Russian Navy Uniform Regulations of the Crimean War

Imperial Navy Uniform Regulations (1) One means of understanding the military life is to look over the changes that were made to the uniforms of the soldiers and sailors of the period. Here we have a list of the surprisingly numerous Naval uniform changes that were made during the Crimean War. The rather large number of changes to uniform regulations during a major war is quite unusual as it taxed production lines and made standardization more difficult. Still, it was characteristic of Nicholas I to take an extremely personal interest in military matters, and the regulations below reflect the continuation of the pattern of excessive change that began when he took the throne.
Date		Naval Uniform Change
1853
	1 May	Naval writers are ordered to mark letters on the shoulder straps of their great coats, frock coats, and cap bands.
	1 July	Petty officers and senior cadets of the Naval College are authorized to sew stripes of gold lace on the greatcoat shoulder straps.
1854
	4 April	Peacoats are introduced instead of the linen greatcoats for the naval privates and petty officers.
	31 October	Shoulder straps of woven silver thread are approved for the naval physicians having a field officer's rank. Those of chief officer's rank can wear unwoven silver thread, while assistant physicians will use dark green cloth. White edgings on the trousers are abolished for the naval physicians.
1855
	24 January	Red edgings on cuffs and flaps are introduced for officers and conductors of the Naval Architect's College.
	9 February	Coastal Battery officers are authorized to wear soldier's greatcoats.
	8 March	Silver aiguillettes are approved for the suite rear admirals.
	23 March	Half-caftans are introduced instead of uniforms A double breasted model having eight buttons on each border, a beveled collar fasted with one hook. A double breasted version having six buttons on each border, a rounded collar fastened up with two hooks. Dark green long knickers are introduced in place of trousers.
	14 April	Regimentals are approved for the Navy Department civil personnel. For full councilor of State and above: a hat, and long laced knickers. For councilor of State and below: A shako with cockade. All Navy Department civil personnel will also wear a half-caftan, long knickers, a saber with a waist belt, a dirk with a waist belt, a cockade on the service cap.
	21 April	The 1855 boarding cutlass with a blunt butt are introduced for petty officers and musicians of the Guard's crew. (2)
	29 April	Silver and decoration knots are permitted to be worn on the half-saber. On gold award naval sabers the words "For Gallantry" are ordered to be inscribed.
	8 May	Black velvet shoulder straps with red piping are established for conductors and cadets of the 1st Navigation half-crew. A black velvet collar with red edging and red shoulder straps are introduced for the conductors companies' pupils of the Training naval working crew.
	17 May	Breast badges with a monogram of the deceased emperor Nicholas I are introduced for general-adjutants, suite generals, and admirals, and aides-de-camp to the Emperor.
	4 June	A double breasted cloak of dark green cloth is authorized for Navy Department officers. In Winter it is permitted to wear the cloak with a fur collar.
	11 June	Officers are ordered, on the occasions when privates wore white trousers, to wear long white knickers.
	21 September	Engineers of the Naval Construction Department are authorized to wear the 1855 navy officer's saber. (2)
	22 September	Participants in the defense of Sevastopol are granted the inscription "For Sevastopol from 1854, September 13 to 1855 August 27" on their shakos.
	17 October	A infantry shako with a red pompon is introduced for engineers of the Naval construction department.
	10 November	The uniform of the Navy Department civil officials was changed.
	12 November	Buttons with two spades placed crosswise and with a company number are established for officers and privates of military working companies of the Naval Construction Department. Buttons with the picture of an anchor, two hatchets placed crosswise, and the stamped figure '1' are introduced for officers and privates of the Baltic machine working crew. Similar buttons but with a stamped figure '2' are authorized for those of the Black Sea machine working crew.
	25 November	New regimentals for the Navy Department privates are approved. The shako remained the same with the addition of a tin cockade with one white stripe, two orange, and two black stripes. Double breasted half-caftans having six and eights buttons, cloth and summer (linen) trousers, cloth (winter) long knickers and summer long knickers of linen. A belt with a flap (instead of a sword belt) is to be worn. A service cape with a peak and chinstrap, and boots complete the uniform.
	2 December	A service cap with arms (arms wearing was later abolished in 1857) is introduced instead of the shako. It has an oblong tin cockade and white edging on the top. Shakos remained for the personnel of the Naval college, the Black Sea cadet company, 1st Navigation half-crew, conductors' companies of the Training Naval working crew, the Guards' crew, messengers of the Navy Department and those of the staffs of commanders-in-chief of ports and all batmen. An oblong cockade with one white stripe, two orange and two black ones is introduced on the shako, to be fastened on the top.
	13 December	Admirals, generals, and officers are authorized to wear a service cap without arms (with cockade only).
	30 December	Changes to the regimental uniforms of the Navy Department admirals, generals, field and chief officers and the uniforms of the Guard's crew civil officials.
1856
	7 May	Pupils of the Naval educational institution are authorized to wear white linen shirts in summer. As distinct from Navy privates, these shirts were girded with color plaits (these were replaced by the narrow belts).
	2 August	The M-1856 boarding cutlass is introduced for the Guards crew and the Naval crew instead of the cutlasses previously used. (2)
	24 November	The privates and personnel of the Naval College are ordered to wear the service cap without arms and always with a peak.

In this section we will track the changes during the Crimean War. Despite the relatively short period, a number of naval uniform regulations were issued by the Tsar. These are all listed below. As few relics are available from this period, we will do this by following the regulations issued to naval personnel for the wearing of uniforms during the period. As artifacts (buttons, headgear, cockades, etc) become available we will display them here.
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