Russian Uniform – Identification and Age?

[Dimas]

Acetone, thank you for your answer

[Jackalope]

Ohhh... shame on me... Forget to note that the font used on the shoulder-board allow us to say for sure that the photo was made after May, 1911, because the new Military Department Order #228 was officially declared on this day, changing the system of inscriptions on Russian shoulderboards, and what is very important for us - changing the font of letters and digits.
So, we have a very short period when this photo was taken: summer 1911 - 1913.

That’s OK, Aceton.

Thank you for your continued interest and diligence in helping me solve this mystery! I am very impressed with your detailed knowledge of this subject!

Nick

[Jackalope]

This photograph was given to a friend as a postcard keepsake. For added interest, and to put this photo in context, here is the back of the picture postcard. As you can see the handwriting is very ornate.

Nick

[Aceton]

The reverse of you photo is unfortunately useless - it contains only a short message that the photo is given from one friend to another. No useful infoirmation like city, date, or unit...

Here I have find a color uniform chart showing uniforms of auxiliary units (left - local troops, right - disciplinary battalions). More likely in your case we have a NCO of local brigade. Unfortunately there was a great number of local troops units, called according to names of cities where they were based, and letters on shoulder-boards represent short version of these names. Yet I have no idea what was the city with "BD" letters...

[Jackalope]

The reverse of you photo is unfortunately useless - it contains only a short message that the photo is given from one friend to another. No useful infoirmation like city, date, or unit...

Here I have find a color uniform chart showing uniforms of auxiliary units (left - local troops, right - disciplinary battalions). More likely in your case we have a NCO of local brigade. Unfortunately there was a great number of local troops units, called according to names of cities where they were based, and letters on shoulder-boards represent short version of these names. Yet I have no idea what was the city with "BD" letters...

Thank you so much for the link to the color uniform chart! To the best of my knowledge my grandfather and his brother in the photo came from in or around Вiльня (Vilnia) which is to the northwest of Minsk and now in Lithuania. Maybe this helps?

Nick

[Jackalope]

Thank you so much for the link to the color uniform chart! To the best of my knowledge my grandfather and his brother in the photo came from in or around Вiльня (Vilnia) which is to the northwest of Minsk and now in Lithuania. Maybe this helps?

Nick

My apologies, Aceton. After more questioning I found out he was from what is now Dzerzhinsk, Belarus.

Nick

[Dimas]

Vilnia is now a capital city of Lithuania- Vilnius

[Jackalope]

Vilnia is now a capital city of Lithuania- Vilnius

You are correct, Dimas.

After checking further with my family it turns out he was from what is now Dzerzhinsk, Belarus not Vilnius. Perhaps the "Д" on the shoulder board stands for Дзержи́нск (Dzerzhinsk)?

Nick

[Jackalope]

[QUOTE=Jackalope;46237]Perhaps the "Д" on the shoulder board stands for Дзержи́нск (Dzerzhinsk)?
QUOTE]

Actually, now that I think of it, my statement/question makes no sense since Dzerzhinsk was renamed in the 1930s after a Russian Bolshevik leader that came to be the first head of the cheka (secret police). The town would have been named Kojdanava (Belarusian: Койданава) before the Revolution.

Nick

[Aceton]

Nick, I will later find and place here a list of local troops, and we will think together, what city name better refers to the shoulder-board signature.

As for the Belorussian origin - it makes no sence, because the enlisted soldier had equal chances to serve somewhere nearby, or to go to the far end of Empire. For example, I know many cases when people from Baltic provinces served in Siberian Rifles regiments.