Cap of a Russian Navy Admiral

Historical Significance

This is the cap of an Admiral within the Russian Navy. These caps are not exclusively worn by any rank of admiral, but are consistent across every single rank, and are only really worn on special occasions, such as parades, or inspections, as they are being phased out by the Officesnaya caps which have been an iconic part of the Russian Officer uniforms since the early-to-mid 2010s. 

The most striking part about this cap is the crown, which is extremely large and reminiscent of the Soviet M69 regulations, and is consistent with many other such caps used today and in the past. The white fabric top designates this specifically as a summer dress cap, however, unlike typically seen in the navy, this is not a cloth cover, meaning it was likely one of two caps issues to the Admiral (a white cap for summer and a black one for winter), which is consistent with late 1990s manufacturing. The cockade at the front does not feature the typical star surrounded by the colours of the Ribbon of Saint George, but instead features an anchor and rope atop a black background, which remains unique to the navy alone. Unlike on the other General caps seen on this website, the polycephalus eagle (the Dvuglavyy Oryol (Double-headed Eagle)) is attached to the cockade, instead of being a completely separate insignia on the crown. This separates it from typically mistaken Soviet variants, which have the red star and the hammer-and-sickle. 

The inside of the cap, similarly to the Russian General's cap shown here, lacks any insignia at all on the shield inside, meaning we cannot gauge which factory may have been the maker. This could also be the result of a Tailor-made purchase, however, it may also simply be a result of the logistics and the Russian military contracts often permitting manufacturers to omit complex internal logos on mass-produced items such as these. Unfortunately, we cannot truly know as there is no identifiable information. 

Similarly to the USA, higher-ranked officers gain oak leaves on their visors however, unlike the US (who typically begin awarding oak leaves (or scrambled eggs, as the Americans call them) at Major/Lieutenant Commander), the Russian Navy only awards this variant at Rear Admiral (contre-admiral). Lower ranked officers, such as Captains of the 3rd, 2nd and 1st rank, often wear two small, pinned on laurels which designate their rank. The black lacquered peak has these made with gold wire and, uniquely, a gold bullion embroidery stitched into the rim of the visor.

Select References & Further Reading:

• Decree of the President of the Russian Federation. Decree No. 1010: On the Uniform and Insignia of Rank of Military Personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

• Order of the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation. Order No. 210: On Approval of Rules for Wearing Uniforms by Military Personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

• Order of the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation. Order No. 255: On the Introduction of Military Uniforms for the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.

• Under the Red Star Web Reference Guide.

• Uniform Insignia International: Uniform Insignia Database Portal.

• Sinclair, James C. McComb, and Drabik, Douglas A. World War II and Cold War Parade Uniforms of the Soviet Union: Marshals, Generals and Admirals. Schiffer Publishing.

• Borsarello, Dr. J. F. Warsaw Pact and Post-Soviet Uniforms. Hobby Japan Publishing.

• Mollo, John. Military Fashion: A Comparative History of the Uniforms of the Great Armies. Barrie & Jenkins.

Header image: Chechnya, Russia. Photographer Unknown; December 11 1994. Image sourced via Public Domain.