Ushanka News

I found an interesting version of Ushanka history at tundragear.com website.

So, here it is.

1500     - The first known attempt to document European native costume is made by Frisian chief, Unico Manninga, who kept illustrations of the clothing worn by his ancestors. The drawings depicted fur and woolen hats with the brim cut so that it was possible to turn down the back and sides. By the turn of the century , these hats were popular all over Indo-Europe with sailors, hunters, peasants and wagoneers.

1618     - During the Thirty Years War the Russian Winter Hat (Ushanka) first found its way into the armies. There were no regular uniforms for the peasant soldiers, so they wore their own clothes including their hats. Other soldiers soon discovered that the peasant hat was more comfortable than the stiff Spanish hat and adopted it. Eventually the style spread to officers and civilians all over Europe.

1900     - Winter hats with ear flaps are functional, fashionable winter wear for over one third of the world’s populations from the outer reaches of Siberia, to China, Mongolia, Europe and Russia.

1914     - Fast Becoming a symbol of the Communist movement, the Russian Winter Hat (Ushankas) unites followers of Lenin throughout eastern Europe during the Russian Revolution.

1948     - The Russian Winter Hat goes to the movies as Hollywood popularizes the “Russian Hat” in a literal barrage of World War II films such as “Mata Hari” and “Doctor Zhivago”.

1962     - Nikita Khrushchev storms the United Nations, going head to head with John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Russian Winter Hat he wears makes an indelible impression on McCarthy era Americans.

1991     - Capitalism triumphs in the Eastern Block. The Cold War is over and Russian Winter Hats slowly start making their way into the western world.

2005     - Tundra Gear reintroduces the Russian Winter Hat as the Stadium Hat and offers the hat in 5 different colors with numerous NCAA and NFL logos. In no time the hat catches on in football stadiums across America, and the Stadium Hat becomes a must have for football fans all over the country.

Thanks to Aras Baskauskas for allowing us to post it here.

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One could hardly exaggerate the meaning of “shapka-ushanka” in the life of any Russian man. The popularity of this head accessory had been fantastic since the World war II up to the dawn of the Soviet Union in the beginning of 90ies.

With the opening of the Russian borders the uninhibited flow of the new modern clothes, accessories and hats of all styles and trades has seriously dropped down the privileged position of shapka-ushanka. That’s why you can hardy meet a person in a large city wearing it now with the exception for maybe military men or orthodox.

About the military …Since 1940 ushanka has become a part of the uniform of Russian army and militsia (police) Picking out the fact that the half of Russian male population are either military or “menty” (cops) and practically all of the male population serve in the army at the age of 18 (we have an obligatory conscription) the benefits and advantages of shapka – ushanka were tested and highly estimated.

So, shall we consider the hat that has become an concurrent part of the stereotype image of the Russian man (e.g. in Hollywood, on caricatures, etc) and that is called simply “shapka” in English.

Shapka – ushanka – a winter fur hat, cloth or combined (initially – A male hat) a wide-known and widespread hat in Russia. It takes its name after its “ears” – (ushi – in Russian) that could be lowered or turned down but usually up and tied on the crown. On request when it’s necessary “the ears” could be untied and turned down with the nape flap (the back of the head part) to save real ears from frost and wind, partially cheeks, chin of the person wearing “ushanka”.

If we dig down the “ushanka” descending history we shall see that it comes from the Baltic (I would add) Finnish hats, that already had ears and the tapes added for tying up in XIX century.

The fashion for the round crowned hats first appeared among the St Petersburg working class then was spread across Russia.

The fur factories of USSR started manufacturing “shapka – ushanka” The basic production – for the bulk of population as we call mass market – was established on the rabit skin. Every mother “packing” her kid to the kindergarten and tying the tapes of “ushanka” under the kid’s chin was rested assured and confident that her kid wouldn’t get frozen. I should mention that during the Soviet power the ordinary Russian people were not spoilt with personal cars and private transportation. : It took long time to get to work from one part of the city to another and “shapka-ushanka” was of real use and help during severe frosts that are not a rare thing in Russia. So, one could hardly overestimate the role of shapka-ushanka in his/her life.

If it was not too cold outside the “ears” of the hat was turned up and tied on the crown. If a person works outside on the fresh air (during winter) then there was a special variant to tie the “ears” – backwards on the nape (the back of the head) that worked better (as on the one hand the person kept ears save and on the other hand didn’t suffer from the heat) BUT in case of severe frosts nobody was shy to turn the ears down and tie up under the chin to avoid chilblain from Ded Moroz (Santa Claus).I should admit that there were also hats made of different furs in the special fur ateliers. Shapka-ushanka made of squirrel, bear, dog, nutria, polar fox, marten of course mink! Oh, my God, mink hat! It was beyond one’s wildest dreams. The dream of Soviet citizen during the period of the late stagnation and the beginning of Perestroika! The person was proud to wear it and when he/she took it off he/she put it in front of oneself on the table. So, everybody could see it. It was the sign of prosperity. If one didn’t possess such a mink hat in province the waiter at the restaurant tried to pass you by.  The owner of the mink hat never lowered “ears” of the hat even in the sever frosts but pulled his hat over his eyes more deeply.

Source: http://freearticlepro.com

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We just wanted to tell our version of Russian winter hat history.

Since the 11th Century, a hat was an integral part of a Russian man’s attire, both rich and poor. In Russia the hat was the same in winter and summer, the only difference being that in winter the hat was covered with fur for warmth. Peasants wore round shaped hats made of felt, rough cloth with a narrow fur trim. Wealthy people wore hats made of thin cloth or velvet, noblemen wore hats decorated with velvet or with ornaments made of silver, gold, jewels and with a fur rim.

Russian warriors wore short chain-mail and put on helmet with a chain-mail neck flap (Brnitsa).

In 1918 by Special Commission the RVS of the Republic for development of the Red Army uniform announced a competition to design the best military uniform.

Artists and painters used historical Russian design to influence their submissions for competition. The final design was unveiled after a year: an overcoat, a shirt, leather boots, and a cloth helmet with a Red Star insignia. The helmet echoed the old Russian helmet with the chain-mail neck flap. The name for this new design was the Budenovka, and was used until the beginning of WWII (or the Great Patriotic War as it is known in Russia).

In 1940 the Soviet Army winter helmet Budenovka was replaced with the Ushanka – round hat with a fur back flap and ear flaps. The Ushanka hat had flaps which could be tied together on top of the hat, and lowered to protect the neck, ears and side of the face.

The winter fur hat Ushanka was issued to troops for the coldest winter months.

This hat has been used for many years and has been developed into different versions over time. It is still issued to many armies today.

Soviet Army Ushanka

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In the midst of one of the coldest winters in recent years, there’s no bigger priority than warmth, and there’s no better way to keep warm than with a Russian Ushanka Hat. However, your Ushanka isn’t going to be much help to you if it’s not in the correct size, but do not worry, we’re here to help make sure your hat fits just right!

First, wrap the tape measure around the widest part of your head, just above the ears and eyebrows to the nearest 1/4 of an inch. Traditionally it is better to have a hat that fits looser than tighter.

Next, take a look at our conversion chart below:

Correlate the circumference of your head to the appropriate size, and then you’re ready to order and enjoy your Russian Ushanka!

This article was found at www.therussianstore.com website. Thanks for sharing!

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Four sorts of Russian cap were known. Prosperous people, following east customs which have taken roots in Russia, carried small caps, named tafyan, with only top covered, embroidered silks, and at rich with gold, and covered by pearls. They were worn outside as well as inside, and tsar Ivan Groznyy wore it even in church and he has been quarreled for it by metropolitan Phillip.

Other kind of a cap – peaked cap referred to as a cap shapka. Rich wore caps made of atlas, usually white; it was fastened with the rim, named by a necklace, covered by pearls and gold buttons, sometimes with jewels. Moreover, on the forward part of a cap it was pinned gold pin. In the winter such cap was lined with fur, which was turned outside of a wide strip. These caps were made with longitudinal cuts in front and behind up to half. Poor muzhiks wore this style caps also, it was made of cloth or from felt, and a sheepskin or any inexpensive fur lined it in the winter.

The third sort of caps was square a low cap with fur rim made of the black fox, a sable or a beaver; in the summer this rim was fastened for appearance, and in the winter all cap has been lined by fur or cotton paper. Its top was quite often made of cherry, dark red, green or black color cloth: avoiding black color on dresses, Russian considered it’s decent to wear black colour caps. This sort of a cap noblemen, church clerks and boyars wore when were not in parade.

The fourth sorts of caps were so-called gorlatnie (горлатные) caps – an exclusive accessory of princes and boyars. Similarity of clothes at all estates here had come to an end. It was possible to learn an origin and an occupation of the wearer by the cap. High caps meant eminence of breed and a dignity. Even in caps, an ordinary common people cap, height was equal to nobility of a cap wearer. Gorlatnaya (горлатная) Hat was made of precious furs with cloth top, and sometimes with fur. By the form this hat made opposite contrast to a cap because it was up wider on top and was narrower to the bottom.  During parade boyar would put on tafue (тафью), on top of the tafue a cap, and on top of the cap gorlatnuyu cap. Notable people considered as decency and advantage of the dignity to muffle up head as much as possible, and it was frequent that in a room were sitting boyars around an elegant tables wearing heavy caps. When they came back home, they took off cap, and put it on the bolvanetz (болванец), elegantly painted by icon painters cap holder that was a kind of decoration in the house.

Custom to wrap up a head in such way was wide spread in Russia, because Russians by the east custom had a very densely haircut, and sometimes even shaved their heads. Only those who lost natives or got in imperial disgrace, grew on a hair on the head as a token of grief; with no any other reason all tried to have haircut as shorter as possible and before each great holiday all considered as a duty to have haircut by all means. But all wore beards, and the longer was the beard, the person was considered to be more important and is more majestic. The rich person cared for it, and combed it with a comb from elephant or sea lion tusk. At the time of Vasily Ivanovich become custom to shave beards, and grand duke has followed to this custom; but clergy stood against it. Under influence of Church the custom to wear a beard existed long until 17th Century.

Based on materials N.I. Kostromarov ” The House life and customs of Great Russian people “.

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