
The original intent was to protect the identity of the officers to avoid intimidation from organized crime. In the Soviet Union, the balaclava became a part of standard OMON (special police task force) uniform as early as the Perestroyka years of the late 1980s. The United States Marine Corps has recently begun issuing balaclavas with hinged face guards as part of the Flame Resistant Organizational Gear program. They are commonly worn by troops on Himalayan duty for protection from the cold. Monkey caps sometimes have a small, decorative, woollen pom-pom on top.

In South Asia, balaclavas are commonly referred to as monkey caps because of their typical earth tone colours, and the fact that they blot out most human facial features. Thin Balaclavas can be used under motorcycle or snowmobile helmets for warmth in cool or winter conditions. According to Richard Rutt in his History of Handknitting, the name "balaclava helmet" was not used during the war but appears much later, in 1881. British troops required this aid, as their own supplies (warm clothing, weatherproof quarters, and food) never arrived in time. Handmade balaclavas were sent over to the British troops to help protect them from the bitter cold weather. The name comes from their use at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War of 1854, referring to the town near Sevastopol in the Crimea, where British troops there wore knitted headgear to keep warm. Similar styles of headgear were known in the 19th century as the Uhlan cap worn by Polish and Prussian soldiers, and the Templar cap worn by outdoor sports enthusiasts.
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Versions with enough of a full face opening may be rolled into a hat to cover the crown of the head or folded down as a collar around the neck. Depending on style and how it is worn, only the eyes, mouth and nose, or just the front of the face are unprotected. A woman modeling a fashionable knitted balaklavaĪ balaclava, also known as a balaclava helmet or ski mask, is a form of cloth headgear designed to expose only part of the face, usually the eyes and mouth.
