Panamka

{{Short description|Tropical hat worn by Soviet and Russian militaries}} {{For|the straw hat|Panama hat}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}} thumb|Soviet soldiers wearing Panamkas thumb|Soviet troops in Afghanistan

The '''Panamka''' ({{langx|ru|панамка}}), also called a '''Panamanka''' ({{langx|ru|панамaнка}}) <ref>{{cite web |date=2021-09-10 |title=Soviet Panamka Hat (1960's – 1980's) |url=https://kommandopost.com/index.php/2021/09/10/soviet-panamka-hat/ |website=KommandoPost.com|access-date=2022-12-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129182209/https://kommandopost.com/index.php/2021/09/10/soviet-panamka-hat/ |archive-date=2021-11-29|url-status=live}}</ref> by non-Russian speakers, was a common name for the standard tropical headgear of the Soviet Army.{{sfn|Békési|2011|p={{page needed|date=January 2023}}}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Rottman |first=Gordon L.|author-link=Gordon L. Rottman|year=1987|title=Warsaw Pact Ground Forces |series=Elite|volume=10 |others=Illustrated by Ronald Volstad|location=London |publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=978-0-85045-730-8}}{{page needed|date=January 2023}}</ref> Officially, the '''M-38 Field Hat''', the Panamka was introduced on 10 March 1938, for troops of the Red Army in the Central Asian, North Caucasian and Transcaucasian military districts and Crimea.<ref name="Thomas">{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Nigel |year=2010|title=World War II Soviet Armed Forces (1): 1939–41|series=Men-at-Arms|volume=464 |others=Illustrated by Darko Pavlovic|location=Oxford |publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=978-1-84908-400-0}}{{page needed|date=January 2023}}</ref> It was nicknamed ''Panamka'' in reference to Panama hats, due to the vague physical resemblance between the two hats. The Panamka was popularized in Western imagery of the Soviet Union during the Soviet–Afghan War in the 1980s, where it was often worn with the Afghanka uniform as Afghanistan was known for its extreme hot daytime temperatures in the summer and its equally bitter cold nights in the winter months.

Two versions of the Panamka existed: * The original hat was developed to keep the rays of sunlight off the wearer's head and out of his eyes.<ref name="Suciu">{{cite web |last=Suciu|first=Peter |date=2015-11-07|title=The Afghanka Hat: The Soviet's Tropical Headgear |url=http://www.militarysunhelmets.com/2015/the-afghanka-hat-the-soviets-tropical-headgear |website=MilitarySunHelmets.com |access-date=2023-01-11}}</ref> It was made of heavy cotton cloth and featured a set of ventilation holes, a thin leather headband, a plastic chinstrap, and the enameled metal M22 Red Star badge, on a large sewn on red star, on the front.<ref name="Suciu" /><ref name="Thomas" /> * A second version appeared with the Obr88 Afghanka, and more closely resembled the boonie hats used by NATO forces. It had a plastic chinstrap that rested on the rim and could be set to hang down by unbuttoning one side and passing it through holes on the rim, but it was too short for use as such. The chinstrap could be used to hold the sides of the rim up, this likely being its intended purpose. It also did not feature the large sewn on red star. Later production examples also feature a flat top and snaps or press studs that allow it be buttoned up on the side similar to the Australian slouch or bush hat.<ref name="Suciu" />

==See also== * List of hat styles * OKZK cap * Valenki * Podvorotnichok

==References== {{reflist}}

== Sources == * {{cite book |last=Békési |first=László |author-link=László Békesi |year=2011 |title=Soviet Uniforms & Militaria 1917–1991 in Colour Photographs |others=Photographs by György Török |location=Ramsbury, Marlborough |publisher=The Crowood Press |isbn=978-1-84797-260-6}} * {{cite book |last=Zaloga |first=Steven J. |author-link=Steven Zaloga |year=1987 |title=Inside the Soviet Army Today |series=Elite |volume=12 |others=Illustrated by Ronald Volstad |location=London |publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=978-0-85045-741-4}} * {{cite book |last=Isby |first=David |year=1986 |title=Russia's War in Afghanistan |series=Men-at-Arms |volume=178 |others=Illustrated by Ronald Volstad |location=London |publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=978-0-85045-691-2}}

Category:Military equipment introduced in the 1930s Category:Soviet military uniforms Category:Military hats