Who is the hussar. All about hussars and hussar uniform

Hussars (from the Magyar "nusz" - 20 and "ar" - salary) arose in Hungary under King Matthew Corvinus, who in 1458 ordered to form a special militia from 20 noble households to protect against the Turks. The actions of the hussars were so successful that during the XVI-XVII centuries this branch of the army spread throughout Europe.

In Russia, the first hussar regiments were formed in the 18th century during the reign of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna on the basis of hussar formations established under Peter I.

Shako, mentic, dolman

The first hussars in the Russian army came from Serbia and Hungary. They brought with them the type of military clothing inherent in them. I liked the unusual and elegant hussar uniform and took root in our country. In the 30-50s of the 18th century, the hussar's clothing consisted of a shako, mentik, dolman, chakchira and boots - boots with short tops.

The hussar hat, or shako, was especially good, which was a high cylindrical tulle of astrakhan, a fabric top thrown to the side and two tassels hanging on long braided cords.

A slender figure was fitted by a short woolen jacket without a collar - a mentic, brightly decorated in front with garus cords and often set in pairs along the sides with copper or tin buttons. Along the edges of the floor, bottom, collar and sleeves, the mentik had a fur edge.

Mentik was complemented by a cloth jacket with a standing collar - dolman, also decorated with cords and buttons. The legs were covered with chakchirs - narrow leggings with decorations in the form of embroidery with a colored cord. Chakchirs tucked into boots with short tops. The edges of the tops were sheathed with colored galloon and had tassels in front.

The color of the mentic, dolman, chakchir and all kinds of decorations in each regiment from Gruzinsky to Slobodsky had its own, but usually they combined red with yellow, light blue with black, white with green.

For the hussar horses they made a special horse dress: sarsan. It consisted of tassels attached to the headband, papers and pahvam. Tassels were woven from black thin leather belts. The saddle was covered with a cloth saddle cloth. For senior officers, he had a gold or silver galloon in one row, for staff officers in two rows.

According to the staff list, the hussar regiment had six squadrons, 37 officers, 72 non-commissioned officers, 14 trumpeters, 834 privates. A total of 1032 people and 972 combat horses.

It just so happened that the hussars were not only dashing warriors, revelers and ladies' men, but also fashionistas, handsome men both on the battlefield and at city balls - they did not powder their hair, did not curl into braids, shaved their beards, but wore long curls and hanging mustaches with which they liked to tickle the ladies during dates.

Saber, pike, two barrels

The form is the form, but the main thing was the armament of the hussar. It consisted of a saber, short cavalry fittings or blunderbuss and two pistols.

The light cavalry saber of the 1798 or 1809 model was the main weapon, attached to the belt under the sash. Both sabers had curved steel blades, but the first was hidden in a wooden sheath, the second in steel. There were other differences, but they are not significant. The main thing is that both hussars mastered them to perfection, skillfully hitting the enemy in battle. For which they were awarded with personalized weapons, on the gilded hilt of which the inscription "For Bravery" was engraved.

Such awards were equated with orders and among the officers were valued even higher than orders, most of which could be awarded simply for long service or non-combat merits. Award weapons were awarded only for distinction in battles.

Sometimes dashing cavalrymen had to resort to firearms. It was possible to hit the enemy from a blunderbuss or fitting at a distance of up to 600 meters. When approaching the enemy up to 30-35 steps, the hussar could only defend himself with pistols, which he pulled out on the move, firing from both barrels 26.5 cm long at a speed of 2-3 rounds per minute.

Not a single hussar could do without a tashki - a bag that hung on three belts at the knee level, a shoulder strap and a pouch, which, translated into ordinary language, just means a pouch for cartridges. As a rule, the monogram of the emperor was applied to the front side of the tashka.

Wars, battles, respite

The first performance of the hussars on the battlefield cannot be called successful. During the Seven Years' War, in a major field battle at Gross-Jägersdorf in August 1757, Russian hussars met with Prussian cavalry.

The blow was delivered suddenly, by superior enemy forces, the inexperienced and unfired Serbian and Hungarian regiments, standing on the left flank along with the Chuguev Cossacks, retreated almost without resistance to the enemy.

However, hostilities soon began in Prussia (the so-called "small war"), which allowed the hussars to better express themselves in all their beauty and brilliance. Participating in raids with the Cossacks, they were distinguished by the same courage, bravery and determination.

In the autumn of 1760, the Russian army raided Berlin. The corps included three hussar regiments: Serbian, Moldavian and Novo-Serbian. The Russian army owed the success of the operation to them. They acted just as successfully in the autumn and winter of 1761 during the siege of the Kolberg fortress.

The hussars courageously fought the enemy in the Patriotic War of 1812. And after the war they continued to fight with the Napoleonic troops on the European battlefields. In 1813, they took part in the battles near Lutzen, Kulm, Leipzig and showed themselves especially well at the Katzbach.

For a bold and decisive attack that influenced the outcome of the battle, all the officers and soldiers of the four hussar regiments - Akhtyrsky, Belorussian, Alexandria and Mariupol - received an unusual award: badges on the shako, made in the form of metal ribbons with the inscription "For distinction on August 14, 1813 of the year".

In 1814, the hussars were noted in France itself. After fighting near Brienne, La Rotier and Fer-Champenoise, they entered Paris as winners. In the ranks of the hussar brigade was also a major general, holder of the Order of St. George 4th degree Denis Davydov, the most famous Russian hussar - a poet, a desperate brave man and an unrestrained reveler, a fan of Bacchus and Venus.

Well, in the intervals between battles and wars, the hussars, in addition to the royal service, indulged in all sorts of entertainment and pleasures.

Ladies, cards and feasts

Among all earthly pleasures, the hussars valued these three above all else. When dashing cavalrymen entered the defeated cities, fathers hid their daughters, ladies fainted, relatives were at a loss. Russian soldiers took the girls like cities - quickly, skillfully and on a grand scale.

They especially loved single women and widows, they stayed with them to stay, and after a certain time the quarters resounded with loud cries.

After love pleasures and undertakings, they indulged in an unrestrained game of cards, and did not disdain billiards. They played shtos, passionately ponted against the banker, and when they broke the bank, they rejoiced like children.

They were virtuoso players. Along with military prowess, daring riding and command of French, the ability to play cards was considered a special chic and hallmark of this military class. In the heat of excitement, they forgot about their beloved, they could play all night long, a card fight was more important than love hugs. But sometimes they lost outright!

Sometimes wives, estates, fortunes, and sometimes their own lives were at stake. It was considered a matter of honor to pay a card debt, and the Russian hussars knew the price of honor like no one else.

The card game was accompanied by libations. Hussars of all times and peoples, who in the twentieth century for some reason were credited with a passion for champagne, could not imagine their feasts without vodka. Vodka warmed up the blood, called to love exploits, and then they went to the girls of known behavior and continued the fun with them.

Among the most famous Russian hussars, we meet, in addition to the already mentioned Denis Davydov, his fellow writers Griboyedov and Lermontov, the Decembrists Pestel and Lunin, the philosopher Chaadaev, the partisans of the Patriotic War of 1812 Figner and Dorokhov, who became the prototype of Dolokhov from War and Peace, and the only woman - Hussar, cavalry girl Nadezhda Durova.

P.S. long memory

In 1882, the hussar army regiments were renamed dragoon. The name of the hussars was retained only by two guards regiments. In 1907, the old hussar regiments were restored, and three years later the Russian army numbered twenty of them.

After 1917, jokes about Lieutenant Rzhevsky, the expressions "hussar disease" (does not need explanation) and "hussar", that is, behave like a hussar, showing youthfulness, daring and unbridled courage, remained from the hussars in the people's memory.

And further. In a billiard game, a hussar is a randomly made ball that fell into a pocket in vain. And the game of preference together is called hussar preference, or hussar.

(c) Viktor Gorn

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> Thoughts for thoughts

The longest testament was written by one of the founding fathers of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. Indications regarding property were interspersed in the document with discourses on the history of America. Under this will, Jefferson's heirs received their shares of the inheritance only on the condition that they set free all their slaves.

Most offensive. One medieval farmer left 100 livres for his wife, but ordered that if she married, add another 100 livres, arguing that the poor man who would become her husband would need this money. Alas, divorce was forbidden in those days.

The most historically useful testament was left by William Shakespeare. He turned out to be a rather petty type and made arrangements for all his property, from furniture to shoes. The will is almost the only indisputable document that proves the existence of Shakespeare.

The shortest will was written by a banker from London. It contained three words: "I am completely broke."

The most indecent will in history was written by a shoemaker from Marseilles. Of the 123 words written in this will, 94 are impossible to pronounce even in relatively decent society.

The most difficult testament to understand was drawn up by the laboratory assistant of the famous physicist Niels Bohr. There were so many technical terms and complex phraseological turns in the will that experts-linguists had to be called in to decipher it.

The largest amount of cash ever bequeathed by a single person. Henry Ford bequeathed to distribute $ 500 million among 4157 educational and charitable institutions.

The most famous testament was left by Alfred Nobel. It was disputed by relatives. They received only half a million crowns, and the remaining 30 million were given to establish the famous Nobel Prize.

Billionaire Michel Rothschild left the most secret testament. In particular, it says: "... I categorically and unequivocally forbid any inventory of my inheritance, any judicial intervention and disclosure of my fortune ..." So the real size of the fortune is still not known.

The largest fortune left to an animal. The most stupid story about the inheritance is connected with the same will. Millionaire and film producer Roger Dorcas left all his $65 million to his beloved dog Maximilian. The court recognized such a decision as legal, since during his lifetime the millionaire straightened out completely human documents to Maximilian. Dorcas left 1 cent for his wife. But she, according to the same dog documents, married a dog and, after his death, calmly entered into inheritance rights, since the dog, of course, did not leave a will.

"Portrait of Life Hussars Colonel Evgraf Vladimirovich Davydov."

Perhaps there is a certain regularity and special justice in this, but history guarantees that it was the laborers of any battles, who had the lion's share of hard, risky and bloody military labor, that most often became the object of poetization and military mythology. The clearest example is the hussars, who were usually thrown into the thick of battle.

WHEN this formidable warrior first appeared on the “martial field”, which, addressing lofty words to his friend Lieutenant Colonel Pyotr Kaverin, one of the fleeting characters of “Eugene Onegin”, A.S. Pushkin described it this way: “He is a true friend to friends, a tormentor to beauties, and everywhere he is a hussar”? It is quite difficult to give an unambiguous answer to this question, since researchers of our, alas, unpredictable past, have never had and never have had complete unanimity.

However, most historians agree that their “homeland” is Hungary, whose king, Matvey Korvin, back in 1458, annoyed by the constant raids on his possessions by the Turks, ordered the highest to form a special militia to repulse the presumptuous adversary. In accordance with the royal verdict, one nobleman from twenty was recorded in it, who was obliged to arrive at the gathering place with his own armed detachment.

By the way, it is possible that this explains the origin of the word "hussar" itself (from the Hungarian Husz - 20 and ar - farmstead). According to another, much less probable version, "hussar" is a phonetically transformed "corsair". And according to V.I. Dal, on which, to his credit, he did not insist, "hussar" originates from the clique hussa (atu, cheers).

Non-commissioned officers of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment

One way or another, lightly armed riders in a very specific, elegant and original uniform began to be called hussars from the second half of the 15th century, the indispensable attributes of which were dolman (short uniform), mentic (fur cape), shako (high cylindrical hat with a visor), tashka ( flat and, admittedly, absolutely useless bag), sash, boots ... As for the appearance, then, probably, everyone knows: a hussar without a mustache is not a hussar. But another common belief that they are all like a match, indispensable ladies' man, rake, gamblers, duelists and wine lovers, is an exaggeration to put it mildly. Not everyone…

Under Stephen Batory, hussars also appeared in Poland, where mainly the richest nobles began to serve in this kind of troops. The Polish Hussars of the 16th-17th centuries, dressed in incomplete armor with wings behind their backs (when attacking at full gallop, they made a sound that frightened the enemy's horses), were called the Winged Hussars. They were considered light cavalry because they were lighter than knights and cuirassiers, although they were heavier than Cossacks and Tatars.

In the imperial troops, the hussars for a long time had the significance of the Hungarian cavalry militia, convened only for the duration of the war and mainly against the Turks;

The first regular hussar regiment was formed in Austria only in 1688. France also borrowed hussars from Austria, where they were first mentioned in 1693. In Prussia, the first hussars were Poles; at the accession to the throne of Frederick the Great, there were 2 hussar regiments, and at the end of his reign - 10. And in England, the first hussar regiment was formed only in 1806.

Almost two centuries passed before the hussars "registered" in Russia. Although, for example, in Austria and France they appeared even later, and on the shores of Foggy Albion they formed the first regiment at all at the beginning of the 19th century. The first mention of Russian hussars dates back to 1634, which is very difficult to find direct documentary evidence. Another thing is an entry in the diary of the Scot Patrick Gordon (in Rus' he was called Peter Ivanovich), one of the mentors of Peter I in military affairs, indicating that in the Kozhukhovsky campaign of 1694, in fact, which was a large-scale maneuvers to demonstrate three hussar companies.

However, this does not mean at all that the previous half century, the hussars ate their bread for nothing. On the contrary, judging by the results of the research of the historian I. Babulin, there were enough worries. And the period of their formation is closely intertwined with the activities of Khristofor Fedorovich Rylsky, who became a colonel of the first hussar regiment. And in the 30s of the XVII century, his company, consisting of "foreigners of Lithuania and Poles", zealously served on the southern borders of Russia, protecting them from the frequent raids of the Crimean Tatars and Nogais.

In 1654, when the air distinctly smelled of gunpowder and blood of the upcoming war with the Commonwealth, the first hussar regiment of heavy cavalry was formed in Moscow in the image and likeness of the Polish "winged hussars", which was headed by Colonel Kh.F. Rylsky. It can be assumed with a high degree of probability that all his subordinates, the so-called "fodder foreigners", who converted to Orthodoxy and moved to Muscovy long ago, considered it their homeland and therefore went into battle against their former compatriots with no hesitation.

Judging by the degree of equipment (beautiful Turkish horses, excellent armor and weapons), as well as their place in battle formations, the Rylsky regiment was close to the king or, in modern terms, was considered elite. And he proved the right to be called such by his feats of arms in the Smolensk campaign. And therefore, it seems, it is not at all accidental in the autumn of 1660 in the troops of the Novgorod category under the command of Prince I.A. Khovansky, the formation of the second combat-ready strike unit of the "hussar system" began.

And soon, as historical sources testify, three hussar companies demonstrated high proficiency, valor and prowess in the battle with the Lithuanians and Poles: “And there was a fierce battle from 1 o’clock in the afternoon ... Polotsk. In 1662, Lieutenant Colonel Nikifor Karaulov commanded this hussar regiment.

It is noteworthy that even in the most outstanding, or rather, in ordinary positions, only nobles served in it. True, they were provincial, and not metropolitan, like Rylsky’s, and therefore this regiment was supplied, and uniformed, and equipped with weapons much more modestly than the Moscow one. Which, of course, affected the contribution that he made to the treasury of the military successes of the army of I.A. Khovansky: she was rather modest.

Basically, the hussars were used as guard detachments on the Swedish lines, not much different from other cavalry units.

And Peter I did not alleviate their fate and did not raise their status. Rather, on the contrary: reforming the army, in 1701 the sovereign, in fact, abolished the hussar companies, "dissolving" them in the dragoon regiments. There were objective reasons for this: the hussars were quite effectively used to break through the front of the enemy, fighting in close formation, but could not resist the battle with the light East European and Asian cavalry.

And the gradual improvement in the combat qualities of firearms and the ever-widening spread of engineering barriers noticeably clipped the wings of even the famous "flying" hussars. And therefore, it will not be an exaggeration to conclude that the attempt to form shock hussar regiments in Russia in the 17th century, alas, was not successful. In other words, it was not possible to create light cavalry with a cavalry charge. Well, in Rus', the proverb “The first pancake is lumpy” will not surprise anyone.

For the sake of truth, it is appropriate to note that the second “pancake”, which, at the behest of Peter the Great, was baked six years later, turned out to be inedible, although for a slightly different reason. Fulfilling the will of the monarch, the Serb Apostol Kinich gathered three hundred brave fellows from his compatriots and Moldavians, skilled in military affairs, into a certain hussar team, called the Wallachian horongvia. In 1711, with the beginning of the Russian-Turkish war, there were already 8 such formations in Russia. But since the fairly depleted treasury could not pay for the military work of the mercenaries, they were soon dismissed. Although officially their next abolition was again explained by the small benefit that these dashing cavalry grunts bring on the battlefield.

Mikhail Mikeshin. Life hussars at the watering hole. 1853

LIKE A PHOENIX FROM THE ASH...
But it is not for nothing that they say in Rus': God loves a trinity. And it is no coincidence that Russian folklore is replete with legends that in any difficult situation, heroes are always given three attempts to accomplish a feat, and it is the latter, as usual, that decides the success of the enterprise. As happened with the hussars, who were reborn in 1723 as a Phoenix from the ashes. However, this process was not momentary, let's say, multi-stage, because soon only a fairy tale is told, but not soon the deed is done.

It took almost two more decades for the "new" type of light cavalry, consisting of the same brave foreign warriors, to more or less firmly stand on its feet. The next reform of the hussar units, ironically, was carried out by an incompetent commander, but at the same time the head of the military department and field marshal Munnich, one of the closest and most influential dignitaries of Empress Anna Ioannovna, who was subsequently sentenced to death by Elizaveta Petrovna and escaped it, being exiled in return to Siberia.

And in 1741, the existence of hussar regiments in the Russian army, as well as the principles of their organization, armament, equipment, uniforms and replenishment, were legalized by a royal decree issued on behalf of the young Ivan VI Antonovich (whoever did not stand at the origins of the hussar ballad - and old , and young!). And the first "swallows" were the Serbian, Hungarian, Georgian and Moldavian regiments, the location of which was determined by Ukraine.

Each hussar received land for allotment and a stable, although not very generous salary for buying a horse (it cost half the annual salary), weapons, special ammunition and other property according to the register, which also cost a pretty penny, since it was purchased exclusively abroad, because it was not produced in its own country of decent quality. So we can say with confidence: in those years, they clearly had no time for revelry with card games, champagne and beauties.

In subsequent years, through the efforts of foreign officers serving in the Russian army, hussar regiments noticeably arrived. Judging by some historical sources, by the middle of the 18th century there were already at least a dozen. From time to time they had to participate in small border skirmishes, in which they usually prevailed. However, in the very first major field battle at Gross-Jägersdorf in August 1757, the Serbian and Hungarian regiments, who did not really sniff gunpowder, met face to face with the powerful Prussian cavalry, surpassing them both in number and skill, and after a pitiful attempt to show little resistance, turned the horses and spurred them on.

But in the course of further not so large-scale, in fact, semi-partisan hostilities on the territory of Prussia, where the hussars fought shoulder to shoulder with the Cossack units, in most cases fortune clearly favored them. Although luck is luck, the main thing is still different: they have become adept at military affairs, and they had never been able to take decisiveness and courage before. That is why Brigadier Eropkin interceded with the command after the raid on the city of Friedberg in the summer of 1758 with his detachment, which included two squadrons of the Hungarian Hussars, to encourage the hussar officers Colonel Zorich, Lieutenant Colonel Preradovich and Lieutenant Stanishchev, who "their position with excellent commendably performed with courage. And Lieutenant Colonel Tekkeli, known throughout Russia, who later became a general, commanding the Serbian hussars, captured about a thousand people in one of the battles.

But much more important and significant for the future of the mustachioed hussars was that the Seven Years' War convincingly demonstrated the effectiveness and, therefore, the expediency of using well-trained and fully equipped light cavalry in battles. And therefore, the next step of the military department looked quite natural: the Akhtyrsky, Izyumsky, Ostrogozhsky, Sumy and Kharkov hussar regiments were created. The most remarkable thing is that this time they were staffed not with foreigners, whose limit was partially exhausted, but with Cossacks, voluntarily or involuntarily publicly recognizing that responsible and honorable service in elite units can be confidently entrusted not only to overseas military, but also to ours, homegrown. And in 1764, a special “Charter of the Hussars, or Short Rules for Light Troops” was issued, regulating the actions of units, mainly in the guard and intelligence service.

Of course, the reform of the hussar regiments, as well as the Russian army as a whole, did not end there (by the way, it continues now, and this process seems to be endless). In the mid-80s of the XVIII century, the new royal favorite and "strategist" Count Potemkin abolished all the settled hussar regiments, assigned them a place in the battle formation of the regular army, and at the same time renamed the hussars in the Russian manner into light horsemen, depriving them of their characteristic uniforms along the way.

The last two innovations did not affect only the life hussar battalion guarding the royal palace, and the hussar regiment in Gatchina - under the heir to the throne, Pavel Petrovich. But before the dashing cavalrymen had time to get used to the new name and uniform, everything slowly began to return to normal.

The Olviopol and Voronezh light-horse regiments again became the first hussars. By the way, three squadrons of the latter distinguished themselves during the assault on the Izmail fortress, which did not go unnoticed by A.V. Suvorov, who highly appreciated the military prowess of the hussars. Further battles, and in particular the Patriotic War of 1812, multiplied their glory many times over.

For example, the famous Akhtyrsky regiment as part of the corps of General Raevsky courageously and steadfastly repelled all the attacks of the French cavalry. And, of course, the hussars - six regiments! - participated in the Battle of Borodino, heroically fighting the enemy. Three hundreds won - three! Only the dead did not get up from the ground ”- this is Marina Tsvetaeva. Agree, you can't say better. It is no coincidence that at that time in the army environment a phrase was passed from mouth to mouth, the author of which is not known for certain: "A real hussar never lives to be 35 years old."

And soon the hooves of their horses pounded on the paved roads of Europe. Lutzen, Bautzen, Kulm, Leipzig (here, in the battle called the "Battle of the Nations", the Life Hussars especially distinguished themselves), Katzbach, Brienne, La Rothiere, Sudron - this is just a small fraction of the cities under which they happened to cross sabers with the retreating enemy, before they, as part of the Russian army, drove victoriously through the streets of Paris. It is interesting that in the ranks of the hussar brigade, which included the Akhtyrsky and Belorussian regiments, there was also Major General Denis Davydov, holder of the Order of St. George 4th degree, referring to which Alexander Pushkin wrote:

Hussar singer, you sang bivouacs,
And the formidable fun of a fight,
And the curls of his mustache...

Shortly before the start of the war with the French, Denis Vasilyevich, who was an adjutant under P.I. Bagration, turned to the prince with a request to send him to serve in the Akhtyrsky regiment. The report was satisfied: Lieutenant Colonel Davydov was appointed commander of the 1st battalion of hussars.

It makes no sense to give textbook examples of the victorious raids of the hussar-Cossack partisan detachment of Davydov behind enemy lines - probably, school textbooks still talk about them. It is appropriate to note that largely due to the actions of the partisans, the Akhtyrsky regiment, commanded by Davydov by the end of the war, was awarded silver trumpets with the inscription "For distinction in the defeat and expulsion of the enemy from Russia" and the St. George standard with the inscription "In recompense for excellent courage and courage, rendered to the successfully completed campaign of 1814.

However, Denis Vasilievich is not the only hussar that all of Russia still remembers. And not only she. Take, for example, his fellow soldiers - the composer, author of the famous "Nightingale" A.A. Alyabiev and Decembrist A.Z. Muraviev. Or the commander of a platoon of the 7th squadron of the Hussar Life Guards, and later of the Grodno regiments, Lieutenant Mikhail Lermontov. Or a close friend of A.S. Pushkin Petr Chaadaev, an officer of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment, stationed in Tsarskoye Selo, the author of the sensational "Philosophical Letters".

In a word, many worthy representatives of the elite hussar circle deserve special mention. Moreover, after the victory over Napoleon, this circle expanded from year to year - more and more new regiments appeared, despite the fact that Russia did not participate in wars “suitable” for demonstrating their combat capabilities and, of course, prowess. No, the guns on various fronts were still roaring, and the infantry was rising with bayonets at the enemy, but there was not a wide field of activity for light cavalry - there was not enough space.

Or, as in the Crimean War, the enemy was armed to the teeth with modern rifled weapons - not the most favorable factor for the use of cavalry. Only two of the sixteen hussar regiments - Kiev and Ingermanland - were thrown at the enemy in the battle of Balaklava in the autumn of 1854, but, unfortunately, they were not successful. But he accompanied the hussars of the Mariupol and all the same Kiev regiments in the next Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878 in the blockade of Plevna, the Life Guards of the Hussar and Grodno regiments - when crossing the Balkans (in winter!).

The Narva Regiment under the command of Alexander Alexandrovich Pushkin, the eldest son of the great poet, who was awarded a golden saber and the Order of St. Vladimir 4th degree with swords and a bow, also wrote many glorious lines in the annals of hussar exploits.

Unknown captain of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment
By the way, if we are already talking about the armament of the enemy, it is appropriate to briefly tell about what the hussars went to him with. The dominant and honorable place in this arsenal was occupied by a light cavalry saber of the 1798 or 1809 model. In special bags on the sides of the saddle, as in holsters, were two pistols. And although the cavalry pistol of the 1809 model was standard, the hussars often used what, as they say, God sent. More precisely - the enemy or his majesty the case.

In addition, 16 people in the squadron (that is, almost every tenth) carried short cavalry fittings or blunderbusses, which were of little use in the attack and were more suitable for serving in outposts. And finally, 30 hussars in the squadron were armed with pikes. True, not in all regiments, but only in Alexandria, Akhtyrsky, Grodno, Elizavetgrad, Izyum, Mariupol, Pavlograd and Sumy. It is easy to understand that, taking into account the rate of fire of pistols, no one seriously hoped for the firepower of the hussar regiment. The calculation was made on mobility, pressure, dexterous and accurate saber strikes, as well as a very strong psychological impact.

Russian hussar

Anyone who believes that the Soviet authorities put an end to the glorious hussar ballad is mistaken. And he's wrong three times!

Firstly, a third of a century before the October Revolution, shortly after the accession to the royal throne of Alexander III, all 14 hussar regiments fell under the millstones, it is difficult to say what the number of reforms is: they were transformed into dragoons with the preservation of names. But it was not a dot, but rather an ellipsis, because after 25 years Phoenix was reborn again: during the First World War, there were 20 hussar regiments in the Russian army!

It is noteworthy that in this campaign, as part of the Akhtyrsky regiment, Vladimir and Alexander Lermontov fought the enemy - brothers, descendants of the great Russian poet, who were subsequently separated by the October Revolution on opposite sides of the barricades. Alexander was evacuated along with the remnants of the unit to a foreign land, and Vladimir transferred to the 1st Cavalry Army of S.M. Budyonny.

Secondly, by no means did the elite hussar units disappear in the late autumn of 1917, but only in the spring of 1918, after the official general demobilization of the old army. It is curious, but true: after the revolution, several regiments of red hussars were formed, which especially distinguished themselves in the summer of 1919 in battles with Admiral Kolchak. And this is third. But those were already completely different hussars and a completely different, less vivid and shorter story.

; Another historical interpretation of already distant events: The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made -

Who are the hussars? Shako Mentik Chakchiry Saber Boots Doloman Tashka Harness Harness Sash Repeek Sultan Etishket Spurs Lyadunka Lyadunka Bandage Lyadunka Bandage Pantaler Tsifrovka Cords Cuff Dolman Mentik Edge

Mentik Mentik (mentiya). Exactly the same jacket as the dolman, but the collar, the edges of the sides, the bottom of the jacket and the bottom of the sleeves are trimmed with fur. Each regiment had a mentic of its own color, and the color of the mentic did not always coincide with the color of the dolman. Fur color:** Life Guards Hussar Regiment: officers - black beaver fur, non-commissioned officers and soldiers - black fur. **Army hussars: officers gray fur, non-commissioned officers black fur, soldiers white fur. In winter, mentiks were worn in sleeves over dolmans, and in summer, mentiks were worn thrown over the left shoulder. From stalling, the mentic was kept by a cord that passed under the arm of the right hand. Hussars, armed with pikes, did not wear a mentic in the summer. In a combat situation, before an attack, the mentik was either put on in the sleeves, or taken off completely.

Doloman Doloman (dulam, dolam, dolman, dulman). Short, waist-length, single-breasted jacket with a stand-up low collar. The chest is embroidered with fifteen rows of cord loops for officers of gold or silver cord (according to the color of the instrument metal assigned to the regiment). The soldiers had silk cords of yellow or grayish-white color. The ends of the rows of cords were decorated with copper buttons for soldiers, and gilded buttons for officers. The chest of an officer's dolman around the cords was sheathed with a narrow gold (silver) galloon. The general's dolmans were fringed in the same way. In addition, the collars of non-commissioned officers, officers and generals dolmans were sheathed with galloon of various widths. The back of the dolman was also embroidered with cords. However, the number of rows of cords was not always strictly kept at fifteen. Depending on the size of the dolman, there could be from 11 to 18 rows. The color of the dolman, cuffs and collars in each regiment were different. In the picture on the left is a soldier's dolman of the Sumy Hussar Regiment (by the beginning of 1812 its color will be changed to gray with red cuffs and a collar). In the picture in the middle is a general's dolman of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment (by the beginning of 1812, the collar and cuffs will turn blue). In the picture on the right is a dolman of the Grodno Hussars.

Boots Boots. Low (slightly above mid-calf) narrow boots. The upper part of the shaft has a figured neckline with a tassel in it. Spurs are put on boots. The soldiers' spurs are tin-plated, the officers' spurs are silver (gilded). It is curious that at the beginning of the 19th century, shoes did not differ in the left and right boots. Both boots (however, other shoes too) were exactly the same, and it didn’t matter which one to wear on which leg (well, how are boots now). Who does not believe, let him visit the museum of the clothing service of the RF Ministry of Defense. Shoes began to be distinguished into left and right closer to the middle of the 19th century.

Chakchirs Chakchirs (chikchirs). Hussar trousers of straight cut with straps at the bottom. They refuel in boots. The color of the chakchira is different in each regiment. Along the side seams are narrow stripes of gold (silver) galloon for officers, and of yellow (white) braid for soldiers and non-commissioned officers. Ahead on both legs is an ornament made of cord and galloon, the so-called "hussar knot". For soldiers and non-commissioned officers, this knot is made of a thin cord and is simple in design, for officers it is made of a gold (silver) cord and galloon of a complex pattern. For generals, this decoration is even more difficult. In the figure on the left is an officer's "hussar knot". In the picture on the right, chakchira and boots. In the campaign, in combat conditions, in the classroom in cold weather over, and in warm weather instead of chakchir, the hussars wore gray leggings lined with leather. Leggings were worn over boots. Hussar chakchirs were expensive, they were quickly wiped and torn from the saddle, in inclement weather they quickly got wet and dirty from the ground flying from under the front legs of the horse. The leggings saved the day. So in reality, in the war, the hussars did not look as smart as we see in the films "War and Peace", "Hussar Ballad", etc. In the picture, the hussars of the 2nd Hussar Regiment of the Russian-German Legion are in trousers and on the right is the design of the trousers.

Lyadunka The kit of hussar ammunition included a "lyadunka", which was a small hard box for cartridges for hussar pistols. Lyadunka was worn on a belt - pantalera over the left shoulder and was located behind, and before firing it moved forward on the chest. Two etchants, copper and steel, were fastened on thin chains in front of the pantaler. The dressers were needles for cleaning the seed hole of the gun. The soldiers and non-commissioned officers had a white or red leather pantaller, the officers had red leather and embroidered with gold threads. In the figure on the left, chains of dressers are clearly visible on the pantaler of an officer's carcass. On the right is a soldier's little box on a red pantaler belt. From above, a white pantaller belt with a hook for a blunderbuss or fitting is visible.

Hussar sabers ** Light cavalry saber model 1809. The blade is steel, curved, single-edged with one wide fuller. The scabbard is steel, has two rings for the belt belts. The hilt consists of a hilt and a guard. The handle is wooden, with transverse grooves in which twisted wire is laid. The back of the handle is covered with a metal bar that passes into the head. The guard is formed by a cross with a crosshair, a front bow and two side bows. The total length of the saber is 1.03m, the length of the blade is 88cm, the width of the blade is up to 3.6cm, the curvature of the blade is 70/365mm. The mass of the saber is 1.9 kg. In the figure, the saber arr. 1798 and a scabbard for it. On the left is the hilt of a saber arr. 1809 with the badge of the Order of St. Anna 3rd degree attached to it. Such a saber was an officer's award and was called "Anna's weapon". On the right is the hilt of the saber arr. 1798 The hilt is gilded and there is an award inscription "For Bravery" on it. Such a saber was also an officer's award and was called the "Golden Weapon". Such awards by the state were equated with orders, and among the officers they were valued above orders, because. unlike most orders, which could be awarded simply for long service or non-combat merits, award weapons were awarded only for distinction in battles. Further

The firearms of the hussars The firearms of each hussar were two pistols stored in special bags (olstra) in front of the sides of the saddle. Olstras were covered from above with cloth capes ("pigs"). The types of pistols used were different, but the standard weapon was a cavalry pistol model 1809. In addition to the pistol, the hussars were armed with cavalry fittings and blunderbusses. 16 people in each squadron were armed with either short cavalry fittings of the 1803 model of the year or blunderbuss of the 1803 model of the year. Blunderbuss could only be fired with shot. The rider wore a fitting or blunderbuss with a hooked special ring located at the neck of the butt, behind a hook on a trouser belt. The hussars had no other firearms. Actually, the firepower of the hussar regiment was equal to zero. Pistols were weapons of self-defense, and sixteen blunderbusses for 150 people cannot be considered firepower. Rather, it was a weapon for sentries, outposts posted by the squadron. Cavalry fitting model 1803. Weight 2.65 kg., Caliber 16.51 mm. The barrel is rifled. Firing range up to 600m. rate of fire 2-3 rounds per minute. Blunderbuss model 1803. Weight 3.5 kg. Caliber 17.78mm., Shot range up to 30 steps. Rate of fire 4-5 rounds per minute. Cavalry pistol model 1809. Caliber 17.78mm, length 43cm, barrel length 26.5cm. Firing range 30-35 steps, rate of fire 2-3 rounds per minute.

Drawing of a shako It was a felt (polyarkovy) truncated cone. It expanded towards the top. The upper plane of the shako was covered with black leather so that an inch-wide rim formed along the upper edge of the side surface of the shako. The height of the shako is about 17cm. Leather belts were sewn on the sides in the form of the letter V for strength. The lower edge of the shako was also sheathed with a leather belt so that the diameter of the lower part of the shako could be adjusted to the size of the hussar's head. A visor made of thick yuft leather was sewn under the belt with a two-inch downward slope. On the sides of the shako, a chin strap was attached to the v-shaped belt, on top of which the so-called "scales" were attached, consisting of separate figured plates. The scales were made of copper and gilded or silvered for officers, while for soldiers it remained yellow copper or tinned with tin

Officer's shako All-army officer's shako Guards officer's shako

Repeek The so-called "repeek" was attached to the upper part of the shako. For soldiers, it was an oval convex wooden detail. In the Life Guards Hussar Regiment, the soldier's repek was yellow with a red middle, in the army regiments it was white or yellow (according to the color of the instrument metal. For non-commissioned officers, the repek was divided diagonally crosswise into four parts. The upper and lower quarters were white, the side quarters were gray. The officers' burrs looked different. In the figure, from left to right: in the top row - a burr of a soldier of the Life Guards Hussar regiment, a burr of a soldier of one of the army regiments, a burr of a non-commissioned officer; in the bottom row a number of repeeks of the chief officer, repeeks of the headquarters officer.

Etishket. The so-called "kutas" was attached to the shako, which consisted of two branches - front and back. The left and right etiquettes were attached to the kutas. The left etiquette was short (up to the lower edge of the shako. and consisted of two small tassels. The right one was much longer and was a complex weaving decoration. Kutas and etishket were woven from gold or silver laces for officers, for soldiers from silk white lace white or yellow colors, for non-commissioned officers, the kutas and etishket were similar to those of a soldier, but were woven from laces of three colors - white (yellow), black, orange.On the front side of the shako in the Life Guards hussar regiment, a copper (gilded for officers) shako eagle of the general guard sample was attached In the army hussars, instead of an eagle, an orange-black cockade with a buttonhole was placed on the front side of the shako.

Sultan The so-called sultan was placed on top of the shako - an ornament made of hare fur 17.6 cm high. The soldiers and officers had a white sultan (black in the lower part), the non-commissioned officer sultan had a black upper third with a vertical orange stripe. Music nts (trumpeters, timpani) of the soldier rank of sultan were red, and those of the non-commissioned officer rank were red with an upper third of black with a vertical orange stripe. In the figure, from left to right: the sultan of a soldier and an officer, the sultan of a non-commissioned officer, the sultan of music of the soldier rank, the sultan of the music of the non-commissioned officer rank. However, it is only in the figures that the orange stripe is clearly visible. In reality, it is hardly distinguishable, because applied with paint and quickly faded and washed off. Sultans wore shakos usually only at reviews, parades and other solemn occasions. In everyday service, before the battle, the sultan was removed and placed inside the shako.

Tashka and harness Ammunition. On the belt, the hussars wore a belt belt of red leather, with which a light cavalry saber of the model 1798 or 1809 was fastened with two pass belts on the left and the so-called "tashka", which was a flat pentagonal bag, on the three pass belts also on the left. The tashka is not suitable for small things, or for packages, or even for a handkerchief. Most likely it was just a decorative element of the hussar uniform. The colors of the tashkas in each regiment were different. The monogram of the emperor was applied on the front side of the tashka. For officers, the monogram and embroidery of the tashka were made with gold or silver threads (according to the color of the instrument metal assigned to the regiment), for soldiers and non-commissioned officers with white or yellow cord. In the figure on the left, the officer's taska of the Life Guards of the Hussar Regiment, the soldier's taska of the Izyumsky or Sumy regiment, in the picture below - the officer's taska and harness of the Grodno Hussars.

A sash A hussar sash was worn over the harness, which was a set of colored cords with gold or silver intercepts. The sash was fastened with two oblong buttons. The hussar belt-sash each regiment had its own colors. The photo shows the sash and tashka of the Grodno Hussars.

Tsifrovka on chakchirs Ober- and staff officers and generals differed from each other in the width of the galloon and fringe on the mentik, dolman and chakchirs. Galloon was sewn on the collar, cuffs, back of the dolman and mentic, and on the chakchirs (in the form of "hussar knots"). For chief officers it was narrow, for headquarters officers it was wider, and for generals it was so wide and patterned that the color of the collar and cuffs was almost invisible behind it. A fringe was also sewn on the dolman and mentic around the laces. For chief officers, it was short, half an inch, and for staff officers and generals, it was an inch. Among the generals, among other things, a pattern in the form of oak leaves was sewn onto the collar.

Uniform colors for the regiments of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment. The dolman and mentic are red, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are blue. The mentic fur of officers is black beaver, non-commissioned officers and soldiers are black. The sash is blue. Chakchirs are blue. The tashka is red with yellow trim. The saddle pad is blue with yellow trim. Instrument metal - gold. Alexandria Regiment. The dolman and mentic are black, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are red. The fur of the mentica of officers is gray lambskin, non-commissioned officers are black, soldiers are white. The sash is black. Chakchira are black. The tank is black with red trim. Black saddle pad with red trim. Instrument metal - silver. Widely known as "black hussars". Akhtyrsky regiment. The dolman and mentic are brown, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are yellow. The fur of the mentica of officers is gray lambskin, non-commissioned officers are black, soldiers are white. The sash is brown. Chakchirs are blue. The tashka is brown with yellow trim. The saddle pad is blue with yellow trim. Instrument metal - gold. The famous partisan of the war of 1812, Lieutenant Colonel Denis Davydov, served in this regiment. Further

Belarusian regiment. The dolman is blue, the mentic is red, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are red. The fur of the mentica of officers is gray lambskin, non-commissioned officers are black, soldiers are white. The sash is red. Chakchirs are blue. Tashka is red with white trim. The saddle pad is blue with white trim. Instrument metal - silver. Grodno regiment. The dolman and mentic are blue, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are blue. The fur of the mentica of officers is gray lambskin, non-commissioned officers are black, soldiers are white. The sash is blue. Chakchirs are blue. Tashka blue with blue trim. The saddle pad is blue with blue trim. Instrument metal - silver. Commonly known as "blue hussars". Elizavetgrad Regiment. Gray dolman, gray mentic, gray dolman collar and cuffs. The fur of the mentica of officers is gray lambskin, non-commissioned officers are black, soldiers are white. Belt-sash gray. Chakchirs are green. Tashka is green with yellow trim. The saddle pad is green with yellow trim. Izyum regiment. The dolman is red, the mentic is blue, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are blue. The fur of the mentica of officers is gray lambskin, non-commissioned officers are black, soldiers are white. The sash is blue. Chakchirs are blue. Tashka is red with white trim. The saddle pad is blue with white trim. Instrument metal - silver. Officers have dolman and mentic cords on their chests and gilded buttons

Lubensky regiment. The dolman is blue, the mentic is blue, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are yellow. The fur of the mentica of officers is gray lambskin, non-commissioned officers are black, soldiers are white. The sash is blue. Chakchirs are blue. Tashka is blue with white trim. The saddle pad is blue with white trim. Instrument metal - silver. In the film "The Hussar Ballad" Lieutenant Rzhevsky was dressed in the uniform of the Lubensky Hussar Regiment. Mariupol regiment. The dolman is blue, the mentic is blue, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are yellow. The fur of the mentica of officers is gray lambskin, non-commissioned officers are black, soldiers are white. The sash is blue. Chakchirs are blue. The tashka is blue with yellow trim. The saddle pad is blue with yellow trim. Instrument metal - gold. The color of the uniform of the Mariupol residents completely coincided with the color of the uniform of the Lubents. The difference was only in the color of the instrument metal, the color of the finish of the tashka and the saddle pad. Olviopol regiment. The dolman and mentic are green, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are red. The fur of the mentica of officers is gray lambskin, non-commissioned officers are black, soldiers are white. The sash is green. Chakchirs are red. Tashka green with red trim. Green saddle pad with red trim. Instrument metal - silver. Pavlograd regiment. The dolman is green, the mentic is blue, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are blue. The fur of the mentica of officers is gray lambskin, non-commissioned officers are black, soldiers are white. The sash is blue. Chakchirs are green. Tashka green with red trim. Green saddle pad with red trim. Instrument metal - gold. Next Colors of uniforms on the shelves - 3

Sumy regiment. The dolman and mentic are gray, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are red. The fur of the mentica of officers is gray lambskin, non-commissioned officers are black, soldiers are white. Belt-sash gray. Chakchirs are red. Tashka is red with white trim. Gray saddle pad with red trim. Instrument metal - silver. 1st and 2nd Hussars of the Russian-German Legion. These regiments were not part of the army, they were considered militia. The uniform, as a whole, approached the standard of the Russian hussar uniform, but with a number of features. inherent in the German army. So, the shako had a plume of white feathers, the repeek was not oval. and round red and white, there were no buttonholes on the shako, and the cockade was of German colors (black and white). The mentic fur in the 1st regiment was all white, and in the 2nd regiment it was brown. The etishket and kutas were white, and the cords on the dolman and mentik in the 1st regiment were yellow, in the 2nd were black. They did not wear chakchir, but instead wore gray trousers with black leather lining in step. In 1815, the regiments were disbanded, and the soldiers and officers remained at home in Germany. Irkutsk regiment. The dolman is black, the mentic is black, the collar and cuffs of the dolman are raspberry. The fur of the mentica of officers is gray lambskin, non-commissioned officers are black, soldiers are white. The sash is black. Chakchira raspberry. The tank is black with yellow trim. Black saddle pad with raspberry trim. Instrument metal - gold. It should be borne in mind that the regiment was added to the army only in December 1812. During the autumn of 1812, he was a militia hussar regiment of Count Saltykov. Therefore, instead of the usual cockades with a buttonhole, a militia cross and below the monogram of Emperor Alexander I were placed on the shako. The buttons on the dolman and mentic went from top to bottom not in three, but in five rows. Next Uniform colors by shelves - 4

Private hussar regiment

The hussar uniform in 1812 was significantly different from the uniforms of other branches of the cavalry in its appearance. Its such a significant difference is due to the origin of this kind of light cavalry. Hussars appeared in the Russian Army in the middle of the 18th century. At that time, the hussars were from Serbia and Hungary. It was they who brought with them the type of military clothing inherent in them. I liked the unusual and elegant hussar uniform and it took root in Russia. Over the course of the century, this uniform has changed somewhat, but retaining its characteristic features. It consisted of the following items: dolman, mentik, chakchirs, boots, shako, tashka, hussar sash. It also includes one of the elements of horse attire - a saddle cloth. Each regiment had its own colors of the hussar uniform.

Blueprint of a saddle pad Colored fabric cape thrown over the saddle. The embroidered monogram of the emperor and/or other decorations were placed in the lower back corners. Along the edges of the saddle cloth was also embroidered with a lace or galloon in the color of the regimental instrument metal. The saddle cloth should not be confused with the saddlecloth, which looks somewhat similar to the element of horse attire. But the saddlecloth is made of dense felt, it can be sheathed with colored fabric on top. The saddlecloth, unlike the saddle cloth, is thrown on the back of the horse under the saddle, and not on top of it. If the saddle cloth is a decorative element of the horse's ceremonial attire, then the saddle saddle is an indispensable element of the saddle, protecting the horse's back from being rubbed by the saddle.