Imperial Uniforms, pre-revolution

[MishaB]

Mike, the Filatiev family have found a photo of the missing child. As you advised, the old Lieut-General Mikhail Nikolayevich had 4 children, Boris (the Preobrazhensky officer), Elizaveta (my grandmother), Alexander ( the grandfather of the family in the USA) and now Sergei Mikhailovich, also in uniform!!. The photo is not very clear though.

[Mike]

The photo provides too few details to be sure, but Sergei seems to wear an everyday uniform of a captain, pre-1907 style. The collar appears to me like made of velvet. If so, in conjunction with an aiguillette this suggests his belonging to the General Staff.

[MishaB]

Hello Mike, sorry for the delay in responding. Thank you for that. I am expecting more photos soon.

[EmmyLee]

This thread is one of the reasons why this forum is so great. How wonderful for you, Misha, that you can learn more about your ancestors. And just from their uniforms!

[MishaB]

Hello Mike, I'm back with some more photos my brother dug up.














The 5th photo is of my father taken in 1918 in what appears to be cossack dress (which host?)
The 9th photo is again of my father as a cadet (can the school be identified from the uniform?)
The 10th photo is of my grandmother (on the right) with Navy officers. My great uncle Alexander Mikhailovitch Filatiev was stationed at Kronstadt in 1916 as a Colonel also in the Imperial Corps of Gendarmes.

This is a lot this time but again I would greatly appreciate your advice/guidance


Thank you Mike

[Mike]

Hi Misha, first, your father's photos:
#5 - not a cossack uniform, just a peasant-style shirt and a cossack-style astrakhan hat.
#9 - not a cadet, but a gymnasia or real high-school student.
Who is a military school cadet, it's the guy at #1 and #3. The photos are too small to say exactly which school, but #3 was certainly taken a year later than #1, because the guy is already sergeant cadet.

[MishaB]

Thanks Mike. If you look at my first post you'll see my Great Uncle Boris Mikhailovich Filatiev who was the 2nd Lieutenant in the Preobrazhensky Regiment. I think he is the cadet in the two photos you identified. You said he attended Poltava Peter I Cadet Corps and Pavlovskoye Officer School.

[Michael HR]

What a astonishing thread! I am so very impressed with the sheer amount of detailed information that you have found. Wish I had ancestors from Russia is all I can say. Truly impressive

[Mike]

Photo 2: most likely lieutenant-colonel of a dragoon regiment.
Photo 4: navy officer, rank concealed under his leather coat.
Photo 7: either lieutenant-colonel or colonel.
Photo 8: cavalry officer.
Photo 11 (the uniformed guy): student of a civilian higher education institution.
Photo 12: cavalry captain [rotmistr], graduate of Nikolayevskoye cavalry school, awarded St. Vladimir 4th class and (on the neck) either St. Vladimir 3rd class or St. Anna 2nd class, all crosses with swords.

[MishaB]

Mike, many thanks once again. You and your team are a wonder!!

MishaB

[MishaB]

Hi Mike, I'm back. Since our last communication, my brother has found several photos of my father as a child dressed in cossack attire. Initially we thought that perhaps this was supplied by the photographer but on closer examination, I noticed that he is wearing the same clothing in photos taken n St.P, Kiev and Tiflis. Could this be a smaller version of the regular clothing and if so is the style recognisable? ie Kuban perhaps since most of this rather large family was spread over the Ukraine?

Once again, many thanks in advance for your wonderful help

http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae181/MichaelB_photos/Russian%20Family/Father.jpg

[Mike]

It was customary for Mountain Cossack and Caucasian families to dress their children in traditional military-style clothes that looked quite similar to real uniforms, including small daggers and other details. This kid's cherkesska might be either Kuban or Terek. However, in principle such clothes could be also purchased for any boy, irrespectively of his parents being Cossack or Caucasian. 

[MishaB]

Once again, thank you Mike. Another small hole in the history plugged!!

[Kalafrana]

Two small points on Photo 12

The tunic this gentleman is wearing (with large pockets) was modelled on British service dress, and known as a 'French' tunic after Field Marshal Sir John French, the first Commander in Chief of the British Expeditionary Force.

One for Mike. You identify the sitter as a rotmistr. Is that because of the Nikolaievsky Cavallry School badge, or is there something else as well?

Ann

[Mike]

It's the badge - but also the shape of his tunic's cuffs that was characteristic of cavalry.