Russian naval dagger. History and appearance

Probably every boy dreams of a dirk. This short, straight knife with a faceted blade and a small dagger-like handle is inextricably linked with a sense of adventure and true nautical romance. Risk, courage, desperate deeds, inspired by the history of this weapon, continue to captivate many men (boys who have long since grown up).

The origin of the word "dagger", and therefore the weapon itself, is shrouded in mystery. It is associated with the Persian kard (knife), the Dutch korte (short saber), and the Italian cortello (knife). In the 16th-18th centuries, the German hirschfanger, that is, a deer knife used in hunting with a slightly curved short blade, became popular among noble people. Since the life of secular society was unthinkable without hunting, a luxuriously decorated hirschfanger was an obligatory element of a hunting costume. Most of the midshipmen belonged to a stratum of fairly wealthy people and took this convenient weapon with them to the ship; over time, the deer knife turned into a naval dagger, usually decorated with state symbols or the initials of the owner.

The history of the appearance of the dagger is closely connected with Spain in the 16th century. Dirks were used as bladed weapons in boarding combat. The role of artillery was still very small, and swords and sabers were too long and inconvenient for hand-to-hand combat in the close space between decks and on a ship, so dirks very quickly gained wide popularity. Spanish sailors, forced to fight pirates, always had this small knife with them, which they tried to keep even when they died. The loss of the dagger was tantamount to the loss of honor for them.

Award dagger of St. Andrew the First-Called. You can buy

In Russia, dirks appeared at the end of the 16th century. Peter I himself loved to wear a dagger. Before the revolution, this type of weapon was a traditional attribute of naval officers. IN Soviet time the dagger became simply a necessary element of the dress uniform of naval officers in various ceremonies. Graduates of higher naval schools even now, at the solemn moment of conferring the rank of officer, receive a dagger as a personal weapon

In the second half of the 20th century, the naval dagger served as the basis for the emergence of other types of these weapons. They issued a general-arms dirk, the scabbard of which was decorated with Soviet state symbols: the Kremlin Spasskaya Tower, a five-pointed star with a hammer and sickle and a laurel wreath. Later, almost every Russian department developed officer daggers, marked with appropriate symbols: Pogranichny dagger, Air Force dagger, officer dagger of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, FSB, Airborne Forces and others.

Currently, dirks have lost their purpose as military weapons and now they are an element of the ceremonial uniform of officers of the Russian Army, Aviation and Navy (admirals, generals, etc.). In addition, daggers have become collectibles, interior decoration, i.e. stylish men's gift. The main thing from the variety is to choose a suitable dagger and then you will definitely be able to pleasantly surprise the recipient.

So, to summarize:

1) Ask what type of troops your man is partial to and

2) Choose the appropriate dirk.

A modern dirk has a thin, faceted, diamond-shaped, double-edged, unsharpened blade, 215-240 mm long. Today it is a personal cold worn with the ceremonial and ceremonial dress uniforms of officers in the navies, land forces army units and the police of some states.

The short, unsharpened blade, intended primarily for stabbing, raises controversy regarding the effectiveness of the dirk as a bladed weapon. Why did the dirk, and not the more functional dagger, take root in the navy and become a symbol of honor and courage of its owner? Heroes naval battles The 17th century died in battle, but did not part with the dagger.

There are several versions of the origin of this blade. According to one of them, it was a weapon for the left hand paired with a rapier, or a heavier sword. According to another, it occurred in the process of shortening the rapier, which was extremely inconvenient in the close bilge battles inevitable during boarding. According to the third, the dagger is a type of dagger.

One way or another, this glorious weapon began in the mid-16th century.

During the confrontation between the Spaniards and the Turks in the sea, the rapier, known among the Spanish nobility since the late 15th century as the “espada” - dress sword, became widespread in the navy. The long (up to 1300 mm) thin blade of the military rapier gave a great advantage in battles with Ottoman pirates with their short curved scimitars.

The civilian “espada” had many variations in execution: it could be either double-edged or with a one-sided sharpening, or not sharpened at all, as a piercing-cutting weapon or as an exclusively piercing weapon. Gained great popularity as a dueling weapon. As the art of fencing developed, it became shorter, lighter, and eventually gave way to the stabbing-cutting sword. But that's a completely different story.

All in the same half of the 16th century, in the battles for sea routes between Spain and England, the latter received captured “espadas” for service. The subjects of Elizabeth 1 appreciated the trophy for the fact that the straight blade of the rapier perfectly hit the enemy, passing through the joints of the armor of the Spanish armor.

But if long-bladed weapons gave an undeniable advantage in battles in open space, then in ship rooms, which were not very spacious, a long blade was only a hindrance. A knife or dagger, due to its short length, was not a serious weapon against the same saber or scimitar.

This is where our hero appears on stage - the dagger!

The exact parameters of the first daggers are not known; their length ranged from 500 to 800 mm, and they called it either a hunting cleaver or a buccaneer dagger. There were both sharpened double-edged blades for cutting carcasses, and faceted ones, exclusively for piercing blows. By the beginning of the 17th century, combining attacking and protective properties, convenience and outstanding effectiveness in battle, dirks have gained extraordinary popularity not only among the military, but also among civilians. The nobles preferred a short, light and elegant dirk to a heavy and long sword.

At first, the dagger was used by military officers and sailors, who had to move a lot around the ship, and the long blades of the sabers constantly caught on something in the narrow hold spaces. But by the second half of the 18th century, the command staff also armed themselves with them. The dagger became not just a weapon, but a symbol of honor and courage.

In the Russian Navy, the dagger first appeared during the time of Peter 1, as an official naval weapons, an element of the officers' dress uniform.

The length and shape of the Russian dagger blade changed many times over the 17th-19th centuries. There were two-edged diamond-shaped blades and tetrahedral needle-shaped ones. The decoration of blades was most often associated with a marine theme. The blade of the dagger of the 1913 model was 240 mm long, and in 1945 a diamond-shaped blade 215 mm long was adopted with a latch on the handle to prevent it from falling out of the sheath. In 1917, the wearing of the dagger was canceled, and only in 1940 was it re-approved as a personal weapon for the fleet command.

Now an admiral's, officer's, combined arms, army or naval dagger can be a wonderful gift for a person whose profession is in any way connected with the army or navy, for a historian or collector.

A dirk is a cold piercing weapon characterized by a thin faceted blade. Worn on a leather belt without a sheath on the belt. A dirk is a type of dagger. The dagger appeared at the end of the 16th century. and was used as a military weapon during boarding battles. TO end of XVII V. the dagger ceases to be used for its intended purpose and becomes a distinctive, honorary and gift weapon.

Initially, the dagger was an attribute exclusively of the uniform of officers of the navy, as well as officers of the Russian merchant fleet. There were attempts to assign the wearing of a dirk to some land military ranks, which, however, were not successful - dirks ground forces were replaced by sabers.

At the beginning of the 19th century. the dagger finally becomes the insignia of the merchant fleet. Just like the sword, the dagger was an honorary weapon - only senior officers had the right to wear it naval forces. The official approval of the law on the compulsory wearing of a dirk as an attribute of the dress uniform was signed in 1851. Initially, this rule applied exclusively to employees of the ships of the Russian-American company Caucasus and Mercury, but soon became the main requirement of the entire fleet.

In November 1917, the wearing of a dagger was abolished by official decree. But already in 1924 this type of weapon was returned to service command staff Workers' and Peasants' Red Fleet. Two years later, the wearing of the dagger was again abandoned, and only in 1940 was its wearing finally established. So the dagger became the preferred type of weapon for naval command personnel.

The dirk is also used in modern Russian army as a privileged weapon, the right to carry which graduates of naval schools have. Previously a combat weapon, this weapon is now not used for its intended purpose and is used only as an insignia, a sign of belonging to the Russian Navy.

Often the dagger is also used as a gift weapon. At the same time, it can have expensive decoration in the form of a painted scabbard, engraving on the blade, finishing of the handle and guard. In this case, preference is given to the products of the Zlatoust Arms Factory, legendary for their beauty and elegance.

Types of dirks

Aviation dirk officer model 1914. Dirk (Russia), army weapons 1914-1917 Length with blade 350 mm (blade 250 mm), width 22 mm, weight with sheath 300 g.

Army dirk, model 1935. Army officer's uniform dagger (Germany). Length 370 mm (blade 235 mm).

Army dirk, model 1945. Uniform officer's dagger of the USSR.

Dirk air force model 1943. Uniform dagger of a German Air Force officer. Length 448 mm (blade 305 mm).

Model 1937 Air Force dirk. Uniform dagger of an officer of the German Air Force Germany. Length 380 mm (blade 250 mm)

Model 1945 Air Force dirk. Uniform dagger of an officer of the USSR Air Force. Length 340 mm (blade 212 mm).

Model 1945 Navy dirk. Uniform dagger of an officer of the USSR Navy. Length 340 mm (blade 212 mm).

Dirk of diplomats and government officials. Uniform dagger of diplomats and government officials (Germany).

State forester's dagger. Forester's uniform dagger (Russia). Length 335 mm (blade 230 mm).

Navy Commander's Dirk, Model 1919. Uniform dagger of the command staff of the RSFSR Navy. Length 400 mm (blade 277 mm).

Navy Commander's Dirk, Model 1940. Dagger of officers of the USSR Navy. Length 340 mm (blade 212 mm).

Dagger of the command staff of the civilian fleet. Uniform dagger of the commander of the civilian fleet of the USSR, 1920-1930s. Length 410 mm (blade 300 mm).

Dirk-malkus. A large dagger used by the gendarme cavalry (France) to cut the chain mail sleeves of infantrymen, light cavalry soldiers, and mounted riflemen.

Marshall's dirk. Uniform dagger of the Marshals of the USSR. Length 340 mm (blade 212 mm).

Marine courier dirk, model 1858. Russian army weapons from 1858 to 1917. Length 600 mm (blade 500 mm), width 23 mm, weight with sheath 1200 g.

Marine dagger, 1913 model. Standard naval dagger (Russia). Length 335 mm (blade 240 mm).

Naval officer's dirk, model 1803. Russian army weapons 1803-1917. Since 1914, it had an imperial monogram on the handle. Length 500 mm (blade 390 mm), width 22 mm, weight with sheath 500 g.

Dagger of the "SOGOR" and "ZEMGOR" societies. Uniform dirk Russian societies"Sogor" and "Zemgor". Length 335 mm (blade 230 mm).

Postman's dirk, model 1820. Postman's dagger in Russia 1820-1855. Length 710 mm (blade 600 mm), width 30 mm.

Officer's dagger (original), model 1945. Produced at the ZIK plant in 1957.

Dirk navy Russia (USSR Navy), model 1945, which has survived to the present day. The uniform dagger of an officer of the Russian Navy is produced in series. This item was produced by the ZIK plant in 1957.

A country: THE USSR.

Dating: 1957

Stamps: blade heel: “ZiK // 1957” - mark of the manufacturer - Zlatoust Tool Factory. Zlatoust Arms Factory is an enterprise producing edged weapons for the needs of the Russian army and navy. Opened in December 1815. Initially on the banks of the river. Ai built several wooden buildings to house the main departments of the factory. The construction of the capital stone building of the arms factory was completed in 1839. It was built according to the design of the chief architect of the Ural Mining Administration I. I. Sviyazev under the supervision of the architect of the Zlatoust factories F. A. Telezhnikov.

German gunsmiths were invited from Germany to establish the production of edged weapons. Subsequently, all production was carried out in-house. The factory had seven departments (steel, blade, scabbard, hilt, decorated weapons, etc.), each of which was divided into several workshops. The arms factory was an independent enterprise and was not formally part of the Zlatoust state plant.

As a rule, its director was the mining chief of the Zlatoust factories. The arms factory produced the most different kinds combat, fencing and hunting weapons: sabers, broadswords, checkers, swords, cutlasses, daggers, dirks, pikes, espadrons and knives. From 1839 to 1860, cuirasses were also produced here. By the beginning of the 20th century. the production of bladed weapons was increased to 42 thousand units per year. Zlatoust edged weapons had high fighting qualities and were known not only in Russia, but also abroad. It was exhibited at many World Exhibitions and was repeatedly awarded the highest awards. Zlatoust arms factory was among the best industrial enterprises in Russia on the organization of production. After 1917, the Arms Factory became one of the workshops of the Zlatoust Mechanical Plant (now Bulat JSC). The last mass batch of bladed weapons at the former arms factory was manufactured in 1945 for the Victory Parade. // Manufactured in 1957.

Dimensions: Overall length: 340 mm, length without sheath: 320 mm, blade length: 215 mm

Description: The blade is steel, straight, flat, rhombic cross-section, double-edged, nickel-plated.

Handle: Straight, ivory, rectangular section, chamfered. There are conical fittings at the top and bottom. On the top sleeve there is a stamped image of the USSR Coat of Arms. A rectangular nut with the image of a five-pointed star on a round shield is screwed onto the top of the blade's shank.

Cross: Straight, flat, with rounded ends bent in different directions - up and down. Made from polished brass.

Sheath: wooden, covered with black leather. The scabbard device is made of brass, with serrated edges, and consists of a mouth, a holder and a tip. Mouth with front side decorated with an image of a star with a hammer and sickle framed by oak branches and diverging rays, with reverse side The Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin is depicted. The mouth and nut have movable rings for belts and belts.

State of preservation: The item is in very good collectible condition.

Historical reference: After 1917, in the USSR Navy, officers wore pre-revolutionary daggers until 1940. In 1940, for naval officers a new dagger was adopted, which in 1945 was slightly modernized and acquired its final form. From the same year, the dagger was adopted for wearing with naval uniforms for midshipmen and foremen of the navy. Based on sea cutlass arr. 1945, only with different symbols on the scabbard, the army officer's dagger and the air force officer's dagger were developed and adopted in 1945. However, the production of daggers for the army and military aviation was postponed for several years, primarily due to economic reasons. Therefore, the dagger appeared in the air force in 1949, and in the army only in 1955.

After the Great Patriotic War it was adopted new form dirk - with a flat chrome-plated steel blade of diamond-shaped cross-section, 215 mm long. The total length of the entire dirk was 320 mm. On the right side of its handle there is a latch that protects the blade from falling out of the sheath. The tetrahedral handle is made of ivory-like plastic. The lower frame, head and cross of the handle are made of non-ferrous gilded metal. Placed on the head of the handle five pointed star and on the side there is an image of the coat of arms of the USSR. The wooden sheath is covered with black leather and varnished. The scabbard device (two clips and a tip) are made of non-ferrous gold-plated metal. The upper and lower holders have belt rings. The sword belt and belt are made of gilded threads.

Historical and legal information: Dirks were adopted by Council Resolution People's Commissars USSR dated September 12, 1940 No. 1673 “On the introduction into service of a dirk for military personnel of the Navy” (announced by order People's Commissar USSR Navy dated September 20, 1940 No. 574).

At the court hearing it was established that the Russian Navy dagger, model 1945, total length 320 mm, blade length 212 mm, maximum blade width 17.5 ± 0.5 mm, blade thickness 4.0 ± 0.75 mm, handle length dirk 108 mm. Produced in series. The blade of the dirk is chrome-plated, straight steel, made of carbon alloy steel, double-edged, double-edged, diamond-shaped. In the Soviet armed forces and in the armed forces Russian Federation the dagger is part of the dress uniform not only of naval officers, but also of admirals, generals, officers, midshipmen and warrant officers of all branches of the military, but only in the navy is it a personal weapon for officers.

In accordance with Art. Art. 2, 5 and 6 of the Federal Law of December 13, 1996 No. 150-FZ “On Weapons” weapons are divided into civilian, service, combat hand-held small arms and bladed weapons. Cold steel refers to weapons designed to solve combat and operational tasks, while the circulation of cold steel is prohibited on the territory of the Russian Federation bladed weapons, with a blade and blade length of more than 90 mm.

The norms set out above allow us to conclude that a naval dagger is an officer’s personal weapon, in its intended purpose it is classified as a combat piercing-cutting bladed weapon and is worn according to special instructions in the ceremonial uniform for the formation.

Moreover, it has been established that the independent wearing of a Navy officer’s dagger by military personnel or citizens without a full dress uniform is not provided for by the current legislation of the Russian Federation.

From the above it follows that the Navy dirk is currently actually ammunition military uniform clothes and is worn only with dress uniform clothing for military personnel and citizens discharged from military service who are granted the right to wear military uniforms, provided that these persons belong to the Navy.

Subsequently, this norm was extended to officers of other branches of the RF Armed Forces. However, with the collapse of the USSR and changes in the types of weapons produced, daggers of the USSR, and with the collapse of the GDR and German production, acquired the status antique items, as indicated by the official state symbols non-existent states, available on both samples, as well as the release dates of items with a service life of more than 50 years, which does not correspond to the maximum standards of the Armed Forces for being part of the armament of existing weapons.

In connection with the above, the daggers of the USSR Armed Forces and the People's Army of the GDR are currently antiques.

Estimate: 20,000 rubles.

Dagger of an officer of the People's Army of the GDR dagger of an officer of the National People's Army of the GDR Model 1961 early production, before 1972 - the blade has the mark of the Mühlhausen plant - three towers in a triangle. These dirks were used by officers of the GDR navy until 1983.

LEVER round shape, consists of white plastic, with four rounded deep grooves. At the bottom of the handle there is a cylinder-shaped nut containing a button with a latch spring. The head of the handle is round in shape, with a rim, screwed to the shank. On the top of the head is the coat of arms of the GDR.

CROSS flat in shape, tapering towards the ends. The endings look like stylized acorns, looking in different directions. All parts of the hilt are metal, made of brass. Under the crosspiece there is a massive oval leather pad.

BLADE straight shape, rhombic cross-section, sharpened on both sides, plated with nickel, with a pair of narrow fullers. On the heel there is a number and a latch spring tongue; on the other side there could be a manufacturer's mark. The blade was not decorated with anything.

Blade length - 250 millimeters
Blade width - 17 millimeters
The entire length is 360 millimeters
Length including sheath - 400 mm

SHEATH made of metal, blued. The device has a scabbard made of brass, a long mouth and a tip with a ball. The mouth and tip have sharp, raised edges. At the mouth there is a relief image of the state coat of arms of the GDR and a design in the form of an oak leaf with an acorn. A pair of movable rings in the shape of a trapezoid are attached to attach the belt straps.

HARNESS consists of a pair of straps 210mm long and 17mm wide, which end with carabiners on one side and opposite side converge on the frame with a flat carabiner. The straps are gold in color with a pair of black stripes and a black wool lining. Rectangular buckles are on the straps, and decorative elements are painted with oak leaves.

Estimate: 20,000 rubles. We apologize, the item is missing.

TASS DOSSIER. On December 17, 2015, during a large press conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke in favor of returning daggers to retiring officers and midshipmen of the Russian Navy.

Story

Dirk (from Italian cortello - “knife”) is a piercing bladed weapon with a straight, double-edged blade and a simple hilt consisting of a handle and a crosspiece.

It first appeared in the 16th century in the navy as a convenient weapon for boarding attacks. Under Emperor Peter I it was introduced into the Russian fleet. In October 1730, Empress Anna Ioannovna approved the Regulations for Weapons and Ammunition, which abolished the wearing of a long sword by a number of military ranks and replaced it with a dagger.

In 1803 it was approved standard view daggers for naval officers and midshipmen, weapons were established as a mandatory part of the uniform. During the 19th - early 20th centuries, the dirk became part of the statutory uniform of land officers, aviators, as well as civil officials - postmen, rangers, foresters. By that time, it had already lost its significance as a weapon, having become an element of the dress uniform.

After the October Revolution of 1917, the wearing of a dagger was abolished. In 1924-1926, it was temporarily introduced as part of the fleet command uniform. It was finally returned by a resolution of the Council of People's Commissars (SNK) of the USSR dated September 12, 1940. Initially it was introduced only for Navy personnel, but then became part of the dress uniform of other types and branches of the military. In 1944-1954. it was worn by employees of the prosecutor's office and the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs. In 1955-1957 awarded to graduates of all military schools. In 1958, the wearing of a dagger was abolished for most branches of the military, with the exception of the Navy.

In the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, daggers are a personal weapon and part of the dress uniform of officers and midshipmen of the Navy (from March 2010 to June 2015, the dagger was not included in the list of elements of their uniform).

Officers of other branches and branches of the military wear daggers only in parades and upon special instructions. The dirk is also used as a reward weapon by various law enforcement agencies.

Appearance

The standard type of army dagger was adopted after the end of the Great Patriotic War in 1945. They have a flat chrome-plated steel blade with a diamond-shaped cross-section, 215 mm long (total length with sheath - 340 mm). The blade blades cannot be sharpened. The handle is made of orange bone-like plastic and has a safety latch for holding the sheath. The scabbard is made of wood, covered with leather, has a brass tip and two brass clips with rings for wearing on a belt belt.

Conflict over the right to wear cutlass

On December 13, 1996, Russian President Boris Yeltsin signed the federal law“On Weapons”, according to which a standard officer’s dagger fell under the definition of edged weapons (blade length greater than 90 mm) and from which restrictions on its wearing and storage followed. According to the law, its wearing was allowed only to military personnel in full dress uniform or those discharged from military service with the right to wear a military uniform. After this, cases became more frequent when internal affairs officers began to demand permission to store them from former military personnel or their families.

In 2013, a new Guidelines for accounting for weapons, military and special equipment and other material assets in the RF Armed Forces was approved, which required that upon dismissal from military service, a dagger and other weapons should be handed over to the warehouse of a military unit using invoices. After the return of the dagger to the uniform in the fall of 2015, Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu began to receive requests from veteran organizations asking to remove the provision on handing in daggers from the Manual. The requests were motivated by the fact that officers and midshipmen of the Navy, transferred to the reserve with the right to wear a uniform, were forced, in violation of the rules, to wear a uniform without a dagger. In addition, it was noted that a dagger for the family of an officer and midshipman is a family heirloom, and according to the Charter of the Internal Service of the Russian Federation, during the burial ritual of officers and midshipmen of the fleet, a crossed dagger and scabbard must be attached to the lid of the coffin.