Historical Secrets of the Creation of Ukrainian Military Patches

Here we have described the most interesting stories when creating the design of Ukrainian military patches. When creating the design of military patches, the military history of Ukraine was studied and taken into account.

Morale Patch of the Land Forces Command

The shield of the ukranian morale patch of the Land Forces Command combines three colors: olive - the protective shade of the army, blue - the color of mechanized units, and red - the symbol of artillery. Thus, the emblem reflects the structure of the units subordinate to the command.

At first glance, it may seem that tank troops have been forgotten, but their symbolism is embedded in the image of a knight's glove. Medieval attributes are often used in tank units.

The hand clutches a diving rod, a symbol of command that in Cossack times was an attribute of power of kurin atamans and colonels in Ukraine.

Land Forces Command

Chevron of the Special Operations Forces Command

The ukranian army emblem of the SSO command is associated with the legends of the Cossack heroes, who were credited with supernatural powers. According to legend, they could only be killed by a silver bullet in the heart, so they went into battle fearlessly. It was also believed that they could catch arrows with their hands and make bullets change trajectory. One of their mystical powers is the ability to turn into wolves.

That is why the morale patch depicts a werewolf holding two arrows in its teeth. A whole arrow means a neutralized enemy, a broken arrow means a destroyed enemy. And it is up to the wolf's decision, i.e. the leadership of the SSU, to decide who to eliminate and who to deprive of the opportunity to attack.

Special Operations Forces Command

Patch Command of the Communications and Cyber Security Forces

On the morale patch of the Communications and Cyber Security Troops command, a microcircuit symbolizing digital technology immediately catches the eye. Then you can see crossed lightning bolts, which in the UPR army denoted military communication. The composition is completed by a Cossack bunchuk, the insignia of a hetman and a kosh ataman.

Thus, the symbol combines three historical periods that demonstrate the evolution of military communications - from Cossack times to modern technology.

Command of the Communications and Cyber Security Troops

On the left hand. Twelve Ukrainian brigades

When creating armbands for military units, their symbols may include elements that reflect the unit's combat traditions, its place of deployment or formation. If the unit has an honorary name, the emblem may have a corresponding legend, and the shield may have a motto on top of it.

The main requirements for morale patch include avoiding the use of numbering parts and placing inscriptions inside the heraldic shield.

Until 2019, the approval of armbands was the responsibility of the Chief of the General Staff. Subsequently, this function was taken over by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

However, many military units have developed their own chevrons without official approval. Such unofficial emblems often stand out from the crowd with their style and composition.

We have collected 12 of the most interesting armbands of the Ukrainian Armed Forces brigades.

101st Security Brigade of the General Staff named after Gennadiy Vorobyov

The symbolism of the morale patch of the 101st Brigade reflects its main task - guarding the General Staff. The knight's gauntlet and halberds are traditionally associated with guards, while the blue brick wall symbolizes the General Staff itself.

The 101st Separate Brigade named after Colonel General Hennadiy Vorobyov does not belong to any branch of the Armed Forces and reports directly to the Commander-in-Chief and the General Staff.

Separate presidential brigade named after Bohdan Khmelnytsky

The former Separate Presidential Regiment, known for its Orchestra and Honor Guard Battalion, has been transformed into a brigade defending Kyiv and fighting in the east after the large-scale invasion.

The main element of the ukranian army emblem is the "Serdyuk Star", consisting of a shining cross and diving birds. Serdyuks were military units of the 17th and 18th centuries that were formed for the personal protection of hetmans. The tradition of these units was continued during the Ukrainian People's Republic and Hetman Skoropadsky.

The brigade's shield is crimson in color, the same shade worn by the Serdyuks in the Ukrainian People's Republic.

72nd Mechanized Brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians

The skulls found on the emblems of some brigades are known as Adam's Head, a symbol of death, courage, and disregard for danger. This symbol originated with the Black Cossacks, a cavalry division of the Ukrainian People's Republic Army (1918-1920), who used it on their flag along with the motto "Ukraine or Death."

The 72nd Mechanized Brigade is named after these soldiers. Its morale patch includes an Adam's head, a black triangle (symbolizing a splint) and a red background - the color of the coat of arms of Bila Tserkva, where the brigade is stationed.

30th mechanized brigade named after Prince Ostrozkyi

Prince Kostiantyn Ostrozkyi, who defeated the Muscovites in the Battle of Orsha in 1514, left a significant mark on history. He is considered one of the greatest military leaders of the 16th century.

The army emblem of the 30th Brigade includes a stylized image of the seal of the Princes of Ostroh. The red color on the shield symbolizes Volyn, and the black color symbolizes the land. The brigade's motto, "Dei Gratia" ("By God's Grace"), is taken from the titles of European rulers.

54th Mechanized Brigade named after Ivan Mazepa

The armband of the 54th Brigade, the 10-hryvnia banknote, and the Kyiv Cave Monastery share a common element: the six-pointed star and crescent moon, which were depicted on the coat of arms of Hetman Ivan Mazepa.

This army symbol can be seen on the facade of the Church of All Saints in the Kyiv Cave Monastery, and since 2022, on the emblem of the brigade named after him.

The brigade's motto was a phrase from Mazepa's Duma: "May glory be eternal, but we have the right to the saber!"

Kostya Hordiyenko 57th Infantry Brigade

On the morale patch of the 57th Motorized Infantry Brigade, you can see a symbol that resembles a runic sign. However, it is actually an arrow, an element of Kostiantyn Hordiienko's family coat of arms. This prominent ataman led the Oleshky and Kamianske Sich in the territory of modern Kherson oblast and was an ally of Hetman Mazepa in his confrontation with Peter the Great.

It is symbolic that the modern brigade, which was named after Hordiienko in 2019, is deployed on the lands where the famous ataman once operated. In his heraldry, Hordiienko used elements of the Nesobia coat of arms, which combines an arrow and the tail of a black eagle. An interesting legend from the eleventh century tells how the Poles, having shot the tail of a black eagle before a battle with the Czechs, predicted their victory. Centuries later, this ancient symbol found its place on the emblem of Ukrainian soldiers.

93rd Mechanized Brigade "Kholodny Yar"

The army emblem of this brigade combines historical heritage and contemporary literature in black and white. The Kholodnoyarsk Republic, which existed in the Cherkasy region in 1919-1922, became a symbol of the struggle against Soviet rule on the Right Bank. Its existence was tragically cut short by a treacherous operation of the Cheka.

Vasyl Shklyar's Shevchenko Prize-winning novel The Black Crow tells the story of Ivan Chernousov, commander of the Lebedyn Regiment. Although the brigade is not based in the Cherkasy region, but in the village of Cherkaske, Dnipro Oblast, its soldiers chose the name Kholodny Yar and the symbol of the black raven, emphasizing the national significance of this heroic page in history.

 17th Tank Brigade named after Kostiantyn Pestushko

This Kryvyi Rih brigade is named after the chief ataman of Kholodnyi Yar. The central figure of the army emblem is a knight, a traditional symbol of tank troops, which are considered the heirs of the heavy knightly cavalry. The colors of the shield reflect the colors of Kryvyi Rih, and the black triangle symbolizes the slot on the headgear of the Pestushko Division soldiers and the traditional color of tank units.

92nd Mechanized Brigade named after Ivan Sirko

The legendary Zaporozhian Sich chieftain Ivan Sirko, immortalized in Repin's famous painting, became the brigade's patron saint. Its emblem depicts Turkish tufeks, symbolizing the Cossacks' victorious battles against the Ottoman Empire. The palisade in the lower part of the shield represents the Zaporozhian Sich, and the yellow and green colors reflect the colors of the Kharkiv region, where the brigade is located.

19th Saint Barbara Missile Brigade

The brigade, named after the patron saint of rocket scientists, St. Barbara, has an unusual symbol on its emblem: a scorpion. This is due to the use of Tochka-U missile systems, whose flight path resembles the curve of a scorpion's tail. The designers creatively reinterpreted this image, turning the scorpion's sting into a missile. The fire color of the shield traditionally symbolizes artillery units.

The art of subtle hinting

In the office of the head of Ukraine's military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, visitors are bound to notice a remarkable detail of the interior: a painting of an owl holding a bat in its talons. This image is of particular significance, as the bat has been the official emblem of Russian military intelligence for over 30 years.

The appearance of a wise and formidable owl on the DIU emblem in 2016 was not accidental. As you know, owls are natural hunters of small rodents, which was obviously a decisive factor in choosing this symbol.

The symbolism is reinforced by the fact that the owl is holding a sword aimed at the silhouette of the Russian Federation. The Latin inscription "Sapiens dominabitur astris" ("The wise will rule over the stars") adds a special piquancy, which takes on an ironic connotation in light of the motto of Russian intelligence: "Only the stars are above us".

Thus, through the language of symbols and images, the emblem of the Ukrainian military intelligence clearly indicates the main enemy of the state.

We have described the stories of Ukrainian military patches created on the glorious Kozak military history. But now is the time of new victories, military stories and heroes!