How Cold War uniforms differed from wartime dress
Soviet Army uniforms after 1945 went through several periods. Early postwar uniforms kept many wartime features, including the pullover tunic (gimnastyorka) and wool or cotton breeches. Later uniforms moved to a buttoned tunic (kitel) and different caps. Because the changes were gradual in places, dating an item usually means looking at several features together rather than one.
The main periods
- Late 1950s to 1960s. Uniforms kept many wartime features, including the pullover tunic and breeches, in khaki tones.
- From 1969: the M69 uniform. This change introduced a buttoned tunic for everyday wear, with peaked caps (furazhka) and updated shoulder boards. Collectors often describe the greenish khaki of this period with the term “wave-green”, but that term is not a fixed standard, so compare the shade with reference items.
- Late 1980s. Further revisions, sometimes grouped under the name M89, changed the standard system before the Soviet Union was dissolved. Names in the market are not always consistent, so check the exact pattern rather than relying on a label.
- Field gear for Afghanistan. Lighter field clothing was issued for hot and dry conditions during the war in Afghanistan (1979 to 1989). Collectors often call the field jacket and trousers the “Afghanka”, a name used loosely in the market.
Key components
- Tunic. The pullover gimnastyorka in the early period, and the buttoned kitel later on.
- Caps. The peaked cap (furazhka) for dress, the pilotka for field wear, and the ushanka for winter. For the field cap, see Soviet pilotka field caps: identification guide.
- Footwear. Leather boots and kirza boots, worn with footwraps (portyanki) in place of socks.
- Webbing and equipment. Belts, pouches and gas-mask bags, usually in canvas or synthetic webbing.
Shoulder boards, collar tabs and cap badges
Rank was shown on shoulder boards (pogony). Branch was shown by collar tabs (petlitsy) and by piping colour. Officers’ shoulder boards in the later period carried the letters СА, the Cyrillic abbreviation for “Soviet Army”, which helps to date and identify them. Cap badges followed the red star pattern used throughout the Soviet period.
Afghanistan-era field gear
Field clothing for hot and dry areas differed from the dress uniform. Patterns were issued in several versions, and the name “Afghanka” is used for more than one design in the market. Compare the pattern with reference photographs and dated examples before accepting a name. For the earlier war-time pattern, see Soviet WWII uniforms and insignia.
Dating and identifying later items
- Look at the cut. A pullover tunic points to the earlier period, and a buttoned tunic to the M69 period or later.
- Check buttons and labels. Where present, markings can narrow the date. Compare them against documented examples, since reproductions copy them.
- Check the insignia. Look at the type of shoulder board and how it is fixed.
- Be cautious with “new old stock” claims. Unissued items can still be recent reproductions.
- Compare fabric and finish. Items from the same period usually share a recognisable weight and finish, though colour varies between lots.
Related guides
- Soviet WWII uniforms and insignia covers the uniforms that came before.
- What types of uniforms did soldiers wear during World War II? gives a broader view of wartime clothing.
- Russian military patches and their meanings covers patch symbols that appear on later insignia.