page_title: Telnyashka
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Telnyashka / History
caption_attribution_description: English: “Duty Seaman Rings the Bells”. Pacific Fleet: a duty seaman ringing the bells. Русский: «Вахтенный матрос отбивает склянки». Вахтенный матрос отбивает склянки. Тихоокеанский флот Россия
context_page_description: The Russian telnyashka is an undershirt horizontally striped in white and various colors and which may be sleeveless. It is an iconic uniform garment worn by the Russian Navy, the Russian Airborne Troops and the Russian marines. Dating back to the 19th century Tsarist Navy, it was subsequently worn by the Soviet successors of these troops.
context_section_description: The Russian telnyashka originated in the distinctive striped marinière blouse worn by merchant sailors and fishermen of Brittany, who adopted this style to distinguish them from other sea-going nationalities. The fashion was later adopted and popularized by the French Navy and other navies of the pre-dreadnought era. Sailors of the modern French Navy still wear these garments in certain orders of dress.
  The Imperial Russian Navy adopted the blue and white striped telnyashka blouse during the 19th century. The tradition of Russian or Soviet ground troops wearing a naval uniform comes from Soviet Navy sailors who fought as shore units during World War II. It is exemplified by the famed Soviet sniper Vassili Zaitsev, a petty officer in the Soviet Pacific Fleet who volunteered for army duty, but refused to give up his telnyashka because of the pride it engendered.
  Vasily Margelov, who was later to modernize the Soviet Airborne Forces (VDV), had previously served with a Naval Infantry unit in World War II, and procured telnyashkas for the VDV as a mark of their elite status.
caption: Soviet Pacific Fleet sailor in full dress, including a dark-blue telnyashka
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