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Russia is noted for its cold winters. This seems to have come as a surprise to the Germans in World War II. Russian mothers, however, take winters very seriously as with all countries with severe winters. Much of the Russian heartland is located at northern latitudes and there is also the ciontinental effect. With coldern temperatures prevakent in land from the major oceans. As a result, Russian children were bundled up, including the poor children--at least the ones who survived. Cold weather clothing is a very important part of every Russina child's wardrobe. Countless images show Russian children bundeled pp to the hilt for the winter. And we see the children wearing all kinds of cold weather garments. Russian childrem wear a wide variety of warm headwear, although for some reason stocking caos were not as common as in the West. We are not exactly sure why. Here social class was a factor before the Revolution. Many families could not afford expensive winter clothing. Even after the Revolution we notice many children in rural areas wearing ragged clothing--although often heavy clothing. We notice hats, caps, and balaklava-type garments. Children also wear scarves. There are many types of coats. Before the Revolution we notice the girls using mufflers, but not after the Revolution. Of course a warm winter coat is an essential garment in Russia with its cold climate--basically a life to death matter. . Here we mostly notice European coat styles, although our information is very limited. We notice overcoats a might be worn by well-to-do European boys. There are many other styles worn by boys over time. This is a topic we need more information to develop. We notice a lot of scatves amd gloves/mittens. We think Russian vchildren also wore long iunderwear, but here we do not yet have much information. We also notice many children wearing long stockings as well as tights in modern times to keep warm. Both boys and girls wear tights. At first this may be because more affluebt children wore shortened lenhth pants, but today even boys eeat=ring long poanys may wars tights until their teens.
Russia is noted for its cold winters. This seems to have come as a surprise to the Germans in World War II. Russian mothers, however, take winters very seriously as with all countries with severe winters. Much of the Russian heartland is located at northern latitudes and there is also the ciontinental effect. With coldern temperatures prevakent in land from the major oceans.
As a result of the cold winters, Russian children were bundled up, including the poor children--at least the ones who survived. Cold weather clothing is a very important part of every Russina child's wardrobe. Countless images show Russian children bundeled pp to the hilt for the winter. We note an American mother in Moiscow being uobraded for not sening hers on to Kindergarten not wearing tights. The younger the children, the more they are bundled up. As conditions improved somewhat after World War II, pzrents coulkd affoird more clothes thzn before the War. The children comminly looked like giant puff balls. On author discussing the differences between American and Russian parenting writes, :"Americans under-stress the cold, letting kids decide when they want a jacket or coat on. If they're cold they'll let their mom know, right? In Russia, the opposite is the case. Although Motherboard noted inhabitants of the coldest city out there don't complain about the cold, they don't take it lightly either. Russians will often be seen bundling up their babies and taking them out to brave the cold at a young age, when Americans might prefer to just stay in."
And as to be expected, we see the children wearing all kinds of cold weather garments. Here social class was a factor before the Revolution. Many families could not afford expensive winter clothing. Even after the Revolution we notice many children in rural areas wearing ragged clothing--although often heavy clothing. We notice hats, caps, and balaklava-type garments. Children also wear scarves.
Russian childrem wear a wide variety of warm headwear, although for some reason stocking caos were not as common as in the West. We are not exactly sure why.
We notice a lot of scatves amd gloves/mittens.
There are many types of coats*. Before the Revolution we notice the girls using mufflers, but not after the Revolution. Of course a warm winter coat is an essential garment in Russia with its cold climate--basically a life to death matter. Here we mostly notice European coat styles, although our information is very limited. We notice overcoats a might be worn by well-to-do European boys. There are many other styles worn by boys over time. This is a topic we need more information to develop.
We think Russian children also wore long underwear, but here we do not yet have much information.
We also notice many children wearing long stockings as well as tights in modern times to keep warm. Both boys and girls wear tights. At first this may be because more affluent children wore shortened length pants. Long stoickings were commonlky worn in Russia (into the 1960s). They were repaced by tights (1970s). Today even boys wearing long pants may wear tights until their teens.
There are different types of Russian footwear, some destinctly Russian. Footwear of course is essential for cold weather. Footwear can be very expensive, especially learher footwear. That is why sefy children and many adults went barefoot. This was, however, not possible during the cold winter weather and snow. Serfs wore lapti, traditional bast woven shoes. Lapti were made of birch bast (phloem fibre) or bark. This was the principal type of serf footwear untill the mid-19th century. During the wuinter they were worn with
onucha (puttee), socks and strips of cloth wrapped round the foot. Onucha wwere fastened to the leg with a bast lace fixed to the lapti and was twined up around the shin similar to the Old Greek sandal. While this protected the feet, it was not a very permanenbt sollution. When walking any distance, the wearer had to rewind the onuchas. Another type of winter footwear was valenki -- felt boots. Betteroff Russians had boots. After the Revolution more standard Western footwear became more common. Children before World War II coonly went barefoot until the weather turned cold.
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