Cavalryman rank. Historical military ranks in Russia

Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union
- the highest military rank of the USSR Navy. Introduced by the Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces dated March 3, 1955 on the military rank of Admiral of the Fleet.
Corresponded to the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union.

Ataman
- leader, chief - the eldest in the family and the leader of the steppe peoples, the leader of the Cossacks or (obsolete) generally the eldest in business.
The word comes from the word “ata” - “father”, “grandfather” among the Turkic peoples.

Bombardier
- a military rank established in 1682 for artillerymen of the “amusing” troops of Peter I.
From the end of the 18th century. bombardier - an ordinary artilleryman who served with “bombardier” guns (mortars, howitzers, unicorns). Subsequently (until 1917), the bombardier (as well as bombardier-gunner, bombardier-laboratorist and bombardier-observer) was the lower rank of artillery units of the Russian army with increased qualifications (corresponding to a corporal in the infantry).

Brigadier
- a military rank above colonel and below major general, which existed in the Russian Imperial Army in the 18th-19th centuries.
Was introduced by Peter I.
In the navy, he corresponded to the military rank of captain-commander. In some modern armies it corresponds to a brigadier general.

Sergeant
- (German: Wachtmeister) - military rank of non-commissioned officers of cavalry and artillery in the Russian army (cavalry, and Cossack troops, as well as the Separate Corps of Gendarmes) until 1917.
The duty of the sergeant was to assist the squadron commander in conducting drill training and organizing the economy and internal order; in the infantry, the sergeant corresponded to the sergeant major.
Until 1826, this rank was the highest for non-commissioned officers.

Midshipman
- (French garde-marine, “sea guard”, “sea guard”) - a rank in the Russian Imperial Navy that existed from 1716 to 1917. From 1716 to 1752, and from 1860 to 1882, the rank of midshipman in the Russian Imperial Navy existed as a combat rank; during the rest of the time, students of naval educational institutions were called midshipmen.
On ships, midshipmen were listed as “lower ranks”, wore the uniform of the Preobrazhensky Regiment and, according to the naval regulations, were “in battle like soldiers, in use like sailors.”
After practical voyages with the rank of junior and senior midshipman, they were promoted to officers.
During the battle, the midshipmen signed for the guns, where they helped the gunners.
The rest of the time they performed the duties of sailors, but for 4 hours a day they had to master the duties of other ranks.
Of these, the navigator worked with them for one and a half hours a day, thirty minutes - a soldier's officer (training in handling a musket), one hour - a constable or artillery officer (handling cannons), one hour - the ship's commander or one of the officers (controlling the ship).
After the October Revolution, the rank of midshipman was abolished.

Chief General
- (French general en chef) - military rank in the armed forces.
The title was introduced by Peter I in 1698.
According to the Military Regulations of Peter I, adopted in 1716, the general-in-chief is the commander-in-chief, equal to the field marshal (although in practice he was lower than him), who headed the “consultation” of generals.
After the end of the reign of Peter I in the Russian army they stopped using the ranks of cavalry general and infantry general, the rank and rank of general-in-chief began to designate a full general, a rank below field marshal.

General of Artillery
- The highest general rank in the artillery of the Russian army. It was provided for by the “Table of Ranks” of 1722, but until the end of the 18th century it was replaced by the general rank of general-in-chief.
The position of the head of the Russian artillery was called Feldzeichmeister General.
An artillery general by position could be an inspector general of artillery, commander of troops of a military district, and lead large military formations (corps) and formations (army, front).

General of Infantry
- military rank below field marshal and above lieutenant general. The title was introduced by Peter I in 1699.
The rank corresponded to the ranks of admiral and actual privy councilor.
An infantry general by position could be the inspector general of infantry or a rifle unit in the army, the commander of the troops of a military district, and lead large military formations (corps) and formations (army, front).
The rank was abolished on December 16, 1917.
In modern meaning - colonel general.

General of the Cavalry
- military rank and rank in the Russian Empire.
Introduced by Peter I as the highest general rank in the cavalry, as a branch of the Russian army.

A cavalry general by position could be an inspector general of cavalry, a commander of troops of a military district, or lead a large military unit (corps) or formation (army, front).
The rank was abolished on December 16, 1917.
In modern meaning - colonel general.

General of Fortification
- Due to the special situation of the artillery and engineering troops, where literate and mathematically literate officers were required, in the 1st third of the 18th century there was a rank Major General from Fortification with the same rights and duties as an army major general. After 1730, the qualification “from fortification” was not used.

Major General - military rank and rank in the Russian Empire in 1698-1917.
In the Russian Imperial Army, a major general usually commanded a brigade or division, but almost never an army corps or army; he could also be the commander of a guards regiment (at the same time, in guards regiments, above the position of regimental commander was the position of chief of the regiment, which were usually members of the Imperial House Romanov, and in the Life Guards Preobrazhensky, Semenovsky and Horse Regiments - the reigning emperor.

Major General is the primary military rank of senior officers, located between colonel or brigadier general and lieutenant general. A major general usually commands a division (about 15,000 personnel).
In the Navy (Navy) the rank of major general corresponds to the rank of rear admiral.

Lieutenant General
- military rank and rank in the Russian and Ukrainian armies.
At the same time (almost as a synonym) the rank of lieutenant general was used. In the second half of the Northern War, the rank of lieutenant general replaced the rank of lieutenant general.
(Great Northern War, Twenty Years' War- the war between the coalition of northern states and Sweden for the Baltic lands in 1700-1721, which lasted more than 20 years and ended in the defeat of Sweden).

Field Marshal General
- the highest military rank in the ground forces of the German, Austrian and Russian armies. Introduced in Russia in 1699 by Peter I.
Military rank of the first class, equal to admiral general in the navy, chancellor and actual privy councilor of the first class in the civil service.
The insignia of rank was the field marshal's baton; since the 19th century, crossed batons began to be depicted on the shoulder straps and buttonholes of field marshals.

The image of the marshal's baton has been present on the Emblem of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation since 2009.

Generalissimo
- the highest military rank in the Holy Roman Empire, later also in the Russian Empire, USSR and other countries.
Historically, this title was awarded to generals who commanded several, often allied, armies during the war, and in some cases to statesmen or persons from the families of reigning dynasties as an honorary title.
The highest rank, standing outside the system of officer ranks.

On October 28, 1799, A.V. Suvorov received the rank of generalissimo in full accordance with the Military Regulations, since he was the prince of the Kingdom of Sardinia, the prince of the Russian Empire, the Count of the Holy Roman Empire and the commander-in-chief of the Russian, Austrian and Sardinian troops.

Suvorov Alexander Vasilievich
(1729, Moscow - 1800, St. Petersburg)
Knight of all Russian orders of his time.
National Hero of Russia,
great Russian commander,
never suffered a single defeat
in his military career
(more than 60 battles),
one of the founders of Russian military art.

Currently in the Russian Federation this military rank is not provided for by law.

Generalissimo of the Soviet Union
- After the Great Patriotic War, on June 26, 1945, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the highest military rank of “Generalissimo of the Soviet Union” was introduced and on June 27, 1945 awarded to I.V. Stalin, in commemoration of exceptional merits in the Great Patriotic War.
In addition, Joseph Vissarionovich was awarded the Order of Victory, and he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

According to the memoirs of contemporaries, the issue of conferring the title of Generalissimo was discussed several times, but Stalin invariably rejected this proposal. And only after the intervention of Marshal of the Soviet Union K.K. Rokossovsky gave his consent when the latter stated: “Comrade Stalin, you are a marshal and I am a marshal, you cannot punish me!”

Chief Marshal of the Armed Forces
(Rank introduced on October 9, 1943)
- group of military ranks in the Armed Forces of the USSR:

Chief Marshal of Artillery,
Air Chief Marshal,
Chief Marshal of the Armored Forces,
Chief Marshal of the Engineering Troops,
Chief Marshal of the Signal Corps.

They stood at a rank higher than the rank of “marshal of the military branch.”
The rank was introduced on October 9, 1943.
Over the entire period of its existence, the title of “Chief Marshal” was received by 4 artillerymen, 7 military pilots and 2 representatives of the armored forces. In the engineering and signal troops these ranks formally existed, but were never awarded.
In 1984, only the ranks of “Chief Marshal of Artillery” and “Chief Marshal of Aviation” were retained.
On March 25, 1993, the ranks of Chief Marshals were excluded from the list of military ranks of the Russian Armed Forces.

Esaul
- chief officer rank in Russia in the Cossack troops.
Esaul is the name of an assistant military leader, his deputy.
Yesauls were:

general,
military,
regimental,
hundredths,
stanitsa,
hiking,
artillery

Cadet
- from July 29, 1731 in pre-revolutionary Russia - the title of students of cadet corps (secondary military educational institutions for children of nobles and officers, with a 7-year course)
- in the 80s. XX century - unofficial name for cadets of military educational institutions.

Captain Commander
- rank in 1707-1732 and in 1751-1827. in the Russian navy. Introduced in 1707, in 1722 included in the Table of Ranks, belonged to class V, and was considered lower than a rear admiral, but higher than a ship captain (since 1713, higher than a captain of the first rank). In the army, the captain-commander corresponded to the rank of brigadier, as well as state councilor in civil (civil) ranks. The address is “Your Highness.”
The duties of the captain-commander included command of small detachments of ships, as well as the temporary replacement of the rear admiral.

Corporal
- team leader - military rank of junior command staff and lower non-commissioned officer (sergeant) rank.
It appeared in Russia in 1647 and was officially introduced by the “Military Regulations” of Peter I.
In the first half of the 19th century. replaced by the rank of non-commissioned officer.
In the modern Russian Armed Forces, the rank of “junior sergeant” corresponds to a corporal.

Conductor
- (Latin conductor “employer, entrepreneur, contractor”) - a military rank in the Russian Navy, awarded to non-commissioned officers who have served for a specified period and passed the exam.
Conductors were the closest assistants to officers; they were entrusted with the responsibility of training lower ranks in the specialty. The chief boatswain was in charge of the ship's conductors. In the navy, conductors enjoyed privileges: they had a separate wardroom, received increased pay, including an allowance for raising children, enjoyed free treatment, had leave with pay, etc.
The period of service in the rank of conductor was 25 years.
After 1917, the title was abolished.

Cornet
- (from Italian corno - horn, war trumpet) - a military rank in the armies of a number of countries, mainly in the cavalry. The name comes from the position of the trumpeter under the commander, who, by order of the military leader, transmitted signals to the troops during the battle.
Cornets are listed in the same class as army second lieutenants and wear the same shoulder straps, while there is no rank of second lieutenant in the cavalry.

Red Army soldier
- (fighter) - military rank and position of a private soldier of the Armed Forces of the USSR /USSR Armed Forces/ (Workers' and Peasants' Red Army /RKKA/) since February 1918, soldier (the word “soldier” was abandoned in Soviet Russia as “counter-revolutionary” "
Introduced as a personal military rank in 1935.
In the Navy in 1918-1946. The rank of Red Army soldier corresponded to the rank of Red Navy man.
In 1946, the rank of Red Army soldier was replaced by the rank of private, in connection with the renaming of the Red Army into the Soviet Army of the USSR Armed Forces.
In 1924, a new uniform was introduced into the Red Army.
Breast flaps and sleeve insignia were abolished; they were sewn on overcoats and tunics.
buttonholes:

infantry - made of crimson cloth with black edging;
cavalry - made of blue cloth with black edging;
artillery and armored forces are made of black cloth with scarlet edging;
technical troops and communications - made of black cloth with blue edging;
aviation (Air Force) - made of blue cloth with red edging;
administrative and economic staff - dark green with red trim;

The Red Army soldiers had regiment numbers on their buttonholes.

The military rank in the Russian Imperial Army, which existed in the 18th and 19th centuries, is below major general and above colonel. It was introduced by Peter I.

His equivalent in the navy was the rank of captain-commander. in some armies today the rank of "brigadier" corresponds.

Sergeant

This position was common in the cavalry, its non-commissioned officers, as well as in the artillery in the army of our country (Cossack troops, cavalry, and also the gendarme corps). It existed until 1917, when the military ranks of the Tsarist Army of Russia were in effect. Not everyone had an analogue of titles in the USSR. The sergeant, for example, was not there. The duty of a person with this rank was to assist the squadron commander in training troops and organizing internal order and economy. The corresponding rank in the infantry is sergeant major. For non-commissioned officers this rank would be the highest until 1826.

Lieutenant General

We continue to describe military ranks in Tsarist Russia, let's move on to lieutenant general. This rank and military rank was in the Ukrainian and Russian armies. It was used simultaneously (almost as a synonym) with the latter. During the Northern War, more precisely, in its second half, it replaced the rank of lieutenant general.

Field Marshal General

This is the highest military rank in the ground forces of the Austrian, German and Russian armies. It was introduced in our country by Peter I in 1699. This 1st class rank corresponded to the rank of admiral general in the navy, and to the chancellor in the civil service, as well as privy councilor (also 1st class). The field marshal's baton served as a sign of distinction; since the 19th century, in the buttonholes of field marshals, they began to be depicted in a crossed form. Military ranks in Tsarist Russia were distinguished by shoulder straps, where representatives of the rank we are describing also had batons depicted. An example of a famous field marshal general in the history of our country is D. A. Milyutin.

Since 2009, this symbol has also been present on the emblem of the current entire Armed Forces of our country.

Generalissimo

In the Holy Roman Empire, this was the highest military rank, and later became such in the Russian Empire, as well as in the USSR and a number of other countries.

Historically, it was assigned to commanders of several, mainly allied, armies, generals, and in some cases also to statesmen or persons belonging to the families of reigning dynasties, as an honorary title. This rank stood outside the system of other officer ranks.

A.V. Suvorov received this title on October 28, 1799 in accordance with the Military Regulations, since he was the prince of the Sardinian kingdom, and at the same time the count of the Roman Empire, the prince of the Russian, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Austrian, Sardinian and Russian troops. Currently in our country it is not provided for by law.

Esaul

Our list of “Military ranks in Tsarist Russia” continues with the following rank. Esaul is the rank of chief officer in the Cossack and Russian troops. This rank designates an assistant, deputy military commander. Yesauls are: military, general, hundred, regimental, marching, village, artillery.

Captain Commander

This rank existed in 1707-1732, as well as in 1751-1827 in the navy of our country. It was introduced in 1707 and entered into the Table of Ranks in 1722, belonged to class V, and was considered lower than rear admiral and higher than the rank of captain of a ship (captain of the first rank - since 1713). In the army, this rank corresponded to a brigadier, and in state (civilian) positions - a state councilor. The address to a representative of this rank is “Your Highness.” His responsibilities included commanding detachments of ships (small), as well as temporarily replacing the rear admiral.

Corporal

This military rank, which was held by junior command personnel, is the lowest sergeant (non-commissioned officer) rank. In our country it appeared in 1647, introduced by Peter I in the “Military Regulations”. Later, in the first half of the 19th century, it was replaced by the rank of non-commissioned officer. Today, in modern armed forces, a corporal corresponds to the rank of “junior sergeant.”

Cornet

This is a military rank that was in the armies of some countries, mainly in the cavalry. Its name comes from the ancient position of a trumpeter, located under the commander, who, on his orders, transmitted signals to the troops during the battle. Holders of this rank are listed in the same class as army second lieutenants, and therefore wear the same shoulder straps. Note that in the cavalry the rank of second lieutenant does not exist.

Podesaul

We continue to describe military ranks in Tsarist Russia, presenting to you the following. This position existed since the 16th century, and then in Russia it was the chief officer rank in the Cossack troops of class X (in 1798-1884) and class IX in the above-mentioned list of "Table of Ranks" (1884-1917), in which there were military ranks in Tsarist Russia and their salaries are indicated.

In 1798, it was equated to the rank of staff captain in the cavalry, staff captain in the infantry, and lieutenant in the navy, as well as the rank of titular adviser in the civil service.

Second Lieutenant

This chief officer rank, which existed in the Russian army, was introduced by Peter I in Russia in 1703.

After the rank of ensign for peacetime was abolished in 1884, he became the first officer for all troops except the Cossacks and cavalry, where he corresponded to the ranks of cornet and cornet. In the navy of the Empire, the rank of midshipman was equivalent to it, and in the civil service - the provincial secretary. In the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the rank of second lieutenant corresponds to “lieutenant.”

Lieutenant

The military rank belonging to junior officers in the armies of pre-revolutionary Russia and Poland corresponded to the position of senior lieutenant. In the 18th and 19th centuries, there was also “porutchik” as an orthographic variant of this rank. Military ranks in Tsarist Russia in 1812, for example, included this rank.

This was an assignment officer, which in the USSR and Russia corresponds to the rank of senior lieutenant.

Ensign

We continue to describe military ranks in the royal army. The ensign exists in the armed forces, as well as other security forces in a number of countries. By decree of Alexei Mikhailovich, in the Russian army in 1649, standard bearers began to be called ensigns, who were appointed from among the most physically strong, courageous and battle-tested warriors. Creating a regular army, Peter I in 1712 introduced this rank as a junior (first) rank of officers in the cavalry and infantry. Until 1917, it was awarded to persons who completed an accelerated course at ensign schools or military schools and passed exams according to a certain program. Non-commissioned officers with secondary or higher education were allowed to be awarded it without an examination for military distinction. Warrant officers were usually appointed to the position by platoon commanders. In the Red Army (1917-1946), as well as the Soviet Army (until 1972), there was no similar rank of ensign. On January 1, 1972, it was introduced (together with the rank of midshipman) in the Armed Forces of the USSR. In the modern army of our country, he corresponds to the position of junior lieutenant.

Captain

Our list of “Military ranks in the tsarist army” is completed by captain. This was the senior officer rank in the cavalry (in the Russian Empire - chief officer). In 1730, in connection with the creation of heavy cavalry, new names of ranks appeared, among which was captain. Uhlans were also transformed into dragoons in 1882, and in order to establish uniformity in ranks throughout the cavalry, dragoon captains began to be called captains. In 1917, this rank was abolished. In the 20th century it existed, for example, in Poland.

These are the main military ranks in the Tsarist Army of Russia.

Generality:
General's shoulder strap and:

-Field Marshal General* - crossed wands.
-general of infantry, cavalry, etc.(the so-called “full general”) - without asterisks,
- Lieutenant General- 3 stars
- Major General- 2 stars,

Staff officers:
Two gaps and:

-colonel- without stars.
- lieutenant colonel(since 1884 the Cossacks had a military foreman) - 3 stars
-major**(until 1884 the Cossacks had a military foreman) - 2 stars

Chief officers:
One gap and:

- captain(captain, esaul) - without asterisks.
-staff captain(headquarters captain, podesaul) - 4 stars
- lieutenant(centurion) - 3 stars
- second lieutenant(cornet, cornet) - 2 stars
- ensign*** - 1 star

Lower ranks

- mediocre - ensign- 1 galloon stripe along the shoulder strap with 1 star on the stripe
- second ensign- 1 braided stripe the length of the shoulder strap
- sergeant major(sergeant) - 1 wide transverse stripe
-st. non-commissioned officer(Art. fireworker, Art. sergeant) - 3 narrow transverse stripes
-ml. non-commissioned officer(junior fireworker, junior constable) - 2 narrow transverse stripes
-corporal(bombardier, clerk) - 1 narrow transverse stripe
-private(gunner, Cossack) - without stripes

*In 1912, the last Field Marshal General, Dmitry Alekseevich Milyutin, who served as Minister of War from 1861 to 1881, dies. This rank was not assigned to anyone else, but nominally this rank was retained.
** The rank of major was abolished in 1884 and was never restored.
*** Since 1884, the rank of ensign was reserved only for wartime (it is assigned only during the war, and with its end, all ensigns are subject to either retirement or the rank of second lieutenant).
P.S. Encryptions and monograms are not placed on shoulder straps.
Very often one hears the question “why does the junior rank in the category of staff officers and generals begin with two stars, and not with one like for chief officers?” When in 1827 stars on epaulettes appeared in the Russian army as insignia, the major general received two stars on his epaulette at once.
There is a version that one star was awarded to the brigadier - this rank had not been awarded since the time of Paul I, but by 1827 there were still
retired foremen who had the right to wear a uniform. True, retired military men were not entitled to epaulets. And it’s unlikely that many of them survived until 1827 (passed
It’s been about 30 years since the abolition of the brigadier rank). Most likely, the two general's stars were simply copied from the epaulette of the French brigadier general. There is nothing strange in this, because the epaulettes themselves came to Russia from France. Most likely, there never was one general’s star in the Russian Imperial Army. This version seems more plausible.

As for the major, he received two stars by analogy with the two stars of the Russian major general of that time.

The only exception was the insignia in hussar regiments in ceremonial and ordinary (everyday) uniforms, in which shoulder cords were worn instead of shoulder straps.
Shoulder cords.
Instead of epaulettes of the cavalry type, the hussars have on their dolmans and mentiks
Hussar shoulder cords. For all officers, the same gold or silver double soutache cord of the same color as the cords on the dolman for the lower ranks are shoulder cords made of double soutache cord in color -
orange for regiments with a metal color - gold or white for regiments with a metal color - silver.
These shoulder cords form a ring at the sleeve, and a loop at the collar, fastened with a uniform button sewn to the floor an inch from the seam of the collar.
To distinguish ranks, gombochki are put on the cords (a ring made of the same cold cord encircling the shoulder cord):
-y corporal- one, the same color as the cord;
-y non-commissioned officers three-color gombochki (white with St. George's thread), in number, like stripes on shoulder straps;
-y sergeant- gold or silver (like officers) on an orange or white cord (like lower ranks);
-y sub-ensign- a smooth officer's shoulder cord with a sergeant's gong;
Officers have gombochkas with stars (metal, like on shoulder straps) on their officer cords - in accordance with their rank.

Volunteers wear twisted cords of Romanov colors (white, black and yellow) around their cords.

The shoulder cords of chief officers and staff officers are in no way different.
Staff officers and generals have the following differences in their uniforms: on the collar, generals have a wide or gold braid up to 1 1/8 inches wide, and staff officers have a gold or silver braid of 5/8 inches, running the entire length.
hussar zigzags", and for chief officers the collar is trimmed with only cord or filigree.
In the 2nd and 5th regiments, the chief officers also have galloon along the upper edge of the collar, but 5/16 inches wide.
In addition, on the cuffs of the generals there is a galloon identical to that on the collar. The braid stripe extends from the sleeve slit at two ends and converges at the front above the toe.
Staff officers also have the same braid as the one on the collar. The length of the entire patch is up to 5 inches.
But chief officers are not entitled to braid.

Below are pictures of the shoulder cords

1. Officers and generals

2. Lower ranks

The shoulder cords of chief officers, staff officers and generals did not differ in any way from each other. For example, it was possible to distinguish a cornet from a major general only by the type and width of the braid on the cuffs and, in some regiments, on the collar.
Twisted cords were only reserved for adjutants and outhouse adjutants!

Shoulder cords of the aide-de-camp (left) and adjutant (right)

Officer's shoulder straps: lieutenant colonel of the aviation detachment of the 19th army corps and staff captain of the 3rd field aviation detachment. In the center are the shoulder straps of the cadets of the Nikolaev Engineering School. On the right is the shoulder strap of a captain (most likely a dragoon or uhlan regiment)

The Russian army in its modern understanding began to be created by Emperor Peter I at the end of the 18th century. The system of military ranks of the Russian army was formed partly under the influence of European systems, partly under the influence of the historically established purely Russian system of ranks. However, at that time there were no military ranks in the sense in which we are accustomed to understand. There were specific military units, there were also very specific positions and, accordingly, their names. There was no, for example, the rank of “captain”, there was the position of “captain”, i.e. company commander. By the way, in the civilian fleet even now, the person in charge of the crew of the ship is called “captain”, the person in charge of the seaport is called “port captain”. In the 18th century, many words existed in a slightly different meaning than they have now.
So "General" meant "chief", and not just "highest military leader";
"Major"- “senior” (senior among regimental officers);
"Lieutenant"- "assistant"
"Outbuilding"- "junior".

“The table of ranks of all ranks of military, civil and courtiers, in which class the ranks are acquired” was put into effect by Decree of Emperor Peter I on January 24, 1722 and existed until December 16, 1917. The word "officer" came into Russian from German. But in German, as in English, the word has a much broader meaning. When applied to the army, this term refers to all military leaders in general. In a narrower translation, it means “employee”, “clerk”, “employee”. Therefore, it is quite natural that “non-commissioned officers” are junior commanders, “chief officers” are senior commanders, “staff officers” are staff employees, “generals” are the main ones. Non-commissioned officer ranks also in those days were not ranks, but positions. Ordinary soldiers were then named according to their military specialties - musketeer, pikeman, dragoon, etc. There was no name “private”, and “soldier”, as Peter I wrote, means all military personnel “... from the highest general to the last musketeer, horseman or foot...” Therefore, soldier and non-commissioned officer ranks were not included in the Table. The well-known names “second lieutenant” and “lieutenant” existed in the list of ranks of the Russian army long before the formation of the regular army by Peter I to designate military personnel who were assistant captains, that is, company commanders; and continued to be used within the framework of the Table, as Russian-language synonyms for the positions of “non-commissioned lieutenant” and “lieutenant”, that is, “assistant” and “assistant”. Well, or if you want, “assistant officer for assignments” and “officer for assignments.” The name "ensign" as more understandable (carrying a banner, ensign), quickly replaced the obscure "fendrik", which meant "candidate for an officer position. Over time, there was a process of separation of the concepts of "position" and "rank". After the beginning of the 19th century, these concepts were already divided quite clearly. With the development of means of warfare, the advent of technology, when the army became large enough and when it became necessary to compare the service status of a fairly large set of job titles, this is where the concept of “rank” often began to be obscured, to be relegated to the background. job title".

However, even in the modern army, position, so to speak, is more important than rank. According to the charter, seniority is determined by position and only in case of equal positions is the one with the higher rank considered senior.

According to the “Table of Ranks” the following ranks were introduced: civilian, military infantry and cavalry, military artillery and engineering troops, military guards, military navy.

In the period from 1722-1731, in relation to the army, the system of military ranks looked like this (the corresponding position is in brackets)

Lower ranks (private)

Specialty (grenadier. Fuseler...)

Non-commissioned officers

Corporal(squad commander)

Fourier(deputy platoon commander)

Captainarmus

Sub-ensign(sergeant major of company, battalion)

Sergeant

Sergeant Major

Ensign(Fendrik), bayonet-junker (art) (platoon commander)

Second Lieutenant

Lieutenant(deputy company commander)

Captain-lieutenant(company commander)

Captain

Major(deputy battalion commander)

Lieutenant colonel(battalion commander)

Colonel(regiment commander)

Brigadier(brigade commander)

Generals

Major General(division commander)

Lieutenant General(corps commander)

General-in-chief (General-feldtsehmeister)– (army commander)

Field Marshal General(Commander-in-Chief, honorary title)

In the Life Guards the ranks were two classes higher than in the army. In the army artillery and engineering troops, the ranks are one class higher than in the infantry and cavalry. During the period 1731-1765 the concepts of “rank” and “position” begin to separate. Thus, in the staff of a field infantry regiment of 1732, when indicating staff ranks, it is no longer just the rank of “quartermaster” that is written, but a position indicating the rank: “quartermaster (lieutenant rank).” In relation to company-level officers, the separation of the concepts of “position” and “rank” is not yet observed. In the army "fendrick" is replaced by " ensign", in the cavalry - "cornet". Ranks are being introduced "sec-major" And "prime major" During the reign of Empress Catherine II (1765-1798) ranks are introduced in the army infantry and cavalry junior and senior sergeant, sergeant major disappears. Since 1796 in Cossack units, the names of ranks are established the same as the ranks of army cavalry and are equated to them, although Cossack units continue to be listed as irregular cavalry (not part of the army). There is no rank of second lieutenant in the cavalry, but captain corresponds to the captain. During the reign of Emperor Paul I (1796-1801) The concepts of “rank” and “position” during this period were already separated quite clearly. The ranks in the infantry and artillery are compared. Paul I did a lot of useful things to strengthen the army and discipline in it. He forbade the enrollment of young noble children into the regiments. All those enrolled in the regiments were required to actually serve. He introduced disciplinary and criminal liability of officers for soldiers (preservation of life and health, training, clothing, living conditions) and prohibited the use of soldiers as labor on the estates of officers and generals; introduced the awarding of soldiers with insignia of the Order of St. Anne and the Order of Malta; introduced an advantage in the promotion of officers who graduated from military educational institutions; ordered promotion in ranks only based on business qualities and ability to command; introduced leaves for soldiers; limited the duration of officers' vacations to one month per year; dismissed from the army a large number of generals who did not meet the requirements of military service (old age, illiteracy, disability, absence from service for a long time, etc.). Ranks were introduced in the lower ranks junior and senior privates. In the cavalry - sergeant(company sergeant) For Emperor Alexander I (1801-1825) since 1802, all non-commissioned officers of the noble class are called "cadet". Since 1811, the rank of “major” was abolished in the artillery and engineering troops and the rank of “ensign” was returned. During the reign of Emperor Nicholas I (1825-1855) , who did a lot to streamline the army, Alexander II (1855-1881) and the beginning of the reign of Emperor Alexander III (1881-1894) Since 1828, army Cossacks have been given ranks different from the army cavalry (In the Cossack Life Guards and Ataman Life Guards regiments, ranks are the same as those of the entire Guards cavalry). The Cossack units themselves are transferred from the category of irregular cavalry to the army. The concepts of “rank” and “position” during this period are already completely separated. Under Nicholas I, the discrepancy in the names of non-commissioned officer ranks disappeared. Since 1884, the rank of warrant officer was reserved only for wartime (assigned only during the war, and with its end, all warrant officers are subject to either retirement or the rank of second lieutenant). The rank of cornet in the cavalry is retained as the first officer rank. He is a grade lower than an infantry second lieutenant, but in the cavalry there is no rank of second lieutenant. This equalizes the ranks of infantry and cavalry. In Cossack units, officer classes are equal to cavalry classes, but have their own names. In this regard, the rank of military sergeant major, previously equal to a major, now becomes equal to a lieutenant colonel

“In 1912, the last Field Marshal General, Dmitry Alekseevich Milyutin, who served as Minister of War from 1861 to 1881, dies. This rank was not awarded to anyone else, but nominally this rank was retained.”

In 1910, the rank of Russian field marshal was awarded to King Nicholas I of Montenegro, and in 1912 to King Carol I of Romania.

P.S. After the October Revolution of 1917, by the Decree of the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars (the Bolshevik government) of December 16, 1917, all military ranks were abolished...

Officer's shoulder straps of the tsarist army were designed completely differently than modern ones. First of all, the gaps were not part of the braid, as it has been done here since 1943. In the engineering troops, two belt braids or one belt braid and two headquarters braids were simply sewn onto the shoulder straps. For each branch of the military, the type of braid was determined specifically. For example, in the hussar regiments, the “hussar zig-zag” braid was used on officer’s shoulder straps. On the shoulder straps of military officials, “civilian” braid was used. Thus, the gaps of the officer's shoulder straps were always the same color as the field of the soldiers' shoulder straps. If the shoulder straps in this part did not have a colored edging (piping), as, say, it was in the engineering troops, then the piping had the same color as the gaps. But if in part the shoulder straps had colored piping, then it was visible around the officer’s shoulder straps. The shoulder strap was silver-colored without edges with an extruded double-headed eagle sitting on crossed axes. The stars were embroidered with gold thread on the shoulder straps, and the encryption was metal gilded applied numbers and letters or silver monograms (as appropriate). At the same time, it was widespread to wear gilded forged metal stars, which were supposed to be worn only on epaulettes.

The placement of asterisks was not strictly established and was determined by the size of the encryption. Two stars were supposed to be placed around the encryption, and if it filled the entire width of the shoulder strap, then above it. The third asterisk had to be placed so as to form an equilateral triangle with the two lower ones, and the fourth asterisk was slightly higher. If there is one sprocket on the shoulder strap (for an ensign), then it was placed where the third sprocket is usually attached. Special signs also had gilded metal overlays, although they could often be found embroidered with gold thread. The exception was special aviation insignia, which were oxidized and had a silver color with a patina.

1. Epaulet staff captain 20th engineer battalion

2. Epaulet for lower ranks Ulan 2nd Life Ulan Kurland Regiment 1910

3. Epaulet full general from the retinue cavalry His Imperial Majesty Nicholas II. The silver device of the epaulette indicates the high military rank of the owner (only the marshal was higher)

About stars on uniform

For the first time, forged five-pointed stars appeared on the epaulettes of Russian officers and generals in January 1827 (back in the time of Pushkin). One golden star began to be worn by warrant officers and cornets, two by second lieutenants and major generals, and three by lieutenants and lieutenant generals. four are staff captains and staff captains.

And with April 1854 Russian officers began to wear sewn stars on newly established shoulder straps. For the same purpose, the German army used diamonds, the British used knots, and the Austrian used six-pointed stars.

Although the designation of military rank on shoulder straps is a characteristic feature of the Russian and German armies.

Among the Austrians and the British, shoulder straps had a purely functional role: they were sewn from the same material as the jacket so that the shoulder straps did not slip. And the rank was indicated on the sleeve. The five-pointed star, pentagram is a universal symbol of protection and security, one of the most ancient. In Ancient Greece it could be found on coins, on house doors, stables and even on cradles. Among the Druids of Gaul, Britain, and Ireland, the five-pointed star (Druid cross) was a symbol of protection from external evil forces. And it can still be seen on the window panes of medieval Gothic buildings. The Great French Revolution revived five-pointed stars as a symbol of the ancient god of war, Mars. They denoted the rank of commanders of the French army - on hats, epaulettes, scarves, and on uniform coattails.

The military reforms of Nicholas I copied the appearance of the French army - this is how the stars “rolled” from the French horizon to the Russian one.

As for the British army, even during the Boer War, stars began to migrate to shoulder straps. This is about officers. For lower ranks and warrant officers, the insignia remained on the sleeves.
In the Russian, German, Danish, Greek, Romanian, Bulgarian, American, Swedish and Turkish armies, shoulder straps served as insignia. In the Russian army, there were shoulder insignia for both lower ranks and officers. Also in the Bulgarian and Romanian armies, as well as in the Swedish. In the French, Spanish and Italian armies, rank insignia was placed on the sleeves. In the Greek army, it was on officers' shoulder straps and on the sleeves of lower ranks. In the Austro-Hungarian army, the insignia of officers and lower ranks were on the collar, those on the lapels. In the German army, only officers had rank insignia on their shoulder straps, while the lower ranks were distinguished from each other by the braid on the cuffs and collar, as well as the uniform button on the collar. The exception was the Kolonial truppe, where as additional (and in a number of colonies the main) insignia of the lower ranks there were chevrons made of silver galloon sewn on the left sleeve of a-la gefreiter 30-45 years.

It is interesting to note that in peacetime service and field uniforms, that is, with a tunic of the 1907 model, officers of the hussar regiments wore shoulder straps that were also somewhat different from the shoulder straps of the rest of the Russian army. For hussar shoulder straps, galloon with the so-called “hussar zigzag” was used
The only part where shoulder straps with the same zigzag were worn, besides the hussar regiments, was the 4th battalion (since 1910 regiment) of the Imperial Family riflemen. Here is a sample: shoulder straps of the captain of the 9th Kyiv Hussar Regiment.

Unlike the German hussars, who wore uniforms of the same design, differing only in the color of the fabric. With the introduction of khaki-colored shoulder straps, the zigzags also disappeared; membership in the hussars was indicated by encryption on the shoulder straps. For example, "6 G", that is, the 6th Hussar.
In general, the field uniform of the hussars was of the dragoon type, they were combined arms. The only difference indicating belonging to the hussars was the boots with a rosette in front. However, the hussar regiments were allowed to wear chakchirs with their field uniform, but not all regiments, but only the 5th and 11th. The wearing of chakchirs by the rest of the regiments was a kind of “hazing”. But during the war, this happened, as well as the wearing by some officers of a saber, instead of the standard dragon saber, which was used with field equipment.

The photograph shows the captain of the 11th Izyum Hussar Regiment K.K. von Rosenshild-Paulin (sitting) and cadet of the Nikolaev Cavalry School K.N. von Rosenchild-Paulin (also later an officer in the Izyum Regiment). Captain in summer dress or dress uniform, i.e. in a tunic of the 1907 model, with galloon shoulder straps and the number 11 (note, on the officer's shoulder straps of peacetime valery regiments there are only numbers, without the letters "G", "D" or "U"), and blue chakchirs worn by officers of this regiment for all forms of clothing.
Regarding “hazing,” during the World War it was apparently also common for hussar officers to wear galloon shoulder straps in peacetime.

on galloon officer's shoulder straps of cavalry regiments, only numbers were affixed, and there were no letters. which is confirmed by photographs.

Ordinary ensign- from 1907 to 1917 in the Russian army the highest military rank for non-commissioned officers. The insignia for ordinary ensigns was the shoulder straps of a lieutenant officer with a large (larger than an officer's) asterisk in the upper third of the shoulder strap on the line of symmetry. The rank was awarded to the most experienced long-term non-commissioned officers; with the beginning of the First World War, it began to be awarded to lieutenant officers as an incentive, often immediately before the assignment of the first chief officer rank (ensign or cornet).

From Brockhaus and Efron:
Ordinary ensign, military During mobilization, if there were a shortage of persons meeting the conditions for promotion to the officer rank, there was no one. non-commissioned officers are awarded the rank of warrant officer; correcting the duties of junior officers, Z. great. restricted in the rights to move in the service.

Interesting history of the rank sub-ensign. During the period 1880-1903. this rank was awarded to graduates of cadet schools (not to be confused with military schools). In the cavalry he corresponded to the rank of estandart cadet, in the Cossack troops - sergeant. Those. it turned out that this was some kind of intermediate rank between the lower ranks and officers. Sub-ensigns who graduated from the Junkers College in the 1st category were promoted to officers no earlier than September of their graduation year, but outside of vacancies. Those who graduated in the 2nd category were promoted to officers no earlier than the beginning of the next year, but only for vacancies, and it turned out that some waited several years for promotion. According to the order No. 197 of 1901, with the production of the last ensigns, estandard cadets and sub-warrants in 1903, these ranks were abolished. This was due to the beginning of the transformation of cadet schools into military ones.
Since 1906, the rank of sub-ensign in the infantry and cavalry and sub-ensign in the Cossack troops began to be awarded to long-term non-commissioned officers who graduated from a special school. Thus, this rank became the maximum for lower ranks.

Sub-ensign, estandard cadet and sub-ensign, 1886:

Shoulder straps of the staff captain of the Cavalry Regiment and shoulder straps of the staff captain of the Life Guards of the Moscow Regiment.

The first shoulder strap is declared as the shoulder strap of an officer (captain) of the 17th Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment. But Nizhny Novgorod residents should have dark green piping along the edge of their shoulder straps, and the monogram should be a custom color. And the second shoulder strap is presented as the shoulder strap of a second lieutenant of the Guards artillery (with such a monogram in the Guards artillery there were shoulder straps for officers of only two batteries: the 1st battery of the Life Guards of the 2nd Artillery Brigade and the 2nd battery of the Guards Horse Artillery), but the shoulder strap button should not Is it possible to have an eagle with guns in this case?

Major(Spanish mayor - bigger, stronger, more significant) - the first rank of senior officers.
The title originated in the 16th century. The major was responsible for the guard and food of the regiment. When regiments were divided into battalions, the battalion commander usually became a major.
In the Russian army, the rank of major was introduced by Peter I in 1698 and abolished in 1884.
Prime major is a staff officer rank in the Russian imperial army of the 18th century. Belonged to class VIII of the Table of Ranks.
According to the charter of 1716, majors were divided into prime majors and second majors.
The prime major was in charge of the regiment's combat and inspection units. He commanded the 1st battalion, and in the absence of the regiment commander, the regiment.
The division into prime and second majors was abolished in 1797."

"Appeared in Russia as a rank and position (deputy regiment commander) in the Streltsy army at the end of the 15th - early 16th centuries. In Streltsy regiments, as a rule, lieutenant colonels (often of “vile” origin) performed all administrative functions for the Streltsy head, appointed from among the nobles or In the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th century, the rank (rank) and position were referred to as half-colonel due to the fact that the lieutenant colonel usually, in addition to his other duties, commanded the second “half” of the regiment - the back ranks in the formation and the reserve (before the introduction of battalion formation of regular soldier regiments) From the moment of the introduction of the Table of Ranks until its abolition in 1917, the rank (rank) of lieutenant colonel belonged to the VII class of the Table and until 1856 gave the right to hereditary nobility. In 1884, after the abolition of the rank of major in the Russian army, all majors (with the exception of those dismissed). or those who have stained themselves with unseemly misconduct) are promoted to lieutenant colonel."

INSIGNIA OF CIVILIAN OFFICERS OF THE WAR MINISTRY (here are military topographers)

Officers of the Imperial Military Medical Academy

Chevrons of combatant lower ranks of long-term service according to “Regulations on the lower ranks of non-commissioned officers who remain voluntarily on long-term active service” from 1890.

From left to right: Up to 2 years, Over 2 to 4 years, Over 4 to 6 years, Over 6 years

To be precise, the article from which these drawings were borrowed says the following: “... the awarding of chevrons to long-term servicemen of the lower ranks holding the positions of sergeant majors (sergeant majors) and platoon non-commissioned officers (fireworks officers) of combat companies, squadrons, and batteries was carried out:
– Upon admission to long-term service - a narrow silver chevron
– At the end of the second year of extended service - a silver wide chevron
– At the end of the fourth year of extended service - a narrow gold chevron
- At the end of the sixth year of extended service - a wide gold chevron"

In army infantry regiments to designate the ranks of corporal, ml. and senior non-commissioned officers used army white braid.

1. The rank of WARRANT OFFICER has existed in the army since 1991 only in wartime.
With the beginning of the Great War, ensigns are graduated from military schools and ensign schools.
2. The rank of WARRANT OFFICER in the reserve, in peacetime, on the warrant officer's shoulder straps, wears a braided stripe against the device at the lower rib.
3. The rank of WARRANT OFFICER, to this rank in wartime, when military units are mobilized and there is a shortage of junior officers, lower ranks are renamed from non-commissioned officers with an educational qualification, or from sergeant majors without
educational qualification. From 1891 to 1907, ordinary warrant officers on ensign's shoulder straps also wore stripes of the ranks from which they were renamed.
4. The title of ENTERPRISE-WRITTEN OFFICER (since 1907). Shoulder straps of a lieutenant officer with an officer's star and a transverse badge for the position. On the sleeve there is a 5/8 inch chevron, angled upward. Officer's shoulder straps were retained only by those who were renamed Z-Pr. during the Russo-Japanese War and remained in the army, for example, as a sergeant major.
5.The title of WARRANT OFFICER-ZAURYAD of the State Militia. This rank was renamed to non-commissioned officers of the reserve, or, if they had an educational qualification, who served for at least 2 months as a non-commissioned officer of the State Militia and appointed to the position of junior officer of the squad. Ordinary warrant officers wore shoulder straps of an active-duty warrant officer with an instrument-colored galloon patch sewn into the lower part of the shoulder strap.

Cossack ranks and titles

At the very bottom rung of the service ladder stood an ordinary Cossack, corresponding to an infantry private. Next came the clerk, who had one stripe and corresponded to a corporal in the infantry. The next step in the career ladder is junior sergeant and senior sergeant, corresponding to junior non-commissioned officer, non-commissioned officer and senior non-commissioned officer and with the number of badges characteristic of modern non-commissioned officers. This was followed by the rank of sergeant, who was not only in the Cossacks, but also in the non-commissioned officers of the cavalry and horse artillery.

In the Russian army and gendarmerie, the sergeant was the closest assistant to the commander of a hundred, squadron, battery for drill training, internal order and economic affairs. The rank of sergeant corresponded to the rank of sergeant major in the infantry. According to the regulations of 1884, introduced by Alexander III, the next rank in the Cossack troops, but only for wartime, was sub-short, an intermediate rank between ensign and warrant officer in the infantry, also introduced in wartime. In peacetime, except for the Cossack troops, these ranks existed only for reserve officers. The next grade in the chief officer ranks is cornet, corresponding to second lieutenant in the infantry and cornet in the regular cavalry.

According to his official position, he corresponded to a junior lieutenant in the modern army, but wore shoulder straps with a blue clearance on a silver field (the applied color of the Don Army) with two stars. In the old army, compared to the Soviet army, the number of stars was one more. Next came the centurion - a chief officer rank in the Cossack troops, corresponding to a lieutenant in the regular army. The centurion wore shoulder straps of the same design, but with three stars, corresponding in his position to a modern lieutenant. A higher step is podesaul.

This rank was introduced in 1884. In the regular troops it corresponded to the rank of staff captain and staff captain.

Podesaul was the assistant or deputy of the captain and in his absence commanded the Cossack hundred.
Shoulder straps of the same design, but with four stars.
In terms of service position he corresponds to a modern senior lieutenant. And the highest rank of chief officer is esaul. It is worth talking about this rank in particular, since from a purely historical perspective, the people who wore it held positions in both the civil and military departments. In various Cossack troops, this position included various service prerogatives.

The word comes from the Turkic “yasaul” - chief.
It was first mentioned in the Cossack troops in 1576 and was used in the Ukrainian Cossack army.

Yesauls were general, military, regimental, hundred, village, marching and artillery. General Yesaul (two per Army) - the highest rank after the hetman. In peacetime, general esauls performed inspector functions; in war they commanded several regiments, and in the absence of the hetman, the entire Army. But this is typical only for Ukrainian Cossacks. Military esauls were elected on the Military Circle (in Donskoy and most others - two per Army, in Volzhsky and Orenburg - one each). We were engaged in administrative matters. Since 1835, they were appointed as adjutants to the military ataman. Regimental esauls (initially two per regiment) performed the duties of staff officers and were the closest assistants to the regiment commander.

Hundred esauls (one per hundred) commanded hundreds. This link did not take root in the Don Army after the first centuries of the existence of the Cossacks.

The village esauls were characteristic only of the Don Army. They were elected at village gatherings and were assistants to the village atamans. Marching esauls (usually two per Army) were selected when setting out on a campaign. They served as assistants to the marching ataman; in the 16th-17th centuries, in his absence, they commanded the army; later they were executors of the marching ataman’s orders. The artillery esaul (one per Army) was subordinate to the chief of artillery and carried out his orders. General, regimental, village and other esauls were gradually abolished

Only the military esaul was preserved under the military ataman of the Don Cossack army. In 1798 - 1800. The rank of esaul was equal to the rank of captain in the cavalry. Esaul, as a rule, commanded a Cossack hundred. His official position corresponded to that of a modern captain. He wore shoulder straps with a blue gap on a silver field without stars. Next come the headquarters officer ranks. In fact, after the reform of Alexander III in 1884, the rank of esaul entered this rank, due to which the rank of major was removed from the staff officer ranks, as a result of which a serviceman from captains immediately became a lieutenant colonel. Next on the Cossack career ladder is the military sergeant major. The name of this rank comes from the ancient name of the executive body of power among the Cossacks. In the second half of the 18th century, this name, in a modified form, extended to individuals who commanded individual branches of the Cossack army. Since 1754, a military foreman was equivalent to a major, and with the abolition of this rank in 1884, to a lieutenant colonel. He wore shoulder straps with two blue gaps on a silver field and three large stars.

Well, then comes the colonel, the shoulder straps are the same as those of a military sergeant major, but without stars. Starting from this rank, the service ladder is unified with the general army one, since the purely Cossack names of ranks disappear. The official position of a Cossack general fully corresponds to the general ranks of the Russian Army.

Just having an argument with a friend about why “marshal” is the main rank in the army? It turned out that this is actually a “groom” from French...

Ensign

Ensigns in the Russian army were originally called standard bearers. From the Church Slavonic language "prapor" is a banner. The title was first introduced in 1649 by decree of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. Russian soldiers had to earn the high rank of ensign with their courage and military valor.
Alexei Mikhailovich's son, Peter I, when creating a regular army in 1712, introduced the military rank of ensign as the first (junior) rank of chief officer in the infantry and cavalry.
Since 1884, the first officer rank after leaving the military academy was second lieutenant (for cavalrymen - cornet), while the rank of ensign was retained by reserve officers, in the Caucasian militia and for wartime. In addition, soldiers who distinguished themselves during battle could receive the rank of ensign.
Since 1886, lower ranks could take the ensign exam. Candidates who passed the exam were in the reserve for 12 years and annually had to undergo six weeks of military training.
In the fall of 1912, Nicholas II approved the Regulations on accelerated graduation during the mobilization of the army from His Imperial Majesty's Corps of Pages, military and special schools. Now you could become a warrant officer after 8 months of training. Thus, warrant officers became, as it were, “precocious officers,” which affected the attitude towards them in the Russian Imperial Army.
From 1917 to January 1, 1972, the rank of warrant officer did not exist. In terms of status, the “new warrant officers” were higher than the sergeant major and lower than the junior lieutenant. In comparison with pre-revolutionary ranks, the Soviet ensign was equal to the sub-ensign of the tsarist army.
Since 2009, the institution of warrant officers has been liquidated, but in February 2013, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced the return of the institution of warrant officers and midshipmen to the army and navy.
Elistratov’s “Dictionary of Russian Argot” notes that in army jargon, warrant officers are called “pieces.”

The word "sergeant" came into Russian from French (sergent), and into French from Latin (serviens). Translated as "employee".
The first sergeants appeared in the 11th century in England. Only then they called it not the military, but the landowners who carried out various assignments for the king. In the 12th century, sergeants in England were also called employees who performed police functions.
As a military rank, "sergeant" appeared only in the 15th century, in the French army. After this it passed into the German and English armies, and in the 17th century - into the Russian one. The rank was in use from 1716 to 1798, when Paul the First replaced the ranks of sergeant and senior sergeant with non-commissioned officer and sergeant major, respectively.
In the Red Army, the rank of "sergeant" appeared on November 2, 1940. The peculiarity of the Soviet sergeant corps was that sergeants were not career military personnel, but conscripts, which, according to the plan of the Soviet military leadership, increased the mobilization qualities of the army. This approach paid off - in December 1979, in 2 weeks, a large group of troops was formed to enter Afghanistan (50 thousand soldiers, sergeants and officers).
Absolutely excellent sergeant system in the US Army. According to 2010 data, sergeants there make up about 40% of the total number of the Armed Forces. Of the more than 1,371,000 members of the US Army, 547 thousand are American sergeants. Of these: 241,500 are sergeants, 168,000 are staff sergeants, 100,000 are 1st class sergeants, 26,900 are master sergeants, 10,600 are sergeant majors.
A sergeant in the US Army is first after God for soldiers and second lieutenants. Sergeants train them and take charge of them.

Lieutenant

The word "lieutenant" comes from the French lieutenant, which translates as "deputy". At the beginning of the 15th century in France, this was the name given to the commanding officers who held the positions of deputy chiefs of detachments, then - deputy commanders of companies; in the navy, this was the name given to deputy captains of ships. From the second half of the 17th century, “lieutenant” became a military rank.
In Spain of the 15th-16th centuries, the same position was called "lugar teniente" or simply "teniente".
In Russia, from 1701 to 1917, the rank of lieutenant was only in the imperial fleet. In the USSR, the rank of lieutenant was introduced on September 22, 1935 as the primary officer rank received upon graduation from a military school or upon completion of a military department in civilian universities. Junior lieutenants are awarded the rank of lieutenant upon expiration of the established period of service upon positive certification.

“Captain” and “kaput” are words with the same root. In Latin caput means head. Captain is translated as "military leader".
For the first time, the title “captain” began to be used again in France; in the Middle Ages, this was the name given to the heads of military districts. Since 1558, company commanders began to be called captains, and the heads of military districts began to be called captains general.
In Russia, the rank of captain appeared in the 16th century. This is how company commanders began to be called. In the cavalry and dragoon regiments and gendarme corps since 1882, the captain was called a captain, and in the Cossack regiments - an esaul.
Until 1917, the rank of army infantry captain was equal to the rank of a modern army major, and the rank of guard captain was equal to the rank of army lieutenant colonel.
In the Red Army, the rank of captain was introduced on September 22, 1935. At the same time, the ranks of captain of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd rank and captain-lieutenant (the latter corresponds to the rank of captain) were introduced for the naval personnel of the Navy.
In artillery, the rank of captain corresponds to the position of battery commander (battler commander).

Major is translated as "senior". Che Guevara is also a major, since in Spanish-speaking countries the rank of comandante is equal to major.
The title appeared in the 17th century. This was the name given to the assistant regiment commanders responsible for food and guard duties. When regiments were divided into battalions, majors became battalion commanders.
In the Russian army, the rank of major was introduced by Peter I in 1698. By analogy with major generals of that time, majors received not one star, as now, but two. The difference between the ranks was the fringe on the epaulettes. For major generals it was a general's one, twisted, for majors it was a staff officer's one, made of thin threads.
From 1716 to 1797, the Russian army also had the ranks of prime major and second major. The division was abolished by Paul the First.
In the Cossack troops, the rank of major corresponded to the rank of "military foreman", in civil ranks - "collegiate assessor".
In 1884, the rank of major was abolished, and majors became lieutenant colonels.
In the Red Army, the rank of major was introduced in 1935; in the navy it corresponded to the ship rank of captain of the 3rd rank.

General and above

“General” means “chief,” but “marshal” translates as “groom” (the French maréchal still means “horseshoe blacksmith”). However, until 1917, marshal was the highest military rank in the Russian army, and after that, from the same 1935.
But besides marshals and generals, there are also generalissimos. For the first time in Russian history, the title “Generalissimo” was granted on June 28, 1696 by Peter I to Voivode A.S. Shein for successful actions near Azov (we are not talking about “amusing generalissimos”). Officially, the military rank of generalissimo was introduced in Russia by the Military Regulations of 1716.
The generalissimos in Russian history were: Prince Alexander Menshikov (1727), Prince Anton Ulrich of Brunswick (1740), Alexander Suvorov (1799).
After the Great Patriotic War, on June 26, 1945, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the highest military rank of “Generalissimo of the Soviet Union” was introduced. The next day, Joseph Stalin received this title. According to Rokossovsky’s memoirs, he personally persuaded Stalin to accept the title, saying that “there are many marshals, but there is only one generalissimo.”

Generality:
General's shoulder strap and:

As for the major, he received two stars by analogy with the two stars of the Russian major general of that time.

Volunteers wear twisted cords of Romanov colors (white, black and yellow) around their cords.

Below are pictures of the shoulder cords

1. Officers and generals

2. Lower ranks

Shoulder cords of the aide-de-camp (left) and adjutant (right)

According to the “Table of Ranks” the following ranks were introduced: civilian, military infantry and cavalry, military artillery and engineering troops, military guards, military navy.

In the period from 1722-1731, in relation to the army, the system of military ranks looked like this (the corresponding position is in brackets)

Lower ranks (private)

Specialty (grenadier. Fuseler...)

Non-commissioned officers

Corporal(squad commander)

Fourier(deputy platoon commander)

Captainarmus

Sub-ensign(sergeant major of company, battalion)

Sergeant

Sergeant Major

Ensign(Fendrik), bayonet-junker (art) (platoon commander)

Second Lieutenant

Lieutenant(deputy company commander)

Captain-lieutenant(company commander)

Captain

Major(deputy battalion commander)

Lieutenant colonel(battalion commander)

Colonel(regiment commander)

Brigadier(brigade commander)

Generals

Major General(division commander)

Lieutenant General(corps commander)

General-in-chief (General-feldtsehmeister)– (army commander)

Field Marshal General(Commander-in-Chief, honorary title)

In 1910, the rank of Russian field marshal was awarded to King Nicholas I of Montenegro, and in 1912 to King Carol I of Romania.

1. Epaulet staff captain 20th engineer battalion

2. Epaulet for lower ranks Ulan 2nd Life Ulan Kurland Regiment 1910

3. Epaulet full general from the retinue cavalry His Imperial Majesty Nicholas II. The silver device of the epaulette indicates the high military rank of the owner (only the marshal was higher)

About stars on uniform

Although the designation of military rank on shoulder straps is a characteristic feature of the Russian and German armies.

The military reforms of Nicholas I copied the appearance of the French army - this is how the stars “rolled” from the French horizon to the Russian one.

on galloon officer's shoulder straps of cavalry regiments, only numbers were affixed, and there were no letters. which is confirmed by photographs.

Sub-ensign, estandard cadet and sub-ensign, 1886:

Shoulder straps of the staff captain of the Cavalry Regiment and shoulder straps of the staff captain of the Life Guards of the Moscow Regiment.

INSIGNIA OF CIVILIAN OFFICERS OF THE WAR MINISTRY (here are military topographers)

Officers of the Imperial Military Medical Academy

Chevrons of combatant lower ranks of long-term service according to “Regulations on the lower ranks of non-commissioned officers who remain voluntarily on long-term active service” from 1890.

From left to right: Up to 2 years, Over 2 to 4 years, Over 4 to 6 years, Over 6 years

In army infantry regiments to designate the ranks of corporal, ml. and senior non-commissioned officers used army white braid.

Cossack ranks and titles

This rank was introduced in 1884. In the regular troops it corresponded to the rank of staff captain and staff captain.

The word comes from the Turkic “yasaul” - chief.
It was first mentioned in the Cossack troops in 1576 and was used in the Ukrainian Cossack army.

Hundred esauls (one per hundred) commanded hundreds. This link did not take root in the Don Army after the first centuries of the existence of the Cossacks.