Cossack Troops - Armament and equipment
The armament of the Cossacks consisted of checkers of special designs (“Cossack” and “Caucasian”) and a pike (only in the front rank); the Kuban and Terek Cossacks had no pikes, but had daggers. During his stay in the “preparatory category”, the Cossack had to prepare the equipment necessary for the service, edged weapons and a drill horse. Firearms (rifles of the "Cossack" type) and pikes were issued at the expense of the treasury upon the arrival of the Cossack in the unit. The Cossacks rode without mouthpieces and spurs, on special "Cossack" saddles and controlled the horse with a bridle and a whip.
The parade uniform of the Don, Astrakhan, Orenburg, Ural, Siberian, Semirechensky, Transbaikal, Amur, Ussuriysk Cossack troops and the Cossacks of the Irkutsk and Yenisei provinces ("steppe" Cossacks) consisted of a hat, uniform, bloomers and boots. The papakha is made of black fur, with a colored cloth top. The uniform is blue or dark green, on hooks, with a stand-up collar, toe cuffs, colored cloth shoulder straps and piping. Bloomers - gray-blue with wide colored cloth stripes. The color of the uniform, piping, the top of the hat, the crown and the band of the cap and stripes in each army was different.
The uniform of the Kuban and Terek Cossack troops (“Caucasian” Cossacks) was similar to the national clothes of the peoples of the Caucasus and consisted of a black fur cap, a Circassian coat with gazyrs (armours), a beshmet, which was worn under a Circassian coat, bloomers and boots. Instead of overcoats, Caucasian Cossacks used cloaks. The color of the beshmet, piping, the top of the hat and the band of the cap in each army also had its own.
The Cossacks-artillerymen differed from the equestrian Cossacks of their troops in the color of their uniform or beshmet, yellow instrument metal, the image of crossed cannon barrels on buttons, and also in the color of some trim details that were adopted from army artillerymen.
The scouts of the Kuban Cossack army used raspberry as their instrument color, which indicated their "shooting" position.
Everyday shoulder straps in each Cossack army were of a special color; for officers of cavalry regiments - with silver galloons, golden ciphers, monograms and stars by rank, and for lower ranks - with the same images, but applied in yellow or red paint, with silver or white stripes by rank. The officers of the artillery and plastun units had golden galloons and special signs on their red or crimson shoulder straps.
Camping shoulder straps were of a protective (dull green) color, at the lower ranks - with images applied in light blue paint.
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