Ranks and insignia of the Russian armed forces until 1917

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 Servicefrom 1912 to 1917.

General officers

designation	Commander-in-chief & higher commanders
File:Imperia-Rus.png	Error creating thumbnail:	File:1904ic-p11.png	Error creating thumbnail:	File:Imperial Russian Army 1904ic-p10.png				Error creating thumbnail:
Rank insignia epaulettes and shoulder boards
Rank	Generalfeldmarschall		General of the branch		Generalleutnant		Generalmajor
Russian transliteration	General-feldmarshal		General roda voysk		General-leytenant		General-mayor
Table of Ranks class	K-1		K-2		K-3		K-4

Officers

Designation	Field and junior grade officers
epaulette	File:1908ur03-e15.png	File:1908ur03-e14.png			File:1908ur03-e11.png	Error creating thumbnail:	Error creating thumbnail:
shoulder board	Error creating thumbnail:	Error creating thumbnail:	Error creating thumbnail:	File:1904ic-p05.png	File:1904ic-p04.png	File:1904ic-p03.png	File:1904ic-p02.png	File:1904ic-p01.png
Rank	Polkovnik	Podpolkovnik	Major (abolished 1884)	Captain	Staff-captain	Poruchik	Podporuchik	Praporshik
Russian transliteration	Полковник	Подполко́вник	Майор (abolished 1884)	Капитан	Штабс-капитан	Пору́чик	Подпору́чик	Пра́порщик
Cavalry equivalent	Polkovnik	Podpolkovnik	Major (abolished 1884)	Rittmeister	Staff-rittmeister	Poruchik	Kornet	-
Cossacks equivalent	Cossack colonel	Lieuetenant colonel (until 1884) Voyskovoy starshina (since 1884)	Voyskovoy starshina (until 1884)	Yesaul	Podyesaul	Sotnik	Khorunzhyi	-
Rank group	Stab-ofitsery (field officer ranks)			Ober-ofitsery (company officer ranks)
Table of ranks class	K-5	K-6	K-7	K-8	K-9	K-10	K-12	K-13

Non-commissioned officers & enlisted men

Designation	Non-commissioned officers & enlisted men (example boards- 1st Neva Infantry regiment)
	File:1911-ir001-p07.png	File:1911-ir001-p06.png	File:1911-ir001-p05.png			Error creating thumbnail:
shoulder board
Rank	Zauryad-praporshchik	Podpraporshchik	Feldwebel	Senior unteroffizier	Junior unteroffizier	Gefreiter	Private
Russian transliteration	...	...	Feldvevel	Starshy unter-ofitser	Mladshy unter-ofitser	Yefreytor	Ryadovoy
Cavalry	Zauryad-praporshchik	Podpraporshchik	Wachtmeister	Senior unteroffizier	Junior unteroffizier	Gefreiter	Uhlan
Cossacks	Podhorunzhiy		Wachtmeister	Warden	Junior unteroffizier	First cossack	Cossack
Artillery	Zauryad-praporshchik	Podpraporshchik	Feldwebel	Senior Feuerwerker	Junior Feuerwerker	Bombardier	Gunner
Rank group	Unter-ofitsery (NCOs)					Rydovye (enlisted men)

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

Naval ranks and rank insignia

The Imperial Russian Navy () of the Russian Empire, had been established at the end of the 17th century under the regency of Peter the Great and by the personal leadership of Franz Lefort. It existed until the October Revolution of 1917.

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)	Rear admiral (Kontr-admiral)	Captain (Navy) (Kapitan 1-go ranga)	Commander (Kapitan 2-go ranga)	Lieutenant commander (1907-1911) (Kapitan-leytenant)	Lieutenant (naval) (after 1909) (Starshi leytenant)	Sub-lieutenant (Leytenant)	Michman
											(after 1909)	(until 1909)
		Error creating thumbnail:	File:1904mor-e20.png	File:1904mor-e19.png		File:1904mor-e17.png	File:1904mor-e16.png	File:1907mor-e15.png	File:1909mor-e14.png	File:1904mor-e13.png	File:1909mor-e12.png	Error creating thumbnail:
	Shore Establishment (after 1913)	no equivalent	General	Lieutenant general (General-leytenant)	Major general (General-mayor)
			Error creating thumbnail:	Error creating thumbnail:
Shoulder board	Maritime service	Generaladmiral (General-admiral)	Admiral	Viceadmiral (Vitse-admiral)	Rear admiral (Kontr-admiral)		File:1904mor-16.png	File:1907mor-15.png	File:1909mor-14.png	File:1904mor-13.png	File:1909mor-12.png	File:1904mor-11.png
		File:1904mor-21.png	File:1904mor-20.png	File:1904mor-19.png	Error creating thumbnail:
	Shore establishment (after 1913)	no equivalent	General	Lieutenant general (General-leytenant)	Major general (General-mayor)

Non-commissioned officers & enlisted ratings, naval services

Designation	Petty officers & enlisted ratings
					File:IRN BootsmannMaat 1917.png	Error creating thumbnail:
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
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
												File:1904-adm-p09.png	File:1904-admn-p08.png
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
	Error creating thumbnail:	File:1908mor-05.png	File:1908mor-04.png	File:1908mor-03.png
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-офицер, mladschy unter-ofizer)	(Матрос 1-й статьи, Matros 1 statji)	(Матрос 2-й статьи, Matros 2 statji)
Rank group	NCO				Soldier

Sleeve insignia of the Russian Navy from April 16, 1917

By order № 125 of the Navy Ministry of the Russian Provisional Government, from April 16, 1917 was provided:

1. Abolishment of the hitherto used shoulder rank insignia
2. Abolishment of the (naval)scarf
3. Deletion of any monogram, or initial letter on weapons and equipment
4. 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.

Designation	Gold sleeve strips to naval officers								... hydrographical service
Sleeve insignia	Error creating thumbnail:	Error creating thumbnail:	File:RN F6RearAdmiral 1917 cuff.jpg	File:RN F6Kap1r 1917 cuff.jpg	File:RN F6Kap2r 1917 cuff.jpg	File:RN F6st.leutenant 1917 cuff.jpg	File:RN F6leutenant 1917 cuff.jpg	File:RN F6michman 1917 cuff.jpg
Rank	Admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral	Captain 1st rank (Captain naval)	Captain 2nd rank (Commander)	Senior lieutenant (lieutenant commander)	Lieutenant (naval)	Michman	Podporuchik	Praporshchik
Russian transliteration	(Admiral)	(Vitse-admiral)	(Kontr-admiral)	(Kapitan 1-go ranga)	(Kapitan 2-go ranga)	(Starshy leytenant)	(Leytenant)
Class (as specified in the Table of Ranks)	Admiral ranks			Shtab-ofitsery (Staff officers)		Ober-offitsery (upper officers)
	K-2	K-3	K-4	K-6	K-7	K-8	K-9	K-10	K-12	K-14

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 rank insignia of the Russian Federation´s armed forces 1994–2010
• Army ranks and insignia of the Russian Federation and Naval ranks and insignia of the Russian Federation for the current ranks

References