His Imperial Majesty's Retinue, ''His Imperial Majesty's Suite'' (
abbr. ''H. I. M. Retinue'', ''H. I. M. Suite''; , e.g. ) was a
retinue
A retinue is a body of persons "retained" in the service of a noble, royal personage, or dignitary; a ''suite'' (French "what follows") of retainers.
Etymology
The word, recorded in English since circa 1375, stems from Old French ''retenue'', ...
unit of personal aides to the
Russian Emperor
The emperor and autocrat of all Russia (, ), also translated as emperor and autocrat of all the Russias, was the official title of the Russian monarch from 1721 to 1917.
The title originated in connection with Russia's victory in the Great Nor ...
, who usually were officers of the Army or the
Guards units.
The aides to the
Tsar
Tsar (; also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar''; ; ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, цар, car) is a title historically used by Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean ''emperor'' in the Euro ...
were routinely assigned honorary title of ''
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...
''; it was used in parallel with existing personal military, court or civil rank as defined in the
Table of Ranks
The Table of Ranks () was a formal list of positions and ranks in the military, government, and court of Imperial Russia. Peter I of Russia, Peter the Great introduced the system in 1722 while engaged in a struggle with the existing hereditary ...
.
Anna of Russia was the first Sovereign who assigned an
Adjutant General () as her personal military aide in the rank of ''General-Poruchik'' (,
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...
). Since 1775,
Pavel I additionally honored a handful of his Guards officers (in an equivalent of
Colonel
Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
ranks) with a ''Fliegel Adjutant'' (флигель-адъютант), an equivalent of
Aide-de-camp.
Nicholas I formally created the Suite in 1827 and introduced a title of
Major General of the H.I.M. Suite. In 1841, a special title of ''Ajdutant General of the Emperor's Person'' was created.
However, military units might have been awarded the honourable title «His Imperial Majesty's Suit», e.g. ''
Siberian 1st of «His Imperial Majesty's Suit» infantry regiment'' — one of the Imperial Russian Army's regiments in East Siberia.
Military of the Russian Empire
1917 disestablishments in Russia
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