eginners kit guide - hmb usa · eginners kit guide rus armours (v04/15) andrej woltschanskiy 5 this...

Beginner’s kit guide for armours of the Rus principalities Timeframe: 13th and 14th century

Andrej Woltschanskiy

Beginner’s kit guide Rus armours (V04/15) Andrej Woltschanskiy

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Tabele of contents

I. Introduction page 2

II. Armours page 3

1. Body armour page 3

2. Helmets page 8

3. Arms page 15

4. Hands page 17

5. Legs page 18

III. Weapons page 21

IV. Schields page 22

V. Clothing page 23

VI. Conclusion page 25


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Important 1: This guide was written in order to give beginners an overview over the current state of

research of Rus armour in the middle age, specifically in the 13th and 14th centuries. Above all it is

aimed at sportsmen and deals especially with the aspects of full contact armour fights. It is not a

scientific treatise nor is it a meticulous reconstruction. Everyone who decides in favor of a Rus armour

should be aware of: Modern full contact fighting and a scientifically sound and historically as

currently possible living history portrayal within the regions of the Rus principalities are simply not

possible together (at the current state of research). Of course I recommend everybody who wants to

deal with this topic to do one’s own research. This guide is aimed mainly at giving people withou

previuos knowledge an access tot he topic. Just so you can at least tell the smith the name of the

armour part you mean when you place an order.

I. Introduction

While in eastern europe medieval Rus armours have firmly established themselves along side

western european and oriental armours they are still quite rare in the west.

Important 2: I use the terms „russian“ and „european“ solely because they have stablished

themselves in the scene. By them I mean the arms and armours of west and central europe and on the

opposite side the ones of the russian principalities (before and after the mongol invasion). Therefore I

will countinue talking about russian sets even if I should call them russian principalities. Calling it Rus

is a little problematic for this time period, because the Kievan Rus ceased to exist after the mongol

invasion. Afterwards the principality of Vladimir-SUsdal1took on the leading role among the russian

principalities, also known as Vladimir Rus. It was later absorbed into the grand duchy of Moscow. But

because all this would be too complicated for a beginners guide, I will continue calling them „russian

armours“. The often quite significant differnces between the principalities of the north west and south

east shall have no impact for the same reason.

Everyone who decides to use a russian armour of this period has to be aware that (at the current

state of research) no 100% historical accuracy can be reached on the lists. There are no findings or

other sources for gauntlets. Leg protection is hotly debated, because the few sources we have are

not unambiguous. Helmets have to work with hidden protection. At least the torso, arm and thigh

protection is quite well documented.

The shown parts of armour and weapons are classified chronologically and regionally. I am not going

to give all to detailed sources though, mostly because it is not a scientific treatise. But anyone who

wants to do serious research will have more than enough source material. I will also mostly forgo

mentioning the sources of the modern reconstructions, because in most cases I simply don’t know

the source any more and because this is a non commercial project. Should anyone recognize his

work, feel free to notify me. The manufacturer will then of course be mentioned.

1 For the propper pronounciation the stressed syllable is marked by a capital letter every time a russian word

shows up for the first time. Thus Vladimir-Susdal is pronounced Vladimir-SUsdal.


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II. Armours

1. Torso armours

1.1. Lamellar

In the 13th century lamellar armour was quite widespread. It was made of metal scales or plates that

were threaded with each other overlappingly.

Towards the end oft he 13th century lamellar armour was superseded by other kinds of armour. The

leather stripes that divided the scale rows can be seen very clearly on many depictions.

Lamellar found from the 13th

century

Warrior in lamellar armour, St.

George vita, 14th century

Modern reconstruction: Note the

leather stripes between the metal

plates.


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Advantages: Can really take a beating (tested at BotN), flexible (if you don’t tie it too tight), looks

really noble.

Disadvantages: really really heavy, lots of maintenance needed (rusts, straps needs replacing).

1.2. Maile

Maile was the most common armour for this period and region. Because it‘s protection is not

sufficient for full contact fighting, I will not describe it too deeply. But the spread of maile shows us

the source problem. While we have massive amounts of findings, maile does almost never appear on

orthodox icons. Icons should be used as sources with greart care, because they were subject to a

strict canon and were being copied for centuries. Because oft hat they show an archaic and strongly

stylized picture. Especially in the 13th century there was a strong recollection of the byzantine school

of icon art and many byzantine and bulgarian painters were called into the Rus principalities. Their

art was chracterized by the realities of their homeland and much less by the Rus principalities‘.

1.3. Scale armour

Although the „classic“ scale armour did exist alongside the lamellar armour in the 13th century and

was together with it the heaviest available armour, those armours were superseded by a new kind of

scale armour towards the end oft he 13th century. While the rounded scales oft he „classic“ scale

armour are sewn or riveted at their upper edge to a carrier, the scales of a sewn-riveted scale armour

were both sewn at the upper edge and additionally riveted (mostly at the middle) to a leather carrier.

This lowered the flexibilty of the armour, but increased it‘s protection and longevity enormously.

Furthermore, the rounded scales fell out of use after the mongol invasion and square plates caught

on. There are two very famous findings which shall serve as examples for this new kind of scale

armour.

Finding of the so called DOvmont

armour from Pskov, which is dated

to the late 13th century. The front

part is currently stored in the

Hermitage museum, the back is

supposedly lost.


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This is how a modern reconstruction looks:

Another one that was found in NOvgorod and is somewhat simpler made, is the so called armour of

OntsIfor (named after the excavation of the estate of posAdnik (high ranking administrative official)

Ontsifor LUkich, which burned down at 1368):

The holes for the threads and the central rivets can be clearly seen. The plates are also of the same

shape, as opposed to the Dovmont armour. The rivets revealed that the carrier was 3 to 4mm thick,

which shows that actually only leather holds it together. It can also be seen that the plates overlap

horizontally as well as vertically.

The plate beneath the neck is here,

correctly, made of a large single

piece, like on the original finding.


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Modern reconstructions of this armour look like this:

Another finding is a little bit out of line, because it lacks the central rivets. This is also why

archeologists still argue whether the armor from Vladimir (the city, not the male name) may actually

have been a Khatangu Deghel.

Advantages: Good protection and acceptable weight.

Disadvantes: Prone to rusting, needs maintenance.

Finding from Vladimir, second half

oft he 14th century.

Modern reconstruction as

scale armour


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1.4. Coat of plates

The usage of coats of plates by the Rus principalites is hotly disputed. Neither was a complete one

found nor do we have depictions which can be identified as a COP unobjectionably. There are some

indications though.

A fragmented finding from Pskov can be identified as a coat of plates and is dated tot he second half

oft he 14th century.

With 20 to 14 cm the plates are too big for a scale armour.Some depictions could be identified as

coats of plates. Here a possible depiction of a coat of plates:

The armour of the warrior left of the

saint can with some goodwill be

interpreted as a coat of plates.


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An interpretation oft he wearing method of a coat of plates with the regionally typical scale skirt:

Advantages: Cheap, light, flexible, can also be used for western europe in the 14th century

Disadvantages: Cloth is vulnerable to tearing, highly disputable source situation.

All body armours, with the exception of maile, have in common, that they were worn with a scale or

lamellar skirt which protected the hips and thighs

2. Helmets

Important: Almost all of the helmets in question must have a hidden protection. This protection is

hidden beneath the maile or scales of the aventail and lloks like this:

I would, from own experience, prefer a grille, at least for the face. Very important: if you are going to

have a helmet made with nasal pay attention that tha nasal is somewhat bent outwards and does not

go straight down. Else you would hit your nose on it and that hurts. Especially in connection with

As already said, the usage of coats of

plates is highly disputed. Even if

they were used in the region of the

Rus principalities then at the most in

the north west regions (note the

location oft he finding) which had

greater contacts to the west

european realms. Novgorod for

example was even a member of the

hanseatic league. Which should in

no way mean that all western

armour parts are allowed for

Novgorod!


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shield rims. Especially opponents‘ shield rims. And also pay attention that the face grille is also

bulging away from the face.

In the area of the former principalities many helmets were found. I will show only some examples

wich can be seen as typical for their class and can be used for full contact fighting with only minor

midifications. For this reason I omit light, open helmets.

2.1. Half mask helmets

Both famous findings from NikOlskoye and GorodEc belong to his class. One of their characteristic

traits is a high, eggshell like dome which can be smooth or fluted. The half mask is made of eye brows

and a nasal which artfully modeled after a human nose. The oculars sometimes have no metal

brackets under them. Their usage is contained to the 13th century.

The helmet from Kiev is a good example for a half mask without lower eye:

Original find oft he Nikolskoye

helmet, 13th century.

Modern reconstruction

Left: Original find of the

Gorodec helmet Nr.1

Right: Modern

reconstruction(Nr.1

because during the

excavations in Gorodetc

another helmet was

found. It is from teh 14th

century, though.)


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Originally the domes of this kind of helmets was riveted of three plates and then polished so that the

outer rivet heads couldn not be seen and the helmet look as if made of a single peace. All the found

helmets were highly expensive status symbols and still have traces of gilding and/or silver plating.

2.1. Masked helmets

During the 13th century helmets with masks resembling a human face were in use. Probably the only

kind of helmet which doesn’t need hidden protection for the face. But because of the complicated

mask also one of the most expensive.

Another of those helmets was found at the river KAlka, the place oft he first clash oft he mongols and

the Rus principalities. Not only the mask, but the helmet was also found.

Helmet from Kiev, 13th century Modern interpretation

Helmet mask from SErensk, 13th

century Mask from IzyaslAvl, 13th century


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2.3. Helmets with a simple nasal

As a separate category I will show some helmets with a simple nasal

Important: Mask which could be identified as russian are very

different from cuman masks. Russian maksks lack the

moustache and ears. Also, the corresponding helmets have a

diffrently shaped dome. Cuman masked helmets should not

be used with russian armour.

Modern interpretation oft he mask

from Izyaslavl with the dome of the

Gorodec 1 helmet.

Helmet from the

excavations at RAyki, 13th

century. Right: A modern

interpretation.


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These helmets show distinct similarities to older helmet forms.The nasal could be either riveted to

the helmet or of one part with the frontal helmet plate. Such helmets were outdated but still

widespread until the middle of the 13th century. Towards the end of the 13th century their usage

strongly declined.

2.4 Conical helmets with round eye holes

A new kind of helmet which combined ease of production with good prtection appeared in the 14th

century. The trade marks of these helmets was a deep conical dome, the closed aventail and the lack

of a nasal.

Just because the helmets were easier to produce doesnst mean, that they were simple. The helmet

form YekaterinoslAvl (14th century) shows a quite elaborate decoration:

Left: Original

helmet from

the 13th

century,

Ukraine. Right:

A modern

version.

Left: Original helmet from the

artillery museum at St. Petersburg,

14th century. Right: Modern

reconstruction.


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Depictions show other highly decorated helmets of this kind:

2.5. Pavillionlike helmets

Towards the end of the 14th century a helmet gained popularity in the Rus principalites which was

also in use in Poland and the Holy Roman Empire in similar form. Their appearance bore a strong

resemblance to a round spokes tent.

Majuscule from a manuscript ot the

14th century

Modern interpretation of the

„BUkvitsa“ („bookvitsa“) helmet, called

so after the majuscule.

Helmet from BElaya

Kalitva, 14th

century and a

modern

reconstruction.


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Important: With these helmets i highly recommend a vertical bar between the eyes to protec against

strikes from the side.

Second helmet

found at

Gorodec, often

called „Gorodec

2“ and ist

modern

reconstruction.

Helmet from

TorzhOk and ist

reconstruction.

During the

excavation at

Torzhok a two

handed axe and

fragments of a scale

armour were also

found.

This depiction from the late 14th century proves

that the aventail of this kind of helmets was

drawn up to the eyes. With some imagination it

can also be seen as a source for high drawn

aventail in connection with pointy iron hats

(which were also in use).


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As a comparison, the bascinet Friedrich von Sachsenhausen, died 1411:

3. Arms

Arm protection is documented quite well. The best protection in the 13th and 14th centuries

consisted of a shoulderplate and metal stripes or lamellae for the upper arm, which covered it down

to the ellbow. There were variants where the shoulder was protected by only lamellae or scales. On

the reconstructions further above such kind of protection can be seen.

Note the shoulders of the warrior in

the middle on this 14th century

depiction


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This his how a solid modern reconstruction looks like. The opper arm part can be fastened on it‘s

own or be firmly connected with the shoulderplates.

Vambraces with ellbow extension are the most definite lower arm protection of this region and

period. Up until now there were found 15 of such vambraces and fragments of them. Here the most

famous and well preserved find from SakhnOvka (which is why such vambraces are commonly called

„Sakhnovki“ or „Sakhnovkas“):

This finding is dated to the 13th

century. It can be seen, that these

are simple tubes which taper

towards the wrist. In the 14th

century the vambraces became

more anatomical.

There were also three part

vambraces. At this finding

one can see holes along the

edges. It is presumed that

some kind of padding was

sewn to the vambraces.


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And here a reconstruction of such a pair of vambraces:

Important: In connection with the upper arm protection it can happen that there is a gap at the

elbow when the arm is angled. This happens because of the insufficient lenght of the upper arm

armour. Make sure that if you make or order such armour the upper arm parts are long enough to

cover the elbow even if the arm is angled.

4. Hands

As of today there is no evidence of any hand protection whatsoever. Nor are there any depictions

that could be interpreted as such. As long a this doesnt change through some sensational find, we

have to work with maile mittens with hidden steel plates while using Rus armour. And even that is a

compromise solution. It is acceptable, though, becase maile mittens were at least used in the same

epoch by neighbouring peoples, have a similar technology level and thus do not disturb the whole

appearance too much. Or one admits that there are no sources for hand protection and simply uses

some kind of gauntlet which fits the timeframe. But please no „brigantine mittens“ or other

gauntlets of ogre strength fantasy stuff.


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5. Legs

Leg protection is also a big weakpoint with russian armours for full contact fighting. The only

undisputable kind of leg protection for this regia]on are maile chausses, as seen on these depicitons

from the 13th century:

Maile chausses are unfortunatelly totally insufficient for us. At least for the lower legs there do exist

alternatives with better protection .

Left a finding of fragments of a

greave from Novgorod from teh

13th century, right a modern

reconstruction.


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During the escavations in GOmel metal stripes were also found, which, because of their lengh were

identified as parts of greaves and were dated tot he 13th century:

The meanwhile infamous finding from Dmitrovka circulates as another possibility of leg armour:

Since the find has been identified as a burial of a rich Cuman warrior, one can only assuredly say that

cuman warriors used such greaves. Particulary since their stone idols quite often show greaves. Using

such greaves with Rus armour from the 13th and 14th centuries is improper.

Left a drawing of the possible arrangement oft he stripes, middle and left

their reconstruction.

Left the original find from Dmitrovka, dated to the 13th century, on the right an incorrect

reconstruction attempt. The upper plates covered the thigh, not the knee. It was protected

only by the maile.


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By the way, the complete Dmitrovka burial looked like this:

It remainst to be said that knee and thigh protectton is not backed by sources. But at least the thighs

are to a large part protected by the scale skirt. The hidden use of armour parts from other region

remains the only safe possibility to sufficiently protect these parts oft he body. They have to be

covered either by a garment reaching over the knee (very typical for this period and region, see

depictions) or somewhat loose pants. The usage of so called „Rus pants“ is not acceptable for this

epoch. These baggy pants are mentioned in sources oft he 10th cenutry. In the 13th and 14th

centuries the pants and stockings are way more closefitting, actually pretty tight. There are no

depictions or mentions of wide baggy pants from the russian principalities of this time!

Note the position oft he

greacves and the knees oft

he skeletton. The breast

disks, which are typical for

the Cuman people can

clearly be seen.


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III. Weapons

There is a wide variety of weapons.: Swords, sabres, maces and axes.Two handed axes were

common.From the 14th century on two handed swords were also used, albeit rarely. One peculiarity

is the rogAtina, a heavy spear with a point that could weigh up to 1 kilogramm. Beside thrusting one

could deliver devastating chopping blows with it. The stereotypically russian thought bardice did not

appear before the 15th century.

Based on findings it can be said that in the 13th and 14th centuries sabres were more widespread in

the south eastern principalities while in the north western ones swords were the most common

blades.

A selection of weapons from the

12th tot he 14th century.


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Russian two handed swords from the 14th century. For example, two swords found at Raiki were

respectivly 122 cm and 112 cm long with a blade lengh of 97 cm and 86 cm.

IV. Shields

While the tear drop shield can be seen as the typical shield oft he Rus principalities it was by no

means the only type in use. Numerous depictions show also round shields and even the classical

european heater shields.

Manuscripts from the 14th century: left Kiev

psalter, right Silvester collection.


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V. Clothing

Important: I won‘t describe the dress of a specific region or epoch here. The topic of clothing in living

history alway requires a thorough, independent research. Always! All I want to do here is to give

some examples fort he guys mostly interested in fighting, so that fighters and beginners can have an

at least somewhat harmonic look in ther civil clothing, should they ever visit an event that goes more

than one day. Incredible, but there still are people who are only interested in fighting only and not in

civil garments.

The base consists of a linen undershirt and linen underpants. Over them one wore quite closefitting

pans of wool and tunic/cotte, Svita. The simpler folk wore it at knee length or even a little aboe the

knee. People of higher status always wore clothing at ankle length or even to the ground. Svitas did

exist either with button fastening to the waist or completely split in the middle like a kaftan or even

without fastening.

The decorative stripes of silk on the chest, so beloved by reenactors, were known but in no way so

much widespread that everybody wore them.


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As one can see, beards were common in the 13th and 14th century, but in no way mandatory. Based

on numerous findings from Novgorod it can be said, that at least red was the favorite colour. 262 of

the found wool fragments were red, 40 black, 20 yellow, 13 green one blue and one white. It is

known from records that beside own production the principalites imported wool from England and

from the 13th century on also from Flanders. Linen was commen, silk in the south east too. In

Novgorod silk was available but noticeably rarer.

As another peculiarity of russian clothing in the 13th and 14th century we have short sleeved

garments which could be worn either over another longsleeved garment or by themselves.

Another hat form was common beside the stereotypical round conical hat with fur trimming. It was

very similar to the contemporaneous bycocket, the beack albeit was split. A recent finding of a

completely preserved summer hat made of pine roots has turned out as a real sensation during the

excavations in Novgorod (and that is a real blessing for Rus reenactors in summer). It‘s age could by

dated to the 14th century, based on items found along with it.

Novgorod psalter, 14th century.

The quarrel of these two

fishermen has been preserved

for the centuries.

„Pull, thou son of a cowe!“

„Thou art yourself a such!“

Pattern oft he split hat: The hat is

made of two pieces, each half the

head’s cicumference + 1 cm wide.

The height amounts to 23-28cm,

the brim is 10 cm wide.

Kommentar [ll1]: No idea what you are saying here


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Not only boots were used as footwear. Knee high boots spread on more commonly only from the

14th century on.

VI. Conclusion

This introduction is in no way intended as complete, but should stimulate to conduct own research.

For a completely authentic historical portrayal these couple of pages with nice pictures are simply

not enough. Neither do I claim to know everything on this topic. I am open to discussion and

suggestions. If you are interested in russian armous and weapons after reading this guide, you should

at any rate contact more experienced fightes and (hobby) researchers.

Left: Boot, shoe and leather balls from Novgorod, 14th century. Right: footwear

findings from Novgorod, 14th century.

Root hat from Novgorod.

eginners kit guide - hmb usa · eginners kit guide rus armours (v04/15) andrej woltschanskiy 5 this...

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