A Balaclava, also known as a balaclava helmet or ski mask (US), balaclavas form of cloth headgear designed to expose only part of the face.
The name comes from their use at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War, referring to the town near Sevastopol in the Crimea.
where British troops there wore knitted headgear to keep warm usually the eyes and mouth.
History of Balaclavas
British troops required scottish hat this aid, as their own supplies (warm clothing, weatherproof quarters, and food) never arrived in time.
The balaclava became a part of standard OMON uniform as early as the Perestroyka years of the late 1980s.
The original intent was to protect the identity of the officers to avoid intimidation from organized crime.
Because of increased problems with organized crime of the 90s, TV shots of armed men in black balaclavas became common.
As organized crime decreased, however, balaclavas became as much an instrument of intimidation as identity protection.
as they conceal facial expressions of the wearer and make positive identification difficult.
Armed Russian police commonly conduct raids and searches of white-collar premises (typically in Moscow) while wearing balaclavas.
According to Richard Rutt in his History of Handknitting, the name “balaclava helmet” was not used during the war .