In February 1943, servicemen with shoulder straps first appeared on the streets of Soviet cities. It looked so unusual and even strange that many people could not believe their eyes. Still, after all, until now, for a quarter of a century, more precisely, for 26 years, it was believed that shoulder straps were the first and main symbol of the enemy white tsarist army.
After the October Revolution of 1917, these marks of military distinction were abolished in Soviet Russia as signs of inequality. In addition, the white officers used shoulder straps until 1920. So all the years after the Civil War, they personified the counter-revolutionary movement. And the very word "golden chase" was considered a dirty word in Soviet propaganda.
And in the midst of the Great Patriotic War, when literally every national penny was counted, shoulder straps returned to the Red Army, the personnel were changed into a new uniform, and six months later, officers' ranks were introduced.
If this incredible metamorphosis then greatly surprised many Soviet people, some even perceived it as a betrayal of the ideals of October, then the enemies of the USSR were beside themselves with impotent fury and fierce anger.
This is what was written (spelling preserved) in the Goebbels media and in the millions of leaflets dropped on our combat positions in February 1943.
“What if a goat is renamed a cow - will it give more milk? And if a turkey is gilded on its wings, will it become an eagle? We think that all these renaming are not help. But Stalin thinks differently. Seeing that the red army does not defend him well, seeing that the death of his power is approaching. Stalin was completely stunned by fear and indulged in such things that are done in a funny and amazing way.
First of all, Stalin decided to rename his army from “red” to “Russian”. But this, of course, will not add to the strength of the army. All the same, the Red Army men hate Stalin, they go into battle only under duress, and only they die, not Stalin and his Jews. Instead of red banners, Stalin introduces in his army banners like tsarist ones. Would it be more fun to die under such banners? The Red Army soldiers do not need new banners, but new felt boots and new sheepskin coats. The Red Army men need peace, not war … . (This style, doesn't it remind you of the lamentations of some of our liberals who are now fed by the US State Department?).
What really was the unprecedented operation of dressing up a multimillion army in combat conditions, and how the leader really strengthened the armed forces without any Goebbels quotes, we learn from the editorial of the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper - "Transition to new insignia - shoulder straps." This publication is important to us for two reasons at once. First, it is a detailed interpretation of the Order of NPO No. 25 on the introduction of a new form. And, secondly, the order was personally written by Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin, who was at that time the people's commissar of defense.
The leader was able to transform the quite ordinary activity of the rear agencies to change one form to another into the most powerful, perhaps the largest political action in the entire war. The changes in uniform allowed Stalin to inspire the army for new victories.
However, let's turn to the primary source.
“Tomorrow begins the transition of the Red Army personnel to new insignia - shoulder straps. The significance of this event in the life of your troops is quite clearly determined by the fact that shoulder straps are introduced in the midst of the struggle for the liberation of Soviet lands from German invaders. The transition to wearing shoulder straps is one of the links in the chain of government measures to strengthen the one-man command and discipline in the Red Army, and to raise the authority of command personnel. Now, in the second year of the Patriotic War, Soviet commanders and chiefs with a well-deserved right are ready to accept the badges of officer dignity. On the battlefields of modern battles, our officers, our military leaders have established their reputation as first-class military organizers and commanders. External changes in the form of troops will highlight this new quality of Soviet soldiers even more vividly. The introduction of shoulder straps will give servicemen a more fit, more professional look. The shoulder straps and the new uniform are the external expression of the deep internal processes that have taken place in our army recently. The soldiers of the army, which dispelled the myth of the invincibility of the German armed forces and won worldwide recognition for its brilliant victories, have the right to be proud of their uniform. The shoulder straps on the shoulders of our commanders and soldiers will always remind people of their belonging to the heroic Soviet troops, of the times of the legendary struggle against the German fascist invaders. That is why the transition to wearing shoulder straps is a significant event in the life of the Red Army and every serviceman.
Shoulder straps are a symbol of military honor, an honorable official position. The duty of Soviet commanders and soldiers is to be worthy of their uniforms, not to tarnish the honor of the uniform with their appearance and behavior. In this case, like in no other, little things are important, at first glance they do not really matter.
The rules for wearing a military uniform must be strictly observed, and no indulgences will be tolerated here. No reference to wartime can justify disturbances of order, especially in garrisons not directly in the combat zone. On the contrary, the military situation requires double precision in the observance of the rules of wearing uniforms and exemplary order in everything."
The editorial goes on to say that the transition to new insignia begins on February 1, according to the order of the People's Commissar of Defense. “Of course, there is no possibility and need to transfer the entire personnel of the army to wearing shoulder straps in one day. But inconsistency and handicraft in units and garrisons for such an important event are unacceptable.
There are established exact dates for the transition to new insignia, and it is strictly forbidden to violate them - to put on shoulder straps ahead of time or be late.
For example, the institutions and establishments of the Moscow garrison will switch to new signs tomorrow. And this means that from tomorrow, no serviceman has the right to appear on the streets of the capital with the old insignia. Violators of the order, regardless of rank, will be detained and severely punished.
To ensure a clear and orderly transition to new insignia, unit commanders and heads of institutions and institutions are obliged to carry out drill reviews of all personnel 2-3 days before the deadline. They should check the serviceability of the uniform, the readiness of the soldiers to put on shoulder straps. On the very day of the transition to new signs, it is necessary to hold such inspections a second time and, only after checking the condition of the form, the correctness of the shoulder straps fit, allow them to be worn."
As you know, simultaneously with shoulder straps, significant changes were introduced into the form of clothing. For purely prudent reasons, it was impossible to throw away the old uniform and put on a new one. Although by that time almost six million (!) Sets of the new form were sewn and shipped to the central military warehouses. (It is difficult to qualify this titanic work in the conditions of a brutal war except as a feat of the home front workers). Therefore, the Order of the NCO No. 25 allowed the existing samples of tunics and tunics to be worn out, and the commanders were given the right to alter them in a new form with their own care.
The publication, as well as the order itself, did not end with routine statements that the introduction of shoulder straps should serve to increase discipline and fitness of servicemen. No, the leader saw the forest behind the trees and vice versa. Concentrating the attention of Soviet fighters on the main thing - achieving victory over the enemy, he emphasized: every little thing in the form of clothing, in the appeal of a commander, a fighter should tell others about the culture of the Red Army, the strength of its traditions, the sustained character of Soviet soldiers. It was necessary once and for all to put an end to the lax appearance, disregard for the existing rules of conduct. After the transition to wearing shoulder straps, servicemen were forbidden to appear in theaters, cinema and other public places in poorly ironed uniforms, with uncleaned buttons, felt boots, cloaks, quilted jackets, quilted trousers, unshaven, unkempt. On the streets of the city and in public places, with the exception of train stations and railway stations, one could not appear with a large baggage in his hands. And small, neatly packed luggage was to be carried only in the left hand. Commanders and soldiers were forbidden to appear in military uniform in markets and bazaars. They could not stand on the steps of tram, trolleybus and bus carriages, as well as enter through the front platform, without having special rights to do so. It is forbidden to sit in city transport cars in the presence of senior officials.
Not only in the rear, but also at the front, the introduction of shoulder straps was supposed to help streamline the appearance and behavior of servicemen.
Each front-line soldier was obliged to realize that it was his duty to achieve, as far as possible in a combat situation, an exemplary and cultural appearance.
… My father-in-law Kirill Vasilyevich Belyaev, the commander of a company of 80-mm mortars who received the rank of senior lieutenant at the Kursk Bulge, recalled: “My uniform and, in general, my appearance was very well watched by the orderly Ukrainian Tereshchenko. But the first "golden" ceremonial shoulder straps in my life I sewed on myself all night, stitch to stitch. The stars are located in the most accurate way. In the morning he left the dugout and on the sly, so that the sentry would not notice, looked at his Starley shoulder straps in the mirror. On the front line, we were supposed to wear only field uniforms with field shoulder straps. But during the two years of the war we were so tired of the dull, dull green uniforms, the feeling was so strong that we would kill Hitler's infection, that in rare moments of calm we simply wore uniforms with shoulder straps. And higher-ranking commanders often visit us in "golden epaulets". It got to the point that around the end of 1943, the Headquarters issued a special order instructing generals and senior officers during reconnaissance on the front line to change into the uniform of privates of the Red Army and sergeants, so as not to allow German intelligence to determine the time of our offensive. So everyone began to neglect both camouflage measures and their own safety. Honor, we were blinded by the shine of our own shoulder straps …"
And the last thing.
Exactly half a century ago, I put on soldier's, then cadets' and, finally, officer's shoulder straps, which became the main event of my life. And if the Lord God granted me a poetic talent, I would certainly have composed an ode to the officer's shoulder straps. They were my wings at all intersections and growths of fate.
Alas, poetry is not my lot. But I remember some of the lines of service brothers dedicated to shoulder straps: "Officer's shoulder straps are golden monograms. / You are the keepers of the law, you are the keepers of the Kremlin!" "Officer's shoulder straps - / officer's dreams. / Two gaps in the pursuit, / three colonel's stars. / Officer's shoulder straps, / you don't accept flattery. / Officer's laws - / your conscience, your honor.""What are we drinking for, at this festive table - / For all the alarms the night bells, / For the officer's shoulder straps!" "Officer's shoulder straps, / Like hot palms of the Motherland, / Kilometers dissolve in the nights, / Officers will not drop their honor!" "I walked the beaten path, / I listened to words and chimes. / I was not inferior to others in anything. / And proudly put on shoulder straps." "Gold shoulder straps, my Russia, / You put on - again faith in God will wake up. / And heavenly blue, and rye fields / Once again, gentlemen, we will have to defend it."
Poetic chanting of the officer's shoulder straps can go on and on. Which once again testifies to the special attitude of Russian sovereign people to service attributes - oath, banner, shoulder straps … How can you not recall the famous painting by the artist Pavel Ryzhenko "An officer buries shoulder straps and a scarf embroidered by Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna"? Nowhere else, in any other army in the world, it is impossible to imagine such a piercing, almost sacred piety for the same officer's insignia. And this has always been the case in the Russian army.
