More about the uniform…

The officer’s summer each day jacket uniform is another of the ‘casual’ uniforms that were authorized in Order 191 that reorganized all Soviet military uniforms.  It was authorized to be worn in a number of specific places described in the regulations.

Article 90 of the 1969 regulation stated that it was permissible to wear “a blue jacket with a cream shirt and black tie when working in offices, on ships, in coastal bases, ports, docks, workshops, and factories.  It can also be worn without the cream colored (yellow) shirt and tie at the direction of the local commander.  Four years later this order was modified in Article 89 of the 1973 regulations which states that the uniform can be worn “in the central office of the USSR ministry of Defense, the headquarters of fleets, flotillas, naval bases, etc.  It can only be worn without a shirt and tie (at the discretion of the commander) on ships, coastal bases, in units, docks, workshops, and factories (3).  In the 1988 regulations (Article 80) the dark blue woolen jacket with a cream-colored shirt can be worn instead of a tunic with every day clothes indoors and instead of a black coat for everyday clothes outdoors. (4)

The piloitka worn with the uniform is black with white piping and features the naval officer’s cockade.

The jacket has been seen in two colors: a dark blue and a royal blue.  Both versions have four small gold colored buttons down the front and two buttons at the bottom of the jacket.  Two breast pockets with a single gold button each are located on the front of the uniform.

Shoulder boards worn with the uniform are gold in color with a dark blue band (light blue for aviation, red for naval infantry and coastal artillery).  They are shorter than the standard four-sided naval boards and fasten by sliding a strip of fabric through the loop in the shirt, then securing the loop to the board with a button.

The yellow (designated as ‘cream colored’ in the regulations) shirt is worn with the black tie in most situations.  Shoulder boards are not worn on the shirt when it is worn under the jacket.  Standard black officer’s trousers and a pair of black officer’s shoes complete the uniform.  The trousers feature two pockets and a button fly design.

No badges, medals, orders, or ribbons were to be worn on the shirt.