Apsheronskiy Infantry
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Origin and History
The regiment was raised in 1724 under the name of Astrabadskiy as part of the new Nizivoi Dorpous (army corps of the Lower Caspian).
In 1732, the regiment was renamed Apsherónskiy.
During the Seven Years' War, the regiment was commanded by:
- no information found yet
Service during the War
In 1756, the regiment was stationed in Ingria and Livonia.
In 1757, the regiment took part in the campaign in East Prussia under General-in-Chief Apraxin. On August 30, at the Battle of Gross-Jägersdorf, it was part of the vanguard and belonged to Schilling's Brigade. When the Russian army deployed, it was placed en potence at the extreme left of the first line of the left wing.
In January 1758, 2 battalions of the regiment took part in the invasion of East Prussia. Around mid-November, the regiment took up its winter-quarters in Graudentz (present-day Grudziadz) and the surrounding villages as part of Resanov's 2nd Division.
On August 12 1759, the regiment fought in the Battle of Kunersdorf where it was deployed in the first line of the centre, in the 3rd division as part of Lubomirski's Brigade.
To do: more details for the campaigns from 1760 to 1762
Uniform
Most Russian regular line infantry regiments wore the same uniforms.
Privates
| Headgear |
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| Neckstock | black | ||||||||||||
| Coat | dark green with 9 brass buttons on the right side on the chest and 9 red buttonholes, and 2 brass buttons in the small of the back N.B.: the coat was usually not worn during summer campaigns
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| Waistcoat | long sleeved red waistcoat with 9 brass buttons and 9 red trimmed buttonholes, and with 2 en patte d'oie pockets each with 3 brass buttons and 3 red trimmed buttonholes | ||||||||||||
| Breeches | red | ||||||||||||
| Gaiters | white with 10 buttons (black in winter), from 1759 the regiment earned the distinction of wearing red gaiters for his distinguished service at the battle of Kunersdorf where it stood "knee deep in blood". | ||||||||||||
| Leather Equipment |
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During winter, line infantry wore knee-length cornflower blue cape.
Troopers were armed with a musket, a bayonet and a sabre.
Officers
Most officers wore gold laced tricorne but some officers wore a mitre.
Officer’s coat was similar to other rank’s but with a gold laced collar and lateral pockets closed by lapels en patte d’oie with 3 golden buttons each. Generally officers wore the coat with opened turnbacks. They also wore green breeches and yellow gloves.
Officers carried a musket in action, the use of halberds and spontoons was abandoned.
Officers also carried a sword suspended to a red leather belt.
Officer’s cartridge box was edged in gold.
Officer’s saddlecloth and holsters were red with round posterior corner, edged with one or two gold stripes (the inner broader), as rank distinction. EPI ciphers on the corner and holsters.
Musicians
Drummers wore the same uniform as the troopers with swallow nests on shoulders and braids on cuffs, pockets and collar. Braids were yellow stripes with red “XXXX” decoration in the middle.
Fifers wore the same uniform as the troopers with braids on cuffs, pockets and collar (no swallow nests on the shoulders). Braids were yellow stripes with red “XXXX” decoration in the middle.
The Drum Major had a gold edge on his tricorne, and gold braids on cuffs and collar.
Drums were made in copper, the regimental coat of arms engraved in the front, bordered in red and green, green and white cords.
Colours
The flags measured 1,62 m. x 2,66 m., were fringed in gold and mounted on a 3,35 m. red wooden pole.
The regiment was part of the Russian units who had no individual coat of arms. Accordingly, their colours adopted the standard pattern described hereafter.
Colonel Colour: white field with, in its centre, an Imperial Eagle bearing the regimental arms of the Moscowskiy regiment on a breastplate encircled with the necklace of the St.George’s Order. In each corner, a yellow flame pointing at the centre. A golden scroll carried the name of the regiment in Cyrillic characters.
Regimental Colours: blue field, in its centre, a red and gold crown surmounting a gold shield bearing the Elizabeth Petrovna's cipher. In each corner, a yellow flame pointing at the centre.
 Colonel Colour - Source: rf-figuren from an original black and white plate by Viskovatov |
 Regimental Colour - Source: rf-figuren from an original black and white plate by Viskovatov |
References
Funcken, L. and F.: Les uniformes de la guerre en dentelle
Grosser Generalstab Kriegsgeschichtliche Abteilung II: Die Kriege Friedrichs des Grossen, Part 3 Der siebenjährige Krieg 1756-1763, Vol. 4 Groß-Jägersdorf und Breslau, Berlin, 1902, Appendix 1
Konstam, Angus, and Bill Younghusband: Russian Army of the Seven Years War, Vol. 1, Osprey Men at Arms Series, No. 297, 1996
Pengel, R.D.; G.R. Hurt: Russian Uniforms and Flags of the Seven Years War, Birmingham 1980
Schirmer, Friedrich: Die Heere der kriegführenden Staaten 1756-1763, hrsg. von der KLIO-Landesgruppe Baden-Württemberg, überarb. u. aktual. Neuauflage 1989
Viskovatov, A. V.: Historical Description of the Clothing and Arms of the Russian Army, vol. 3, Petersburg: 1900
N.B.: the section Service during the War is mostly derived from our articles depicting the various campaigns, battles and sieges.
Acknowledgements
Carlo Bessolo for the description of the uniforms
