Why is the balaclava headgear named after a Russian city?
This happened during the Crimean War of 1853-1856 between the Russian Empire and a coalition of Great Britain, France, the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia.
At one point, the allies were besieging the city of Sevastopol. The British army was stationed in the city of Balaklava (now part of Sevastopol) and suffered mercilessly during the winter of 1854-1855, as warm clothing was desperately lacking.
The London press caught wind of this and a scandal began to brew. The War Office ordered warm woolen headgear, which covered the head and neck with small openings for the eyes, mouth and nose, to be manufactured and sent to Crimea as quickly as possible.
They proved a true salvation for the freezing British soldiers. This successful invention spread throughout the world and is still actively used by fishermen, climbers, special forces and many others. Of course, these days, they feature a more practical design and are often made out of lightweight materials.
In honor of the temporary British Army base, the headgear was named ‘balaclava’.
