[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!).

[fso301]

Thanks for the explanation