23.02.2021

Thematic album dedicated to the Motherland Defender Day “Military uniform of the 19th century in our Photo Gallery

For most of us, the Motherland Defender Day is an important and significant holiday. The sense of patriotism, as well as the concept of the honor of the regiment, for hundreds of years served as the moral core of the worldview and behavior of soldiers and officers of all armies and fleets of the world.

Military uniforms appeared in the middle of the 17th century, and the main requirements that they had to meet, were functional convenience, sameness in the type of troops, dissimilarity from the uniforms of other states and countries. The uniform always served as a reminder of military valour, honor and a high sense of military sodality. Military uniform was considered a prestigious and, to some extent, elite clothing for men. Preeminently, this may be reffered to ceremonial uniform, which was worn on special occasions and was intended for this very purpose.

A thematic album "Military uniform of the 19th century in the graphic works by Aleksander Orłowski” is posted in our Photo Gallery to mark this holiday.

Aleksander Orłowski was a Russian painter of battle scenes and genre painter of Polish origin. The recognized master of painting, Aleksander Orłowski came to St. Petersburg in 1802, at the age of 25. Very soon, he became a "fashionable" artist, winning the favor and patronage of the Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich. To get to know Russia better, he traveled to Moscow, Novgorod and other regions of the Russian Empire. In 1807, he was engaged in the development of sketches for the uniforms of the Russian Imperial Guard infantry regiments. In 1809, the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts awarded him the title of Academician for the painting "Bivouac of the Cossacks". In 1819, he was assigned to the General Staff for composing drawings of military uniforms. From 1819, he served as the 10th grade draftsman and painter in the military topographic depot of the General Staff and created sketches of new military uniforms.

Orlovsky was a talented graphic artist, who knew how to grasp peculiarities and characteristic features of the depicted faces and figures and ihow to impart movement to them. In addition to oil paintings, Orlovsky created many pencil, watercolor and pen drawings that can be spotted in the albums of the royal family and art connoisseurs. He lithographed many of these works, depicting mainly Cossacks, Bashkirs and other equestrian personalities, racing troikas and common life scenes.