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Finial of 1700 pattern colours
Навершие знамен обр 1700 г.
(Armemuseum, Stockholm) |
I realized that I haven’t yet described the foot colours of 1700. For 16 new-raised foot regiments in 1700 was issued a new pattern of colours. It was different from the colours used before in Russian New model troops & Streltzy (see my posts marked Colours & standards). Each regiment received 2 sets of colours: parade & everyday. Parade colours were never used in the field, so I focus on everyday set. It consisted of 12 colours, one per company. The colour of the 1st coy was regimental. It was white with black or brown double-headed eagle under 3 crowns. The rest colours were colored & decorated with palm branches, arm with sword coming out of a cloud, St. Andrew’s cross. The distribution of field colors per regiments is unknown.
Russian sources mentions 15 field colors (there were 16 regiments raised): 2 red, 2 sand, 2 grey, 3 blue, yellow, light-violet, light-green, orange, green, grey-blue. No details about colors of clouds & palm branches.
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St. Andrew's Cross, Type 1
Крест Св. Андрея, Тип 1
(Armemuseum, Stockholm) |
Most of the 1700 pattern colours were captured by Swedes at Narva. Thanks to that we have their descriptions from Swedish sources. Many of them survived till our days & now are available in Trophy Collection of the Armeemuseum, Stockholm. First time trophied colours were described in “True relation” (Sannfärdig berättelse om the ryska fångars ankomst till Stockholm, theras vphämtande, och huru the äro fördehlte, och hållas vthi sin arrest. Jämpte en richtig förtekning uppå the wid Narva erhållna trophéer, stycken, fahnor och standarer. Stockholm, 1701) in May 1701. Later it was repeated in Petrelli’s work (Petrelli T.J. Narvatrofeer. Uppsala-Stockholm, 1907. рр. 14-16). There are 105 company colours of 1700 pattern of 14 variants in the Relation. They differ by field, clouds & palm branches colors. 26 colours were damaged. Sperling in his Dagbok (Sperling, P. Dagbok 1700–1710. Karolinska Krigares Dagbцcker. V. 3. Lund. 1907, p. 22-23) described 94 company colours of 1700 pattern. He mentioned field color & color of palm branches. Sperling also attributed the colours by regiments. But his attribution is wrong in many cases. Belavenetc described 140 company colours of 1700 pattern from Trophy Collection. He paid attention that the colours had 2 types of St. Andrew cross under palm branches. 75 colours had painted St. Andrew Cross. The rest had a medallion with the cross.
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St. Andrew's Cross, Type 2
Крест Св. Андрея, Тип 2
(Armemuseum, Stockholm) |
The table below presents a comparison of the available descriptions of 1700 company colours.
#
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Sperling
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Relation/Petrelli
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Russian doc
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Type of the cross*
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1
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Red, 11 (Wachthof)**
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Red with blue cloud & green branches, 10
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Red
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2
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2
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Dark-green, 9 (Defson)
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Green with blue cloud & pale branches, ***
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green
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1
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