03-31-2007, 04:47 PM
Greg Collins Wrote:The first photo shown at the beginning of the thread (posted by Synthesis) depicts the organization as it was in the DVD "Red Star" of which I own a copy. I also had some concern about the differences in the uniforms worn by male personnel, female personnel, and the conductor. Recently, I obtained a book covering the uniforms from 1917 to the present and, lo and behold, the uniforms in that picture and the DVD were worn concurrently just prior to the break-up of the Soviet Union. I do, however, think it "weird" that uniforms between the officer and enlisted ranks, as well as those between male and female personnel, differ so much in other countries; but I've been around fairly extensively both as a civilian and as a sailor and I know a lot of countries follow this practice.
I don't completely follow you, but...
In the 'Global Balalaika Show' (again, weird beyond weird), the chorus is made up of both men and women in parade uniform...and here's where it gets strange.
As you can see in the picture, the men in the chorus where the brown uniform we're all quite familiar with...however, the women's parade uniforms are white, and lack normal ties (instead using the--if you'll let me say--ugly ribbons worn by western female dress uniforms), and what look like pilotka caps. The choice in color is really bizarre...I'm tempted to say that they're wearing navy uniforms from the color schemes, however, navy uniforms don't change a great deal over time (so they'd at least look similar to their Soviet equivalents, which they don't).
It could just be that women's parade uniforms are a different colors from men's (bleached white versus sea-wave green). This is a pretty sharp departure from the Soviet regulations, which had all enlisted men/women wearing the same color (and the same uniform practically, barring a different hat, skirt, and slightly longer tunic for women), and all COs wearing the same sea-wave green.
It may be just an attempt to make the uniforms look more western--with distinctions between men and women (apparently, a women's dress uniform with a tie is just too Soviet). Kind of sad, I suppose.
On a side note...note that in the first picture (and indeed, all of them), all the members of the orchestra where normal walking shoes, rather than boots, regardless of gender. I'm not sure exactly what were the regulations for parade-uniforms with normal shoes (walking out? Maybe not...), or perhaps it might just be in the interests of comfort.
