulder straps" were supposed to unite the entire population of the country, regardless of internal political differences based on the thesis " Russians against Germans "... Accordingly, this message was supposed to reach the inhabitants of the occupied territories.

Goebbels' ministry quickly figured out where the wind was blowing, and immediately there were "replies" like this.

There are many theories that Stalin planned to return various attributes of the Empire before the war, but what happened happened. And yes, the return of the Patriarchate in 1943, of course, "hit the same gates" as the shoulder straps - it was necessary to consolidate the country, divided along religious lines.

P.S. You ask - why did I go into old newspapers? And the fact is that I am preparing sensational material on the Battle of Stalingrad. It will be Shock. Soon.