A burka ( ab, ауапа ', ady, кӏакӏо ', hy, այծենակաճ ', av, буртина ', az, yapıncı, ce, верта ', ka, ნაბადი ', inh, ферта ', kbd, щӏакӏуэ ', os, нымӕг ' russian: бурка ', sva, ღართ ') is a coat made from

felt Felt is a textile material that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing fibers together. Felt can be made of natural fibers such as wool or animal fur, or from synthetic fibers such as petroleum-based acrylic or acrylonitrile or wood ...

or ''karakul'' (the short curly fur of young lambs of the breed of that name). ''Karakul'' being quite expensive, ''burkas'' were usually sewn from felt treated to look like ''karakul''. ''Burkas'' are sewn with high, squared off shoulders, and wearers will have a distinctive high-shouldered silhouette. Chechnya was the main producer of burkas throughout the North Caucasus. ''Burkas'' were part of the customary male garb of various peoples inhabiting the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range ...

region. ''Burkas'' were adopted by

Russian cavalry The military history of the Russian Empire encompasses the history of armed conflict in which the Russian Empire participated. This history stretches from its creation in 1721 by Peter the Great, until the Russian Revolution (1917), which led to t ...

, and worn as part of the Russian military uniform from the middle of the 18th century until the 1850s, during the

Caucasus War The Caucasian War (russian: Кавказская война; ''Kavkazskaya vojna'') or Caucasus War was a 19th century military conflict between the Russian Empire and various peoples of the North Caucasus who resisted subjugation during the R ...

Vasily Chapayev Vasily Ivanovich Chapayev or Chapaev (russian: link=no, Василий Иванович Чапаев; 5 September 1919) was a Russian soldier and Red Army commander during the Russian Civil War. Biography Chapayev was born into a poor peasan ...

was portrayed wearing a ''burka'' as a part of his

military uniform A military uniform is a standardised dress worn by members of the armed forces and paramilitaries of various nations. Military dress and styles have gone through significant changes over the centuries, from colourful and elaborate, ornamented ...

in a 1934 Soviet film. Other items of traditional Caucasian dressBaddeley, John F. "The Rugged Flanks of the Caucasus", 1940, pp125-129 were the '' beshmet'', a soft inner shirt with a close-fitting collar, and the '' cherkeska'', a collarless outer shirt with a V-shaped opening in the front with long, wide sleeves. Across the cherkeska were the ''gazerei'', a row of semi-ornamental cartridge-cases, sometimes with decorated tops. On the belt was the '' kinzhal'', a long dagger worn diagonally in front. Below were narrow trousers tied below the knee and at the ankle, leggings, and leather boots. Over all this was the large wool burka, fastened at the neck and open at the front. It could be reversed to make a windbreak or used as a blanket. On the head was the ''

bashlyk A bashlyk, also spelled bashlik ( krc, Başlıq, Adyghe: ''Shkharkhon,'' Abkhaz: ''qtarpá'', Chechen: ''Ċukkuiy,'' Ossetic: ''Kaskæ'' crh, Başlıq, Tatar: Başlıq, Turkish: Başlık; "baş" - head, "-lıq" (''Tatar'') / "-lık" (''Turki ...

'', a soft cap, or the ''

papakha Papakha (; , ; ; ce, холхазан-куй, holhazan-kuy; , ; ) is a wool hat worn by men throughout the Caucasus and also in uniformed regiments in the region and beyond. The word ''papakha'' is of Turkic origin (''papakh)''. Styles Ther ...

'', a large wool hat.

References

{{reflist Uniforms Russian folk clothing Coats (clothing) History of clothing (Western fashion)

See also

References