Ranks and rank insignia of the Russian Federation´s armed forces 1994–2010

Ranks and rank insignia of the Russian Federation's armed forces from 1994 to 2010 were affected by the disintegration of the former Soviet armed forces, and there were other changes in insignia design when the newly established Russian Federation came into existence. The ranks depicted below, were replaced with those adopted by decree № 293 of the President of the Russian Federation on 11 March 2010.^[1] The transition began with the issue of new military uniforms to the armed services in 2008 in the Moscow area and in 2010 nationwide. The ranks of marshal of the branch and chief marshal were officially abolished as a result of the 1994 regulations.

Colonel
(army / ground forces)

Parade uniform

Service uniform

Field uniform

Shoulder boards

Captain 1st rank (navy)

Parade uniform

Service uniform

Shoulder boards

Shoulder boards

Enlisted men

Enlisted men wear no rank on their working uniform shoulder boards. On parade uniforms, the shoulder board shows a Cyrillic letter symbol.

• ВС — armed forces personnel (Russian: Bооружённые силы; vo'orushyonnye sily)
• Ф — fleet personnel (Russian: Флот; flot)
• К — army and air force military student (Russian: Курсант; kursant)
• Anchor — naval military student
• Н — students of the Nakhimov Naval School (Russian: Нахимовское военно-морское училище; Nakhimovskoye voyenno-morskoye uchilishchye)
• СВУ — students of the Suvorov Military School (Russian: Суворовское военное училище; Suvorovskoye voyenno uchilishche)
• ВМУ — students of the school of military music (Russian: Военно-музыкальное училище; voyenno-muzykalnoye uchilishche)
• КК — cadets of the cadet corps (Russian: Кадетский корпус; kadetsky korpus)
• МКК — Kronstadt sea cadet corps (Russian: Кронштадтский морской кадетский корпус; Kronshtadtsky morskoy kadetsky korpus)
• ВВ — internal troops (Russian: Внутренние войска; vnutrenniye voyska)

Non-commissioned officers

Non-commissioned officers up to staff sergeant (Russian: cтаршина; starshina) wear shoulder boards with the Cyrillic letter symbol for their branch and their rank stripes.

• Field uniform — camouflage colour
• Service uniform — yellow coloured
• Parade uniform — gold coloured

Warrant officers and michman

Warrant officers and michman wore shoulder boards similar to enlisted personnel and non-commissioned officers, but their ranks were shown by small stars arranged in vertical order.

Distinction insignia

Enlisted personnel, NCOs and warrant officers

Enlisted personnel, NCOs and warrant officers (army and air force)
Designation	Enlisted personnel			NCOs				Warrant officers
Shoulder board to everyday & parade uniform Military space forces (until 2001), space forces (from 2001) & airborne troops
Shoulder board to everyday & parade uniform Air force
Shoulder board to everyday & parade uniform Ground forces & strategic missile troops
Shoulder board to field uniform all service branches
Rank designation (ground & air forces)	Officer cadet	Private	Corporal	Junior sergeant	Sergeant	Senior sergeant	Staff sergeant	Warrant officer	Senior warrant officer
	Курсант	Рядовой	Ефрейтор	Младший сержант	Сержант	Старший сержант	Старшина	Прапорщик	Старший прапорщик
Enlisted personnel, NCOs and warrant officers navy and naval forces
Designation	Enlisted personnel			NCOs				Midshipmen
Shoulder board to everyday uniform
Shoulder board to parade uniform
Rating designation (naval services)	Officer cadet	Sailor	Senior sailor	Petty officer 2nd class	Petty officer 1st class	Chief petty officer	Chief petty officer of the ship	Midshipman	Senior midshipman
	Курсант	Матрос	Старший матрос	Старшина 2 статьи	Старшина 1 статьи	Главный старшина	Главный корабельный старшина	Мичман	Старший мичман
... (coastal services and other shore commands)	Officer cadet	Sailor	Senior sailor	Junior sergeant	Sergeant	Senior sergeant	Staff sergeant	Warrant officer	Senior warrant officer
	Курсант	Матрос	Старший матрос	Младший сержант	Сержант	Старший сержант	Старшина	Прапорщик	Старший прапорщик
NATO-equivalent	OR-2		OR-3	OR-4	OR-5	OF-6	OR-7	OR-8	OR-9

Remarks

• The abbreviation "OR" stands for "other ranks"

Army, air force and naval officers

Shoulder boards up to company level

• One vertical stripe, padding with basic ornament (in longitudinal direction appliqued cords in piston-embroidery), metal stars (small 13 mm diameter); shoulder boards to field uniforms simple without basic ornament.

Shoulder boards to field officers/ staff officers

• Basic ornament identical to company level, two vertical stripes, metal stars (big 20 mm diameter).

Top level appointments

• Basic ornament longitudinal- and vertical embroidery, embroidered stars (diameter 22 mm).

Marshal of the Russian Federation

• Basic ornaments longitudinal-and vertical embroidery, one embroidered big star (diameter 40 mm), Coat of arms of Russia.

Officer insignia – army, air force, SMT, airborne and space forces

Officers of the Army and Air Force
Designation	Officers up to company level				Field officers			General officers
Shoulder board to parade uniform Army
Everyday uniform
Shoulder board to parade uniform Air force airborne troops space forces strategic missile troops
Everyday uniform Air Force
Everyday uniform Air borne troops
Field uniform (Army, Air force, Air borne troops)
Rank designation	Junior lieutenant	Lieutenant	Senior lieutenant	Captain	Mayor	Lieutenant colonel	Colonel	Major general	Lieutenant general	Colonel general	General of the Army	Marshal of the Russian Federation
	Мл. лейтенант	Лейтенант	Ст. лейтенант	Капитан	Майор	Подполковник	Полковник	Генерал-майор	Генерал-лейтенант	Генерал-полковник	Генерал аpмии	Маршал Российской Федерации
NATO-equivalent	OF1c-a			OF-2	OF-3	OF-4	OF-5	OF-7	OF-8	OF-9		OF-10

Remarks

• The abbreviation "OF" stands for "officer"

Officer insignia — navy

Naval officers
	Junior officers				Senior officers			Flag officers
Shoulder board to parade uniform ( white – on shirt)
Shoulder board to everyday uniform
Shoulder board to parade uniform
											(1994-1997)	(1997-2010)
Sleeve rank insignia
Rank designation naval forces at sea	Junior lieutenant	Lieutenant	Senior lieutenant	Captain lieutenant	Captain 3rd rank	Captain 2nd rank	Captain 1st rank	Rear admiral	Vice admiral	Admiral	Admiral of the fleet
Rank designation coastal defence & other services	Junior lieutenant	Lieutenant	Senior lieutenant	Captain	Major	Lieutenant colonel	Colonel	Major general	Lieutenant general	Colonel general	No equivalent
NATO-equivalent	OF1c-a			OF-2	OF-3	OF-4	OF-5	OF-7	OF-8	OF-9

See also

• History of Russian military ranks
• Ranks and rank insignia of the Russian armed forces until 1917
• Ranks and rank insignia of the Red Army 1918–1935, ... 1935–1940 and ... 1940–1943
• Ranks and rank insignia of the Soviet Army 1943–1955 and Ranks and rank insignia of the Soviet Army 1955–1991,
• Army ranks and insignia of the Russian Federation
• Naval ranks and insignia of the Russian Federation

References

1. Decreed № 293 of the president of the Russian Federation … on changes to form and design of rank insignia of the Russian Federation´s armed forces from March 11, 2010, in use from 1994 to 2010.