I. Ilyukhin

The army is the armed organization of the state. Consequently, the main difference between the army and other government organizations is that it is armed, that is, to perform its functions it has a complex of different types of weapons and means that ensure their use. The Russian army in 1812 was armed with bladed weapons and firearms, as well as defensive weapons. Melee weapons, the combat use of which is not associated with the use of explosives (for the period under review - gunpowder), included weapons of various designs, the action of which is based on the application of the muscular efforts of the warrior. According to the nature of the impact, it was divided into impact (available only in irregular troops in the form of a mace, pole, etc.), piercing (bayonet, sword, dirk, pike, etc.), chopping (for example, a militia ax and a partisan’s scythe), as well as piercing-cutting or chopping-piercing, depending on the predominance of one or another quality (dagger, cleaver, broadsword, saber and the like). Metal weapons also belonged to cold weapons, some types of which (bow, sulitsa, dart) were still preserved in some militia formations (Bashkir, Kalmyk, etc.).

A firearm, in which the pressure force of gases generated during the combustion of gunpowder is used to eject a projectile or bullet from the barrel, consists of means of direct destruction (cannonball, grenade, buckshot, bomb, bullet and other projectiles) and means of throwing them to the target, connected in a single design (cannon, howitzer, unicorn, mortar, shotgun, pistol, etc.). Firearms in 1812 were divided into artillery and small arms. The main design element of this weapon was the barrel, which is why it is called a barrel firearm. Artillery weapons were intended to hit various targets at considerable distances (up to 2000 m) and were in service with the ground forces (foot, horse, fortress and siege artillery) and the navy (naval artillery).

All types of troops (infantry, cavalry, artillerymen, sappers and sailors) were armed with small arms for close combat against open targets. It included not only service weapons specially created for regular troops (infantry rifle, Jaeger rifle, blunderbuss, pistol, etc.), but also hunting and even dueling weapons, which were often used by militias and partisans. The production of small arms was carried out by Tula; Sestroretsk and Izhevsk factories, which from 1810 to 1814 produced and restored more than 624 thousand guns, fittings and pistols. At the St. Petersburg, Moscow and Kiev arsenals in 1812, about 152 thousand small arms were repaired. By the beginning of 1812, 375,563 guns were stored in factories and arsenals; by June 1812, 350,576 were sent to the troops. In the very first days of the war, the remaining stock was entirely used for the needs of the army. Artillery guns were manufactured by the workshops of the St. Petersburg and Bryansk arsenals, and restored at the Kiev arsenal. This production base fully met the needs of field artillery during the Patriotic War.
Defensive weapons include all means of protecting a warrior in battle. By 1812, due to the significant development of the combat capabilities of firearms, defensive weapons retained the ability to withstand the effects of only edged weapons (for example, a cuirass as part of a knight's armor). In certain cases, a cuirass, the thickness of which was increased to 3.5 mm, was able to protect against a rifle or pistol bullet. However, such a cuirass weighing up to 10 kg significantly hindered the warrior’s actions, reduced maneuverability and speed of movement, and therefore was preserved only in the cavalry (cuirassiers). 8 had a lesser degree of protective ability helmet made of patent leather with a horsehair crest for cuirassiers, dragoons and horse artillery.
Weapons served not only as a means of armed struggle, but also as a form of reward for military exploits. At the same time, its details were covered with gold, decorated with precious stones or gold laurel leaves (laurels). However, because of this, it did not lose its combat properties at that time. One of the most common officer awards in 1812 was a gold (that is, with a gilded hilt) saber or sword with an embossed inscription on the protective cup or bow “For bravery.” This award was equivalent to an order, but for junior officers, as a rule, it was primary. For their exploits in the Patriotic War, more than a thousand people were awarded golden weapons “For Bravery” and, in addition, 62 generals were awarded golden weapons with diamonds, diamonds and laurels. Often, personal inscriptions were placed on the general's award swords (sabers) indicating for what feat the bladed weapon was awarded.
By 1812, a strictly regulated award system had developed in Russia, which included certain types of awards (weapons, orders, portraits of reigning persons, medals, signs). However, this system had a pronounced class character, since it was forbidden to nominate burghers and “persons of the rural class” for awards. The established seniority of orders determined the sequence of awarding them. Seniority also determined the order of wearing orders on various types of uniforms. Individual awards, in addition to golden weapons and orders, which were awarded only to officers, included medals for participation in the battles of 1812-J814, awarded to soldiers, militias, partisans and priests, as well as nobles, merchants and artisans for donations and selfless work in the name of victory. Every medal worn on a corresponding order ribbon or on a combination of several order ribbons. There is a known case when copper crosses from the headdresses of militias were used as a temporary reward for courageous peasants.
There were many collective awards in the Russian army - these are St. George's banners, standards and trumpets with the inscription "For distinction in the defeat and expulsion of the enemy from the borders of Russia in 1812", these are silver trumpets, and gold officer's buttonholes, and badges "For Distinction" on uniform hats, and the right to march to a special "grenadier" drum the battle, and classifying the army regiments as guards, and the rangers as grenadiers, and assigning honorary names to the regiments - the names of the heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812. Some of the listed awards became elements of uniforms and equipment.
A. A. Smirnov

Artist O. Parkhaev

In 1812, the small arms of the Russian army were not uniform. Despite the fact that since 1809 a single caliber of 17.78 mm was established for smooth-bore flintlock guns, by the beginning of the war the infantry and foot artillery were armed with Russian and foreign guns of 28 different calibers (from 12.7 to 21.91 mm). The 1808 model infantry rifle with a triangular bayonet (2) was the best domestic rifle of this type. It had a smooth barrel with a caliber of 17.78 mm and a length of 114 cm, a percussion flintlock, a wooden stock and a metal device. Its weight (without bayonet) is 4.47 kg, length 145.8 cm (with bayonet 183 cm). The maximum firing range is 300 steps, the average rate of fire is a shot per minute (some virtuoso shooters fired up to six bullets per minute without aiming). The Jaeger regiments still used the 1805 model fitting with a dirk (1), which was canceled in 1808. They were armed with non-commissioned officers and the best shooters (12 people from each company). The Jaeger fitting had a faceted barrel with 8 grooves, a length of 66 cm, a caliber of 16.51 cm. The weight of the fitting (without a cutlass) was 4.09 kg, the total length with a cutlass was 153.7 cm. In terms of range, it was three times superior to a smoothbore gun, but inferior to it in rate of fire (shot in three minutes). In the cuirassier, dragoon and lancer regiments, 16 people of each squadron were armed with a cavalry rifle of the 803 model (3). Its weight is 2.65 kg, caliber 16.51 mm, barrel length 32.26 cm. The hussar regiments have blunderbusses (4) and carbines were also left with only 16 people from the squadron. Cavalrymen, horse artillerymen, pioneers and officers of all branches of the military had pistols of various types (5), most often models of 17.78 mm caliber with a smooth barrel 26-26.5 cm long. The range of these weapons did not exceed 30 steps.

The percussion flintlock was used in small arms from the Napoleonic Wars era as a mechanism for igniting the charge in the barrel. It was attached to the gun with two locking screws through the stock. All its parts were mounted on a key board. On its upper edge in the middle there is a shelf (2) for priming powder, located opposite the priming hole of the barrel. Above the shelf, a flint (3) is mounted on a transverse screw, opposite which a trigger (1) is placed, mounted on a transverse axis passing through the key board. A flint is inserted into the trigger, clamped with two jaws. Behind it on the board there is a safety hook in the form of a hook that protects the trigger from accidental decocking. On the inside of the board there is a mainspring (4), which serves to move the trigger forward. With one, often long, end it rests on the ankle - a semicircular steel part with two hooks that provide safety and combat cocking of the trigger. The trigger is stopped by a sear, one end of which - the release - is perpendicular to the lock board and comes into contact with the trigger, located outside the lock, below the stock. When the trigger is pulled back, the sear enters the first hook, providing a safety cock, and after loading the gun, the trigger is pulled back a little more, and the sear enters the second hook, keeping the hammer cocked. To fire, you must pull the trigger. In this case, the end of the sear will go down and come out of the firing hook, and the ankle, under the action of the mainspring, will turn sharply and push the trigger forward. He will forcefully hit the flint with flint, which will recoil from the impact, and the sparks generated when the flint hits the steel plate will ignite the gunpowder on the seed shelf. The fire through the seed will ignite the main charge of gunpowder in the barrel.

The combat bladed weapon of officers and generals of the Russian infantry, foot artillery and engineering troops was the infantry sword of the 1798 model (1) with a single-edged straight blade 86 cm long and 3.2 cm wide. The total length of the sword is 97 cm, weight (in sheath) 1, 3 kg. The hilt consisted of a wooden handle with a head and a metal guard wrapped in twisted wire. Privates and non-commissioned officers of the foot forces had a cleaver model 1807 (2 and 3) in a leather sheath, worn on an elk sling over the right shoulder, as a cutting and piercing bladed weapon. It consisted of a single-edged blade 61 cm long, 3.2 cm wide and a copper hilt. Its total length is 78 cm, weight up to 1.2 kg. A lanyard formed from braid and a brush consisting of a nut, a wooden trynchik (colored ring), a neck and a fringe was tied to the handle of the hilt under the head. The braid and fringe in the infantry were white, and the remaining details of the lanyard were colored to indicate company and battalion distinctions. The Russian foot soldier kept ammunition for his gun in a cartridge bag (4-6), worn on a 6.7 cm wide elk sling over his left shoulder. The black leather bag contained 60 paper cartridges, each of them had a lead bullet weighing 23.8 g (for a gun of the 1808 model) and a powder charge (9.9 g) inside. On the rectangular lid of the cartridge pouch was attached a plaque made of yellow copper (for the pioneers - from tinplate), which differed in shape in different branches and types of troops. Thus, the Guards heavy infantry had a badge with St. Andrew's Star (4), the grenadiers had a badge in the form of a grenade with three flaming lights (6), and the army rangers had copper numbers corresponding to the regiment number.

The Russian heavy cavalry in 1812 had several types of broadswords with single-edged blades as combat melee weapons. Among the dragoons, the most common broadsword was the 1806 model (1), carried in a wooden sheath covered with leather, with a metal device. Blade length 89 cm, width up to 38 mm, total length (with hilt, in sheath) 102 cm, weight 1.65 kg. In addition to this sample, older models from the end of the 15th century were also used, as well as “Tsar’s” (Austrian) broadswords issued in 1811 to some dragoon regiments from the Kyiv and Moscow arsenals.
The cuirassiers were armed with army and guards broadswords of the 1798, 1802 (cavalry guard) and 1810 models with steel scabbards and two rings for the belt belts. The broadsword of 1798 (3) consisted of a blade 90 cm long, about 4 cm wide and a hilt that had a guard with a cup and four protective bows and a head in the form of a bird's head. The total length of the broadsword is 107 cm, weight 2.1 kg. The 1810 cuirassier broadsword (2) differed from the previous sample in its greater length (111 cm, including a 97 cm blade) and the shape of the hilt.
In the Russian light cavalry of the Napoleonic wars, two types of sabers were used - 1798 and 1809. The saber of the first model (4) was usually worn in a wooden sheath, covered with leather, with a metal slotted device that covered almost the entire surface of the sheath (there could also be a steel sheath). The total length of the saber is about a meter, the blade length is 87 cm, the width is up to 4.1 cm and the curvature is on average 6.5/37 cm. The saber of the 1809 model (5) by 1812 almost replaced the previous model. It had a blade 88 cm long, up to 3.6 cm wide with an average curvature of 7/36.5 cm. Its total length was 103 cm, weight (in a steel sheath) 1.9 kg.

The pikes used by the Russian light cavalry in 1812-1814 were very diverse. This was especially true for the Cossack peaks, which did not have regulated models. The dimensions of the steel combat tip, the length and diameter of the shaft of the Cossack pikes were arbitrary, they had only one characteristic feature - there was no inflow or veins at the combat tip (2-4). In 1812, cavalry regiments of the provincial militia were also armed with similar weapons (1); in other cases, they received pikes preserved from the zemstvo militia of 1807 (7).
Since 1806, the Uhlans were armed with a cavalry pike (5 and 6), which differed from the Cossack one in having a longer combat tip (12.2 cm) with a tube and long veins. In addition, it had a blunt underflow. Its shaft was thinner than that of a Cossack pike, and was painted in black color. The total length of the Uhlan pike was on average 2.8-2.85 m. A fabric badge was attached to the pike - a weather vane, by the color of which one could identify a particular Uhlan regiment, and within the regiment - a battalion. During an attack on horseback, the weather vanes on the peaks lowered “for battle” whistled piercingly and hummed in the oncoming air streams, exerting a psychic effect on the enemy. Until the summer of 1812, the riders of the first rank of eight army hussar regiments were armed with lances of the Ulan type, but without weathervanes. Thus, almost all of the Russian light cavalry during the Patriotic War was lance-carrying, surpassing Napoleon’s cavalry in this type of weapon.

In 1802-1811, Russian cuirassiers did not wear cuirass, and only on January 1, 1812, a decree was issued on the production of this safety equipment for them. By July 1812, all cuirassier regiments received a new type of cuirass, made of iron and covered with black paint (1). The cuirass consisted of two halves - the chest and the back, fastened with two belts with copper tips, riveted to the back half at the shoulders and fastened on the chest with two copper buttons. The rank and file have these helpers belts had iron scales, while the officers had copper scales. The edges of the cuirass were lined with red cord, and the inside was lined with white canvas lined with cotton wool. Cuirass height 47 cm, chest width 44 cm, back 40 cm, weight 8-9 kg. The cuirass protected the rider's body from blows and thrusts from bladed weapons, as well as from bullets fired from a distance of more than 50 steps.
Cuirassier trumpeters had copper pipes and wore them on a silver cord mixed with black and orange threads (2). The award trumpets of St. George, which were available in some regiments, were silver, with the image of the cross of the Military Order of St. George and decorated with the St. George ribbon with silver tassels (3). The cuirassier kept ammunition for small arms in a black leather bag - a small bag (for 30 rounds). A badge was attached to its lid: in the guards regiments in the form of St. Andrew's Star (4), and in most army regiments - a round copper one, with the image of a double-headed eagle (5).

The 1808 model helmet, worn by Russian dragoons and cuirassiers during World War II, was made of black patent leather. It has two leather visors, the front one is edged with a copper rim. Crown height helmets was 22-26 cm, a leather crest was attached to it on top, rising 10 cm in front. On the front of the crown there was a copper forehead with a stamped coat of arms: in the army dragoon regiments it was a double-headed eagle (1), in the Life Guards Dragoon Regiment - a star Order of St. Andrew the First-Called (3). On the ridge helmets a plume of black horsehair was attached. The trumpeters had it red(2). On the sides helmets- fasteners in the form of belts with sewn copper scales.
The dragoon's horse gear (4) consisted of a black Hungarian saddle with bushmats of a black belt device. The dark green cloth saddle pad (over the saddle) had rounded edges, its trim, edging and monograms in the rear corners were regimental color. The length and width of the saddle pad (at the back) are 111 cm. Attached to the saddle are a suitcase made of gray cloth 59 cm long, 22.25 cm wide, a dragoon bevel gun, a canvas bag and a water-bearing flask .

Russian hussars were girded with a sash (1), which was a mesh of colored cords with interceptions of a different color. In addition to the sash, the hussars wore a belt made of red yuft on their belts, from which a saber was suspended from two belts, and a hussar tashka from the other three. The tashka was a leather pocket, covered on the outside with cloth of a certain color, with the monogram of Alexander I sewn on it, a stripe and piping of a different color. Thus, in the Belorussian, Izyum and Sumy hussar regiments, the tashka was covered with red cloth and had a white lining (3); the Life Hussars had a special type of lining (2).
Ordinary hussars stored ammunition for small arms in a red leather bag (for 20 rounds), which they wore on a red belt (5) over the left shoulder. A pantaler was worn over the sling (a sling to which the carbine or blunderbuss). Hussar officers had metal lids, silvered or gilded, with the image of an eagle. In the Life Guards Hussar Regiment, the officer's chest had a lid covered with blue morocco, with a gilded plaque in the shape of St. Andrew's Star (4).

The Cossacks' combat headdress in 1812 was a cap made of black lamb fur, 22.25 cm high, with a colored cloth top (an overlap on the right side in the form of a tongue) and a white (yellow for the Life Cossacks) etiquette of the infantry type (1 and 2). On the left, the cap was decorated with a tall plume of white horsehair. During the campaign, however, most Cossacks wore cloth caps or hats unshaped samples.
The ammunition of the Cossack troops was very diverse. Along with black (the Life Cossacks had white) baldrics and pantalers (3), they used Asian equipment: narrow belts with a metal set, as well as silk or wool laces and braid. Horse attire (4) consisted of a Cossack saddle (with a higher pommel and cushion), a harness and a dark blue cloth saddle with a colored border. A suitcase, a bag, a sheepskin coat twisted into a roll, and a long rope (lasso) were tied to the saddle.

In 1812, Cossack troops (with the exception of the Guards Cossacks) were, as a rule, armed with unregulated sabers (1). Along with the light cavalry saber of the 1809 model, various domestic models of the 18th century were used, as well as all kinds of Asian, Hungarian, Polish and other foreign types of sabers. They were worn in a wooden sheath, covered with leather, with a copper or iron device. Charges and bullets for firearms Cossack kept in a leather little bottle (3), worn on a black sash, to which the metal monogram of Alexander I in a wreath and a chain were attached to the front. The officers of the Life Guards Cossack Regiment had a baldric made of red yuft, sewn with silver thread on the outside, and on the lid of the canopy there was a silver eight-pointed star (2).

Soldiers of the engineering troops in 1812 were armed with a sapper cleaver model 1797 (1), consisting of a steel, slightly curved blade (length 50 cm, width up to 8.5 cm) with a butt in the form saws(the number of teeth reached 49) and the hilt, which consisted of a wooden handle and an iron cross with upward-curved ends. The total length of the cleaver is about 70 cm, weight up to 1.9 kg. The scabbard is wooden, covered with leather, with a metal device. Such a cleaver could be used simultaneously as a military weapon and an entrenchment tool. For various excavation, construction and procurement work in the Russian army they used: an iron entrenching shovel with a shaft 71 cm long and a blade 23x29 cm (3), an ax on an ax handle 73 cm long (7) and a pickaxe (5). Each infantry company was provided with ten shovels, twenty axes and five picks. The pioneer regiments used Sapper shovel(6), crowbar (4) and ax with hook (2). With the help of entrenching tools, Russian troops in 1812 erected earthen fortifications of the Drissa camp, redoubts, flashes and lunettes of the Borodino position and many other defensive structures.

By order of the War Ministry of January 26, 1808, special sewing in the form of golden oak branches was introduced on collars and cuffs of generals' uniforms. The same sewing was placed on the cuff flaps and on the horizontal pocket flaps at the back waist seam. It was stipulated that collars, cuffs, tails and lining of general's uniforms are made of scarlet cloth, and the uniforms themselves, cuff flaps and pocket flaps are sewn from dark green cloth, like most Russian military uniforms. The distinction of the rank of general was also epaulets, introduced by order of September 17, 1807. They were made from gold thread and yarn on a red cloth base. The round fields of the epaulettes were woven with a double row of twisted gold rope: the row running along the inner contour of the epaulette field was about 6.5 mm thick, and the outer row was made of a rope about 13 mm thick. Along the edges of the epaulette fields hung a fringe made of a thick cord, and the edges of the epaulette flaps were trimmed with gold braid. The same epaulets generals wore it on their everyday uniforms, as well as on regimental uniforms, if they were assigned to one or another, most often guards, regiments.
Uniforms with general's embroidery were supposed to be worn while in the ranks, at parades and reviews of troops. The same general embroidery, but in silver, was adopted by 1812 to be worn on the uniforms of garrison service generals and on the checkmen of the generals of the Don Cossack Army.

In 1812, headquarters and chief officers of the Russian army and navy wore epaulets, introduced in 1807. The flaps of the epaulettes were trimmed with narrow braid the color of a metal device, and the fields were braided with a double row of twisted cord (1). The epaulette fields of officers who served in the artillery and pioneer companies had at the edges one strand about 19 mm thick, wrapped in metal foil and thin mesh (2). Staff officers (majors, lieutenant colonels, colonels) had a 6-6.5 mm thick fringe hanging down the edges of their epaulettes (3). The epaulettes of officers serving in the Guard, army cavalry regiments, quartermaster service and field engineering teams were gold or silver. Epaulettes officers of army infantry regiments, foot and horse artillery, and pioneer companies had cloth tops for flaps and brims. Epaulettes field artillery officers were made of red cloth, braids and plaits were made of gold, and on the epaulette field the number and letter of the company were sewn from golden cord. Pioneer officers' braids, plaits and cords from which the regimental number was sewn were silver. For officers of the grenadier regiments, the top of the epaulette was made of red cloth with gold braid and cords, and on the brim of the epaulette the capital letter of the name of the regiment was sewn from thin cord. In the first regiments of the infantry divisions, the top of the epaulette was made of red cloth, in the second - from white, in the third - from yellow, in the fourth - from dark green with red piping, and on the epaulette fields the number of the division to which it belonged was sewn from golden cord. the regiment entered.
The burrs on the shakos of the chief officers were made of silver thread (4), and those of the staff officers were embroidered with silver sequins (5).

By 1812, there was a clear regulation of the signs worn on the front of the shakos in the guards and army regiments. In the regiments of the Guards infantry - Preobrazhensky, Semenovsky, Izmailovsky, Yegersky and Finlyandsky - they wore a sign on their shakos in the form of a double-headed eagle with a laurel wreath in the right paw and with a torch and lightning bolts in the left. On the eagle's chest - shield with the image of St. George (1). These signs were introduced on April 16, 1808. The same signs were given to the Life Guards Hussar Regiment. In the Life Guards Lithuanian Regiment, the signs were of the same type, but on. Instead of St. George's shield, a Lithuanian horseman was depicted.
On the shakos of the Guards artillerymen there were signs in the form of Guards eagles, under which there were crossed cannon barrels (2), and in the Guards naval crew formed on February 16, 1810, the eagles on the shakos were superimposed on crossed anchors (3). On December 27, 1812, the Life Guards Sapper Battalion was formed; it was given shako badges in the form of guards eagles, under which were crossed hatchets (4).
In the grenadier regiments, the shako sign was the image of a copper “grenade (grenade) with three lights” (6). The same “grenadians” were on the shakos of officers and lower ranks of the mining companies of the 1st and 2nd pioneer regiments, but not copper, but made of white metal. The naval regiments and column leaders also had “three-light grenades” on their shakos. In the infantry and ranger regiments, the shako badges were “one-fire grenades” (5), made of copper for the lower ranks and gilded for the officers. Officers and lower ranks Pioneer companies had the same grenades on their shakos, but made of white metal (7), and army field artillerymen wore an emblem in the form of crossed cannon barrels on their shakos.

For the ranks of the imperial retinue - adjutant generals and adjutant wings - at the beginning of the reign of Alexander I on collars and for the cuffs of uniforms, sewing of a special design was introduced, established under Paul 1; for adjutant generals, gold (1), for wing adjutants (staff and chief officers appointed to be in the tsar’s retinue) of the same design, but silver. If the adjutant general and the adjutant wing served in the cavalry, they wore white cavalry-cut uniforms with red collars and split cuffs; they had sewing on the collars in one row, on the cuffs in two rows. Adjutant generals and adjutants in the infantry, artillery and engineering troops wore dark green uniforms with red collars and cuffs, which had dark green flaps. Sewing on the collar was also in one row, and on the cuff flaps - in three rows against each buttons .
Generals and officers of the quartermaster service (as the general staff was called in 1812) also had gold embroidery on their collars and cuffs with a special design in the form of intertwined palm leaves (2), on the collars - in one row, on the cuffs - in two rows. The headquarters and chief officers of the Don Cossack Army had silver embroidery on the collars and cuffs of their checkmen, similar to the retinue, but with a slightly different design (3). The same sewing was on the collars and cuffs of officer jackets in the Life Guards Cossack Regiment.

In the oldest regiments of the heavy guards infantry - Preobrazhensky, Semenovsky, Izmailovsky - even at the beginning of the reign of Alexander I, it was introduced collars and the valves of the cuffs of officer uniforms, sewing a special pattern in each regiment, established in 1800 by Paul I.
In the Preobrazhensky Regiment, the sewing looked like eight oak and laurel branches intertwined. Two such “eights” were worn on each side of the collar and three on each cuff flap (1).
Sewing in the Semenovsky regiment had the form of elongated patterned buttonholes, bordered with a twisted ornament (2). The most complex sewing with weaving in the form of double braids on each buttonhole, ending in the likeness of plumes, was in the Izmailovsky regiment (3). As in the Preobrazhensky Regiment, the sewing of the Semenovsky and Izmailovsky regiments was in two rows on each side of the collar on officer uniforms and in three rows on the cuff flaps.
Non-commissioned officers of all three regiments wore one straight buttonhole made of gold braid on their collars and three small buttonholes on the flaps of their cuffs. In addition, smooth gold braid was sewn along the upper and side edges of the collars and on the edges of the cuff flaps.
Buttonholes the privates had yellow woolen braid, two on their collars and three on the flaps of their cuffs.

In the Lithuanian Life Guards Regiment, formed on November 7, 1811, with red cloth collars, cuffs and lapels, headquarters and chief officers were given gold-embroidered straight lines buttonholes, commonly called coils (1). Two each buttonholes sewn on each side of the collar and three on each cuff flap. Buttonholes By 1812, such uniforms were also worn in the Life Guards Jaeger and Finnish regiments, in the Life Guards Grenadier Regiment and in the Life Guards Garrison Battalion, as well as in the Guards cavalry regiments: Life Guards Horse, Dragoon, Uhlan. The same buttonholes, but embroidered in silver, were worn by military engineers and officers of the Cavalry Regiment. Exactly the same buttonholes were given to officers transferred to the guard for distinguished service in the Patriotic War of 1812 to the Life Guards of the Pavlovsk, Grenadier and Cuirassier regiments. In the Guards naval crew formed on February 16, 1810, officers were given collars and cuff flaps of uniforms, naval officer embroidery that existed since 1803 in the form of anchors entwined with rope and shkerts (thin cables), but along the edges of the collars and cuff flaps a gold braid about 13 mm wide was also sewn (2). In addition to the uniforms that were worn in the ranks and on parades, the officers of the Guards crew had uniforms for everyday wear; there were cuffs on the collars and flaps buttonholes in the form of coils. On March 27, 1809, generals, staff and chief officers serving in the Guards artillery were given gold embroidery in the form of patterned buttonholes of a special design. Two each buttonholes sewn on each side of the collar and three on the cuff flaps (3). The same buttonholes, but embroidered in silver, were given to the officers of the Life Guards Sapper Battalion formed on December 27, 1812.

By 1812, the main headdress of generals, members of the imperial retinue and quartermaster service, military engineers, military doctors and officials were black triangular hats of the 1802 model made of thin dense felt or felt. The front brim of the hat was about 25 cm high, the back brim was about 28 cm, and the side corners of the hat were 13.5 cm from the crown on each side. The brim was sewn to the crown and stitched together at the top. For rigidity, strips of whalebone or metal wire were sewn into the edges of the fields from the inside. On the front field was sewn a round cockade made of black silk with an orange trim and a button on which a braided buttonhole was fastened for headquarters and chief officers (3) or a twisted plait of braided cord for generals (2). Buttonholes on the officers' hats and the harnesses on the general's were the color of the metal device. From above, a plume of rooster feathers was inserted into a special nest: black with an admixture of white and orange for artillerymen, infantrymen, engineers and white with an admixture of orange and black for cavalrymen. Small silver or gold tassels were inserted into the side corners of the hats. The same hats were worn outside of duty by headquarters and chief officers of infantry and cavalry regiments, as well as artillery and pioneer companies. Scarves (1), tied around the waist on the uniforms of generals, staff and chief officers of the army and navy, were introduced under Paul 1. They had the form of nets woven from silver thread, with a mesh of 2-3 mm, with a weave of three rows of black and orange silk threads. The scarf ended in tassels on both sides. The length of the scarf is about 1.4 m, the length of the brush is about 27 cm.

In 1812, to distinguish the ranks of headquarters and chief officers serving in the infantry, artillery and pioneer regiments, insignia of the 1808 model were used: sickle-shaped, with a double convex rim and a double-headed eagle crowned with a crown. Signs were made from thin sheet brass with silver and gilding of the rim, eagle and field of the sign, depending on the rank. So, ensigns had their badges completely silvered, and second lieutenants had gilded rims on their badges. For lieutenants, along with a silver field and rim, the eagle was gilded, and for headquarters captains, only the field of the badge was silver, and the eagle and rim were covered with gold. For captains, on the contrary, the field of the sign was gilded, and the rim and eagle were silver. On major badges the field and rim were gilded, but the eagle remained silver (2). On the insignia of lieutenant colonels, the field and eagle were covered with gold, and only the rim remained silver. The colonels' badges were entirely gilded. The signs were worn on black ribbons with orange borders, threaded into metal ears soldered on the back of the signs.
Officers who served in the Guards Infantry, Life Guards Artillery Brigade and Life Guards Sapper Battalion, established at the end of 1812, had wider insignia in the middle part, and the eagle on them was smaller (1), with laurel and oak branches and the attributes of military glory placed under it.
The difference in the details of the signs, depending on the ranks of the officers of the guards units, was the same as in the army units, with the difference that the ranks of majors and lieutenant colonels were absent in the guards. On the insignia of the chief officers of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments there were also raised images of numbers indicating the date of the battle of Narva - “1700.NO.19.” (November 19, 1700).

By the beginning of the Patriotic War, there were two types of award weapons in the Russian army: golden swords and sabers (1) and Annensky swords and sabers with the insignia of the Order of St. Anna 3rd class (2). The awarding of gold swords and sabers with the inscription “For Bravery” was introduced in 1788: for headquarters and chief officers of the army and navy, swords and sabers with a gilded hilt and an engraved inscription “For Bravery” were intended; for generals, the hilts of swords and sabers were decorated with diamonds and they were also engraved with the inscription “For bravery,” the commanders of armies or individual corps were awarded swords and sabers, the hilts of which were decorated with diamonds, gold laurel wreaths, and the inscription contained the date and place of the battle. Under Paul I, the awarding of golden weapons was abolished. By decree of November 18, 1796, it was stipulated that when the Order of St. Anna for three classes, the 3rd class should be worn on the hilts of infantry swords and cavalry sabers and intended to reward officers for distinction in combat operations. Badge of the Order of St. Anna 3rd class received the form of a round gilded medallion topped with a crown. On the front side of the sign - red enamel cross enclosed in red enamel ring, on the reverse side there is a screw with a nut for attaching the sign to the hilt. The sign measures approximately 25.4 mm in diameter. Alexander I resumed awarding golden weapons in all types, and by decree of September 28, 1807, officers awarded golden weapons were equated with holders of Russian orders. In 1812, 274 people were awarded gold swords and sabers, and 16 people were awarded gold weapons with diamonds for distinguished service in battles with the French. The Annensky weapon became the most widespread award for junior officers. In 1812 alone, 968 people received it.

Even before 1812, among officers awarded with gold and Annen weapons, there was a fashion in which holders of gold swords and sabers with the inscription “For Bravery” wore frames or strips with miniature skewers or sabers on the left side of their uniform, placing folded St. George ribbons under them ( 3). The officers who had Annensky weapons placed an Annensky ribbon under the same frames, sometimes placing a miniature sign of the Order of St. Anna 3rd class (2).
After the Patriotic War of 1812 and the foreign campaign of 1813-1814, when officers received several military awards, including gold or Annen weapons, it became fashionable to wear unique miniature strips or frames depicting award sabers or swords. Crosses and medals made in reduced sizes were hung from the bottom of the slats. This fashion spread most of all among cavalry officers, on whose uniforms there was very little space left for wearing awards of regular size between the edge of the side of the uniform and the shoulder belt. The postcard shows two types of such planks. One of them is made in the form of a miniature saber (1), from which is suspended the badge of the Order of St. Anna 3rd class, combat silver medal for 1812, medal for the capture of Paris and bronze noble medal in memory of 1812. The other bar (4) is made with the image of a saber and the inscription “For bravery.” The badge of the Order of St. Anna 3rd class, silver medal for 1812, a gold officer's cross for the capture of the Turkish fortress of Bazardzhik on May 10, 1810, and a bronze medal in memory of 1812.

The first insignia, awarded by order of April 13, 1813 to the 1st, 5th, 14th and 20th Jaeger Regiments, took the form of small shields made of sheet copper rounded at the bottom with the inscription “For Distinction” (5). The exception was the badges in the form of a metal ribbon, granted to the Akhtyrsky, Mariupol, Belorussian and Alexandrian Hussar regiments by order of September 15, 1813. These signs bore the inscription: “For distinction on August 14, 1813.” (1). As you know, these regiments distinguished themselves that day in the battle on the Katzbach River. By decree of December 22, 1813, a silver medal was established to reward all combat ranks of the army and navy who took part in hostilities with the French from the beginning of their invasion of Russia. medal on St. Andrew's ribbon (3). By decree of August 30, 1814, exactly the same medal, but made of bronze for rewarding officers who took part in the foreign campaign of 1813-1814, as well as for nobles and officials who participated in the formation of militia units and made donations to the army and militia. She was worn on a Vladimir ribbon (4). The same medal, but on the Annensky ribbon it was given to the townspeople and merchants for donations to the militia and the army. Medal“For the Capture of Paris” was also designed by decree of August 30, 1814, but due to the difficulties of the international situation, its coinage followed only after the decree of March 19, 1826. Medal was silver and was worn on a St. Andrew's ribbon (2). In addition to all participants in the capture of the French capital, it was awarded to all participants in the battles of the winter-spring campaign of 1814.

On February 13, 1807, the insignia of the Military Order (soldier's St. George's Cross) was established to reward non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the army and navy for military exploits. It repeated the shape of the sign of the Order of St. George, but was made of silver and worn on a black and orange ribbon (1). For exploits in battles in 1812, 6,783 people were awarded this cross. Before the establishment of the insignia of the Military Order, non-commissioned officers and soldiers who distinguished themselves in battles with the enemy were awarded the insignia of St. Anna. The badge was established on November 12, 1796 and was a round gilded medal(3) with a diameter of about 25 mm, worn on the ribbon of the Order of St. Anna. At the top medals- an image of a crown, and in the center there is an enamel brownish-red cross, enclosed in an enamel ring of the same color. There was also a ring on the reverse side of the badge, where the serial number of the award was engraved. With the establishment of the insignia of the Military Order, the insignia of St. Anna began to reward non-commissioned officers and soldiers for 20 years of “unblemished” service. By decree of August 30, 1814, a silver medal “For Love of the Fatherland” was established to reward the most distinguished militia and partisans (2). They wore it on a Vladimir ribbon. About 80 such medals were distributed. To distinguish officers and lower ranks of the militia, a “militia” cross was established to be worn on hats (4). On August 18, 1813, after the defeat of the French corps of General Vandamme at Kulmomprussky, the king ordered that all Russian officers and soldiers who were in the battle be awarded the so-called Kulm Cross (5). The badges were made directly on the battlefield from captured cuirasses, metal casings of charging boxes and had a look and shape close to the Order of the Iron Cross. About 10,000 of these signs were distributed.

The gun with a conical charging chamber received the name “unicorn” from the mythical animal depicted on the coat of arms of Feldzeichmeister General Shuvalov, which was stamped on the breech of the gun. Since 1805, they stopped using all kinds of decorations, except for friezes, but the name was preserved. Combining the qualities of cannons and howitzers, unicorns successfully fired cannonballs, grenades, and buckshot. This effect was achieved by using a conical-shaped charging chamber and a shorter barrel length compared to guns (1). Reducing the weight of the barrel made it possible to reduce the weight of the carriage, thereby achieving greater maneuverability. The only drawback to both the unicorns and the cannons was the lack of iron axles (introduced in 1845). Wooden axles often broke and needed constant lubrication. For this purpose, each weapon had a cradle bucket with lubricant (3). There was also a second bucket with the gun, containing water (mixed with vinegar) for wetting the banner (2). Horizontal aiming was carried out using rules (4) - right and left, which were inserted into special sockets on the rear pillows carriage. Vertical aiming was carried out using the wedge handle. We aimed using a Kabanov sight, which had to be removed before each shot.
The maximum firing range of a 1/2-pound unicorn is 2300 m, 1/4-pound unicorn is 1500 m, the sighting range (distance of the most effective fire) for a 1/2-pound unicorn is 900-1000 m; for a 1/4-pound unicorn, buckshot was used long-range (cast iron bullets with a diameter of 30.5-49.5 mm) for shooting at distances of 400-500 m and short-range (cast iron bullets with a diameter of 21.6-26 mm) for shooting at distances of 150- 400 m.

In 1802, a commission was organized to transform the artillery under the chairmanship of Arakcheev, which included the famous Russian artillerymen I. G. Gogel, A. I. Kutaisov and X. L. Euler. The commission developed a weapon system called the Arakcheevsky, or system of 1805: a 12-pound gun (1) has a caliber of 120 mm, a barrel weight of 800 kg, a carriage weight of 640 kg; 6-pound gun caliber 95 mm, barrel weight 350 kg, carriage 395 kg; caliber 1/2-pound unicorn (2) 152 mm, barrel weight 490 kg, carriage weight 670 kg; caliber 1/4-powder unicorn 120 mm, barrel weight 335 kg, carriage 395 kg. Since 1802, the sight of A. I. Markevich (3) was introduced into artillery. On a vertical brass plate there was a range scale with divisions from 5 to '30 lines (the distance between the divisions is 2.54 mm). They aimed through a hole in a rectangular plate, which, depending on the target range, was installed on one of the divisions. Then, changing the elevation angle of the barrel, the gunner sighted the target through the hole in the bar, that is, he ensured that the hole in the bar, the front sight and the target were located on the same imaginary line, called the aiming line. Before the shot, the sight plate was lowered towards the barrel. Aiming was carried out by number 4 of the crew.
In the stowed position, to prevent contamination, the gun barrels were covered with wooden plugs on leather straps (4). The ignition holes were covered with lead plates, which were secured with leather straps (5).

To load the guns, special devices were used: a bannik with a hammer (a bristle brush for extinguishing the remains of a smoldering cap, moistened with water and vinegar) - for cylindrical guns (5), for unicorns - conical (4). The cap was sent in with a hammer and compacted. To clean the bore, a scraper with a feather duster (1) was used. Rapid-fire tubes (reeds stuffed with gunpowder pulp) were stored in a tube jar (3). The crew of each gun had two pins (2). A smoldering wick was inserted into the pin's clamp. Since the tip of the fuse was torn off after the shot, the next shot was fired with another finger. In rainy weather, scorching candles were used (a flammable composition was placed in a rolled paper sleeve up to 40 cm long). This candle burned for 5 minutes, which was enough to fire five shots. The candles were stored in a brass “candlestick” (6). A “night light” (7) with a door and three holes in the bottom (for air access) served as a constant source of fire; a wick smoldering in oil was placed inside. The charges were carried in charging bags (9). To clean the ignition hole, we used etching agents - copper and steel, which were worn on the belt of the pouch. In the crew, each artilleryman was assigned a number that determined his duties: No. 1 acted as a bannik, No. 2 carried a charging bag, No. 3 had a pistol and candles, and No. 4 had a pipe bottle and pickles. These artillerymen were called gunners and were required to know all the rules of loading and shooting. The remaining numbers, who served as assistants, were called gandlangers (from German - long-armed). They carried additional charging bags and hooks with a rope cable (8), which were used when rolling and moving guns.

Since 1805, the siege artillery was armed with: 24-, 18- and 12-pound cannons (large proportions), 5-, 2-pound and 6-pound mortars. Siege artillery was organized into battalions of five companies each. Maximum firing range at
elevation angle 25° 5-pound mortar - 2600 m, 2-pound mortar - 2375 m, 6-pound mortar - 1810 m. Mortars were fired from special trenches. In this case, aiming at an invisible target was carried out as follows: they drove into the parapet of the trench
two stakes; a tripod with a plumb line was installed behind the mortar; to eliminate swinging, the plumb line was placed in a bucket of water; a white line was drawn on the barrel of the mortar, parallel to the axis of the bore; moving the stakes along the parapet, they were combined with a plumb line and aimed at the target; then they moved the mortar so that the target, the stakes on the parapet, the white line on the barrel and the plumb line were on the same straight line; the elevation angle was given by a quadrant or cushion of the lifting mechanism, which was a prism of a multifaceted cross-section, with the faces making angles of 30°, 45° and 60° with the horizon; The muzzle of the mortar was lowered onto the edge with the required angle of inclination.
The rate of fire of mortars is one shot in 5-7 minutes. They fired bombs and incendiary shells (brandkugel); they rarely fired cannonballs.
Mortars were transported on special four-wheeled drays.
Mortars were widely used in the 1813 campaign, for example during the siege of Danzig.

The guns of the light artillery companies (1/4-pound unicorn, 6-pound cannon) had limbers with boxes for shells. Often the combat situation required opening fire, as they say, on the move. For this purpose, charging boxes with a supply of first shots were used, located on the limbers. Each box contained 20 shots for a 6-pound cannon and 12 shots for a 1/4-pound unicorn. The limbers, charging boxes and all artillery pieces were painted grass green, metal parts - black. To move cannons and unicorns, the rear cushion of the carriage was put on the pin (vertical axis) of the front end and secured with a chain. The harness used was a clamp one. - Eight horses were harnessed for a l/2-pound unicorn, six horses for a 12-pound cannon, four horses each for a 6-pound cannon and a 1/4-pound unicorn. The 1/4 pound horse artillery unicorn had a team of six horses. The total weight of the artillery systems in the stowed position was: 12-pound gun - 1700 kg, 6-pounder - 1090 kg, 1/2-pound unicorn - 1600 kg, 1/4-pound - 1060 kg. To transport gun ammunition - at least 120 rounds - three charging boxes were required for each battery gun (1/2-pound unicorn and 12-pound gun), and for each light and horse-drawn gun (1/4-pound unicorn and 6-pound gun) - two charging boxes.

The ammunition carried with the guns in charging boxes could accommodate 162 rounds for a 12-pound cannon, 174 rounds for a 6-pound cannon (including 20 rounds carried in the limber), 120 rounds for a 1/2-pound unicorn, and 1/4 rounds for a 1/4-pound unicorn. pood - 120 shots (including 12 shots in the front end). In battles, charging boxes were located at a distance of 30-40 m from the guns. According to the regulations, in battle, more than two artillerymen could not be near the charging box. Three horses were harnessed to the cart with the charging box, one horse between two drawbars, the other two on the sides of it. The gun crew on the charging box was not transferred; the rider was sitting astride the left horse.

All-army wagon - a covered wagon of an army convoy, used for transporting food, ammunition, tents, infantry and cavalry ammunition, as well as tools. Depending on their purpose, the trucks had special markings (white paint); ammunition, food, military equipment, etc.
The reorganization of artillery in 1805 was also reflected in army wagons: wheels and axles began to be made the same size as gun wagons.
The trucks opened from above. For greater tightness, a cloth or leather canopy was installed on the lid of food and cartridge trucks. At the back there was a folding feeder where fodder for horses was placed. Depending on the weight of the truck, it was transported by teams of two or four horses.
The convoy also included ambulance trucks that could accommodate from four to six wounded. When the number of wagons was insufficient, peasant carts were used.

The camp forge was used for minor repairs and the manufacture of simple devices in camp conditions. It was served by a blacksmith and two craftsmen. They repaired wheels, axles, carriages, charging boxes, trucks, and made nails, wedges, and horseshoes. The forge, bellows, and lever were mounted on a machine with two wheels. Wood (birch) charcoal was blown into the furnace using bellows driven by a lever. To facilitate the work, a counterweight was attached to the end of the lever - an empty mortar bomb. The anvil and blacksmith tools were transported in a special wagon, and supplies of charcoal were transported in another wagon. One forge was attached to 36-48 guns.

Each infantry and cavalry regiment had a wagon drawn by two horses with apothecary boxes (1). In addition to medicines and dressings, surgical instruments were placed in removable boxes. One of the drawers contained a leather bag for ten surgical instruments. In addition, each doctor had a pocket set of surgical instruments.
The truck was driven by a coachman who sat on the front removable box (3). On the back drawer (2) there was space for the slightly wounded or sick.

Based on materials from the site: //adjudant.ru/table/Rus_Army_1812_4.asp

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1812-1813.

1812 began with minor changes in uniform. So, on February 10, the shako was ordered to be lower with an increased expansion at the top, concave on the sides and a saddle-shaped bottom. Sultans on shakos are not provided in engineering units.
The height of the collars has been reduced, their front edge is made straight rather than beveled. In addition, the collar began to be fastened at the front with hooks.
Due to the high cost of shako silver etiquettes, officers are allowed to have them made of bleached cord, and the silver elements of the epaulette (galloon, neck, fringe) are not silver, but made of white metal (copper tinned with tin).

In the picture on the left: a soldier of the 1st Pioneer Regiment (etishket and red kutas) and a chief officer of the pioneer regiments (etishket and silver kutas) in a uniform model 1812.

The same changes were made in the Engineering Corps. First of all, this concerns the shakos of soldiers of engineering teams and conductors of this corps. Let us remember that the officers of the Corps of Engineers still wear hats, so their changes occurred only in the height and shape of the collars and the permitted replacement of silver with white metal (tin) in epaulettes.

In the pontoon companies, which are still assigned to the artillery, all the uniforms and the color of the instrument metal are similar to the foot artillery.

On June 12, 1812, the army of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte crossed the Neman River and invaded the Russian Empire. A war began that would be called the Patriotic War.

From the author. For some reason, this war is considered a Russian-French war, just as the Great Patriotic War of 1942-45 is considered a Soviet-German one. But this is deceit. In both cases these were wars of a united Europe against Russia. Yes, in 1812 the basis of the invasion army was French troops under the command of the French Emperor Napoleon I, and in 1941 the basis was the German army, under the control of German Chancellor A. Hitler.
Look for yourself, in addition to the French, the “Grand Army” included Polish, Italian, Neapolitan, Bavarian, Saxon, Westphalian, Baden, Württemberg, Hessian troops, troops of the Confederation of the Rhine, troops of Prussia, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Dalmatia and Portugal.
In 1941, the Soviet Union was invaded by troops from Germany, Finland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Spain, and Italy. In addition to them, units of the former Polish army, the former army of Czechoslovakia, the French legion, and divisions of the former army of Austria (part of the Wehrmacht) took part in the invasion. And do not forget that volunteer formations from Holland, Belgium, Norway, Albania, Croatia, France and a number of other countries took part in the war as part of the SS troops.

And if you do not close your eyes to these circumstances, you will have to admit that Europe has always been deeply hostile to Russia and the main danger for us has always come from the West. Even during the time of the Tatar-Mongol yoke. Why? But because the prosperity and well-being of Europe at all times, starting from the era of the Crusades, was built exclusively on robbery and robbery of other countries. In a nutshell - the Crusades, the colonization of Africa, Asia, America, two world wars. And the great navigators (Columbus, Magellan, Cook, etc.) were driven across the seas not by a thirst for knowledge of the world, but by an elementary search for someone else to rob. Europeans elegantly call this “bringing the light of civilization to backward peoples.” Or “promote democracy and fight totalitarian regimes.”
Nothing has changed at the beginning of the 21st century. Europe's tactics are changing, but not its strategy.

Until December 1812, no changes in the uniform were noted. Obviously, the events of the Patriotic War did not allow us to be distracted by uniform art.
Meanwhile, the course of the war showed that the existing two pioneer regiments were clearly not enough to provide engineering support for the army’s combat operations. On December 20, 1812, it was ordered to form an additional five pioneer battalions. On December 27, it was decided to bring these battalions into Sapper regiment.

It was immediately determined that the Sapper Regiment's uniform was similar to that of the Pioneer regiments, with a "three-light grenada" on the shako, and not a "one-fire grenada," as is the case with the pioneers. The shoulder straps of lower ranks and the epaulette field of officers are red. There is no information about any encryption on shoulder straps or epaulettes. Obviously there were none, since the Sapper Regiment was the only one. In addition, the officers received buttonholes on their cuffs and collars, like those of the officers of the Corps of Engineers.

Let us recall that since February 1811, the trousers of the chief officers of the pioneer regiments and the Engineering Corps have been green, while the rest of the ranks have remained white for summer and gray for winter. Consequently, the same is true for the ranks of the Sapper Regiment.

In the picture on the right: staff captain of the Sapper Regiment. The rank here can be determined by the officer's badge (gorget) on the chest near the collar. The silver field and golden rim and eagle indicated the rank of staff captain. Note that the gorget was worn only on official occasions in the ranks. The rest of the time, it was impossible to determine the specific rank of the officer. Epaulets indicated only the category - chief officer, staff officer or general.

So, in December 1812, both pioneer regiments had a “one-fire grenada” on their shakos, and the Sapper Regiment had a “three-fire grenada.” Officers of the Corps of Engineers and all generals associated with the engineering troops wore a hat. The lower ranks of the Engineering Corps had a “one-fire grenade” on their shako.

In the picture on the right:
1. Shako badge of the Engineering Corps and Pioneer regiments.
3. Shako badge of the Sapper Regiment.
Below is the officer's badge (gorget) of a major in the engineering forces.

Colors of officer gorgets:
ensign - the whole badge is silver,
second lieutenant - the field of the badge and the eagle are silver, and the rim is gilded,
lieutenant - the field of the badge and the rim are silver, and the eagle is gilded,
staff captain - the field of the badge is silver, and the eagle and rim are gilded,
captain - the field of the badge is gilded, and the rim and eagle are silver,
major - the field of the badge and the rim are gilded, and the eagle is silver,
Lieutenant Colonel - the field of the badge and the eagle are gilded, and the rim is silver,
Colonel - the entire badge is completely gilded.
The generals did not have gorgets.

Regarding the pontooners, who were still on staff of artillery units and belonged not to the engineering troops, but to the artillery, the “Historical Description...” only states that they wear the uniform of army foot artillery. There is no indication of the color of the instrument metal. It can be assumed that the pontooners did not have any differences from the “pure artillerymen”, except that on the shoulder straps of the soldiers and the epaulettes of the officers, in addition to the company number, there was the letter “P”. For example - 2.P.

In the picture on the left: a non-commissioned officer of the army foot artillery in a uniform model 1812. Apparently the pontoon companies wore the same uniform. Pay attention to the shako sign - above the golden “grenada of one fire”, two crossed golden gun barrels.

The Patriotic War showed that not only infantry needed long-range firearms. On December 29, 1812, the lower ranks of the Sapper and both pioneer regiments (except for the lower ranks of the miner companies) were given dragoon-type guns.

On December 27, 1812, Emperor Alexander I ordered the formation Life Guards Sapper Battalion consisting of two sapper and two mining companies.

From the author. It is generally accepted, and this is written about in the few descriptions of the history of the engineering troops of the Russian Army, that at the end of 1812, Emperor Alexander I, admiring the military exploits of Russian sappers in the War of 1812, ordered the formation of the Sapper Life Guards as a reward and in recognition of the sappers’ merits battalion. Some authors, to further enhance the significance sapper exploits, they even write that supposedly one of the particularly distinguished sapper battalions was assigned to the guard.
Alas, everything is much more prosaic.
By the beginning of the war with Napoleon, the guard consisted of six infantry, six cavalry regiments, an artillery brigade and several battery artillery companies. Of these, the Guards Corps was formed for the duration of the war. And here it turned out that while the army corps has sapper and pioneer units, there are none for the guards corps. That's all. The emperor simply ordered the addition of an engineering unit to the guard.
The usual practice when forming a new unit (it still exists today) is to order to select for this battalion “from the pioneer companies of the army the best people and the most excellent officers.” But only a few officers and 120 lower ranks could be selected from the Active Army. And as usual, the commanders acted on the principle “God, it’s no good for us.” The rest of the personnel, about 600 people, were taken from the next recruiting class.
Battalion of participation in the foreign campaign of the Russian Army of 1813-14. didn't accept. During these years he only studied and prepared for service.

The uniform of the Life Guards Sapper Battalion, established for it during this formation, did not differ from the uniform of both pioneer and Sapper regiments, with the only difference being that a silver eagle was placed on the shako, sitting on crossed axes, and on the collar and cuffs of soldiers and non-commissioned officers there were given yellow guards buttonholes. The officers received sewing on their collars similar to that of the Guards artillery, but not gold, but silver.
The collars, unlike the army ones, were not cloth, but corduroy for lower ranks and velvet for officers.

In the photo on the left: the uniform of a soldier of the Life Guards Sapper Battalion mod. 1812 The buttonholes on the collar and cuffs are clearly visible. They are exactly yellow, and not white as one might expect.
Non-commissioned officers had one buttonhole on their collar, and not two like soldiers. This is due to the fact that a silver non-commissioned officer's braid ran along the front edge and top of the collar and there was simply no room on the collar for two buttonholes.
The shoulder straps are red without any encryption. Later, invoices will be placed on the shoulder straps of the 1st company as the patron company of the emperor metal imperial monograms.
The reader should pay attention to the color of the uniform. It's hard to call it green. It is rather gray with a greenish tint. However, this is not a sign of this particular battalion. The uniforms were thought to be green, but in reality they could range in color from almost black to grass green. It all depended on what shade of material the textile enterprises managed to produce.

In the photo on the right: a shako of a soldier of the Life Guards Sapper Battalion mod. 1812 The scales covering the chin strap are raised upward.

Perhaps for the first time crossed axes, as a sign of engineering troops appeared on the shako coat of arms of the Life Guards Sapper Battalion. The source indicates that for this battalion the shako coat of arms is a model of the Guards Infantry, but with two crossed axes at the bottom.

In the photo on the left: a shako of a non-commissioned officer of the Life Guards Sapper Battalion. Please note that the cutas tassels are not red. They are woven from strands of white, orange and black colors. This is another difference between non-commissioned officers and soldiers, along with a different type of burdock.
In addition, it wears a shako coat of arms of the 1816 model. It is somewhat different from the coat of arms mod. 1812 Pay attention to this.

The field of epaulettes of the officers of the Life Guards Sapper Battalion, as in the entire guard, did not have a colored field, but the color of instrument metal, i.e. silver The edging of the epaulette is red to match the color of the battalion soldier's shoulder straps. The kutas, etiquette, coat of arms and shako scales are silver.

In the picture on the right: a headquarters officer of the Life Guards Sapper Battalion in uniform mod. 1812 The uniform is green, the trousers, unlike those of the army sapper and pioneer officers, are not gray, but green, matching the color of the uniform. The figure also shows a sample of a staff officer's burdock on a shako, sewing on the collar and cuffs.

From the author. Sewing on the collar and cuffs was very expensive because threads made of natural silver were used, and the embroidery was done by female gold seamstresses, who charged a lot of money for their work. The situation was aggravated by the fact that the black velvet collar faded quite quickly and acquired a sloppy gray-brown color.
As Count Ignatiev recalls in his memoirs, guards embroidery on collars cost more than the entire set of army uniforms. Therefore, in most cases, officers wore frock coats or uniforms, which did not require expensive embroidery. Instead of expensive and uncomfortable shakos, they preferred either hats or caps.
So, in reality, the army did not look as brilliant and ceremonial as we are used to seeing in battle paintings and films.

Let us remind you once again that during the period under review it was impossible to distinguish between ranks in any way. Based on the details of the uniform, it was only possible to distinguish a non-commissioned officer from a soldier, a chief officer from a staff officer, and officers from generals. Neck officer badges (gorgets), by which it was possible to determine the rank of an officer, were worn only in the ranks.

Let's return to the army sappers and pioneers for the period after 1812. Until May 1814, no changes in the uniform were noted.

1814 -1816.

On May 20, 1814, the officers of Sapperny, both pioneer regiments and the Life Guards of the Sapper Battalion had their gray traveling leggings with buttons and leather trim replaced with gray traveling leggings without leather trimming. Black double stripes with red piping between them were added to the leggings. The same change was made to the uniform of Corps of Engineers officers.

In the picture on the left: chief officer of the Sapper Regiment in uniform and leggings mod. 1814 The officers of the pioneer regiments had a similar uniform, except that they did not have buttonholes on the collar, and on the shako the grenade had one fire, not three.

On January 27, 1816, in Saperny and both pioneer regiments, red etiquettes and kutas were replaced with white ones.

On March 9, 1816, the lower ranks of the army sapper and pioneer battalions were replaced with dark green trousers. In addition, in addition to the battalion number, the shoulder straps of the lower ranks are made of yellow cord, and the epaulettes of officers made of silver cord are now ordered to have letters. In the sapper battalions the letters S.B., and in the pioneer battalions the letters P.B.
For example, the 2nd engineer battalion - 2.S.B., the 6th pioneer battalion - 6.P.B. Please note that numbers and letters must be separated by dots.

From the author. Today, at the beginning of the 21st century, body armor has suddenly become very popular. Printed and Internet publications are simply full of descriptions and images of various types of body armor. They are given today almost more attention than any other items of military equipment. The idea is literally driven into people’s heads that body armor is a panacea for all weapons, from pistol weapons to heavy machine gun bullets. They say that without a bulletproof vest, a soldier is naked and defenseless, and in it he does not care about any enemy fire.
Alas, body armor is far from new. They were worn by heavy cavalry soldiers back in the 18th century. Only then the body armor was called a cuirass, and heavy cavalrymen were called cuirassiers.
And any war showed that their benefits were much less than expected, and they quietly and imperceptibly left the arena, but returned to them again before a new war or already during it. This was the case in both the First World War and the Second.
The book "Historical description of clothing and weapons of the Russian troops. Part ten" describes the sapper cuirass and sapper helmet, adopted by the Russian Army on March 9, 1816. Each sapper company was required to have six cuirasses and six helmets. The book does not mention when these cuirasses disappeared into oblivion again.
23 May 1816 On the shako, the officers of the sapper and pioneer battalions have shako insignia in the form of a grenada with one (in the pioneer) and a grenade with three lights (sapper) are given a single shako insignia in the form of a white metal shield (silver), crowned with an imperial crown and a star of the Order of St. St. Andrew the First-Called on the shield. From below two crossed axes.

In the picture on the left: a headquarters officer of a sapper battalion in a uniform model 1816. To the right is the shako sign itself.

Thus, from the spring of 1816, crossed axes forever became the distinctive sign of the engineering troops. Still as an element of the shako sign. Let me remind you that crossed axes appeared on the shako coat of arms of the Life Guards Sapper Battalion in December 1812.

The same sign was given to the shako of all lower ranks of sapper battalions (only sapper battalions!) on September 26, 1817.

In pioneer battalions, lower ranks on shakos must still wear a one-light grenade in pioneer companies and a three-light grenade in sapper companies of pioneer battalions

From the author. The division into pioneers and sappers in the engineering troops is akin to the division of light cavalry into lancers and hussars. Both perform the same tasks here and there. The only differences are in the name and form of clothing.

Why am I describing in such detail and scrupulously all the changes that took place in the uniform? On the one hand, in order to enable historians, and in general, interested people, to more accurately date and identify paintings depicting soldiers and officers of the Russian Army. In those days, artists carefully drew all the elements and details of uniforms, which today makes it possible to determine with sufficient confidence who exactly is depicted in the picture and even more accurately determine the time of its painting.
And I note that having an officer rank for a nobleman in those days was as indispensable an element of image as having a son today for a new Russian. studying at Cambridge. Any aristocrat, introducing himself to a new acquaintance, would certainly say “retired lieutenant Count Tolstoy.”
On the other hand, I want to clearly show that uniform games were a favorite pastime of Russian emperors, and today Russian presidents. Let us remember what happened to army uniforms in the nineties and two thousand years of the XX-XXI centuries. The army, thanks to the cares of the first president of Russia, was dying and falling apart before our eyes, the soldiers had nothing to eat, there was nothing to dress them in, there was no fuel for the equipment, and the Minister of Defense P. Grachev proudly demonstrated new models of uniforms and joyfully announced that in its Famous fashion designers Zaitsev and Yudashkin took part in the creation, and 40 institutes worked on the development.

To ease costs, officers were allowed to have a shako badge not made of silver, but made of tinplate. Also have a silver etiquette, kutas, and the buttonholes on the collars are not silver, but made of bleached cord and braid.

1817 -1821.

January 11, 1817 The sapper and two pioneer regiments are disbanded and instead of them two sapper battalions and seven pioneer battalions are formed. The uniform remains the same, and in all battalions the shoulder straps are red, and on the shakos in the pioneer battalions “grenada with one fire”, and in the sapper battalions “grenada with three lights”.

On September 26, 1817, the shako badge of all lower ranks of engineer battalions was given a shako badge, established for officers on May 23, 1816. In pioneer battalions, the shako badge of lower ranks did not change (Grenada about one fire).

On August 23, 1918, the shoulder straps of the lower ranks of engineer and pioneer battalions were ordered to be shoulder length (from the place where the sleeve is sewn in to the collar), and 1.25 inches wide (5.6 cm). The color of the shoulder strap is red. The battalion number (encryption) is slotted with the height of the numbers and letters 1 vershok (4.4 cm) high at a distance of 0.5 vershok (2.2 cm) from the lower edge of the shoulder strap, and yellow cloth is placed underneath.

At the time of introduction of this sample, the encryption shoulder straps could have been as follows:
- for engineer battalions 1.S.B. and 2.S.B.
-for pioneer battalions 1.P.B., 2.P.B., 3.P.B., 4.P.B., 5.P.B., 6.P.B., 7.P. B., 8.P.B.

The same shoulder straps are assigned to the Life Guards Sapper Battalion, but without any encryption...

On January 22, 1819, burrs were installed on the shakos of battalion soldiers:
- in all sapper battalions the burdocks are red,
- in the sapper platoons of the pioneer battalions, the burdocks are red, in the mine platoons of the pioneer battalions, the burdocks are yellow.
In the Life Guards Sapper Battalion, all lower ranks are ordered to wear only red burdocks.

All non-commissioned officers have burdocks divided into four sectors. The upper and lower sectors are gray, the side sectors are white.

In the picture on the right: a pioneer battalion sapper in a shako mod. 1819 Let me remind you that since January 1816, the etiquettes and kutas in the sapper and pioneer battalions were not red, but white.

From the author. It is worth recalling that in the 19th century the mining industry was significantly different from the modern one. Today, a miner is someone who installs mines of various types (anti-tank, anti-personnel, etc.) and with their help creates minefields (minefields). In the 18th-19th centuries, neither such mines nor such minefields existed. The task of the miners was to build tunnels (underground passages) under fortifications (fortresses, forts, etc.) in order to produce an underground explosion and thereby bring down the wall or tower of the fortress and destroy the earthen rampart of the structure. Figuratively speaking, miners are military miners.
By the way, the word “mine” itself has long been synonymous with the word “mine”. In English and German, the word mine is still translated as mine. The word landmine is usually used to refer to mines as such.

On May 12, 1817, all ranks of the Life Guards Sapper Battalion were ordered to have a black lapel with red piping on their uniform. For lower ranks the lapel is velvet, for officers it is velvet.
Color of uniforms. coats and trousers are dark green.

In the fragment of the picture, from left to right, are the ranks of the Life Guards Sapper Battalion: non-commissioned officer sapper, soldier miner, staff officer in uniform and staff officer in a frock coat.
A non-commissioned officer in winter trousers, over which black leather leggings are worn. The galloons on the collar and cuff are clearly visible. It can be seen that there is only one buttonhole on the collar.
The soldier was wearing white summer trousers, which were worn over boots, and the “porches” covered the toes of the boots.
A staff officer in a uniform and white summer trousers. Shoes - high boots. The officer is belted with an officer's scarf.
The uniforms of all three have a black lapel edged with red piping. Accordingly, the buttons are spread out to the edges of the lapel.

Staff officer in a frock coat. There is no silver embroidery on the collar. It's not supposed to be on him. On the head is a hat, which was worn with a frock coat.

From the author. Pay attention to the frock coat. The fact that this is a headquarters officer of the Life Guards Sapper Battalion is indicated only by epaulettes with a silver, not a red field. In all other respects, this is an ordinary frock coat of sapper and pioneer officers. It was worn in the vast majority of cases. In everyday life (out of formation and out of service), a frock coat replaced the uniform, and being lined with cotton wool or even fur, replaced the overcoat. A frock coat is much looser in the chest than a uniform. It can be worn without an officer's scarf. The hat is softer, lighter and warmer than a shako. In addition, instead of a hat, a cap could be worn outside of service. This is approximately the same as a modern officer’s cap, only the band and crown are soft, there are no badges, badges, badges, straps, etc. on the cap.
Also note that the officers have spurs on their boots. They are reserved only for staff officers, since they are the only ones who ride on horseback in the ranks. Chief officers are not given spurs.

On January 22, 1819, another guards engineering unit was formed - Life Guards Cavalry Pioneer Squadron.

From the author. In 1822, a similar army engineering unit, the 1st Cavalry Pioneer Squadron, would be formed. Both squadrons would exist until 1862 and would disbanded, leaving practically no memory of themselves, except for differences in uniform.
It is difficult to say what caused the creation of such exotic formations. The 1982 edition of the Engineering Troops textbook indicates that in 1812, before the autumn counter-offensive of the Russian Army, the Commander-in-Chief Field Marshal His Serene Highness Prince M.I. Kuzuzov-Golenishchev ordered the head of military communications of the 1st Western Army, General P.N. Ivashov, to create a team of 600 mounted warriors (obviously from the militia personnel), who, moving ahead of the army, would quickly repair roads and bridges. The textbook claims that these were the first cavalry pioneer squadrons. In modern language, “traffic support units” (TSD). The actions of these detachments were not reflected in the history of the Patriotic War and we know nothing about what role they played.
But obviously the idea of ​​mobile engineering units did not die with the end of the war, and by 1819, enthusiasts of this cause obtained consent from the emperor to form one guards and one army cavalry pioneer squadrons. Perhaps as experimental parts. But the idea was never developed.

When forming, the Guards Cavalry Pioneers were given the following uniform:
- the uniform is completely similar to the uniform of the Life Guards Sapper Battalion,
- on the shako there is a yellow burdock and a yellow pom-pom of a pyramidal shape,
- gray flaps on the collars of the overcoat,
- waist belt for saber.

In the picture on the left: a non-commissioned officer and staff officer of the Life Guards cavalry pioneer squadron in uniform mod. 1819

Leggings, as in all engineering units (since 1814), are gray with black double stripes with a red edging between them. Unlike other engineering units, the Guards cavalry pioneers were given sabers (cavalry model 1817) and pistols instead of guns.

May 1, 1824 the pyramidal pompoms of the Guards equestrian pioneers will be replaced with spherical ones.

From the author. And about the stripes. Our uniform enthusiasts were under the impression that double stripes belonged exclusively to the general’s uniform. This is true, but only for the Red (Soviet, modern Russian) Army. And even then only from the middle of 1940. In the Russian Tsarist Army, double stripes in the 19th century were simply a decoration for the uniform of even ordinary soldiers. They will eventually disappear from soldiers' and officers' pants. Only the generals will have it. But more on that in future articles.
I note that during the Second World War in the Wehrmacht, in addition to generals, double stripes were also worn by officers of the General Staff of any rank. So stripes are not proof that a Red Army soldier captured a Nazi general. The prisoner could well have turned out to be just a major of the General Staff. However, for this the soldier was also entitled to the Order of Glory.

Let us recall once again that as of 1817, the engineering service included:
- Life Guards Sapper Battalion,
- two sapper battalions,
-seven pioneer battalions.

These are military units. In addition, the service included the so-called. Engineering Corps. Actually, it did not exist as a military formation. This is basically a collective name for conductors and officers of engineering service specialists who served under the heads of garrisons and commandants of fortresses and who performed engineering support tasks (maintaining fortifications, bridges and roads in garrisons, counter-mine measures in fortresses). They are subordinate to serf engineering teams, information about the uniform of which could not be found.

The uniform of conductors and officers of the Engineering Corps was generally similar to the uniform of military engineering units, but had its own characteristics. It is simply impossible to describe all the small and almost monthly changes. Let's focus on the larger and more noticeable ones.

On July 4, 1817, the uniforms of officers and generals of the Corps of Engineers were changed. Now they are dark green single-breasted with 9 buttons and red piping along the collar, cuffs, along the side and tail.

In the picture on the right: a headquarters officer of the Corps of Engineers in uniform mod. 1817 Let us remember that their instrument metal is silver, the headdress is still a hat (since 1809 in engineering In military units, the hat is worn only with a frock coat, and the combat headdress is a shako).

In general, during the period under review, officers can be distinguished from each other by the collars of their uniforms (uniforms, but not frock coats!):
- in the Life Guards Sapper Battalion there is special sewing on the collar,
-in the army pioneer and sapper battalions there is nothing on the collar,
-in the Engineering Corps there are two silver buttonholes on the collar.

In the portrait on the left: a general of the Engineering Corps in a uniform mod. 1817 . The uniform appears black, but is believed to be dark green.

From the author. But in general, to be honest, the uniform is really black with a green tint. The fact is that black textile paint of that time was quite resistant to fading, while green, even dark, quickly lost its color and the uniform acquired a sloppy brownish-gray tint. And fabrics that were woven on hand looms were very, very expensive. Even for generals, the frequent sewing of uniforms (which in itself was also not cheap, since sewing machines did not exist and were sewn by hand) placed a heavy burden on the personal budget.

On September 26, 1817, the uniform of conductors and cadets of the Engineering Corps was changed. They received a single-breasted uniform and an infantry-style shako. On the shako there is a non-commissioned officer's burr, grenade about one fire. The label and coat are white. dark green single-breasted uniform with 9 buttons. The collar is black corduroy with red trim and non-commissioned officer silver braid. Red shoulder straps without encryption. Dark green trousers with leather leggings.

In the picture on the right: a conductor of the Engineering Corps in uniform mod. 1817

Explanation.
The conductor is a specialist of the Engineering Corps of non-commissioned officer rank. They performed the same duties as corps officers, but usually served in small garrisons where it was not practical to have an extra officer. Or, on the contrary, they were assistants to engineering officers in large fortresses or garrisons.
Students of the Engineering School, which trained officers of the engineering troops, were also called conductors. They wore the uniform of Corps of Engineers conductors.
Junkers were the name given to nobles who voluntarily entered service in engineering military units as lower ranks. After several years of service and appropriate training, they were awarded the rank of officer.
Students of military educational institutions would be called cadets only in 1864.
End of explanation.

August 23, 1818 Conductors are equipped with red shoulder straps, shoulder length and 1.25 inches wide (5.6 cm).

On January 1, 1819, the officers of the Engineering Corps were divided into field engineers (serve under the commanders of infantry regiments and divisions) and garrison engineers (serve under the commanders of garrisons and commandants of fortresses). At the same time, the field engineers were left with the same uniform of the officers of the Corps of Engineers, and the silver buttonholes were removed from the collars of the garrison officers. In addition, the garrison engineers' epaulettes are not silver, but black cloth.

On September 22, 1819, all officers and generals of the Engineering Corps were ordered to wear a hat not “from the field,” but “in the field,” i.e. angle forward.

In the picture on the left: a general of the Engineering Corps in a hat “in the field”, and in the upper right corner a chief officer in a hat “in the field”.

1822 -1825.

Let's return to the army sappers and pioneers.

On January 17, 1822, it was prescribed that the pioneer and sapper battalions should wear round pom-poms on their shakos above the burrs (pyramidal in the Life Guards Cavalry Pioneer Squadron) of the following colors:

-lower ranks of the Life Guards Sapper Battalion, army sapper battalions - red,
- the lower ranks of engineer platoons of army pioneer battalions are red,
-lower ranks of the Life Guards of the horse-pioneer squadron, mine platoons of army pioneer battalions - yellow.

On January 23, 1822, it was prescribed that all pioneer battalions in all companies should have a grenade with three lights on their shakos, and crossed axes under it. Until this day, in the pioneer companies of the pioneer battalions, servicemen had to carry a grenada with one fire, and in the sapper companies of the pioneer battalions, a grenade with three lights.
Let us recall that since 1817, engineer battalions have worn a shako badge in the form of a white metal shield (silver), crowned with an imperial crown and a star of the Order of St. St. Andrew the First-Called on the shield. On the bottom of the shield are two crossed axes.

Thus, in January 1822 crossed axes themselves become a sign of engineering troops. For now, as a separate element of the shako sign.

In the picture on the right: a soldier of a sapper platoon (this is indicated by a red pom-pom) of a pioneer battalion in a shako model 1822. In the lower right corner is the shako emblem of the pioneer battalions model 1822.

April 20, 1822 all eight pontoon companies, which were previously included in the artillery, were disbanded, and their personnel and equipment were used to form pontoon units in engineer battalions. Thus, from this time on, the pontooners were finally transferred to the engineering department and wear the uniform of sapper battalions.

21 April 182 The 2nd Engineer Battalion was reorganized as the Engineer Training Battalion, with the mission of training non-commissioned officers and conductors for engineer units and the Corps of Engineers, as well as training drummers and signalmen. The uniform of the lower ranks remains unchanged, with the exception that the shoulder straps of the lower ranks are red and trimmed with yellow basson with red stitching, and the officers have epaulettes not with a red field, but with a silver one, as in the Life Guards Sapper Battalion.

In the picture on the right: shoulder straps of the lower rank of the Combat Engineer Training Battalion.

On April 21, 1822, the 1st Sapper Battalion, renamed the Sapper Battalion of the Grenadier Corps, was ordered to wear encryption on its shoulder straps in the form of the letter “C” instead of the previously established “1.S.”

On August 2, 1822, a new type of army engineering unit was formed - 1st cavalry pioneer squadron. It would remain the only army cavalry pioneer squadron until its disbandment in 1862. In the Life Guards, a similar squadron was formed back in 1819.

When forming, the army cavalry pioneers were given the following uniform:
-a single-breasted dark green uniform with a black collar and cuffs (whereas in the rest of the engineering troops the uniforms are double-breasted),
- edgings and edgings are white (whereas in the rest of the engineering troops they are red),
-white shoulder straps with yellow number 1. Officers' epaulette field is white, number 1 is silver,
- dark green trousers lined with leather on the inside, with black double stripes with a red edging between them,
-shako with yellow burdock and yellow pyramidal pompom.

In the picture on the left: soldiers and chief officer of the army cavalry pioneer squadron in uniform model 1822.

The shako badge of the grenadier pattern is silver with crossed axes superimposed on it. It is significantly similar to the shako badge of engineer battalions mod. 1816-17, but the axes were moved to the tower and a grenade was added below about one fire.

Cavalry saber model 1817, pistols, a belt with a blade for a bayonet scabbard, a carbine with a bayonet are the same as that of mounted rangers.

May 1, 1824 The yellow pyramidal pompoms of the army equestrian pioneers will be replaced with yellow spherical ones.

In 1823, a battalion was formed, which was first (February 21) named as the Pioneer battalion of a separate Lithuanian corps, on August 14 it was renamed the 9th Pioneer battalion, and on September 19 the Lithuanian Pioneer battalion.

On August 14, 1823, the 9th Pioneer Battalion was ordered to have uniforms modeled on the uniforms of the Life Guards Sapper Battalion (with a black lapel with red piping), but without buttonholes (sewing) on ​​the collar. The flaps on the sleeves are red, not green (as is established for the rest of the pioneer battalions. In addition, instead of leather leggings, this battalion is ordered to wear black cloth boots (actually the same leggings, but not leather, but cloth). The battalion is not given shakos red and white pompoms

On September 19, 1823, due to the renaming of the 9th Pioneer Battalion into the Lithuanian Pioneer Battalion, the code “9.P.” was prescribed on epaulettes and shoulder straps. replace with encryption "L.P."

On November 24, 1823, all pioneer battalions were ordered to have white pom-poms on their shakos rather than red ones.

Thus, from November 24, 1823, the colors of pom-poms on shakos are:
- officers of the Life Guards Sapper Battalion, Life Guards Cavalry Pioneer Squadron, Army Sapper and Pioneer battalions - silver,
-lower ranks of army sapper battalions are red,
-the lower ranks of the army pioneer battalions are white.

From the author. Please note - in January 1822, pom-poms were introduced on shakos and their colors were established. And already in November 1823, the colors of the pom-poms changed. And I’m not yet describing all sorts of small changes like the length and color of the lapels of the coat tails, their edging and lining, the colors of the drumsticks and their place on the pantaler. I don’t touch at all on the differences between the musicians’ uniforms and everyone else. Which uniform historian is able to track all these changes?

May 1, 1824 in all engineering troops the appearance of the etiquette is changing. It becomes significantly wider. This is perhaps the only noticeable change in form this year.

On March 29, 1825, the lower ranks received yellow stripes on the left sleeve of their uniform for their blameless service:
-one badge for 10 years of service,
-two stripes for 15 years,
-three stripes in 20 years

Until the end of 1825, there were no more significant changes in the uniform of the engineering troops. I would like to note that as of the end of 1825. The uniforms of all ranks of the army sapper and pioneer battalions were double-breasted, the Life Guards of the Sapper Battalion, the Life Guards of the Mounted Pioneer Squadron and the Lithuanian Pioneer Battalion were double-breasted with a black lapel. The uniforms of the ranks of the Engineering Corps and the army cavalry pioneer battalion are single-breasted.

Literature.

1. I. Ulyanov. History of Russian troops. Regular infantry. 1801-1855. Moscow. AST.1996.
2. L.E.Shepelev. Titles, uniforms, orders. The science. Leningrad.1991.
3. S. Okhlyabinin. Esprit de corps. Ranks, traditions, faces. Russian army from Peter I to Nicholas II. Republic". Moscow. 1994.
4. A.S. Domank. Badges of military valor. Publishing house DOSAAF USSR. Moscow.1990.
5.A.I.Begunova. From chain mail to uniform. Education. Moscow.1993. .
6.M.M.Khrenov and others. Military clothing of the Russian army. Military publishing house. Moscow.1994.
7.V.M.Glinka. Russian military costume of the 18th – early 20th centuries. Artist of the RSFSR. Leningrad. 1988.
8. L.V. Belovitsky. With a Russian warrior through the centuries. Education. Moscow, 1992
9.V.N.Zemtsov, V.A.Lyapin. Yekaterinburg in uniform. Middle Ural book publishing house. Ekaterinburg. 1992
10.G.I.Meerovich. Uniform of the Russian army 1797-1801. (set of postcards). Art. Moscow, 1991
11. V. Semenov. Russian military uniform of the 19th century (set of postcards). Art. Moscow. 1985
12.Historical description of clothing and weapons of the Russian troops. Part eight. Kuchkovo field. Moscow. 2011
13. Historical description of clothing and weapons of the Russian troops. Part ten. Kuchkovo field. Moscow. 2012
14. Historical description of clothing and weapons of the Russian troops. Part twelve. Kuchkovo field. Moscow. 2013
15. Historical description of clothing and weapons of the Russian troops. Part ten. St. Petersburg. 1900.
16. Historical description of clothing and weapons of the Russian troops. Part twelve. St. Petersburg. 1900.
17. Historical description of clothing and weapons of the Russian troops. Part sixteen. St. Petersburg. 1901.
18. P.I. Biryukov and others. Engineering troops. Military publishing house. Moscow. 1982
19. A.N.Kulinsky. Russian edged weapons of military, naval and civil ranks 1800-1917. Magic-Press. Saint Petersburg. 1994

Illustrations of uniforms of the Russian army - artist N.V. Zaretsky: 1876-1959. Russian army in 1812. St. Petersburg, 1912.

General of the light cavalry. Travel uniform. General of His Imperial Majesty's retinue for the quartermaster department. Dress uniform..

Private Life Guards Hussar Regiment. Dress uniform. Private Izyum Hussar Regiment. Dress uniform.

Bombardier of the Guards Foot Artillery. Summer form. Field artillery fireworks. Winter uniform.

Private Uhlan Regiment. Dress uniform. Private Tatar Uhlan Regiment. Travel uniform.

Private Life Guards Dragoon Regiment. Dress uniform. Private St. Petersburg Dragoon Regiment. Travel uniform.

Grenadier of the L-Guards. Preobrazhensky Regiment. Summer form. Musketeer of the Sevsky Infantry Regiment. Winter uniform.

Carabineer of the Life Guards Jaeger Regiment. Winter uniform. Chasseur of the 14th Chasseur Regiment. Summer form.

Private Ekaterinoslav Cuirassier Regiment. Travel uniform. Private Life Guards Horse Regiment. Dress uniform.

Fuseler of the 3rd Marine Regiment. Winter uniform. Sailor Guards Crew. Winter uniform.

Cossack Life Guards Cossack Regiment. Dress uniform. Donskoy Cossack. Travel uniform.

Chief officer of the engineering corps. Travel uniform. Non-commissioned officer of the 1st Pioneer Regiment. Summer form.

Warriors of the St. Petersburg, Moscow, Tver, Nizhny Novgorod militias.

Based on materials: //adjudant.ru/table/zaretsky_1812.asp

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In the first half of 1700, 29 infantry regiments were formed, and in 1724 their number increased to 46. The uniform of the army field infantry regiments was no different in design from the guards, but the colors of the cloth from which the caftans were made were extremely varied. In some cases, soldiers of the same regiment wore uniforms of different colors. Until 1720, a very common headdress was a cap, see fig. below. It consisted of a cylindrical crown and a band sewn

Uniform colors by shelf

Life Guards Hussar Regiment. The dolman and mentik are red, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are blue. The men's fur is black beaver for officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers are black. Blue sash. Chakchirs are blue. The tashka is red with yellow trim. The saddle pad is blue with yellow trim. Instrument metal - gold.

Alexandria Regiment. The dolman and mentik are black, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are red. The men's fur for officers is gray, for non-commissioned officers it is black, for soldiers it is white. Black sash belt. Chakchirs are black. The tashka is black with red trim. The saddle pad is black with red trim. Instrument metal - silver. Widely known as the "black hussars".

Akhtyrsky Regiment The dolman and mentik are brown, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are yellow. The men's fur for officers is gray, for non-commissioned officers it is black, for soldiers it is white. The sash is brown. Chakchirs are blue. The tashka is brown with yellow trim. The saddle pad is blue with yellow trim. Instrument metal - gold. The famous partisan of the War of 1812, Lieutenant Colonel Denis Davydov, served in this regiment.

Belarusian regiment. The dolman is blue, the mantik is red, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are red. The men's fur for officers is gray, for non-commissioned officers it is black, for soldiers it is white. The sash is red. Chakchirs are blue. The tashka is red with white trim. Blue saddle pad with white trim. Instrument metal - silver.

Grodno regiment. The dolman and mentik are blue, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are blue. The men's fur for officers is gray, for non-commissioned officers it is black, for soldiers it is white. Blue sash. Chakchirs are blue. The Tashka is blue with blue trim. The saddle pad is blue with blue trim. Instrument metal - silver. Widely known as the "blue hussars".

Elizavetgrad regiment. The dolman is gray, the mantik is gray, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are gray. The men's fur for officers is gray, for non-commissioned officers it is black, for soldiers it is white. Gray sash belt. Chakchirs are green. The tashka is green with yellow trim. The saddle pad is green with yellow trim. Instrument metal - gold.

Izyumsky regiment. The dolman is red, the mantik is blue, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are blue. The men's fur for officers is gray, for non-commissioned officers it is black, for soldiers it is white. Blue sash. Chakchirs are blue. The tashka is red with white trim. Blue saddle pad with white trim. Instrument metal - silver. The officers have broken cords on their chests and gilded buttons and menticles.

Lubensky regiment. The dolman is blue, the mantik is blue, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are yellow. The men's fur for officers is gray, for non-commissioned officers it is black, for soldiers it is white. Blue sash. Chakchirs are blue. The Tashka is blue with white trim. Blue saddle pad with white trim. Instrument metal - silver. In the movie "The Hussar Ballad" Lieutenant Rzhevsky was dressed in the uniform of the Lubny Hussar Regiment.

Mariupol regiment. The dolman is blue, the mantik is blue, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are yellow. The men's fur for officers is gray, for non-commissioned officers it is black, for soldiers it is white. Blue sash. Chakchirs are blue. The Tashka is blue with yellow trim. The saddle pad is blue with yellow trim. Instrument metal - gold. The color of the Mariupol uniform completely coincided with the color of the Lubenty uniform. The only difference was in the color of the instrument metal and the color of the finishing of the truck and saddle pad.

Olviopol regiment. The dolman and mentik are green, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are red. The men's fur for officers is gray, for non-commissioned officers it is black, for soldiers it is white. Green sash. Chakchirs are red. The tashka is green with red trim. The saddle pad is green with red trim. Instrument metal - silver.

Pavlograd regiment. The dolman is green, the mantik is blue, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are blue. The men's fur for officers is gray, for non-commissioned officers it is black, for soldiers it is white. Blue sash. Chakchirs are green. The tashka is green with red trim. The saddle pad is green with red trim. Instrument metal - gold.

Sumy regiment. The dolman and mentik are gray, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are red. The men's fur for officers is gray, for non-commissioned officers it is black, for soldiers it is white. Gray sash belt. Chakchirs are red. The tashka is red with white trim. The saddle pad is gray with red trim. Instrument metal - silver. In the movie "Hussar Ballad" the uniform of this regiment can be seen on the main character Shurochka Azarova

Irkutsk regiment. The dolman is black, the mantik is black, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are crimson. The men's fur for officers is gray, for non-commissioned officers it is black, for soldiers it is white. Black sash belt. Raspberry chakchirs. The tashka is black with yellow trim. The saddle pad is black with raspberry trim. Instrument metal - gold. It should be borne in mind that the regiment was assigned to the army only in December 1812. During the autumn of 1812 he was a hussar militia regiment of Count Saltykov. Therefore, instead of the usual cockade with a buttonhole, the militia cross and below the monogram of Emperor Alexander I were placed on the shako. Before the campaign abroad, the militia badges on the shako were replaced with the usual cockade with a buttonhole. The buttons on the dolman and mentik went from top to bottom not in three, but in five rows.

1st And 2nd Hussar Regiments of the Russian-German Legion. These regiments were not part of the army and were considered militia. The uniform, in general, was close to the standard of the Russian hussar uniform, but with a number of features. inherent in the German army. So, the shakos had a plume of white feathers, the burdock was not oval. and the round one was red and white, there was no buttonhole on the shako, and the cockade was of German colors (black and white). The fur of the mentik in the 1st regiment was all white, and in the 2nd it was brown. The etishket and kutas were white, and the cords on the dolman and mentic in the 1st regiment were yellow, in the 2nd they were black. They did not wear chakchirs, but instead they wore gray trousers with black leather lining in the step. In 1815, the regiments were disbanded, and the soldiers and officers remained in their homeland in Germany.

Centuries will pass, time will wipe out the bastions from the face of the earth, the cannons that heralded victory will forever fall silent, but the feat of the heroes of the Patriotic War will never be erased from the memory of people. Grateful Russia bows its head before their courage and glory.
Emperor Alexander I.

Literature

1. A.I. Begunova. From chain mail to uniform. Moscow. Enlightenment. 1993
2. L.V. Belovitsky. With a Russian warrior through the centuries. Moscow. Enlightenment. 1992
3. Military clothing of the Russian army. Moscow. Military publishing house. 1994
4. S. Okhlyabinin. Esprit de corps. Ranks Traditions Persons. Russian army from Peter I to Nicholas II. Moscow. Publishing house "Respublika". 1994
5. V. Semenov. Russian military uniform of the 19th century. Moscow. Art. 1986
6. O. Parkhaev. Russian army of 1812. issue 2. Moscow. Art. 1988
7. O. Parkhaev. Russian army of 1812. issue 3. Moscow. Art. 1988
8.V.M.Glinka. Russian military costume of the 18th – early 20th centuries. Leningrad. Artist of the RSFSR.1988.
9. O. Parkhaev. Russian army of 1812. issue 4. Moscow. Art. 1988
10.V.N.Zemtsov, V.A.Lyapin. Yekaterinburg in uniform. Ekaterinburg. Middle Ural book publishing house. 1992
11. Magazine "Science and Life" No. 9-1988.

Uniforms of the Russian infantry during the War of 1812

Russian infantry during the Patriotic War of 1812 was divided into line (or heavy), light, naval and garrison. The main combat unit was the regiment. The regiment consisted of three battalions of four companies each. The first company of each battalion was called a grenadier company and consisted of a grenadier and a rifle platoon. The remaining companies in the infantry regiments were called infantry (musketeers), in the grenadiers - fusiliers, in the Jaegers - Jaegers. Each company consisted of two platoons. Two regiments made up a brigade: infantry, grenadier or jäger. The division consisted of four brigades. In the grenadier division there are three grenadiers and an artillery division, in the infantry division there are two infantry divisions, a Jaeger division and an artillery division. During the war, regiments often operated in reduced strength: grenadier companies were withdrawn from their composition and temporarily combined into combined grenadier brigades and divisions. Two divisions made up the corps.

The line infantry (L-guards Preobrazhensky, Semenovsky, Izmailovsky, Litovsky, grenadier and infantry regiments) were dressed in dark green double-breasted closed uniforms with tails and a stand-up collar. In l-guards. The Lithuanian regiment's uniforms had red lapels. In the remaining regiments, the uniforms were fastened with six rows of buttons. The coattails were trimmed with red instrument cloth. The collars and cuffs of uniforms in the infantry and grenadier regiments were made of red instrument cloth. In the guards regiments, the color of the collars differed: in Preobrazhensky and Litovsky - red, in Semenovsky - light blue with red piping (piping), in Izmailovsky - dark green with red piping. The cuffs are red, the cuff flaps are dark green with red piping. All lower ranks of the Guards regiments had buttonholes made of yellow braid with a red stripe in the middle on their collars and cuff flaps. At first, the collars were high, supporting the cheeks, and a black tie was visible in the neckline of the collar. At the beginning of 1812, the cut of the collars was changed; they became lower and began to be tightly fastened with hooks. But by the beginning of hostilities, the uniforms were not altered in all regiments, so uniforms of both samples were found. The shoulder straps of the lower ranks in all guards and grenadier regiments were made of red instrument cloth. On the shoulder straps of the grenadier squads, a code was sewn from yellow braid - the initial letters of the name of the regiment. In infantry regiments, the color of the shoulder straps indicated the regiment's place in the division: the first regiment was red, the second was light blue, the third was white, the fourth was dark green with red piping. On the field, the shoulder strap was laid out from yellow (on white - from red) braid the division number.

Knickers (pants) were made from white cloth in winter, and from unbleached linen in summer. Shoes – boots. Winter trousers were worn with black leather leggings.
In winter, the lower ranks were required to wear single-breasted overcoats made of coarse gray cloth with a stand-up collar and shoulder straps, the same as on the uniform.
The combat headdresses of the infantrymen were shakos, as well as uniforms, of two models: 1811 and 1812. The shakos were built (the production, sewing of uniforms and equipment for soldiers and officers was then usually called construction) from black cloth with black leather trim. Copper emblems were fixed on the front of the shako: in the guard - the state emblem, in infantry companies and fuselier companies - a grenade (grenade) with one fire, in the grenadiers - a grenade with three lights. In addition, the shakos were decorated with white etiquettes, colored burdocks, and copper scales on the chin straps. The shakos of the lower ranks of grenadier regiments and grenadier companies of infantry regiments were worn by black sultans.

The exception was the Pavlovsk Grenadier Regiment. The lower ranks of the grenadier companies of this regiment wore high grenadier hats with copper foreheads, a red top and a white band. The band was decorated with small copper grenades. Fusiliers were given fusilier hats similar to those of the grenadiers.

When not in formation, the lower ranks (soldiers and non-commissioned officers) wore caps - peakless caps. The company number was etched on the band. The main weapon of the infantry soldier was a smoothbore flintlock rifle with a triangular bayonet and a red shoulder strap. The metal parts of the gun were either iron, such as the barrel, lock, etc., cleaned until white (bluing was not used in gunsmithing at that time), or made of yellow copper (bronze or brass), for example, the butt and stock fittings. The shoulder strap is made of red leather. There was no single model of guns; in one regiment there could be up to forty calibers of weapons. The problem of supplying soldiers with appropriate ammunition was solved simply: each soldier cast round lead bullets for himself, fortunately this could be done right at the stake, and equipped himself with paper cartridges. For cartridges, bullets, gunpowder, as well as gun accessories, there was a pouch made of black hard leather with a copper plaque (coat of arms) on the lid, which was worn at the back on a bleached belt over the left shoulder.
On his left side, the soldier wore a half-saber (cleaver) in a brown leather sheath. The hilt and scabbard frame were made of yellow copper. The half-saber hung from a bleached leather sword belt over his right shoulder. The bayonet sheath tilted on the same sword belt. A lanyard was attached to the hilt. The warrior's personal belongings were placed in a leather backpack. During the warm season, during a hike, overcoats were rolled up into a roller (roller), and this roller was worn over the shoulder. In this case, the backpack was put on over the roll. Some of the small things were worn behind the lining of the shako.
In the Russian army there was no clear system of insignia of ranks and ranks. By the appearance of a warrior, one could only determine the category of rank: privates, non-commissioned officers, chief officers, generals.
According to unverified data, the corporal's uniform was distinguished by a cuff trimmed with yellow braid.
A sign of non-commissioned officer dignity were galloons on the cuffs and collar, specially colored burrs and (in the grenadier regiments) the pommel of the sultan. The top of the plume was white, with a yellow vertical stripe.

The musicians were distinguished by a uniform trimmed with white with a blue stripe in the middle (in the guard - yellow with a red stripe) with braid along the seams and sleeves and (in the grenadier regiments and in the grenadier companies of the infantry and ranger regiments) with a red plume. Musicians of non-commissioned officer rank also had all the distinctions required for non-commissioned officers.
The non-combatant lower ranks in the Russian army included clerks, paramedics, artisans, orderlies, etc. Non-combatants had a special uniform: a cap with a visor, a single-breasted uniform with six buttons and leggings, all made of gray cloth. There was piping along the band and crown of the cap, the free edge of the collar, cuffs and cuff flaps of the uniforms. The color of the line infantry's piping was red, while that of the rangers was dark green. Shoulder straps the color of the cap band of combat ranks were only worn in the Guard. In addition, in the guard, buttonholes made of yellow braid were sewn on the collar in one row and on the cuff flaps in three rows. Non-combatant non-commissioned officers wore gold braid on their collars and cuffs. Overcoats and knapsacks were of the same cut as those worn by combat troops. Non-combatants were armed only with cutlasses.
Officers' uniforms were made of higher quality cloth, had longer tails and gilded buttons. Generals and guards officers wore gold embroidery on their collars and cuffs: regiment officers; generals in the form of oak leaves. In addition to the general general's uniform with embroidery in the form of oak leaves, generals who were chiefs of regiments or assigned to guards regiments could wear the officer uniform of their regiment, but with general distinctions, which will be discussed below. Instead of shoulder straps, officers wore epaulettes. The epaulettes of chief officers (warrant officers, second lieutenants, lieutenants, staff captains and captains) were without fringe; staff officers (majors, lieutenant colonels, colonels) - with thin fringe; generals - with thick fringe. The color of the epaulette field corresponded to the shoulder straps of the lower ranks. Only the guards and generals had epaulettes with a field of gold braid. Regimental and general adjutants wore an epaulette only on the left shoulder; on the right shoulder they had a cord with an aiguillette. In addition to being decorative, the aiguillette had a purely practical use: lead pencils were embedded in its tips. Regimental adjutants wore the uniform of their regiment, and generals either the uniform of the regiment whose chief was the general, or the uniform of the regiment where the officer served before being seconded to the general. In addition to the uniform, generals and guards officers were entitled to a vice uniform of a similar cut, but without sewing. When not in formation, officers and generals wore double-breasted closed frock coats.

The officers wore white trousers and boots. In the summer, officers in the ranks were given linen trousers, similar to those worn by the lower ranks. Those officers who were supposed to be on horseback in the ranks wore cavalry leggings. For ballroom uniform - white culottes (short trousers down to the knees) with stockings and shoes.
The headgear for the formation was a shako, the same as that of the rank and file, but made of higher quality materials and with special type of burrs. Officers of the Pavlovsk Grenadier Regiment also wore shakos, unlike the lower ranks of this regiment. Out of order - a cap with a visor or a hat with a plume of black and orange rooster feathers. The hat was decorated with a braided buttonhole, a round cockade made of orange and black ribbon and tassels. Generals were not entitled to a shako. The general's hat had a twisted buttonhole instead of a braided one.


The officers' overcoats were made of gray cloth with a cape. They could be lined with either cloth or fur, depending on the condition of the officer.
A special sign of officer dignity was a scarf - a belt made of white and silver silk with orange and black splashes. The ends of the scarf ended in tassels. The scarf was tied on the left side.
In addition, in the ranks, officers were entitled to an officer's badge in the form of a crescent, with a state eagle in the middle, which was worn on the chest. The rank of the officer could be determined by the color of the badge: the ensign's badge was all silver, the second lieutenant's badge had a gilded rim, and the lieutenant's badge had an eagle; The staff captain has both an eagle and a headband; the captain had a silver-plated eagle and rim on his gilded badge, the staff officers had the entire

the sign is gilded.
Horse riding gear for infantry officers was similar to that of cuirassiers. Saddle cloths and pigs (cloth covers for saddle holsters) are dark green, lined with red cloth with golden braid in two rows. In addition, they are in the guard

decorated with the image of St. Andrew's star. In the Jaeger regiments, the gap between the braids was made dark green. The generals' horse harnesses were made of bear fur and were also decorated with St. Andrew's Star.

In the Jaeger regiments, the uniform was similar to that of the infantry. The difference was that the collars, cuffs, tail linings, and winter trousers were made of dark green cloth with red piping. The belts were made of black leather. In the Guards Jaeger Regiments: Life Guards Jaeger and Life Guards Finland, the differences from the Guards Line Infantry corresponded to the differences between the Army Jaeger Regiments and the Army Heavy Infantry. Emissions in the L-Guards. Yegersky - orange, in the L-Guards. In Finnish - red. In addition, L-Guards. The Finnish regiment was given a lapel cut uniform with a dark green lapel with red piping.
The shakos in the Jaeger regiments were the same as in the infantry regiments.
The huntsmen were armed with rifled flintlock rifles - fittings.


Marine regiments were considered heavy infantry and were part of infantry divisions. The Marines wore the same uniform as the huntsmen, but with white piping and ammunition. A shako with a grenada with three lights, but without a plume. The color of the shoulder straps and the coding on them were the same as in the corresponding infantry regiments, for example, the 2nd Marine Regiment had white shoulder straps with the number 25, since it was in the 25th Infantry Division.
Life Guards The naval crew was a special military unit: on the one hand, it was a regiment of marines, on the other hand, the teams of the imperial yachts were formed from its sailors. From the form L-guards. The Jaeger Regiment uniform of the Guards crew was distinguished by white piping, a special shako coat of arms (a double-headed eagle holding crossed anchors in its paws) and long dark green leggings without piping. Officers also wore long leggings without piping.
The privates of the garrison regiments, who were in the field position, were entitled to: a dark green uniform (collar and cuffs yellow, tail lapels - maroon) with pewter (white), winter trousers - white, boots with leggings. The shako did not have an etiquette, coat of arms or sultan. Instead of a coat of arms, the shako had a buttonhole made of white braid and a round orange and black cockade.
There was no coat of arms on the pouch. The shoulder straps of all regiments were red, with white numbers. On the shoulder straps of the Moscow Garrison Regiment there was the number 19.


The Internal Guard is a branch of the military that existed in Russia from 1811 to 1864 for guard and escort duty. In addition to general military duties, the Internal Guard was also assigned special duties in relation to the provincial authorities. It could be used for the execution of court sentences, the capture and extermination of “rebels,” fugitive criminals, the suppression of disobedience, for prosecution, confiscation of prohibited goods, collection of taxes, for maintaining order during natural disasters, etc. Thus, the Internal Guard was police body, but had a military organization, approximately corresponding to the modern Internal Troops. During the Patriotic War of 1812, units of the Internal Guard were used to train recruits and militias, escort evacuated valuables into the interior of the country. As the enemy invaded, they joined the active army.
The rank and file of the Inner Guard wore gray uniforms with yellow collars and cuffs and gray trousers with cuffs, gray lapels with red piping. Instrument metal is white. Shako - like in garrison regiments.

Non-commissioned officers were uniformed in the same way as privates. There was silver braid on the collar and cuffs of their uniform.
The difference between the uniforms of the officers of the Internal Guard were dark green uniforms and flaps on the cuffs: the first battalions or half-battalions in each brigade had dark green ones; in the second - dark green with yellow edging, in the third - yellow.


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