Photo official, serving the needs of the army and defence

At the beginning of world war I, in August 1914, by the special command of the Emperor to the officials of the civil departments serving the needs of the army and the defense of the state, were allowed to wear officers ' uniforms marching, abioticheskikh equipment sample 1912, revolvers and sabers. To distinguish them from the officers were instructed to use the buttons assigned to the office, where he served as the official, as well as the straps on the model of the civil war (civil braid with weave), but are installed, the Department colors. In this case, only buttons assigned to the civil officials of several departments, is designed to distinguish between civilian officials from the officer. From the army, these buttons are distinguished by the presence of the rim on the outer edge and as a result, heads are a little smaller. Straps – civilian pattern, with one lumen and without the asterisks, which denotes the rank of titular counselor. Additional similarities with the officer character gives the badge of the Konstantinovsky military school. Judging by the sign, pictured previously served in the army and had officer rank, but then for some reason he was enlisted in the reserves and joined the civil service. Such cases were very rare, but some of them are even reflected in the literature. Well-known memoir by E. A. Nicholas, promoted in the early 1900s in active service to the captain, translated in the civil ranks and during the First world war which dealt with the evacuation of the civilian population and assistance to refugees (last rank – collegiate Advisor). Character photos, no doubt, has a similar profile, but during the war he apparently was in charge in the rear of harvesting food for the army or the placement of orders for military-technical property. An indirect confirmation of this is the fact that the picture was taken in the South of Russia – in the Atelier of M. D. Elman, in the city of Voznesensk Kherson province. A very rare character. Cabinet-portrait. Recommended!