Clearance (shoulder strap)

Origin

The term "gleam" comes from the technology of manufacturing multi-color scarves, sash ribbons, and later - officer epaulettes. In the manufacture of officer epaulettes, a soldier epaulette was originally taken and two strips of galun were sewn onto it, leaving the edging left. But they were sewn not close to each other, but in such a way that a small colored strip (lumen) remained, thus, the soldier’s shoulder straps seemed to shine from below from under the sewn galun, covering almost the entire field of shoulder straps. Currently, one continuous wide galun (in full dress ) is sometimes sewn on shoulder straps; in the center (when there is one gap) a line is sewn with threads.

The manufacturing technology of the lumen by stitching on a linear basis galun existed in Russia until December 16, 1917 , when shoulder straps as insignia were abolished. Earlier, on October 20, 1914, field shoulder straps were introduced for the Field Army , on which the lumen was a dark brown or dark yellow moleskin strip sewn directly onto the “body” of the shoulder strap. Soviet epaulettes, which appeared at the beginning of 1943 , were made using another technology - in them the lumen was one unit with the epaulet.

In 1986, for the first time in the history of Russian officer epaulets, sewn-on epaulets appeared without gaps (the field form is “ Afghan ”), where military ranks differed from each other only in the size of asterisks .

Dates

• 1854 - epaulettes become a sign of distinction of ranks, clearance appears on officer epaulets.

The colors of the gaps on the epaulettes of the Russian Imperial Army in 1874-1917

• red - the entire Guards infantry, 1st and 2nd infantry regiments in the division , artillery, engineering troops, Guards crew , Gendarme half squadron
• blue - 3rd and 4th regiments in the division, Separate gendarmes corps
• yellow - grenadier regiments
• raspberry - shooting regiments
• black - General Staff , Naval Naval Officers.
• dark brown - the general color of the lumen for field epaulets of the sample of October 1914.
• Enlightenments on cavalry uniforms had a various coloring which was regulated by traditions of a regiment, but not its subordination

The colors of the gaps on uniforms in the USSR in the 1950-1970s

• red - combined arms and police, coastal troops of the Navy, Airborne Forces (1945-63)
• Raspberry - motorized rifle troops, administrative service, medical and veterinary service, justice (in 1969-80)
• dark green - medical service (for persons without a military education, until 1969)
• bright green - border troops
• cornflower blue - military personnel of the KGB of the USSR (except for military counterintelligence agencies)
• blue - cavalry (until 1958)
• blue - aviation and (1943-45, from 1963) airborne
• black - Navy (for ceremonial clothing) and (until 1971) for technical types of troops
• speckle - internal troops
• yellow - Navy (for casual wear)

In Russia and the USSR, two openings had shoulder straps of senior officers ( headquarters officers ), and one clearance - junior officers ( chief officers ). Shoulder straps of generals do not have gaps, shoulder straps of ensigns and warrant officers and lower ranks do not have them either.

• Kant (item of clothing)

On the blue uniforms of the form EMERCOM of Russia at the moment the gaps are red.

• Scarf, detail of a military uniform // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.