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The M69 is a battledress of Soviet origin.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]

Overview[]

The M69 (Obr.69) uniform was introduced as part of the 1969 Uniform regulation reforms for the Soviet Armed Forces. This term is used to refer to the enlisted man's service uniform, but actually refers to an entire range of Uniforms introduced in 1969.

The Soviet conscript was issued with two types of service uniform - Summer and Winter. Which uniform was worn depended on the time of year, although in some areas of the USSR, only one type was worn - for instance, troops stationed far north often only received the Winter version, and troops in hotter climates received either summer or tropical variants.

The Obr.69 Summer Enlisted uniforms were made from the same material as post-war production M43/Obr.43 Gymnastyorka uniforms, and had either green plastic or brass buttons. Insignia for garrision duty consisted of Branch-specific colored collar tabs and shoulder boards, and a branch-of-service patch on the left sleeve. When in the field, soldiers were supposed to cut off this insignia as it was brightly colored. However, this was rarely done. It was worn with the Pilotka side cap, or Berets in Airborne units.

In 1973, the uniform was updated. Now made from a slightly thicker cotton material, and featuring brass buttons. The branch-of-service patch was removed, and the letters "CA" (Советская Армия, Soviet Army) were added to the shoulder boards. This configuration remained in use until 1991.

The winter version of the Obr.69/73 was made from a Wool Gaberdine material, and was worn with the Ushanka fur hat. Unlike the summer versions, the winter version was always worn with full insignia, as in the field during the winter months, these would be covered by Bushlat or Shinel overcoats. The pants on this version lacked knee reinforcements. Troops stationed in northern territories of the USSR often wore these uniforms year-round, but wore them with the Pilotka cap during the summer months.

The Tropical version of the Obr.69/73 was issued to troops in the Central Asian republics of the USSR. It featured an open collar, and completely different trousers which were worn with lace-up low boots instead of the standard Sapogi Boots. It was also worn with the Panamanka Hat. This version fell out of use in the late 1970s.

The Dress version of the Obr.69/73 featured an open-collar jacket which was worn over a light green service shirt and tie. The uniform was worn with dress shoes and visor caps. Insignia was the same as on the Obr.73, but the Branch-of-service patches were still worn. For parade duty, Aiguillettes, white belts, gloves, and full medals were worn.

History[]

The Obr.69/73 was the standard uniform for all branches of the Soviet Armed Forces throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In 1988, the Summer version was replaced by the M88/Obr.88 "Afghanka" pattern uniforms. However, the Winter version remained standard for garrison duty until the dissolution of the Soviet Union, as did the Dress Version. Regardless, however, the Summer version was still in widespread use by 1991, and saw limited usage into the mid-1990s.

Variants[]

Summer uniform[]

Winter uniform[]

Dress Uniform[]


Tropical Uniform

Videos[]

In popular culture[]

Media

Notes

Date

GoldenEye The summer uniform is worn by the Soviet/Russian troops, obsolete 1995
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull The summer uniform is worn by the Soviets, anachronistic[16] 2008
Mortal Kombat X The winter jacket is part of the Kold War costume for Scorpion 2015
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Worn by Soviet soldiers 2020

References[]

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