The History of the Telnyashka: From Russian Sailors to the VDV

Legend says that the telnyashka first appeared among the fishermen of Brittany, a region in northern France. The Bretons, the native people of the area, had long been known as excellent sailors and fishermen. According to tradition, they were the first to wear striped shirts.

The striped shirt was not only practical because it made sailors easier to see against the sails, but it also had a symbolic meaning.

Breton fishermen were very superstitious and believed that the right clothing could protect them from danger at sea. In medieval Europe, striped clothing was often worn by prisoners and executioners. Breton sailors believed that by wearing striped shirts, evil spirits would mistake them for outcasts or criminals and leave them alone. This belief became part of the early legend surrounding the striped sailor's shirt.

This story about the popularity of the telnyashka is certainly romantic, but the real reason was probably much simpler. The fishermen of Brittany most likely chose striped shirts because they made sailors much easier to spot from a distance.

By the 18th century, striped sailor shirts had become popular far beyond Brittany. They spread to the Dutch fleet as well.

Many Breton fishermen found work as sailors on Dutch ships, and at that time the Dutch navy was considered one of the best in the world. Dutch sailors adopted the striped shirt from the Bretons. However, officers on naval warships tried hard to stop this trend. Sailors were expected to wear official uniforms, including coats in approved colors.

While naval commanders in the Netherlands, England, and other countries punished sailors for wearing striped shirts, life was different on merchant and fishing ships. These crews had much more freedom, and the telnyashka quickly became a common part of everyday sailor clothing.

The telnyashka arrived in Russia much later than in Western Europe. Although Emperor Peter the Great admired the Dutch navy and used it as a model when building the Russian fleet, he did not introduce the tradition of wearing striped sailor shirts. Throughout the entire 18th century, the Russian Imperial Navy had no telnyashka.

It was only in the 19th century that Russian merchant sailors began bringing striped shirts home from European ports. They proudly wore them because a telnyashka showed that a sailor had traveled abroad and had real experience at sea. At that time, striped shirts were neither made nor sold in Russia.

During the 19th century, many navies adopted the Dutch-style naval uniform, which included flared trousers, a short pea coat, and a shirt with an open collar. The striped telnyashka looked perfect under this uniform. From the early 1860s, Russian sailors began wearing striped shirts together with their official naval clothing, and naval officers generally did not object.

The Telnyashka Becomes an Official Uniform

On August 19, 1874, exactly 145 years ago, Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich Romanov signed a decree introducing a new uniform for the ships of the Russian Imperial Navy. Emperor Alexander II approved the decree, and from that moment the striped telnyashka officially became part of the uniform for enlisted sailors serving in the Russian fleet.

The official regulations described the shirt as follows:

"A knitted shirt made from a blend of wool and cotton. The shirt is white with blue horizontal stripes. The distance between the stripes is one vershok (44.45 mm), while each blue stripe is one-quarter of a vershok wide. The shirt must weigh no less than 80 zolotniks (344 grams)."

The blue and white stripes were also given an official symbolic meaning. They represented the colors of the St. Andrew's Flag, the historic naval flag of the Russian Navy, making the telnyashka not only practical workwear but also a symbol of Russian naval tradition.

The telnyashka quickly became popular with Russian sailors. First, it was very practical. It was easy to see from a distance, comfortable to work in, and warm even in cold weather. Second, it showed that a sailor belonged to a special brotherhood of seamen. Wearing a telnyashka placed Russian sailors alongside sailors from other countries.

At first, the stripes were not the same width. The white stripes were three to four times wider than the blue ones. Only in 1912 did the stripes become equal in size.

The first Russian factory to produce telnyashkas was the Kersten factory in Saint Petersburg, the naval capital of the Russian Empire. Before that, almost all telnyashkas were imported from Europe.

In the early years, not every sailor received a telnyashka. It had to be earned. The striped shirt was given only to sailors who went on long sea voyages. If a sailor wore a telnyashka, everyone knew he had crossed the seas, faced danger, and completed difficult missions. Because of this, the telnyashka became a symbol of honor and prestige in naval service.

When sailors finished their service, many kept their telnyashka as a personal memory. They often wore it when returning home after leaving the navy. Over time, the image of a Russian sailor became impossible to imagine without a striped shirt. Painters, book illustrators, and poster artists almost always showed sailors wearing a telnyashka.

The Telnyashka Becomes Fashionable

At the beginning of the 20th century, especially after the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, the naval style became fashionable across Russia.

Sailor suits became one of the most popular outfits for boys from families that could afford them. Soon, the telnyashka was worn not only by former navy sailors but also by factory workers and ordinary young men.

Being a sailor was respected, and in many villages, men who returned home after serving in the navy were often considered the most admired and respected young men in the community.

The story of the telnyashka became even more remarkable after that.

Sailors played an important role in the Russian Revolution of 1917, especially during the October Revolution, and later in the Russian Civil War. While many sailors supported different political groups, including the Bolsheviks, Left Socialist Revolutionaries, and anarchists, one image became unforgettable: revolutionary sailors wearing telnyashkas with machine-gun belts across their chests. They became one of the most famous symbols of the revolution.

The telnyashka also came to represent loyalty, courage, and determination. A man wearing a striped shirt inspired trust and respect. Interestingly, it became popular not only among young Communist activists and factory workers but also among street youth, who saw it as a symbol of freedom, toughness, and the adventurous spirit of sailors.

World War II became another important chapter in the history of the telnyashka.

Naval infantry brigades were formed from sailors of the Baltic and Black Sea Fleets and sent to fight on the front lines. These Soviet naval infantry soldiers became famous for their exceptional bravery. They fought fiercely in some of the hardest battles of the war. German soldiers even gave them nicknames such as "Black Devils" and "Striped Devils" because of their courage and their distinctive striped shirts.

When large groups of soldiers wearing telnyashkas charged into battle, they often shocked the enemy. Countless wartime and postwar posters showed sailors in telnyashkas and traditional naval caps leading attacks against German forces.

The famous saying, "There are few of us, but we're wearing telnyashkas," became a symbol of courage and determination. It reminded people of the bravery and self-sacrifice of Soviet sailors, who often fought against much larger enemy forces and found a way to win even in the most difficult situations.

After World War II, sailors and petty officers who returned home from naval service were highly respected. Many kept their telnyashka as a reminder of their years in the navy.

Over time, the telnyashka became popular far beyond the military. People who had never served at sea also began wearing it because it was warm, comfortable, and practical. It became a favorite everyday shirt, especially during the colder months, and many people wore it at home as casual clothing.

The Telnyashka Comes to the Airborne Forces

After World War II, the Soviet Union rapidly expanded its Airborne Forces (VDV). The telnyashka soon became part of their identity as well.

The man who made this happen was the legendary commander of the VDV, General Vasily Margelov, often called "Uncle Vasya" by paratroopers.

During World War II, Margelov had commanded the 1st Special Ski Regiment of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet, a unit made up of naval sailors. He never forgot the courage, discipline, and fighting spirit of the naval infantry under his command. Because of that experience, he wanted Airborne troops to wear the telnyashka as a symbol of the same bravery, pride, and military tradition.

Margelov even managed to overcome the opposition of one of the Soviet Union's most respected military leaders, Admiral Sergey Gorshkov, Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet Navy.

The admiral believed that the telnyashka belonged only to the navy and that soldiers from other branches should not wear it. Margelov responded by reminding him of his own wartime service as the commander of a naval infantry regiment. He argued that airborne troops were also assault forces, just like naval infantry, and had earned the right to wear the striped shirt as well.

In the end, Admiral Gorshkov accepted Margelov's arguments.

At first, only paratroopers who had completed at least one parachute jump into water were allowed to wear the telnyashka. Later, it officially became part of the Soviet Airborne Forces (VDV) uniform.

In 1968, Soviet paratroopers began wearing telnyashkas with light blue stripes instead of the dark blue stripes used by the navy. The new color became one of the defining symbols of the VDV.

Today, the telnyashka is worn by several elite military and security units in Russia. Each branch has its own stripe color:

• Navy – dark blue stripes

• VDV (Airborne Forces) – light blue stripes

• Border Guard Service – green stripes

• National Guard (Spetsnaz) – maroon stripes

• Emergency Ministry (EMERCOM) – orange stripes

• FSB and FSO special units – cornflower blue stripes

What began as a practical shirt for sailors eventually became a symbol of service, courage, and elite military tradition. Today, the telnyashka remains one of the most recognizable pieces of military clothing in Russia.

 

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