( rus, Пра́порщик, 3=ˈprapərɕːɪk, ) is a rank used by the
Russian Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (, ), commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military forces of Russia. In terms of active-duty personnel, they are the world's fifth-largest military force, with at least two m ...
and a number of
former communist states. The rank is a
non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...
's and is equivalent to in navies. It is usually equivalent to
Warrant officer class 1
Warrant may refer to:
* Warrant (law), a form of specific authorization
** Arrest warrant, authorizing the arrest and detention of an individual
** Search warrant, a court order issued that authorizes law enforcement to conduct a search for eviden ...
or
Sergeant major
Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world.
History
In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's infantry, and ranked about third in the ...
in English speaking armies. Within NATO forces, the rank is rated as OR-7 or OR-8.
Russia
is a rank in the Russian military, also used in other uniformed services of the Russian government such as the
police
The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...
. It was a junior officer rank in Imperial Russia, but was abolished following the
Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...
. In 1940, the rank was restored as a separate career group between
non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...
s and officers.
Imperial Russia
was originally an
Oberoffizer rank, in line to the
Table of Ranks
The Table of Ranks (russian: Табель о рангах, Tabel' o rangakh) was a formal list of positions and ranks in the military, government, and court of Imperial Russia. Peter the Great introduced the system in 1722 while engaged in a s ...
class XII/XIII in the
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...
equivalent to of the
Imperial Russian Navy
The Imperial Russian Navy () operated as the navy of the Russian Tsardom and later the Russian Empire from 1696 to 1917. Formally established in 1696, it lasted until dissolved in the wake of the February Revolution of 1917. It developed from a ...
and classified as junior officer rank.
It was first introduced in
Streltsy
, image = 01 106 Book illustrations of Historical description of the clothes and weapons of Russian troops.jpg
, image_size =
, alt =
, caption =
, dates = 1550–1720
, disbanded =
, country = Tsardom of Russia
, allegiance = Streltsy D ...
New Regiments. The name originates from
Slavonic ''prapor'' (прапор), meaning flag; the ''praporshchik'' was a flag-bearer in
Kievan Rus
Kievan Rusʹ, also known as Kyivan Rusʹ ( orv, , Rusĭ, or , , ; Old Norse: ''Garðaríki''), was a state in Eastern and Northern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical Atlas of ...
troops. In the New Regiments of the Streltsy and the "new army" of
Peter the Great
Peter I ( – ), most commonly known as Peter the Great,) or Pyotr Alekséyevich ( rus, Пётр Алексе́евич, p=ˈpʲɵtr ɐlʲɪˈksʲejɪvʲɪtɕ, , group=pron was a Russian monarch who ruled the Tsardom of Russia from t ...
, ''praporshchik'' was ranked as a commissioned officer of the lowest grade; this was legalised by the
Table of Ranks
The Table of Ranks (russian: Табель о рангах, Tabel' o rangakh) was a formal list of positions and ranks in the military, government, and court of Imperial Russia. Peter the Great introduced the system in 1722 while engaged in a s ...
of 1722. By the 19th century, the rank was given to senior non-commissioned officers of the Russian army upon their retirement and also reserve or
volunteer
Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...
officers with no previous service. From then on commissioned officers started service as .
In spite of this, ''
podpraporshchik
Podpraporshchik (russian: подпра́порщик, lit=under praporshchik' or 'junior praporshchik, ) was a Russian non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank ( rus, у̀нтер-офице́р ранг, , ˌunʲtʲɪr ɐfʲɪˈtsɛr rank), originally ...
'' ("sub-ensign") was one of the
non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...
(NCO) grades, originally below
sergeant
Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
and ''
Feldwebel
''Feldwebel '' (Fw or F, ) is a non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in several countries. The rank originated in Germany, and is also used in Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, and Estonia. The rank has also been used in Russia, Austria-Hungary, occupi ...
''. From 1826 to 1884 it became the highest non-commissioned rank of the infantry, cavalry and the
Leib Guard
The Russian Imperial Guard, officially known as the Leib Guard (russian: Лейб-гвардия ''Leyb-gvardiya'', from German ''Leib'' "body"; cf. Life Guards / Bodyguard) were military units serving as personal guards of the Emperor of Russi ...
. From 1884 ''podpraporshchik'' ranked below the newly introduced NCO grade ''zauryad praporshchik'' ("deputy ensign").
The rank was abolished in 1917 by the Bolsheviks. In the
White Army
The White Army (russian: Белая армия, Belaya armiya) or White Guard (russian: Бѣлая гвардія/Белая гвардия, Belaya gvardiya, label=none), also referred to as the Whites or White Guardsmen (russian: Бѣлогв ...
, the rank was redundant, although newly enrolled bearers of this rank could have it for a few month before being promoted to
podporuchik
''Podporuchik'' ( sh-Cyrl-Latn, потпоручник, potporučnik, cs, podporučík, pl, podporucznik, russian: подпору́чик, bg, подпоручик, sk, podporučík) is the most Junior officer in some Slavic armed forces, an ...
; by 1919, the rank was no longer in use.
Soviet Army and Militia
In the
Soviet Army
uk, Радянська армія
, image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg
, alt =
, caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army
, start_date ...
, the reintroduction of the ''praporshchik'' rank in 1972, along with the ''michman'' rank in the Soviet Navy, marked the attempt to recreate a corps of
contract
A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tran ...
non-commissioned officers similar to
master sergeants and
chief petty officer
A chief petty officer (CPO) is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards.
Canada
"Chief petty officer" refers to two ranks in the Royal Canadian Navy. A chief petty officer 2nd class (CPO2) (''premier maître de deuxi ...
s, the role that was previously reserved for senior drafted personnel. Contrary to Western practice of assigning the senior sergeant ranks to veteran soldiers, the Soviet ranks of ''
starshina
( rus, старшина, p=stərʂɨˈna, a=Ru-старшина.ogg or in Ukrainian transliteration) is a senior non-commissioned rank or designation in the military forces of some Slavic states, and a historical military designation.
In army ...
'' and sergeant were routinely assigned to 20-year-old soldiers at the end of their 2-year draft. The ''praporshchiks'' were aged volunteers and were expected to have more authority over draftsmen than similarly aged sergeants; they are placed in a separate category of "master non-commissioned officers" (''praporshchik'' and ''michman'').
See further commentary on the rank at Carey Schofield, ''Inside the Soviet Army'', Headline Book Publishing, 1991, where long-service praporshchiks' scrounging and repair skills were celebrated.
;Sleeve insignia:
Carey Schofield's ''Inside the Soviet Army'' c. 1990 provides a good description of the place of the ''praporshchik'' within the Soviet military system.
''Praporshchik'' rank of the Russian Federation
The rank continues to be used in the armies of ex-
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
states.
Modern Russian praporshchiks and michmans represent a separate category of military personnel. According to their official position, duties and rights, they occupy a position close to junior officers, being the officers' closest assistants, as well as supervisors for the soldiers (sailors) and sergeants (petty officers) of the their units.
Since the beginning of 2009, a phased liquidation of the institution of praporshchiks and michmans started in the Russian Armed Forces. It was assumed that the praporshchiks will be replaced by professional contract sergeants, the federal target program for the training of which has already been approved.
“The institute of praporshchiks, which numbered 142 thousand people, has been liquidated in the army,” General of the Army Nikolai Makarov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, assured. “We had 142 thousand praporshchiks. As of December 1, 2009, not a single one was left. " Approximately 20 thousand praporshchiks who were in command positions were appointed, the rest were discharged from service or transferred to NCO positions.
According to the assumption, since January-March December 2010 no new praporshchiks or senior praporshchiks were appointed, but the service members who had these ranks were allowed to serve out the remainder of their contracts, retaining their ranks and rank insignia.
At the same time, the abolition of the institute of praporshchiks did not affect the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Border Service, the FSB, the FSO, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and other military formations other than the Ministry of Defense of Russia; in addition, there is a special rank of praporshchik in law enforcement agencies.
On February 27, 2013, at an expanded collegium of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the Minister of Defense of Russia S.K.Shoigu announced the return of the institute of praporshchiks and michmans to the Russian Armed Forces.
The Ministry of Defense introduced a new staffing table on July 1, in which, for the first time in five years, special positions for praporshchiks and michmans appeared. According to Colonel-General Viktor Goremykin, head of the Main Personnel Directorate (GUK) of the Ministry of Defense, about 100 positions have been allocated for praporshchiks and michmans, including only combat ones - “no warehouses, no bases” was the main requirement of Defense Minister
Sergei Shoigu
Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu, ; tyv, Сергей Күжүгет оглу Шойгу, translit=Sergey Kyzhyget oglu Shoygu, . (russian: Сергей Кужугетович Шойгу; born 21 May 1955) is a Russian politician who has served as ...
. These positions are generally subdivided into command (service platoon commander, commander of a combat group, combat vehicle, combat post) and technical (company technician, head of a radio station, electrician, paramedic, head of a repair shop, head of a technical unit, etc.). From December 1, 2008, these were considered NCO positions. State Secretary of the Ministry of Defense Nikolai Pankov said that the posts of praporshchiks and michmans require special education, but not at the level required of the commissioned officers.
Insignia
Army
Armenia-Army-OR-9a.svg,
(Armenian Ground Forces
The Armenian Ground Forces () is the collective term for personnel branches of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia that are responsible for the country's land-based operations. It was established in conjunction with the other compone ...
)
OR-8 AZE ARMY.svg,
(Azerbaijani Land Forces
The Azerbaijani Land Forces ( az, Azərbaycan Silahlı Qüvvələri Quru Qoşunları) are the land force component of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan has been trying to create professional, well trained ...
)
Russia-Army-OR-9a-1994-field.svg,
(Belarusian Ground Forces
The Belarusian Ground Forces is a service branch of the Armed Forces of Belarus.
History
The ground forces were founded on March 20, 1992, on the same day the Defence Ministry of Belarus was established. By 1994, the ground forces had over 5 ...
)
CzArmy2011 OR7-Praporčík_shoulder.svg,
(Czech Land Forces
The Czech Land Forces ( cs, Pozemní síly) are the land warfare force of the Czech Republic. The Land Forces consisting of various types of arms and services complemented by air and special operations forces constitute the core of the Czech Ar ...
)
blank.svg,
(Kyrgyz Army
The Kyrgyz Ground Forces, also commonly known as the Kyrgyz Army is the infantry branch of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan.
History
In April 1992, Kyrgyzstan formed a State Committee for Defense Affairs, and in June the republic ...
)
Russia-Army-OR-9a-2010.svg,
(Russian Ground Forces
The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска ВSukhoputnyye voyska V}), also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the land forces of the Russian Armed Forces.
The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Forces ...
)
08-Slovenian Army-FSG.svg,
(Slovenian Ground Force
The Slovenian Ground Force is the primary component of Slovenian Armed Forces.
History
The current Slovenian Armed Forces are descended from the Territorial Defense of the Republic of Slovenia (''Teritorialna Obramba Republike Slovenije''; ''TO ...
)
Tajikistan-Army-OR-9a.png,
(Tajik Ground Forces
The Tajik Ground Forces (), known officially as the Ground Forces of the Ministry of Defense of Tajikistan is the land army of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Tajikistan. Created during the Tajik civil war, it makes up about 70 percent of the ...
)
See also
*
History of Russian military ranks
Modern Russian military ranks trace their roots to the Table of Ranks established by Peter the Great. Most of the rank names were borrowed from existing German/Prussian, French, English, Dutch, and Polish ranks upon the formation of the Russian ...
*
Ranks and rank insignia of the Imperial Russian Army until 1917
The Ranks and insignia of the Imperial Russian Armed Forces were the military ranks used by the Imperial Russian Army and the Imperial Russian Navy. Many of the ranks were derived from the Military ranks of the German Empire, German model. The rank ...
*
*
Ranks and rank insignia of the Soviet Army 1955–1991
Rank is the relative position, value, worth, complexity, power, importance, authority, level, etc. of a person or object within a ranking, such as:
Level or position in a hierarchical organization
* Academic rank
* Diplomatic rank
* Hierarchy
* ...
References
External link
*{{Commonscatinline
Military ranks of Russia
Military ranks of the Soviet Union