Army ranks and insignia of the Russian Federation

Emblem of Armed forces of the Russian Federation

File:Mo-rf-11.jpg

Emblem of the Land forces of the Russian Federation

The independent Russia inherited the ranks of the Soviet Union, although the insignia and uniform was altered a little. 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 - all-forces ranks (army style ranks) and deck ranks (navy style ranks). The army uses all-forces ranks. The Air Force uses all-forces 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. The rank of a serviceman of a "Guards" unit, formation or ship may be followed by the word “Guards.” The rank of a citizen 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 citizen having reserve or retired status shall be followed by the words “Reserve” or “Retired,” respectively.

Officer Ranks

The U.S./Russia officer rank comparisons are drawn from Harriet Fast Scott and William F. Scott, The Armed Forces of the USSR, Westview Press, Boulder, Colorado, 1979. In Appendix B of their book the Scotts specifically equate U.S. Brigadier Generals to Russian General Majors, U.S. Major Generals to Russian General Lieutenants, and U.S. Lieutenant Generals to Russian General Colonels.

File:12 03-1-.jpg

Russian army uniform (winter)

File:6 03-1-.jpg

Russian army uniform (summer)

Category	All-forces ranks	Russian Army Insignia	U.S Army Insignia Equivalent
Supreme Officers or General Officers	Marshal of the Russian Federation1 (Ма́ршал Росси́йской Федера́ции) (Márshal Rossíyskoy Federátsii) U.S Army equivalent: General of the Army (USA)	File:Russia-army-1994 20-1-.gif Parade uniform
	General of the Army (генера́л а́рмии) (Generál Ármii) U.S Army equivalent: Full General	File:Russia-army-1994 21-1-.gif Duty uniform
	Polkovnik General / Colonel General (генера́л-полко́вник) (Generál-Polkóvnik) U.S Army equivalent: Lieutenant General	File:Russia-army-1994 18-1-.gif Parade uniform
	Lieutenant General (генера́л-лейтена́нт) (Generál-Leytenánt) U.S Army equivalent: Major General	File:Russia-army-1994 17-1-.gif White shirt, military justice emblem
	Major General (генера́л-майо́р) (Generál-Mayór) U.S Army equivalent: Brigadier General	File:Russia-army-1994 16-1-.gif Field uniform
Senior Officers or Field Grade Officers	Polkovnik / Colonel (полко́вник) (Polkóvnik) U.S Army equivalent: Colonel	File:Russia-army-1994 15-1-.gif White shirt, no service emblem
	Podpolkovnik / Lieutenant Colonel (подполко́вник) (Podpolkóvnik) U.S Army equivalent: Lieutenant Colonel	File:Russia-army-1994 14-1-.gif Duty uniform
	Major (майо́р) (Mayór) U.S Army equivalent: Major	File:Russia-army-1994 13-1-.gif Parade uniform, extra all-forces emblem
Junior Officers or Company Grade Officers	Captain (капита́н) (Kapitán) U.S Army equivalent: Captain	File:Russia-army-1994 12-1-.gif Green shirt, all-forces
	Senior Lieutenant (ста́рший лейтена́нт) (Stárshiy Leytenánt) U.S Army equivalent: First Lieutenant	File:Russia-army-1994 11-1-.gif White shirt, bio-chemical
	Lieutenant (лейтена́нт) (Leytenánt) U.S Army equivalent: Second Lieutenant	File:Russia-army-1994 10-1-.gif Parade uniform
	Junior Lieutenant (мла́дший лейтена́нт) (Mládshiy Leytenánt) U.S Army equivalent: Second Lieutenant	File:Russia-army-1994 09-1-.gif Green shirt, all-forces

Warrant Officer

Category	All-forces ranks	Russian Army Insignia	U.S Army Insignia Equivalent
Under-Officers or Master non-commissioned officers	Senior Warrant Officer (ста́рший пра́порщик) (Stárshiy Práporshchik) U.S Army equivalent: Chief Warrant Officer 3	File:Russia-army-1994 Senior Praporshchik.gif	File:Usa-army-shoulder-U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 3.gif
	Warrant Officer (пра́порщик) (Práporshchik) U.S Army equivalent: Chief Warrant Officer 2	File:Russia-army-1994 Praporshchik.GIF	File:Usa-army-shoulder-U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 2.gif

Enlisted Ranks

Category	All-forces ranks	Russian Army Insignia	U.S Army Insignia Equivalent
Sergeants and Petty Officers	Starshina / Sergeant-Major (старшина́) (Starshiná) U.S Army equivalent: First Sergeant or Master Sergeant or Sergeant Major	File:Russia-army-1994 06.GIF	File:Usa-army-sleeve-old 40.png File:Usa-army-sleeve-old 39.png File:Usa-army-sleeve-old 41.png
	Senior Sergeant (ста́рший сержа́нт) (Stárshiy Serdzhánt) U.S Army equivalent: Staff Sergeant or Sergeant First Class	File:Russia-army-1994 05.GIF	File:Usa-army-sleeve-old 37.png File:Usa-army-sleeve-old 38.png
	Sergeant (сержа́нт) (Serdzhánt) U.S Army equivalent: Sergeant	File:Russia-army-1994 04.GIF	File:Usa-army-sleeve 05.png
	Junior Sergeant (мла́дший сержа́нт) (Mládshiy Serdzhánt) U.S Army equivalent: Corporal	File:Russia-army-1994 03.gif	File:Usa-army-sleeve-old 36.png
Soldiers, seamen, airmen	Gefreiter (ефре́йтор) (Efrèytor) U.S Army equivalent: Private First Class	File:Russia-army-1994 02.GIF	File:Usa-army-sleeve-old 10.png
	Private (рядово́й) (Ryadovóy) U.S Army equivalent: Private E2 or Private E1	File:Russia-army-1994 02.gif	File:Usa-army-sleeve-old 35.png

Notes

1. Marshal of the Russian Federation - in the present time is not an active a senior-most military rank of the modern Military Forces of the Russian Federation that is considered the highest Russian Army (Ground Forces) position. The only officer who presently holds the rank is the former Minister of Defense Igor Sergeyev, who was elevated from the General of the Army of the Military Space Troops. Since Russian military ranks system a Marshal of the Russian Federation should be considered as a honorary title equivalent to a Field Marshal, Marshal or General of the Army in other countries, created in the event of a major war or as the result of extreme military accomplishment.

See also

• Comparative military ranks
• Russian military ranks

External links

• Federal Law No. 58-FZ from March 12, 1998 "On military duty and military service" (in Russian)
• Presidential Decree No. 531 from May 8, 2005 "On military uniform, rank insignia of the servicemen and state bodies' rank isnignia" (in Russian)

• Military Ranks of Russia
• Russian military