Probably, few people can remember this day now. Two years ago, in mid-January 2014, or rather, on the 16th, it was announced that Russian troops would no longer use footcloths, completely switching over to wearing socks. This is the third major attempt at getting rid of footcloths. The first was committed during the time of Peter I, the second during the years of Soviet power, in the 70s of the last century, and the third - in our days.
For some reason, footcloths began to be considered throughout the world as a primordially Russian invention. Although this small canvas was used by the Finnish (the Finns abandoned footcloths in 1990), the German and other armies.
You learn from various sources that the universal winding appeared in the time of Peter I, and perhaps long before him. There is also a version that the Roman legionaries wrapped their feet with pieces of cloth. One of the footcloths dates back to 79 BC: it was discovered during the construction of a Roman metro station, and then handed over to the then president of America. Eh, well done, they made a good hint: to know where the Russian spirit is coming from.
Remember: there is a Russian spirit, there is a smell of Russia. By the way, according to V. I. Dalu, “tailor - w., A piece, a cut off part of it (port), especially for footcloths w. pl. wrappers, onuchi, wrappers for shoes, 1 1/2 arsh each. on foot.
And also, say some historians, during the primitive cave age, people thought of wrapping their legs with pieces of skins from killed animals. So you can get to Adam and Eve: at that time, too, someone was wrapping something around. Ancient warriors always had a look different from the civilian, and they delighted the eyes of the old and small, who saw the fighter. Who was their reliable protector from numerous enemies attacking the country. In order for a warrior to overcome numerous forced marches, his uniform and clothing must correspond to the performance of these combat missions and not interfere with the path.
The concept of "footcloths" today is a Russian ethnocultural phenomenon, since footcloths began to play an important part of the life of the Russian army, personify a special way of its life and, in the end, it is one of its symbols, the origin of which began under Peter I.
Well, we really love to choose Peter as a starting point. Most likely, the wise tsar, seeing such a light and reliable means of clothing for the military, in an orderly manner pointed out the imperative to introduce footcloths in the Russian army in order to prevent numerous frostbite, abrasions, and reliably protect soldiers on long-term transitions. Although there is a completely opposite version: Peter did not want to see his soldiers in peasant footcloths and ordered the opposite - to introduce stockings into the army in the Dutch manner. But this novelty did not take root due to the numerous injuries and inconveniences associated with hosiery. Therefore, already Field Marshal Grigory Potemkin-Tavrichesky in 1786 obtained from Catherine the Great a signature on the decree on the return of footcloths to the army.
“Spacious boots in front of narrow and onuchi or footcloths in front of stockings have the advantage that in the case when your feet get wet or sweaty, you can immediately throw them off at the first convenient time, wipe your feet with a footcloth and, wrapping them, again with the dry end, at speed put on shoes and protect them from dampness and chills (G. Potemkin. Opinion about the uniforms of the Russian troops. Russian archive. Volume 3, 1888).
Even then, the radiant prince understood that when walking in boots, the toe gets confused, the leg "walks", which leads to damage to the leg.
Little things formed a picture of defeats or victories. Under Paul I, they again tried to put stockings on their feet, but nothing good came of it.
For the second time, the idea of completely replacing footcloths with socks in Russia returned after more than 200 years; in the 70s, officials of several departments - the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Defense - calculated the costs of switching to a new type of uniform and considered it economically inexpedient, since it turned out that that one soldier had to be given, depending on weather conditions, 20-40 pairs of socks instead of one pair of footcloths.
Thus, the footcloths were left alone for several more decades. They, footcloths, have become an integral part of the soldier's everyday life.
Why did you fall in love with footcloths? For their versatility and durability. After all, the fabric from which they were made was of the highest quality and was produced at the best Russian textile factories under a special military order. By the way, consumers liked flannel so much that it became especially popular and in demand, and Russia took the fifth place in the production of this type of fabric around the middle of the 19th century.
Gradually it became clear that it is better to have footcloths of two types: for winter - flannel, for summer - cloth. It is Peter I who is credited with the authorship of the obligatory introduction of flannel footcloths in the army. Initially, the fabric was purchased mainly in England, but then the sovereign demanded to reduce the amount of purchased foreign cloth and establish their own production on an industrial scale. This was done in 1698, when the first manufactory appeared in Moscow, first producing coarse cloth for the army, and then mastering the production of other types of fabric.
Flannel took root in the army for a long time because in its qualities it perfectly "coped" with the load that an ordinary soldier could withstand only thanks to many handy means that greatly facilitated his marching life. Flannel is pleasant to the touch, perfectly absorbs moisture, woolen flannel does not burn, but smolders, retains its thermal qualities for a long time.
During the First World War, the rank and file of the Russian army were supposed to have three pairs of footcloths in their stock. Even then, they were divided into summer and winter. For the summer, "canvas" foot wraps were issued, which were made of hemp or linen canvas, and from September to February, according to the regulations, the soldier was obliged to wear "cloth" footcloths: they were sewn from half-woolen or woolen fabric. Often, such a footcloth rubbed the legs and therefore, at first, a summer footcloth was wound around the leg, and then a winter one. But this was inconvenient, and many soldiers gladly began to put on flannel footcloths.
German soldiers also used footcloths (fußlappen). Also, German, French and English soldiers wore so-called overhead leather gaiters that reached the middle of the lower leg, but these devices did not protect the soldier's leg. And the French had to abandon this military ammunition due to the fact that the troops sent numerous complaints of bruises, injuries, high contamination of gaiters that let water and dirt through. War is not a podium. Therefore, the British, who found themselves in Sudan, South Africa and India, were forced to adopt a new way of winding their legs from the local population. In particular, the sepoys actively used "patta", from the translation - "tape". This narrow long fabric was wrapped by Indian warriors around their legs from ankle to knee. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the British had dressed almost their entire army in this way, albeit modifying the word “patta” into the English manner of “puttee”. Well, the valiant warriors of the British Majesty could not leave the word of a hated enemy in their vocabulary. British merchants have made multimillion-dollar profits from military supplies: for example, Fox Brothers & Co Ltd alone produced 12 million pairs of windings.
Often, soldiers used a footcloth as a winding when putting on their boots.
The French also used footcloths, calling them "Russian stockings", while the Americans called them "footwear."
But some foreign historians prefer to keep silent about this in their today's ideological struggle. For example, the Englishwoman Catherine Merridale said that “footcloths are a disgrace to the Russian army” after writing her amazing, simply outrageous book about “Ivan”. Such a libelous little book that I do not even want to quote it: it is disgusting in its essence, so openly and furiously recited the well-known ideological clichés that Madame the historian simply stole from other anti-Russian historians, who set as their goal to slander and distort the truth about the Great Patriotic War. And Madame-historian really wanted to kick it again, so she grabbed the footcloths, eliminating the fact that the British also actively used footcloths with the “Delete” button. True, during the Second World War, they did not go through many kilometers of marches, did not freeze in the field, did not drive the Germans away. Not from them it all started, that's why they are angry, so clean in English socks made of one hundred percent wool.
I keep thinking, why do they hate everything Russian so much, why does the hysteria continue from year to year about Russia in one format or another? Why? The answer is obvious: maybe because you write a little about yourself. Madame historian would write about Churchill that he was a dictator and destroyed his soldiers in the war: after all, he also gave orders, and the British died on numerous fronts. But no, I didn't. The book would not have been published for any money, but about Russia - please, write as much as you like. She didn't like the footcloths! And I like footcloths. I always watched with interest how my uncle was getting ready for work in the cold Siberian winter and always put on over the socks carefully washed and dried over the stove footcloths, wrapping them around his leg like a doll.
Many Russian women have a lot of associations with the word "footcloth" and the expression "smelled like a Russian man in the house." But socks with an admixture of chemical fibers do not warm the leg, they rub it, and during the war years, when it was impossible to accurately choose the right size, footcloths helped to fit the boot to the leg, did not rub it to bloody calluses.
In all fairness, it should be noted that there was no unanimity in the Russian army on this matter either.
During the First World War, footcloths became a symbol of social stratification between privates and officers. If during the Great Patriotic War they said that “Before the bath broom and footcloth, everyone is equal,” then when reading an excerpt from Georgy Dumbadze’s story “Footcloths” of the First World War, the difference between soldiers and officers is acutely felt: “Footcloths have imposed indelible on my whole life impression. The first time I learned of their existence was when I saw rectangular pieces of cloth with brown spots, which my father's batman very artistically wrapped around his legs. Private Bronislav Yakubovsky was indeed a master of his craft. Father even once asked Bronislav to demonstrate his art in front of his father's friend, Colonel Kostevich. And then the author describes how deeply he was shocked by the process of winding up and wearing footcloths: some nobles were disgusted with this type of ammunition, considering it shameful for themselves to wear footcloths, although in their cadet youth they were forced to do this.
However, as soon as hostilities began, these most squeamish Russian noblemen appreciated the footcloth.
This was recognized by foreigners who worked in Russia during the First World War. One of them, the American surgeon Malcolm Grow, recalled: “When the feet got wet, the soldiers rewound the footcloths so that the wet part fell on the calf and the dry part on the foot. And their feet were dry and warm again. " Thousands of soldiers escaped the so-called trench foot syndrome, which occurs “with prolonged exposure to cold and dampness; this type of frostbite occurs at temperatures above 0 ° C. It was first described during the 1st World War 1914-1918. from soldiers during their long stay in damp trenches. In mild cases, painful numbness, swelling, redness of the skin of the feet appear; in cases of moderate severity - serous-bloody blisters; in severe form - deep tissue necrosis with the addition of infection."
During the Great Patriotic War, the footcloth became an integral part of the uniforms of Soviet soldiers. And although today statements are often found on forums that the footcloth is a purely Russian invention, and the Germans wore woolen socks, this is not true. The Germans wore footcloths, woolen or flannel. Moreover, if you look at the list of uniforms of German soldiers, it turns out that along with suspenders (nosenträger), sports T-shirts with stripes (Wehrmacht eagle or police eagle, sporthemd), black satin shorts (unterhose), statutory socks (strumpfen) and other uniforms, footcloths (fußlappen) are in 13th place.
The main distinguishing feature of the German footcloths was that they had the shape of a square (40 x 40 cm), in contrast to the rectangular Russian footcloths.
The Germans even issued a special instruction form "How to wear footcloths", which said that the footcloth should not have any seams, they must be made of woolen or cotton flannel.
Footcloths were, by the way, very popular among the German infantrymen, who called footcloths “rag's foot”, “Indian's foot”.
This form was used to instruct recruits in the ability to do the correct foot wrapping. If done incorrectly, it can lead to “general discomfort or pinching of the leg,” the instructions say. Many people say that the windings were most often used by old soldiers who went through the First World War. But the young soldiers used them the same way. Although some of them lacked patience.
When asked to describe the wrapping process itself, Karl Wegner (a former prisoner of war, soldier of the 352nd division) said that he did not like to waste time wrapping his feet with footcloths, although many old people wore them, especially when they were about to mile long marches.
But not every German thought the way Wegner did. Hans Melker, grenadier of the 68th Infantry Division, recalled:
"Footcloths! (Laughs) Oh, yes, I forgot about them. You wrap your leg in them like this (shows). I didn't wear socks for a long time because they wore out quickly, and I didn't have the patience to mend them all the time. my mom sent me a sewing kit from home, but I also decided to give it to my friend. I always traded my nice home socks for tobacco, food, magazines and other things I needed. I still feel bad remembering this. my mother knitted socks for me and even embroidered my name on all the things that she sent me to the front. Seeing such care, many of my comrades envied me and said that they would also so much like to receive such care from their mothers. the case when I gave another pair of home socks to my friend and his head was torn off and wounded in the chest. to us to find out. But I was alive. Instead of n Oskov I wore footcloths in the summer. They did not wear out for a long time. There is one secret. It was necessary for each winding to place the heel not in the same place, but in different parts of the footcloth. We called the wraps "cabbage" because they smelled bad when they hadn't been washed for a long time."
Especially the Germans were rescued by footcloths in the summer, when the socks wore out. And some Luftwaffe pilots also wore footcloths.
Another soldier of defeated Germany, Alfred Becker from the 326th Infantry Division, when asked what he wore coils or socks, replied that during the Russian winter he wore footcloths over his socks for extra warmth.
By the way, you can still find ads on some German sites for the sale of footcloths of 1944.
The Germans brutally dealt with Soviet prisoners of war who tried to make themselves like footcloths from the remains of paper bags - they were mercilessly beaten for such attempts.
Gradually, the size of the soldier's footcloths was determined. Again, the size of the footcloths was different, although some people still believe that their size is 45 x 90. This is far from the case. Over the years, there were state norms for the manufacture of footcloths.
In 1978, summer footcloths made of harsh bleaching twill, article 4820, 4821, 4827 were made according to TU 17-65-9010-78. The density of the fabric under such technical conditions was not less than 254-6 / 210-6, the tensile strength was not less than 39-4 / 88-8. The size of one half-pair is 35x90 cm.
In 1983, there were changes: for example, factories made summer footcloths according to TU 17 RSFSR 6.7739-83, according to which the size of the finished pair was 50x75 centimeters.
In 1990 (note - perestroika, market) the width of the footcloths decreased by 15 centimeters: from 50 to 35 centimeters, and the quality of the fabric deteriorated. For example, if you read TU 17-19-76-96-90 for winter woolen footcloths from a cloth of a footcloth art. 6947, 6940, 6902, 6903, it turns out that their composition will be different: 87% wool, 13% nylon. The density of the fabric is not less than 94-3 / 93-5, the tensile strength is not less than 35-4 / 31-3, and the size of one half-pair is 35x75 centimeters.
Today, on some sites, you can find ads for the sale of footcloths, where other sizes are indicated. As a rule, the authors propose to make their own footcloths of the required size by cutting them into two parts. Here is one of these announcements: “The canvas is 180 cm x 57 cm. The canvas is cut into two pieces measuring 90 cm x 57 cm on our own. Such large sizes of linen were made to create more air pockets to keep warm in the soldier's shoes. Bike (flannel), 100% cotton. Very soft, good moisture absorption. New. Made in USSR.
Footcloths made in the USSR are in special demand, since the fabric from which they are made differs in quality - the way of weaving the threads was then different, allowing the production of a denser material. “Real summer army footcloths. The canvas is 90 cm x 70 cm. The canvas is cut into two pieces measuring 90 cm x 35 cm independently. 100% cotton. Very dense fabric that absorbs moisture well. They differ from Russian ones in the way of weaving the threads and, the main difference, is the density of the fabric. New. Made in USSR.
After the army demobilization, many generations of Russian men firmly and forever introduced the wearing of footcloths into their life.
Footcloths have become a hot commodity for many other groups of the population not directly related to military service. Hunters who cover kilometer sections of the path appreciate footcloths for their unpretentiousness, tourists who do not lie on their side, but make their way in the forests, understand that boots and footcloths are an excellent combination for overcoming obstacles.
On one of the trading sites footcloths in 2014 cost from 49 to 170 rubles per pair, in 2015 the price for footcloths was the lowest - about 50 rubles. The highest price - 147 rubles for one pair of footcloths - was offered by dealers of textile companies in August 2013.
One of the chairmen of the council of veterans in the Lipetsk region proposed erecting a monument to the Russian footcloth. And in the Tula region, veterans during the reconstruction of hostilities taught schoolchildren the ability to reel footcloths.
Will we forget about the footcloth? Unlikely. They gave up footcloths in 2008 in the Ukrainian army, and what happened?
Time will tell whether this is correct or not, but there is still no definite positive reaction to this fait accompli. And many will support me, saying that the footcloth is a kind of symbol of military life, preserved throughout the centuries-old history of the development of military affairs. And it’s impossible to get rid of it so easily: all the same, experienced fighters, hunters, tourists and other people who understand all the subtleties of their business will put on footcloths and teach this seemingly simple matter to their sons.
