Soldier 's tunic of the 1943 model of a cadet of the artillery special school of the Red Army

An original and extremely rare tunic, sewn from light flannelette fabric by an artel "Blind worker" in Novocherkassk, where the visually and hearing disabled worked. Before the war, they produced brooms, mattresses, soft-stuffed, imitation Pierre-Mache toys and much more. The artel was equipped with primitive, artisanal equipment, mainly manual labor was used in it. The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 .. invaded peaceful life, breaking its measured creative way. But, immediately after the liberation of the Rostov region from the Fascist invaders, the activists of the VOS began to restore the organization and organized the sewing of knitwear, including gymnasts, for the needs of the front. The artel was headed by a visually impaired Alexander Ivanovich Kovalev.

Size 48 (3 height). On the inside there is a manufacturer's stamp with, unfortunately, an unreadable year of release, but it is safe to talk about the war years of production, since the artel tailoring of uniforms for military needs was discontinued after the war. The tunic has the original shoulder straps of a student of the artillery special schools of the Red Army of the 1943 model. The tunic is originally sheathed with metal buttons painted in a protective color. The fabric has minor dirt and traces of wear. The belt is not included. The tunic of this type was introduced by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR No. 25 of January 15, 1943. A rarity. Guarantee of authenticity.

With the end of the Civil War, the system of military education of secondary and junior commanders began to be streamlined. By Order of the RVSR No. 2900 of December 31, 1920, 18 infantry, 4 cavalry, 5 artillery and three engineering courses were transformed into military schools for the training of platoon commanders with a 3-year training period. To improve the knowledge of commanders who had combat experience, the orders of the RVSR No. 409 of February 17, 1922, No. 1692 of August 5, No. 37 of January 6, 1923, and others created repeat departments and courses at schools. The district courses of political workers were transformed into military-political schools with a 3-year training period, they trained political officers of companies (batteries). Since 1923, retraining of political workers has been carried out at special departments of schools. The reduction of the army in 1921-1923 led to the liquidation of a number of military educational institutions. Their total number was 78 (without military academies), including 10 high schools, 55 secondary and 13 command courses.

In connection with the increased requirements for the training of the command staff in the conditions of transition to unity of command, instead of the abolished short-term courses, 6-9-month courses for the improvement of the command staff of all branches of the armed forces were organized with the departments of the senior and middle command staff (order of the RVS of the USSR No. 155 of September 17, 1924). By Order of the RVS of the USSR No. 1532 of December 18, 1924, regimental schools were created with a 7-10-month training period for junior command staff for personnel and territorial troops. At the same time, from December 1925, the retraining of the reserve personnel of the Red Army was organized at training camps at division headquarters. Instead of the liquidated district 3-year training schools for political instructors, at the beginning of 1927, military-political courses with a 10-month training period were created, preparing political instructors from communist platoon commanders who graduated from military school and served in this position for at least a year.

 In order to speed up the preparation of the average command staff for service in the personnel of the Red Army, by order of the USSR RVS No. 207 of July 4, 1928, departments with a shortened training period were created at infantry, artillery, engineering and communications schools, which were staffed from among persons with secondary and higher education who had completed military service and voluntarily wished to remain in service in the Red Army. The technical re-equipment of the army, which changed the principles of the organization and management of the battle, presented new requirements for the military-technical and operational-technical training of the command staff. The creation of specialized military educational institutions for the training of command personnel of technical troops has begun. Retraining of commanders and political workers was carried out at the courses of improvement of the higher commanding staff organized at the military academies. Since 1932, artillery departments have been established in all infantry schools, in some-engineering and tank. By this time there were 49 land schools, 4 naval schools and 15 air force schools.

By Order of the RVS of the USSR No. 094 of August 21, 1933, aviation departments with a 2-year training period were established at the military schools of the Red Army. From the 1935-1936 academic year, all schools switched to a 3-year term of study.  By the order of the NGO No. 36 of March 16, 1937, the land military schools were renamed military schools. District, corps and divisional training centers were reorganized into advanced training courses for the command staff of the Red Army Reserve (CUKS). The program and methodological guidance of the land military schools was carried out by the UVUZ. In connection with its abolition and the creation of the Inspectorate of Military Educational Institutions instead of it (order of the NGO No. 81 of March 26, 1938), the latter was charged with program and methodological guidance and control over educational work in military educational institutions, on issues of special training they were subordinate to the central departments, respectively, belonging to the branches of the armed forces. By order of the NGO No. 104 of April 28, 1940, the UVUZ was restored again.

With the formation of the main departments of NPOs responsible for the condition and combat training of a certain kind of troops, military schools, schools and courses were transferred to the subordination of the relevant departments, and infantry and machine-gun schools, as well as rifle-machine-gun and infantry advanced training courses, the school of military musicians and the Central School for the training of staff commanders (order of NPOs N 0195 of August 24, 1940). By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, 203 military schools and 68 advanced training courses operated.