In the Russian Empire in the late 1750s - early 1760s holstein troops existed. Even as heir to the throne, Peter III transferred to Russia from Holstein-Gottorp a small detachment of his Holstein troops, housed them near St. Petersburg in Oranienbaum and its surroundings. In future most parts were formed in Russia and staffed by Russian subjects. Golshtinsk's army was a rather motley spectacle thanks to the uniform of bright and saturated colors. Particularly distinguished headgear grenadier troops, decorated with metal plates with embossed emblems. Today the Holstein grenadier headdress from the time of Peter III can be seen in the exposition of the Museum of Local Lore. According to V.I. Egorov, an employee of the Russian State Military Historical Archive, this exhibit belonged to the Artillery Museum in St. Petersburg, and before that to the arsenal of Oranienbaum. The headgear was donated to the funds of our museum in 1987 by the Volkovysk Military History Museum of Bagration.
The grenadier in the form of a cap 30 cm high with a brass plate in front is made of pale-yellow and red crimson ("crimson") cloth. On the plate is a relief image of a two-headed eagle under the crown. Below on the oval medallion there is a figured monogram with two Latin letters “P” (“Peter”) and “F” (“Fedorovich”). Under the crown follows the image of a knight with a lion's head on the shield and the inscription “OTIA MARTIS” (“Leisure of Mars”), with banners and cannons on either side. Metal plates in the form of a grenade with burning fire are placed on the cap on the left and right.
Presumably, this exhibit is a headdress of the lower ranks of the grenadier company of the Förster infantry regiment (formerly Naryshkin) of the Oranienbaum troops of the Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich.
