The telogreika (russian: телогре́йка, lit=body warmer, ) or vatnik ( rus, ватник, p=ˈvatnʲɪk) is a variety of Russian warm

cotton wool Cotton wool consists of silky fibers taken from cotton plants in their raw state. Impurities, such as seeds, are removed and the cotton is then bleached using hydrogen peroxide or sodium hypochlorite and sterilized. It is also a refined product ( ...

-padded

jacket A jacket is a garment for the upper body, usually extending below the hips. A jacket typically has sleeves, and fastens in the front or slightly on the side. A jacket is generally lighter, tighter-fitting, and less insulating than a coat, which ...

. It was also a part of the winter

uniform A uniform is a variety of clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are most often worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, se ...

first issued by the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Telogreikas continued to be issued until the late 1960s.

Variations

The earlier 1935 vatniks resembled a modern wool

in shape and cut. Issued extensively from 1935 to 1941, with a simplified version from 1941 onwards. The basic

cut Cut may refer to: Common uses * The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely-directed force ** A type of wound ** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past ** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment ** Cut (ea ...

the uniform followed was that of a quilted jacket and quilted

trousers Trousers (British English), slacks, or pants are an item of clothing worn from the waist to anywhere between the knees and the ankles, covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth extending across both legs as in robes, skirts, and dr ...

. The trousers had a button

fly Flies are insects of the Order (biology), order Diptera, the name being derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwing ...

and were tied at the bottom of the legs. There were usually pockets on the hips of the trousers and a button pocket on the front of the trouser leg. Telogreika jackets buttoned up the front, and the jacket sleeves buttoned closed. Early issue variants had high collars, though these were absent later on. Telogreika jackets usually had a single pocket on the front of the jacket. The clothing was usually

khaki The color khaki (, ) is a light shade of tan with a slight yellowish tinge. Khaki has been used by many armies around the world for uniforms and equipment, particularly in arid or desert regions, where it provides camouflage relative to sandy ...

in colour, although black uniforms were issued to

tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engin ...

crews and some grey variants can be seen, sewn of

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...

(and later

polyester Polyester is a category of polymers that contain the ester functional group in every repeat unit of their main chain. As a specific material, it most commonly refers to a type called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyesters include natural ...

-blend) fabric with a cotton wool

batting Batting may refer to: * Batting (baseball), the act of attempting to hit a ball thrown by the pitcher with a baseball bat, in order to score runs * Batting (cricket), the act of defending one's wicket with the cricket bat while attempting to score ...

inside. The jacket and trousers usually had a

ribbed ''Ribbed'' is the third studio album by the American punk rock band NOFX, released in 1991 through Epitaph Records. It was their last album to feature Steve Kidwiler on guitar; he was replaced by El Hefe. ''Ribbed'' is also the last NOFX album p ...

design with the quilting, although this feature was absent on many of the non-Soviet issue uniforms.

Effectiveness

When worn with

valenki Valenki ( rus, ва́ленки, p=ˈvalʲɪnkʲɪ; sg valenok ( rus, ва́ленок, p=ˈvalʲɪnək)) are traditional Russian winter footwear, essentially felt boots: the name ''valenok'' literally means "made by felting". They are not wate ...

and an

ushanka An ushanka ( rus, уша́нка, p=ʊˈʂankə, from , "ears"), also called an ''ushanka-hat'' ( rus, ша́пка-уша́нка, p=ˈʂapkə ʊˈʂankə), is a Russian fur cap with ear-covering flaps that can be tied up to the crown of the cap, ...

, the wearer can comfortably remain warm in sub-zero temperatures for long periods. This made it an ideal uniform for the

and for the guards of the

Gulag The Gulag, an acronym for , , "chief administration of the camps". The original name given to the system of camps controlled by the GPU was the Main Administration of Corrective Labor Camps (, )., name=, group= was the government agency in ...

Issue

Soviet Prisoners of War in Finland, Winter War

The telogreika faded from military issue in the early 1960s, being largely replaced by the return of the old woollen ''shinel''

greatcoat A greatcoat, also known as a watchcoat, is a large overcoat that is typically made of wool designed for warmth and protection against the weather. Its collar and cuffs can be turned out to protect the face and hands from cold and rain, and the ...

and the ''bushlat''

pea coat A pea coat (or peacoat, pea jacket, pilot jacket, reefer jacket) is an outer coat, generally of a Navy blue, navy-coloured heavy wool, originally worn by sailors of European and later American navy, navies. Pea coats are characterized by short le ...

. In the early 1980s, the introduction of the

Afghanka The Afghanka (russian: Афганка) (proper designation: M88) is a type of military uniform system developed and issued by the Soviet Army in the early 1980s, still in use today in some Post-Soviet states in many different variants. The name ' ...

field uniform marked the dawn of a new era in the

Soviet Army uk, Радянська армія , image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg , alt = , caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army , start_date ...

. Today, the telogreika is still used in Russia and many former

Eastern Bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc and the Soviet Bloc, was the group of socialist states of Central and Eastern Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America under the influence of the Soviet Union that existed du ...

countries by private citizens. In Russia, it remains popular amongst night

watchmen ''Watchmen'' is an American comic book Limited series (comics), maxiseries by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons and colorist John Higgins (comics), John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 a ...

construction worker A construction worker is a worker employed in the physical construction of the built environment and its infrastructure. Definition By some definitions, workers may be engaged in manual labour as unskilled or semi-skilled workers; they may be sk ...

s and the homeless.

Sources

* * {{cite book , last=Zaloga , first=Steven J. , author-link=Steven Zaloga , year=1984 , title=The Red Army of the Great Patriotic War, 1941–45 , series=Men-at-Arms , volume=216 , others=Colour plates by Ron Volstad , location=Oxford , publisher=Osprey Publishing , isbn=0-85045-939-7 Jackets Military uniforms Russian clothing Russian inventions Soviet military uniforms