Empress Miniatures Siberian Papakha Style?

[thestoats]

Hey everyone,
I love the ARES28 WW1 Russians sold by Empress Miniatures, but am a bit confused about the headwear of packs 6 and 7 (pictures attached). Obviously the figures in packs 4 and 5 have the standard obr. 1910 papakha. However, the soldiers in packs 6 and 7 wear taller and thicker papakhas without the obr. 1910's rear folding flap. I believe these could represent the heavier papakhas of the Siberian rifle regiments, but I wasn't sure if these continued being issued throughout the war, as I've seen photographs of Siberian soldiers wearing the standard obr. 1910 papakha. Also, how common was it to wear these Siberian-style papakhas in warmer weather?

[waterproof]

I am also a big fan of the minis and have them at home, but haven't painted them yet.
I explained it to myself that the depiction of different headgear in the Russian army was perhaps intended to explain the lack of materials. Also the fact that the fur hat was not only worn in winter. There are many photos from that time and earlier (Russian-Japanese War) where soldiers are wearing these fur hats.

[thestoats]

@waterproof Good point on the Russo-Japanese War papakha/manchzurka being worn in warm weather, but I had assumed that was because there was no other papakha available at the time besides those in the Siberian style. On the other hand, during the Great War the obr. 1910/1913 papakha was already introduced to everyone.

You're prob right that the papakha worn by the figures in packs 6 and 7 are some ersatz model though, as I looked into it more and the older Siberian version was apparently abolished in 1910.

Also, could you please send those photos of the Siberian papakha being worn in warm weather during the Great War? I'd love to add those to my collection if possible!

[cuprum]

In the Russian army during World War I, only the Caucasian Cossacks and some "national" units, where the papakha was part of the national combat uniform (for example, the "Wild Division" of Caucasian highlanders and Turkmens), wore the papakha year-round. In the summer, the Russian army used peaked caps.
These figurines depict unregulated papakha hats worn with summer uniforms. Such papakha hats could have been used in militia units due to a shortage of hats in warehouses (although I don't recall anything like this—though, for example, outdated uniforms were indeed issued to troops). It can be assumed that these figurines depict militia infantrymen in the spring or summer, when it's already hot to wear their greatcoats during the day and the soldiers simply left their greatcoats behind.
Although, for militiamen, they are very well armed (fully armed with modern weapons and equipment, according to regulations). During the Civil War, uniforms could have been anything, but then again, weapons and equipment were even more difficult...
I wouldn't add such figures to my collection, as they're not typical...

[thestoats]

Thanks for your expertise as always Cuprum! Obviously, I understand the papakha was never intended for use outside of winter, but plenty of photos show the army wearing the obr. 1910/1913 papakha in warmer weather (at least in 1917 - perhaps due to shortages). I more curious about the specific type of papakha Empress Miniatures packs 6 and 7 wear, which you thankfully explained was non-regulation. The ones the figures in those packs wear do look similar to the papakhas the Czech Legion produced in their regimental workshops during the Civil War, would that have been something units during the actual Great War did too?

[cuprum]

The papakha was one of the most common civilian Russian headdresses of the time. This fur hat was commonplace, and I think any peasant could make one.


Russian peasant in a papakha, circa 1860. This is a primitive fur cap shaped like... a bucket 

However, these papakhas didn't have lapels like the military version.



The 1910 model papakha allowed a soldier to completely cover his head in freezing temperatures.

Theoretically, it would have been possible to make such hats in army workshops, but I've never heard of such a case.
Incidentally, there was another type of headdress—the bashlyk. This was a cloth scarf-like cap that could be worn in winter with a peaked cap or papakha. This was borrowed from Turkish costume.

[thestoats]

Thanks again cuprum. I was actually wondering if the papakhas without lapels (the ones seen in packs 6 and 7) were made in regimental workshops. Since you point out that peasants could make them, I guess this was the case. Unless Paul Hicks or Empress Miniatures responds to this post though, I doubt if we'll be able to figure out what the intention behind those two packs were.

[Freddy]

The papakha was one of the most common civilian Russian headdresses of the time. This fur hat was commonplace, and I think any peasant could make one.

This model is popular all over Eastern Europe, in Hungary too, my grandfather and his friends also wore these. Made out of sheep skin, ,,any peasant could make it" is a bit of an overstatement, better say any self-respecting settlement had a skinner where you could buy it. It is sometimes worn with the top raised up, that way it looks more like a cone. It basically became rare only in the last 20-30 years because of the climate change and the cheap Chinese knit caps. In ww2 Hungarian army units fighting on the Russian front also recieved a lot of these from home as winter clothing, I am sure that Russian soldiers also received some from home or from the nearby settlements.

The bashlik is basically a hood but not sewn onto the back of the coat but has two very long ear flaps instead. If it is not too cold, they simply wear the bashlik with the long flaps tucked under the belt that way it protects the chest too, or, of course they can use the two flaps as a scarf too. Practical, no wonder it is popular from Turkey through the entire Centra Asia.