Military ranks ascending in the Navy. Military ranks of the Russian army in ascending order and categories

Seafarers are always respected and serious people for whom work is above all else. But at the same time, they all have families that faithfully wait for them and love them. The profession of a military sailor is not only responsible and serious, but also interesting. In the course of their career, members of the Navy can see a lot. Although there is also a risk to life.

What are the military ranks in the Navy

Let's start with the fact that in the Navy of the Russian Federation, military ranks are divided into two categories: military and naval. The first have categories:

1. The staircase begins with soldiers and foremen, who, in turn, are divided into a soldier, corporal and foreman.
2. Next come the lieutenants. This rank is divided into warrant officer and senior warrant officer.
3. Officers. Here the subcategories are:

• junior officers: junior lieutenant, lieutenant, senior lieutenant, captain;
• seniors: major, lieutenant colonel, colonel;
• higher: major general, lieutenant general, colonel general, army general and marshal of the Russian Federation.

Ship ranks have slightly different names:

1. Soldiers, sergeants, sailors. Here the ranks are in ascending order: sailor, senior sailor, foreman of the 2nd article, 1st article, chief, chief ship, foreman.
2. Midshipmen: midshipman, senior midshipman.
3. Junior officers: junior lieutenant, lieutenant, senior lieutenant, lieutenant commander.
4. Senior officers: captain of the 3rd rank, 2nd rank, 1st rank.
5. Senior officers: rear admiral, vice admiral, admiral, admiral of the fleet, marshal of Russia.

The uniform of military personnel in the Navy does not always provide for shoulder straps on which ranks are determined. Often, military sailors have patches on their sleeves that determine their position and rank.

More about the order of awarding titles

As with the ground forces, in the Navy, the ranks of employees are assigned on the day the term of his military rank expires. The following terms are established by law:

• to become a private or a sailor, one must serve 5 months;
• a year is required to serve in order to become a junior sergeant or foreman of the 2nd article;
• three years must be served to obtain such ranks as senior sergeant and chief foreman;
• the same number of years is allotted to become an ensign or midshipman;
• two years to serve up to junior lieutenant;
• three to lieutenant;
• three more to senior lieutenant;
• 4 years to captain and lieutenant commander;
• 4 - to major and captain of the 3rd rank;
• 5 years are required to become a lieutenant colonel or captain of the 2nd rank.

To receive the rank of senior officer, you must serve in your previous position for at least 1 year. As a rule, the naval military receive the next military rank 2 years after receiving the last rank. The set time frame includes:

1. Break time (if any) due to bringing the military to criminal liability for unreasonable reasons, as well as in the event of illegal dismissal with subsequent reinstatement.
2. Stopping military activity.
3. The number of years spent in the reserve.

Note that for special achievements, the naval military can receive ahead of schedule the next military rank.

What are the responsibilities of the Navy

What and any other troops, the Navy is working for the good of the country. The main functions of the naval staff are:

• the use of military force in the event of a threat to the country from the sea. Also, the Navy is obliged to contain and stop possible threats to Russia;
• to protect the sovereignty of their country by any means;
• creating conditions for ensuring the security of the state;
• by order of the commander-in-chief to participate in various operations.

If we talk specifically about the units, then each of them has its own responsibilities. For example, naval aviation is engaged in delivering missile and bomb strikes, and is also engaged in cover. Coastal units defend the coast and conduct ground combat operations, protecting the sea border.

How to get into the Navy

Many young guys dream of working for the good of their Motherland, namely, to protect it. In order to become a military Navy, you must meet all categories. To be more precise, to become an employee, you need:

1. Have a complete secondary education. But it is preferable, of course, to graduate from a naval school.
2. Be at least 165 cm tall, and have at least the second group of mental stability.
3. Have a fitness category of at least A-2 (although you can’t get into the military infantry with such indicators).

Conscripts who are tall and good-looking are often taken into a guard of honor company. However, secondary specialized education in this case also does not hurt.

In the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, two types of ranks have been established for persons undergoing military service - military and naval. In ancient Russia, the presence of insignia and certain military units that were formed on an ongoing basis was completely excluded. The division of the then still pitiful semblance of a standing army into separate formations took place in accordance with the number of soldiers who were in one formation or another. The principle was as follows: ten soldiers - a unit called the "ten" headed by the "ten". Further all in the same spirit.

The history of the emergence of military ranks in Russia

Under Ivan the Terrible, and later under Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich, this system underwent some changes: archery hundreds appeared, and military ranks appeared in them. At that time, the hierarchy of ranks was the following list:

• Sagittarius
• foreman
• Pentecostal
• centurion
• head

Of course, between all of the above ranks and the ranks that currently exist, the following analogy can be drawn: a foreman is a warrior who in our time performs the duties of a sergeant, or a foreman, a Pentecostal is a lieutenant, and a centurion, respectively, is a captain.

After a certain amount of time, already during the reign of Peter the Great, the hierarchical system of ranks was again transformed to the following:

• soldier
• corporal
• ensign
• lieutenant called lieutenant
• captain (captain)
• quartermaster
• major
• lieutenant colonel
• colonel

The year 1654 became an outstanding year in the history of the formation of military ranks in Russia. It was then that for the first time in the history of Russia the rank of general was awarded. Its first owner was Alexander Ulyanovich Leslie, the head of the operation to capture and liberate Smolensk.

Categories of military ranks in the Russian army

One of the largest political events of the 20th century that took place in Russia, namely the October Revolution of 1917, was the last stage on the path to the formation of an established system of military ranks, which has not undergone any changes for a whole century.

Military ranks

1. Private. One of the first, considered the lowest military rank of the armed forces of the Russian Federation.
2. Corporal. A title that is awarded to military personnel who are part of the armed forces of the Russian Federation for any military distinction.

1. Major.
2. Lieutenant colonel.
3. Colonel.

Ship ranks

Ship ranks can simply be listed in order of seniority (from lowest to highest) due to full compliance with the land equivalent:

1. Sailor, senior sailor.
   
2. Foreman of the 2nd (second) article, foreman of the 1st (first) article, chief foreman, chief ship foreman - representatives of a group of military personnel belonging to sergeants and foremen.
   
   
3. Midshipman, senior midshipman - military personnel of the group of ensigns and midshipmen.
   
4. Junior lieutenant, lieutenant, senior lieutenant, lieutenant commander - a group of military personnel representing junior officers.
   
   
5. Captain of the 3rd (third) rank, captain of the 2nd (second) rank, captain of the 1st (first) rank - representatives of senior officers.
   
   
6. Rear Admiral, Vice Admiral, Admiral, Admiral of the Fleet - representatives of the highest officers, respectively.
   

As with military ranks, the highest military rank for the Navy is Marshal of the Russian Federation.

What is quite remarkable is that naval and military military ranks are also assigned to the following formations: the power structures of the Russian Federation - the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, etc., as well as water border formations that ensure security near the coastal borders.

Colors and types of shoulder straps

Now let's turn to shoulder straps. With them, unlike titles, things are somewhat more complicated.

Shoulder straps are usually distinguished according to the following criteria:

• the color of the shoulder strap itself (different depending on the military structure);
• the order of location of the distinctive signs on shoulder straps (also depending on a particular military structure);
• the color of the decals themselves on shoulder straps (by analogy with the points above).

There is another important criterion - the form of clothing. Accordingly, the army does not have the richest selection of clothing that is permitted by the charter. More precisely, there are only three of them: everyday uniform, field and full dress.

Shoulder straps of non-officers

Let's start with a description of the everyday uniform and the shoulder straps attached to it:

The casual uniform of a non-officer includes epaulettes with two narrow strips along the edges of the longitudinal part. Such shoulder straps can be seen on the shoulders of privates, sergeants, as well as ensigns. All these images are presented above in the sections of military and ship ranks.

Shoulder straps of officers

Shoulder straps of everyday uniforms for officers are divided into three more subspecies:

• Shoulder straps for the everyday uniform of junior officers: they have only one strip running in the center along the shoulder strap itself.
• Shoulder straps for the everyday uniform of senior officers: they flaunt two longitudinal stripes, also located in the center.
• Shoulder straps for the everyday uniform of senior officers: they differ sharply from each of the previous types in that they have a special fabric relief over the entire area of ​​​​the shoulder strap. The edges are framed by one narrow strip. A distinctive sign is also the stars, following strictly in one row.
• It is impossible not to put into a separate group the Marshal of the Russian Federation and the type of shoulder straps corresponding to his everyday form: they also have a special fabric relief, which was mentioned in the paragraph above, but they differ radically in color. If the shoulder straps in each of the previous paragraphs were a rectangle of dark green color, then these same ones are distinguished by their immediately conspicuous and quite corresponding to the high-profile title of their wearer in golden color.

An interesting fact is that on February 22, 2013, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin signed a decree that one star with a diameter of 40 mm instead of 4 stars in one line as before would be flaunted on the shoulder straps of generals of the army and admirals of the fleet of the Russian Federation. The corresponding image is shown above.

• Field uniform for non-officers: shoulder straps are a regular rectangle, camouflaged as a summer taiga with a transverse (or longitudinal) stripe.
• Field uniform of junior officers: stars of relatively small sizes serve as a distinctive sign.
• The field uniform of senior officers: a major, a lieutenant colonel have one and two large stars on their shoulder straps, respectively, a colonel has three.
• Field uniform of senior officers: all persons with ranks in accordance with the previously announced composition have exactly the same structure (dark green stars, following strictly in a row), but different in the number of distinctive signs of shoulder straps. As well as in everyday uniforms, the Army General and Marshal of the Russian Federation are distinguished by large stars.

In more detail these features can be seen in the picture:

Far from immediately, the clothes of military personnel became comfortable and practical. Initially, beauty was valued more in her than the qualities mentioned a little earlier. Fortunately, under Alexander III (third), the understanding came that rich uniforms were too expensive. It was then that practicality and convenience began to be considered the primary value.

In certain periods of time, the soldier's uniform resembled ordinary peasant attire. Even in the conditions of the already existing Red Army, little attention was paid to the fact that there was no uniform military uniform. The only distinguishing mark of all the soldiers was a red bandage on the sleeves and headdresses.

Even shoulder straps managed to be replaced for some time with ordinary triangles and squares, and only in 1943 they were returned as distinctive signs.

By the way, to this day, the military personnel of the Russian Federation wear a uniform that was developed by the well-known fashion designer V. Yudashkin in 2010.

If you have read the article in full and you are interested in testing your knowledge, then we suggest taking the test -

(in order from sailor to high command) for the most part date back to those that appeared during the USSR period.

A bit of history - naval ranks and a table of ranks

As you know, in the last years of the reign of Peter I, the table of ranks was put into effect. It was a table where civil and military service positions were divided into fourteen ranks. However, naval ranks were not included in every row of the table.

XIV rank among naval ranks was received by a midshipman, corresponding to a collegiate registrar, ensign, cornet and artillery bayonet junker. At the beginning of the reign of Paul I, the rank of midshipman began to refer to the XII rank. This rank also included the rank of non-commissioned lieutenant that existed until 1732.

The naval lieutenant belonged to the X rank until 1884, after which the midshipman was promoted to this rank. The rank of lieutenant, in turn, began to refer to the IX rank.

People who managed to reach the VIII rank in the fleet of the Russian Empire acquired the right to personal nobility. These positions included captains of the first three ranks and a senior lieutenant who appeared in the fleet shortly before the First World War. The fifth rank included the rank of captain-commander, which was finally abolished in 1827. Among the famous bearers of this title was the pioneer Vitus Bering.

Achievement in the service of the IV rank opened the door to hereditary nobles in front of a person. In the navy, people who reached the fourth and higher ranks commanded naval formations: rear admiral, vice admiral, admiral and admiral general.

This also included the rank of Shoutbenakht, which did not take root on Russian soil, and was replaced by Rear Admiral. It is noteworthy that this naval rank was used as a pseudonym by the first Russian emperor himself - “Shoutbenacht Pyotr Mikhailov”. To the III rank belonged the general-krieg commissar of the fleet, whose duties included the financial support of the naval forces. The title was abolished in 1817. The highest rank of Admiral General in the history of the Russian Empire was received by six people. Three of them were representatives of the imperial family.

Although the table of ranks ceased to operate after the creation of the USSR, many ranks reappeared in the fleet of the Soviet Union and later the Russian Federation.

Main categories of naval ranks

According to their composition, the employees of the navy can be divided into the following groups:

• Call and contract composition.
• junior officers.
• senior officers.
• senior officers.

Citizens of Russia serving in the navy for military service receive the rank of sailor. It roughly corresponds to a private in the ground forces. Sailors appeared in the fleet of the Soviet Union in 1946. Prior to this, the lowest military rank of the naval forces was called "Red Navy".

Next comes the title of "senior sailor", which corresponds to the "corporal" of the ground forces. The senior sailor commands the group or serves as assistant to the foreman. The rank of senior sailor can be obtained by employees who observe discipline and their duties well.

The four following ranks correspond to the sergeant ranks of the ground forces:

• Foreman of the first article.
• Sergeant major of the second article.
• Chief foreman.
• Chief ship sergeant major.

Following the foremen are "midshipman" and "senior midshipman". These naval ranks correspond to the ranks of warrant officer and senior warrant officer.

The modern division of naval ranks dates back to the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, issued in 1943. He approved the division of officers into junior, senior and higher. The decree included the ranks for each group that have survived to the present day.

The junior officers of the fleet of our country are called: junior lieutenant, lieutenant, senior lieutenant and lieutenant commander. A junior lieutenant can lead a combat post. More senior representatives of this category of officers may be assistant commanders of a ship of the fourth rank or even command such a ship.

Senior officers include captains of the first, second and third ranks. They can also be called captri, kavtorang and kaperang. These officers may be in command of military vessels of the appropriate rank.

In the modern Russian fleet, the rank of a warship is determined on the basis of the complexity of management, the size of the composition and combat power. The first rank includes cruisers, nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers. The second rank includes large landing ships, destroyers, large missile ships.

The third rank includes small missile and anti-submarine ships, medium landing ships, and minesweepers. The fourth rank includes small landing craft, torpedo boats.

The highest officer ranks of the fleet of our country were first established in 1940 by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council. This is our familiar system:

In the ground forces, these ranks correspond (in ascending order) to major general, lieutenant general, colonel general and army general. A rear admiral may lead a squadron or serve as an assistant flotilla commander. A vice admiral may command a flotilla or an operational squadron, and also serves as a deputy fleet commander. An admiral is at the head of a separate fleet. In modern Russia, there is one admiral of the fleet, who is the commander-in-chief of the naval forces of our country.

The title "Admiral of the Fleet" was introduced in the Soviet Union in 1940. It corresponded to "general of the army." None of the naval commanders of the country of the Soviets received it at that moment. In fact, the highest rank was admiral.

In 1944, two naval commanders received it. The first was Nikolai Kuznetsov, who at that moment held the post of People's Commissar of the Fleet. He was a member of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander, and Nikolai Kuznetsov's actions to command the country's fleet were successful. In 1945, the title of "Admiral of the Fleet" was given to Ivan Isakov, who led the main naval headquarters during the war years until he was wounded.

In 1955, an additional decree was issued that corrected the highest naval ranks of the country of the Soviets. To the title of "Admiral of the Fleet" was added "Soviet Union". The holders of this rank were entitled to wear the "Marshal Star" - a distinction introduced in 1940.

This highest naval rank was abolished in 1993, because the country that was mentioned in its name no longer existed. The highest rank of naval officers became again "Admiral of the Fleet".

Introduced in 1955, the rank was personal. In the history of the Soviet state, only three people received the title of "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union." Immediately after the introduction of a new military rank, it was received by N.G. Kuznetsov and I.S. Isakov. A year later, Kuznetsov fell into disgrace and lost his highest rank. He was returned to the naval commander posthumously during the years of Perestroika. In 1967, Sergey Gorshkov, who went through the war with the rank of rear admiral and led the construction and rearmament of the fleet in the post-war years, was awarded the highest naval rank.

The rank of Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union corresponded in the 1960s-1990s to the rank of Marshal of the USSR. In turn, the "Admiral of the Fleet" who was below the rank corresponded to the general of the army and the marshal of the armed forces.

The commander-in-chief of the naval forces of our country can carry the rank of admiral or admiral of the fleet. Thus, the first naval officer to hold this position in post-Soviet Russia, Felix Gromov, became commander-in-chief in 1992, being an admiral. He received the rank of Admiral of the Fleet four years later, shortly before his retirement.

The next commanders-in-chief (Vladimir Kuroyedov and Vladimir Masorin) took this post as admirals, and after that they received a higher rank. Vladimir Vysotsky and Vladimir Chirkov were commanders-in-chief, remaining in the rank of admiral. Also, the current commander-in-chief Vladimir Korolev retains the rank of admiral, received in 2013.

The chiefs of the Main Staff of the Fleet, who were the first deputies of the commander in chief, as a rule, bore the rank of vice admiral or admiral. Andrei Volozhinsky, who began serving in this post in 2016, retains the rank of vice admiral.

The navy of modern Russia became the successor to the navy. Most of the senior naval officers began their service in the Soviet fleet. For this reason, the ranks in the navy in modern Russia (in order from sailor to admiral) have not undergone fundamental changes compared to the Soviet period.

The list of military ranks is established by the law of the Russian Federation "On military duty and military service". They are divided into military and ship (marine).

Naval ranks are assigned to servicemen of the submarine and surface forces of the Navy. Military applicable to ground, space and airborne troops.

These include:

• Coastal troops. They guard strategic areas of the coastal zone. The military bases of the Russian Federation are equipped with missile systems and artillery. They have torpedo, anti-aircraft and mine weapons.
• Naval aviation covers his ships from air attack. It organizes reconnaissance, search and rescue operations, transportation and landing of detachments. Its formations are based in the Black Sea, Pacific, Northern and Baltic Fleets.
• Marines was established in 1992. It is designed to protect naval bases, defend important coastal facilities, and participate in combat operations.

Each division has its own responsibilities, but the main functions they have in common:

• protecting the country's sovereignty;
• ensuring the safety of the population;
• the use of force in the event of a threat from the sea side;
• obedience to the orders of the commander-in-chief.

Junior ranks in the Navy

The first months in the service in the Russian Navy, soldiers are called sailors. Until 1946, they were called "Red Navy". This rank is equivalent to a private in the ground forces.

To the best sailors for excellent fulfillment of official duties and observance of discipline assign a senior sailor. They can replace squad leaders during their absence. The corresponding military rank is corporal.

The squad leader is a foreman of the first or second category. These titles have been used since 1940. In the ground forces, they are equivalent to a sergeant and junior sergeant.

The deputy platoon commander is called the chief foreman. Among the army servicemen, he corresponds to a senior sergeant. A rank above him is the chief ship's foreman.

Midshipman - this military rank is assigned to persons who remain in the service in the ranks of the Navy after the expiration of the established period. They study in schools or courses. Senior midshipman - one rank higher. The ranks are equivalent to a military warrant officer and a senior warrant officer.

Naval officers

The first rank of junior officers in the navy is junior lieutenant. At the end of the term of service and successful certification, they are transferred to lieutenants.

The next step is senior lieutenant. The rank corresponds to a cavalry captain, infantry captain or captain of the Cossack troops. The highest rank of junior officers is lieutenant commander.

A captain of the 3rd rank is sometimes called a "captri". Equivalent to a Major in the Army. Abbreviated name of the captain of the 2nd rank -"kavtorang" or "kapdva". Corresponds to the lieutenant colonel of the armed forces. Captain of the 1st rank or "kapraz" is equivalent to the rank of colonel, and can command ships.

Rear admiral - the first admiral rank, established on May 7, 1940. He serves as the Deputy Commander of the Fleet. A similar rank in aviation and ground forces is major general. Above are the Vice Admiral and the Admiral. Army servicemen lieutenant-general and colonel-general are similar to them.

The post of Commander-in-Chief of the Navy is occupied by the Admiral of the Fleet. This is the highest active ship rank in the Russian Federation.

Insignia

Shoulder straps of sailors without insignia. Senior sailors have one galloon - a transverse strip. The foreman of the second article has two yellow cloth galloons, the first article has three. The epaulettes of the chief foreman have one wide stripe. The chief ship foreman has one longitudinal galloon.

Shoulder straps of midshipmen are distinguished by small stars which are located vertically. The midshipman has two stars, the senior midshipman has three.

Junior officers wear a vertical yellow stripe on their shoulder straps - clearance. They are sewn with stars measuring 13 millimeters. The junior lieutenant has one star in the gap, the lieutenant has two stars on both sides of the yellow stripe, the senior one has one in the gap and two on the sides, the lieutenant commander has two on the line and two on the sides.

Shoulder straps of senior officers have two parallel gaps and stars measuring 20 millimeters. The captain of the 3rd rank has one star between the yellow stripes, the second - one at each gap, the first - one between the lines and one on them.

The officers of the highest level wear epaulets with large stars and without gaps. A rear admiral has one star, a vice admiral has two, and an admiral has three. On the shoulder straps of the admiral of the fleet there is only one large star measuring 4 centimeters.

Sleeve insignia

There are yellow stripes and stars on the sleeves of officers' tunics. The highest ranks have an embroidered anchor inside the star.

The number of stripes and width vary by rank:

• a medium-sized band for a junior lieutenant;
• medium and narrow - for a lieutenant;
• two medium ones - at the senior lieutenant;
• one narrow and two medium ones - for the captain-lieutenant;
• three medium ones - for the captain of the 3rd rank, four medium ones - for the second, one wide - for the first;
• medium and wide - at the rear admiral;
• two medium and wide - at the vice admiral;
• three medium and wide - at the admiral;
• four medium and one wide - at the admiral of the fleet.

The procedure for conferring the next rank of the Navy

The law establishes the following stages of increase:

• the minimum service life for obtaining the rank of foreman of the second article is a year;
• a length of service of three years allows you to become a chief foreman;
• the same number of years is necessary to be a midshipman;
• after two years, you can get the rank of junior lieutenant, after three - lieutenant, and after another three - senior lieutenant;
• four years of further service give grounds to qualify for the captain-lieutenant, and the next four - for the captain of the 3rd rank;
• in five years you can become a captain of the 2nd rank.

For special achievements, it is possible to receive the next military rank ahead of schedule.

Ranks in the Russian army is a topic that I could understand only thanks to my military service. I remember how at the OBZh lessons the teacher forced all the guys to learn them by heart, but even after a long cramming, only empty sounds were put off in my head.

Now I have the opportunity to compare these words with real people whom I meet around. Thanks to this, I was able to structure this knowledge very simply and intelligibly, so that each of you, dear readers, could easily and permanently remember what soldiers sometimes take a whole week to do ...

What are the ranks in the Russian army

As you already understood, before joining the army, I had almost no understanding of military ranks. Knew only the basics. The service made me learn them by heart so that I could easily determine who I was addressing or, conversely, who was addressing me.

As always in such articles, I want to start by defining the main concept. Let's deal with what are the ranks in the Russian army.

In our country, two types of military ranks of military personnel have been established - military and shipborne.

Ship military ranks are assigned to sailors:

• surface and submarine forces of the Navy;
• naval military units of the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia;
• Coast Guard of the Border Service of the FSB of Russia.

Military military ranks are assigned to other military personnel serving in the military:

• Russian Emergency Situations Ministry;
• the Federal Security Service;
• Foreign Intelligence Service;
• Federal Security Service;
• Internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation;
• other troops, military formations and bodies.

Fine. Understood the concepts. Now let's go up. From the lowest rank to the highest. What is their hierarchy?

Non-commissioned ranks in the army

1. Private ~ Sailor.
2. Corporal ~ Senior sailor.
3. Junior sergeant ~ Petty officer of the second article.
4. Sergeant ~ Petty Officer of the first article.
5. Senior Sergeant ~ Chief Petty Officer.
6. Foreman ~ Chief ship foreman.
7. Ensign ~ Midshipman.
8. Senior warrant officer ~ Senior midshipman.

What did you think that's all? What are all the ranks in our army? No, my friends. The most interesting thing is ahead - the officer corps. It is divided into several parts:

• Junior officers.
• Senior officers.
• Senior officer corps.

Officer ranks in the army

Military rank ~ Ship rank.

1. Second Lieutenant ~ Second Lieutenant
2. Lieutenant ~ Lieutenant.
3. Senior Lieutenant ~ Senior Lieutenant.
4. Captain ~ Lieutenant Commander.

It was a junior officer. Now let's move on to the older one.

1. Major ~ Captain 3rd rank.
2. Lieutenant colonel ~ Captain 2nd rank.
3. Colonel ~ Captain 1st rank.

And finally, the senior officers.

1. Major General ~ Rear Admiral.
2. Lieutenant General ~ Vice Admiral.
3. Colonel General ~ Admiral.
4. General of the Army ~ Admiral of the Fleet.
5. Marshal of the Russian Federation ~ There are no analogues.

As you can see, the number of ship ranks is exactly one less than the number of military ranks. But what!

Well, OK. We figured out the titles and their order. How now to distinguish between them? And for this, dear readers, people came up with shoulder straps and sleeve insignia (the latter - only for ship ranks).

It is them that we will now analyze. First - in words, then - graphically.

Shoulder straps

• Soldiers and sailors

On shoulder straps they do not have any insignia.

• Sergeants and foremen

They have insignia in the form of cloth galloons - stripes. In the army, these stripes are called "snot".

• Ensigns and midshipmen

They have insignia in the form of small stars arranged vertically. Shoulder straps are similar to officer's, but without gaps and may have edges (for more details, see the pictures below).

• junior officers

One vertically located strip - clearance. Asterisks metal, small (13 mm).

• Senior officers

Two gaps and large metal stars (20 mm).

• Senior officer corps

Large embroidered stars (22 mm) placed vertically, no gaps.

• General of the Army, Admiral of the Navy

One large embroidered star with a diameter of 40 mm.

• Marshal of the Russian Federation

It has one very large embroidered star (40 mm) against the background of radially diverging silver rays forming a pentagon, and the coat of arms of Russia (without a heraldic shield).

For those who find it difficult to perceive the text and just to consolidate the information received, I suggest taking a look at the pictures corresponding to the above.

Shoulder straps of non-officers

Shoulder straps of officers

Russian army command

The next point of our analysis is faces. Those people who lead our army.

First of all, of course, I want to name the Supreme Commander-in-Chief - the President of the Russian Federation.

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief is not a title, but a position. The only position that allows you to lead the Marshal of the Russian Federation.
An interesting fact is that Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin ended his service in the FSB with the rank of colonel, and his current position allows him to lead representatives of the highest officer ranks.

Please note that Sergei Kuzhugetovich bears the rank and shoulder straps of an army general.

The Minister of Defense combines the commander of both the ground forces and the Navy. That is why there is no higher rank in the Navy than Admiral of the Fleet.

By the way. Which of you, friends, noticed that I began to write such high ranks as admiral and marshal with small letters? Think it's a mistake? Forced to disappoint you. Not! Why? Read the next part of the article.

Interesting facts about ranks in the army

• The prefix "guards" is applied to the military ranks of the military personnel of the guards units (for example, "guards major").
• In relation to the military personnel of the legal and medical services, the words "justice", "medical service" are added, respectively.
• For military personnel who are in the reserve or retired, the words “reserve”, “retired” are added, respectively.
• Military personnel studying in a military educational institution of vocational education are called: those who do not have the military rank of officers - cadets, and those who have a military rank - listeners.
• Citizens who did not have a military rank before entering a military educational institution or who had the military rank of a sailor or soldier are assigned the military rank of cadet upon admission to study. Other military ranks assigned before entering a military educational institution of vocational education are retained.
• Military ranks are given after the length of service of the required time and for personal merit. If everything is clear with merit, then let's figure out how much time it takes to serve in order to reach the desired rank. In accordance with paragraph 2 of Art. 22 "Regulations on the procedure for military service" for military service in military ranks, the following terms are established:
  - private, sailor - five months;
  - junior sergeant, foreman of the 2nd article - one year;
  - sergeant, foreman of the 1st article - two years;
  - senior sergeant, chief foreman - three years;
  - warrant officer, midshipman - three years;
  - junior lieutenant - two years;
  - lieutenant - three years;
  - senior lieutenant - three years;
  - captain, captain-lieutenant - four years;
  - Major, captain of the 3rd rank - four years;
  - lieutenant colonel, captain of the 2nd rank - five years.
  Further - for 5 years.

An important point. The title can only be obtained if there is a suitable position in the unit. About positions and what ranks you can reach in a particular position, in the next article.

• The ranks of foreman and chief ship foreman have not been awarded since 2012. The documents still exist.
• All military ranks - from private to marshal of the Russian Federation are written with a small letter.
• The rank of major is higher than the rank of lieutenant, but major general< генерал-лейтенант.
• The highest rank that can be obtained for a year of military service now is sergeant.

Dear readers. I hope that while reading this short but very important article, you have formed an understanding of what ranks are in our army, and in what order they are located.