About Soviet Navy uniforms

[1st Capitan Melechin]

(Yep, I know that probably I'm posting in the wrong section - I beg your pardon in advace ).


Any russian cold war experts/former soviet sailor out there? I need your help. After having watched "K-19: The Widowmaker" movie, I kinda noticed that everyone on the sub has a white patch on the top of their jackets. I understand that both Ford and Neeson wear a командир (=commander, captain) patch, but what about all the other guys of the crew? I mean, does the X.O. have a старпом patch, the chief engineer a стармех patch, the navigator officer a штурман patch, etc? I've also seen in russian movies that some sailors have a number serie written on their patches. I was wondering: how does it work? I'm quite confused at the moment

Thanks in advance!

[Kapitan]

Do you have a picture of what your referring too? im not sure if you mean shoulder boards or collar insignia there was lost of inconsistencies in the movie as well.

The medal ribbons worn when he was being briefed did not tally with the year the movie it was set hell there was even one in there from 1988!

Not to mention while being briefed he was a captain 1st rank and on board a captain 2nd rank i know they demoted people fast but thats a record even for the soviets

[1st Capitan Melechin]

Thanks for your kind reply I was referring to the kind of working uniform that they wear on board of the sub. I've tried searching information both in English and Russian but nothing came out about those patches... I found some nice images though (some of them are in a quite low quality... sorry about that!). They're from the said movie, from a Russian website which reports the experience of a submarine sailor in the soviet VMF, from a Russian film... Here they are:









(Source: K-19: The Widowmaker)



(Source: Маша Шишова)



(Source: 72 метра -- even though it's set in the early 1990s, I believe)


You can see them also in this lovely Soviet video from the late 80s:


Thanks for your kind help Kapitan!


(OT: I've seen your thread about the trip you made to Saint Petersburg and that's definitely amazing! I mean -- you met with the one and the only Igor Kurdin! Wow! That's on my bucket list ^^)

[Kapitan]

Yes i have met Igor and many others including celebrating the clubs 24th birthday with over 300 captains and admirals so it is most certainly one of the best experiences i've ever done.

As for the white tags i shall ask Andrey Nikolaev as he will know for certain

[1st Capitan Melechin]

Thank you very kindly for your help!

[Kapitan]

So i have had a reply they denote rank but in some cases also names