From Barend's RCW (Russian Civil War) Uniform Pages web site

http://pygmy-wars.50megs.com/barendspages/steppehosts/semirechensknotes/semirechensknotes.html


The Semirechensk Host was small, and only recently split off from the Siberian Host. The province of Semirech'e means "Seven Rivers" and refers to those which flow into Lake Balkhash. It occupied an area south of Semipalatinsk in what was then eastern Russian Turkestan, between the lakes in what today northern Kirghizstan and the area north of that in Kazakhstan.

The area has some very fertile parts, separated by high mountains and dry steppes, which were then being colonised by Russians. However, in 1919 the population was still three-quarters Kirghiz, plus sizable groups of Taranchis (Uighurs) and Dzungars (Mongols).

Following the history is made much more difficult by the different names for many of the features; such as for the largest towns of Almaty (Alma-Ata, Vyernyi), Bishkek (Pishpek), Karakol (Przhevalsk), Zharkent (Jarkent), Ayagoz (Sergiopol) and Semipalatinsk (Semey).

The collar tab and epaulette color is referred to as "raspberry", not pink.