Ushanka

An ushanka is a warm fur hat.

It has flaps to cover your ears. You can tie these flaps under your chin. This keeps your jaw warm in the cold.

Some people wear the flaps up on top. This is called ski-style. It helps you see better while you move.

These hats can be made from many furs. Some are made from rabbit or mink. Others use fake fur.

Many people wear them in cold lands. Soldiers and police use them too.

They help people stay safe in the snow.

An ushanka is a warm fur hat from Russia.

It has flaps that cover the ears and chin. You can tie the flaps down to stay warm. This helps protect you from deep frost. Some people tie the flaps up on top. This is called ski-style. It helps you see better when you move fast.

Many things can make an ushanka. People use fur from animals like mink or rabbit. They also use sheepskin. Some hats use "fish fur." This is a name for fake fur made of wool.

These hats have a long history. In the past, some Russian soldiers wore felt hats. Those hats were not very warm. During a war with Finland, many soldiers got too cold. The Finnish army had better hats with ear flaps. Later, the Russian army began to use ushankas too.

Today, many groups wear them. Police in Canada and the United States use them. Even the Russian army has new versions. Some new hats have small holes for headphones.

This shows how the hat changes with new needs.

An ushanka is a warm fur hat from Russia.

It is designed to protect people from extreme cold. The hat features large flaps that cover the ears and the jaw. You can tie these flaps down under your chin to stay warm. Some people prefer the "ski-style." This means they bend the flaps back and tie them behind the head. This style helps you see better when you are moving fast. The thick fur can even offer some protection for your head.

Many different materials can make an ushanka. People often use real animal furs like mink, rabbit, or muskrat. Sheepskin is also a very common choice for these hats. Some hats are made with "fish fur." This is a name for artificial fur made of wool. It uses a cloth base to hold the wool in place. In the Arctic, mink fur is used to protect against deep frost. Deep frost is a type of very intense, biting cold.

These hats have a long and interesting history. In the 17th century, people in Russia wore a "three-eared" hat. This old design had two earflaps and one flap in the back. The modern ushanka was inspired by a Norwegian hat called a norvezhka. That hat was made by explorers in the Arctic. In 1917, a leader named Aleksandr Kolchak introduced a similar hat. It was called a kolchakovka. His army lost a war, so that specific hat was not used by the next government.

During the Winter War, many Soviet soldiers suffered because they lacked warm gear. The Finnish army had better equipment, including a hat called the turkislakki. They had a version from 1936 and an improved one from 1939. After this war, the Red Army began using ushankas like the Finnish ones. Officers received real fur hats, while others wore "fish fur." Even German soldiers began wearing them during the Battle of Moscow. They did this because their own uniforms were not warm enough for the Russian winter.

Today, ushankas are used all over the world. They are part of military and police uniforms in Canada and many Western countries. You might see them in gray, green, blue, or black. In 2013, the Russian army announced a new design. This new hat has small openings in the flaps for headphones. In China, some people call them "the Lei Feng hat." Even the Royal Canadian Mounted Police use a special version made of muskrat fur. These hats remain a vital tool for staying safe in the cold.

An ushanka is a specialized Russian fur hat designed for extreme cold.

The name comes from the Russian word for earflaps. This headgear is essential for protecting the ears, jaw, and lower chin from freezing temperatures. The hat features large flaps that can be adjusted based on the environment. Users can tie the flaps down under the chin for maximum warmth. Alternatively, they can tie the flaps up on the crown of the cap. Another method is called "ski-style," where the flaps are bent back and tied behind the head. This provides better visibility for high-speed activities like skiing. The dense fur also offers a layer of protection against blunt impacts to the head.

Various materials are used to construct these hats depending on the climate and availability. Real animal furs are common, including sheepskin, known as tsigeyka or mouton, as well as karakul, rabbit, muskrat, and mink. In Arctic regions of Russia, mink fur is highly valued. It protects the wearer even during "deep frost," which refers to intense, extreme cold. Some versions use artificial fur, often called "fish fur." This material is not from a real animal. The simplest fish fur ushankas consist of a wool pile with a cloth substrate and a cloth top. In these cases, only the flaps feature the exposed pile.

The design of the ushanka has evolved over several centuries. In the 17th century, central and northern Russians wore a "three-eared" hat called a treukh. This design featured two earflaps and an additional flap at the back. The modern ushanka design was influenced by the Norwegian norvezhka. This hat was originally used by Norwegian Arctic explorers. While similar, the norvezhka had much longer earflaps than the modern version. Additionally, the Cossacks of the Kuban influenced the design through interactions with people from the Caucasus and Central Asia.

The history of the ushanka is closely tied to military conflicts and survival. During the Russian Civil War in 1917, Aleksandr Kolchak introduced a winter uniform hat called a kolchakovka. Although similar to the ushanka, it was not adopted by the Soviet Union because Kolchak and the White Army lost the war. The Red Army initially used the budenovka, a felt hat designed to resemble historical bogatyr helmets. However, the budenovka failed to provide adequate protection against the cold. During the Winter War against Finland, many Soviet troops died from exposure due to inadequate equipment. The Finnish army utilized better gear, such as the turkislakki M36 and the improved M39. The M39 model was introduced in 1939 and remains in use today.

Following the Winter War, the Red Army redesigned its winter uniforms. They replaced the budenovkas with ushankas modeled after the Finnish examples. In these new units, officers were issued fur ushankas, while other ranks received versions made with plush or "fish fur." The effectiveness of the ushanka was noted by even their enemies. During the Battle of Moscow, German soldiers began wearing ushankas and other Soviet winter gear. They did this because their own uniforms did not protect them from the extreme Russian winter. This shows how essential the design was for survival in harsh climates.

Today, the ushanka is a global piece of headgear used by various organizations. It is a standard part of winter uniforms for military and police forces in Canada and other Western nations. Different colors serve different roles, such as gray for American civilian police or green for camouflage. The United States Coast Guard and United States Post Office use blue versions. In 2013, the Russian army announced a new ushanka design. This version features a rounder crown and small sealable openings in the flaps to allow for the use of headphones. In China, the hat is often called "the Lei Feng hat" after an iconic propaganda image.

The ushanka also connects to various cultural and professional traditions. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police use a "regulation hat" made of muskrat fur, which sits between an ushanka and an aviator hat. This replaced the former Canadian military fur wedge cap. In Finland, the defense forces use different designs, including gray hats for M62 uniforms and green hats for M91 and M05 dresses. Even the way the hat is worn can be a matter of regulation. In the Russian military, a commander may decide at reveille whether flaps should be up, down, or in ski-style. This makes the ushanka not just a tool for warmth, but a formal part of the uniform of the day.