Dressing for the Russian Winter Posted by Maria on Jan 5, 2015 in when in Russia
People tend to emphasize how cold Russian winters are — some in shock and disbelief and others as a bragging point. However, visitors may not be aware of how Russian gear up for the cold. Cold weather is taken seriously and you need to dress fit for it. Let us go over some of the elements of a Russian winter wardrobe.
Footwear
Валенки
Валенки are felt boots worn in the winter. They are stiff and coarse and protect your feet from the cold. However, valenki are great on dry snow, but they are not waterproof. So if you think you may hit a bit of slush on the way, you may need to wear galoshes over them.
Галоши
Galoshes (галоши or калоши) are rubber shoes that go over your valenki. Their purpose is to protect the valenki from the dirt and moisture.
Outerwear
Дубленка
One of the warmer clothing options for the winter is a suede fur coat (дублёнка). They tend to go down to just below a person’s waist or above their knees, although some can be longer. Many Russians get them in or from Turkey.
Шуба
Those wanting even better protection from the cold may go for a fur coat (шуба). These tend to be longer. In the recent years, fur coats have given way to lighter, sometimes more animal-friendly, options.
Пуховик
A winter coat stuffed with animal feathers or down is called пуховик. These come in different lengths and are the cheaper and more popular version among the younger crowd. In the US, they would just be referred to as a “winter coat,” although they refer to a specific type of coat in Russian. People from other Anglophone countries, do you have a word for this kind of coat?
Warm leg wear
Tights (колготки) are universally worn by small children under their trousers. Women may continue wearing them as an under-layer into adulthood. Some people also wear гамаши — footless leggings worn under trousers/pants. Men may wear what is called кальсоны — thermal underwear similar to leggings, but I believe it is considered old-fashioned and ridicule-worthy nowadays.
Of course, there are numerous other items that keep Russians warm in the cold months, such as варежки (mittens) or шарфы (scarves). I have tried to go over the items that may not be familiar to people outside Russia. Can you think of anything else? What do people wear in the winter in your country?
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About the Author: Maria
Maria is a Russian-born translator from Western New York. She is excited to share her fascination with all things Russian on this blog. Maria's professional updates are available in English on her website and Twitter and in Russian on Telegram.
Comments:
ian rowe:
Apart from your Valenki, which sound like an excellent idea ! , we in England wrap up much the same, fashion & looking Good take 2nd place to staying warm. However, in the snow you will find Young & Old wearing their rubber ” Wellington Boots ” !. Stay warm my friends, Spring is on its way Xaxaxa ….
Maria:
@ian rowe Ian, I’ve seen them in Russia recently, too! I wonder if you have to wear really warm socks underneath — rubber by itself doesn’t look too warm.
mike:
I would call a пуховик a parka.
Maria:
@mike Good addition, Mike. I’m not sure how often the word ‘parka’ is used to refer to any ‘stuffed’ winter coat, but this certainly fits the description.
Ann Crawford:
I have one of those winter coats with feathers and down and I don’t know what to call it either!
Are parkas the coats with a longer back and sometimes toggles hanging down, think they sometimes have hoods with fur around, also could be fur lined. Did not think they were filled with feathers though. My daughter is after getting one and when I was young they were all the rage!
Nessa:
I’ve heard пуховик referred to as ‘puffy coats’ among children here (Ireland), and my mum sometimes calls them down coats, but I’ve only ever heard her call them that.
On the rare occasions that we get snow, Wellington boots are essential as the snow tends to be quite slushy, as are multiple pairs of thick socks to keep toes warm. Our winters would be considered relatively mild (this winter, in particular, the temperature has rarely dropped below freezing point), but they’re always accompanied by a cold, biting wind, a certain amount of humidity, and a lot of rain, so waterproof coats, hats, scarves, gloves, and waterproof shoes are essential.
Maria:
@Nessa Nessa, thank you for your comment. “Puffy coat” certainly describes it.
Yes, humidity tends to make things feel colder, so I see why you’d want to bundle up!
Cheryl in Texas:
Could be a parka, though I think of those as shorter. Most often called a “down coat” or jacket. Recently, outerwear catalogues are calling them “puffer coats.”
I woukd always make a distinction between “winter coat,” which I’d expect to be long and made of wool (or wool blend), and a down coat, which is always distinguished by the descriptive “down.”
But, I grew up in a cold northern US climate, and before down coats were inexpensive enough to be common.
That might be why the default winter coat for me is not the down coat.
Maria:
@Cheryl in Texas Cheryl, “down coat” a good descriptive label to have — I hope enough people recognize it!
Michael:
Here in Germany, the ушанка is the most icnoic element of Russian clothing. The cap with fur inside and foldaway ear flaps.