Ushanka - Uses Through History

Uses Through History

Hats with flexible earflaps made out of fur have been known in Russia, Germany and Scandinavia for centuries. Such hats also were used by ancient Scythians and various nomads of the Central Asia, as well as by the peoples living in the Arctic region.

However, the standard modern-type ushanka with a perfectly round hat crown was developed and became massively used only in the 20th century, in Russia.

During the Russian Civil War, when Aleksandr Kolchak ruled in Siberia, c. 1918 he introduced a winter uniform hat, commonly referred to as kolchakovka, which was basically an ushanka with an extra eye-flap. However, Kolchak and the White Army lost the Russian Civil War, and initially the ushanka didn't find much usage in the newly founded Soviet Union.

During the Winter War many Soviet troops died of cold due to organizational failures and inadequate equipment. Reforms were undertaken and the Red Army introduced a new winter uniform, which included ushankas to replace budenovkas. German soldiers started to use this and other gear unofficially, though copies were introduced rather late in the war.