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Red Army soldiers wearing later variant of budenovka, circa 1919

Budenovka (Russian language: Будённовка, budyonnovka) is a distinctive type of hat and an essential part of the communist uniform of the Russian Civil War and later. Its official name was the "broadcloth helmet" (шлем суконный). Named after Semyon Budyonny, it was also known as the "frunzenka" after Mikhail Frunze. It is a soft, woolen hat that covers the ears and neck and that can be worn under a helmet. The cap has a beak and folded earflaps that can be buttoned under the chin.

The hat was created as part of a new uniform for the Russian army by Viktor Vasnetsov, a famous Russian painter, who was inspired by the Kiev Rus helmet. The original name was bogatyrka (богатырка) - hat of a bogatyr - and was intended to inspire Russian troops by connecting them with the legendary heroes of Russian folklore. Bogatyrkas were meant to be a part of a new uniform, so they had already been produced during the First World War, but hadn't been officially adopted. Another version, quite popular in Russia, is that bogatyrkas were designed for a military parade as a part of a "historical" stylized uniform (which also included an overcoat with "designer" cross-pieces, which also were used in the Red Army to a limited extent). Some Russian historians even speculate the parade in question was a supposed victory parade in Berlin.

Vasnetsov's idea of bogatyrs. Note the helmets

During the Russian civil war, communist troops, who had no obligation to comply with the uniform standards of the Imperial Russian army, used bogatyrkas, as they were abundant and distinctive. Bogatyrkas were commonly decorated with a red stars as a distinguishing mark. Such decorations were often makeshift. This allowed the communists to use the image of "Red bogatyrs" fighting the old and corrupt Russian system, thus employing the original idea by Vasnetsov. At this time the hat was renamed the Budenovka after Semyon Budyonny, the commander of the First Cavalry Army, as the hat was particularly popular with cavalry units.

The initial model with the high tip was replaced with a more practical low-tip model in 1927.

An image of Red army soldier wearing a budenovka from a Soviet poster

The hat didn't survive long as a part of the Red Army uniform, for both political and practical reasons. Although it was relatively easy to produce, it required expensive wool and didn't provide good cold-weather protection. It was also inconvenient to wear under the helmet. Another reason was that it belonged to a more "romantic" period of the Russian army, and it was abandoned during the army reforms of the mid-1930s. Phasing-out started in 1935. Budionovkas were still in use during the Winter War of 1939, but they were almost completely replaced by the start of the Great Patriotic War in 1941 with the Ushanka fur cap.

Budenovka became part of history as Red Army cavalry men wearing budennovkas became an important cultural image from the Russian civil war, together with tachankas, the Nagan, Maxim gun and rebelling sailors.

Stylized budyonovkas were popular children's headgear until late Soviet times.