Trousers of the conductor of the Russian Fleet, 1915

Fleet conductors appeared in 1894 and existed until March 1917 as a special category of the lower ranks of the long-term service, who had a high level of special qualifications (gunners, miners, machinists, electricians, rangefinders, etc.). With the development of naval technology, the list of conductor specialties continuously expanded – for example, in naval aviation there were aviation conductors. Since 1913, the status of conductors as a special category of navy ranks belonging to the command staff was legislatively fixed. According to their official status, they occupied an intermediate position between officers and lower ranks. The ceremonial uniform for the conductors was similar in cut to the officer 's jacket (a cropped coat) and, like the officers, was worn with a starched shirt and tie. A number of other items of uniforms of conductors (a cap with a cockade, a blue tunic, black cloth trousers, shoes, coat) outwardly also repeated the officers', but were made of cheaper materials. An officer's cutlass served as a cold weapon, but without a belt covering with a turnip ribbon and without gilding.

These trousers are cut and tailoring features (high belt, codpiece, beveled track, buttons for suspenders, no loops under the trouser belt, ties with a buckle to fit the figure) they correspond to officers' Navy black cloth trousers. At the same time, they are sewn from materials characteristic of the lower ranks of the fleet – black, so-called guards lint-free cloth, linen lining canvas and cotton tiftik. Stamped metal buttons, which were practically not used on civilian clothes, are also very characteristic. Another significant detail indicating naval origin is the lack of lining in the pants (only a belt is placed with a tiftik, pockets and a waist flap are made of the same material). Such a combination (officer's cut and sailor's materials) could only have uniforms intended for the conductors of the fleet. The manufacturer's stamp with the date of manufacture of the product – 1915 is perfectly readable. At the same time, the name of the owner, Mr. Smolich, is affixed to the lining according to the same rules as for the lower ranks of the fleet – in resistant ink, in calligraphic handwriting. The total number of conductors did not exceed several hundred people for the entire fleet, so items of their uniforms are extremely rare these days. A beautiful item in excellent collectible condition.