Photo assistant captain of a merchant ship

In pre-revolutionary Russia there was a fairly large number of private shipping companies, carrying on the seas and rivers, cargo and passengers. Among them were found and large enterprises, for example, Voluntary fleet or Ropic (Russian society of shipping and trade), and a small partnership that owned two or three steamers. A full description of their uniforms have not survived, but such a document could not exist as a single sample it was never installed. However, in General terms, the appearance of the sailors and employees of the merchant fleet was quite monotonous. Sailors commonly wore flannel and linen shirt and pants, both in Navy, but without insignia. In some societies, on the chest of the shirt indicates the name of the shipping company or vessel. As for professionals-level officers, among them wore the form captains of merchant ships, their assistants and senior mechanics. Headdress served as a cap with a visor, trimmed with lace edging. The civil cockade on the crown relied only had the rank, other commonly worn on the edging of all kinds of badges with the image of an anchor. The number of braids, from one to three, depending on the position (on the captains. usually three, the two assistants, the mechanic one). As clothing used jacket and white summer jacket, the same used in the Navy. The insignia was or arm (upper galloon with a loop and underneath it one to three depending on the post), or placed on the collar; could also be used cross shoulder straps of civil type, or longitudinal with corded gear, similar to the shoulder straps of the civil officials of the specimen 1876, the Latter went out of use in the late 1890s – early 1900s. In this case, according to galanoy the hull sides, the character serves as an assistant captain on a trading ship. Photos of workers of the merchant Navy of old Russia in our dlni are extremely rare.