The first firefighter’s helmets appeared in France around the 1750s. They were made from cloth or leather, and their brass visors depicted the emblem of the city that a fire brigade was part of. In 1786, firefighters began to wear helmets with high crests. In the 1820s, the French fire headgear was introduced in England, Sweden, Holland, and other European countries.
In Russia, they appeared only after the Patriotic War of 1812. There were attempts to make local firefighter’s helmets based on the French ones in the 1850s. A leather or linen suspension liner and a felt hood used to adapt a helmet for any head dimensions were indispensable elements of such helmets. An adjustable leather strap was used to fixate the helmet under the chin.
The first years of the Soviet regime revealed the shortage of firefighter’s helmets. They had to be imported from abroad, and at the same time they often did not comply with the national safety requirements. The decision of designing a new helmet was reached at the First All-Russian Fire Conference, which was held in March 1923 in Moscow. The French helmet with shortened crest and rounded edges was used as a prototype. The museum’s collection houses a helmet made in 1930.
During the Great Patriotic War, the number of fire brigades throughout the country increased significantly. The Tambov Gunpowder Factory had its own one. During the solemn meeting dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Great October Revolution, former factory manager Timofey Dolmatov noted:
In Russia, they appeared only after the Patriotic War of 1812. There were attempts to make local firefighter’s helmets based on the French ones in the 1850s. A leather or linen suspension liner and a felt hood used to adapt a helmet for any head dimensions were indispensable elements of such helmets. An adjustable leather strap was used to fixate the helmet under the chin.
The first years of the Soviet regime revealed the shortage of firefighter’s helmets. They had to be imported from abroad, and at the same time they often did not comply with the national safety requirements. The decision of designing a new helmet was reached at the First All-Russian Fire Conference, which was held in March 1923 in Moscow. The French helmet with shortened crest and rounded edges was used as a prototype. The museum’s collection houses a helmet made in 1930.
During the Great Patriotic War, the number of fire brigades throughout the country increased significantly. The Tambov Gunpowder Factory had its own one. During the solemn meeting dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Great October Revolution, former factory manager Timofey Dolmatov noted:
