What a general's shoulder straps look like. Special police ranks

Every detail of a military uniform is endowed with a practical meaning and did not appear on it by chance, but as a result of certain events. We can say that elements of military uniforms have both historical symbolism and utilitarian purpose.

The appearance and development of shoulder straps in the Russian Empire

The opinion that shoulder straps come from a part of knight's armor, designed to protect the shoulders from blows, is one of the most common misconceptions. A simple study of armor and army uniforms of the past, from the second half of the 12th century to the end of the 17th century, allows us to conclude that nothing like this existed in any army in the world. In Rus', even the strictly regulated uniform of the archers did not have anything similar to protect the shoulders.

Shoulder straps of the Russian army were first introduced by Emperor Peter I in the period between 1683-1698 and had a purely utilitarian meaning. Soldiers of the grenadier regiments and fusiliers used them as an additional mount for backpacks or cartridge bags. Naturally, shoulder straps were worn exclusively by soldiers, and only on the left shoulder.

However, after 30 years, as the branches of troops increase, this element spreads throughout the troops, serving in one or another regiment. In 1762, this function was officially assigned to shoulder straps, beginning to decorate officers’ uniforms with them. At that time, it was impossible to find a universal model of shoulder straps in the army of the Russian Empire. The commander of each regiment could independently determine its type of weaving, length and width. Often wealthy officers from prominent aristocratic families wore the regimental insignia in a more luxurious version - with gold and precious stones. Nowadays, shoulder straps of the Russian army (pictures below) are a coveted item for collectors of military uniforms.

During the reign of Emperor Alexander I, shoulder straps took on the appearance of a fabric flap with clear regulation of color, fastenings and decor, depending on the number of the regiment in the division. Officers' shoulder straps differ from soldiers' shoulder straps only by being trimmed with gold cord (galloon) along the edge. When the knapsack was introduced in 1803, there were two of them - one on each shoulder.

After 1854, not only uniforms, but also cloaks and overcoats began to be decorated. Thus, the role of “determiner of ranks” is forever assigned to the shoulder straps. By the end of the 19th century, soldiers began to use a duffel bag instead of a backpack, and additional shoulder straps were no longer required. Shoulder straps are removed from the fastenings in the form of buttons and are tightly sewn into the fabric.

After the collapse of the Russian Empire, and with it the tsarist army, shoulder straps and epaulettes disappeared from military uniforms for several decades, recognized as a symbol of “inequality of workers and exploiters.”

Shoulder straps in the Red Army from 1919 to 1943

The USSR sought to get rid of the “remnants of imperialism,” which also included the ranks and shoulder straps of the Russian (tsarist) army. On December 16, 1917, by the decrees of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars "On the elective principle and organization of power in the army" and "On the equalization of rights of all military personnel", all previously existing army ranks and insignia were abolished. And on January 15, 1918, the country's leadership adopted a decree on the creation of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA).

For some time, a strange mixture of military symbols was in effect in the army of the new country. For example, insignia are known in the form of armbands of red (revolutionary) color with the inscription of the position, stripes of a similar tone on the sleeves of a tunic or overcoat, metal or cloth stars of different sizes on the headdress or chest.

Since 1924, in the Red Army it was proposed to recognize the ranks of military personnel by the buttonholes on the collar of the tunic. The color of the field and border was determined by the type of troops, and the gradation was extensive. For example, infantry wore crimson buttonholes with a black frame, cavalry wore blue and black, signalmen wore black and yellow, etc.

The buttonholes of the highest commanders of the Red Army (generals) had the color of the field according to the branch of service and were trimmed along the edge with a narrow golden cord.

In the field of the buttonholes there were copper figures of various shapes covered with red enamel, allowing one to determine the rank of the commander of the Red Army:

• Privates and junior command staff are triangles with a side of 1 cm. They appeared only in 1941. And before that, military personnel of these ranks wore “empty” buttonholes.
• The average command structure is squares measuring 1 x 1 cm. In everyday use, they were more often called “cubes” or “cubes”.
• Senior command staff - rectangles with sides 1.6 x 0.7 cm, called "sleepers".
• Higher command staff - rhombuses 1.7 cm high and 0.8 cm wide. Additional insignia for commanders of these ranks were chevrons made of gold braid on the sleeves of uniforms. The political composition added to them large stars made of red cloth.
• Marshals of the Soviet Union - 1 large gold star in the buttonholes and on the sleeves.

The number of characters varied from 1 to 4 - the more, the higher the rank of the commander.

The system of designating ranks in the Red Army was often subject to changes, which greatly confused the situation. Often, due to supply shortages, troops wore outdated or even homemade badges for months. However, the buttonhole system left its mark on the history of military uniforms. In particular, shoulder straps in the Soviet army retained the colors according to the types of troops.

Thanks to the Decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of January 6, 1943 and the Order of the People's Commissar of Defense No. 25 of January 15, 1943, shoulder straps and ranks returned to the lives of military personnel. These insignia will last until the collapse of the USSR. The colors of the field and edging, the shape and location of the stripes will change, but in general the system will remain unchanged, and subsequently shoulder straps of the Russian army will be created according to similar principles.

Military personnel received 2 types of such elements - everyday and field, having a standard width of 6 cm and a length of 14-16 cm, depending on the type of clothing. The shoulder straps of non-combat units (justice, military veterinarians and doctors) were deliberately narrowed to 4.5 cm.

The type of troops was determined by the color of the edging and gaps, as well as a stylized symbol on the lower or middle (for privates and junior personnel) part of the shoulder strap. Their palette is less varied than before 1943, but the basic colors have been preserved.

1. Edging (cord):

• Combined arms (military registration and enlistment offices, military institutions), infantry units, motorized rifles, quartermaster services - crimson.
• Artillery, tank troops, military medics - scarlet.
• Cavalry - blue.
• Aviation - blue.
• Other technical troops - black.

2. Clearances.

• The command (officer) composition is Bordeaux.
• Quartermasters, justice, technical, medical and veterinary services - brown.

They were designated by stars of different diameters - for junior officers 13 mm, for senior officers - 20 mm. Marshals of the Soviet Union received 1 large star.

Shoulder straps for everyday wear had a gold or silver field with embossing, rigidly attached to a hard cloth base. They were also used on dress uniforms, which military personnel wore for special occasions.

Field shoulder straps for all officers were made of silk or khaki linen with edging, gaps and insignia corresponding to the rank. At the same time, their pattern (texture) repeated the pattern on everyday shoulder straps.

From 1943 until the collapse of the USSR, military insignia and uniforms were subject to repeated changes, among which the following are especially worth noting:

1. As a result of the 1958 reform, officers’ everyday shoulder straps began to be made of dark green cloth. For the insignia of cadets and enlisted personnel, only 3 colors were left: scarlet (combined arms, motorized rifle), blue (aviation, airborne forces), black (all other branches of the military). The gaps of officer's shoulder straps could only be blue or scarlet.

2. Since January 1973, the letters “SA” (Soviet Army) appeared on all types of shoulder straps of soldiers and sergeants. Somewhat later, the sailors and foremen of the fleet received the designations “Northern Fleet”, “TF”, “BF” and “Black Sea Fleet” - Northern Fleet, Pacific Fleet, Baltic and Black Sea Fleet, respectively. At the end of the same year, the letter “K” appears among cadets of military educational institutions.

3. The new field uniform, called the “Afghan”, came into use in 1985 and became widespread among military personnel of all branches of the military. Its peculiarity was the shoulder straps, which were an element of the jacket and had the same color as it. Those who wore the "Afghan" sewed stripes and stars onto them, and only generals were given special removable shoulder straps.

Shoulder straps of the Russian army. Main features of the reforms

The USSR ceased to exist in the fall of 1991, and along with it, shoulder straps and ranks disappeared. The creation of the Russian Armed Forces began with Presidential Decree No. 466 of May 7, 1992. However, this act did not in any way describe the shoulder straps of the Russian army. Until 1996, military personnel wore SA insignia. Moreover, confusion and mixing of symbols occurred until the year 2000.

The military uniform of the Russian Federation was almost entirely developed on the basis of the Soviet legacy. However, the reforms of 1994-2000 brought several changes to it:

1. On the shoulder straps of non-commissioned officers (foremen and sailors of the fleet), instead of transverse stripes of braid, metal squares appeared, located with the sharp side up. In addition, naval personnel received a large letter "F" at the bottom of them.

2. Ensigns and midshipmen had shoulder straps similar to those of soldiers, trimmed with colored braid, but without gaps. The long-term struggle of this category of military personnel for the right to officer insignia was devalued in one day.

3. There were almost no changes among the officers - the new shoulder straps developed for them in the Russian army almost completely repeated the Soviet ones. However, their sizes decreased: the width became 5 cm, and the length - 13-15 cm, depending on the type of clothing.

Currently, the ranks and shoulder straps of the Russian army occupy a fairly stable position. The main reforms and unification of insignia have been completed, and in the coming decades the Russian Army does not expect any significant changes in this area.

Shoulder straps for cadets

Students of military (naval) educational institutions are required to wear everyday and field shoulder straps on all types of their uniform. Depending on the clothing (tunics, winter coats and overcoats), they can be sewn on or removable (jackets, demi-season coats and shirts).

Cadet shoulder straps are strips of thick colored cloth, edged with golden braid. On field camouflage of army and aviation schools, the letter “K”, yellow in color and 20 mm high, must be sewn 15 mm from the bottom edge. For other types of educational institutions, the designations are as follows:

• ICC- Naval Cadet Corps.
• QC- Cadet Corps.
• N- Nakhimov School.
• Anchor symbol- Navy cadet.
• SVU- Suvorov School.

On the field of students' shoulder straps there are also metal or sewn squares facing upward at an acute angle. Their thickness and brightness depend on the rank. A sample of shoulder straps with a diagram of the location of insignia, presented below, belongs to a military university cadet with the rank of sergeant.

In addition to shoulder straps, affiliation with military educational institutions and the position of a cadet can be determined by sleeve emblems with a coat of arms symbol, as well as by “course” - coal stripes on the sleeve, the number of which depends on the time of training (one year, two, etc.).

Shoulder straps for privates and sergeants

Privates in the Russian land army are the lowest. In the Navy, it corresponds to the rank of sailor. A soldier who conscientiously serves can become a corporal, and on a ship - a senior sailor. Further, these servicemen are able to advance to the rank of sergeant for the ground forces or petty officer for the Navy.

Representatives of the lower military personnel of the army and navy wear shoulder straps of a similar type, the description of which is as follows:

• The upper part of the insignia has the shape of a trapezoid, within which a button is located.
• The field color of the shoulder straps of the RF Armed Forces is dark green for everyday uniforms and camouflage for field uniforms. Sailors wear black cloth.
• The color of the edging indicates the type of troops: blue for the Airborne Forces and Aviation, and red for all others. The Navy frames its shoulder straps with white cord.
• At the bottom of the everyday shoulder straps, 15 mm from the edge, are the letters “VS” (Armed Forces) or “F” (navy) in golden color. The field workers do without such “excesses”.
• Depending on the rank within the private and sergeant corps, sharp-angled stripes are attached to shoulder straps. The higher the position of the serviceman, the greater their number and thickness. On the shoulder straps of the sergeant major (the highest rank of non-commissioned officers) there is also a troop emblem.

Separately, it is worth mentioning warrant officers and midshipmen, whose precarious position between privates and officers is fully reflected in their insignia. For them, the shoulder straps of the new Russian army seem to consist of 2 parts:

1. Soldier's "field" without gaps, trimmed with colored braid.

2. Officer stars along the central axis: 2 for a regular warrant officer, 3 for a senior warrant officer. A similar number of badges is provided to simply midshipmen and senior midshipmen.

Shoulder straps for junior officers

The lower officer ranks begin with a junior lieutenant and are completed by a captain. The stars on the shoulder straps, their number, size and location are identical for the ground forces and the Navy.

Junior officers are distinguished by one gap and from 1 to 4 stars of 13 mm each along the central axis. In accordance with Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 1010 of May 23, 1994, shoulder straps can have the following colors:

• For a white shirt - shoulder straps with a white field, emblems and golden stars.
• For a green shirt, everyday tunic, jacket and overcoat - green insignia with gaps according to the type of troops, emblems and gold-colored stars.
• For the Air Force (aviation) and everyday outerwear - blue shoulder straps with blue clearance, an emblem and golden stars.
• For the ceremonial jacket of any branch of the military, the insignia is silver with colored gaps, braid and gold stars.
• For field uniforms (aircraft only) - camouflage shoulder straps without gaps, with gray stars.

Thus, for junior officers there are 3 types of shoulder straps - field, everyday and dress, which they use depending on the type of uniform worn. Naval officers only have casual and dress uniforms.

Shoulder straps for middle officers

The group of ranks of the Armed Forces begins with major and ends with colonel, and in the Navy - from captain 3rd rank to, respectively. Despite the differences in the names of the ranks, the principles of construction and the location of insignia remain almost identical.

Shoulder straps of the Russian army and navy for medium personnel have the following distinctive features:

• In everyday and formal versions, the texture (embossing) is more pronounced, almost aggressive.
• There are 2 gaps along the shoulder straps, spaced 15 mm from the edges and 20 mm from each other. They are absent in the field.
• The size of the stars is 20 mm, and their number varies from 1 to 3 depending on the rank. On field uniform shoulder straps, their color is muted from golden to silver.

Middle-ranking officers of the Armed Forces also have 3 types of shoulder straps - field, everyday and dress. Moreover, the latter have a rich golden color and are sewn only on the jacket. To be worn on a white shirt (summer version of the uniform), white shoulder straps with standard insignia are provided.

According to surveys, the major, whose uniform stars are single (and it is very difficult to make a mistake in determining the rank), is the most recognizable serviceman among that part of the population that is in no way connected with the military sphere.

Shoulder straps of senior officers of the Armed Forces

The ranks in the ground forces underwent significant changes during the creation of the army of the Russian Federation. Presidential Decree No. 466 of May 7, 1992 not only abolished the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union, but also stopped the division of generals by branch of the military. Following this, the uniform and shoulder straps (shape, size and insignia) underwent adjustments.

Currently, high-echelon officers wear the following types of shoulder straps:

1. Ceremonial - a golden-colored field on which sewn stars are located in the number corresponding to the rank. Army generals and marshals of the Russian Federation have the coats of arms of the army and the country in the upper third of their shoulder straps. Color of the edging and stars: red - for the ground forces, blue - for aviation, airborne forces and military space forces, cornflower blue - for the FSB.

2. Everyday - the color of the field is blue for senior officers of aviation, airborne forces and aerospace forces, for others - green. There is a cord edge, only the General of the Army and the Marshal of the Russian Federation also have a star outline.

3. Field - khaki field, not camouflage, like other categories of officers. The stars and coats of arms are green, several tones darker than the background. There is no colored edging.

It’s worth mentioning the stars that adorn the shoulder straps of the generals. For country marshals and army generals, their size is 40 mm. Moreover, the latter symbol has a backing made of silver. The stars of all other officers are smaller - 22 mm.

The rank of a serviceman, according to the general rule, is determined by the number of characters. In particular, there is 1 star, a lieutenant general - 2, and a colonel general - 3. Moreover, the first of those listed is the lowest in position in the category. The reason for this is one of the traditions of the Soviet era: in the USSR army, lieutenant generals were deputy generals of the troops and took on part of their functions.

Shoulder straps of senior officers of the Navy

The leadership of the Russian Navy is represented by such ranks as rear admiral, vice admiral, admiral and fleet admiral. Since field uniforms are not provided for in the Navy, these ranks wear only everyday or ceremonial shoulder straps, which have the following features:

1. The color of the field of the ceremonial version is gold with zigzag embossing. The shoulder strap is framed by a black edging. In everyday shoulder straps, the colors are reversed - a black field and a gold cord along the edge.

2. Senior officers of the Navy may wear shoulder straps on white or cream shirts. The field of the shoulder strap corresponds to the color of the clothing, and there is no piping.

3. The number of sewn stars on shoulder straps depends on the rank of the serviceman and increases depending on his promotion. Their main difference from similar signs in the ground forces is the backing of silver rays. Traditionally, the largest star (40 mm) belongs to the fleet admiral.

When dividing troops into the Navy and the Armed Forces, it is assumed that some swim, while others move on land or, in extreme cases, by air. But in fact, the naval forces are heterogeneous and, in addition to ship commands, include coastal troops and naval aviation. This division could not but affect the shoulder straps, and if the former are classified as ground forces and have the corresponding insignia, then with naval pilots everything is much more complicated.

Senior officers of naval aviation, on the one hand, bear ranks similar to generals of the Armed Forces. On the other hand, their shoulder straps correspond to the uniform established for the Navy. They are distinguished only by the blue color of the edging and the star without a radial backing with the corresponding design. For example, the ceremonial shoulder straps of a major general of naval carrier aviation have a gold field with an azure border around the edge and a star outline.

In addition to shoulder straps and the uniform itself, military personnel are distinguished by many other insignia, including sleeve insignia and chevrons, cockades on headdresses, symbols of the military branches in buttonholes and breastplates (badges). Together, they can provide an informed person with basic information about a military man - type of military service, rank, duration and place of service, expected scope of authority.

Unfortunately, most people fall into the “ignorant” category, so they pay attention to the most noticeable detail of the form. The shoulder straps of the Russian army are quite rewarding material in this matter. They are not overloaded with unnecessary symbolism and are of the same type for different types of troops.

Shoulder straps are shoulder insignia of military rank on a military uniform. Used in almost all modern armies.

Typical shoulder straps are more or less rectangular plates worn on the shoulders with the title of the owner of the shoulder straps indicated on them in one way or another (with stripes, stars and stripes). As a rule, rigid galloon-embroidered shoulder straps with bright stars and badges are worn with the dress uniform, while more modest fabric shoulder straps without sewing are usually used with the field uniform.

Initially, the shoulder straps had a purely practical purpose - they kept the belt of the cartridge bag from slipping. Accordingly, there was only one shoulder strap - on the left shoulder (the cartridge pouch was worn on the right side). It is for this reason that in most of the world's navies shoulder straps are not used, and position or rank is indicated by stripes on the sleeve (sailors did not wear a cartridge pouch).

As in Soviet times, stripes (now curved) and stars still exist on shoulder straps, but the meanings remain the same.

So let's start from the lowest ranks

1. Clean shoulder straps - private. 2. One stripe - corporal. 3. Two stripes - junior sergeant. 4. Three stripes - sergeant. 5. Three stripes together - senior sergeant. 6. One wide stripe along the shoulder strap is a petty officer, and for sailors, a midshipman. 7. One small star on empty shoulder straps - junior warrant officer. 8. Two small stars on clean shoulder straps - ensign. 9. Three small stars on clean shoulder straps - senior warrant officer. 10. On the shoulder straps there are two thin yellow stripes and one star each - junior lieutenant. 11. Exactly the same shoulder straps, but with two stars - lieutenant. 12. Further, the shoulder straps are the same on each stripe with an asterisk and plus one in the middle, together there are three on each - senior lieutenant. 13. Two thin stripes of yellow color and on each shoulder strap 4 stars - captain. 14. On the shoulder straps there are 2 wide (relatively) stripes and a larger star made of yellow metal - major. 15. Two large stars, the same size as a major, are already a senior officer - a lieutenant colonel. 16. Three stars on each shoulder strap - colonel. 17. A star is embroidered on the shoulder straps and stripes on the trousers - Major General. 18. If two large stars are embroidered on the shoulder straps and stripes on the trousers - lieutenant general. 19. Three large stars are embroidered and located along the shoulder strap - Colonel General. But as far as I know, there is currently no rank of marshal in the police.

Insignia of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (epaulettes)

Junior police sergeant

Police Sergeant

Everyone has ever wondered what the stars, stripes and other figures on the shoulder straps of the police, military or other law enforcement agencies mean. Those who often communicate with military or police officers, work with them, or have served in the army will be able to tell without hesitation how, for example, the shoulder straps of a police major differ from the shoulder straps of a colonel. But for people who are far from military affairs, this can be a difficult task. Epaulets are shoulder insignia that indicate the rank of a policeman, military man or sailor.

Below we will look at Russian police shoulder straps, their structure, features and differences

Major's shoulder straps

They consist of two vertical stripes and a star, since this rank applies to senior personnel.

The sizes of stars and their placement are regulated by the following principles:

1. Number of stars - 1;
2. Star size - 13mm;
3. The gap between the lower edge of the shoulder strap and the center of the star is 50mm.

Police officers and warrant officers

There is an important feature: military and police shoulder straps differ only in color. The same is true for warrant officers. This means that determining the rank of an employee is quite simple - you just need to look carefully at his shoulder straps, and draw a conclusion based on the location, size of the stars and other distinctive features. All aspects of the appearance of shoulder straps are regulated by the state.

So, the rank system in the Russian police is divided into the following groups:

1. Junior management team - consists of sergeants, foremen, warrant officers.
2. Average composition - consists of lieutenants, captains.
3. Senior staff - consists of majors, lieutenant colonels, colonels.
4. The senior staff includes the following titles: major general, lieutenant general, colonel general, general.

Sergeants are divided into:

• junior sergeants;
• sergeants;
• senior sergeants.

Ensigns are divided into:

• warrant officers;
• senior warrant officers.

Lieutenants are divided into:

• junior lieutenants;
• lieutenants;
• senior lieutenants.

Let us conduct a detailed analysis of the shoulder straps of each group.

The first thing to start with is the number of stars and their size. It is this criterion that allows you to quickly determine the rank.

In this aspect, the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and military forces are based on the following principles:

Size and number of stars

1. Petty officer, warrant officers, lieutenants and captains;

• star size - 13 millimeters;
• number of stars - 1, 2 or 3. for ml. lieutenant, lieutenant, and art. Lieutenant respectively. 4 for the captain. Sergeants and petty officers wear badges.

1. Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel;

• star size - 20 millimeters;
• number of stars - 1 for a major, 2 for a lieutenant colonel, 3 for a colonel.

The shoulder straps of senior personnel also have two gaps (not to be confused with stripes). The lumen is a red stripe, usually 0.3 cm wide.

1. Major General, Lieutenant General, Colonel General

• The size of the stars is 22 millimeters.
• Number of stars - 1 for major general, 2 for lieutenant general, 3 for colonel general

1. General of Police

• Star size - 40 millimeters
• Number of stars - 1

The title of “police general” is held by only one person - the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who is the main person in this government body. If the general resigns, he will turn into a “retired police general,” since the ranks remain with the representative of the law forever.

The gap between the edge of the shoulder straps and the center of the star

The next aspect is the gap between the edge of the shoulder straps and the center of the star, which is strictly established by the state. Different shoulder straps have different spacing.

So:

1. For a major general, this distance is 50 millimeters.
2. Colonel General and Lieutenant General have 25 millimeters.
3. The major and junior lieutenant have 45 millimeters.
4. Colonel, lieutenant colonel, captain, lieutenant and warrant officers have 30 millimeters.

Note that if there are 2 or more stars on the shoulder straps, then the regulated distance between them is 25 mm, by analogy with the USSR (the requirements have practically not changed since that time). Therefore, a person who often encounters shoulder straps and understands them will easily understand the differences between, for example, a lieutenant and a lieutenant colonel in diameter (13 and 20 mm, respectively). Using this method, you can easily distinguish other ranks

Chevrons and their location on the sleeve

There are two options for the placement of chevrons. More reliable and common is to sew them on. You can also just stick it on with Velcro. This opportunity appeared relatively recently, but it is very easy to lose a chevron, which is highly undesirable. Since few people want to lose their badge and ruin their uniform, most Interior Ministry employees use the conservative first method. The chevron is sewn at a distance of 8 cm from the edge of the shoulder, which does not apply to winter jackets. For them, a different principle is used: the chevron is located in the center of the outer pocket, if there is one.

Requirements for the location of stripes

The next topic concerns patches on jackets. Like everything else, they are arranged according to certain standards.

For example, the distance between the red line on the back and the patch should be 1 centimeter. “Face” stripes are located in a similar way, but are already attached above the patch pocket.

After the reform of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the renaming of the police into police, the conditions for the design or placement of shoulder straps, chevrons and stripes generally remained the same. Only some colors have changed. The most noticeable change is the renaming of the police force. The names of law enforcement officers, their powers and some other details were also changed.

We hope this information was useful to you. We are waiting for your comments.

It is difficult to find a person who does not know what shoulder straps are. These are insignia that are used in government and military structures, for example, many have seen the shoulder straps of a police lieutenant, but not everyone understands their differences.

Those who have served in the army will easily be able to distinguish a major from a lieutenant colonel. But for most, the stars on epaulets mean absolutely nothing. Let's talk about shoulder straps and their features depending on the rank of the policeman and the rank he holds.

Lieutenant's shoulder straps

The size of the stars attached to the epaulettes is influenced by the composition of the police, their rank and length of service.

13 mm sprockets go to employees from warrant officer to police captain. From major to lieutenant colonel, the size of the stars is 20 mm. For higher ranks, the sprocket size is 22 mm.

1. A junior lieutenant has only one star. It is located 45 mm from the edge of the shoulder straps.
2. Those who hold the position of lieutenant or senior lieutenant have stars placed in the middle, the distance from the edge is 25 mm.

Appearance of police shoulder straps

It is important to note that each rank has its own distinctive features on its shoulder straps. Among them are the following characteristics:

1. By the number of stripes.
2. The size of the stars.
3. Color scheme.

On the lieutenant's shoulder straps there is a vertical stripe or clearance. It relates to senior and junior police officers. If the rank is increased, then instead of two stars, he will be given four.

• The captain has at his disposal shoulder straps where you can see one large star. She is in the center;
• police officers related to the highest ranks have shoulder straps with two gaps, as well as two or three stars;
• Colonels, as well as other authorized employees, do not have vertical stripes. The stars are along the sign.

Interesting information about officers and warrant officers

Let’s immediately talk about one interesting point. In Russia, all officer epaulets of the military, as well as the police, are the same. Here we are talking about the size of the stars, as well as their location. By the way, this also applies to warrant officers. The colors will naturally differ here.

To find out what rank an internal affairs officer has, you will need to take a closer look at the size of his stars, count their number, and also pay attention to how they are located.

All parameters on shoulder straps are strictly regulated by the relevant order. This means that if a violation occurs, the perpetrator will face disciplinary action.

In the Russian police, ranks are divided into four main groups

1 group.

This includes junior sergeants, as well as senior sergeants and those serving as warrant officers.

2nd group.

It consists of middle lieutenants, as well as captains.

3rd group.

The composition includes senior majors, in addition to them lieutenant colonels and colonels.

4th group.

This includes the generals.

Let's consider all the points in more detail. First, you should figure out how many stars correspond to different police ranks. We will also clarify their sizes.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has its own strict rules. The police stars of the first and second groups of groups are 13 mm. How many there will be depends on the rank. The sergeant and sergeant major have stripes on their epaulettes. The lieutenant has two stars, and the senior has three. The captain has four stars on his shoulder straps.

Let's now take some time for the bosses and discuss their shoulder straps. Their epaulettes have two longitudinal stripes painted red. They are also commonly called lumen. By the way, junior staff have these stripes, there are three of them. The number of stars is from one to three.

The junior rank belongs to major. On his shoulder straps it is possible to see 1 star, its diameter is 20 mm. The insignia is located on the center line.

It is important to know! Those senior in rank, these include lieutenant colonel and colonel, have 2 or 3 stars on their shoulder straps. Their diameter is the same as that of the majors.

Now let's discuss the highest ranks. They include generals:

1. Majors.
2. Lieutenants.
3. Colonels.
4. Police.

The first 3 ranks on epaulettes have one, two or three 22 mm stars, respectively.

The rank of police general is worth talking about separately. To date, only the Minister of Internal Affairs has been awarded this honor. If another person replaces him, the title of the ex-minister will sound like a retired general.

The conversation is about the fact that all titles issued to law enforcement officers are assigned to them forever. Receivers become generals. Therefore, having studied all the information about the shoulder straps, you can understand who the lieutenant or the most important person in the police is in front of you.

On the epaulettes of a police general, it is possible to see only one star. Its diameter is 40 mm.

History of shoulder straps

Let's share the most interesting facts. Did you know that the lieutenant was first mentioned in France? Afterwards it was borrowed from Spain. And several centuries later this word came to us. It was first assigned to officers serving in the Russian port.

The predecessor to this rank is second lieutenant. In those ancient times, officers' shoulder straps differed from modern models. They were sewn on only one side of the clothing.

The main repurpose of the patches was the need to hold travel bags. Horseback riding did not involve carrying luggage or securing it, and a military man always carried with him various things he needed in his service.

Over time, shoulder straps helped to understand the serviceman’s belonging to a regiment or division. As a result, it became an additional duty indicating the position the person held.

Let's summarize and note that we now know interesting facts about shoulder straps, as well as the requirements for police officers. We examined in detail the location of the stars, as well as other distinctive features.

We hope you found this article interesting. We are waiting for your comments.

A serviceman's shoulder straps are his unique calling card, that is, one glance at the shoulder insignia is enough to understand what rank the soldier has. The stars on the shoulder straps provide enough information about which officer corps the serviceman belongs to.

However, the shoulder straps and stars did not immediately acquire their modern appearance. In pre-revolutionary times, they were interspersed with additional stripes called stripes. Only later did the stars on shoulder straps begin to demonstrate the serviceman as a person belonging to a certain rank in the military hierarchy.

How did the stars appear on the shoulder straps and what is their meaning?

Even during the times of Tsarist Russia, military personnel differed significantly in appearance from ordinary citizens, since their clothing had its own special insignia. However, during that period of time, shoulder straps as such, much less stars, did not exist. They were not the distinctive insignia of a soldier, as they are now.

As a rule, the appearance of a military man had few elements by which his rank and position in the hierarchy of the army could be judged. More attention was paid not to individual details, but to all military clothing as a whole. Therefore, the status of a serviceman was evidenced by the external cut of clothing, as well as the type of military weapon that the military man always had at hand. Basically, this rule applied to senior and junior officers. Generals, for example, had their own insignia, which distinguished them from military personnel of lower rank.

Reformation in this area occurred during the reign of Peter the Great, who, in his travels abroad, was inspired to change the appearance of the army during Tsarist Russia. The basic attribute initially became breastplates, which looked like a scarf. On it were the heraldic symbols of the army in tsarist times. When the hour of the nineteenth century struck, a new transformation took place in the appearance of the soldier’s clothing, which began to resemble a uniform in appearance, and it was more tail-coated in appearance.

In addition, original headdresses began to appear on the heads of officers, which also became part of the serviceman’s appearance, as a sign of distinction.

After such transformations, it was the turn of the epaulettes, which were the prototype of modern shoulder insignia. There is a significant difference between shoulder straps and epaulettes - the latter never had stars. Therefore, officers were distinguished in this case solely by the color scheme of their epaulettes.

If these are officers of the junior and senior ranks, then the shoulder insignia of tsarist times coincided in shade with the color of the uniform they wore. Generals, as a more privileged class in the military hierarchy, wore gold-colored epaulettes. Another difference between royal epaulettes and modern shoulder straps was that they were a decoration for a military man; they were very catchy and elegant.

Often wealthy military personnel had them made to order from pure gold. Modern shoulder straps are more modest, since after the Revolution took place, preference was given to practicality rather than beauty.

In the twenties of the last century, the military uniform replaced epaulettes with shoulder straps of the modern type, which the Russian army still uses. Since then, a hierarchy has also appeared in the Russian army, which has survived to this day.

For example, one star on the shoulder straps meant that the serviceman had the rank of warrant officer, but if the soldier had two stars, then he was a major, if there were three, then the serviceman moved to the rank of lieutenant colonel, and if there were four, then he was a staff captain.

Five stars mean that the serviceman has the highest military rank. If this concerns ground forces, then this is a field marshal, and if this concerns naval forces, then it is an admiral of the fleet. However, five stars are not sewn on his shoulder straps; they are replaced by one large one and the coat of arms of the Russian Federation (in the modern interpretation).

However, in those days, epaulettes had not yet completely disappeared from military uniforms, since they were worn by colonels. And just like in the distant tsarist times, they did not have such insignia as stars. They came into common use on military uniforms only after another reformation took place in Soviet times, which led to the fact that soldiers began to wear overcoats.

In addition to stars, the Soviet army began to use brass buttons. In addition, emblems were used that demonstrated the insignia of a particular branch of the military. Since then, the military uniform has acquired the form that is used to this day.

Sequence of ranks and corresponding stars

Stars are not currently used among the rank and file of the army. The youngest rank of a soldier who is just entering military service is private; he wears shoulder straps that do not have clear insignia. If this is a soldier who belongs to the security services, then an additional word is assigned to the rank. For example, if this is a prosecutor, then an ordinary justice is assigned.

• If this is a junior sergeant, then his shoulder straps have two transverse stripes.
• If it's just a sergeant, then it has three stripes.
• A few years later, the sergeant receives the rank of senior, and then a single stripe appears on his shoulder insignia, which is twice as wide.

Stars on shoulder straps and ranks follow a clear pattern, since in each composition they differ from each other only in quantity and size. Two stars are worn by warrant officers, and senior warrant officers wear three on each shoulder strap.

After a military man has passed the senior warrant officer, he becomes an officer.

• The junior lieutenant has one star on his shoulder straps. On the shoulder insignia there is a small star, which signifies the initial step among junior officers. On their shoulder straps there is one gap, which is a red stripe on which all the stars are located.
• Often people who are not yet very well versed in such a hierarchy ask the question, two stars on shoulder straps - what is the rank? In the junior ranks, this is a lieutenant; his stars are located at equal distances from each other on both sides of the central stripe.
• Three stars on the shoulder straps are a senior lieutenant, where the third star is slightly higher than the first two. Therefore, in order to determine the name of the rank to which a serviceman currently belongs, it is necessary to decipher the meaning of the stars on his shoulder straps. This can be done very easily, since it is enough to know the number that a particular rank has, as well as the principle of their location on the shoulder insignia. Therefore, when asked, three stars on shoulder straps - what rank, the serviceman knows for sure that this is a senior military man.
• The captain has 4 stars on his uniform. At the same time, it combines the position of the stars of all previous ranks, and the fourth is located slightly higher than the three previous ones.

Senior officers have the following hierarchy of ranks:

• Every serviceman knows by heart how many stars the first level has. The hierarchy begins with the major, who has one star on his shoulder straps and two gaps, which are represented as two parallel red stripes. The star, which is slightly larger in size than the stars in the younger composition, is located exactly between the two gaps.
• The second level is the lieutenant colonel, whose stars are located on two parallel openings, and at the same distance between each other and from the edge of the shoulder straps.
• Colonels have 3 stars on their shoulder straps, whose first two stars on their shoulder straps are located in the same way as that of a lieutenant colonel, and the third is located slightly higher.

After a serviceman has passed all the stages in the senior officer corps, he moves to the so-called elite, that is, to the senior officer corps. On shoulder straps of this composition there are no red parallel stripes, but there is a edging of a certain color. If these are ground forces, then the edging is red.

The following hierarchy takes place here:

• The first level of the military elite is a major general, who in the naval forces corresponds to the rank of rear admiral. The soldier who bears this rank has one star, larger in size than that used in senior personnel.
• Next comes the lieutenant general with two stars, which are arranged in a row, which is the difference from the peculiarities of the arrangement in the senior officer corps. The stars line up in a row, but at a strictly defined distance in relation to each other.
• If there are 3 stars on the shoulder straps, then this is the rank of lieutenant colonel general. A serviceman who is in this rank has one more star than the previous general, which is located just above the two already on his shoulder straps.
• An army general has four stars. This rank was considered the highest in the military hierarchy for a long time. However, several decades later the rank of marshal was introduced. The army general's stars are arranged in a row and occupy most of the shoulder strap.

Marshal, currently considered the highest rank among military personnel, has one large star, the diameter of which is 4 cm, and higher is the coat of arms of the Russian Federation. The edging of the star and coat of arms is golden.

Features of wearing stars

Recently, military personnel often had to wipe their stars so that they had a refined shine. However, today attributes such as false shoulder straps have been put into circulation, on which the stars are not sewn on, but embroidered. That is, the stars on the shoulder straps are not made of metal, but their two-dimensional copy is created using special threads.

Nowadays, metal stars are used only on shoulder straps intended to be worn in parades and other special events that concern military personnel. If we are talking about field conditions, then the false shoulder straps mentioned above are common in this area, since during the battle the stars can simply fly off the shoulder strap.

Such a technique is additionally of a strategic nature, so as not to give away the disposition of not only an individual soldier, but also his comrades. A strategic decision often saves an entire company or battalion, since in field conditions it is very important to take into account any scenario of events. If we talk about ceremonial insignia, then before going out, a military man rubs them until they shine, which is a sign of respect towards his comrades and senior military personnel.