A chekmen is the outer uniform of the Don Cossacks of the 19th century. It is a male garment, a transitional form between a dressing gown and a caftan. It was sewn in the same way as a beshmet, but with an open chest, a narrow shawl collar or a collar with a wide band. It had wide sleeves, often folded with an elbow slit at the back.
Normally the chekmen was made of cloth. It was fastened on the left side, with hooks sewn to the edge of the right hem, and loops to the left. The chekmen was a piece of clothing for the Cossacks, but it was also popular among Turkic peoples.
The uniform chekmen replaced the jackets in 1820–1824. It was complemented by grey trousers and hats with a blue top. At that time this uniform was tailored for the Cossacks from Verkhneudinsk, Selenginsk and Nerchinsk commands.
Such outerwear was made for both privates and officers, including generals. In 1829, the chekmen became the traditional uniform for all Siberian town and frontier Cossack commands.
There were chekmens of the Cossack Guards Regiment, Life Guards Ural Cossack His Majesty Hundred, His Imperial Highness the Sovereign Heir and Tsesarevitch’s Life Guards Ataman Regiment, and the Life Guards Black Sea Squadron.
There were chekmens for adults as well as children. Cloth could be blue, black, red, white or green. In the Don and Ural regions such a caftan was called a “chekmenik”, in the South of Russia a wide caftan with clasps was called “kireya” or “kireyka”.
When making a chekmen, masters focused on welts — colored edgings that were sewn on the edges and seams of the garment. The buttonholes on the collar and cuffs could be highlighted with silvered thread. The lining was made of twill — cotton or silk fabric with diagonal weave of threads.
From the mid-19th century velvet bullet pockets for 8 bullets were sewn onto officers’ dark green chekmens. They were lined with a wide silver braid. Such chekmens were above the knees by 5 vershoks, that is, about 26 centimeters. The collection of the Volgograd Regional Museum of Regional History has a chekmen of dark blue cloth with a red collar edging.
Normally the chekmen was made of cloth. It was fastened on the left side, with hooks sewn to the edge of the right hem, and loops to the left. The chekmen was a piece of clothing for the Cossacks, but it was also popular among Turkic peoples.
The uniform chekmen replaced the jackets in 1820–1824. It was complemented by grey trousers and hats with a blue top. At that time this uniform was tailored for the Cossacks from Verkhneudinsk, Selenginsk and Nerchinsk commands.
Such outerwear was made for both privates and officers, including generals. In 1829, the chekmen became the traditional uniform for all Siberian town and frontier Cossack commands.
There were chekmens of the Cossack Guards Regiment, Life Guards Ural Cossack His Majesty Hundred, His Imperial Highness the Sovereign Heir and Tsesarevitch’s Life Guards Ataman Regiment, and the Life Guards Black Sea Squadron.
There were chekmens for adults as well as children. Cloth could be blue, black, red, white or green. In the Don and Ural regions such a caftan was called a “chekmenik”, in the South of Russia a wide caftan with clasps was called “kireya” or “kireyka”.
When making a chekmen, masters focused on welts — colored edgings that were sewn on the edges and seams of the garment. The buttonholes on the collar and cuffs could be highlighted with silvered thread. The lining was made of twill — cotton or silk fabric with diagonal weave of threads.
From the mid-19th century velvet bullet pockets for 8 bullets were sewn onto officers’ dark green chekmens. They were lined with a wide silver braid. Such chekmens were above the knees by 5 vershoks, that is, about 26 centimeters. The collection of the Volgograd Regional Museum of Regional History has a chekmen of dark blue cloth with a red collar edging.
