Ranks of the Russian armed forces until 1917

The Imperial Russian Army , also Imperial Russian Army or Tsarist Army ( Russian Русская императорская армия - РИА ) used traditional independent ranks and badges of distinction, which were based on the German-speaking and Anglophone armed forces, but also corresponded to the grown Russian military traditions. The successor armed forces , the Red Army , abolished all previous ranks and badges of distinction in 1917, while parts of the old army that were transferred to the White Army still used them in the years of the civil war until 1923.

Ranks and badges of distinction

Generals

designation	Commanders & Senior Commanders

Badge of rank shoulder piece

Rank designation	Field Marshal General	General of the branch of service	Lieutenant General	Major general
(Original name)	(General Field Marshal)	(General roda woisk)	(General manager)	(General-Maior)

Officers

designation	Eminent commanders, unit leaders & officers

Badge of rank shoulder piece

Rank designation	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel	Major (abolished in 1884)	Captain	Chief of Staff	lieutenant	Sub-lieutenant	Ensign
Original designation	Polkownik	Podpolkownik	Maior	Captain	Staff Captain	Poruchik	Podporutschtik	Praporshchik
cavalry				Rotmistr	Staff rotmistr	Poruchik	Kornet
Cossack army				Jesaul	Podjesaul	Sotnik	Chorunschi

NCOs and men

designation	NCOs, NCOs & men (1st Nevsky Infantry Regiment)

Badge of rank shoulder piece

Rank designation	Deputy Ensign	Subordinate	sergeant	Staff Sergeant	Sergeant	Private	soldier
(Original name)	( Saurjad-praporschtschik )	( Podpraporschtschik )	(Sergeant)	(Starschi unterofizer)	(Mladschi unterofizer)	(Jefreitor)	(Ryadovoi)

Other regiments

Further examples of epaulets / cadet corps of the Imperial Army are shown below.

Orenburg-Nepljuewski Cadet Corps
I / 15. Chernogorsk Schützen-Kp
(Imperial Highness Nikolai I)
5th Regiment
(Karopol Dragoons)
Orlowski cadet head
Pskov Cadet Head
Vladimir Kiev cadet head

Ranks and badges of distinction, Navy

The Imperial Russian Navy ( Russian Российский императорский флот ), also the regular Russian Navy of the Russian Empire , was set up under the reign of Peter I by François Le Fort and existed until the October Revolution in 1917. Here, too, predominantly the naval forces customary at that time were used Ranks and badges of distinction used. Here, too, Soviet Russia broke rigorously with the previous traditions.

Flag officers

designation	Commanders & Senior Flag Officers

Badge of rank shoulder piece

Rank designation	Admiral General	admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral
(Original name)	(General admiral)	(Admiral)	(Wize-admiral)	(Contradmiral)

Officers

designation	Leaders of floating formations / units & officers

Badge of rank shoulder piece

Rank designation	Sea captain		Frigate captain		Lieutenant captain	First lieutenant at sea	Lieutenant at sea		Mitschman
(Original name)	(Kapitan perwowo ranga)		(Kapitan wtorowo ranga)		(Captain manager)	(Starschi manager)	(Manager)		(Mitschman)
(Years)	(1884–1904)	(1904-1917)	(1884–1904)	(1904-1917)	(until 1884 and 1907–1911)	(1909-1917)	(1884–1904)	(1904-1917)	(1884–1904)	(1904–1909)	(1909-1917)

NCOs and men

designation	Boatmen, sub-leaders & crews

Badge of rank shoulder piece

Rank designation	Chief of Staff, Conductor	Boatswain	Boatswain's mate	Quartermaster	1st degree sailor	2nd degree sailor
(Original name)	(Starschi bozman, conductor)	(Bozman)	(Bozmanmat)	(Kwartirmeister)	(Sailors perwoi stati)	(Sailors wtoroi stati)

Sleeve badge of the Russian fleet from April 16, 1917

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

Abolition of all previously common shoulder rank insignia
There was no need to wear the (Marin) scarf
Elimination of any intertwined initials or monograms on the armament
The middle part of the cockade was painted over with red paint until the new peaked cap with the changed national emblem was issued.

Instead of the traditional shoulder insignia, it was decided that officers of the nautical career, the naval engineering career and the admiralty should wear gold sleeves , and - provided they had fully completed the officer examination - for praporschiks and hydrographers. Silver-colored sleeves, on the other hand, were now worn by officers of the Admiralty who were still pending exams, as well as officers of the Marin administration who were equivalent to officers, flight engineers and doctors.

As a distinguishing feature for different career paths or uses, the bottom braid was piped in color as follows:

red = on-board engineers;
raspberry = naval administration;
dark blue = hydrograph;
white = doctors.

The following table shows examples of badges of rank of the Russian fleet on the cuffs of various pieces of uniform in accordance with the Marinemini order № 125 of April 16, 1917.

designation	Gold wefts for officers in a nautical career								... hydrographic service
Sleeve badge
Rank designation	admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral	Sea captain	Frigate captain	First lieutenant (in the sense of corvette captain)	Lieutenant (in the sense of captain lieutenant)	Mitschman (in the sense of first lieutenant in the sea)	Podporutschik (in the sense of lieutenant of the sea)	Praporschtschik (in the sense of Unterleutnant zur See)
(Original name)	(Admiral)	(Wize-admiral)	(Contradmiral)	(Kapitan perwowo ranga)	(Kapitan wtorowo ranga)	(Starschi manager)	(Manager)	(Mitschman)	(Podporutschik)	(Praporschtschik)
Class (according to ranking table )	Admiral ranks			Staff officers				Senior officers
Class (according to ranking table )	K-2	K-3	K-4	K-6	K-7	K-8	K-9	K-10	K-12	K-14