The dress uniform of a non-commissioned officer of the Imperial Guard of the Black Sea Cossack Division of 1845 used to belong to the Cossack Alexey Zaika from the village of Ivanovskaya. This piece of garment was donated to the museum collection by his son.
The full-length coat is made of red manufactured fabric and trimmed with velvet, lacing, and braid. On the chest, there are brown velvet ‘gazyrnitsy’ — small pockets for cartridges with powder charges, six on each side.
On July 1, 1842, a decree on the creation of the Guards Cossack division was issued. It was formed from the Black Sea Cossack Squadron, which was withdrawn from the Imperial Guard of the Cossack Regiment. The division included officers who had served in the army for at least three years.
The staff of the division had one field officer, 14 company officers, 36 non-commissioned officers, four junkers, six trumpeters, 320 clerks and Cossacks, and 16 non-combatant orderlies. Two-thirds of the Guards division were exempt from all military service, with the exception of village duties.
On April 17, 1845, the division approved its own uniform. The lower ranks had to wear two dress coats — the upper and the lower. The upper one was made of scarlet fabric and had no collar. It was decorated with buttonholes made of a guard lace — a braid with shiny metal threads. The lower coat was made of blue fabric, with the same buttonholes and brown plush breast pockets. It was four inches above the knee — about 18 centimeters. The upper coat was slightly longer, two ‘vershoks’ — or nine centimeters — above the knee. The uniform was supposed to be worn with a black leather bandolier on a white belt. The uniforms of the officers who had a higher rank were different and had silver braid and buttonholes, and the cartridge cases were made of black velvet.
On February 2, 1861, Emperor Alexander II ordered the Black Sea Imperial Guard Division to be disbanded and the Caucasian Cossack Guards Squadron of His Majesty’s escort convoy to be strengthened. This event was the beginning of the formation of the Kuban Cossack army guards.
The full-length coat is made of red manufactured fabric and trimmed with velvet, lacing, and braid. On the chest, there are brown velvet ‘gazyrnitsy’ — small pockets for cartridges with powder charges, six on each side.
On July 1, 1842, a decree on the creation of the Guards Cossack division was issued. It was formed from the Black Sea Cossack Squadron, which was withdrawn from the Imperial Guard of the Cossack Regiment. The division included officers who had served in the army for at least three years.
The staff of the division had one field officer, 14 company officers, 36 non-commissioned officers, four junkers, six trumpeters, 320 clerks and Cossacks, and 16 non-combatant orderlies. Two-thirds of the Guards division were exempt from all military service, with the exception of village duties.
On April 17, 1845, the division approved its own uniform. The lower ranks had to wear two dress coats — the upper and the lower. The upper one was made of scarlet fabric and had no collar. It was decorated with buttonholes made of a guard lace — a braid with shiny metal threads. The lower coat was made of blue fabric, with the same buttonholes and brown plush breast pockets. It was four inches above the knee — about 18 centimeters. The upper coat was slightly longer, two ‘vershoks’ — or nine centimeters — above the knee. The uniform was supposed to be worn with a black leather bandolier on a white belt. The uniforms of the officers who had a higher rank were different and had silver braid and buttonholes, and the cartridge cases were made of black velvet.
On February 2, 1861, Emperor Alexander II ordered the Black Sea Imperial Guard Division to be disbanded and the Caucasian Cossack Guards Squadron of His Majesty’s escort convoy to be strengthened. This event was the beginning of the formation of the Kuban Cossack army guards.
