Russia has many interesting holidays, and one of them is the Birthday of the Russian Telnyashka, celebrated on August 19. Although it is not an official holiday, it is quite popular. It is especially widely celebrated in St. Petersburg, where enthusiasts observe it as their own tradition. The telnyashka (also known as "telnik" among the people) is a striped undershirt (hence the name), worn as part of the uniform by military personnel in many countries, but only in Russia has it become a special symbol, a distinctive mark of real men. The date of August 19 was not chosen by chance. It is believed that on this day in 1874, at the initiative of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolaevich Romanov, who held the highest naval rank at the time – General-Admiral, Emperor Alexander II signed a decree introducing the new uniform, which included the telnyashka (a special "undershirt") as part of the mandatory uniform of the Russian sailor. The emperor also approved the "Regulation on the Provision of Ammunition and Uniforms for the Navy," which stated that this type of clothing was intended for the "lower ranks of ships and fleet crews" of the Russian Navy. The telnyashka was regulated as follows: "A shirt knitted from wool mixed with cotton; the shirt's color is white with transverse blue stripes, spaced one vershok (44.45 mm) apart. The width of the blue stripes is a quarter of a vershok... The weight of the shirt is supposed to be no less than 80 zolotniks (344 grams)..." The blue and white stripes of the telnyashka corresponded to the colors of the St. Andrew's flag – the official flag of the Russian Navy. The new piece of clothing was expected to be practical and functional. It should be noted that telnyashkas, as such, are not a Russian "invention." Prototypes of telnyashkas appeared during the heyday of the sailing fleet, approximately at the beginning of the 18th century, and were "born out of necessity." In the navy, they were very practical – they retained heat well, fit snugly to the body, did not restrict movement during any work, and dried quickly. From the beginning, the telnyashka was striped (although the stripes were colored, and sailors sewed them onto the shirt themselves) – against the backdrop of bright sails, the sky, and the dark water, a person in a telnyashka was visible from afar and clearly. However, with this approach, there was an incredible variety of cuts, colors, and stripes, so the "striped shirt" was considered an unauthorized uniform, and wearing it was punished. The attitude toward the telnyashka changed in the mid-19th century, when the Dutch naval uniform, consisting of a short pea coat, flared trousers, and a jacket with a deep neckline at the chest, where the telnyashka fit perfectly, came into fashion and was included in the sailor's uniform. In Russia, the "fashion" for telnyashkas began to take shape, according to some sources, from 1862, according to others – from 1866. The military reforms of 1865–1874 significantly changed the appearance of the Russian armed forces, and Russian sailors began to wear the Dutch uniform, including the telnyashka. Eventually, by the decree of Alexander II in 1874, it was legalized as part of the Russian sailor's uniform. After the 1917 revolution, the telnyashka did not lose its popularity; wearing it remained prestigious. However, in Soviet times, in addition to the blue and white telnyashkas, new "color solutions" appeared. Since sailors and river men wore telnyashkas with dark blue stripes, when creating the uniform for the airborne forces in 1969, by analogy with the sailors' uniform, telnyashkas were included in the paratroopers' uniform as well, but the stripe color was changed to sky blue. Eventually, in the 1990s, telnyashkas with stripes of different colors were developed and officially "approved" for other branches of the military: black (submarine forces of the Navy and marines), green (border troops), crimson (Interior Ministry special forces), cornflower blue (FSB special forces, Presidential Regiment), and orange (Emergency Ministry). The naval telnyashka is also part of the uniform for cadets of naval and civilian maritime and river academies. However, it was the blue and white telnyashka that was destined to become not only the "favorite" of sailors but also a symbol of their valor and brotherhood. Sailors of all generations of the Russian fleet call it the "soul of the sea" and proudly wear it not only in the navy but also in everyday life. This garment is popular not only among professionals but also among ordinary people – both adults and children. It has long since become not only an element of naval equipment but also a wardrobe item for many people not associated with the navy. For example, a well-known promoter of this "striped shirt" is the French fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, who introduced several prêt-à-porter collections in blue and white stripes in the 1990s. Today, in honor of the holiday – the Birthday of the Russian Telnyashka – its fans and those who wear it professionally pay tribute to their "favorite."