Caps of Soviet Honor Guards

Introduction

This page describes caps and, to some extent, the uniforms worn by members of the Honor Guards of the Soviet Army, Air Force and Navy.A thumbnail image accompanies each cap description. Clicking on that thumbnail will bring up a larger, higher resolution image.

Soviet military honor guards fell into two categories: those officially authorized at selected military garrisons and groups of forces and those formed locally at the "unit" level.

The first category included the Independent Honor Guard Company assigned to the Moscow military garrison and smaller Honor Guard detachments assigned to military garrisons of other "Hero Cities" and Groups of Soviet Forces stationed outside the USSR. These units performed ceremonial and parade duties representing their respective organizations, and in the case of the Moscow company, the USSR and the Ministry of Defense. Personnel of the Moscow Company were most often seen by the West as they accorded honors to visiting foreign dignitaries at airports and the Kremlin and stood guard mount at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Personnel assigned to the Moscow based company wore special honor guard uniforms established in MoD regulations starting in 1955 with the other units not receiving special distinctions until 1971. These are the uniforms described in part on this page.

The second category of honor guards were "local" or unit designated. These represented their units in parades and in lesser ceremonies such as change of commands and recruit oaths of allegiance. These unit honor guards wore standard military parade uniforms - without the specialized elements worn by the independent units described above. Since the caps worn by these guards were simply the normal authorized parade caps, I will not discuss them here. They are displayed within the various Army period and Air Force pages elsewhere on my site.

The first permanent Soviet honor guard company was created during WWII in Moscow as the "1st Motorized Rifle Company". Its mission during the war years was both ceremonial and operational - defense of the Moscow-based Soviet leadership. Elements of this company traveled with Stalin as he met with other world leaders at the famous Allied summits at Yalta and Potsdam and flanked the 1945 Red Square Victory Parade. During these early years, the Honor Guard Company wore standard parade NKVD uniforms, including the blue-topped cap shown on my NKVD/MVD page.

In 1952, the Moscow company was renamed the "Independent (or Separate) Company of the Guard of Honor" and in 1955, the unit traded in its NKVD/MVD style uniforms for new ones specially created for its personnel. This occurred right on the heels of the introduction of "Zhukov" uniforms to the Army and Air Force and was probably coordinated to ensure the Honor Guard was not "out-shone" by the regular Army. At first, the entire company wore the same uniform - representing the Army.

The 1955 uniform was steel-colored like the its "Zhukov" contenpories with red and gold ornamentation. The large gold-edged red plastron worn on the chest was its most striking feature. As is their right, officers had more gold embroidery; while enlisted had more red cloth elements. All members of the Honor Guard also wore matching steel gray visor caps with red band and piping (red bands were only used on Honor Guard and generals' caps during this period; the infantry wore crimson). Although the basic color scheme was standard for all personnel, officers' and soldiers' caps did differ in the secondary elements. Officers' caps were virtually identical to parade caps of the regular Army: gilt metal visor ornaments, woven gold cords, and, on the band - a M55 cockade surrounded by a gilt wreath. Only the fact that this wreath was sometimes embroidered vice made from stamped metal differentiated Honor Guard officers from their other Army comrades. Caps of the sergeants and soldiers of the Guard were fitted with oilcloth chinstraps and unique band ornamentation consisting a standard red star pinned to a backing outlined in gold wire embroidery, all of which was framed by sprays of gold embroidered oak leaves. Unlike the officers' model, I have never seen these leaves done in anything but embroidery - no metal stampings. (these two pics from Soviet Military Uniforms & Insignia 1918-1958 and Uniforms of the Armed Forces of the USSR and Russia 1917-1990s).

A major change in the makeup of the Independent Honor Guard Company occurred in 1960, when platoons of the other services were incorporated - VVS (Air Force) and VMF (Navy). This three-platoon structure remained in place through 1991. Unfortunately, I have found next to nothing concerning the uniforms of these other two services during this early period except for a couple of pictures of Air Force personnel. From these it is clear the Air Force wore a modification of the Army uniform, substituting azure blue for red (in the plastron, cuffs, piping, cap band, etc.), an air force shoulderboard symbol instead of the motorized rifle symbol, and, on the cap, metal wings pinned to the crown and a two-piece air force M55 cockade on the band. On at least the pictures I've seen of junior personnel, these cap ornaments were metal vice embroidered. I can only presume that the Naval element wore standard black navy dress uniforms with the berozerki cap and the "VMF" band tally.

In 1971, in the wake of the 1970 regulations which changed virtually all uniforms worn by military personnel, the Honor Guard too, had to turn in its old uniforms for ones of a more "modern" style. These new uniforms were very similar to those of the general Army, Air Force and Navy, with only certain jacket and hat ornaments setting them apart. It does not appear that separate Air Force or Navy Honor Guard platoons existed outside the Moscow-based Independent Honor Guard Company.

Army Platoon

This platoon followed standard Army practice, with officers wearing wave-green parade uniforms and the rank and file wearing khaki. Honor Guard officers differed from their line unit counterparts in that they wore gold aiguillettes, special breast badges, and on their caps - gold metal visor ornaments and the special Honor Guard "sunburst" introduced in 1971 pinned or sewn to the crown. Uniforms of soldiers and sergeants differed from regular rank & file parade uniforms in that they included shoulderboards edged in gold lace, silver aiguillettes, gold edged collar tabs and, on their caps - gold cords and the special Honor Guard "sunburst". Shown below are caps for both these groups.

Army Honor Guard
Officer Parade
1971-1991

Introduced in 1971 along with the enlisted version above as an addendum to the 1970 uniform regulations, this cap was worn by ground force officers of separate Honor Guard units formed in "hero" cities and at Groups of Forces staff headquarters. Honor Guard caps of this period were normal officer wave-green parade caps, but with the special honor guard "sunburst" pinned or sewn to the crown and metal leaves pinned onto the visor. Versions exist with either a combination embroidered/metal (as here) or all metal sunburst. An elastic cord was often attached to the cord buttons to help secure the cap on the head. Of note, I have also seen an honor guard sunburst embroidered on the same light gray fabric used for Generals' summer dress uniforms, but have never seen light gray uniforms worn by honor guards. Rare

Army Honor Guard
NCO/Soldier Parade
1971-1991

Introduced in 1971 as an addendum to the 1970 uniform regulations, this cap was issued to ground force (Army) other ranks assigned to the separate Honor Guard units formed in "hero" cities and at Groups of Forces' staff headquarters. Honor guards at other sites wore normal parade uniforms. The cap was a standard soldiers' parade cap but with officers' gold cords in place of the black chinstrap and with the special honor guard "sunburst" pinned to the crown. An elastic cord was often attached to the cord buttons to help secure the cap on the head. All Honor Guard caps have red bands and piping. Rare

Air Force Platoon

In contrast to the Army platoon, Air Force Honor Guard personnel all wore a variation of the Air Force officer parade uniform, even the rank and file. This uniform was dark blue piped in azure blue. Most of the same specialized ornaments were worn, but since the Air Force already had a cap crown badge (the wings) - it was worn instead of the special "sunburst". Only the added gilt metal visor leaves set the Honor Guard officers' cap apart from their Air Force counterparts. Sergeants and soldiers' caps were standard officer parade caps with the exception of the soldiers' parade star & wreath.

Air Force Honor Guard
NCO/Soldier Parade
1971-1991

Introduced at the same time as the new Army Honor Guard uniform in 1971, this cap was issued to sergeants and soldiers of the Air Force platoon of the Moscow Honor Guard Company. Honor guards at other sites wore their normal parade uniforms. The cap was a normal dark blue officer parade cap (contrast this to the Army's use of the normal soldiers' khaki), but with the soldiers' star & wreath cockade. An elastic cord was often attached to the cord buttons to help secure the cap on the head. Common-Rare (Although original AF Honor Guard caps are rare; substitution of the cockade on a common officers' parade cap with an enlisted star & wreath emblem would result in an identical cap at a fraction of the cost!)

Navy Platoon

Like the Army, the naval Honor Guard component retained different officer and rank and file uniforms. With the exception of some upgraded accoutrements, the uniforms of officer Honor Guard personnel differed little from their regular component counterparts. The rank and file, however, wore special jacketed uniforms not wore by their counterparts. Caps were identical with those of Fleet personnel, however, with both white (summer) and black (winter) versions existing. In contrast to the other platoons, no badge was worn on the crown. Officers wore the same gilt metal visor leaves as officers in the other platoons, but these were standard Navy parade wear during this period. Rank and file sailors wore the bezkozirka marked with a "VMF" tally and the standard parade star & wreath.

Military Orchestras

Although each large military organization usually had its own band, special uniforms were only authorized for the Moscow Orchestra and, after 1970, orchestras assigned to the military garrisons of "Hero Cities" and Groups of Forces. These orchestras were closely tied to the Honor Guards, providing the musical accompaniment for parades and other ceremonies. Prior to 1970, the Military Orchestra stationed in Moscow reportedly wore a unique uniform, similar in many respects to the Honor Guard uniform of the period, but in khaki vice steel-gray. Other bands prior to 1970 apparently wore standard service parade uniforms.

After 1970, the now-renamed Soviet Army Ensemble (formerly Moscow Military Orchestra) and the other Military Orchestras wore the Army Honor Guard uniform described above, with the addition of a lyre symbol to the cap.

Soviet Army Ensemble
Enlisted Parade
1970-1980

Introduced just prior to the 1970 uniform regulations, this cap was issued to enlisted personnel of the Soviet Army Ensemble and military orchestras. These personnel often accompanied Honor Guard units in parades and formal military ceremonies. This cap is a normal enlisted parade cap, but with officers' gold cords in place of the black chinstrap and with the special military orchestra lyre pinned to the crown. All caps have red bands and piping. The Soviet Army Ensemble replaced the lyre on the crown with the honor guard sunburst in 1989. I don't know if lesser orchestras followed suit at that time. Scare-Rare