Army ranks and insignia of the Russian Federation

Emblem of Armed forces of the Russian Federation
Emblem of the Land forces of the Russian Federation

Russia inherited the ranks of the Soviet Union, although the insignia and uniform were altered slightly. The following is a table ranks of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. English translation is given first, followed by Russian version, then by English transliteration.

Russian armed forces have two styles of ranks - troop ranks (army style ranks) and deck ranks (navy style ranks). The army and air force use troop ranks. The following table of Ranks is based on those of the Russian Federation. The Russian Federation eliminated the descriptor "of Aviation" following ranks, however, that descriptor is still in use and in 2015 will be used by the revived Army Aviation Force. The rank of a serviceman of a "Guards" unit or formation may be followed by the word “Guards.” The rank of a serviceman of the legal, medical or veterinary professions shall be followed by the words “of Justice,” “of the Medical service,” or “of the Veterinary service,” to their respective ranks. The rank of a serviceman having reserve or retired status shall be followed by the words “Reserve” or “Retired,” respectively.

Table of Ranks

Category Troop ranks Parade Uniform Insignia Everyday Uniform Insignia Field Uniform Insignia NATO equivalent
Supreme Officers
or
General Officers
Marshal of the Russian Federation[1]

(Ма́ршал Росси́йской Федера́ции)

(Márshal Rossíyskoy Federátsii)
OF-10
(Honorary)
General of the Army

(генера́л а́рмии)

(Generál Ármii)
OF-9
Colonel General

(генера́л-полко́вник)

(Generál-Polkóvnik)
OF-8
Lieutenant General

(генера́л-лейтена́нт)

(Generál-Leytenánt)
OF-7
Major General

(генера́л-майо́р)

(Generál-Mayór)
OF-6
Senior Officers
or
Field Grade Officers
Colonel

(полко́вник)

(Polkóvnik)
OF-5
Lieutenant Colonel

(подполко́вник)

(Podpolkóvnik)
OF-4
Major

(майо́р)

(Mayór)
OF-3
Junior Officers
or
Company Grade Officers
Captain

(капита́н)

(Kapitán)
OF-2
Senior Lieutenant

(ста́рший лейтена́нт)

(Stárshiy Leytenánt)
OF-1
Lieutenant

(лейтена́нт)

(Leytenánt)
Junior Lieutenant

(мла́дший лейтена́нт)

(Mládshiy Leytenánt)
Under-Officers
or
Master non-commissioned officers
Senior Praporshchik / Senior Warrant Officer

(ста́рший пра́порщик)

(Stárshiy Práporshchik)
N/A
(Discontinued)
Praporshchik / Warrant Officer

(пра́порщик)

(Práporshchik)
N/A
(Discontinued)
Sergeants and Petty Officers
Starshina / Master-Sergeant

(старшина́)

(Starshiná)
OR-8
Senior Sergeant

(ста́рший сержа́нт)

(Stárshiy Serzhánt)
OR-7
Sergeant

(сержа́нт)

(Serzhánt)
OR-6
Junior Sergeant

(мла́дший сержа́нт)

(Mládshiy Serzhánt)
OR-5
Soldiers,
seamen,
airmen
Corporal

(ефре́йтор)

(Yefréytor)
OR-3
Private

(рядово́й)

(Ryadovóy)
OR-1

Other

On March 11, 2010, by virtue of Law No.2010-293 of the President of Russia, a new set of rank insignia debuted. Privates, Airmen and Seamen sport plain shoulder epaulettes and the chevrons removed for the ranks of senior NCOs and are now replaced by plain bars (small horizontal from Corporal/Senior Airman/Leading Seaman to Sergeant/Staff Sergeant/Petty Officer increasing by seniority, large horizontal for Staff Sergeants, Flight Sergeants and Chief Petty Officers, and vertical bars for Starshinas and Ship CPO's), mirroring Imperial Russian Army and 1970s Soviet Army insignia.

WO's and Officer ranks received updated shoulder rank epaulettes (and for the Navy, cuff rank insignia) and all General Officer and Flag Officer rank insignia now reflecting service affiliation in the duty dress uniform (the army green, air force blue and navy blue epaulettes depending on service) but retaining the gold epaulettes in the parade dress (for the Army and Air Force) and the Navy's parade dress unifom black and gold epaulettes. This was also the case for the Marshal of the Russian Federation rank epaulette, which still retained the Coat of arms of Russia and the Marshal's Star. But this change is now evident in the battle dress and duty uniforms only, in the new 2008 dress uniforms the change is evident in the enlisted and NCO epaulettes, but in the epaulettes of all warrant officers and officers the gold and black epaulettes stayed as is in the dress uniforms.

As a result of the 2008-2011 defence reform the Russian Army's 90,000 Praporshchiks and the Russian Navy's 50,000 Michman posts have been eliminated (the same thing happened also in the Russian Air Force).

2013 saw yet another change of ranks for the Ground Forces: Generals of the Army now sport the Marshal's Star but with a red star with surrounding wreath above it in their shoulder boards and chest marks.

Notes

  1. ↑ The rank of Marshal of the Russian Federation, the highest in the Russian Army (Ground Forces), is not presently held by anyone in the modern Military Forces of the Russian Federation. The only officer to hold the rank is the former Minister of Defense Igor Sergeyev, who was elevated from commander (General of the Army) of the Strategic Rocket Forces. As it stands, Marshal of the Russian Federation should be considered an honorary title equivalent to a Field Marshal, Marshal or five-star General of the Army in other countries, created in the event of a major war or as the result of extreme military accomplishment (see Marshal of the Soviet Union).

See also

External links