During the absence of firearms, reliable and comfortable protective equipment was of particular importance, significantly increasing the warrior's chances of victory. It was supposed to protect equally well both from arrows and from piercing-cutting weapons in a direct attack.
The warriors of ancient Russia did not have a unified protective equipment. As a rule, they selected armor in accordance with their preferences and capabilities. The choice and manner of fighting also influenced - the more mobile she was, the lighter and more comfortable equipment was required.
One of the main and most popular types of protective equipment in Russia was chain mail. It was used for about seven centuries, starting in the 10th century. To create chain mail, it was necessary not only to forge, but also to correctly connect thousands of rings to each other. At first, the chain mail resembled a long-length shirt with short sleeves, later the sleeves became long, to protect the neck and shoulders they began to use a chain mail mesh-aventail attached to the helmet.
The chain mail weighed about 10 kilograms, its main purpose was protection from arrows and saber strikes. True, she could not save from all the arrows - the arsenal of archers included special chain-mail arrows with a thin long edge, which easily penetrated between the chain rings.
From about the 10th century in Russia, armor was also known, consisting of plates movably fastened to each other. Usually the plates were attached to a leather jacket, sometimes to chain mail. Such plate armor was heavier, but provided more reliable protection than chain mail.
A variety of plate armor was scaly armor, which in Russia began to be used from the 11th century. The armor plates had a rounded bottom edge and overlapped each other like fish scales. This kind of protective gear was more beautiful and comfortable.
Around the 13th century, Russian soldiers began to use combined versions of chain mail and plate armor. One of them was the kolonton, which was a short sleeveless armor that protected the warrior to the waist. It consisted of large metal plates held together by chain mail rings.
Yushman, a short chain mail with metal plates fixed on the back and chest, overlapping each other, also became widespread. Such armor was durable and elastic at the same time. Its weight reached 15 kg.
An interesting type of armor of ancient Russian warriors was the kuyak, which was a cloth or leather jacket, on which armor plates were attached. Kuyak was worn over the chain mail, which significantly increased the protection of the warrior.
Russian soldiers used helmets to protect their heads. Hands were often covered with metal bracers, and legs - with greaves. Chain-mail stockings were also used to protect the legs.
Not all warriors could afford metal armor, so many used more affordable options - for example, tegilay. It was a long, thick caftan padded with hemp or cotton wool, often reinforced with metal plates. Due to its thickness, the tegilai protected well from saber blows, while being quite light.
For hundreds of years, armor protected Russian soldiers, helping them to defend their land, and lost their importance only with the advent of firearms.
