School uniform in the USSR: remember what it was like? What was the school uniform of Soviet children? Strict style school uniform of the USSR.

According to media reports, Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets rejected school uniforms proposed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Education and Science. The first draft turned out to be "too lobbyist", the second - "extremely vague". Meanwhile, manufacturing companies complain that due to the protracted process of coordinating the style of a single school uniform, they may not have time to sew clothes by the beginning of the school year.

It was not possible to find the rejected styles on the net, so Motherhood decided to give free rein to memories and admire the models of school uniforms that existed in different years, from the time of the Russian Empire to the developed USSR.

In 1834, a general system of all civilian uniforms in the Russian Empire was approved, including for secondary educational institutions. The regulation on the gymnasium uniform for girls was approved in 1896. The form of students of secondary educational institutions had a semi-military character. Similar in style, their caps, overcoats and tunics differed in color, piping, as well as buttons and emblems.

Everyday dresses of pupils of institutes of noble maidens were sewn from camlot. Preparatory school girls (from five to seven years old) wore coffee or brown dresses; from eight to ten - light blue or blue; from eleven to thirteen - gray. Senior schoolgirls wore white dresses. The dresses were closed ("deaf"), one-color, of the simplest cut. They wore a white apron, a white cape, and sometimes white sleeves.

Uniforms also existed in women's gymnasiums. In state gymnasiums, pupils wore brown dresses with a high collar and aprons - black on school days and white on holidays. The dress uniform was complemented by a white turn-down collar and a straw hat. If there were several women's gymnasiums in the city, then, as a rule, their uniforms were of different colors.

Outerwear was also regulated: gymnasium students wore an overcoat similar to an officer's.

In 1918, the gymnasium uniform of pre-revolutionary Russia was recognized as a bourgeois relic and canceled along with many other developments in the field of education. However, over time, it was decided to return to the former image - to brown strict dresses, aprons, student jackets and turn-down collars. This happened in 1948, during the period of general “uniforms”, when department after department dressed in uniform. The school uniform of the 1948 model actually copied the style of the uniform of classical gymnasiums - both in color, and in cut, and in accessories.

This uniform existed until the end of the 1962 school year. On September 1, 1962, first grade boys went to school in a new uniform - without caps with a cockade, without waist belts with a massive buckle, without tunics. The uniform for girls has not changed much.

The form was changed in the direction of moving away from "military". The boys received a gray wool-blend suit - trousers and a single-breasted jacket with three black plastic buttons. A white shirt was recommended under the jacket.

For boys, from the 1975-1976 school year, gray woolen trousers and jackets were replaced with trousers and jackets made of blue wool blend fabric. The cut of the jackets resembled classic denim jackets (the so-called “denim fashion” was gaining momentum in the world) with epaulets on the shoulders and chest pockets with brace-shaped flaps).

The jacket was fastened with aluminum buttons, reminiscent of the military in design. Buttons were 2 diameters - smaller for elementary school students and more for high school students. On the side of the sleeve was sewn an emblem (chevron) made of soft plastic with a drawn open textbook and a rising sun - a symbol of enlightenment.

For high school boys, trousers and a jacket were replaced with a trouser suit. The fabric color was still blue. Also blue was the emblem on the sleeve. On this emblem, in addition to the sun and an open book, there was a stylized image of an atom. Very often the emblem was cut off, as it did not look very aesthetically pleasing, especially after some time - the paint on the plastic began to wear off.

Girls from first to seventh grade wore a brown dress, as in the previous period. Only it became slightly above the knees.

For girls, a blue three-piece suit was introduced in 1984, consisting of an A-line skirt with pleats at the front, a jacket with patch pockets (without a sleeve emblem) and a vest. The skirt could be worn either with a jacket, or with a vest, or the whole suit at once. In 1988, Leningrad, regions of Siberia and the Far North were allowed to wear blue trousers in winter.

The compulsory wearing of a school uniform in Russia was abolished in the spring of 1994. By decision of the President, from September 1, 2013, a compulsory school uniform was reintroduced, but a single style has not been approved, so for now the choice remains with the school administration.

According to the websites:

In the USSR, the school uniform changed several times, and I will remember my 80s.
For girls, the classic brown dress with a collar, apron and cuffs had a certain variety of variations (for example, the collar could be “shirt” or “stand”). There were two aprons (or aprons, as they were also called) - black for everyday wear and white for festive rulers, and they were tied at the back with a bow.
Initially, aprons were the subject of protecting dresses from ink stains (in order to wash, in which case, not the whole dress had to be washed), and then this accessory was fixed already in the form of a traditional one. It was the most important decoration of the girl's school uniform, since the styles of aprons varied. And also a variety of lace collars and cuffs that were hemmed to the dresses.

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A certain variety of aprons and cuffs with collars allowed schoolgirls not to look "incubator". At the same time, by April-May, some girls still switched to dresses with short sleeves - I don’t know whether they had a “second set”, or they cut off the existing sleeve.
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And the girls were also allowed to differ by the fact that in different Soviet republics the school uniform was different, and it was not forbidden to wear the uniform of other republics. Moreover, it was very fashionable and was considered a kind of chic. And it was considered super cool to have the form of socialist countries.
According to the model, the girlish form of high school students in the mid-80s differed so much in the republics of the USSR:
- girls in the RSFSR had a three-piece suit: an A-line skirt with pleats in front, a jacket with patch pockets and a vest (in the regions of Siberia, the Far North and, for some reason, Leningrad, girls were allowed to wear trousers in winter since 1988).
- the uniform of the Ukrainian SSR was a long wide skirt and a blouse-jacket with a belt;
- in the BSSR, the uniform was in the form of a sundress with a bottom of a pleated skirt,
- and so on in the republics: half-sun skirts, pleated skirts, and in the Baltic states, for example, skirts were in a dark large cage.

Alexander Vasilyev ("Spleen"), 1982

The most common boyish Soviet school uniform for elementary and middle grades consisted of trousers and a blue jacket, which resembled a classic denim jacket. And on the side of the sleeve there was a patch-emblem made of soft plastic with a drawn open textbook and a rising sun.
After washing, this paint on the patch began to wear off, and usually the emblem was torn off (there was another option - to tear off the top of the emblem, and then an additional pocket for a bus ticket appeared). And sometimes the enemies painted these patches with ballpoint pens while you were doing physical education.

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Well, in addition to the school uniform, October, pioneer or Komsomol badges and a pioneer tie were supposed to be added (although many also stuck pins and all sorts of multi-colored triode diodes into jacket collars).
And the buttons on this uniform were white aluminum, gold-plated aluminum, and (rarely) blue plastic. Aluminum white buttons had one peculiarity - if they were sprinkled with chalk and rubbed over the skin, a wonderful bruise was obtained, very similar to a real one.

From the eighth grade, schoolchildren were required to wear an adult school uniform resembling a men's trouser suit. She had one feature - unlike the girl's school uniform, she did not wrinkle (the girls' skirts always looked crumpled after school).
And all school uniform items were sold separately, and if the sleeves of the old jacket were greasy, then you could buy a new jacket without trousers. Or vice versa - trousers without a jacket. The school uniform in the kit cost 30 rubles (at least that's what my mother remembers).
Boys were supposed to wear a plain shirt under their uniforms, but they also wore checkered shirts and turtlenecks. In high school, under shirts, they were allowed to cling to an adult, dim tie.

The boyish Ukrainian school uniform of the mid-80s was very different from the Russian one in both color and cut - it was made of thick woolen fabric of a creepy brown color, with two top options: a jacket or a jacket. In the warm season, it was a little hot in it, and I couldn’t stand it (and, unlike the Russian one, there was no sleeve emblem on it, the buttons were not aluminum, but some other ones, and sometimes “School” was written on them) .
Relatives and acquaintances of my parents from Russia every year sent me a blue Moscow uniform (to somehow differ from my classmates). But my peers from the RSFSR thought differently, and my parents constantly bought Ukrainian school uniforms for the children of their relatives and friends in Russia.
However, by the end of school, I generally scored on the form and walked in any trousers and jackets. True, I didn’t risk it in jeans - we were strict with this, and they were not allowed to take lessons in jeans. And they were also allowed not to wear school uniforms to fat people almost from the first grade - they did not have a size.

The girls also complained that in their uniforms it was hot in summer and cold in winter. They also got tired of tearing off those white cuffs every weekend, washing them by hand, and then sewing them on again.
Maybe these dresses were sewn from uncomfortable fabric, but they looked, in my opinion, very beautiful. Sexy, I would say. In high school, for girls with normal legs, the dress ended somewhere in the middle of the thigh, or even almost on the pope. In any case, I don’t remember a single dress below the knees of slender high school girls.

Recently, two Russian ministries - the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Education and Science - offered the government another version of the school uniform, but for various reasons they were once again rejected by Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets. Meanwhile, 2.5 years have passed since the President introduced compulsory school uniforms in all secondary educational institutions of the country. As before, in the Soviet Union.

However, the school uniform in the USSR did not always exist. Until 1948, students went to class in ordinary clothes, and the traditional uniform, considered a bourgeois relic, was abolished.

From the history of school uniforms

Compulsory uniforms for gymnasium students were approved as early as 1834 and included in the general system of civil uniforms of the Russian Empire. Two years later, the Regulations on gymnasium uniforms for girls were developed and approved.

A tunic girded with a wide leather belt, a cap, shiny metal buttons, emblems and piping - in style and color, the uniform of the gymnasiums of tsarist Russia resembled a military uniform. The obligatory outer uniform - the overcoat - added similarities with it. The uniform of the schoolgirls was not much different from the outfits pupils of boarding houses of noble maidens, at the same time reminiscent of the working clothes of maids. In this form, the school uniform for boys and girls existed in Russia until the revolution of 1917 and was preserved in the first year of Soviet power. The only change concerned outerwear: the uniform overcoat for boys became optional.

The uniform dresses of the gymnasium girls were of the simplest cut, they were supposed to have white (on holidays) and black (on weekdays) aprons, as well as a white lace cape, which in the USSR was transformed into a removable collar. Senior schoolgirls also wore white gloves. An interesting point: the age of the girl could be determined by the color of the uniform. So, the smallest students of the "preparatory" classes, who were from 5 to 7 years old, wore brown dresses (this color of school dresses later became the main one in the USSR). Gymnasium girls from 8 to 10 years old were supposed to wear blue or light blue dresses. Middle school girls aged 11 to 13 wore gray uniforms; senior gymnasium girls - white.

How did the school uniform appear in the USSR

In the postwar years in the Soviet Union, there was a boom in "universal uniforms", when entire departments were dressed in uniform. It was then that schoolchildren were also remembered - this is how the Soviet school uniform arose in 1948, which, in terms of cut, color and accessories, was actually copied from the uniforms of the tsarist gymnasiums and gymnasium girls.

School uniform for boys

Created in the image and likeness of the uniforms of pre-revolutionary gymnasium students and approved in 1948, the school uniform for boys existed unchanged until the end of May 1962 - that is, until the end of the school year. On September 1 of the same year, the boys went to school in an updated uniform, which lacked a tunic with a waist belt and a cap with a cockade.

In the new uniform, elements of "military" were completely absent: instead of semi-military clothes, the boys received a gray half-wool civilian suit: a single-breasted jacket with three plastic buttons and classic trousers. Under the jacket, a white or plain light shirt was recommended.

In 1975, the boys' school uniform underwent significant changes again. The gray fabric was replaced with dark blue, the jacket was replaced with a classic denim jacket in order to please the “denim fashion” that was flourishing at that time. The cut of school trousers has not changed, but the jacket was decorated with epaulettes and chest pockets with flaps resembling a brace. Plastic buttons were replaced by aluminum ones, and a patch appeared on the sleeve like a military chevron with the emblem of enlightenment: an open book against the background of the rising sun.

The upperclassmen now wore a classic navy blue pantsuit with a blue emblem on the sleeve. In such elegant suits, the guys looked pretty cute, causing keen interest not only among classmates, but also among girls from middle and even lower grades. True, the stylish image was somewhat spoiled by a not too aesthetic emblem, which, moreover, was quickly erased and took on a sloppy look. Therefore, the boys of the senior classes simply cut it off.

While there was a significant transformation of the boyish school costume, the girlish uniform remained the same: a knee-length brown dress with a white detachable collar, white festive and black casual aprons survived until the early 70s. The only slight change was in the length of school dresses: they became shorter.

Author's digression

According to the rules, the uniform dress was slightly above the knees. But which of the girls followed these rules? In my memory - no one, including me. And at one time, my mother and I had a silent duel: she unfolded the hem of her school dress, and I stubbornly folded it again. Then my mother, without saying a word, seizing the moment while I did not see, again did the same procedure: unfolded the hem and carefully steamed it with an iron through wet gauze. This went on for some time, until I got tired of this silent argument - and then I took drastic measures: I simply cut off the hated piece of fabric. Mom had to calm down. And it turned out just like in the photo.

The last change in the girl's school uniform of the times of the USSR underwent in 1984, when a blue three-piece suit was introduced for high school students instead of traditional brown dresses: a pleated skirt, a vest and a jacket with patch pockets. Individual elements of the costume were allowed to vary: the skirt was worn either with a vest or with a jacket, and in some regions of Siberia, the Far North and the Leningrad Region, it was allowed to replace the skirt with trousers in winter.

In addition to the everyday, in Soviet schools there was also a ceremonial pioneer uniform. For girls it was a white uniform shirt with long sleeves, aluminum buttons and a pioneer emblem on the sleeve and a blue-gray slightly flared skirt. The boys did not have a separate pioneer uniform, and for solemn occasions a white shirt and uniform trousers were provided. And, of course, the dress uniform of both was crowned with a pioneer badge and a pioneer tie. This uniform was worn during solemn pioneer events: festive lines, detachment and squad gatherings dedicated to some important event, etc.

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In 1994, three years after the collapse of the USSR, the compulsory form in Russian schools was abolished. For 19 whole years, starting from the spring of 1994, the school uniform was an optional attribute of schoolchildren throughout post-Soviet Russia, its presence or absence was regulated by the internal rules of each individual school or by order of the school principal. A few years ago, the president, by his decree, returned the compulsory form to Russian schoolchildren. But this decision, like many others, remained only on paper. How and by whom it will be executed, and whether it will be executed at all - we'll see.

In this section, we have formed a special offer for high school students. Here you can buy a complete set of Soviet uniforms for ceremonial events dedicated to the Last Bell. All our range is presented with a photo will help you make a worthy choice for the long-awaited holiday.

What is included in the kits?

Each set of the USSR school uniform includes the following items:

• School dress.

Available in long and short sleeves, in brown and blue, with front and back closures. All dresses are made of high-quality, pleasant fabric, they fit well on the figure. Our managers will help you choose the size. Even if you have a large size or tall, you can easily buy a Soviet school uniform from us, as we offer a wide dimensional grid of models of different sizes.

• White elegant apron.

This element of the school uniform can be called the most important, since it is he who gives the image an elegant, festive look. Therefore, we pay special attention to the development of unusual, interesting and very beautiful aprons. In the online store "Success" you can buy unique models that are sold only here and nowhere else.

• White collar and cuffs.

Each set is formed in such a way that the apron is combined with accessories, and you no longer need to select them yourself.

Do you want to dress beautifully and harmoniously for the Holiday Bell? Then take a look at our section "" (another name is "Soviet school uniform") and choose a kit that is already completely ready, assembled by specialists.

School uniform for girls in the USSR with a photo

If you want to know what the Soviet school uniform looked like, photos of our models in this category will help you deal with this issue. Most of the kits look almost exactly like their historical prototypes, because we use authentic Soviet-era patterns in production. Therefore, the school uniform in the photo in our store evokes fond memories of their childhood and school years for many representatives of the older generations. Of course, we are pleased with this - it means that we managed to recreate the atmosphere of those years and show what the school uniform of the Soviet years looked like.

However, our assortment does not completely copy samples of previous years. There are differences. First of all, they are in the choice of fabrics and accessories. The cost of the uniform in the USSR was low in order to make it affordable for all segments of the population, so expensive fabrics and lace were not used in its tailoring. We are not limited by such strict social guidelines and GOST requirements, so we can use any fabrics that are allowed for sewing children's clothes when sewing. And we take advantage of this opportunity.

For example, our aprons, even the most similar to Soviet ones, are decorated with expensive stuffed lace, which is produced to our order on special machines in Turkey. Or look at the aprons "Elite" and "Caprice" - can you imagine that the school uniform for girls in the USSR (photo in the section) looked so expensive and chic?

Sizing for girls

Before placing an order in our store - you need to measure the volume of the chest, waist and hips. Also consider growth. Measurements are taken closely, without a margin for free fit.

Size	Height	Bust	Waist	Hip girth	The length of the sleeve	Product total length*
30	110-118	58-61	52-55	69-72	44	63
32	120-128	62-65	55-58	73-76	45	65
34	131-136	66-69	58-61	77-80	48	72
36	137-142	70-73	61-64	80-82	50	77
38	144-156	74-77	64-66	82-86	54	82
40	155-165	77-80	66-70	80-86	59	85
42	155-169	84-87	68-74	86-96	60	86
42-2r	167-175	84-87	68-74	86-96		93**
44	160-170	87-91	70-80	90-98	63	88
44-2r	167-175	87-91	70-80	90-100		94**
46	163-170	92-95	74-86	92-104	63	90
46-2r	168-177	92-95	74-86	92-104		96**
48	165-172	96-99	80-92	100-110	63	91
48-2r	170-178	96-99	80-92	100-110		99**
50	166-177	100-104	86-95	105-112	64	94
50-2r	172-180	100-104	86-95	105-112		102**
52	167-177	105-108	90-102	108-114	64	94
54	167-177	109-113	96-104	110-118	66	96

*Full length is measured from the shoulder to the bottom of the skirt
** Dresses of the 2nd height (with an elongated skirt) are available in 2 chocolate color models: and

Sizing for girls (30-38 size)

For girls of the primary school group, in sizes 32r-38r there are height and fullness.
Those. Size 34, with bust 68cm, can fit 3 dresses: 34-1height (122-128cm), 34-2height (128-134cm), and 34-3height (134-140cm).
When choosing a size, you must first consider child's height, and then the volume of the chest and waist.
Also in the size 36r, 38r, 40r fullness is presented - these are dresses with a large margin along the waist line, and chest circumference.
Our technologists took into account all aspects of this age group, and developed models of the USSR school uniform with a comfortable cut and for different heights of children.
You can always get advice from our manager, and clarify the availability of a particular model in stock.

Size	Height, cm	Bust, cm	Waist, cm	Hips, cm	The length of the sleeve	Product total length*
30 size
36p (2nd fullness)
38n (2nd fullness)

40 n (2nd fullness)
42n (2nd fullness)						-	-	-	-	38	38	38	38	38	38	-	-	-	-
Cuffs long sleeve, cm	21	21	21	21	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	24	24
* error is +-1cm

Table of measurements of school dresses for finished products

Size	Chest circumference, cm	Waist circumference, cm	Semicircumference of the hips, cm	Sleeve length with cuff, cm	Full length cm	Arm circumference, cm
40	41	39	42	59	87	15
42	45	39	46	60	90	16
44	47	43	48	63	90	17
46	50	45	49	63	90	17
48	52	48	53	63	91	18
50	55	49	54	64	94	19
52	57	51	56	64	94	19.5
54	58	52	57	66	95	19.5