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 terminology, a starshina is equivalent to " Sergeant Major" (Most senior member at the company level) or a rank equal to a NATO OR-8. In naval terminology, ''starshina'' is a general term for junior and middle-ranking non-commissioned officers, similar in usage to "Chief Petty Officer".

The word originates from the russian: старший, starshij, older, more senior, from russian: старый, staryj, old.

Cossack Hetmanate

Among Cossacks in Ukraine, ''starshyna'' was a collective noun for categories of military officers and state officials. It derived from the offices in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Sharshyna was subdivided into:
*General Starshyna (), headed by Hetman (or Quartermaster General as acting Hetman)
**Quartermaster General (Генеральний обозний)
**Judge General (Генеральний суддя)
**Secretary General (Генеральний писар)
**Adjutant General (Генеральний осавул)
**Treasurer General (Генеральний підскарбій)
**Ensign General (Генеральний хорунжий)
**Bunchuk General (Генеральний бунчужний)
*Regimental (Polkova) Starshyna, headed by Polkovnyk (Colonel)
**Regimental Obozni (Quartermaster) ( uk, Полковий обозний) – first Deputy Colonel. He was in charge of artillery and fortress fortifications. In the absence of a colonel he replaced him, but he was not authorized to issue universal orders (as opposed to the commanding colonel).
**Regimental Judge ( uk, Полковий суддя) – was in charge of a civil court in the ratusha
**Regimental Osavul ( uk, Полковий осавул) – assistant Colonel in Military Affairs
**Regimental Khorunzhy ( uk, Полковий хорунжий) – commander of the "Khorunzhy Cossacks", guarding the colonel and the starshina. He was in charge of regimental music and was responsible for keeping the khorugv (regiment flag).
**Regimental Chancellor ( uk, Полковий писар) – secretaries at the ratusha. One was in charge of military affairs, and the other of civilian affairs.
*Starshyna of Hundred (Sotenna) – headed by Sotnyk
**Sotenny otaman ( uk, Сотенний отаман) – the deputy sotnik, implemented the duties of an obozni and a judge on a sotnia level
**Sotenny Osavul ( uk, Сотенний осавул) – assistant sotnik in military affairs
**Sotenny Khorunzhy ( uk, Сотенний хорунжий) – headed the sotnias flags
**Sotenny Chancellor ( uk, Сотенний писар) – a secretary
*Junior Starshyna () – headed by Otaman

Later, sometime after the Khmelnytsky's Uprising, it was also associated with the Ukrainian nobility which derived out of the officership and the Hetman.

Russia

Imperial Russia

Later, in the Tsardom of Russia and Imperial Russia, a was the chief of a (a rural administrative unit), in charge of the distribution of taxes, resolving conflicts within (communes), distributing community lands and military conscription. The rank of ( – Starshina of the Army (Host)) was introduced into the ranks of the Imperial military in 1826, as the equivalent of a "Lieutenant Colonel" in the Cossack cavalry.

Аксакал деревни Ходжагент.jpg, Uzbek, ''stashina'' (аксакал) village Chodshagent (ru: Ходжагент), 1868, drawing by V.V. Vereshchagin
Bashkir elder.jpg, Bashkirs-starshina with starshina insignia (medal), Orenburg, 1892

Soviet Union and Russian Federation

The word gained its modern meaning in the Red Army, and is a hangover from the functional titles (like "Brigade Commander" or "Assistant Platoon Leader") that were initially used by that force – the word literally means "senior". Most functional titles in the Red Army were abolished in 1942, but remained. was the highest non-commissioned rank in the Soviet Army until the reintroduction of the imperial rank of '' Praporshchik'' in 1972.

In the Soviet Navy, the term was introduced between 1940 and 1943 as term equivalent to " Petty Officer" for every enlisted seaman above "'' Matros, 1st class.''" There was also created a rank equal to in the Army, but termed () – this is the naval rank depicted in the tables below.

Insignia in the Red Army (1919–1946) and Soviet Armed Forces (1946–1991)

Insignia in the Russian Federation

Insignia

Russia-Army-OR-8-1994-field.svg,

( Belarusian Ground Forces)
Bulgaria-Army-OR-8.svg,

( Bulgarian Land Forces)
06.Kyrgyzstan Army-MSG.svg,

(Kyrgyz Army)
Russia-Army-OR-8-2010.svg,

(Russian Ground Forces)
Tajikistan-Army-OR-8.png,

(Tajik Ground Forces)
Turkmenistan army OR-8.svg,
( Turkmen Ground Forces)

Language variants

In some former communist state, the rank of "older" is used with the local language variants.


Armenia-Army-OR-8.svg,

( Armenian Ground Forces)
Mongolian Army-SGT-service.svg,

(Mongolian Ground Force)

Naval variants

*
*
*
*

References

Cossack starshyna
at the Encyclopedia of Ukraine

{{DEFAULTSORT:Starshina
Military organization of Cossacks
Military ranks of Russia
Military ranks of the Soviet Union
Military ranks of Ukraine