RUSSIAN EMPIRE

COLORS OF INFANTRY REGIMENTS  •  SEVEN YEARS WAR

During the Seven Years War the line infantry of the Russian Army consisted of regiments of musketeers and grenadiers. Most regiments were formed with two battalions. Uniforms were highly standardized: green with red facings and brass buttons for all regiments. Musketeers wore a cocked hat with a white cockade. Grenadiers wore a brass-fronted miter cap up to 1759 at which time they exchanged them for cocked hats. Leather equipment was black or red; cartridge boxes were heavily ornamented with brass plates bearing regimental or imperial badges. The Russian infantryman was armed with a musket, bayonet and short saber. The colors carried by infantry regiments of the Russian Army during the Seven Years War were of the patterns decreed by the Empress Anna in 1730. Musketeer regiments received a white flag bearing the imperial double-headed eagle and a colored flag with a field in the regimental distinguishing color. Both flags were ornamented with gold fringe and bore small colored "flames" in the corners. The field of the colored flag was the distinguishing color of the regiment. On the breast of the eagle was a shield bearing the regimental badge; this was usually the coat of arms of the province from which the regiment took its name, though in a few cases the imperial cypher was displayed instead On the colored flag the badge was enclosed by an ornate cartouche, surmounted by a crown. The flags were made of silk with the insignia painted on, measured about 182 cm by 266 cm and were carried on a 3-meter staff with a spearpoint finial, gold cords and tassels. The basis of issue was one white flag flag and one colored flag per battalion. The 1730-pattern colors remained in use until the end of the eighteenth century, when they were replaced by the patterns of 1796-97. Note on the Illustrations: For each regiment the white flag is shown on the left and the colored flag is shown on the right.