Study - Northern Sea Higher Arctic Maritime School (1945-1954)

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Higher Arctic Maritime School of the Main Directorate of the Northern Sea Route

Высшее арктическое морское училище Главсевморпути

30.06.1945 - 30.05.1954

 

   By order of the head of the GUSMP No. R-164 dated 30.06.1945, the Hydrographic Institute was reorganized into the Higher Arctic Marine School of the Main Directorate of the Northern Sea Route under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, graduating long-distance navigators, hydrographic engineers and hydrological engineers.

   It was established that the Higher Arctic Marine School of the Main Directorate of the Northern Sea Route is a higher technical educational institution of a closed type, the cadets of which live at the school at state expense.
   The term of study at VAMU was set at 5 years. Young men who had completed full secondary school, aged 17 to 24, were admitted to the school. Children of Main Directorate of the Northern Sea Route employees had preferential admission.
   Graduates of the school were awarded the rank of officer, and after graduation, cadets underwent a six-month internship on military ships. After completing their internship, the cadets were enrolled in the Navy Reserve and returned to Glavsevmorput to work in their specialty. All graduates of the Higher Arctic Naval School were required to work in the Glavsevmorput system for at least five years. The cadets, teachers, and command staff were subject to the clothing and food supply standards established for naval schools.
   The head of the department of educational institutions of the GUSMP V.N.Zav'ialov was ordered to develop a project for the uniform and insignia of the cadets of the school. The head of Arktiksnab R.M.Saghatelyan was obliged to ensure the manufacture of a full uniform, according to the approved form and clothing allowance standard for the cadet staff no later than September 1, 1945.
   Some researchers make a mistake based on the clause of the order on the distribution of clothing and food supply standards established for naval schools. They believe that in this case all items should be identical to the uniforms of cadets of naval schools, but this is not the case, since the uniform samples were developed directly for cadets of VAMU and could differ from the uniforms of naval schools.

   On November 9, 1945, the head of the school L.I. Lyandres issued order No. 162, which announced and introduced, from November 5, the uniform and insignia approved for VAMU cadets.
Approved by the order specified that, in accordance with Resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR No. 1501 of June 26, 1945, cadets of the school receive a uniform according to the standards established for cadets of naval schools of the People's Commissariat of the Navy.      

Higher Arctic Maritime School of the Main Directorate of the Northern Sea Route insignia

The following uniform was established for cadets of the Higher Arctic Naval School:       

a) headdress - a peaked cap with a black ribbon and an emblem according to the sample (in summer - a cap with a white cover, in winter - a hat with earflaps);       

b) a shirt with a turn-down collar and cuffs (blue cloth in winter, white in summer);       

c) sailor trousers (black cloth in winter, white in summer);       

d) a double-breasted black greatcoat;       

e) a black cloth pea coat.       

The following insignia were established:       

a) an emblem on the cap - a black circle with a gold border, inside the circle a gilded anchor and the pennant of the Main Directorate of the Northern Sea Route;   

b) the insignia were located on the left sleeve above the elbow and consisted of a black rhombus and a pentagon with a golden border. On the rhombus was a gilded anchor and the pennant of the Main Directorate of the Northern Sea Route. On the field of the shield was the stencil "VAMU" and gilded triangles. The number of triangles indicated the course at which the cadet was trained;

c) a gold-colored belt buckle with a special raised embossing of the anchor and the letters "ГУСМП".

   In the order of the head of the school dated March 28, 1946, No. 189, it was noted that "the state of discipline and military education of cadets of the Higher Arctic Naval School still lags behind the level of requirements imposed on a closed-type school for training reserve officers of the Navy." This was explained by the unsuccessful selection of junior command staff and weak work with them. Therefore, along with other measures aimed at strengthening the unity of command in the faculties and increasing the requirements for academic and military discipline, company sergeants and platoon commanders were required to wear a tunic with the appropriate insignia instead of a flannel jacket.

   Order No. 758 of 1 November 1946. introduced the position of assistant company commander. For assistant company commanders, platoon commanders, class leaders and squad commanders, a uniform and insignia different from those of ordinary cadets were introduced.
      Assistant company commanders and platoon commanders were required to wear a tunic. A double-breasted greatcoat was allowed to be worn outside of formation with the top two buttons unbuttoned.

      As a badge of distinction for assistant company commanders, two stripes of gold braid 6 cm long were established: one 12 mm wide and the second - 6 mm in place of the course badge under the rhombus with the emblem of the school.
      The platoon commander's sleeve badge consisted of one stripe 12 mm wide. For squad leaders and class sergeants - on the established cadet uniform, sleeve badges of stripes 6 cm long and 6 mm wide were introduced, for the squad leader - two and three for the class sergeant.

  The description of the uniform and insignia of assistant company commanders, platoon commanders, class sergeants and squad commanders, together with the prepared images of it in drawings, was ordered to be hung in the company premises for general familiarization.
      By order of the head of the school No. 32 of 21.01.1947, class sergeants were abolished, their duties were combined with the duties of the platoon commander. In connection with this, the insignia of class sergeants was also abolished.
      On 25 December 1948, by his order No. 407, the head of the school established that sleeve insignia should be sewn not under the course insignia, but on the lower part of the sleeve, one finger above the cuff.
    

The stripes were made of silk braid.
      

On March 24, 1949, in connection with the 50th anniversary of the first Russian icebreaker "Ermak", the Council of Ministers, by its resolution, named the Higher Arctic Maritime School of the Main Directorate of the Northern Sea Route under the Council of Ministers of the USSR in Leningrad after Admiral Makarov, according to whose design and under whose leadership the icebreaker was built.
 

   From April 10, 1949, the "Rules for Everyday Service in the Arctic Schools of the Main Directorate of the Northern Sea Route" were put into effect at the Higher Arctic Maritime School named after Admiral Makarov, approved by order of the head of the Main Directorate of the Northern Sea Route No. 82.

   In accordance with the requirements of the introduced "Rules", "platoon commanders" began to be called "assistant platoon commanders", and "assistant company commanders" - "company sergeants major".
      Despite the introduction of the "Rules", cadets continued to violate the established dress code, which was emphasized by the order of the head of the school No. R-34 dated 04.02.1950.
 

   The order required excluding cases of cadets appearing without uniform collars, in unbuttoned greatcoats in multi-colored scarves, and strictly prohibiting the unauthorized wearing of emblems of the commanding staff and caps with white piping.
      By order of the head of the school No. R-41 dated 13.02.1950, the standards for the supply of insignia were established. For one year, cadets were entitled to:
      1) emblems for a winter hat - 1 piece;
      2) emblems for the cap - 1 piece;
      3) sleeve diamonds and course insignia
      a) on the sleeve of the cloth flannel jacket - 1 piece;
      b) the same on the white summer uniform - 1 piece;
      c) the same on the pea jacket - 1 piece;
      d) the same on the greatcoat - 1 piece.
      Total set for one cadet per year 10 insignia.

   On May 24, 1951, by order No. R-201, the supply standards established by the order of the People's Commissariat of the Navy No. 210 of August 11, 1942 were established for cadets of the Higher Arctic Maritime School. According to this order, "a cloth cap for privates of the Navy with a ribbon and a star" was introduced for supply.
   

   When studying photographs from the personal archives of VAMU graduates, it was also established that there was a ribbon with the inscription "LENINGR. ARCTIC NAVAL SCHOOL", as well as with the inscription "LEN. ARCTIC NAVAL SCHOOL".
Cadets holding command positions continued to wear caps. In March 1952 (order of the head of VAMU No. R-101 of March 4), jackets for company petty officers were abolished. Petty officers were to wear cadet uniforms, but with a uniform cap instead of a sailor cap.
   Based on the order of the Minister of Maritime and River Fleet of the USSR No. 327 of June 1, 1954, VAMU named after Admiral S.O. Makarov and LVMU were merged into the Leningrad Higher Marine Engineering School named after Admiral S.O. Makarov (LVIMU named after Admiral S.O. Makarov).