Afghanka
Encyclopedia
Afghanka is the name of a type of field uniform developed and issued by the Soviet Army
in the early 1980s. The uniform is still in use today in many different variants.
There are both winter and summer versions of Afghanka. The summer Afghanka comes in three parts: jacket, trousers and a field cap. The winter Afghanka comes in four parts: jacket, jacket liner, trousers and trouser liner. The liners are buttoned into their respective garments, but can be worn without the overgarment, and the overgarment can be worn without the liner. The jacket liner bears the fur
collar of the jacket, usually in fish fur
but occasionally in real fur. When the jacket is worn without the liner, the collar is plain material. The jacket and trousers are lined with a pile-type material that helps insulate by trapping warm air, whereas the liners are made of a quilted material similar to the Telogreika
uniform.
The original color was khaki, but later olive drab and green became common. Today many varieties of camouflage patterns exist.
The officer's Afghanka jacket has only two slash pockets on the waist of the jacket and an inner pistol pocket. Officers' jackets usually have a real Fur
collar. Officers' Afghanka trousers have no pockets. The pockets are the same on the winter and summer Afghankas.
, hence the name. The design of the jacket and trousers may have been based on similar patterns used by other Warsaw Pact
armies such as the GDR. Initially, the Afghanka uniform was in very short supply and was often issued to units rather than individuals and passed around as necessary for various duties. As more were produced, more were issued, and by the end of the 1980s it was then possible that everybody was issued his own. Individual soldiers took to marking the collars of their uniforms with indelible bleach
.
The soldiers found the new uniform to be very effective, especially in Afghanistan
. Even without the liners in, a winter Afghanka is comfortably warm in temperatures of down to -20°C. Another advantage of the winter Afghanka over the preceding Bushlat and Shinel greatcoat was the greatly enhanced mobility and increased number of pockets.
Today the Afghanka design uniform is still in use by Russia
, Ukraine
, Kazakhstan
, Estonia
, Latvia
, Lithuania
, Belarus
and Georgia
.
The original issue Afghanka was only available in the standard Soviet Army
Khaki
shade. Within two years a uniform in KLMK
Camouflage
had been designed and issued to the Border Guards
and KGB troops. A version of the Aghanka in TTksO camouflage also came into use with the VDV paratroopers and Naval Infantry around the same time. Since then, various other Afghanka uniforms in various camouflage shades such as VSR camouflage, forest camouflage and desert camouflage have been produced. Kazakhstan
and Ukraine
both currently issue uniforms in their own camouflage patterns. Both the Soviet Union
and the Russian Federation have also produced the uniform in neutral shades for police use.
Soviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
in the early 1980s. The uniform is still in use today in many different variants.
Design
Fur
Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...
collar of the jacket, usually in fish fur
Fish fur
Fish fur is a Russian language ironic expression used to describe poor quality of coats and other clothes worn for warmth. In modern times it is also used for fake fur, especially of poor quality...
but occasionally in real fur. When the jacket is worn without the liner, the collar is plain material. The jacket and trousers are lined with a pile-type material that helps insulate by trapping warm air, whereas the liners are made of a quilted material similar to the Telogreika
Telogreika
Telogreika is a type of winter uniform first issued by the Red Army during the German-Soviet War. Telogreikas continued to be issued until the late 1960s.- Variations :...
uniform.
The original color was khaki, but later olive drab and green became common. Today many varieties of camouflage patterns exist.
Types
The enlisted man's Afghanka has two sleeve pockets, two breast pockets, two waist pockets, an inside pocket on the jacket, an inside pocket on the liner, and an inner pocket on the jacket for a pistol (complete with lanyard). The trousers have two cargo pockets on the legs and two hip pockets.The officer's Afghanka jacket has only two slash pockets on the waist of the jacket and an inner pistol pocket. Officers' jackets usually have a real Fur
Fur
Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...
collar. Officers' Afghanka trousers have no pockets. The pockets are the same on the winter and summer Afghankas.
Issue and effectiveness
The Afghanka began appearing on the military scene in the early 1980s during the Soviet war in AfghanistanSoviet war in Afghanistan
The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist-Leninist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan Mujahideen and foreign "Arab–Afghan" volunteers...
, hence the name. The design of the jacket and trousers may have been based on similar patterns used by other Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
armies such as the GDR. Initially, the Afghanka uniform was in very short supply and was often issued to units rather than individuals and passed around as necessary for various duties. As more were produced, more were issued, and by the end of the 1980s it was then possible that everybody was issued his own. Individual soldiers took to marking the collars of their uniforms with indelible bleach
Bleach
Bleach refers to a number of chemicals that remove color, whiten, or disinfect, often via oxidation. Common chemical bleaches include household chlorine bleach , lye, oxygen bleach , and bleaching powder...
.
The soldiers found the new uniform to be very effective, especially in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Even without the liners in, a winter Afghanka is comfortably warm in temperatures of down to -20°C. Another advantage of the winter Afghanka over the preceding Bushlat and Shinel greatcoat was the greatly enhanced mobility and increased number of pockets.
Today the Afghanka design uniform is still in use by Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
and Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
.
Variants
Soviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
Khaki
Khaki
This article is about the fabric. For the color, see Khaki . Kaki, another name for the persimmon, is often misspelled "Khaki".Khaki is a type of fabric or the color of such fabric...
shade. Within two years a uniform in KLMK
Kamuflirovannyi Letnyi Maskirovochnyi Kombinezon
Kamuflirovannyy Letniy Maskirovochnyy Kombinezon or KLMK was developed in the 1960s by the Soviet Union to overcome the widespread use of night vision optics and devices by NATO countries...
Camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
had been designed and issued to the Border Guards
Border Guard Service of Russia
The Border Service of Russia , also called the Border Force of Russia is a branch of Federal Security Service of Russia tasked with patrol of the Russian border. In English, the terms "Border Guards" and "Border Troops" are frequently used to designate this service...
and KGB troops. A version of the Aghanka in TTksO camouflage also came into use with the VDV paratroopers and Naval Infantry around the same time. Since then, various other Afghanka uniforms in various camouflage shades such as VSR camouflage, forest camouflage and desert camouflage have been produced. Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
both currently issue uniforms in their own camouflage patterns. Both the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and the Russian Federation have also produced the uniform in neutral shades for police use.
Sources
- Soviet Uniforms and Militaria 1917-1991 by Laszlo BekesiLászló BékesiLászló Békesi is a Hungarian politician, who served as Minister of Finance twice: between 1989-1990 and from 1994 to 1995.-Early life:...
- Inside the Soviet Army Today. Osprey Elite Military History Series No. 12 by Stephen J Zaloga
- Russia's War in Afghanistan by David Isby
- Warsaw Pact Ground Forces by David Rottmman