Kapitan (rank)

: ''This article describes Kapitan as military rank, not to be confused with the title of Kapitan. For the equivalent OF-2 rank in Anglophone armed forces, see Captain, and in Germany see Hauptmann.''

''Kapitan'' (derived from french: capitaine; before Latin: ''capitaneus'' – (military) leader, count, or chairman of a parish council; or from Latin: ''caput'' – head, main, chief, primary, principal, general, central, leading, etc.) is used manifold as rank, grade, or rank designation in the Army, Air Force or Navy of numerous countries and armed forces. In member countries of NATO-alliance ''Kapitan'' is a commissioned officer rank, rated OF-2 in line to the NATO officers rank system. The almost ''equivalent'' OF-2 officer, e.g. in the US Army, is the Captain rank.

Historical roots

''Kapitan'' (appointment, later rank) was used first in the middle age in France in order to designate leaders of the military districts or regions. In the second half of the 16th century, it came in use to specify commanding officers of company-sized units. In the 19th century it became gradually a military rank, and was used in combination with other noun, e.g. Stabs-kapitan (ru: ''штабс-капитан'' Russian Imperial Army) ''Kapitan-leytenant'' (naval forces). The rank designation ''Kapitan'' contains a common syllable and historical roots in a number of European countries at the one hand. Slight national variations of spelling are for the sake of the historical and heraldic tradition, at the other hand.

Different countries

Russia

In Russia, the military rank ''Kapitan'' was introduced in the 16th century to foreign officers, appointed to commander of company-sized units. In the 17th – 18th century this rank became open to all company commanders, serving in the regular army. In the cavalierly (in dragoon regiments and Special Corps of Gendarmes) the equivalent to ''Kapitan'' was ''Rotmister'' (derived from the German Rittmeister), and in the Cossacks corps it was Yesaul.

In the Russian Army (1855–1917) and in the so-called White Army braid shoulder boards with one central stripe have been worn (see picture 1, below). As the Major-rank was abolished in May 1884, the Kapitan-rank was upgraded to level VIII in the rank table. However, the ''Guards kapitan'' became equivalent to generic Podpolkovnik in the Army.

In the civil administration ''Kapitan of the infantry'' was equivalent to the ''Council assessor'' (ru: ''коллежский асессор; kollezhsky asessor'') from 1884, and ''Titular adviser'' (ru: ''титулярный советник, tituljarny sovetnik'') until 1884.

Some examples of rank insignia (epaulette, shoulder board), used by RIA IRA, are shown below:

1904ir018-e09.png,
1904ir018-p09.png,
1914ir018-pf09.png,

Soviet Union and Russian Federation

In the armed forces of the Soviet Union (later Russian Federation) the ''Kapitan´s'' rank (to Army, Air Force, and Navy land services) was introduced by disposal of the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union and the Council of People's Commissars, from September 22, 1935.Decree of the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union and the Council of People's Commissars, from September 22, 1935, on introduction of individual military rank designation to commanding personnel of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. It was equivalent to the rank ''kapitan-leytenant'' (ru: ''капитан-лейтенант'') of the Navy.

If military personnel serves in a guards formation, or on a guards war ship, to the rank designation will be placed in front the noun guards (e.g. "Gurds kapitan"). Civil – or military personnel with a specific defined level of expertise or knowledge in medical or judicial professions, to the military rank will be added the noun "legal or the wording "medical service". Further adding to the military rank designation might be "retired" or "on retirement".

Personnel serving in the executive of the Russian Federation might be specified by rank designation as follows.

*''Kapitan of the Police'' (until March 1, 2011 ''Kapitan of the Militsiya'')
*''Kapitan of the Internal Troops''
*''Kapitan investigation of tax offence''

Rank insignia

Some examples of rank insignia (shoulder, collar, and sleeve), used by Russia and the USSR, are shown below:

Red Army Capt col 1943v.png,
Red Air Force Capt 1943v.png,
RA-SA A-armour F2Capt 1955.png,
RAF A F2Capt since 2010par.svg,
RAF AF F2Capt since 2010par.svg,

RAF A FCap 2010.png,
RAF AF FCap 1994-2010.png,
RAF ABTr F2Cap 2010.png,
RAF A FCap 2010field.png,
RAF A FCap 2010parad.png,
Russian police captain.png,

Kapitan ranks by country

Army ranks

ALB-Army-OF-2.svg,
(Albanian Army)
Post-Soviet-Army-OF-2.svg,

(Belarusian Ground Forces)
Bosnia and Herzegovina Captain Insignia.svg,
( Bosnian Ground Forces)
Rank insignia of Капитан of the Bulgarian Army.png,

(Bulgarian Land Forces)
CzArmy 2011 OF2-Kapitan shoulder.svg,
(Czech Land Forces)
Georgia Army OF-3.png,

(Georgian Land Forces)
Kosovo-Army-OF-2.svg,
(Kosovo Security Force)
15-Lithuania Army-CPT.svg,
(Lithuanian Land Forces)
11-APM-CPT.svg,

( North Macedonian Ground Forces)
11-Moldovan Army-CPT.svg,
(Moldovan Ground Forces)
12-Montenegro Army-CPT.svg,
(Montenegrin Ground Army)
Army-POL-OF-02.svg,
(Polish Land Forces)
Romania-Army-OF-2.svg,
(Romanian Land Forces)
Russia-Army-OF-2-2010.svg,

(Russian Ground Forces)
11-Serbian Army-CPT.svg,

(Serbian Army)
Army-SVK-OF-02.svg,
(Slovak Ground Forces)
UA shoulder mark 14.svg,

(Ukrainian Ground Forces)

References

{{Military ranks by country

Military ranks