What rank does the lieutenant currently have? Military ranks in Tsarist 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 regiment commander, there 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.

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 recollections 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.

Esaul
- chief officer rank in Russia in the Cossack troops.
Esaul is the name of an assistant military commander, 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 civilian (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 type of 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;

Not only historical documents, but also works of art that take us to the pre-revolutionary past are filled with examples of relationships between military personnel of different ranks. The lack of understanding of a single gradation does not prevent the reader from identifying the main theme of the work, however, sooner or later, one has to think about the difference between the addresses “Your Honor” and “Your Excellency.”

Rarely does anyone notice that in the USSR army the address was not abolished, it was only replaced by a uniform form for all ranks. Even in the modern Russian army, “Comrade” is added to any rank, although in civilian life this term has long lost its relevance, the address “Mr.” is increasingly heard.

Military ranks in the tsarist army determined the hierarchy of relations, but the system of their distribution can only be compared with a slight stretch with the model that was adopted after the well-known events of 1917. Only the White Guards remained faithful to established traditions. Until the end of the Civil War, the White Guard used the Table of Ranks maintained by Peter the Great. The rank determined by the Table indicated the position not only in army service, but also in civilian life. For your information, there were several Tables of Ranks, they were military, civil and court.

The history of military ranks

For some reasons, the most interesting issue is the distribution of officer powers in Russia at the very turn of the turning point in 1917. At this time, the ranks in the White Army were a complete analogue of the above-mentioned Table with the latest changes relevant to the end of the era of the Russian Empire. But we will have to go deeper to Peter’s times, since all the terminology originates there.

The Table of Ranks introduced by Emperor Peter I contained 262 positions, this is the total indicator for civil and military ranks. However, not all titles reached the beginning of the 20th century. Many of them were abolished in the 18th century. An example would be the titles of state councilor or collegiate assessor. The law putting the Table into force assigned it a stimulating function. Thus, in the opinion of the tsar himself, career advancement was possible only for people of worth, and the road to the highest ranks was closed to parasites and impudent people.

The division of ranks involved the assignment of chief officer, staff officer or general ranks. Treatment was also determined according to class. It was necessary to address the chief officers: “Your Honor.” To staff officers - “Your Honor”, ​​and to generals - “Your Excellency”.

Distribution by types of troops

The understanding that the entire contingent of the army was obliged to be divided according to types of troops came long before the reign of Peter. A similar approach can be seen in the modern Russian army. On the threshold of the First World War, the Russian Empire, according to many historians, was at the peak of its economic recovery. Consequently, some indicators are compared specifically with this period. On the issue of military branches, a static picture has emerged. We can single out the infantry, separately consider the artillery, the now abolished cavalry, the Cossack army, which was in the ranks of the regular army, the guards units and the fleet.

It is noteworthy that in the tsarist army of pre-revolutionary Russia, military ranks could differ depending on the military unit or branch. Despite this, ranks in the Tsarist army of Russia were listed in ascending order in a strictly defined order to maintain unity of control.

Military ranks in infantry divisions

For all branches of the military, the lower ranks had a distinctive feature: they wore smooth shoulder straps with the regiment number depicted. The color of the shoulder strap depended on the type of troops. Infantry troops used red hexagonal shoulder straps. There was also a division by color depending on the regiment or division, but such gradation complicated the recognition process. In addition, on the threshold of World War I, a decision was made to unify the color, establishing a protective shade as the norm.

The lowest ranks include the most popular ranks, which are also familiar to modern military personnel. We are talking about a private and a corporal. Anyone who tries to study the hierarchy in the army of the Russian Empire involuntarily compares the structure with modern times. The listed titles have survived to this day.

The line of ranks, which indicates membership in the group of sergeant status, is positioned by the Tsarist Army of Russia as non-commissioned officer ranks. Here the correspondence picture looks like this:

• a junior non-commissioned officer is, in our opinion, a junior sergeant;
• senior non-commissioned officer - equivalent to a sergeant;
• sergeant major - placed on the same level as a senior sergeant;
• lieutenant - sergeant major;
• mediocre ensign - ensign.

Junior officers begin with the rank of senior lieutenant. The holder of the chief officer rank has the right to apply for a command position. In the infantry, in ascending order, this group is represented by warrant officers, second lieutenants, lieutenants, as well as staff captains and captains.

One noticeable feature is that the rank of major, which in our time is classified as a group of senior officers, in the imperial army corresponds to the rank of chief officer. This discrepancy is further compensated, and the general order of the steps of the hierarchy is not violated.

Staff officers with the rank of colonel or lieutenant colonel today have similar regalia. It is believed that this group belongs to senior officers. The highest composition is represented by general ranks. In ascending order, the officers of the Imperial Russian Army are divided into major generals, lieutenant generals, and infantry generals. As you know, the existing scheme presupposes the rank of colonel general. Marshal corresponds to the rank of Field Marshal, but this is a theoretical rank, which was awarded only to D.A. Milyutin, being Minister of War until 1881.

In artillery

Following the example of the infantry structure, the difference in ranks for artillery can be represented schematically by identifying five groups of ranks.

• The lowest ones include gunners and bombardiers; these ranks ceased to exist after the defeat of the white units. Even in 1943, the titles were not restored.
• Artillery non-commissioned officers are promoted to the status of junior and senior fireman, and then ensign or ordinary ensign.
• The composition of officers (in our case, chief officers), as well as senior officers (here, staff officers) is no different from the infantry troops. The vertical begins with the rank of warrant officer and ends with colonel.
• The senior officers holding ranks of the highest group are designated by three ranks. Major General, Lieutenant General, and also General Feltsechmeister.

With all this, there is a preservation of a single structure, so without difficulty anyone can create a visual table of correspondence by types of troops or correspondence with the modern military classification.

Among the army Cossacks

The main distinctive feature of the imperial army of the early 20th century is the fact that the legendary Cossack army served in regular units. Acting as a separate branch of the military, the Russian Cossacks entered the table of ranks with. Now it is possible to harmonize all the ranks by presenting them in the cross-section of the same five groups of ranks. But there are no general ranks in the Cossack army, so the number of groups was reduced to four.

1. The Cossack and the clerk are considered representatives of the lower ranks.
2. The next level consists of constables and sergeant.
3. The officer corps is represented by a cornet, a centurion, a podesaul and an esaul.
4. Senior officers or staff officers include a military sergeant major and a colonel.

Other ranks

Almost all the issues were considered, but there are some terms that were not mentioned in the article. Let us note that if we had to describe all the ranks indicated in the Table of Ranks, then over the several hundred years of the existence of the imperial army we would have to compile a rather significant document. If you come across a fairly popular rank that was not discussed above, then you should remember the state report card, as well as the gendarmerie ranks. In addition, some were abolished.

The ranks in the cavalry have a similar structure, only the group of officers is represented by cornets and legendary lieutenants. The captain was senior in rank. Guards regiments are awarded the prefix “Life Guards,” which means that a private in a Guards regiment will be listed as a private in the Life Guards. Similarly, this prefix complements all ranks in the five groups of ranks.

Separately, we should consider the ranks that apply to employees in the navy. A sailor of the 2nd article and a sailor of the first article form a group of lower ranks. Next follow: quartermaster, boatswain and conductor. Until 1917, the boatswain was entitled to the title of boatswain's mate. The group of officers began with midshipmen, and the staff officer ranks consisted of kavtorang and caperang. The highest command powers were vested in the admiral.

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 sergeant major) - 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. constable) - 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 (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 comb;
Officers have gombochkas with stars on their officer cords (metal, like on shoulder straps) - 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.
The staff officers have a braid that is also the same as that 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 wing 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 civil 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"- "Jr".

“The table of ranks of all military, civil and court ranks, 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 was necessary to compare the service positions 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(part-commander)

Fourier(deputy platoon commander)

Captainarmus

Sub-ensign(sergeant major of company, battalion)

Sergeant

Sergeant Major

Ensign(Fendrik), bayonet-cadet (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 Life Guards Cossack and Life Guards Ataman 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 embossed 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 shoulder straps, while the lower ranks were distinguished 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 in field equipment.

The photograph shows the captain of the 11th Izyum Hussar Regiment K.K. von Rosenschild-Paulin (sitting) and cadet of the Nikolaev Cavalry School K.N. von Rosenchild-Paulin (also later an officer of 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 the 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 assigned to ensigns 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 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 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 the shoulder strap, and the monogram should be a applied 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 CIVIL 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 lowest 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 in 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 a military foreman. 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.

The shoulder straps of the Tsarist army of 1914 are rarely mentioned in feature films and history books. Meanwhile, this is an interesting object of study: in the imperial age, during the reign of Tsar Nicholas II, uniforms were an object of art. Before the outbreak of the First World War, the distinctive insignia of the Russian Army was significantly different from those used now.

They were brighter and contained more information, but at the same time they did not have functionality: they were easily noticeable both in a field environment and in a forest or snow. For this reason, with the outbreak of major hostilities, the insignia was reformed.

The ranks in the tsarist army before 1917 also differed, which changed with the advent of the revolution. We’ll tell you in detail right now what the ranks of the Tsarist Army of Russia were, what the shoulder straps of the old Tsarist Army looked like.

The main differences between shoulder straps and ranks

In the pre-revolutionary years in Russia, instead of ranks, there were ranks - for both civilians and military personnel. They were introduced by decree of Peter the Great in 1722, who created the “Table of Ranks”. The lower ranks were followed by non-commissioned officers, then chief and staff officers. The ranks of generals were considered the highest. Read more about the ranks in the Tsarist Army of Russia in ascending order with shoulder straps below.

The first difference is in the name. Instead of title - rank. The second difference is in the specific names of the ranks. If now words such as corporal, private are used, then back then there were bombardier, volunteer.

The third difference is the information that is printed on the shoulder straps. Now on them you can find information about the height of a military rank. At the same time, Greek numerals were applied large-scale, almost to the full size, to the shoulder straps. They designated the regiment to which the soldier or officer belonged. The shoulder straps also had Roman numerals and letters; they already served to divide the “height” of the position.

The fact is that in the old days there were a lot of variations of shoulder straps, but despite this, they “intersected” between different ranks. An officer's shoulder straps could be the same as those of a private (by color, regiment number). Therefore, Roman numerals were additionally used, which helped to distinguish an officer from a subordinate. For the same purpose, cockades were used - small metal plaques that are attached to the front of the cap. The soldiers had them in one shape and color, while the higher structures had them in another.

The system of using colors is also different. Nowadays, military shoulder straps vary in color depending on the type of troops. The sailors had blue ones, the infantry had red and yellow ones, but back then the colors could vary even within the same division. So, each brigade within it had its own color of shoulder straps, and if within the brigade there was another division into regiments, then each regiment had its own color of caps or a picture on the cockade. Now the caps do not differ in color, only the highest ranks of sailors wear white hats.

Previously, epaulettes and monograms on them were used, but now the system, in which the main thing is a beautiful and noble picture, has been abolished in favor of the functional qualities of the uniform.

Why did the designations change?

From 1914 to 1917, several modifications were quickly introduced regarding ranks and distinctive features in the army. First of all, with the beginning of the First World War, the colored covering of the shoulder straps was removed, which was noticeable at any time of the year and even in the off-season in November-April. They became a protective khaki color, which at that time was called “peas”.

As can be seen from the above, the Russian army before the revolution gave preference to beautiful uniforms, and a lot of attention was paid to the design component. With the beginning of serious hostilities, military leaders came to the conclusion that the colored elements of the uniform were not functional. They give the soldier away and make him an easy target for the enemy. Therefore, even before the revolution, colors were abolished.

The next change was associated with the coming to power of new people. Tsarism was overthrown, and with it the government wanted to consign into oblivion the Table of Ranks, as well as the titles that were introduced by Paul in the manner of the Prussian army. Therefore, many ranks were renamed. At the same time, shoulder straps and cockades went out of service. They returned to the army again only in 1943, and this gesture shows that not all developments of previous years were failures.

In general, the change in ranks and appearance of uniforms was due to their inadequacy in the conditions of military operations. The constant confusion in ranks and shoulder straps was a strong disadvantage of the uniform design of that time.

Correspondence of old ranks to modern ranks

A hundred years have passed since the First World War, but during this time the structure of the army has not changed much. Niches of soldiers, officers, and generals have been preserved in it. However, the old ranks received new, more convenient and general names.

Ranks in the old Tsarist army before 1917 with shoulder straps are given in accordance with the modern Russian ranking system:

• Private, aka bombardier, Cossack, volunteer, sailor 2 articles, etc. The sailor of the second class was in the navy, the Cossack belonged to the Cossack army, the bombardier was classified as a sapper infantry. Only in the cavalry the lower ranks were called the same - private. Voluntary is an outdated concept that referred to people who voluntarily went to serve (analogous to modern contract soldiers). They were distinguished by their privileges in the service.
• Corporal. Previously, only cavalry employees were called corporals, which is where most of the modern names come from. A corporal in the navy was called a sailor of the first class; among the Cossacks, a higher rank was called “order.” In the artillery army and sapper divisions there was no division into corporals and privates; everyone was called “bombardiers”.

• Junior non-commissioned officer. This included Junior Fireworker, Jr. constable, quartermaster (in the navy).
• Senior non-commissioned officer. This is a boatswain's mate in the navy, a senior sergeant in the Life Guards and among the Cossacks, and a senior fireworksman among sappers.
• Sergeant Major. This includes the sergeant among the Cossacks and cavalry, and the boatswain in the fleet.
• Sub-ensign. Conductor in the naval forces, in the infantry the name is the same as the modern one.
• An ordinary ensign. Sub-sergeant, ordinary ensign of the cavalry and life guard are among the ranks associated with this rank.

Higher officer ranks

More serious officer recognition began with receiving the rank of chief officer. Then the lower ones began to address the military “Your Honor.” The officer's cap badge, starting from this rank, is gold. Among the ranks (in ascending order) are ensign, second lieutenant, staff captain, captain, all these ranks were associated with the Table of Ranks.

The officer rank of “ensign” was considered the 14th, lowest rank; staff captain was already the 9th in honor. Due to the fact that the title “captain” was previously used, confusion may arise in comparing modern and ancient military ranks. Until 1917, the “captain” ranks in the tsarist army were considered such ranks as captain, Cossack captain, and only in the guard the captain was called the same as now. Therefore, answering the question “Captain captain - what is this rank now?”, you need to answer that captain. The captain was almost equal to the staff officers, wearing eye-catching blue shoulder straps.

"Elite" and general ranks

The last level, which preceded the catalog of generals, were staff officers, these are lieutenant colonels and colonels. In the navy they were called captains and captains of 2nd rank. The next highest ranking commander in the army was a general, and in the navy - an admiral.

Staff officers were called “High Nobility”, generals – “Your Excellency”. Among the generals there were divisions: major general, colonel general, engineer general, etc. The general rank was appointed by the royal council. The generals were distinguished by the most elaborate military cockade, white gloves, and a large number of awards, which is no different from the modern state.

Military ranks in the tsarist army before 1917 and shoulder straps were very different from modern ones. This indicates a noticeable backwardness of the then system of names and uniforms. Now the uniforms and ranks of those times can be used as an example of history, but one should not use as an example the old imperfect shoulder straps that caused confusion among the military themselves.

Very often in cinema and classical literature the title lieutenant is found. Now there is no such rank in the Russian army, so many people are interested in what rank lieutenant is in accordance with modern realities. In order to understand this, you need to look at history.

History of the rank

Such a rank as lieutenant still exists in the armies of other states, but it does not exist in the Russian army. It was first adopted in the 17th century by regiments brought to the European standard. Contrary to the incorrect opinion of many, “lieutenant” has nothing to do with the word “entrust”; it has a completely different meaning.

The lieutenant, of course, had the authority to give orders, but only after agreement with the company commander. The main task of this serviceman was to accompany the teams of privates whom he took as bail, and this is where this rank came from.

His duties included escorting privates to a specific destination. The Streltsy army under Ivan the Terrible did not include such ranks; mutual responsibility was in effect there. In terms of status, such a rank was higher than a second lieutenant, but subordinate to the captain-lieutenant.

This rank was found in all ground forces, less often it was present in the guard. Since 1798, the rank of lieutenant was abolished in all branches of the military, but remained in the guard. According to historical information, the centurion had such powers in the Cossack troops, and in the cavalry a headquarters captain was introduced instead of a lieutenant. In tsarist times in the navy this position was occupied by a midshipman.

The rank of lieutenant had different degrees of class, depending on the type of troops. The ranks of the guard were two classes higher than the ground forces of the Russian army and one higher than in the navy.

In Russian history, there are three famous lieutenants that anyone knows.

1. The first is the famous lieutenant Rzhevsky, the hero of jokes. In the history of Russia, there really was a family of Rzhevskys, in which there was a family member serving in the tsarist army, but he did not take part in the War of 1812, since he was born later.
2. Another well-known personality is the eternally sad and discouraged Golitsyn, the hero of the song.
3. The third lieutenant is the poet Mikhail Lermontov, who died in a duel from Major Martynov’s bullet.

Lieutenant in the modern army

In the modern army, this rank is found in Poland and the Czech Republic. The lieutenant has the authority to lead the rank and file and carry out the orders of senior officers.

Until 1917, this rank was listed in the tsarist army and was part of the chief officer corps. After the revolution, this rank was abolished. The Workers' and Peasants' Army rejected any manifestation of tsarism. Therefore, the officers were replaced with the ranks of commanders, but in 1943 the surviving officer ranks were returned in the corresponding ranks. The word “officer” with the corresponding shoulder straps has returned to the lexicon.

The system of insignia and ranks did not change until the collapse of the USSR. But even after the emergence of the Russian State, the rank system remains the same. Currently, this rank is equal to the rank of senior lieutenant. This rank in the modern Russian army is given to military personnel belonging to the junior officer corps. If the service takes place as part of the Guards troops, then the word “Guards” is added to the rank. Depending on the available specialty, a senior lieutenant may be a lieutenant of justice or medical service.

In order to receive this rank, you must have a higher military education and at least a year of service without penalties. Senior lieutenant is assigned after receiving the rank of lieutenant and having the appropriate education. You can achieve this rank only by having a specialized secondary education after graduating from a military school or receiving the rank of lieutenant after studying at a civilian university in a military department. After serving for a year, they can be awarded the rank of senior lieutenant.