Ushanka

An ushanka (Russian: уша́нка; IPA: [ʊˈʂankə], lit. "ear hat"), also called a ushanka-hat (Russian: ша́пка-уша́нка; IPA: [ˈʂapkə ʊˈʂankə]), or informally a "Russian hat" is a Russian fur cap with ear flaps that can be tied up to the crown of the cap, or fastened at the chin to protect the ears, jaw and lower chin from the cold. The dense fur also offers some protection against blunt impacts to the head.

The word ushanka derives from ushi (у́ши), "ears" in Russian.

Ushankas are often made from expensive sheepskin (tsigeyka, ), rabbit or muskrat fur. Artificial fur hats are also manufactured and are referred to as "fish fur" since the material is not from any real animal. The simplest "fish fur" of ushankas was made of wool pile with cloth substrate and cloth top, with the exception of the flaps, which had the pile exposed. Mink fur ushankas are widely used in the Arctic regions of Russia, protecting the ears and chin of the wearer even from "deep frost" (−40 to −70 degrees C).

Military-style ushanka of the Soviet Army. Made in Bobruysk, 1988

Ushanka with ear flaps deployed

Ushanka with ear flaps folded back

A souvenir ushanka for tourists with ears tied up to the crown of the cap

Hats with fur earflaps have been known in Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Germany for centuries. The standard modern ushanka with a perfectly round crown was developed in the 20th century. During the Russian Civil War, the ruler of Siberia, Aleksandr Kolchak, introduced a winter uniform hat, commonly referred to as a kolchakovka, c. 1918. It was similar to the ushanka. In 1933, W. C. Fields wore a kolchakovka in the short film The Fatal Glass of Beer. However, Kolchak and the White Army lost the war, and their headgear was not adopted in the new Soviet Union.

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