Ranks and insignia of the Soviet Armed Forces 1955–1991

The ranks and rank insignia of the Soviet Armed Forces between 1955 and 1991 were distinguished by the reorganisation of the Soviet armed forces after the death of Stalin, resulting in changes to ranks, insignia, and uniforms.

Changes to distinction insignia

Shoulder straps to field utilization

In December 1956 the coloured border piping on officers' shoulder straps was changed. A cinnamon-brown color was used instead of the burgundy red previously worn by commanders and commanding officers. All other officers and other ranks wore corps colours as follows:

  • Motorised & mechanised rifles – raspberry
  • Artillery & armored troops – black, red
  • Air Force & aviation – blue
  • Technical troops of any kind and the navy – black

The regimental numberings of the 1943 system were removed altogether.

Army, Air Force

Enlisted men Non-commissioned officers Warrant officers
Shoulder boards to
service uniform
basic
(motorized infantry troops)
Shoulder boards to
service uniform
basic
(air force & aviation)
Rank
designation
Private Second Class Private First Class Corporal Sergeant Staff sergeant until 1963
Sergeant First Class
from 1964
Sergeant First Class
from 1971
Warrant Officer
from 1981
Chief Warrant Officer
РядовойЕфрейторМл. сержантСержантСт. сержантСтаршинаПрапорщикСт. прапорщик
NATO-equivalentOR-1OR-4OR-5OR-6OR-7OR-8OR-9

Colors by type of troops:

  • motorized infantry troops – red (scarlet);
  • artillery, rocket, tank, engineering, construction, automobile, railway troops, signal-corps, troops of radiation, chemical and biological protection – black;
  • air force and airborne troops – sky blue;
  • state security troops (KGB troops) – dark blue, instead of the letters "СА" (Советская Армия) the letters "ГБ" (Государственная Безопасность – State Security);
  • internal troops (Interior Ministry troops) – crimson (dark red), instead of the letters "СА" (Советская Армия) the letters "ВВ" (Внутренние Войска);
  • border troops – green, instead of the letters "СА" (Советская Армия) the letters "ПВ" (Пограничные Войска).

Ratings of the Navy, coastal services and other shore commands

Enlisted ratings Boatswain/ petty officers Michman
Shoulder boards to
service uniform
basic
Rating
designation
(naval services)
Seaman Apprentice Seaman Petty Officer 3rd class Petty Officer 2nd class Petty Officer 1st class until 1955
Warrant Officer
1956-1971
Warrant Officer

from 1971
Chief Petty Officer
from 1971
Warrant Officer
from 1981
Chief Warrant Officer
МатросСтарший матросСтаршина 2-ой статьиСтаршина 1-ой статьиГлавный старшинадо 1955
Мичман
1956-1971
Мичман
с 1971
Главный корабельный старшина
с 1971
Мичман
с 1981
Старший мичман
...
(coastal services
and other shore commands)
Seaman Senior Seaman Junior Sergeant Sergeant Senior Sergeant until 1957
Major Sergeant
from 1958
Major Sergeant
from 1971
Warrant Officer
from 1981
Senior Warrant Officer
МатросСтарший матросМладший сержантСержантСтарший сержантдо 1955
Старшина
1956-1971
Старшина
с 1971
Прапорщик
с 1981
Старший прапорщик
NATO-equivalentOR-1OR-4OR-5OR-6OR-7OR-8OR-9

Letter codes from 1972 onward

  • The letter imprint "CA" on army shoulder boards OR1 to OR7[Note 1] stood for "Советская Аpмия (en: Sovetskaya Armiya) " and was the symbol of adherence to the Soviet Army.
  • The letter imprint on Soviet navy shoulder boards OR1 to OR7 symbolised the adherence to the appropriate fleet or naval major command.[1]
    • Ф – Fleet (Russian: Флот, Flot), general personnel of the Navy
    • БФ – Baltic Fleet (Балтийский Флот; Baltiski Flot)
    • ЧМ – Black Sea Fleet (Черноморский Флот, Chernomorski Flot)
    • СФ – Northern Fleet (Северный Флот, Severny Flot)
    • ТФ – Pacific Fleet (Тихоокеанский Флот, Tikhookeanski flot)
  • Other letter symbols
    • BB – (Внутренние Войска, Vnutrennie Voiska) – Internal Troops
    • ВМУ – (Военно-музыкальное Училище, Voyenno-musykalnoye Utchilishche) – students of military musician schools or cadets of military bands
  • ВС – (Вооружённые Силы, Voorushonnye Sily) – armed forces (Soviet Army, later USSR armed forces, also Armed forces of the USSR)
  • ГБ – (Госуда́рственной Безопа́сности, Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti) – Committee for State Security (KGB)
  • К – (Курсант, Kursant) – higher military college student
  • H – (Нахимовец, Nakhimovez) – cadet in the Nakhimov Naval School
  • ПВ – (Пограничные войска, Pogranitshnye voiska) – border troops
  • СШ – (Cпециальная школа, Spezialnaya shkola) – special school
  • СВУ – (Суворовец, Suvorovez) – cadet at a Suvorov Military School

Army officers and generals (all services)

Designation Lieutenants Captain´s rank Field officers Higher commanders & commander-in-chief
Shoulder boards
to
parade uniform
land forces
(Army)
Air force
Rank designation
(Ground and air forces and independent branches)
Junior Lieutenant Lieutenant Senior Lieutenant Captain Major Lieutenant Colonel Colonel Major general Lieutenant general Colonel General General of the army
until 1974 and after 1974
Marshal of the Soviet Union
Мл. лейтенантЛейтенантСт. лейтенантКапитанМайорПодполковникПолковник Генерал-майорГенерал-лейтенантГенерал-полковник Генерал аpмии Маршал Советского Союза
Designation Lieutenants Captain lieutenants Staff officers Flag officers & higher commanders
Shoulder board
to
parade uniform
Navy
Sleeve insignia
Rank
designation (naval services)
Ensign Lieutenant Junior Grade 2nd lieutenant 1st lieutenant Lieutenant commander Commander Captain Rear admiral Vice admiral Admiral Fleet Admiral Admiral of the Navy
(1955-1961) (1962-1994) (1955-1991)
Младший лейтенантЛейтенантСт. лейтенантКапитан-лейтенантКапитан 3-го рангаКапитан 2-го рангаКапитан 1-го ранга Контр-адмиралВице-адмиралАдмиралАдмирал флотаАдмирал флота Советского Союза
Rank
designation (Shore services of the Navy)
Junior lieutenant Lieutenant Senior lieutenant Captain Major Lieutenant colonel Colonel Major general Lieutenant general Colonel general No equivalent established
Мл. лейтенантЛейтенантСт. лейтенантКапитанМайорПодполковникПолковник Генерал-майорГенерал-лейтенантГенерал-полковник
NATO-equivalentOF-1OF-2OF-3OF-4OF-5OF-6OF-7OF-8OF-9OF-10

Top ranks

Marshal ranks and Supreme commanders of the Soviet armed forces
Shoulder board
to
dress uniform
Rank designation Marshal of the branch Chief marshal of the branch Marshal
of the Soviet Union
NATO-equivalentOF-9OF-10
Supreme commander of the Soviet Navy
Shoulder board
to
dress uniform
Rank
designation
Admiral of the Navy
(1955-1991)
NATO-equivalentOF-10

See also

Notes

  1. The abbreviation "OR" stands for "other ranks"

References

  1. Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 3th edition 1982, order number: 576 973 7, licence number: 433 130/182/82, volume IV, page 128-129 "Rank insignia of the Soviet Navy"
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