[fso301]

I don’t understand why they like to wear those striped undershirts.

[kronos77]

The tradition of Russian/Soviet ground troops wearing a naval uniform comes from Soviet Navy sailors who fought on the ground while under siege during World War II. It is exemplified by the famed Soviet sniper Vassili Zaitsev. Zaitsev was a petty officer in the Soviet Pacific Fleet who volunteered for army duty, but, despite transfer, he refused to give up his Navy telnyashka because of the pride it engendered.

General Margelov, who was later to modernise the Soviet airborne forces, had previously served with a Naval Infantry unit in WWII, and procured telnyashkas for the VDV as a mark of their elite status.

All special operations units in USSR and Russia originated from Marines. And they still ware marines shirt to show that pride.

[kronos77]

Soviet 1936 silent propaganda film We Come from Kronshtadt started aesthetization of telnyaskha with the scene of Bolshevik sailor emerging from the sea in his torn undershirt after he survived execution by drowning. Telnyashka has become such evident symbol of masculinity in Soviet culture, that it is sported by dozens of popular non-military characters of the cinema and even children' cartoons, notably The Wolf in the Nu, pogodi and Matroskin the Cat in the Troe iz Prostokvashino. There is a popular saying that ironically presents telnyashkas as an attribute of "real men": "We are few in number, but we wear telnyashkas!" (Russian: "Нас мало, но мы в тельняшках!", Nas malo, no my v telnyashkakh!).

[PLMerite]

“I don’t understand why they like to wear those striped undershirts.”

Black for Submariners.

Dark blue for the Navy.

Light Blue for Airborne Forces.

Light Green for Border Troops.

Red for OMON and Internal/MVD Forces.

[archy]

I don’t understand why they like to wear those striped undershirts.

Wear the telnyashka, get free ice cream. And the girls.