Ranks and insignia of the Imperial Russian Armed Forces
This article does not cite any sources. (July 2021) |
The Imperial Russian Army (Russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, РИА) and the Imperial Russian Navy (Russian: Российский императорский флот) used ranks and rank insignia derived from the German model. However, the entire rank system was also closely connected to the Russian military traditions. In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, the Red Army abolished the entire Imperial system of ranks and rank insignia, while military units and formations of the opposing White movement retained the Imperial rank system until 1923.
Army ranks and rank designation[]
The following ranks and their respective insignia were also used by the personnel of the Imperial Russian Air Service from 1912 to 1917.
Officers[]
Rank group | General/flag officers | Field/senior officers | Junior officers | Officer cadet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank code | K-1 | K-2 | K-3 | K-4 | K-5 | K-6 | K-7 | K-8 | K-9 | K-10 | K-12 | K-13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Epaulettes (?–?) |
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Shoulder straps (?–?) |
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Field insignia (1914–1917) |
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Генерал-фельдмаршал General-fel'dmarshal |
Генерал рода войск General roda voysk |
Генерал-лейтенант General-leytenant |
Генерал-майор General-mayor |
Полковник Polkovnik |
Подполковник Podpolkovnik |
Майор Mayor (abolished 1884) |
Капитан Kapitan |
Штабс-капитан Shtabs-kapitan |
Поручик Poruchik |
Подпоручик Podporuchik |
Прапорщик Praporshchik |
Non-commissioned officers & enlisted men[]
Rank group | Non-commissioned officers (Russian: Унтер-офицеры, romanized: Unter-ofitsery) |
Enlisted (Russian: Рядовые, romanized: Rydovye) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shoulder boards | |||||||
Artillery | Зауряд-прапорщик Zauryad-praporshchik |
Подпрапорщик Podpraporshchik |
Фельдфебель Fel'dfebel' |
Старший Фейерверкер Starshiy feyyerverker |
Младший Фейерверкер Mladshiy feyyerverker |
Бомбардир Bombardyr |
Канонир Kanonir |
Infantry | Старший унтер-офицер Starshiy unter-ofitser |
Младший унтер-офицер Mladshiy unter-ofitser |
Ефрейтор Yefreytor |
Рядовой Ryadovoy | |||
Cavalry | Вахмистр Vachmistr | ||||||
Cossacks | Подхорунжий Podkhorunzhiy |
Старший урядник Starshyy uryadnyk |
Младший урядник Mladshiy uryadnik |
Приказный Prikaznyy |
Казак Kazak |
Other regiments and cadet corps[]
The following shoulder board insignias of the Imperial Army used by specific units and cadet corps are illustrated below:
- Orenburg Neplyuev Cadet Corps
- 15th King Nikola I of Montenegro Rifle Regiment
- 5th Kargopol Dragoon Regiment
- Oryol Cadet Corps
- Pskov Cadet Corps
- Grand Duke Vladimir Kiev Cadet Corps
[]
Rank, category and designation | Flag officers and general ranks | Staff officers (Russian: Shtabs-ofitsery) | Senior officers (ober-ofitsery) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Class as to Table of Ranks |
K1 | K2 | K3 | K4 | K6 | K7 | K8 | K9 | K10 | |||
Epaulette | Maritime service |
Generaladmiral (General-admiral) |
Admiral | Viceadmiral (Vitse-admiral) |
Counter admiral (Kontr-admiral) |
Captain 1st rank (Kapitan 1-go ranga) |
Captain 2nd rank (Kapitan 2-go ranga) |
Captain lieutenant (1907-1911) (Kapitan-leytenant) |
Senior lieutenant (after 1909) (Starshi leytenant) |
Lieutenant (Leytenant) |
Michman | |
(after 1909) | (until 1909) | |||||||||||
Shore Establishment (after 1913) |
no equivalent | General | Lieutenant general (General-leytenant) |
Major general (General-mayor) | ||||||||
Shoulder board |
Maritime service |
Generaladmiral (General-admiral) |
Admiral | Viceadmiral (Vitse-admiral) |
Rear admiral (Kontr-admiral) |
|||||||
Shore establishment (after 1913) |
no equivalent | General | Lieutenant general (General-leytenant) |
Major general (General-mayor) | ||||||||
[]
Designation | Petty officers & enlisted ratings | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rating insignia shoulder boards | ||||||||
Rating insignia | Gardemarin (abolished 1883) |
Senior boatswain |
Conductor Senior (army) field surgeon |
Boatswain | Coxswain | Unteroffizier (since 1909) Quartermaster (until 1908) |
Seaman 1st rank | Seaman 2nd rank |
Russian transliteration | (Gardmarin) | (Starshy botsman) | (Konduktor Starshy feldsher) |
(Botsman) | (Botsmanmat) | (Unter-ofizer Kwartirmeister) |
(Matros pervoi stati) | (Matros vtoroi stati) |
Ranks of coastal services[]
Ranks similar to those of the Imperial Army were, beginning in the late 18th century, used by the coastal services of the Imperial Russian Navy.
General officers[]
Designation | Higher commanders | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank designation epaulettes and shoulder boards |
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Rank | General of the fleet | Lieutenant general | Major general | |||
Russian transliteration | (Флота генерал) (Flota general) |
(Генера́л-лейтена́нт) (General-leitenant) |
(Генера́л-майо́р) (General-maior) |
Officers[]
Designation | Field and junior grade officers | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank insignia epaulettes and shoulder boards | |||||||||||||
Rank | Brigadier (abolished 1798) |
Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major (abolished 1884) |
Captain | Staff captain | Lieutenant | Sub-lieutenant | Ensign | ||||
Russian transliteration | Brigadir | Polkovnik | Podpolkovnik | Mayor | Kapitan | Shtabs-kapitan | Poruchik | Podporuchik | Praporshchik | ||||
Rank group | Staff officer | Junior officer |
Non-commissioned officers & enlisted men[]
Designation | Non-commissioned officers & enlisted men | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank insignia shoulder strap | |||||||||
Rank | Warrant officer (1855-1917) |
Bootsman | Senior under officer | Junior under officer | Sea gefreiter | Sea soldat | |||
Russian translation | (Старший боцман, кондуктор) | (Боцман) | (Старший унтер-офицер, starschy unter-ofizer) |
(Младший унтер-офиц��р, mladschy unter-ofizer) |
(Матрос 1-й статьи, Matros 1 statji) |
(Матрос 2-й статьи, Matros 2 statji) | |||
Rank group | NCO | Soldier |
[]
This section does not cite any sources. (November 2021) |
By order № 125 of the Navy Ministry of the Russian Provisional Government, from April 16, 1917 was provided:
- Abolishment of the hitherto used shoulder rank insignia.
- Abolishment of the (naval) scarf.
- Deletion of any monogram, or initial letter on weapons and equipment.
- Paint over of the cockade center on caps with red color, until availability of the peaked cap with new national emblem.
The traditional shoulder rank insignia were replaced by golden sleeve strips for naval officers, admiralty officers, and naval engineers, as well as – after completion of mandatory examinations – praporshchiks and officers of the hydrographical service.
Silver sleeve strips were introduced to officers of the admiralty staff, before completion of mandatory examinations, as well to ship engineers, officials of the naval administration and naval physicians with officer rank or status.
Both cuff insignias were used in uniforms with the executive curl.
As discrimination criteria to specific appointments or assignments additional corps colours on the lower part of sleeve stripes was determinate:
- red = ship engineers;
- raspberry coloured = naval administration;
- dark blue = hydrographical service;
- white = physicians
The table below shows examples of rank insignia of the Russian Navy, to be worn on the lower part of uniform cuffs, as to the order № 125 of the Russian Navy Ministry from April 16, 1917.
Rank group | Admirals | Staff officers | Senior officers | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank code | K-2 | K-3 | K-4 | K-6 | K-7 | K-8 | K-9 | K-10 | K-12 | K-14 |
Sleeve insignia | ||||||||||
Адмирал Admiral |
Вице-адмирал Vitse-admiral |
Контр-адмирал Contre-admiral |
Капитан 1-го ранга Kapitan 1-go ranga |
Капитан 2-го ранга Kapitan 2-go ranga |
Старший лейтенант Starshey leytenant |
Лейтенант Leytenant |
Мичман Michman |
Подпоручик Podporuchik |
Прапорщик Praporshchik | |
US equivalent |
See also[]
- History of Russian military ranks
- Ranks and insignia of the Red Army and Navy 1918–1935, ... 1935–1940, and ... 1940–1943
- Ranks and insignia of the Soviet Armed Forces 1943–1955 and ... 1955–1991
- Ranks and insignia of the Russian Federation's armed forces 1994–2010
References[]
- Military ranks of Russia
- Military insignia