Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova uses her formal attire to present her credentials to President Radev
Wearing a black uniform with gold buttons and a gray tie, the new Russian ambassador presented her credentials to President Rumen Radev a week ago. And if for many in Bulgaria her clothes were a surprise, in Russia diplomats wear uniforms from the distant 1799.
To this day, this type of clothing is an integral part of the appearance for official events of all Russian diplomats.
The main elements of this uniform include: black double-breasted jacket with gilded embroidery on the collar and cuffs, black pants (skirt), white shirt, gray silk tie. The clothes also have a black hat with a black visor with a ribbon emblem. In addition, Russian ambassadors are expected to wear black silk socks, black leather low shoes and white gloves.
For diplomats sent to work in countries with hotter climates, a tropical version of the uniform, also known as a sandy one, is used. For women, instead of uniforms, clothes for special occasions are also provided.
The last changes in Russian diplomatic attire are from 2001. Then the star on the sleeve cuff became on a greenish background instead of red, as it was before.
The Russian ambassador wears the uniform with a double-headed Russian eagle in his buttonhole. A star was removed from the first- and second-class ambassadors’ jackets.
According to the protocol of events indoors, diplomats are forbidden to wear the same hat and gloves.
This type of clothing is extremely representative and is used only for official diplomatic protocol events. The uniforms for Russian Foreign Ministry officials were created in October 1799, when the emperor commissioned the following garments to be made – a dark green kaftan, a lining of the same color, a standing collar and a black velvet cuff. Buttons should have been only on one side of the garment, the trousers were white, the buttons were also white, but with the emblem of the Russian emperor. There was a silver buttonhole on the hat.
After the establishment of the ministries in Russia in 1802, the uniform of Russian diplomats underwent a number of innovations. In September 1808, Alexander I approved the uniforms for Russian consuls abroad. The gold embroidery on them depicted “an olive branch facing up.”
In November 1809, a wide silver embroidery was introduced on the uniforms of the employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as on those of ambassadors and envoys.
During the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the uniforms of diplomats were changed many times. Thus, in 1855, the collar and cuffs of the official attire of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs turned red. However, the dark green color has always remained dominant.
In 1904, the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II required the employees of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have six types of uniforms: ceremonial, festive, ordinary, special, everyday and travel. Then different stars are placed on the shoulder so that the ranks of the people who wear them can be distinguished.
Employees of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs wore uniforms for almost ten years. On the collar of the ambassadors’ clothes were the coat of arms of the USSR and a star. There was a red star on the top of the cuff. This type of formal wear was not used after the collapse of the USSR at the end of 1991.
The modern uniform for the Russian ambassadors, with which we saw Eleonora Mitrofanova in Bulgaria, has been used since 2001.
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