Historical military ranks in Russia. System of military ranks in the Russian Imperial Army

The rank of lieutenant in the Russian army

Contrary to a common misconception, the name of the rank of lieutenant comes not from the word “assignment”, but from the word “bail”. Lieutenants were not “mission officers”, their main function was initially to accompany soldiers’ marching teams, while a junior officer was appointed who was officially (in writing) responsible for leading the soldiers to the specified point. This is where the name of the position came from, which later became a rank, and that is why there were no lieutenants in the Streltsy hundreds, orders and regiments - there were no soldiers there, and there was no need to vouch for the Streltsy, they had mutual responsibility.
At the same time, the word itself lieutenant In russian language long time was used as a synonym for comrade (i.e., one who vouches for another) and deputy. During the ministerial reform of 1802, the position of lieutenant minister was initially even established, which in the same year was renamed the position of comrade minister, which fell out of use only after the Civil War.
In the Russian army, lieutenant is a rank in most cases of chief officers, entitled “your honor.” The rank was first mentioned in the middle of the 16th century as an analogue of the rank of lieutenant in “foreign” companies. Since 1630, the rank has been used in the same capacity in the regiments of the “new order”, and, with the adoption of the Charter of 1647, it finally replaces the rank of lieutenant. By decree of 1680, Streltsy Pentecostals were renamed lieutenants. During this period, the lieutenant was considered to be higher in status than the ensign and lower than the captain (captain), this position was maintained according to the Charter of A. A. Weide of 1698. Initially, lieutenants were usually appointed as assistant commanders of companies (squadrons), and later as commanders of half-companies and plutongs.
The Naval Charter of 1720 introduced the rank of fleet lieutenant, equal to lieutenant; the status of a fleet lieutenant was higher than a second lieutenant of the fleet and lower than a lieutenant commander. In 1722, with the introduction of the Table of Ranks by Peter I, an attempt was made to remove the rank of lieutenant from use - in all branches of the army it was replaced by the rank of lieutenant and retained only in the supply service (Furleit lieutenants, in status higher than the headquarters of the Fourier and lower than the Chief Wagenmeister). However, while in the navy the rank of lieutenant took root, in the army they soon returned to the rank of lieutenant. The army lieutenant initially belonged to the XII class of the Table and in status was higher than the second lieutenant and lower than the captain-lieutenant (since 1798 - staff captain). Artillery lieutenants belonged to class X, guards lieutenants to class IX. In the cavalry, lieutenants were considered lower in status than captains and higher than ensigns (since 1731, cornets, with the exception of the period 1765-1798, when cavalry ensigns were again introduced instead of cornets), since the ranks of captain-lieutenant and second lieutenant were not there, with the exception of some time dragoons (during the period when infantry ranks were used in dragoon regiments) and guards cavalry, where from 1731 (since its creation) the rank of second captain was established. In 1798, the rank of headquarters captain was introduced throughout the cavalry; from this year, cavalry lieutenants were considered to have a status higher than the cornet and lower than the headquarters captain.
In 1732, the rank of lieutenant of the fleet was restored, and until 1764 it belonged to the VIII class of the Table, and then, until abolition in 1798, to the IX class. Thus, naval lieutenants were for some time two classes higher than even guards lieutenants. During the period of the existence of the life campaign (1741-1761), the lieutenants of the life campaign also belonged to the VIII class of the Table. In 1798, the lieutenants of the guard were transferred to the X class of the Table and this state remained until the reform of 1826; in the “young guard”, the lieutenants until 1826 belonged to the IX class of the Table, then to the X class.
Until 1882, the rank of lieutenant was the primary chief officer rank in a separate corps of gendarmes.
In 1884, a reform was carried out, as a result of which the old and young guards, as well as officers, were equal in rights special troops(artillery, etc.) and the army, after which army lieutenants belong to the X class of the Table, guards - to the IX class. This position remained until 1917, with the exception of the company of palace grenadiers, in which, since its creation in 1826, the lieutenants belonged to the VIII class of the Table.

The shoulder straps of the Tsarist army of 1914 are rarely mentioned in feature films and historical 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 changes 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 khaki khaki, 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 uniforms was due to their inadequacy in the conditions of hostilities. 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 the majority came from modern names. 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.
• Feldwebel. This includes the sergeant among the Cossacks and cavalry, and the boatswain in the fleet.
• Sub-ensign. Conductor in 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 name “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, when answering the question “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, big amount awards, which is no different from the current 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 rank of lieutenant is found. Now such a title in Russian army no, that’s why 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 This serviceman was accompanied by teams of privates, whom he took on bail, and this is where this rank came from.

His duties included escorting privates to a specific destination. IN Streltsy army under Ivan the Terrible, such ranks were not included, there was mutual responsibility. 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 ah, less often he 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 was varying degrees 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. One more for everyone famous person- this 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 modern army this title 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 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 title 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 reach this rank only if you have a secondary specialized education after graduating from a military school or receiving the rank of lieutenant after studying at civilian university on military department. After serving for a year, they can be awarded the rank of senior lieutenant.

Tables of ranks of the Russian Army

Russian army 1884-1917

The table shows the ranks of army ranks from 1884 to 1917. These are the years of reign Alexandra III(1881-1894), Nicholas II (1894-1917). During the period under review, the ranks in the guard were one class higher than in the army, i.e. The "old" and "young" guards are equal in rank. In 1891, Cossack ranks were established in the Cossack Life Guards and Ataman Life Guards Regiment (before that time, the ranks in these regiments were general cavalry). In 1884, the rank of “major” was finally abolished, and all officer ranks from second lieutenant to captain in the Table of Ranks were raised by one grade. The captain now has a staff officer grade of VIII, but is still listed in the chief officer ranks. Since 1884, the rank of warrant officer has been 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 Milyutin dies Dmitry Alekseevich, who served as Minister of War from 1861 to 1881. This rank was not assigned 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. Note by A Shisharin 10.10.2000).

After the October Revolution of 1917, by Decree of the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars (Bolshevik government) of December 16, 1917, all military ranks were abolished. At this time, the Russian army was disintegrating. From individual military personnel, from remnants of units imperial army the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army was created simultaneously (Decree of the Central Executive Committee and Council of People's Commissars of January 15, 1918), armed formations White Movement(used throughout civil war the rank system presented here), the national armies of Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Poland, Finland (created their own rank systems).

Army infantry

* Read more about rank encoding.

Army cavalry

Army Cossacks

Army Artillery / Corps of Engineers

In class II in artillery and engineering troops there were three ranks: General of Artillery, General Engineer (General of Engineers) and General Feldzechmeister. The last rank was held by the chief chief of artillery and engineering troops.

Not only historical documents, but also works of art, taking 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 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 question is the distribution of officer powers in Russia at the very turn turning point 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. So, in the opinion of the tsar himself, career advancement is possible only for people who are worthwhile, and parasites and impudent people have a way to high ranks was closed.

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 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 that are familiar to the modern military personnel. It's about about the private and the corporal. Anyone who tries to study the hierarchy in the army Russian Empire, involuntarily compares the structure with modernity. 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 are 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

Basic distinctive feature 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 general ranks in Cossack army no, 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 weighty 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 private 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.