Ushanka
An ushanka (
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Earflaps down
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Ushanka hat with earflaps tighten behind: ski-style
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Front look of a hat with earflaps behind
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back of an ushanka hat with earflaps down
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lining of an ushanka hat
Furs and materials
Ushanka hats are made from
History
Hats with fur earflaps have been known for centuries, especially in the Balkan countries Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, as well as in Northeastern Italy, in the Julian March, Trieste, and surrounding areas where there has been a large Slavic population for centuries. Such hats are also seen in Nordic countries Sweden, Norway and Finland, in the Eurasian and European Slavic countries Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova and in Caucasus region in Georgia and Armenia.[2] The design of ushanka with a perfectly round crown was developed in the 17th century when in central and northern Russia a hat with two earflaps and a backflap called treukh ("three-eared") was worn.[3] The modern ushanka design from 1917 is also inspired by the Norwegian norvezhka, a hat which was invented by Norwegian arctic explorers. The main difference from the treukh is that the earflaps of the norvezhka were much longer. In addition, Cossacks of the Kuban have influenced the design of modern Ushanka through interaction with peoples from Central Asia and Caucasus.
In 1917 during the
Red Army soldiers instead wore the budenovka, which was made of felt. It was designed to resemble historical bogatyr helmets, and did not provide much protection from the cold.
During the
The ushanka became a symbol and media icon of the
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Alexander Kolchak decorating his troops wearing kolchakovkas
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General Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim of the Finnish Army wearing white turkislakki in 1938
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Finland's president Urho Kekkonen visit Zavidovo, Russia in 1965
Current use
Identified with Soviet rule and issued in all Warsaw Pact armies, the ushanka has since become a part of the winter uniform for military and police forces in Canada and other Western countries with a cold winter. Gray (American civilian police), green (for camouflage), blue (police, United States Coast Guard, and United States Post Office) and black versions are in current usage. In 2013, the Russian army announced that soldiers will get a new ushanka with a rounder crown and small sealable openings in the flaps for wearing headphones.[7] It is also still used by the Polish armed forces.
The ushanka was used by the East German authorities before
A similar type of headgear is worn in China's People's Liberation Army's winter uniform. Featured in an iconic propaganda image of Lei Feng, this type of hat is often called by Chinese "the Lei Feng hat" (雷锋帽, Lei Feng mao).[citation needed]
It is claimed that British wartime airmen visiting the
Similar hats
Trapper hats are "a sort of hybrid between the aviator cap and the ushanka—they combine the style of the former with the furriness of the latter". They are considered more casual than the military-derived ushanka.[11]
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police use muskrat ushankas.[9]
Gallery
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The Presidential change of the Finland in 2012
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East German border guards stand atop the Berlin Wall
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Czech Guard of the Prague castle
See also
- Aviator hat
- Canadian military fur wedge cap
- Andeanhat of similar design
- Deerstalker, a double-brimmed cap with earflaps
- Malahai and tumaq , a similar Central Asian headgear
- Papakha, a Caucasian fur hat without ear flaps
- Telogreika
- Valenki
- Bearskin
Notes
- ^ 'turkis'+'lakki' literally means "fur hat" in Finnish
References
- ^ ISBN 0-85045-939-7.
- ^ "Ushanka - Different Types of Russian Winter Caps". www.historyofhats.net. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
- ^ Fedorova, Inna; RBTH, special to (2014-01-28). "Russian winter hats: Ushanka, kubanka, petushok". www.rbth.com. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
- ^ "Finnish Army website". Puolustusvoimat.fi. Archived from the original on 2014-08-19. Retrieved 2018-04-09.
- ISBN 3-924753-27-X.
- ISBN 3-8122-3001-1.
- ^ Pike, John. "Russian Army Says Goodbye to Earflaps". www.globalsecurity.org.
- ^ "RCMP hats". Furbeardefenders.com.
- ^ a b Crawford, Alison (October 4, 2017). "Politics: Wanted by the Mounties: 4,470 muskrat hats". CBC News. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
RCMP considered phasing out its fur hats, but says muskrat is best for cold, wet conditions
- ISBN 978-1-4596-0378-3.
- ^ "Men Winter Hat Guide". Artofmanliness.com. 2013.