Red Army soldiers training in SO-1 and OP-1 field protective suits.

Here you can see the uniforms of the Red Army during the early years of the Cold War.  The field and service uniforms of 1943 remained in service, as did the M-1945 parade uniforms.  This would be the case until the mid-1950's when the regulations mandated new parade and officer uniforms in 1955.

These uniforms, often called the 'Zhukov' uniforms by collectors, were more ornate than their Patriotic War predecessors.  These changes proved to be unpopular and short-lived.  They were eliminated by new uniform regulations just two years later.  The regulations of 1957 saw a return to a more conservative look.  Even so, they introduced several new elements.  One of the most important was the introduction of the first of the shirt and jacket style uniforms which would go, on in a modified form, to out-live the Soviet Union itself.

It was also during this time when new special purpose uniforms were introduced.  A new light weight field protective suit entered service around 1954, while a heavier version would follow a few years later.  Together these protective suits would become the standard NBC gear for the next fifty years.  Camouflage uniforms of the Patriotic War were still in service, but all but the ZMK would see a steady decline in use until they virtually disappeared at the end of the period.

Below are the Red Army uniforms that we have in the Sword of the Motherland collection.  This section is quite small at the moment, but will grow as more uniforms are constantly being acquired.  We will attempt to have detailed descriptions of each uniform along with a photograph of the uniform being worn whenever possible.