Doloman and mentik

It was the most difficult thing to make a dolman, and therefore the sewing of uniforms for a hussar began with it. The doloman was supposed to “sit” on a person like a glove. Then chakchirs and a mentik were fitted to it, which in cut was a copy of the dolman, only slightly enlarged. Therefore, for a dolman, the treasury sold 1 arshin and 9 vershoks of cloth for 84 kopecks, and for a mentik of the same cloth - 1 arshin and 10 vershoks (17).

Details of the cut of the hussar dolman in 1802–1811: a)? “front-sidewall” (two); b) back; c) sleeve (two); d) collar made of instrument cloth; e) cuff (two) made of cutlery cloth.

The cut of the dolman and mentik consisted of the following parts (see figure):

a) two identical parts “front and side”;

b) back;

c) two sleeves, each of two parts equal in width;

d) collar;

d) two cuffs.

No darts were made on the dolman, and yet it had to fit the shoulders, chest and back of the hussar without the slightest folds or sagging of the fabric. To achieve this, the cloth, as mentioned above, was stretched to fit the figure, using moisturizing and ironing. In addition, two dorsal seams played a special role. Only by correctly determining their ratio and curvature could it be possible to “fit” the uniform onto a person. At the regimental rags of the early 19th century, this was done simply: the soldier put on a rough sour cream jacket on himself, and his comrades, pinning the parts with pins, added or removed the fabric.

Subsequently, complex calculations of volumes (it was necessary to take 12 measurements from the upper part of the figure) and proportional cutting methods began to be used to construct a pattern for a hussar dolman. This is how these uniforms were sewn already at the beginning of the 20th century, when hussar regiments were reintroduced into the Russian army (in 1907). Then the military units received the book “Complete academic course in cutting men’s dresses of the First Auxiliary Society of St. Petersburg Cutters” (St. Petersburg, 1906–1908), where in the section “Dolman for officers of hussar army regiments” (part III, pp. 24–25 , Fig. 9) this process was described in all possible detail and the pattern itself was given (see diagram on p. 148).

The doloman of the era of Alexander I had several features.

Firstly, its length was determined by the person’s height. The hussar put his palm to the navel from below, and this line was the lower border of the cut. Secondly, on the back of the jacket there were two protrusions that looked like wings. Their height reached 2 vershok (about 9 cm), and their width was 5–6 cm, depending on the thickness of the figure. The “wings” served to support the sash. Thirdly, the armholes of the sleeves were made quite high, and the sleeves themselves seemed to go over the shoulders. Because of this, one or two small folds appeared under the armpits, but when the hussar raised his arms up, the hem of the dolman (unlike modern jackets) did not move, it remained in place.

Construction of a dolman pattern for officers of the army hussar regiments, 1907–1917.

Dolman sleeves, according to the fashion of that time, were made narrow and long. Slightly expanding downwards, they covered almost half of the palm. There was a slit on the side about 12 cm long, and therefore the sleeve, unfastening the hooks on it, could be easily rolled up. The sleeves of the lower ranks had red leather pads at the elbows, which contributed to better preservation of clothing.

Collars on uniforms from 1802 to 1812 were made very high (up to 11 cm at the back, up to 9 cm at the front) and unfastened. Such a collar, made of cloth and canvas, glued with fish glue, was rigid and rigid, holding the hussar’s head as if in a box. At the beginning of 1812, the Russian army switched to different collars: lower ones, fastened in front with three hooks and tightly fitting the neck. To sew this collar in correctly required considerable tailoring skill.

When the dolman was adjusted to the figure, they began to trim it with cord and buttons.

There are two types of hussar cord on museum samples of this time: flat, braided (doman and mentik of the Pavlograd Regiment in the State Historical Museum) and round, twisted (doloman of the Sumy Regiment in the Suvorov Museum). Two rows of cord with patterns (“hussar knot” of three rings) were used to trim the collar, the entire perimeter of the jacket, the cuffs and the edges of the sleeves. Three rows of cord with patterns were used to cover the back seams and “wings”. The embroidery on the chest of the army hussars consisted of 15 rows of double cord (sometimes there were fewer rows; this depended on the height of the person). It took 30 arshins of woolen cord at 1 kopeck per arshin to completely stitch a dolman and 23 arshins of garus cord at the same price for a mentik.

Hussar buttons were one of the main decorations of the uniform and were very unique. The spherical hollow ball buttons of the army hussars were “blown”, that is, soldered from two stamped halves (button diameter about 20 mm), went to the central row and served to fasten the mentic and dolman. Hemispherical buttons (one stamped half with a soldered “leg” - a loop, diameter about 15 mm (18)) went to the side rows. One set of “dolman-mentik” required 30 pieces of spherical buttons, 60 pieces of hemispherical buttons

Making buttons was expensive. The price of a spherical button reached 8 kopecks, a hemispherical one - 4 kopecks, the hussars had to take care of them, since they were given one set of buttons for... 20 years. This meant that, receiving a dolman and a mentik every two years, the lower ranks tore buttons from old uniforms and replaced them with new things. If buttons were lost, the hussars had to buy them with their own money; the treasury did not compensate for these expenses.

The dolman, embroidered with cords and buttons, was placed on the lining. The mentik had a lining of undyed karazeya (2 arshins, 24 kopecks each). Canvas was sewn into his sleeves (2 arshins, 6 kopecks each), and oilcloth (1 arshin, 7 kopecks each) onto his chest and back. For the fur trim of the mentic, sheepskin smushkas were used (75 kopecks for the entire piece). The dolman had a simpler, canvas lining (4 arshins, 6 kopecks each). For sewing one piece of uniform, thread and wax for thread, the treasury gave the soldier 12 kopecks.

Doloman and mentik of a private of the Pavlograd Hussar Regiment in 1809–1812.

To distinguish ranks, both the mentik and the dolman were decorated with special details. The trumpeters had “shells” on their shoulders, trimmed with the so-called bason (white or yellow woolen braid 13–14 mm wide). Since 1809, the same braid was laid out on all the seams of their uniform, which took 15 arshins of such braid at a price of 8 kopecks per arshin. Non-commissioned officers were supposed to sew a gold or silver braid on their uniform, half an inch wide (22 mm) and priced at 90 kopecks per arshin. 2 arshins (142 cm) of braid were required for the cuffs and dolman collar (until 1809, braid was sewn along the lower edge of the collar, after that - along the upper edge). On the mantle, the galloon was placed above the fur trim of the sleeves.

Fur color was also used to distinguish ranks. According to the establishment of 1802, privates were trimmed from white sheepskin, non-commissioned officers - from black, officers - from gray Crimean sheepskin (similar to modern astrakhan fur). But by 1816 this harmonious system had undergone changes. In the Sumy, Belorussian, Mariupol, Elisavetgrad and Irkutsk regiments, privates had black fur, which, of course, was more practical, because white sheepskin got dirty faster and lost its appearance. By the way, in November 1826, the white fur on the men's coats was universally replaced by black smushka.

The actual production of a dolman for a private cost 2 rubles and 2 kopecks, a dolman for a trumpeter - 3 rubles 22 kopecks, a dolman for a non-commissioned officer - 3 rubles 82 kopecks.

For a private of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment, this piece of uniform, which had richer lace and braiding, was much more expensive:

“Dolomanov to combat ranks according to the number of mentias; for each cloth of the ordered color, 1 arshin 9 vershoks, for an arshin 3 rubles; for canvas lining 4 arshins 8 vershkov, arshins 6 kopecks; oilcloths 1 arshin, 7 kopecks; wide hussar braid 2 arshins 8 vershok 12 kopecks each; narrow 9 arshins 9 vershoks 8 kopecks each; hussar string 32 arshins, 1 kopeck each. arshin; for sewing and threads 5 kopecks; total for one 6 rubles 45 and 3/4 kopecks; on the elbows of the dolmans and for the lining around the loops and hooks, like red leather, 20 kopecks each... In addition to the dolman, cast copper buttons: 17 large, each 8 kopecks; 34 smaller ones, each 4 kopecks; and in total for one dolman 2 rubles 72 kopecks... In addition, I will break off iron hooks with loops, one pair for the collar and 10 pairs for the sleeves, for the portico (in the portishche - 12 pairs. - A.B.) 3 kopecks each..." (19)

Doloman and mentik of a private of the Pavlograd Hussar Regiment in 1820–1824.

The officer's dolman was a real work of decorative art. To decorate it, various decorative materials were used: a cord 4–5 mm thick, twisted or braided (up to 20 arshins in total for a uniform), galloon 22 mm wide (up to 9 arshins), sheitage (a flat thin cord woven in a herringbone pattern, up to a total of 7 arshins), fringe 22 mm wide (up to one and a half arshins). Instead of two rows of cord, one row of braid and two rows of cord were sewn onto officers' uniforms. Sheitage was used to lay out patterns on the field of the collar and cuffs, near the buttons and cords on the chest on the sides of the stitching. Fringe framed this corded embroidery on the chest. For chief officers it was made of twisted threads, for staff officers - threads with the addition of sparkles. With the exception of some details, the officer's mentik also had the same decorations.

Front paneling (numbered) on the chakchirs of combat ranks of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment: at the top: for privates and non-commissioned officers, installed in 1809 and 1816; below: for officers, installed in 1809 and 1816.

At the beginning of the reign of Alexander I, it was established that hussar officers must sew cord, braid, sheitazh and fringe made from gold or silver threads onto their uniforms (depending on the color of the metal device, yellow or white, assigned to the regiment). Accordingly, the buttons are gold or silver. Due to the fact that the Charter required officers to renew their uniforms every year, equipment became a very significant item of officer expenses.

Therefore, already in June 1803, the middle and senior command staff of the hussar regiments were allowed to replace gold and silver on their uniforms with silk cords, braid and fringe. In 1809, “to ease the costs of hussar officers,” Emperor Alexander I ordered uniforms with gold and silver to be worn only on major holidays and shows, and for everyday service to have them with a garus (that is, made of soft twisted woolen yarn) device. Garous items were cheaper than silk items. But this did not become the limit in the requirements for officer uniforms. In November 1812, when the Russian army, pursuing the retreating French, suffered no less than the latter from cold and hunger, the War Ministry notified the hussar officers that gold and silver on uniforms could now be replaced with linen (fabric with a cotton base) and thus reduce the cost even more uniforms.

However, ministerial officials were very far from the active army and its glorious hussar regiments. It is unknown how many officers took advantage of this permission. There were regimental traditions and rules, which were sometimes adhered to much more strictly than bureaucratic circulars. Everything depended on the regimental society itself, on who set the tone there: people of modest means, as in the Mariupol Hussar Regiment, or the first rich people of Russia, as in the Hussar Life Guards. However, there were also jokers, like the Grodno hussars. As the author of the regimental history points out, “one of our officers once appeared at a ball in the city of Toropets with a whole picture of a hunt, embroidered with string on the dolman’s chest, and a silver smiling moon on his back...” (20).

Uniform of the Russian cavalry of 1812

Hussars

The hussar uniform in 1812 was significantly different from the uniforms of other branches of cavalry in its appearance. Its significant difference is explained by the origin of this type of light cavalry. Hussars appeared in the Russian Army in the middle of the 18th century. At that time, the hussars were people from Serbia and Hungary. It was they who brought with them their characteristic type of military clothing. I liked the unusualness and elegance of the hussar uniform and it took root in Russia. Over the course of the century, this uniform has changed somewhat, but has retained its characteristic features. It consisted of the following items: dolman, mentik, chakchirs, boots, shako, tashka, hussar sash. It also includes one of the elements of horse gear - a saddle pad. Each regiment had its own colors of hussar uniform.

Dolman(dulam, dolam, dolman, dulman). Short, waist-length, single-breasted jacket with a low stand-up collar. The chest is embroidered with fifteen rows of cord loops for officers made of gold or silver cord (according to the color of the instrument metal assigned to the regiment). The soldiers' cords were yellow or grayish-white silk. The ends of the rows of cords were decorated with copper buttons for soldiers and gilded buttons for officers. The chest of the officer's dolman was trimmed around the cords with narrow gold (silver) galloon. The general's dolmans were trimmed with fringe in the same way. In addition, the collars of non-commissioned officers, officers and generals were trimmed with galloon of various widths. The back of the dolman was also embroidered with cords. However, the number of rows of cords was not always strictly fifteen. Depending on the size of the dolman, there could be from 11 to 18 rows. The color of the dolman, cuffs and collars was different in each regiment. In the photo on the right is a soldier's dolman of the Sumy Hussar Regiment (by the beginning of 1812 its color will be changed to gray with red cuffs and collar). In the photo on the left is the general's dolman of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment (by the beginning of 1812 the collar and cuffs will turn blue).

Note. The general's hussar uniform was worn by the commander of the Life Guards of the Hussar Regiment and the generals who were the chiefs of the hussar army regiments. Although there were no general ranks in the guard, the guards regiments (and not only the hussars) were commanded by persons with the army rank of major general. As for the position of “chief of the regiment,” such a position was available in the staff list of each army regiment. The author does not know what the duties of the regiment chief were. No written documents to this effect could be found.

Mentik(mentia). The jacket is exactly the same as the dolman one, but the collar, edges of the sides, the bottom of the jacket and the bottom of the sleeves are lined with fur. Each regiment had a mentik of its own color, and the color of the mentik did not always match the color of the dolman. Fur color:
**Life Guards Hussar Regiment: officers - black beaver fur, non-commissioned officers and soldiers - black fur.
**Army hussar regiments: officers have gray fur, non-commissioned officers have black fur, soldiers have white fur.
In winter, mentiks were worn in sleeves over dolmans, and in summer, mentiks were worn draped over the left shoulder. The mentik was kept from falling off by a cord running under the armpit of the right hand. Hussars, armed with pikes, did not wear mentiks in the summer. In a combat situation, before an attack, the mentik was either worn in the sleeves or removed completely.

Hussar musicians (trumpet players, timpani players) had additional decorations on dolmans and mentiks in the form of white and yellow braid along the sleeves, the so-called “porches” on the shoulders. However, trumpeters should rather be classified not as musicians, but as signalmen, so to speak. The trumpeters in battle were close to the commanders and transmitted commands to the personnel with the signals of their trumpets. It is no coincidence that regimental and battalion trumpeters belonged to the non-commissioned officer corps. A regimental headquarters trumpeter was equivalent to a sergeant, a battalion headquarters trumpeter to a lieutenant ensign. And only squadron trumpeters were considered equal to ordinary hussars. The picture shows the headquarters trumpeter of the Mariupol Hussar Regiment.

Note . Pictures, including those painted in the 19th century, depicting hussars galloping into the attack with mentiques flying from their shoulders, do not correspond to reality. Although it looks beautiful outwardly, a fluttering mentik can play a cruel joke on a hussar in battle. It interferes with the use of weapons, control of a horse, and can upset the balance of a fighter in the saddle and throw him to the ground.

Chakchirs(chikchirs). Straight-cut hussar trousers with straps at the bottom. They tuck into their boots. The color of the chakchir is different in each regiment. Along the side seams there are narrow stripes made of gold (silver) braid for officers, and yellow (white) braid for soldiers and non-commissioned officers. In front of both legs there is a decoration made of cord and braid, the so-called “hussar knot”. For soldiers and non-commissioned officers, this knot is made of a thin cord and has a simple design; for officers, it is made of gold (silver) cord and braid of a complex design. For generals this decoration is even more complex. In the picture on the left is an officer's "hussar knot". In the picture on the right are chakchirs and boots.

Boots Low (just above mid-calf) narrow boots. The upper part of the boot has a shaped cutout with a tassel in it. Spurs are put on the boots. Soldiers have tin-plated spurs, officers have silver (gilded) spurs.

From the author. It is curious that at the beginning of the century, shoes did not differ between left and right boots. Both boots (and other shoes too) were exactly the same, and it didn’t matter which foot to put on (well, like felt boots now). Anyone who doesn’t believe it should visit the museum of the clothing service of the RF Ministry of Defense. Shoes began to be distinguished into left and right closer to the middle of the 19th century.

On a campaign, in combat conditions, during training in cold weather, and in warm weather instead of chakchir, the hussars wore gray leggings lined with leather. Leggings were worn over boots. Hussar chakchirs were expensive, the saddle quickly became worn out and torn, and in inclement weather they quickly became wet and dirty from the earth flying from under the horse’s front legs. The leggings saved the situation. So, in reality, during the war the hussars did not look as elegant as we see in the films “War and Peace”, “The Hussar Ballad”, etc. In the picture, the hussars of the 2nd Hussars Regiment of the Russian-German Legion are wearing leggings and on the right is the leggings design.

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

At the regimental scum (now we would call them “ateliers” or “tailoring workshops”) it was not professional cutters and tailors who worked, but the soldiers themselves. The cutting was carried out according to templates and a strictly established scheme, which regulated the ratio of the various parts of the uniform depending on the height of the soldier. For a better look at the military formation, uniforms and ammunition were sometimes leveled along the cord: “by placing the squadron on level ground or on boards in one rank so that from the head to the tail man, with a stretched cord, rubbed with chalk or coal, beat off the height of the bodice, then the length of the tails, the height boots, the distance of buttons and the height of belts..." Patterns of the early 19th century did not provide for any darts or additional seams on uniforms. But the cloth, having been slightly moistened, could be stretched out under a strong iron, and then “placed” on the soldier, pinning the parts directly according to the figure. One of his contemporaries left an interesting description of this tailor’s work: “When I put my legs into the leggings, the tailors, standing on both sides of me, took hold of the sides of the leggings and began to shake me up. When they pulled on the leggings, not the slightest wrinkle remained on the cloth . The cutter began to tighten the belt into a ring at the waist and pulled as hard as he could. I was so tight that I could hardly breathe. They began to try on the uniform. One tailor stood in front and began to pull it down, and the other, standing behind, began to button my collar on three hooks. The tailor began to tighten the uniform and then, with all his strength, began to squeeze it forward, towards the buttons... I felt clogged in a vice, I did not have a single muscle left to be free. I felt numb in whole body..."

Of course, it was not easy to get used to a soldier’s uniform made of army cloth at 84 kopecks per arshin. Tailored exactly to the figure, lined with hard and dense canvas, it resembled a spacesuit that constrained the entire body. But, having some skill, it was not at all difficult to sew such a uniform, since its pattern is quite primitive and only five seams are needed to assemble a jacket with a collar and sleeves. Samples preserved in museums (the State Historical Museum in Moscow, the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops and Signal Corps, the A.V. Suvorov Museum in St. Petersburg) make it possible to reveal the little secrets of military tailors and describe in detail the manufacture of hussar uniforms during the reign Alexandra I.

It was the most difficult thing to make a dolman, and therefore the sewing of uniforms for a hussar began with it. The doloman was supposed to “sit” on a person like a glove. Then chakchirs and a mentik were fitted to it, which in cut was a copy of the dolman, only slightly enlarged. Therefore, the treasury sold 1 arshin and 9 vershoks of cloth for 84 kopecks for a dolman, and 1 arshin and 10 vershoks for a mentik of the same cloth.

The cut of the dolman and mentik consisted of the following parts:
a) two identical parts “front and side”;
b) back;
c) two sleeves, each of two parts equal in width;
d) collar;
d) two cuffs.

No darts were made on the dolman, and yet it had to fit the shoulders, chest and back of the hussar without the slightest folds or sagging of the fabric. To achieve this, the cloth, as mentioned above, was stretched to fit the figure, using moisturizing and ironing. In addition, two dorsal seams played a special role. Only by correctly determining their ratio and curvature could it be possible to “fit” the uniform onto a person. At the regimental rags of the early 19th century, this was done simply: the soldier put on a rough sour cream jacket on himself, and his comrades, pinning the parts with pins, added or removed the fabric.

Subsequently, complex calculations of volumes (it was necessary to take 12 measurements from the upper part of the figure) and proportional cutting methods began to be used to construct a pattern for a hussar dolman. This is how these uniforms were sewn already at the beginning of the 20th century, when hussar regiments were reintroduced into the Russian army (in 1907). Then the military units received the book “Complete academic course in cutting men’s dresses of the First Auxiliary Society of St. Petersburg Cutters” (St. Petersburg, 1906-1908), where in the section “Dolman for officers of hussar army regiments” (part III, pp. 24-25 , Fig. 9) this process was described in all possible detail and the pattern itself was given. The doloman of the era of Alexander I had several features.

Firstly, its length was determined by the person’s height. The hussar put his palm to the navel from below, and this line was the lower border of the cut. Secondly, on the back of the jacket there were two protrusions that looked like wings. Their height reached 2 vershok (about 9 cm), and their width - 5-6 cm, depending on the thickness of the figure. The “wings” served to support the sash. Thirdly, the armholes of the sleeves were made quite high, and the sleeves themselves seemed to go over the shoulders. Because of this, one or two small folds appeared under the armpits, but when the hussar raised his arms up, the hem of the dolman (unlike modern jackets) did not move, it remained in place.

Dolman sleeves, according to the fashion of that time, were made narrow and long. Slightly expanding downwards, they covered almost half of the palm. There was a slit on the side about 12 cm long, and therefore the sleeve, unfastening the hooks on it, could be easily rolled up. The sleeves of the lower ranks had red leather pads at the elbows, which contributed to better preservation of clothing.

Collars on uniforms from l802 to 1812 were made very high (up to 11 cm at the back, up to 9 cm at the front) and unfastened. Such a collar, made of cloth and canvas, glued with fish glue, was rigid and rigid, holding the hussar’s head as if in a box. At the beginning of 1812, the Russian army switched to different collars: lower ones, fastened in front with three hooks and tightly fitting the neck. To sew this collar in correctly required considerable tailoring skill. When the dolman was adjusted to the figure, they began to trim it with cord and buttons.

There are two types of hussar cord on museum samples of this time: flat, braided (doloman and mentik of the Pavlograd Regiment in the State Historical Museum) and round, twisted (doloman of the Sumy Regiment in the Suvorov Museum). Two rows of cord with patterns (a “hussar knot” of three rings) were used to trim the collar, the entire perimeter of the jacket, the cuffs and the edges of the sleeves. Three rows of cord with patterns were used to cover the back seams and “wings”. The embroidery on the chest of the army hussars consisted of 15 rows of double cord (sometimes there were fewer rows; this depended on the height of the person). It took 30 arshins of woolen cord at 1 kopeck per arshin to completely stitch a dolman and 23 arshins of garus cord at the same price for a mentik.

Hussar buttons were one of the main decorations of the uniform and were very unique. The spherical hollow ball buttons of the army hussars were “blown”, that is, welded from two stamped halves (button diameter about 20 mm), went to the central row and served to fasten the mentic and dolman. Hemispherical buttons (one stamped half with a soldered “leg” - a loop, about 15 mm in diameter) went to the side rows. One set of “dolman-mentik” required 30 pieces of spherical buttons, 60 pieces of hemispherical buttons.

Making buttons was expensive. The price of a spherical button reached 8 kopecks, a hemispherical one - 4 kopecks. The hussars had to take care of them, since they were given one set of buttons for... 20 years. This meant that, receiving a dolman and a mentik every two years, the lower ranks tore buttons from old uniforms and replaced them with new things. If buttons were lost, the hussars had to buy them with their own money; the treasury did not compensate for these expenses.

The dolman, embroidered with cords and buttons, was placed on the lining. The mentik had a lining of undyed karazeya (2 arshins, 24 kopecks each). Canvas was sewn into his sleeves (2 arshins, 6 kopecks each), and oilcloth (1 arshin, 7 kopecks each) onto his chest and back. For the fur trim of the mentic, sheepskin smushkas were used (75 kopecks for the entire piece). The dolman had a simpler, canvas lining (4 arshins, 6 kopecks each). For sewing one piece of uniform, thread and wax for thread, the treasury gave the soldier 12 kopecks.

To distinguish ranks, both the mentik and the dolman were decorated with special details. The trumpeters had “shells” on their shoulders, trimmed with the so-called bason (white or yellow woolen braid 13-14 mm wide). Since 1809, the same braid was laid out on all the seams of their uniform, which took 15 arshins of such braid at a price of 8 kopecks per arshin. Non-commissioned officers were supposed to sew on their uniform a gold or silver braid half an inch wide (22 mm) and priced at 90 kopecks per arshin. 2 arshins (142 cm) of braid were required for the cuffs and dolman collar (until 1809, braid was sewn along the lower edge of the collar, after that - along the upper edge). On the mantle, the galloon was placed above the fur trim of the sleeves. Fur color was also used to distinguish ranks. According to the establishment of 1802, privates were trimmed from white sheepskin, non-commissioned officers - from black, officers - from gray Crimean sheepskin (similar to modern astrakhan fur). But by 1816 this harmonious system had undergone changes. In the Sumy, Belorussian, Mariupol, Elisavetgrad and Irkutsk regiments, privates had black fur, which, of course, was more practical, because white sheepskin got dirty faster and lost its appearance. By the way, in November 1826, the white fur on the men's coats was universally replaced by black smushka.

The actual production of a dolman for a private cost 2 rubles and 2 kopecks, a dolman for a trumpeter - 3 rubles 22 kopecks, a dolman for a non-commissioned officer - 3 rubles 82 kopecks.

For a private of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment, this piece of uniform, which had richer embroidery with cords and braid, was much more expensive: “Dolmanov to the combat ranks according to the number of mentias; for each cloth of the ordered color, 1 arshin 9 vershok, for an arshin 3 rubles; for a canvas lining 4 arshins 8 vershoks, an arshin 6 kopecks each; oilcloth 1 arshin 7 kopecks each; wide hussar braid 2 arshins 8 vershoks 12 kopecks each; narrow 9 arshins 9 vershoks 8 kopecks each; hussar braid 32 arshins 1 kopeck each ; for sewing and threads, 5 kopecks each; total for one 6 rubles 45 and 3/4 kopecks; for the elbows of the dolmans and for the lining around the loops and hooks, according to the red leather pattern, for each 20 kopecks... To that dolman cast copper buttons: large 17, each for 8 kopecks; smaller ones 34, each for 4 kopecks; and in total for one dolman 2 rubles 72 kopecks... In addition, I will break off iron hooks with loops, one pair for the collar and sleeves 10 pairs, for the portishche (in the portishche - 12 pairs - A.B.) 3 kopecks..."

The officer's dolman was a real work of decorative art. To decorate it, various decorative materials were used: a cord 4-5 mm thick, twisted or braided (in total it took up to 20 arshins for a uniform), galloon 22 mm wide (up to 9 arshins), sheitage (a flat thin cord woven in a herringbone pattern, up to a total of 7 arshins), fringe 22 mm wide (up to one and a half arshins). Instead of two rows of cord, one row of braid and two rows of cord were sewn onto officers' uniforms. Sheitage was used to lay out patterns on the field of the collar and cuffs, near the buttons and cords on the chest on the sides of the stitching. Fringe framed this corded embroidery on the chest. For chief officers it was made of twisted threads, for staff officers - threads with the addition of sparkles. With the exception of some details, the officer's mentik also had the same decorations.

The front paneling (numbered) on the chakchirs of the combat ranks of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment is at the top for privates and non-commissioned officers, installed in 1809 and 1816, at the bottom for officers, installed in 1809 and 1816.

At the beginning of the reign of Alexander I, it was established that hussar officers must sew cord, braid, sheitazh and fringe made from gold or silver threads onto their uniforms (depending on the color of the metal device, yellow or white, assigned to the regiment). Accordingly, the buttons are gold or silver. Due to the fact that the Charter required officers to renew their uniforms every year, equipment became a very significant item of officer expenses.

Therefore, already in June 1803, the middle and senior command staff of the hussar regiments were allowed to replace gold and silver on their uniforms with silk cords, braid and fringe. In 1809, “to ease the costs of hussar officers,” Emperor Alexander I ordered uniforms with gold and silver to be worn only on major holidays and shows, and for everyday service to have them with a garus (that is, made of soft twisted woolen yarn) device. Garous items were cheaper than silk items. But this did not become the limit in the requirements for officer uniforms. In November 1812, when the Russian army, pursuing the retreating French, suffered no less from cold and hunger. The War Ministry informed the hussar officers that the gold and silver on their uniforms could now be replaced with linen (fabric with a cotton base) and thus reduce the cost of uniforms even more.

However, ministerial officials were very far from the active army and its glorious hussar regiments. It is unknown how many officers took advantage of this permission. There were regimental traditions and rules, which were sometimes adhered to much more strictly than bureaucratic circulars. Everything depended on the regimental society itself, on who set the tone there: people of modest means, as in the Mariupol Hussar Regiment, or the first rich people of Russia, as in the Hussar Life Guards. However, there were also jokers, like the Grodno hussars. As the author of the regimental history points out, “one of our officers once appeared at a ball in the city of Toropets with a whole picture of a hunt, embroidered with string on the chest of the dolman, and a silver smiling moon on his back...”

A. I. Begunova. The daily life of a Russian hussar during the reign of Alexander I. - M.: Mol. Guard, 2000.

The first hussars appeared in Hungary in the 15th century. Then King Matthias Korsch, who was called the winner of the Turks, announced the appointment of state service. It was called “Khus ar” from Khus - 20, and ar - money. This was the amount allocated for every twentieth nobleman on the list who was required to serve in the army.

The Hussars managed to survive for more than eighty years. The united Hungarian kingdom was dismembered in 1540. The western part with Slovakia went to the Austrian monarch. Then the march of the hussars across Europe began.

What the first hussars looked like

Initially, the hussars did not resemble those whose appearances are familiar to us from 19th-century paintings and modern films. The hussars wore thin forged metal chain mail and light helmets with chainmail headbands on their heads. In winter, they wore jackets - mentia, which they wore at other times of the year on the left shoulder. Eagle or hawk wings were attached to them to protect the left hand, which held the reins, from saber strikes.

In the 16th century, the spread of hussarism went in two directions. The first was German. Austrian subjects, the hussars, were engaged in guarding the Turkish-Austrian border. The second is Polish. The Transylvanian prince Stefan Batory was elected krul (king) in 1576. With his arrival, the hussars also came to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

During the turmoil that came after the death of Boris Godunov during the time of False Dmitry, hussars appeared on the territory of Rus'. They were in the army of Jan Sapieha, who besieged the Trinity-Sergius Lavra during the “Seven Boyars”. They were with Hetman Khodkevich, who was trying to capture Moscow. However, they no longer had anything in common with the first Hungarian hussars.

About hussars in Rus'

Light helmets were replaced by forged ones “with arrows” that protected the noses, and chain mail was replaced by armor. They had already become armored hussars, who became famous in battles with the Crimean Tatars and Turkish spagi. Mikhail Fedorovich liked this type of cavalry. Then recruited hussar squadrons appeared in Rus', which included Germans and Poles. During the time of Alexei Mikhailovich, domestic nobles began to appear in the hussar squadrons.

Even before Peter I, the hussars were dissolved in the Russian army. Peter had a chance to make an attempt to form hussar units, but to no avail. Later, Field Marshal Burchard Christopher von Minich had to return to this after the Ochakov and Crimean campaigns. And he succeeded.

During the time of Elizabeth Petrovna, Georgian, Serbian and Macedonian hussar regiments appeared. In those days, the hussar's costume was also formed. Warm mentiks (former mantles), a high hussar's hat, boots below the knees and the legendary tashki - bags for documentation - this was the hussar's costume in the second half of the 18th century. According to General Farmer, the hussars were obliged to attack with their usual impudence. Thus, for the first time, psychology was recorded in the Russian hussars.

During the time of Catherine II, the hussar regiments were mainly composed of Russian soldiers and officers. This tradition, enshrined by Paul I, was not violated until the fall of the empire itself. In the hussar regiments there were often people who were carriers of intellectual thinking at the elite level. Although, if you look at the names of the hussar regiments, you may not agree with this, or only partially.

Legendary Russian hussars

Who was the first hussar legend? Most believe that this is Denis Davydov. However, in reality it was Nadezhda Durova. Her mother threw her out of the carriage because she was crying. Then the father picked her up and handed her over to the guardianship of the hussar, who raised the baby. As you know, childhood memories can be the most vivid, so sabers, drums, and horses left a noticeable mark on the girl’s memory.

So, already being a married woman, in 1806 she went to fight in the cavalry. Nadezhda was promoted to officer and awarded the Cross of St. George. She served in the Alexandria Hussars Regiment. Because of an affair with Miloradovich, she left the regiment and joined the lancers.

And only the second legendary figure in Russian hussarism can be considered Denis Davydov. He was the first to call himself a hussar. Being an officer in the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment, he did not stay in it for long. The ardent poet was made an army hussar for his creativity during translation. Thus, the Belarusian Hussar Regiment formed a hussar-poet, a romantic, a bully and a daredevil. And this image has its own imitators.

However, despite the brightness of the image and the magnificent poems of Davydov, the first hussar of the century, according to contemporaries, was a certain brave man Kulnev. In general, he was the prototype of all unmercenary hussars. Kulnev was remembered as a lion on the battlefield, and a lamb when the trumpets sounded the all-clear.

Formation of the appearance of the hussars

It should not be surprising that the hussars are a symbol of an entire era. They personified the beginning of the 19th century, when the idea of ​​hussarism was at its peak. At the same time, the legendary image of the hussar was formed. What was the hussar's mustache worth alone?

Hussarism was considered an endless revelry and desperate daring, stunning selflessness and constant lack of money, deliberate contempt for the accumulation of either crosses or ranks. At the same time, there is also a constant search for fame, love, liberation and games. Hussars were recognized heroes not only on the battlefields, but also in love battles.

They were the very male embodiment of love, they were its heroes. Neither novels, stories or vaudeville could do without them. The images took root in the cultural cross-section of the common people very easily and became a basic phenomenon in Russian cultural life.

Hussar costume from the period 1812

The hussar's costume in 1812 was significantly different in appearance from the costumes of other branches of cavalry. Its so obvious difference can be explained by the origin of this type of light cavalry. The appearance of hussars in the Russian army dates back to the middle of the 18th century. In those days, the hussars were mainly Serbs and Hungarians. With them the military uniform unique to them was brought. I liked the unusual and elegant hussar uniform, especially the ceremonial hussar uniform. And all this was able to take root in the Russian Empire.

Over the course of a century, they tried to modify this uniform several times, while maintaining the motifs characteristic only of it.

The military uniform of the hussars consisted mainly of:

• Dolomana;
• Mentika;
• Chakchir;
• Botikov;
• Quiver;
• Tashki;
• Hussar sash.

Some historians also attribute one of the items in horse gear to this - a saddle pad. Each regiment had its own colors of hussar uniform.

Dolomans (dulams, dolams, dolmans, dulmans) are short, waist-length, single-breasted jackets with stand-up low collars. On the chest, officer jackets were embroidered in fifteen rows with loops, the material for which was golden or silver cord. The soldiers' cords were made of yellow or grayish-white silk.

Mentiki (mentii) are exactly the same jackets as dolmans, but the collars, ends of the sides, the bottoms of the jackets, as well as the bottoms of the sleeves were trimmed with fur. Each individual hussar regiment had mentics of its own colors. And this despite the fact that the colors of the mentiks did not necessarily coincide with the colors of the dolmans.

Chakchirs (chikchirs) are straight-cut hussar pants with stripes at the bottom. They tucked themselves into their boots. The colors of the chakchirs were very diverse, each regiment had its own.

Boots were low (a little more than the center of the calves), narrow boots. The upper parts of the boots had figured cutouts with tassels in them. Spurs were put on the boots. The soldiers had spurs tinned with tin, and the officers had silver (gilded) spurs.

What did the hussars wear in the field?

In marching conditions, in a combat situation, during training in the cold season, and in the warm season, instead of chakchirs, the hussars wore gray leggings, which were hemmed with leather. Leggings were worn over boots. Chakchirs of hussars were expensive. Due to prolonged sitting in the saddle, the trousers quickly wore out and tore; in inclement weather, they soon became wet and dirty with earth flying from under the horses.

Putting on leggings saved the situation. So in reality, the hussars were different in battle. They did not look as elegant as in films like “War and Peace”, “Hussar Ballad”, etc.

It so happened that at the end of the 19th century the hussars had few places left to use their forces. With the advent of balloons, asphyxiating gases, and rapid-fire weapons, who needs cavalry? During the “world wars and revolutions” the hussarism was destined to bloom with its last farewell flowers. And this was the end of an era that was destined to collapse into oblivion. The hussars were left out of work.

Hungarian - short jacket trimmed with cords on the chest. This item of clothing gradually penetrated into Russia. And before the Russian hussars put on the uniform in which they won the victory over Napoleon in 1812, the Hungarian woman made her way to Russia, starting from the 15th-16th centuries.

National Hungarian clothing was formed on the basis of the interaction of ancient Hungarian costume with Turkish. For several hundred years, continuous military clashes between the West and the East took place on the territory of Hungary. Turkish oppression and numerous wars devastated and ruined the country. Along with ancient Hungarian clothing, there were other options - medieval European costume and oriental costume. It was the oriental elements that were later used by the Hungarians and included in their national costumes.

Elements of cut, fasteners on the chest in the form of rows of decorative cord with air loops and tassels, headdresses with plumes, fur trim - all these elements have become a mandatory part of the national clothing of the Hungarians. Already in the 15th century, these elements became part of the uniform of an officer of the Hungarian light cavalry. These were the hussars who repelled the attacks of the Turkish cavalry.

Then the distinctive features of the Hungarian costume began to spread in Europe. Moreover, a significant part of the Hungarian soldiers, usually young, were looking for better means of subsistence in other countries. When recruiting for military service, not only the quality of warriors was taken into account, but also their appearance and colorful national costume.

Hungarians served in many countries. Once in the royal guard of Louis XIV, the Hungarians, with their brilliant and picturesque appearance, gave special solemnity to the king's exit.

Hussar regiments appeared in the Russian Army in the middle of the 18th century, around 1751 - 1760. Their uniform was significantly different from the uniforms of other cavalry branches. This is explained by its origin. At that time, many who were in the hussar regiments came from Serbia, Hungary and the Slavs, immigrants from the Austrian possessions between the Bug and the Dnieper.

It was they who brought with them this type of clothing, close to the national Hungarian costume. It consisted of the following main items: dolman, mentik, chakchirs (leggings), boots, shako, sash. The mentik was an outer jacket, trimmed with fur along the collar and sides, with horizontal rows of cords on the chest.

Portrait from above - Denis Davydov
Portrait from below - Lermontov

Doloman is also a jacket, decorated with rows of cords both in front and behind, a mantik was put on it. Mentik in the summer were worn draped over the left shoulder, and in the winter they were worn in the sleeves over the dolmans. Chakchirs, or hussar leggings, had a cord pattern. Russia liked the uniform for its unusualness and elegance. Over the course of a century, it changed, but its main features were preserved.

Based on the origin of the hussar uniform, it becomes clear why the dolman and mentik jackets began to be called Hungarians. But at the same time there was another Hungarian woman - a civilian. It was most often a blue caftan, embroidered on the chest with cords. This clothing resembled a caftan from pre-Petrine times. Russian landowners loved to wear it.

The popularity of the hussar uniform and at the same time the civilian Hungarian uniform continued almost until the end of the 19th century. In the second half of the 19th century, the female version of the hussar jacket or Hungarian jacket came into fashion - it was a short woolen jacket trimmed with braid or.

Today, interesting models of women’s clothing in military style often appear on the catwalks, and therefore you can see elements of Hungarian and Russian military uniforms. Modern designers are inspired by national costumes, because beauty is eternal.

Photo above - Balmain
Photo below - Alessandra Rich