Red revolutionary trousers. Literary and historical notes of a young technician A man sits on a horse

10Nov

1917-2017. Pants or medal?

Now many of these items seem funny. But they talk about events that a hundred years ago were anything but funny. Red revolutionary trousers, propaganda dishes - these rarities were kept in Volgograd families, and are now the pride of the museum.

Photo by Alexander Kiryanov

Leaflets and posters, awards and weapons, photographs and documents of that time represent the tragedy of the Russian population, caught in the furnace of revolution and civil war. Exhibition curator, head of the regional history department Irina Taldykina told me about the most interesting exhibits. All these items are now displayed by the Volgograd Regional Museum of Local Lore at the exhibition “Russia at a Historical Turn” (from the history of two revolutions of 1917).

Red riding breeches

They were awarded everything - orders and medals, weapons, watches, clothes. Everyone will photograph the “red revolutionary trousers” of the Red Army soldier Trofimov from the film “Officers”... And why were they awarded with pants, and not medals and orders? Red riding breeches were issued to the few Red Army soldiers who distinguished themselves in battle. Those who wore them stood out from the crowd and had privileges. To avoid fraud (!), the trousers were accompanied by a document certifying the right to wear them.

Red riding breeches were equated with the Order of the Red Banner. That's it - either pants or an order.

“The red breeches of red color were received by the local history museum in 1968 from Timofey Yakovlevich Zatyamin, a participant in the civil war in Ukraine, a native of the village of Saltyn, Uryupinsky district,” said Irina Taldykina. “After the Civil War, he was at party work in the Uryupinsky district of the Stalingrad region.

In Kyiv, after the Germans left in 1918, the uniforms of the Austrian hussars remained in warehouses. It has been proven that red riding breeches from this particular uniform were used for awards. If the owner of such pants fell into the hands of the White Guards, reprisals would have been inevitable. INThere are mentions that Trotsky personally awarded such red riding breeches.

Propaganda porcelain

A service with the inscription Red Army - Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. Came to the museum at the end of the last century. Donated by the residents of Volgograd. The first propaganda tableware was produced back in the 1920s, but there is no such thing in the museum. This is the 1930s.

The history of the Red Army soldier figurine is interesting. It was dug up in her garden by Stalina Aleksandrovna Yamshchikova from the village of Peskovatka, Dubovsky district Volgograd region. Three years ago, the item was donated to the local history museum.

Dishes with the image of Lenin began to be produced immediately after his death. This china is also from the 1930s.

Awards of the White Movement

Material for the exhibition was provided by one of the most famous Volgograd experts on the Civil War and the White movement, Viktor Viktorovich Komyagin. For example, pLong regimental icon “Mr. George the Victorious", pfires of junior non-commissioned officer Kornilov, bombardier Kornilov, non-commissioned officer of the Markov Infantry Regiment, captain Kornilov, volunteer Alekseevsky Infantry Regiment. Chevrons, stripes, the uniform of the Kornilov staff captain.

Of course, awards and signs.

Order of Bermontt-Avalov.
Order "2nd March on Petrograd".
Cross "Salvation of the Don".
Badge of the Order "Liberation of Siberia".
Cross of the Ekaterinoslav campaign.
Cross of the “Special Manchurian Detachment” 2 tbsp.
and 12. Badge of the first Kuban (Ice) campaign, 1st and 2nd Art.
Cross "For the Steppe Campaign".
Cross for sailors evacuated to Bizerte.
Cross for soldiers evacuated to the island of Lemnos.
Non-commissioned officer's badge.

1. Badge of the first Kuban (Ice) campaign 2 tbsp. on the Vladimir tape. 2. Cross of the “Special Manchurian Detachment” 1st century. 3. Cross of Bermont-Avalov 1 st. 4. Cross “For the Great Siberian Campaign” 1st century. 5. Cross of the campaign of General Bredov. 6. Medal of Drozdovites. 7. Cross of Bulak-Bulakhovich. 8. Cross of the “Special Manchurian Detachment”. 9. Cross “Liberation of Siberia”. 10. Cross of the “Special Manchurian Detachment” 1st century. 11. Cross of Bermont-Avalov. 12. Cockade Bermont-Avalov. 13. Cross for the ranks of the yacht “Lucullus”. 14. Cross for soldiers evacuated to Gallipoli.

At the exhibition you can see materials about the chairman of the Tsaritsyn Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies, the first mayor of Tsaritsyn S.K. Minin; organizer and leader of the Tsaritsyn Proletarian Red Choir I. M. Peregudov; exhibits from private collections on the history of the Red and White movements, unique museum items on the history of special forces units (CHON) of the Tsaritsyn province; original banners, weapons, awards and signs, Tsaritsyn bonds “mininki”, revolutionary newspapers.

The exhibition “Russia at a Historical Turn” is running in the Volgograd Regional local history museum from November 2, 2017 until the end of 2018.

The image of the Red Army soldier, familiar to us from the movies, as a beggar in rags in a tattered tunic and worn out boots with windings, actually has nothing in common with reality. During the creation of the Red Army, the quartermaster warehouses were captured, where new uniforms sewn by the N.A. concern were already lying. Vtorov based on sketches by Vasnetsov and Korovin - this uniform was sewn according to orders from the Court of His Imperial Majesty and was intended for the Victory Parade in Berlin. These were long-brimmed overcoats with “conversations”, cloth helmets stylized as Old Russian sholoms, later known as “Budenovki”, as well as sets of leather jackets with trousers, leggings and caps, intended for mechanized troops, aviation, crews of armored cars, armored trains and scooters.
You can judge what the Red Army really looked like from the drawings of Andrei Karashchuk, the most famous Russian master of military-historical illustration.

In addition, the Red Army soldiers also received rich supplies of ceremonial uniforms. Often the mixing of various uniform items led to funny things. Thus, cadets of the Engineering courses wore cadet uniforms with shakos, on which the royal eagles were covered with cloth red stars, and all this “miracle” was worn together with protective trousers.

Also in the Red Army there were a number of units wearing sets of hussar uniforms.
Russian diplomat G.N. Mikhailovsky wrote in his memoirs: “A literally “red cavalcade” drove through the entire city along Nakhimovsky Prospekt from Ekaterininskaya Street - all dressed in red from head to toe, with white high spats - not so much Red Army soldiers, but “Red Indians” of a new type. A crazy cavalcade (special detachments of the Crimean Cheka) swept through the empty city in a very picturesque manner, which looked like a page from a cinematic novel..."
And this is what the representatives of the White movement looked like. Widely known for feature films Gold shoulder straps of white officers were almost never seen. This is explained by the fact that already during the First World War, almost the entire army wore field shoulder straps and the production of galloon shoulder straps, for which scarce gold was used, was curtailed; factories capable of producing gold and silver shoulder straps found themselves on the territory occupied by the Bolsheviks. Any sewing workshop could sew officer shoulder straps from ordinary fabric.
In 1918 - early 1919, officers often simply drew on their shoulder straps with an ink pencil directly on their tunics. Light gray French coats, also familiar from feature films, did not exist at all. The Frenchies were khaki, dark green, tan and brown. Very often the colors of the uniform were black or white. Army White Movement, basically, were equipped much worse than the Red Army. Partially they wore the old Russian uniform, partially they dressed in the uniforms of England, France, Italy, Germany, Austria received from the allies.

Why is it impossible to imagine the Civil War award lists without them?

Text: Olga Khoroshilova, candidate of art history

This is one of the most unusual awards Civil War, which became a symbol of the Red Army. Soviet artists depicted valiant fighters in red trousers. Their images were preserved on Soviet posters, photographs, and films. But the red trousers have a complex and contradictory history at the front.

Bloomers of cadet Trofimov

The famous Soviet film "Officers" opens with a spectacular scene. Winter, snow-covered parade ground of the cavalry school. Alexey Trofimov stands in front of the line of red cadets. Holding his breath, he listens to the boss's speech. In a loud, commanding voice, he lists the merits of the young man. Cadet Trofimov shows labor consciousness and worker-peasant discipline, he is devoted to the cause of the world revolution and understands the current political situation, he distinguished himself during prize shooting.

For all this, the cadet is awarded red revolutionary trousers.

Trofimov cannot hide his pride and happiness. He flaunts his riding breeches everywhere. In them he performs a courageous act - he saves a girl from bandits. And this wins her heart: the girl becomes the wife of a valiant cadet. Together they go to the front of the Civil War, in Central Asia.

Trofimov's revolutionary trousers are not a spectacular invention of the screenwriters. They were actually awarded to fighters for important services. But red trousers were not only a reward. And the attitude towards them at the front was not always positive.

N. Samokish. Fragment of the painting "Battle for the Banner. Attack". 1922

Red Masquerade

During the Civil War, red was very popular among the Red Army soldiers. It symbolized the revolution and the young Soviet republic. In addition, it was perfectly readable at a great distance and helped distinguish friends from strangers. The fighters looked for every opportunity to decorate their costume with some red item or rag, although they violated the statutory uniform. However, this form existed only on paper. In fact, the supply agencies barely worked; they had to carry what they could get from front-line warehouses and confiscate from the population.

The Red Army soldiers made up their own uniforms. And no one was embarrassed even by the military, honored commanders in women's coats instead of greatcoats - whatever they found, they put on.

It was considered particularly lucky to find durable red fabric in some warehouse. Shirts and vests were sewn from it, the top of hats was decorated with a piece of material, or caps were covered with them. It happened that fighters were dressed from head to toe in an improvised uniform made of red material.

Journalist Nikolai Ravich, a participant in the Civil War, recalled that in the city of Sumy, patrol officers from the commandant squadron approached him to check his documents. Their appearance was impressive - scarlet caftans, red riding breeches, caps with red bands. And even the boots were brick-colored. Ravich, of course, noticed that such bright patrol officers would be a good target. But the Sumy commandant, Comrade Kin, explained that he dressed them in such a way as to distinguish them from the “mismatched” Red Army soldiers.

The diplomat Mikhailovsky was no less surprised when he saw soldiers of the special detachment of the Crimean Cheka proudly prancing along the central street of Sevastopol - from head to toe in red and with high white spats on their feet. The diplomat dubbed them “Red Indians” - for their literary closeness to the heroes of Fenimore Cooper.

Sometimes soldiers received scarlet shirts, caftans or trousers as gifts from home front workers. For example, Moscow workers, having learned about the plight of Blucher’s 51st Infantry Division, sent gifts to the soldiers - red tunics.

Perhaps it was this ubiquitous red masquerade that inspired the artist Dmitry Moor to create his famous poster “Have you signed up to volunteer?” in 1920. The fighter is dressed almost the same as the Sumy patrol officers and the Crimean Cheka soldiers. Everything he wears is scarlet - his Budenovka with a star, his shirt, and his trousers.

"Red Pants"

General of the 17th Hussars Chernigov Regiment
in maroon chakchirs

The red trousers, however, were not only a military masquerade and forced “hazing”. Some units wore them quite legally. For example, in the spring of 1920, the Red Hussar Regiment of the Trans-Volga Brigade appropriated the uniform of the 10th Ingrian Hussar Regiment of the Tsarist Army. This happened because the Red Hussars were stationed in the town of Balakleya, where the Ingrians were located before the revolution. They were worn as dress uniform maroon (that is, bright red) chakchirs.

In the warehouses in Balakleya, the fighters, to their indescribable joy, discovered large deposits of old ceremonial uniforms of good quality and cut. The red horsemen transformed themselves into theatrical imperial hussars, wearing blue dolmans embroidered with cords and maroon chakchirs. But later the Makhnovists ended up with the hussars' trousers - they pulled them off the dead Red soldiers.

Then, in 1920, red trousers became an element of the officially approved uniform of the General Staff of the Red Army. It was generally distinguished by its originality - gray-green caftans in the style of Streltsy, black velvet collars and buttonholes, bright crimson shirts, scarlet caps and riding breeches.

Many General Staff officers did not like this frivolous, clumsy uniform. And, if you believe the memoirs of contemporaries, of all the props, the officers wore only red caps and riding breeches. Raspberry cloth, intended for uniform shirts, was given to wives, and they sewed spectacular dresses for themselves.

In addition to the Red Hussars and General Staff officers, red trousers were worn by cadets of some military schools, for example, the Ryazan Cavalry Courses, including Georgy Zhukov.

At the front, the attitude towards young cadets and staff officers in red trousers was sometimes negative. The fighters called them pejoratively “red pants.”

K. Chinese. Hero of the Civil War G.I. Kotovsky.
1948

Zhukov, who had just completed his courses and arrived in his new part, was met with the murderous words of the regiment commander: “My soldiers do not like commanders in red pants.” The young commander had to explain to his subordinates that these trousers were given to him by his Motherland and he had no others.

A negative attitude towards the “red pants” is also evident in the notes of Isaac Babel. He called staff officers “red pants,” “little staff souls.” And this expressed the general opinion of the fighters of the First Cavalry, with which the writer participated in the Soviet-Polish war.

A piece of cloth as a reward

A civil war is a controversial time. “Red Pants” were not liked. But at the same time, revolutionary red trousers were awarded for valor.

But why were they given the pants? The answer is simple. The reward system of the Red Army was just being formed. The fighters were poorly dressed and shod. Receiving the order is, of course, an honor. But it’s more practical to get a good quality item from the commander.

And therefore, Red Army soldiers were often awarded watches, boots, saddles, bekeshes, shirts, pieces of cloth or thick silk. Some were even rewarded with antiques. Historian Andrei Ganin, in a book dedicated to the General Staff of the Red Army, mentions the golden snuffbox of Catherine II, which was presented to one of the prominent military experts of the Red Army, the Rattel brothers.

In the First Cavalry Army, Semyon Budyonny practiced awarding red trousers. It is known that the mustachioed army commander personally issued revolutionary riding breeches to the valiant cavalryman Konstantin Nedorubov for his heroism in the battles with Wrangel. The commander of the 2nd battery of the 6th horse artillery division, Nalivaiko, received the same award - “for devotion to the revolution and skillful command of the battery.”

But there were plenty of such spectacular awards as in the film “Officers”. And the reason is that it was not easy to find good quality red pants on the Civil War front. The soldiers, of course, rejoiced when their commanders gave them maroon hussar chakchirs or poorly sewn cloth riding breeches. But more often the Red Army soldiers received as a reward not the trousers themselves, but a piece of red cloth.

There are many orders about such awards in the archives. Historian Alexey Stepanov, for example, found an interesting document.

It describes the selfless work of Comrade Gabaidulin from the 1st Bukhara Rifle Regiment, who diligently trained young Red Army soldiers. For this he was awarded “a piece of scarlet cloth for trousers.” The order is dated 1923. The civil war ended, but commanders continued to reward those who distinguished themselves with trousers and scarlet cloth. Red revolutionary trousers remained a reward of the Civil War and a symbol of the young Red Army.

Rodina magazine, October 2017, (number ten), pp. 30-33

Anarchist Popandopulo (Mikhail Vodyanoy in the film "Wedding in Malinovka", 1967)

“And in secret from Master Ataman, I swapped the machine gun for these pants!”

“Who was nothing will become everything!” - this quote from the revolutionary song “The Internationale” could be used as an epigraph to material about the history of trousers. As well as the biblical “and the last will be first.” Ordinary pants can serve as an excellent example of how the questionable becomes normal, the socially unacceptable becomes socially approved. “This, at first glance, simple thing nevertheless has an unusual history: after all, trousers are not only clothing, they are also a symbol,” writes French cultural scientist Christine Bar in the book “The Political History of Trousers,” which was published several years ago Russian language. This work is limited to the history of France of the last two centuries and the problem of women's equality. We will look at trousers from the heights of all human civilization.

Man sits on a horse

// VI–I millennium BC e. They were the first

Pants are not such a banal thing. Perhaps this innovation would never have been introduced if man had not begun to domesticate the horse. It is more comfortable to ride when your legs are covered with separate trouser legs. The first horsemen probably seemed strange people. But centuries later, it was the cavalry that would become the striking force of the army, and the hordes of nomads would terrify all of Eurasia. The most ancient are woolen trousers, recently found during excavations in western China. Their estimated age is 3,000 years. Most likely, they belonged to an Asian nomad.

Rise of Assyria

// IX century BC e. Women's bloomers

Assyria. In the 9th century BC, this state experienced its second heyday, turning into the world's first empire. It was the Assyrians who began to systematically use cavalry in wars. It is believed that women's trousers appeared then. They were worn by the legendary ruler Semiramis (her historical prototype is the Assyrian queen Shammuramat). During horseback riding, she pulled the long hem of her clothes with belts, and it turned out to be something like a bloomer. The fashion trend has persisted in the East for many centuries. “And the old woman took her things and left, leaving the woman in a shirt and pants...” - we read in the tales of “A Thousand and One Nights.” Most likely, we are talking about trousers - wide translucent pants gathered at the ankles.

Decline of the Roman Empire

// III–V centuries. Barbarian trousers

Late Rome. The borders of the empire are cracking under the pressure of barbarians: Germans, Slavs, Huns who came from the depths of Asia. Some of them are included in Roman life - they become military men and officials. Indigenous citizens say contemptuously about such people: “I recently took off my pants” - in meaning, this is something between “rags to riches” and “they came in large numbers here.” The fact is that trousers were considered a purely barbaric garment, which a decent patrician should not wear. However, soon the military began to wear short woolen trousers under the traditional tunic: in cool times this saved them from colds, and the riders approved of it. And then the Roman Empire fell apart. And the wild barbarians in their pants began to build Europe.

French Revolution

// 1789–1793. Commoners make history

The French Revolution is raging on the streets of Paris. Freedom, equality, brotherhood and other beautiful words. The main active force is sans-culottes. Initially, it was a contemptuous nickname that aristocrats gave to representatives of the mob. The word comes from the French sans culotte, that is, “without culottes.” In the 17th–18th centuries, aristocratic men wore culottes - short, tight-fitting pants made of velvet or suede, fastened under the knee. And the common people (cattle in modern terms) wore long trousers made of coarse material, like those that everyone wears now. Then they began to methodically chop off the heads of the aristocrats, and the word “sans-culottes” began to be used with pride - to designate the rebellious people. “The costume and image of the sans-culotte rightfully remain in the memory of republicans and workers, because they symbolize the transition from one world to another, from one value system to another. The spread of one piece of clothing, in this case trousers, up the social ladder from the bottom up is in itself a rather rare event, and for this reason its symbolic content should not be neglected,” writes Christine Bahr in her “ Political history trousers."

Europe: ships and factories

// Second half of the 19th century. Random fold

Western Europe is turning into the factory of the world. The industrial revolution also affects the production of clothing - it can now be made more, faster, and of better quality. Britain and other countries actively export their products by sea, since almost the entire globe is already covered with colonies. To save space in the holds, the trousers are folded in half and packed as tightly as possible. The resulting arrow folds are difficult to smooth out. It is then that entrepreneurs turn a minor flaw into a fashionable novelty (modern programmers in such cases say that this is not a bug, but a feature).

The era of cowboys and steamboats

// 60–90s of the XIX century. The birth of jeans

Look around: you will probably see at least one person wearing blue or light blue jeans, which have become one of the most popular types of clothing in the history of mankind. Levi Strauss is believed to have created the first jeans in 1853. But it is unlikely that they would have gained such popularity if several factors had not coincided. First, the gold rush in the western United States (1848–1860) - the first buyers were prospectors. Secondly, the massive spread of steamships (from the middle of the 19th century) - the capacity of factories that produced sails was freed up. Thirdly, the synthesis of artificial indigo (1880) - this ensured the cheapness of the dye. Fourthly, the end of the American Civil War and the beginning of the era of cowboys (1865–1885), at least a third of whom were freed blacks, it was with cowboys that jeans began to be associated over time... And then there were advertisements, films teaching ranch training for children. And the same trend: the first consumers of jeans were poor shepherds and gold miners - now this clothing is considered normal even for millionaires.

October Revolution and Civil War

// 1917–1922. Red bloomers

“Red Army soldier Trofimov is awarded red revolutionary trousers for outstanding success in combat and political training, as well as for understanding the current moment!” - the voice-over announces, and a wide smile appears on the young fighter’s face. The Soviet film “Officers” begins with this episode. Where did these bloomers come from? During the Civil War, it was necessary to somehow reward the Red Army soldiers, but there were no medals of their own yet, and not everyone had enough watches and personal weapons. Then the savvy Bolsheviks remembered that there were a lot of red cavalry trousers left in the warehouses of the tsarist army! They began to be awarded for feats of arms. “Red revolutionary trousers” highlighted their lucky owner, and he was treated with special respect. These pants even came with a document certifying the right to wear them.

New victories for feminism

// 60s of the XX century. Enough trousers for everyone

“To serve their body, their gestures, their postures, their lives. “I wanted to accompany them in this great liberation movement,” wrote the famous fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. “I tell myself that it was I who invented the wardrobe of the modern woman, that it was I who participated in the transformations of my time.” It was he who introduced the unisex style into fashion, including women's trousers. Conservative society resisted. Ladies wearing trousers were not allowed into restaurants; during the establishment of the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile, they could be arrested or even shot for wearing trousers. But emancipation won. This was facilitated by the youth riots of the 60s and technological progress. “Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first female cosmonaut: in 1963, she spends more than two days in outer space, wearing an orange jumpsuit. During training and parachute jumping, in which she has no equal, she always wears trousers,” writes Christine Bahr. Nowadays, most of humanity is calm about women's trousers. The only exceptions are religious fundamentalists, both Muslim and Christian.

Commodity shortage in the USSR

// 60–80s of the XX century. The case of the black marketeers

All western world I already wore jeans, but in the USSR they remained in terrible short supply. To purchase the coveted blue pants, one had to either go abroad (which was extremely difficult) or turn to illegal traders - black marketeers. The state fought them mercilessly. In 1961, Yan Rokotov, Vladislav Faibishenko and Dmitry Yakovlev were executed. They were accused of currency trading and foreign goods, including jeans. By today's standards, this is not a crime at all, but rather a socially approved business, and at least not a basis for the death penalty, which, especially in Russia, has been de facto abolished. In memory of the executed black marketeers, the Rokotov jeans brand was launched in the United States in 2013.

Red revolutionary trousers Why is it impossible to imagine the Civil War award lists without them? This is one of the most unusual awards of the Civil War, which became a symbol of the Red Army. Soviet artists depicted valiant fighters in red trousers. Their images were preserved on Soviet posters, photographs, and films. But the red trousers have a complex and contradictory history at the front.

Cadet Trofimov's bloomers The famous Soviet film "Officers" opens with a spectacular scene. Winter, snow-covered parade ground of the cavalry school. Alexey Trofimov stands in front of the line of red cadets. Holding his breath, he listens to the boss's speech. In a loud, commanding voice, he lists the merits of the young man. Cadet Trofimov shows labor consciousness and worker-peasant discipline, he is devoted to the cause of the world revolution and understands the current political situation, he distinguished himself during prize shooting. For all this, the cadet is awarded red revolutionary trousers. Trofimov cannot hide his pride and happiness. He flaunts his riding breeches everywhere. In them he performs a courageous act - he saves a girl from bandits. And this wins her heart: the girl becomes the wife of a valiant cadet. Together they go to the front of the Civil War, to Central Asia. Trofimov’s revolutionary trousers are not a spectacular invention of the screenwriters. They were actually awarded to fighters for important services. But red trousers were not only a reward. And the attitude towards them at the front was not always positive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsWLK5fWZns

Red masquerade During the Civil War, red was very popular among the Red Army soldiers. It symbolized the revolution and the young Soviet republic. In addition, it was perfectly readable at a great distance and helped distinguish friends from strangers. The fighters looked for every opportunity to decorate their costume with some red item or rag, although they violated the statutory uniform. However, this form existed only on paper. In fact, the supply agencies barely worked; they had to wear what they could get from front-line warehouses and confiscate from the population. The Red Army soldiers made up their own uniforms. And no one was embarrassed even by military, honored commanders in women's coats instead of overcoats - whatever they found, they put on. It was considered special luck to find durable red fabric in some warehouse. Shirts and vests were sewn from it, the top of hats was decorated with a piece of material, or caps were covered with them. It happened that fighters were dressed from head to toe in an improvised uniform made of red material.

N. Samokish. Fragment of the painting "Battle for the Banner. Attack". 1922 Journalist Nikolai Ravich, a participant in the Civil War, recalled that in the city of Sumy, patrol officers from the commandant squadron approached him to check his documents. Their appearance was impressive - scarlet caftans, red riding breeches, caps with red bands. And even the boots were brick-colored. Ravich, of course, noticed that such bright patrol officers would be a good target. But the Sumy commandant, Comrade Kin, explained that he dressed them in such a way as to distinguish them from the “variegated” Red Army soldiers. Diplomat Mikhailovsky was no less surprised when he saw soldiers of the special detachment of the Crimean Cheka proudly prancing along the central street of Sevastopol - from head to toe in red and wearing high white leggings. The diplomat dubbed them “Red Indians” - for their literary closeness to the heroes of Fenimore Cooper. Sometimes soldiers received scarlet shirts, caftans or trousers as gifts from home front workers. For example, Moscow workers, having learned about the plight of Blucher's 51st Rifle Division, sent gifts to the fighters - red tunics. Perhaps it was this ubiquitous red masquerade that inspired the artist Dmitry Moor to create his famous poster “Have you signed up as a volunteer?” in 1920. The fighter is dressed almost the same as the Sumy patrol officers and the Crimean Cheka soldiers. Everything he wears is scarlet - his Budenovka with a star, his shirt, and his trousers.

General of the 17th Chernigov Hussar Regiment in maroon chakchirs. "Red Pants" Red trousers, however, were not only a military masquerade and forced "hazing". Some units wore them quite legally. For example, in the spring of 1920, the Red Hussar Regiment of the Trans-Volga Brigade appropriated the uniform of the 10th Ingrian Hussar Regiment of the Tsarist Army. This happened because the Red Hussars were stationed in the town of Balakleya, where the Ingrians were located before the revolution. They wore maroon (that is, bright red) chakchirs as their dress uniform. In the warehouses in Balakleya, the fighters, to their indescribable joy, discovered large deposits of old dress uniforms of good quality and cut. The red horsemen transformed themselves into theatrical imperial hussars, wearing blue dolmans embroidered with cords and maroon chakchirs. But later the Makhnovists ended up with the hussars' trousers - they pulled them off the dead Red soldiers. Then, in 1920, red trousers became an element of the officially approved uniform of the General Staff of the Red Army. It was generally distinguished by its originality - gray-green caftans in the style of Streltsy, black velvet collars and buttonholes, bright crimson shirts, scarlet caps and riding breeches. Many General Staff officers did not like this frivolous, clumsy uniform. And, if you believe the memoirs of contemporaries, of all the props, the officers wore only red caps and riding breeches. Crimson cloth, intended for uniform shirts, was given to wives, and they sewed spectacular dresses for themselves. In addition to the red hussars and general staff officers, red harem pants were worn by cadets of some military schools, for example, the Ryazan cavalry courses, including Georgy Zhukov.

K. Chinese. Hero of the Civil War G.I. Kotovsky. 1948 At the front, the attitude towards young cadets and staff officers in red trousers was sometimes negative. The fighters called them pejoratively “red pants.” Zhukov, who had just completed the course and arrived at his new unit, was greeted with the murderous words of the regiment commander: “My soldiers do not like commanders in red pants.” The young commander had to explain to his subordinates that these trousers were given to him by the Motherland and he had no others. A negative attitude towards the “red pants” is also evident in the notes of Isaac Babel. He called staff officers “red pants,” “little staff souls.” And this expressed the general opinion of the fighters of the First Cavalry, with which the writer participated in the Soviet-Polish war.

A. Vakhrameev. Flirting with a policeman. 1920 A piece of cloth as a reward The civil war is a controversial time. They didn't like the Red Pants. But at the same time, revolutionary red trousers were awarded for valor. But why were they given the pants? The answer is simple. The reward system of the Red Army was just being formed. The fighters were poorly dressed and shod. Receiving the order is, of course, an honor. But it’s more practical to get a good quality item from the commander. And therefore, Red Army soldiers were often awarded watches, boots, saddles, bekeshes, shirts, pieces of cloth or thick silk. Some were even rewarded with antiques. Historian Andrei Ganin, in a book dedicated to the General Staff of the Red Army, mentions the golden snuffbox of Catherine II, which was awarded to one of the prominent military experts of the Red Army, the Rattel brothers. In the First Cavalry Army of Semyon Budyonny, awarding red trousers was practiced. It is known that the mustachioed army commander personally issued revolutionary riding breeches to the valiant cavalryman Konstantin Nedorubov for his heroism in the battles with Wrangel. The same award was received by the commander of the 2nd battery of the 6th horse artillery division, Nalivaiko - “for devotion to the revolution and skillful command of the battery.”