Gendarme uniforms during the reigns of the emperors from Alexander I to Nicholas II. 1817–1911

Abstract

Readers are presented with a unique collection of surviving examples of gendarmerie uniforms from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, compiled by the issue’s editor on the basis of pre-revolutionary official publications depicting the uniforms of the Russian Imperial Army, both historical and contemporary. The collection includes examples of parade and field uniforms worn by enlisted men and officers of the line units of the gendarmerie (squadrons, divisions and detachments, and the Gendarmerie Regiment), as well as the uniforms of officers serving in gendarmerie administrations. Examples are provided of the uniforms of the Corps’ generals, staff and junior officers, non-commissioned officers, sergeant-majors, trumpeters and privates. The lower chronological boundary is marked by the uniform of the Gendarmerie Regiment during the reign of Emperor Alexander I, which existed even before the establishment of the Corps of Gendarmes. The upper boundary is the reign of Nicholas II. The uniform chart is accompanied by a detailed bibliographical description of the sources of the published illustrations.

Keywords:
Separate Corps of Gendarmes; uniform studies; Russian Empire; armed forces; political police; Russian gendarmerie

References

1. Private of gendarme units, 1817–1825 / P.K. Gubarev; lithogr. by K. Dieckhoff, in: Viskovatov A.V. Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops, compiled by the Highest order. Part 13. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1857. Plate 1808 (in Russ.).
2. Staff officer of gendarme divisions, 1817–1825 / P.K. Gubarev; lithogr. by Bek, in: Viskovatov A.V. Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops, compiled by the Highest order. Part 13. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1857. Plate 1807 (in Russ.).
3. Private of gendarme divisions, 1817–1825. P.K. Gubarev; lithogr. by Giller, in: Viskovatov A.V. Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops, compiled by the Highest order. Part 13. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1857. Plate 1804 (in Russ.).
4. Trumpeter of gendarme divisions, 1817–1825. P.K. Gubarev; lithogr. by K. Dieckhoff, in: Viskovatov A.V. Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops, compiled by the Highest order. Part 13. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1857. Plate 1806 (in Russ.).
5. Trumpeter of the Life Guards Gendarme Half-Squadron, 1820–1825 / P.K. Gubarev; lithogr. by Ferklund, in: Viskovatov A.V. Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops, compiled by the Highest order. Part 15. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1858. Plate 2135 (in Russ.).
6. Chief officer of the Gendarme Half-Squadron, 1817–1825 / P.K. Gubarev; lithogr. by Giller, in: Viskovatov A.V. Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops, compiled by the Highest order. Part 15. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1858. Plate 2134 (in Russ.).
7. Trumpeter and chief officer of the Life Guards Gendarme Half-Squadron, 1816–1817 / P.K. Gubarev; lithogr. by Bir, in: Viskovatov A.V. Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops, compiled by the Highest order. Part 15. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1858. Plate 2133 (in Russ.).
8. Chief officers of the Life Guards Gendarme Half-Squadron, 1815–1816 / P.K. Gubarev; lithogr. by Bek, in: Viskovatov A.V. Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops, compiled by the Highest order. Part 15. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1858. Plate 2131 (in Russ.).
9. Non-commissioned officer and private of the Life Guards Gendarme Half-Squadron, 1815–1816. P.K. Gubarev; lithogr. by Kreger, in: Viskovatov A.V. Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops, compiled by the Highest order. Part 15. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1858. Plate 2130 (in Russ.).
10. Non-commissioned officer and trumpeter of the Gendarme Regiment, 1820–1825, in: Viskovatov A.V. Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops, compiled by the Highest order. Part 11. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1853. Plate 1593 (in Russ.).
11. Private of the Gendarme Regiment, 1817–1820, in: Viskovatov A.V. Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops, compiled by the Highest order. Part 11. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1853. Plate 1592 (in Russ.).
12. Non-commissioned and chief officers of the Gendarme Regiment, 1817–1820, in: Viskovatov A.V. Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops, compiled by the Highest order. Part 11. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1853. Plate 1591 (in Russ.).
13. Staff officers of the Gendarme Regiment, 1815–1820, in: Viskovatov A.V. Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops, compiled by the Highest order. Part 11. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1853. Plate 1590 (in Russ.).
14. Staff officers of the Gendarme Regiment, 1815–1817, in: Viskovatov A.V. Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops, compiled by the Highest order. Part 11. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1853. Plate 1589 (in Russ.).
15. Chief officer of the Gendarme Regiment, 1815–1817, in: Viskovatov A.V. Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops, compiled by the Highest order. Part 11. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1853. Plate 1588 (in Russ.).
16. Trumpeter and staff trumpeter of the Gendarme Regiment, 1815–1817, in: Viskovatov A.V. Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops, compiled by the Highest order. Part 11. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1853. Plate 1587 (in Russ.).
17. Non-commissioned officer of the Gendarme Regiment, 1815–1817, in: Viskovatov A.V. Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops, compiled by the Highest order. Part 11. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1853. Plate 1586 (in Russ.).
18. Privates of the Gendarme Regiment, 1815–1817, in: Viskovatov A.V. Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops, compiled by the Highest order. Part 11. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1853. Plate 1585 (in Russ.).
19. Chief officer of the Corps of Gendarmes, 1854–1855, in: Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops. Part 16. Moscow: Kuchkovo pole; Voennaya kniga, 2015. Ill. 376 (in Russ.).
20. Chief officer of gendarme units of the Caucasus Region, 1853–1855, in: Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops. Part 16. Moscow: Kuchkovo pole; Voennaya kniga, 2015. Ill. 375 (in Russ.).
21. Non-commissioned officer and private of gendarme units of the Caucasus Region, 1853–1855, in: Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops. Part 16. Moscow: Kuchkovo pole; Voennaya kniga, 2015. Ill. 374 (in Russ.).
22. Trumpeter of gendarme divisions, 1845–1855, in: Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops. Part 16. Moscow: Kuchkovo pole; Voennaya kniga, 2015. Ill. 373 (in Russ.).
23. Private of the Gendarme Regiment and chief officer of gendarme divisions, 1845–1855, in: Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops. Part 16. Moscow: Kuchkovo pole; Voennaya kniga, 2015. Ill. 372 (in Russ.).
24. Private of gendarme units, 1836–1845, in: Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops. Part 16. Moscow: Kuchkovo pole; Voennaya kniga, 2015. Ill. 370 (in Russ.).
25. General of the Corps of Gendarmes, 1827–1845, in: Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops. Part 16. Moscow: Kuchkovo pole; Voennaya kniga, 2015. Ill. 369 (in Russ.).
26. Private of gendarme divisions, 1826, in: Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops. Part 16. Moscow: Kuchkovo pole; Voennaya kniga, 2015. Ill. 368 (in Russ.).
27. Non-commissioned officer of gendarme units, 1826, in: Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops. Part 16. Moscow: Kuchkovo pole; Voennaya kniga, 2015. Ill. 367 (in Russ.).
28. Staff officer and trumpeter of gendarme divisions, 1826, in: Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops. Part 16. Moscow: Kuchkovo pole; Voennaya kniga, 2015. Ill. 366 (in Russ.).
29. Chief officer of the Gendarme Regiment, 1826, in: Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops. Part 16. Moscow: Kuchkovo pole; Voennaya kniga, 2015. Ill. 365 (in Russ.).
30. Private of the Gendarme Regiment, 1826, in: Historical description of the uniforms and armaments of the Russian troops. Part 16. Moscow: Kuchkovo pole; Voennaya kniga, 2015. Ill. 364 (in Russ.).
31. Chief officer of the Gendarme Regiment in full dress uniform. March 15, 1855 / Lithogr. by Lemercier, in: Changes in the uniforms and armaments of the troops of the Russian Imperial Army from the accession to the throne of Emperor Alexander Nikolaevich. Notebook 13 / Compil. by K.K. Piratsky. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1859. Fig. 75 (in Russ.).
32. Examples of gendarme uniforms during the reigns of emperors from Alexander I to Nicholas II, 1817–1911. Private of the Life Guards Gendarme Half-Squadron in full dress uniform. November 4, 1862 / Chromolithogr. by Baryshev, in: Changes in the uniforms and armaments of the troops of the Russian Imperial Army from the accession to the throne of Emperor Alexander Nikolaevich. Notebook 66 / Compil. by K.K. Piratsky. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1863. Fig. 393 (in Russ.).
33. Non-commissioned officer of gendarme squadrons and chief officer of gendarme units and divisions in full dress uniform. November 4, 1862 / Chromolithogr. by Bir, in: Changes in the uniforms and armaments of the troops of the Russian Imperial Army from the accession to the throne of Emperor Alexander Nikolaevich. Notebook 66 / Compil. by K.K. Piratsky. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1863. Fig. 394 (in Russ.).
34. Private of gendarme divisions and units in full dress uniform. November 4, 1862 / Chromolithogr. by Bek, in: Changes in the uniforms and armaments of the troops of the Russian Imperial Army from the accession to the throne of Emperor Alexander Nikolaevich. Notebook 66 / Compil. by K.K. Piratsky. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1863. Fig. 395 (in Russ.).
35. Full dress and campaign uniform of gendarme units. September 16, 1872 / Chromolithogr. by Konrad, in: Changes in the uniforms and armaments of the troops of the Russian Imperial Army from the accession to the throne of Emperor Alexander Nikolaevich. Notebooks 94–95 / Compil. by P.K. Gubarev. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1873. Fig. 559 (in Russ.).
36. Chief and non-commissioned officers of the Separate Corps of Gendarmes in full dress uniform, 1881, in: Illustrated description of changes in the uniforms and equipment of the Imperial Russian Army for 1881. Iss. 1. St. Petersburg, 1898. Fig. 13 (in Russ.).
37. Chief officer and sergeant-major of the Separate Corps of Gendarmes in full dress uniform, 1897, in: Illustrated description of changes in the uniforms and equipment of the Imperial Russian Army for 1897. Iss. 18. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1899. Fig. 164 (in Russ.).
38. Full dress uniform of gendarme squadrons, 1897. From left to right: Private (2) and staff officer (1) of the Guards Gendarme Squadron, chief officer and non-commissioned officer of field gendarme squadrons, in: Illustrated description of changes in the uniforms and equipment of the Imperial Russian Army for 1897. Iss. 18. St. Petersburg: Military printing house, 1899. Fig. 156 (in Russ.).
39. Uniform of the Guards Field Gendarme Squadron, early 20^thcentury, in: Tables of uniforms of the Russian Army: Compiled as of May 10, 1910 / Compil. by V.K. Shenk. St. Petersburg: Lithography of N. Kadushin, 1910 (in Russ.).
40. Uniform of the field gendarme squadron, early 20^thcentury, in: Tables of uniforms of the Russian Army: Compiled as of April 1, 1911 / Compil. by V.K. Shenk [Reprint: Tables of uniforms of the Imperial Russian Army. Repr. from originals]. London; Canada: Zaria, 1990 (in Russ.).
41. Uniform of the ranks of the Separate Corps of Gendarmes, early 20^thcentury, in: Tables of uniforms of the Russian Army: Compiled as of April 1, 1911 / Compil. by V.K. Shenk [Reprint: Tables of uniforms of the Imperial Russian Army. Repr. from originals]. London; Canada: Zaria, 1990 (in Russ.).