On the waves of our memory! Soviet school uniform. The evolution of the Soviet school uniform School uniform for girls in the USSR with a photo

The Soviet school uniform, in fact, is an analogue of the gymnasium uniform of Tsarist Russia. She also consisted of a dress and an apron, white on holidays, and black on weekdays. For elementary school, the color of the dress was brown, for middle school students it was blue, and green for high school students. At the balls, older girls appeared in white dresses.
In 1920, it was customary for all high school girls to wear a brown dress and apron. Only rich people could afford such a uniform, so wearing this uniform was considered a bourgeois relic. There was even a contemptuous nickname "high school student".

A unified Soviet school uniform in our country was introduced in the era of Stalin. The USSR school uniform for boys was gray and consisted of trousers and a shirt, like a soldier's tunic. This was complemented by a wide belt with a massive buckle and a cap with a cockade.

The USSR school uniform for girls still consisted of a brown dress and an apron. The dress was brown, perhaps because this color matches the business environment, helps to concentrate, does not distract attention from study.

In the era of Stalin, strict morals reigned in our country. This also applies to school life. Even small experiments with the style or length of the dress were severely punished by the school administration. In addition, it was obligatory for girls to wear braids with bows. No haircuts were allowed.

In the 1960s, the Soviet school uniform for boys changed.

On September 1, 1962, first grade boys went to school in a gray wool blend suit - trousers and a single-breasted jacket with three black plastic buttons.

And in the seventies there were changes again

Now, for elementary school students, it began to consist of a jacket and trousers in dark blue. The trousers became narrower, and the jacket resembled a modern denim jacket in its style. Buttons were metal, white. They were made from aluminium. On the sleeve of the jacket was sewn an emblem of soft plastic with a drawn open textbook and a rising sun.

In the early 1980s, a uniform for high school students was introduced. (This uniform began to be worn from the eighth grade). Girls from first to seventh grade wore a brown dress, as in the previous period. Only it became slightly above the knees.
For boys, trousers and a jacket were replaced with a trouser suit. The fabric color was still blue. Also blue was the emblem on the sleeve.

Very often the emblem was cut off, as it did not look very aesthetically pleasing, especially after some time - the paint on the plastic began to wear off.

The Soviet school uniform for high school students was of fairly good quality, but it was inexpensive. Men willingly bought it as clothes for work. Therefore, the USSR school uniform for high school students fell, in those days, into the category of shortage.

For girls, a blue three-piece suit was introduced in 1984, consisting of an A-line skirt with pleats at the front, a jacket with patch pockets and a vest. The skirt could be worn either with a jacket, or with a vest, or the whole suit at once. In 1988, Leningrad, regions of Siberia and the Far North were allowed to wear blue trousers in winter. Also, girls could wear a pioneer uniform, which consisted of a dark blue skirt, a white blouse with short or long sleeves and a pioneer tie.

A mandatory addition to the school uniform, depending on the age of the student, was the October badge (in the elementary grades), pioneer (in the middle grades) or Komsomol (in the senior grades) badges. Pioneers were also required to wear a pioneer tie.

In addition to the regular pioneer badge, there was a special variant for pioneers active in community service. It was slightly larger than usual and had the inscription "For active work" on it. And the badge of the senior pioneer, which was a regular pioneer badge against the background of a red banner.

See also other posts in the series :


Old foreign cinema. Leaders of the Soviet film distribution. Part 1	Drinks of our childhood	Yards of our childhood	Soviet stationery	How gadgets were bought in the USSR	Video store legends	Bicycles of our childhood

Tomorrow is the first of September! Inspired by ... I reviewed a lot of material, I decided to put it together somehow. Here's what happened

The history of school uniforms in USSR and R Russia

If we recall Soviet times and school years, then many people immediately have associations with school uniforms. Some think of her as brown with white collars, some as blue. Some recall elegant white aprons, while others remember large bows on their heads. But everyone agrees with the fact that during the Soviet era, school uniforms were compulsory, and the question of whether or not to wear a uniform was not subject to discussion. On the contrary, non-compliance with school discipline was severely punished. The memory of the school uniform of the USSR still lives on.

School uniforms in Russia have a rich history.

Until 1917, it was a class sign, because. only the children of wealthy parents could afford to study at the gymnasium: nobles, intellectuals and large industrialists.
The exact date of the introduction of school uniforms in Russia— 1834. It was in this year that a law was adopted that approved a separate type of civilian uniforms. These included gymnasium and student uniforms of military style: invariably caps, tunics and overcoats, which differed only in color, piping, buttons and emblems.
The introduction of uniforms for students of educational institutions of Tsarist Russia is primarily due to the fact that these institutions were state-owned. In those days, all civil servants had to wear uniforms corresponding to their rank and rank, according to the Table of Ranks. So, all teachers in state educational institutions (gymnasiums) wore uniform frock coats. Proceeding from this, the introduction of uniforms for students was also natural.
The uniform was worn not only in the gymnasium, but also on the street, at home, during celebrations and holidays. She was a point of pride. All schools had uniforms.
The caps were usually light blue with three white edgings, and with a black visor, and a crumpled cap with a broken visor was considered a special chic among the boys. In winter, headphones and a hood in the color of natural camel hair, trimmed with gray braid, were added to it.
Usually, students wore a blue cloth tunic with silver bulging buttons, belted with a black lacquered belt with a silver buckle and black trousers without piping. There was also an exit uniform: a dark blue or dark gray single-breasted uniform with a collar trimmed with silver galloon. A schoolbag was an invariable attribute of high school students.
Until 1917, the style of the uniform changed several times (1855, 1868, 1896 and 1913)— according to fashion trends. But all this time, the uniform of the boys fluctuated on the verge of a civilian-military suit.

At the same time, women's education began to develop. Therefore, a student uniform was also required for girls. In 1896, a regulation on the gymnasium uniform for girls appeared. Pupils of the famous Smolny Institute were ordered to wear dresses of certain colors, depending on the age of the pupils. For pupils 6-9 years old - brown (coffee), 9-12 years old - blue, 12-15 years old - gray and 15-18 years old - white.

To attend the gymnasium, they had three types of clothing provided by the charter:
1. "compulsory uniform for daily attendance", which consisted of a brown woolen dress and a black woolen apron.
2. dark formal dresses with knee-length pleated skirts.
3. On holidays - a white apron.Girls always wore braids with bows.
The charter required "to keep the dress clean, tidy, not wear it at home, smooth it daily and monitor the cleanliness of the white collar."
The dress uniform consisted of the same dress, a white apron and an elegant lace collar. In dress uniform, gymnasium students attended the theater, the Yeleninskaya Church on holidays, they went to Christmas and New Year's evenings in it. Also, "no one was forbidden to have a separate dress of any model and cut, if the parents' means allowed such a luxury."
The color scheme was different for each educational institution.
For example, from the memoirs of Valentina Savitskaya, a graduate of gymnasium No. 36 in 1909, we know that the color of the fabric of the dresses of the gymnasium girls was different, depending on age: for the younger ones it was dark blue, for 12-14-year-olds it was almost the color of a sea wave , and for graduates - brown. And the pupils of the famous Smolny Institute were prescribed to wear dresses of other colors, depending on the age of the pupils: for pupils of 6 - 9 years old - brown (coffee), 9 - 12 years old - blue, 12 - 15 years old - gray and 15 - 18 years old - white.

However, soon after the revolution, as part of the struggle against bourgeois remnants and the legacy of the tsarist-police regime, a decree was issued in 1918 that abolished the wearing of a school uniform. Undoubtedly, in the early years of the existence of the Soviet state, wearing a school uniform was an unaffordable luxury in a country devastated by world war, revolution and civil war.

From the memoirs of Valentina Savitskaya, a graduate of gymnasium No. 36 in 1909: “The old uniform was considered a symbol of belonging to the upper classes (there was even a contemptuous nickname for a sentimental girl - “gymnasium student”). It was believed that the form symbolizes the lack of freedom, the humiliated, servile position of the student. But this rejection of the form had another, more understandable reason - poverty. Pupils went to school in whatever their parents could provide.”
From the point of view of the “class struggle”, the old uniform was considered a symbol of belonging to the upper classes (there was even a contemptuous nickname for a sentimental girl - “gymnasium student”). On the other hand, the form symbolized the absolute lack of freedom of the student, his humiliated and bonded position.
The official explanations were as follows: the form demonstrates the lack of freedom of the student, humiliates him. But in fact, the country at that time simply did not have the financial means to dress a huge number of children in uniform. Pupils went to school in what their parents could provide them, and the state at that moment actively fought against devastation, class enemies and remnants of the past.

1945 M. Nesterova. "Study well!"

Frame from the movie "Two Captains"

The period of "formlessness" lasted until 1948.School uniform becomes mandatory again.The new uniform resembled the old uniforms of high school students. From now on, the boys were required to wear gray military tunics with a stand-up collar, with five buttons, with two welt pockets with valves on the chest. An element of the school uniform was also a belt with a buckle and a cap with a leather visor, which the guys wore on the street. Girls - brown woolen dresses with a black apron tied at the back with a bow. It was then that white "holiday" aprons and sewn-on collars and cuffs appeared. On ordinary days, it was supposed to wear black or brown bows, with a white apron - white (even in such cases, white tights were welcome).Even the hairstyle had to meet the requirements of puritan morality - "model haircuts" were strictly prohibited until the end of the 50s, not to mention hair coloring. Girls always wore braids with bows.

At the same time, symbolism became an attribute of young students: the pioneers had a red tie, the Komsomol members and the Octobrists had a badge on their chests.

Pioneer tie had to be able to tie correctly.

The school uniform of the era of I.V. Stalin can be seen in the films "First Grader", "Alyosha Ptitsyn develops character" and "Vasek Trubachev and his comrades":

The first Soviet school uniform existed until 1962. In the 1962 school year, caps with a cockade, waist belts with a large buckle, and gymnasts were changed to gray woolen suits with four buttons in the men's school uniform. Hairstyles were strictly regulated - under the typewriter, as in the army. And the form of girls remained old.

On the side of the sleeve was sewn an emblem of soft plastic with a drawn open textbook and a rising sun.

October and Komsomol badges remained a mandatory addition to the school uniform. The pioneers added a badge to the pioneer tie. Other types of badges appeared, including award and commemorative ones.

We can see schoolchildren of the late 1960s in the cult film "We'll Live Until Monday", as well as in the films "Deniska's Stories", "Old Man Hottabych", etc.

The magazine "Models of the season" for 1968 describes a new school uniform, which "was about to be introduced as compulsory in all Soviet schools."

In this section, we have formed a special offer for high school students. Here you can buy a complete set of Soviet uniforms for ceremonial events dedicated to the Last Bell. All our range is presented with a photo will help you make a worthy choice for the long-awaited holiday.

What is included in the kits?

Each set of the USSR school uniform includes the following items:

School dress.

Available in long and short sleeves, in brown and blue, with front and back closures. All dresses are made of high-quality, pleasant fabric, they fit well on the figure. Our managers will help you choose the size. Even if you have a large size or tall, you can easily buy a Soviet school uniform from us, as we offer a wide dimensional grid of models of different sizes.

White elegant apron.

This element of the school uniform can be called the most important, since it is he who gives the image an elegant, festive look. Therefore, we pay special attention to the development of unusual, interesting and very beautiful aprons. In the online store "Success" you can buy unique models that are sold only here and nowhere else.

White collar and cuffs.

Each set is formed in such a way that the apron is combined with accessories, and you no longer need to select them yourself.

Do you want to dress beautifully and harmoniously for the Holiday Bell? Then take a look at our section "" (another name is "Soviet school uniform") and choose a kit that is already completely ready, assembled by specialists.

School uniform for girls in the USSR with a photo

If you want to know what the Soviet school uniform looked like, photos of our models in this category will help you deal with this issue. Most of the kits look almost exactly like their historical prototypes, because we use authentic Soviet-era patterns in production. Therefore, the school uniform in the photo in our store evokes fond memories of their childhood and school years for many representatives of the older generations. Of course, we are pleased with this - it means that we managed to recreate the atmosphere of those years and show what the school uniform of the Soviet years looked like.

However, our assortment does not completely copy samples of previous years. There are differences. First of all, they are in the choice of fabrics and accessories. The cost of the uniform in the USSR was low in order to make it affordable for all segments of the population, so expensive fabrics and lace were not used in its tailoring. We are not limited by such strict social guidelines and GOST requirements, so we can use any fabrics that are allowed for sewing children's clothes when sewing. And we take advantage of this opportunity.

For example, our aprons, even the most similar to Soviet ones, are decorated with expensive stuffed lace, which is produced to our order on special machines in Turkey. Or look at the aprons "Elite" and "Caprice" - can you imagine that the school uniform for girls in the USSR (photo in the section) looked so expensive and chic?

Sizing for girls

Before placing an order in our store - you need to measure the volume of the chest, waist and hips. Also consider growth. Measurements are taken closely, without a margin for free fit.

Size	Height	Bust	Waist	Hip girth	The length of the sleeve	Product total length*
30	110-118	58-61	52-55	69-72	44	63
32	120-128	62-65	55-58	73-76	45	65
34	131-136	66-69	58-61	77-80	48	72
36	137-142	70-73	61-64	80-82	50	77
38	144-156	74-77	64-66	82-86	54	82
40	155-165	77-80	66-70	80-86	59	85
42	155-169	84-87	68-74	86-96	60	86
42-2p	167-175	84-87	68-74	86-96		93**
44	160-170	87-91	70-80	90-98	63	88
44-2r	167-175	87-91	70-80	90-100		94**
46	163-170	92-95	74-86	92-104	63	90
46-2r	168-177	92-95	74-86	92-104		96**
48	165-172	96-99	80-92	100-110	63	91
48-2r	170-178	96-99	80-92	100-110		99**
50	166-177	100-104	86-95	105-112	64	94
50-2r	172-180	100-104	86-95	105-112		102**
52	167-177	105-108	90-102	108-114	64	94
54	167-177	109-113	96-104	110-118	66	96

*Full length is measured from the shoulder to the bottom of the skirt
** Dresses of the 2nd height (with an elongated skirt) are available in 2 chocolate color models: and

Sizing for girls (30-38 size)

For girls of the primary school group, in sizes 32r-38r there are height and fullness.
Those. Size 34, with bust 68cm, can fit 3 dresses: 34-1height (122-128cm), 34-2height (128-134cm), and 34-3height (134-140cm).
When choosing a size, you must first consider child's height, and then the volume of the chest and waist.
Also in the size 36r, 38r, 40r fullness is presented - these are dresses with a large margin along the waist line, and chest circumference.
Our technologists took into account all aspects of this age group, and developed models of the USSR school uniform with a comfortable cut and for different heights of children.
You can always get advice from our manager, and clarify the availability of a particular model in stock.

*Size*	Height, cm	Bust, cm	Waist, cm	Hips, cm	The length of the sleeve	Product total length*
30 size









36p (2nd fullness)


38n (2nd fullness)

40 n (2nd fullness)
42n (2nd fullness)						-	-	-	-	38	38	38	38	38	38	-	-	-	-
Cuffs long sleeve, cm	21	21	21	21	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	24

* error is +-1cm

Table of measurements of school dresses for finished products

Size	Chest circumference, cm	Waist circumference, cm	Semicircumference of the hips, cm	Sleeve length with cuff, cm	Full length cm	Arm circumference, cm
40	41	39	42	59	87	15
42	45	39	46	60	90	16
44	47	43	48	63	90	17
46	50	45	49	63	90	17
48	52	48	53	63	91	18
50	55	49	54	64	94	19
52	57	51	56	64	94	19.5
54	58	52	57	66	95	19.5

Recently, two Russian ministries - the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Education and Science - offered the government another version of the school uniform, but for various reasons they were once again rejected by Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets. Meanwhile, 2.5 years have passed since the President introduced compulsory school uniforms in all secondary educational institutions of the country. As before, in the Soviet Union.

However, the school uniform in the USSR did not always exist. Until 1948, students went to class in ordinary clothes, and the traditional uniform, considered a bourgeois relic, was abolished.

From the history of school uniforms

Compulsory uniforms for gymnasium students were approved as early as 1834 and included in the general system of civil uniforms of the Russian Empire. Two years later, the Regulations on gymnasium uniforms for girls were developed and approved.

A tunic girded with a wide leather belt, a cap, shiny metal buttons, emblems and piping - in style and color, the uniform of the gymnasiums of tsarist Russia resembled a military uniform. The obligatory outer uniform - the overcoat - added similarities with it. The uniform of the schoolgirls was not much different from the outfits pupils of boarding houses of noble maidens, at the same time reminiscent of the working clothes of maids. In this form, the school uniform for boys and girls existed in Russia until the revolution of 1917 and was preserved in the first year of Soviet power. The only change concerned outerwear: the uniform overcoat for boys became optional.

The uniform dresses of the gymnasium girls were of the simplest cut, they were supposed to have white (on holidays) and black (on weekdays) aprons, as well as a white lace cape, which in the USSR was transformed into a removable collar. Senior schoolgirls also wore white gloves. An interesting point: the age of the girl could be determined by the color of the uniform. So, the smallest students of the "preparatory" classes, who were from 5 to 7 years old, wore brown dresses (this color of school dresses later became the main one in the USSR). Gymnasium girls from 8 to 10 years old were supposed to wear blue or light blue dresses. Middle school girls aged 11 to 13 wore gray uniforms; senior gymnasium girls - white.

How did the school uniform appear in the USSR

In the postwar years in the Soviet Union, there was a boom in "universal uniforms", when entire departments were dressed in uniform. It was then that schoolchildren were also remembered - this is how the Soviet school uniform arose in 1948, which, in terms of cut, color and accessories, was actually copied from the uniforms of the tsarist gymnasiums and gymnasium girls.

School uniform for boys

Created in the image and likeness of the uniforms of pre-revolutionary gymnasium students and approved in 1948, the school uniform for boys existed unchanged until the end of May 1962 - that is, until the end of the school year. On September 1 of the same year, the boys went to school in an updated uniform, which lacked a tunic with a waist belt and a cap with a cockade.

In the new uniform, elements of "military" were completely absent: instead of semi-military clothes, the boys received a gray half-wool civilian suit: a single-breasted jacket with three plastic buttons and classic trousers. Under the jacket, a white or plain light shirt was recommended.

In 1975, the boys' school uniform underwent significant changes again. The gray fabric was replaced with dark blue, the jacket was replaced with a classic denim jacket in order to please the “denim fashion” that was flourishing at that time. The cut of school trousers has not changed, but the jacket was decorated with epaulettes and chest pockets with flaps resembling a brace. Plastic buttons were replaced by aluminum ones, and a patch appeared on the sleeve like a military chevron with the emblem of enlightenment: an open book against the background of the rising sun.

The upperclassmen now wore a classic navy blue pantsuit with a blue emblem on the sleeve. In such elegant suits, the guys looked pretty cute, causing keen interest not only among classmates, but also among girls from middle and even lower grades. True, the stylish image was somewhat spoiled by a not too aesthetic emblem, which, moreover, was quickly erased and took on a sloppy look. Therefore, the boys of the senior classes simply cut it off.

While there was a significant transformation of the boyish school costume, the girlish uniform remained the same: a knee-length brown dress with a white detachable collar, white festive and black casual aprons survived until the early 70s. The only slight change was in the length of school dresses: they became shorter.

Author's digression

According to the rules, the uniform dress was slightly above the knees. But which of the girls followed these rules? In my memory - no one, including me. And at one time, my mother and I had a silent duel: she unfolded the hem of her school dress, and I stubbornly folded it again. Then my mother, without saying a word, seizing the moment while I did not see, again did the same procedure: unfolded the hem and carefully steamed it with an iron through wet gauze. This went on for some time, until I got tired of this silent argument - and then I took drastic measures: I simply cut off the hated piece of fabric. Mom had to calm down. And it turned out just like in the photo.

The last change in the girl's school uniform of the times of the USSR underwent in 1984, when a blue three-piece suit was introduced for high school students instead of traditional brown dresses: a pleated skirt, a vest and a jacket with patch pockets. Individual elements of the costume were allowed to vary: the skirt was worn either with a vest or with a jacket, and in some regions of Siberia, the Far North and the Leningrad Region, it was allowed to replace the skirt with trousers in winter.

In addition to the everyday, in Soviet schools there was also a ceremonial pioneer uniform. For girls it was a white uniform shirt with long sleeves, aluminum buttons and a pioneer emblem on the sleeve and a blue-gray slightly flared skirt. The boys did not have a separate pioneer uniform, and for solemn occasions a white shirt and uniform trousers were provided. And, of course, the dress uniform of both was crowned with a pioneer badge and a pioneer tie. This uniform was worn during solemn pioneer events: festive lines, detachment and squad gatherings dedicated to some important event, etc.

*****

In 1994, three years after the collapse of the USSR, the compulsory form in Russian schools was abolished. For 19 whole years, starting from the spring of 1994, the school uniform was an optional attribute of schoolchildren throughout post-Soviet Russia, its presence or absence was regulated by the internal rules of each individual school or by order of the school director. A few years ago, the president, by his decree, returned the compulsory form to Russian schoolchildren. But this decision, like many others, remained only on paper. How and by whom it will be executed, and whether it will be executed at all - we'll see.

One of the signs of the decline of the Soviet era was the spontaneous refusal of students to wear school uniforms. In 1988, our class teacher refused to pose for a general graduation photo, because almost all the students came to shoot in loose clothes. A year ago, this would have been unthinkable!

Original taken from dubikvit in On the waves of our memory! Soviet school uniform

Today, September 1, let's remember our old school uniform, in which we went to school for a long time, and some not so much...

The Soviet school uniform, in fact, is an analogue of the gymnasium uniform of Tsarist Russia. She also consisted of a dress and an apron, white on holidays, and black on weekdays. For elementary school, the color of the dress was brown, for middle school students it was blue, and green for high school students. At the balls, older girls appeared in white dresses.
In 1920, it was customary for all high school girls to wear a brown dress and apron. Only rich people could afford such a uniform, so wearing this uniform was considered a bourgeois relic. There was even a contemptuous nickname "high school student".

In the 1960s, the Soviet school uniform for boys changed.

On September 1, 1962, first grade boys went to school in a gray wool blend suit - trousers and a single-breasted jacket with three black plastic buttons.

And in the seventies there were changes again

Very often the emblem was cut off, as it did not look very aesthetically pleasing, especially after some time - the paint on the plastic began to wear off.