International News - March 2005

New Broom to Make Uniforms the Roman Way

Rome, January 29, 2005, (The Scotsman, as reported by Jeremy Charles) – Researchers in the ancient Roman town of Pompeii are attempting to revive 2,000-year-old traditions to reproduce imperial cloth used to make togas and uniforms.

The project follows successful production of Roman wine two years ago using methods that would have been employed in vineyards buried by a devastating eruption from Mount Vesuvius in AD79. Historians at the archaeology department in Pompeii are experimenting with wild broom as the base product to make
the textiles.

They will be using the writings of ancient Roman scholars such as Pliny and Columella to make the cloth as well as relying on materials discovered within Pompeii in buried workshops.

Annamaria Ciarallo, director of the research laboratory at the department, said: "It will be a fascinating project and we are confident of success. From ancient writings of scholars we know that Romans used
broom which grows actively in the area around Vesuvius.

"The aim is to use the same techniques as ancient Roman textile makers to reproduce cloth that would have been used to make togas, uniforms and other items. It is the same textile as would be used to make the toga of an emperor, so it promises to be an interesting project.”

Russian Military Uniforms Return to the Past

Moscow, February 14, 2005, (RIA Novosti) -The Russian military uniform will be restored to Soviet models. This year, eagles will be removed from the caps as well as stripes with the Russian tricolor and the words “armed forces” from the sleeves. The Russian greatcoat, designed in 1802, and the Russian leather high boots with foot binding will not be changed. Innovations for the elite spetsnaz (special forces) include thermal under suits and insoles. Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov signed a decree on this last year, but it was kept secret until recently, Gazeta informs its readers.

Lieutenant General Sergei Shliayev, the head of the central clothing directorate of the Defense Ministry, said the former badges of rank were necessary to distinguish Russian servicemen from their colleagues from the former Soviet republics in the early 1990s. “There is no need for this now,” said Vyacheslav Sedov, head of the ministry's press service. “Now servicemen will have a stripe on the left sleeve denoting their unit, and a stripe denoting the branch and arm on the right sleeve.”

Russian leather boots and foot binding remained unchanged. General Shliayev believes there is nothing better than high boots for bad weather and bad roads. Russian and American peacekeepers in Bosnia were stationed side by side. When spring thawed out the roads, the Americans drowned in their boots and froze in their rubber boots. So, they asked the Russians to lend them their high boots and learned to wear foot binding. They are indispensable in battle conditions, as they are highly practical and hygienic.

On the other hand, the general did not say why spetsnaz in Chechnya wear American uniforms and Western boots.

Russian quartermasters are proud that uniforms are made of almost natural fabrics (80% cotton and 20% synthetic fiber), while American uniforms are made of 50:50 fabrics.

One element of the new uniforms, designed in historical traditions, is the olive color, which was introduced in the Russian army during the reign of Peter the Great. The field-service cap - the first headwear of Russian pilots - has been preserved, alongside formal caps, and the hexagonal shoulder straps and two-headed eagles on the buttons are traditionally Russian, too.