The ranks of the Russian Army 1716-1722.
Preface.
In the article "Tables of military ranks. Russian Army 1716-1722" due to the lack of complete and reliable information that can be obtained exclusively from primary sources, I outlined the system of military ranks in a greatly simplified form, and I collected it from a large number of secondary sources, the authors of which there were historians who did not take the trouble to understand this complex system in due measure, and often simply incompetent people. To my deepest regret, I went along with them, although partly due to the fact that it is extremely difficult to find the original documents of the Petrine era today. However, thanks to V.V. Golubtsov from St. Petersburg, I acquired a copy of the Military Charter of 1716, although, unfortunately, not a reprint edition, and now I have the opportunity to present the system of military ranks in a more correct form, although it is not completely accurate and correct. the creators themselves were able to state.
First of all, it should be noted that in those days military ranks in the sense in which we understand them today simply did not exist. For example, today a person with the rank of "captain" can perform the positions of company commander, head of the regiment's first-aid post, orchestra conductor, battery commander, commander of the special forces group, head of the missile crew, head of the financial service of the regiment, assistant chief of staff of the regiment, head of physical training and sports of the regiment, and many more positions.
Those. the rank of an officer is divorced from his duties and, in fact, simply means the level of his military qualifications.
In the 18th century, things were very different. Military ranks did not exist at all. There were well-defined positions, or as they were then called - ranks. For example, the captain was an officer who commanded a company. If he was removed from command of the company, he ceased to be a captain. Those. based on philology, the words "captain" and "company commander" are synonyms.
If an officer of this level (rank) performed a different position, then he was called differently. For example, in the artillery, he was called the "Shtik-Hauptmann", and the officer used by the Field Marshal General to carry out his assignments was called the "Adjutant Wing of the Field Marshal General". Everything is strictly according to the duties performed.
Actually, in civilian life it is the same now. If a person manages a plant, then he is called "Director" or "Director of the plant". And if he was fired, then he is no longer a director.
From the author. Analyzing the ranks in the Charter, it turned out to be extremely difficult to build their hierarchy. Basically, there is a listing of ranks, i.e. positions available in a company, regiment, higher management structures without division into lines, say, command, rear, legal, medical. In many cases, the rank or level of a particular rank is not indicated, which will be determined somewhat later (Table of Ranks of 1722). Perhaps the only criterion by which it turned out to be possible to at least somehow arrange the ranks according to their levels is the number of portions and rations, i.e. products issued to military personnel. For example, a field marshal general received 200 servings, and a soldier received one serving. All other ranks received the appropriate amount of products, obviously depending on the hierarchical position of this rank in the army.
Readers' attention should also be drawn to the frequently used word "general". At that time the word was used in two senses. Firstly, "General" as the designation of the highest military leader, and secondly, "General" as the designation of the chief specialist (auditor general, professional general). Therefore, one should not be surprised to meet generals of rank below the captain in the table below.
I tried to give the names of the ranks in the spelling in which they are in the Charter. I did not dare to compare them with modern ranks in the way I usually do in rank tables (using the coding of ranks that I developed). This will not be correct in all cases.
The names of the ranks given in the tables will in some cases be incomprehensible to the modern reader. Therefore, below the tables a brief explanation of these ranks is given, i.e. what did the military man wearing this rank do.
Each cell of the table lists all available ranks of the same level (rank). The charter divides all ranks into the following groups:
* General ranks;
* Headquarters officer ranks;
* Chief officer ranks;
* Non-commissioned officer ranks.
From the author. It is curious that later the non-commissioned officers in the Russian Army were somehow gradually and imperceptibly shifted to the soldiers and ceased to be considered related to the officers, while the Charter of 1716 considered them to be officers, and not sergeants (as this category is called today) composition.
| Category | № | Governing bodies | Infantry Regiment Headquarters | Infantry company |
| General ranks | 1 | Generalissimo | ||
| 2 | Field Marshal General | |||
| 3 | General-Kriegs-Komisar | |||
| 4 | General Field Marshal Lieutenant | |||
| 5 | General of Infantry General of the cavalry |
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| 6 | General Lieutenant | |||
| 7 | General Major | |||
| 8 | Brigadier | |||
| Headquarters officer ranks | 9 | General Quartermaster Oberster-Kriegs-Komisar Adjutant General Sovereign |
Colonel | |
| 10 | Ober-Komisar Chief Engineer* Feld-Kriegs-Zalmeister** General Quartermaster Lieutenant High Field Priest Auditor General |
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| 11 | General Auditor Lieutenant Adjutant General of General Feldmarshalkov |
Lieutenant colonel | ||
| 12 | General Staff Quartermaster General-Adjutant General Feldmarshalkov-Lieutenant General Fiscal |
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| 13 | Field postmaster Chief Quartermaster |
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| 14 | General Wagenmeister | |||
| 15 | Generals-Adjutant General of Infantry Generals Adjutant General of the Cavalry |
Prime Major | ||
| 16 | Secund Major | |||
| 17 | Secretary General Feldmarshalkov Secretary of the Commissariat Feld-Medicus Ober-Fiscal |
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| Chief officer ranks | 18 | Adjutant Wing of General Feldmarshalkov Wing-Adjutant of General Feldmarshalkov-Lieutenant Adjutant Wing of General Feldmarshalkov Wing-Adjutant General of Infantry Wing-Adjutant of the General from the cavalry Lieutenant General's Adjutant Wing |
Captain | |
| 19 | Secretary General Feldmarshalkov-Lieutenant | |||
| 20 | Secretary General of Infantry Secretary General of the Cavalry Chief Auditor Chief Quartermaster field doctor |
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| 21 | General Prophos General Gewaldiger Field Apothecary Captain over the reins |
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| 22 | Lieutenant Captain | |||
| 23 | Lieutenant | |||
| 24 | Sub-lieutenant | |||
| 25 | Field courier Headquarters Furier |
Fiscal | ||
| 26 | Adjutant Major General | Quartermaster | Ensign | |
| Non-commissioned officer ranks | 27 | Head physician | Komisar Adjutant |
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| 28 | Scribe to General Feldmarshalkov Under Commissar |
Auditor Pop healer |
Sergeant | |
| 29 | Scribe to General Feldmarshalkov-Lieutenant Infantry General's Scribe Cavalry General's Scribe Lieutenant General's Scribe Major General's Scribe Brigadier's clerk Scribe to provisions Apothecary gezel |
Provisional master Obozny Clerk Profos |
Ensign Captainarmus Furier Corporal Company clerk Company paramedic |
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| privates | 30 | corporal | ||
| 31 | Saldat Leibshitz pfeiffer Oboist Flaker Drummer |
* It is not clear why the chief engineer was separated from the engineering troops and assigned to the administrative bodies. Obviously due to the fact that his place was with the commander.
** This rank in a number of cases is referred to in the Charter as "General-Kriegskalmeister". It turned out to be impossible to distribute on the table such ranks of this service as Kriegscalmeister, Kriegskasirer and Pisar. The ranks of these ranks are not defined in any way and the portion norms are not defined by them.
| Category | № | Headquarters of the Dragoon Regiment | Dragoon company | Artillery | Engineers |
| General ranks | 5 | Feldzeigmeister General | |||
| Headquarters officer ranks | 9 | Colonel | Colonel | Colonel | |
| 10 | Chief Commissar | ||||
| 11 | Lieutenant colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Lieutenant colonel | ||
| 15 | Prime Major | Adjutant General of the Feldzeugmeister General Hauptmann-Head Ober Hauptmann Major |
Major | ||
| 16 | Secund Major | ||||
| Chief officer ranks | 18 | Captain | Adjutant Wing of the Feldzeugmeister General Shtik-Hauptman Schanz-Hauptmann* |
Captain | |
| 20 | Secretary General Feldzeugmeister Quartermaster |
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| 23 | Lieutenant | Lieutenant | |||
| 24 | Sub-lieutenant | ||||
| 25 | Fiscal | ||||
| 26 | Quartermaster | Ensign | Shtik-Junker | Ensign Quartermaster |
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| Non-commissioned officer ranks | 27 | Komisar Adjutant |
Master saddleman Feldzeig-Warter. Zeigschreiber. |
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| 28 | Auditor Pop healer |
Wahmister | Ober-Fireworksmeister Auditor Field Priest healer Ober-Wagenmeister (upper convoy) Artillery clerk Master blacksmith. saddlery clerk Brukenmeister (or bridge master) *. |
Feld-webel healer |
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| 29 | Provisional master Obozny Clerk Profos |
Furier Company clerk Company paramedic |
Unter Wagenmeister (lower convoy). Provisional master Provisional clerk. Zeigdiner (corporal). Furier. Under blacksmith master. False master (corporal) Saddle master. belt master Core master. A carpenter suede master Vervosh Master Profos Unter-surrier clerk Konoval |
Corporal | |
| privates | 30 | corporal | corporal | ||
| 31 | Dragoon Leibshitz Company Blacksmith, Company Saddleman |
Zeigdiner horse. Zeigdiner infantry. Furier shitz. Medical apprentice. blacksmith apprentice false master Belt apprentice. Koret apprentice. carpentry apprentice suede apprentice Rope Apprentice Powder guard. Wagenbauer (cart builder). A servant at the shores. Artillery servant. Butcher. Khlebnik. Melnik. Drummer |
Pioneer digger petarier A carpenter Private |
* It is not entirely clear why the ranks of Schanz-Hauptmann and Brukenmeister are assigned to artillery, while these are just engineering specialists. The first is a specialist in the field of field fortification, and the second in the field of building bridges and crossings.
Let us explain the essence of the duties performed by some ranks.
Brigadier- this is the commander of a temporary formation, made up of 2-3 regiments, and the regiments of dragoons and infantry, or only dragoons, or only infantry, can be combined into a brigade. Since this connection is temporary, the rank of brigadier is also temporary.
The division and the corps were also temporary associations (a division of several brigades, a corps of several brigades or divisions). Naturally, it is wrong to correlate the ranks of major general and lieutenant general with the positions of division and corps commander. Actually, at the head of the army was a field marshal general, who had a deputy (field marshal lieutenant general). He was assisted by three generals (general of infantry, general of cavalry and general feldzeugmeister). The first of them was responsible for all infantry, the second for all cavalry, the third for artillery and engineering troops.
In general, they were only considered real generals. Below were lieutenant generals, i.e. assistant generals and even lower major generals, i.e. "chief majors", who, on an army scale, played approximately the same role as majors in regiments, i.e. senior officers are really responsible for everything. Usually in the army with real generals there was one lieutenant general and 4-6 major generals each. Naturally, as needed, several regiments were temporarily reduced to brigades, divisions, and sometimes even corps. Naturally, the general from infantry (from the cavalry) instructed one of his assistants to head one of these temporary associations.
But due to the importance of these ranks, they were all reduced to the category of generals.
The Feldzegmeister General was responsible for all the artillery and engineer troops, as well as for the infantry and cavalry transferred to him.
But regiments and companies, these were permanent military formations. Here the ranks were more stable.
Colonel. Regiment in command.
Lieutenant colonel. Substitutes for the Colonel in his absence. In battle, he leads one of the two or three battalions into which the front of the regiment is divided.
Major. Senior officer of the regiment. Supervises the daily activities of the regiment, the training of personnel.
Captain. Commands a company.
Lieutenant Captain. Deputy captain.
Lieutenant. Senior assistant to the captain.
Sub-lieutenant. Mate.
Ensign. Junior Assistant Captain. Responsible for the safety of the company banner, but wears it only in battle. Also responsible for the supervision of the sick, wounded and otherwise infirm. In the campaign, he is responsible for the stragglers from the company.
From the author. It is worth noting that in the Russian Army, companies began to be divided not into corporals, but into platoons already in the middle of the 19th century. But even then the platoon was commanded not by an officer, but by a senior non-commissioned officer. Lieutenants, second lieutenants and warrant officers were assistants to the company commander, but not platoon commanders. True, it was a common practice that the company commander entrusted constant supervision of the first two platoons to a lieutenant and the second two platoons to a second lieutenant. In army usage, the name "half-company" has taken root. But this division was unofficial.
The officer position of a platoon commander, at least in the Red Army, became only by the mid-thirties.
Kriegskomisar General(in the text of the charter, this rank is written both as General-Krigs-Komisar and as General-Krigskomisar) speaking in modern terms, this is the deputy commander for rear. He is responsible for all aspects of financial and economic activity, for providing the troops with money, clothing, food, transport property.
Due to the great importance of logistical support, the Kriegskommissar General was considered the second leader in the army after the Field Marshal, although he was not the head of other generals.
Ober Ster Kriegskomisar Deputy General-Kriegskommissar.
Officials who have the word "commissar" in the name of their ranks, respectively, perform similar duties in the lower levels of the army hierarchy.
Quartermaster General. Although he is called a general, his rank is colonel and the word general here means the concept of "chief". He is responsible for providing the army with maps, drawing up maps, laying out routes for movement, for placing defensive fortifications and fortified camps on the ground. He also, during military operations and campaigns, assigns tasks to engineering troops for the construction of defensive structures, the repair and construction of roads and crossings on the routes of movement of troops. He also distributes the shelves to the places of quartering.
Officials who have the word "quartermaster" in the title of their ranks, respectively, perform similar duties in the lower levels of the army hierarchy. In the company, these duties are assigned to the furier.
General Auditor. Head of the Legal Service of the Army. Performs the duties of the main supervising body for the observance of laws in the army, i.e. prosecutor. But he also has the rights of a military judge.
Adjutants. This is far from what we are accustomed to understand by this word (something like a lackey in officer's shoulder straps or an officer for small personal assignments). They are rather the chiefs and employees of the personal headquarters of the corresponding generals. Their duties included the written fixation of orders and directives given by the military leaders, the transfer of these orders to the appropriate lower commanders, control over the execution of orders, and reporting to the military leaders of the results. Actually, all official communication of military leaders with subordinate units was carried out just through adjutants.
* The emperor had three adjutant generals (I remind you once again that the concept of "chief adjutant" is meant here) in the rank of colonels, and four adjutant wing in the rank of captains;
* The Field Marshal General had three adjutant generals in the rank of lieutenant colonels, and four adjutant wing in the rank of captains;
* Field Marshal Lieutenant General had two adjutant generals in the rank between lieutenant colonel and major, and three adjutant wing in the rank of captains;
* The general (from the infantry, from the cavalry, feldzeugmeister) had one adjutant general (pay attention to the name of the rank) in the rank of major, and two adjutant wing in the rank of captains;
* The lieutenant general had one adjutant wing in the rank of captain;
*Major General had one adjutant in the rank of ensign.
And finally, the regiment had an adjutant in non-commissioned officer rank.
It is worth noting that each general also had secretaries and a clerk. Thus, we see that the post-graduate course really was a kind of headquarters system.
This is much later with the development of a real staff service, which will happen by the beginning of the 19th century, the service of adjutants will really be reduced to the execution of personal assignments, and the rank of adjutant general and adjutant wing of the emperor will become just an honorary title.
Callmeister. Modern accountant.
The captain of the reins. An official responsible for ensuring that the troops move along the desired routes and arrive at the intended points. He is obliged to find guides among the local residents who know the surrounding area and provide them to the troops. Something like the head of the conductor service.
Wagenmeister. Starting from the highest position in this service, the General Wagenmeister, and down to the lowest - the Convoy, these are the persons responsible for the convoys, i.e. carts with horses, on which items and supplies necessary for the troops are loaded. Wagenmeister determines the number of wagons in each convoy, the routes and order of their movement, directs the movement. He is also responsible for the repair of roads and bridges, through which convoy cargo is delivered.
Furier. There is the name furier. Responsible for the distribution of houses between units and military personnel, the locations of units in the camp, the organization of the arrangement of tents in the camps, the placement of personnel in houses and tents.
Hoff headquarters. Court servants, providing comfortable accommodation and service to the reigning persons. At their head is Gough-Furier.
General Gewaldiger. He is Rumor Meister. The head of the service, which can be called the military police service. He oversees order and discipline among the soldiers, searches for and catches deserters, marauders. It has the right to execute fugitives and marauders.
Fiscal. What we now call the Special Section. He watches over all military personnel in order to timely identify enemy spies, traitors, pests, persons preparing to desert, entering into relations with the enemy. Investigates complex crimes. Reports to the top about all emergencies, disorders.
Prof. A person supervising prisoners and maintaining cleanliness in the locations of units. He also performs corporal punishment. The General Profos is responsible for the service of all Profos.
Sergeant. There is one sergeant in the company. In modern terms, this is the foreman of the company. In the cavalry, this rank is called Wahmister, in artillery Ober-Fierwerkmeister, in engineering units Feld-vebel. Manages all affairs in the company and commands all personnel in the absence of officers.
Captainarmus. A non-commissioned officer is one step below a sergeant. Responsible for the provision of ammunition, for the condition of weapons and their repair.
Ensign. In the campaign he carries the company banner, in battle he assists the ensign. Directly oversees the sick and those lagging behind on the march, being an assistant ensign in this matter.
Corporal. The name of this rank quickly transformed into a corporal. He commanded a corporal, i.e. 1/6 of the company (approximately 25-35 people. The company at that time was divided into 6 corporals.
From the author. A corporal is usually considered the most junior non-commissioned officer in command of a squad. However, it is worth knowing that the company was not divided into platoons and squads. The company was divided into corporals, which can be compared to a modern platoon. So corporal is a very high rank.
Corporal. Corporal's assistant.
From the author. For unclear reasons, this rank is not in the Charter in the lists of ranks of infantry and dragoon companies. He is mentioned only among the engineers, where he is called corporal. Obviously, before its publication, the Charter was not carefully read by anyone, ambiguities, uncertainties and inconsistencies were not eliminated by anyone.
Modern charters of the Russian Army also sin with this.
Leibshitz. A soldier in charge of the safety of an officer in combat. bodyguard.
The charter does not explain the ranks of artillery - Zeugdiner equestrian and Zeigdiner infantry, but apparently, based on consonance with German words, this is a horse and foot artilleryman. Later, they will obviously be renamed gunners.
Also, the charter does not explain the ranks of Pioneer, Underminer, Petarier among engineers, but most likely this is a sapper, a miner and a bomber, respectively.
Sources and literature.
1. Charter of the military land. Printed by the command of the Tsar's Majesty in the St. Petersburg printing house of the Lord's Letter, 1716.
2. The book of the Charter of the sea. About everything related to good governance when the fleet was at sea. Printed by the command of the ROYAL MAJESTY in the St. Petersburg Printing House of the Lord's Letter 1720 April on the 13th day
3.O.Leonov, I.Ulyanov. Regular infantry. 1698-1801. AST. Moscow. 1995
In Russia, strictly speaking, all citizens are officials to one degree or another, even those who do not serve in any government department (Vlast already wrote about this, see #29 last year). Suffice it to recall that in late Soviet times, every adult (who was then called "working") passed through one of the three state departments - he was either an employee, or a worker, or a peasant (and his children were required to indicate the department of their parents in the questionnaire). Little has changed since then. Unless the state directly emphasizes the fact that all citizens are its employees, and does not force it to be reflected in the questionnaires. Simply because the Soviet state suffered a financial and ideological collapse and was forced to hand over certain types of state activities to private hands. The hands are private, but their owners are not allowed to forget that the activities of the state. For example, commodity tycoons are directly required to replenish the budget and election funds. From media tycoons - to provide ideological support for state events. And since the magnates themselves are officials, their employees are, in fact, civil servants. All have a single collective responsibility to the state and must be subject to a single discipline.
Naturally, the state has not abandoned all types of activities. Therefore, in Russia there is a huge number of citizens who receive salaries directly from the budget and are officially called civil servants or public sector employees (teachers, doctors, scientists, military personnel, judges, and many others).
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| Photo: DMITRY AZAROV | ||
A short survey we conducted showed that not all citizens correctly understand their status in the official hierarchy. Therefore, we considered it necessary to offer our readers a modern table of ranks. Because every person wants to know what place he occupies in society. And for an official to know his place is simply vital: discipline is based on the fact that the official knows whom to obey, whom to order and whom not to pay attention to.
The basis of the modern table of ranks proposed by "Vlast" was Peter's, supplemented and revised under Catherine the Great. Just to emphasize continuity. We have made the following modifications. Inserted in the table of ranks commercial ranks. Some sort of gradation of merchants was in tsarist times. But due to a number of class prejudices, this gradation was not considered equal to the gradation of officials. Now entrepreneurs are figures, unconditionally equal to officials. Moreover, officials secretly (or even openly) strive to live and work by commercial standards. In this regard, we also renamed the ranks themselves, placing at the highest levels not some kind of "chancellor" and "actual privy councilor of the first class", but real secret and overt oligarchs.
We have somewhat supplemented such an important section of the table of ranks as official appeals. As a matter of fact, those who wish can use the previous addresses, calling, say, a real obvious oligarch "your excellency." However, we note that the previous appeals took into account only the interests of those below. It was completely incomprehensible how a high-ranking person should call subordinates. Don't call them "your honor". Meanwhile, the essence of servility is precisely concern for the convenience of superiors. Therefore, we have introduced a list of appeals to the lower ranks of persons standing a step higher, for example, "come to me when you are free." It should be emphasized that we did not invent these appeals at all, but took them from the daily practice of communication between Russian citizens. So you don't have to learn anything by heart. For example, the appeal given as an example is the most typical in the practice of communication between oligarchs and vice-oligarchs.
Finally, about the criteria by which we were guided in the distribution of various categories of Russian citizens by rank. The main criteria of Peter's table of ranks - the amount of salaries and the volume of free public services (public housing and firewood) - can be considered clearly outdated. The current Russian citizen-official never lives on one salary, he is not supplied with firewood, and not everyone is allocated state-owned apartments.
The new criteria are, firstly, the administrative resource (to what extent a citizen can force others to obey him), secondly, the financial resource (the amounts that a citizen can dispose of) and, thirdly, guarantees of irremovability (how difficult it is to deprive a citizen of his position) .
NEW TABLE OF RANKS (395.6 kb)
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: I propose: speech etiquette in the Russian Empire at the beginning of the twentieth century in everyday life and the army. From janitor to emperor.We read books, watch movies and TV shows, go to theaters… We encounter “Your Excellency” and “Your Excellency”. However, it is difficult to find clear canons that regulate in detail the norms of circulation, and those works that exist are fragmentary and of little use. How is the theme?
The word "etiquette" was coined by the French king Louis XIV in the 17th century. At one of the magnificent receptions of this monarch, the invitees were given cards with the rules of conduct that guests must follow. From the French name of the cards - "labels" - the concept of "etiquette" came from - good manners, good manners, the ability to behave in society. At the courts of European monarchs, court etiquette was strictly observed, the execution of which required both the most august persons and the environment to comply with strictly regulated rules and norms of behavior, sometimes reaching the point of absurdity. So, for example, the Spanish king Philip III preferred to burn by his fireplace (his laces flared up) than to extinguish the fire himself (the person responsible for the ceremonial of the court fire was away).
Speech etiquette- “nationally specific rules of speech behavior, implemented in a system of stable formulas and expressions in situations of “polite” contact with an interlocutor accepted and prescribed by society. Such situations are: addressing the interlocutor and attracting his attention, greeting, acquaintance, farewell, apology, gratitude, etc.” (Russian language. Encyclopedia).
Thus, speech etiquette is the norm of people's social adaptation to each other, it is designed to help organize effective interaction, restrain aggression (both one's own and others'), serve as a means of creating an image of "one's own" in a given culture, in a given situation.
Speech etiquette in the narrow sense of this term is used in etiquette situations of communication when performing certain etiquette actions. These actions can have the meaning of motivation (request, advice, offer, command, order, demand), response (reactive speech acts: consent, disagreement, objection, refusal, permission), social contact in the conditions of establishing contact (apology, gratitude, congratulations) , its continuation and completion.
Accordingly, the main etiquette genres are: greeting, farewell, apology, gratitude, congratulations, request, consolation, refusal, objection ... Speech etiquette extends to oral and written communication.
At the same time, each speech genre of speech etiquette is characterized by a wealth of synonymous formulas, the choice of which is determined by the sphere of communication, the characteristics of the communicative situation and the nature of the relationship of the communicants. For example, in a greeting situation: Hello! Good morning! Good afternoon Good evening! (Very) glad to greet (see) you! Allow me to welcome you! Welcome! My regards! Hello! What a meeting! Well, meeting! Who do I see! and etc.
Thus, a greeting helps not only to perform the appropriate etiquette speech action at a meeting, but also to set a certain framework for communication, to signal official ( Allow me to welcome you!) or informal ( Hello! What a meeting!) relationships, set a certain tone, for example, playful, if a young man answers a greeting: My regards! etc. The rest of the etiquette formulas are distributed in a similar way according to the scope of their use.
Addressing (orally or in writing) to persons with ranks was strictly regulated and was called a title. All serfs should have known these cloying words, like "OUR FATHER". OTHERWISE THERE COULD BE BIG TROUBLES!!!
The subjects of the Russian sovereign were certainly punished for registration of the royal title. The punishment also depended on the seriousness of the offence. Punishment on this issue was the prerogative of the highest authority. The measure of punishment was fixed either in the tsar's personal decree, or in the tsar's decree with a boyar verdict. The most common punishments were whipping or batogs, imprisonment for an insignificant period. Indispensable punishment was not only the fact of distorting the title of the Russian sovereign, but also the application of one or more of its formulas to a person who did not have royal dignity. Even in an allegorical sense, the subjects of the Moscow sovereign were forbidden to use the words “tsar”, “majesty”, etc. in relation to each other. If such a fact took place, it served as a pretext for starting a search operation, placed under the control of the highest authority. An illustrative example is the “Nominal tsar's decree “On cutting the tongue of Pronka Kazulin, if it turns out on the wanted list that he called Demka Prokofiev the tsar of Ivashka Tatarinov.” It can be said that in the period under review, an encroachment on the royal title was actually equated with an encroachment on the sovereign.
Noble etiquette.
The following title formulas were used: a respectful and official address was "dear sir, gracious sir." So they turned to strangers, or with a sudden cooling or aggravation of relations. In addition, all official documents began with such appeals.
Then the first syllable was dropped and the words appeared "sir, madam". So they began to address wealthy and educated people, as a rule, strangers.
In the official environment (civilian and military), there were such rules of treatment: from the junior in rank and rank, it was required to address the senior in title - from “Your Honor” to “Your Excellency”; to persons of the royal family - “Your Highness” and “Your Majesty”; the emperor and his wife were addressed as "Your Imperial Majesty"; the grand dukes (close relatives of the emperor and his wife) were titled "imperial highness".
Often the adjective "imperial" was omitted, and when communicating, only the words "majesty" and "highness" were used ("To his majesty on behalf of ...").
Princes who did not belong to the royal house, and counts with their wives and unmarried daughters, were titled "Your Excellency", the most illustrious princes - "Your Grace".
Superiors addressed their subordinates with the word "master" with the addition of a surname or rank (position). People equal in title addressed each other without a title formula (for example, "Listen, Count ...".
Commoners, who did not know the ranks and insignia, used such appeals as master, mistress, father, mother, sir, madam, to the girls - young lady. And the most respectful form of address to the master, regardless of his rank, was "Your Honor."
military etiquette. The system of appeals corresponded to the system of military ranks. Full generals are supposed to say Your Excellency, lieutenant generals and major generals - Your Excellency. Officers, ensigns and candidates for a class position call the chiefs and seniors of the headquarters and chief officers by rank, adding the word master, for example, Mr. Captain, Mr. Colonel, other lower ranks title staff officers and captains - Your Highness, the rest of the chief officers - Your nobility (having a count or princely title - Your Excellency).
Departmental Etiquette used largely the same system of addresses as the military.
In the Russian state in the 16th - 17th centuries, there was a practice of maintaining "ranks" - discharge books, in which records were annually entered on the appointments of service people to the highest military and government positions and on royal assignments to individual officials.
The first category book was compiled in 1556 under Ivan the Terrible and covered all appointments for 80 years from 1475 (starting with the reign of Ivan III). The book was kept in the discharge order. In the order of the Grand Palace, a book of “palace ranks” was kept in parallel, in which “everyday records” were entered about appointments and assignments in the court services of service people. Digit books were abolished under Peter I, who introduced a unified system of ranks, enshrined in the Table of Ranks of 1722.
"Table of ranks of all military, civil and court ranks"- the law on the order of public service in the Russian Empire (the ratio of ranks by seniority, the sequence of rank production). Approved on January 24 (February 4), 1722 by Emperor Peter I, it existed with numerous changes until the 1917 revolution.
Quote: “Table of ranks of all ranks, military, civil and courtiers, in which class ranks; and who are in the same class- Peter I January 24, 1722
The Table of Ranks established the ranks of 14 classes, each of which corresponded to a specific position in the military, naval, civil or court service.
In russian language the term "rank" means the degree of distinction, rank, rank, category, category, class. By a decree of the Soviet government of December 16, 1917, all ranks, class ranks and titles were abolished. Today, the term "rank" has been preserved in the Russian Navy (captain of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd rank), in the hierarchy of diplomats and employees of a number of other departments.
When referring to persons who had certain ranks of the "Table of Ranks", persons equal in rank or inferior were required to use the following titles (depending on the class):
"YOUR HIGHNESS" - to persons in the ranks of the 1st and 2nd classes;
"YOUR EXCELLENCY" - to persons in the ranks of the 3rd and 4th classes;
"YOUR HIGHLIGHT" - to persons in the ranks of the 5th class;
"YOUR HIGHLIGHTS" - to persons in the ranks of 6-8 classes;
"YOUR BLESSING" - to persons in the ranks of 9-14 classes.
In addition, in Russia there were titles used when referring to members of the Imperial House of the Romanovs and persons of noble origin:
"YOUR IMPERIAL MAJESTY" - to the emperor, empress and dowager empress;
"YOUR IMPERIAL HIGHNESS" - to the Grand Dukes (children and grandchildren of the emperor, and in 1797-1886, and great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren of the emperor);
"YOUR HIGHNESS" - to the princes of imperial blood;
"YOUR HIGHNESS" - to the younger children of the emperor's great-grandchildren and their male descendants, as well as to the most serene princes by grant;
"YOUR LORD" - to princes, counts, dukes and barons;
"YOUR BLESS" - to all the other nobles.
When addressing clerics in Russia, the following titles were used:
"YOUR HIGH PRIESTNESS" - to metropolitans and archbishops;
"YOUR HIGHNESS" - to the bishops;
"YOUR HIGH REPODITY" - to archimandrites and abbots of monasteries, archpriests and priests;
"YOUR REVEREND" - to the protodeacons and deacons.
In the event that an official was appointed to a position, a class that was higher than his rank, he used the general title of the position (for example, the provincial marshal of the nobility used the title of III-IV classes - “your excellency”, even if by rank or origin he had the title “your nobility"). With a written official in the appeal of lower officials to higher ones, both titles were called, and the private one was used both by position and by rank and followed the general title (for example, “His Excellency, Comrade Minister of Finance, Privy Councilor”). From Ser. 19th century private title by rank and surname began to be omitted. With a similar appeal to a lower official, only the private title of the position was retained (the last name was not indicated). Equal officials addressed each other either as inferiors or by name and patronymic, indicating the common title and surname in the margins of the document. Honorary titles (except for the title of a member of the State Council) were usually also included in the title, and in this case the private title by rank, as a rule, was omitted. Persons who did not have a rank used a common title in accordance with the classes, to which the rank belonging to them was equated (for example, chamber junkers and manufactory advisers received the right to the common title “your honor”). When speaking to higher ranks, a common title was used; to equal and inferior citizens. ranks were addressed by name and patronymic or surname; to the military ranks - by rank with or without the addition of a surname. The lower ranks were supposed to address ensigns and non-commissioned officers by rank with the addition of the word “mister” (for example, “mister sergeant major”). There were also titles by origin (according to "dignity").
A special system of private and general titles existed for the clergy. The monastic (black) clergy were divided into 5 ranks: the metropolitan and archbishop were titled - "your eminence", the bishop - "your eminence", the archimandrite and abbot - "your reverend". The three highest ranks were also called bishops, and they could be addressed with the general title of "bishop". The white clergy had 4 ranks: the archpriest and priest (priest) were titled - "your reverend", the protodeacon and deacon - "your reverend".
All persons who had ranks (military, civil, courtiers) wore uniforms, according to the type of service and class of rank. The ranks of classes I-IV had a red lining on their overcoats. Special uniforms relied on persons with honorary titles (secretary of state, chamberlain, etc.). The ranks of the imperial retinue wore shoulder straps and epaulettes with the imperial monogram and aiguillettes.
The assignment of ranks and honorary titles, as well as appointment to positions, awarding orders, etc., was formalized by orders of the tsar for military, civil. and court departments and noted in the formulary (track record) lists. The latter were introduced as early as 1771, but received their final form and began to be conducted systematically from 1798 as a mandatory document for each of the persons who were in the state. service. These lists are an important historical source for studying the official biography of these individuals. Since 1773, lists of citizens began to be published annually. ranks (including courtiers) I-VIII classes; after 1858, the publication of lists of ranks I-III and separately IV classes continued. Similar lists of generals, colonels, lieutenant colonels and army captains were also published, as well as the “List of persons who were in the naval department and the fleet to admirals, headquarters and chief officers ...”.
After the February Revolution of 1917, the title system was simplified. Ranks, titles and titles were abolished by the decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of November 10. 1917 "On the destruction of estates and civil ranks".
In a daily business environment (business, work situation), speech etiquette formulas are also used. For example, when summing up the results of work, when determining the results of selling goods or participating in exhibitions, when organizing various events, meetings, it becomes necessary to thank someone or, conversely, to reprimand, to make a remark. At any job, in any organization, someone may need to give advice, make a suggestion, make a request, express consent, allow, prohibit, refuse someone.
Here are the speech clichés that are used in these situations.
Acknowledgment:
Allow me (permit) to express (great, huge) gratitude to Nikolai Petrovich Bystrov for the excellent (perfectly) organized exhibition.
The firm (management, administration) expresses gratitude to all employees (teaching staff) for ...
I must express my gratitude to the head of the supply department for ...
Let me (permit) express my great (huge) gratitude ...
For the provision of any service, for help, an important message, a gift, it is customary to thank with the words:
I thank you for…
- (Big, huge) thank you (you) for ...
- (I) am very (so) grateful to you!
Emotionality, expressiveness of the expression of gratitude is enhanced if you say:
There are no words to express my gratitude to you!
I am so grateful to you that it is difficult for me to find words!
You can't imagine how grateful I am to you!
– My gratitude has no (knows) no boundaries!
Note, warning:
The firm (management, board, editorial office) is forced to issue a (serious) warning (remark) ...
To (great) regret (chagrin), I must (forced) to make a remark (to reprimand) ...
Often people, especially those in positions of power, find it necessary to express their suggestions, advice in categorical form:
Everyone (you) must (should)…
You should definitely do this...
Advice, suggestions expressed in this form are similar to an order or order and do not always give rise to a desire to follow them, especially if the conversation takes place between colleagues of the same rank. An incentive to act with advice, a proposal can be expressed in a delicate, polite or neutral form:
Allow me (let me) give you advice (advise you) ...
Allow me to offer you...
- (I) want (I would like, I want) to advise (offer) you ...
I would advise (suggest) you...
I advise (suggest) you...
Appeal with the request should be delicate, extremely polite, but without excessive fawning:
Do me a favor, do (my) request...
If it's not hard for you (it won't make it hard for you)...
Do not take it for work, please take ...
-(Not) can I ask you...
- (Please), (I beg you) let me ...
The request can be expressed with some categoricalness:
I strongly (convincingly, very) ask you (you) ...
Agreement, permission is worded as follows:
- (Now, immediately) will be done (done).
Please (permission, no objection).
Agree to let you go.
I agree, do (do) as you think.
In case of refusal expressions are used:
- (I) cannot (unable, unable) to help (permit, assist).
- (I) cannot (unable, unable) to fulfill your request.
At present, this (do) is not possible.
Understand, now is not the time to ask (make such a request).
I'm sorry, but we (I) cannot (can) fulfill your request.
- I have to forbid (refuse, do not allow).
Among business people of any rank, it is customary to resolve issues that are especially important to them in a semi-official setting. To do this, hunting, fishing, going out into nature are arranged, followed by an invitation to the dacha, to a restaurant, to a sauna. In accordance with the situation, speech etiquette also changes, it becomes less official, acquires a relaxed emotionally expressive character. But even in such an environment, subordination is observed, a familiar tone of expressions, speech "licentiousness" is not allowed.
An important component of speech etiquette is compliment. Tactfully and timely said, it cheers up the addressee, sets him up for a positive attitude towards the opponent. A compliment is said at the beginning of a conversation, at a meeting, acquaintance or during a conversation, at parting. A compliment is always nice. Only an insincere compliment is dangerous, a compliment for the sake of a compliment, an overly enthusiastic compliment.
The compliment refers to the appearance, indicates the excellent professional abilities of the addressee, his high morality, gives an overall positive assessment:
You look good (excellent, fine, excellent, great, young).
You do not change (have not changed, do not age).
Time spares you (does not take).
You are (so, very) charming (smart, quick-witted, resourceful, reasonable, practical).
You are a good (excellent, excellent, excellent) specialist (economist, manager, entrepreneur, companion).
You are good (excellent, excellent, excellent) in managing (your) household (business, trade, construction).
You know how to well (perfectly) lead (manage) people, organize them.
It is a pleasure (good, excellent) to do business with you (to work, to cooperate).
Communication presupposes the presence of another term, another component that manifests itself throughout the entire duration of communication, is its integral part, serves as a bridge from one remark to another. And at the same time, the norm of use and the very form of the term have not been finally established, cause controversy, and are a sore spot in Russian speech etiquette.
This is eloquently stated in a letter published in Komsomolskaya Pravda (24.01.91) for Andrew's signature. They placed a letter under the title "Superfluous people." Here it is without abbreviations:
We, probably, in the only country in the world do not have people turning to each other. We don't know how to address a person! Man, woman, girl, granny, comrade, citizen - pah! Or maybe a female face, a male face! And easier - hey! We are nobody! Not for the state, not for each other!
The author of the letter in an emotional form, quite sharply, using the data of the language, raises the question of the position of a person in our state. Thus, the syntactic unit is appeal– becomes a socially significant category.
To understand this, it is necessary to comprehend what is the peculiarity of the address in the Russian language, what is its history.
From time immemorial, conversion has performed several functions. The main one is to attract the attention of the interlocutor. This - vocative function.
Since they are used as proper names as addresses (Anna Sergeevna, Igor, Sasha), and the names of people according to the degree of kinship (father, uncle, grandfather) by position in society, by profession, position (president, general, minister, director, accountant), by age and gender (old man, boy, girl) invocation beyond the vocative function points to the corresponding sign.
Finally, appeals can be expressively and emotionally colored, contain an assessment: Lyubochka, Marinusya, Lyubka, blockhead, dumbass, klutz, varmint, clever, beautiful. The peculiarity of such appeals lies in the fact that they characterize both the addressee and the addressee himself, the degree of his upbringing, attitude towards the interlocutor, emotional state.
The given address words are used in an informal situation, only some of them, for example, proper names (in their main form), the names of professions, positions, serve as addresses in official speech.
A distinctive feature of officially adopted appeals in Rus' was the reflection of the social stratification of society, such a characteristic feature of it as veneration of rank.
Isn't that why the root in Russian rank turned out to be fruitful, giving life
Words: official, bureaucracy, dean, deanery, chinolove, chivalry, clerk, chivalry, disorderly, outrageous, rank-destroyer, chino-destroyer, clerk, thief, chino, chivalry, obey, submission,
Phrases: not according to order, distribute according to order, order after order, big order, without disassembling the ranks, without ordering, order after order;
Proverbs: Honor the rank of rank, and sit on the edge of the smaller one; Bullet ranks do not parse; To a fool, that to a great rank, space is everywhere; As many as two ranks: a fool and a fool; And he would have been in the ranks, but it's a pity, his pockets are empty.
The formulas of dedications, appeals and signatures of the author himself, which were cultivated in the 18th century, are also indicative. For example, the work of M.V. Lomonosov "Russian Grammar" (1755) begins with a dedication:
To His Most Serene Sovereign, Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich, Duke of Holstein-Schleswig, Storman and Dietmar, Count of Oldenburg and Dolmangor and others, most gracious Sovereign ...
Then comes the call:
Most Serene Sovereign, Grand Duke, Most Gracious Sovereign!
And the signature:
Your Imperial Majesty, the most humble servant of Mikhail Lomonosov.
The social stratification of society, the inequality that existed in Russia for several centuries, was reflected in the system of official appeals.
First, there was the document "Table of Ranks", published in 1717-1721, which was then reprinted in a slightly modified form. It listed the military (army and navy), civil and court ranks. Each category of ranks was divided into 14 classes. So, to the 3rd class belonged lieutenant general, lieutenant general; vice admiral; secret adviser; the marshal, the master of ceremonies, the master of the chasseur, the chamberlain, the chief ceremonial master; to the 6th grade - colonel; captain of the 1st rank; collegiate adviser; cameras-furier; to the 12th grade - cornet, cornet; midshipman; provincial secretary.
In addition to the named ranks, which determined the system of appeals, there were your excellency, your excellency, your excellency, your highness, your majesty, most merciful (gracious) sovereign, sovereign and etc.
Secondly, the monarchical system in Russia until the 20th century preserved the division of people into estates. Class-organized society was characterized by a hierarchy of rights and duties, class inequality and privileges. Estates were distinguished: nobles, clergy, raznochintsy, merchants, philistines, peasants. Hence the appeals sir, madam in relation to people of privileged social groups; sir, sir - for the middle class or barin, lady for both, and the lack of a single appeal to representatives of the lower class. Here is what Lev Uspensky writes about this:
My father was a major official and engineer. His views were very radical, and by origin he was "from the third estate" - a commoner. But, even if a fantasy came to his mind to turn on the street: “Hey, sir, to Vyborgskaya!” or: “Mr. driver, are you free?” he would not rejoice. The driver, most likely, would have mistaken him for a spree type, or even simply become angry: “It’s a sin for you, gentleman, to break down over a simple person! Well, what kind of "sir" am I to you? You would be ashamed!" (Koms. Pr. 11/18/77).
In the languages of other civilized countries, unlike Russian, there were appeals that were used both in relation to a person occupying a high position in society, and to an ordinary citizen: mr, mrs, miss(England, USA), senor, senora, senorita(Spain), signor, signora, signorina(Italy), sir, sir(Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia).
“In France,” writes L. Uspensky, “even the concierge at the entrance to the house calls the landlady “madame”; but the mistress, albeit without any respect, will turn to her employee in the same way: “Bonjour, Madame I see!”. A millionaire who accidentally got into a taxi will call the driver "monsieur", and the taxi driver will say to him, opening the door: "Sil vu ple, monsieur!" - "Please, sir!" There and this is the norm” (ibid.).
After the October Revolution, all the old ranks and titles were abolished by a special decree. Universal equality is proclaimed. Appeals lord - madam, gentleman - mistress, sir - madam, gracious sovereign (sovereign) gradually disappear. Only diplomatic language preserves the formulas of international courtesy. So, the heads of monarchical states are addressed: Your Majesty, Your Excellency; foreign diplomats continue to be called sir - madam.
Instead of all appeals that existed in Russia, starting from 1917–1918, appeals citizen And comrade. The history of these words is remarkable and instructive.
Word citizen recorded in the monuments of the XI century. It came to the Old Russian language from the Old Slavonic language and served as a phonetic version of the word city dweller. Both of them meant "resident of the city (city)". In this meaning citizen found in texts dating back to the 19th century. So A.S. Pushkin has the lines:
Not a demon - not even a gypsy,
But just a citizen of the capital.
In the XVIII century, this word acquires the meaning of "a full member of society, the state."
The most boring title was of course the emperor.
Who was called "the sovereign"?
Word sovereign in Russia in the old days they used it indifferently, instead of a gentleman, a gentleman, a landowner, a nobleman. In the 19th century, the Most Gracious Sovereign addressed the tsar, the Most Gracious Sovereign addressed the great princes, and the Gracious Sovereign (when referring to the highest), my Gracious Sovereign (to an equal), my Sovereign (to the lowest) addressed to all private individuals. The words sudar (also with an emphasis on the second syllable), sudarik (friendly) were used mainly in oral speech.
When addressing men and women at the same time, they often say "Ladies and gentlemen!". This is an unsuccessful tracing paper from the English language (Ladies and Gentlemen). Russian word gentlemen correlates equally with singular forms mister And mistress, and "lady" is included in the number of "gentlemen".
After the October Revolution, "sir", "madame", "master", "madam" was replaced by the word "comrade". It eliminated differences by gender (as they addressed both a man and a woman) and by social status (since a person with a low status could not be addressed as “sir”, “madame”). The word comrade with the surname before the revolution indicated membership in a revolutionary political party, including the communists.
Words "citizen" / "citizen" intended for those who were not yet seen as "comrades", and to this day are associated with reporting from the courtroom, and not with the French Revolution, which introduced them into the practice of speech. Well, after perestroika, some "comrades" became "masters", and the appeal remained only in the communist environment.
sources
http://www.gramota.ru/
Emysheva E.M., Mosyagina O.V. — History of etiquette. Court etiquette in Russia in the 18th century.
And I'll remind you who they are The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made -Created by PeterI The "Table of Ranks" became a kind of "social lift" that allowed representatives of almost any class and social group to get into the elite of Russian society.
Peter the Great. Fragment of the painting "Poltava battle". Hood. L. Caravak. 1718 / RIA Novosti
Peter I introduced the "Table of Ranks for all ranks, military, civilian and courtiers ..." exactly 295 years ago - on January 24 (February 4, according to a new style), 1722. This document, which streamlined the hierarchy of military, civil and court employees, became the basis for the civil service system for almost two centuries. The "Table of Ranks" left a deep imprint on the entire social life of imperial Russia, which was reflected not only in official acts, but also in works of fiction.
The brainchild of an empire
Concluding the Northern War, Peter the Great devoted more and more time to the construction of a new "regular state". October 22, 1721 Russia became an empire. Among the activities that laid down the principles of the new state mechanism was the preparation of the Table of Ranks. It was supposed to consolidate the position according to which the indicator of merit is not the origin, but only the actual performance of the service. The objectives of the document were also the establishment of a hierarchy of positions and the strengthening of subordination and discipline both within the departments and in the relationship between them.
By the time the Table of Ranks appeared, most of the ranks of the military and naval service already existed in practice, were actively used, and were reflected in the Military Regulations of 1716 and the Naval Regulations of 1720. The development of a system of civil service ranks, on the contrary, was in its infancy. In preparing the "Table", which began in 1719, they relied on the experience of European countries that already had similar official hierarchies used in the civil service. The practice established in Denmark and Prussia had a special influence on the compilers of the "Table".
The "Table" provided for three main types of public service: military, civil (civilian, that is, civil) and court. At the same time, the system of ranks was separately determined for those who served in the ground forces, guards, artillery and navy. For each type of service, 14 classes (ranks) with their own names were established. In a number of cases, class names reproduced the names of specific positions (especially in relation to civil service ranks). Bearers of the same rank in different branches of the civil service were equal to each other. "Table" was repeatedly edited, the names of ranks were simplified over time.
It is important to note that the holders of tribal titles (princes, counts, barons), like ordinary nobles, did not have any special ways to obtain the ranks provided for by the "Table". In order to acquire a class rank and enter the social hierarchy, representatives of the nobility, even well-born, had to enter the service. The transfer from class to class was supposed to be either systematic, according to length of service (as a rule, at least three years in one rank), or more rapid due to special merits.
Thus, the "Table of Ranks" became a kind of "social lift" that allowed representatives of almost any class and social group to get into the elite of Russian society, with the exception, of course, of serfs. At the same time, the achievement of certain steps indicated in it gave the right to personal or hereditary nobility. Under Peter I, anyone who received the first officer rank in the army or navy became a hereditary nobleman, and in the civil service this right was awarded upon reaching the rank of VIII class. Later, this bar was shifted several times.
Very indicative are the figures cited by the well-known specialist in the social history of Russia, Professor Boris Mironov. Among civil officials who had class ranks, already in the middle of the 19th century there were only 44% of people from hereditary nobles, and by the end of the century - even 31%. In the composition of the officer corps, the share of born hereditary nobles gradually also inexorably declined: if in the 1750s it was 83%, then in 1844 - 73.5%, in 1895 - 51%, and in 1912 - 37% .
"It all depends on the rank"
Striving to give everything "regularity", Peter the Great did not fail to note at the end of the "Table" that not only in the sphere of official relations, but also in the field of other social and even domestic issues, much depends on a person's place in the established hierarchy. “Because so the nobility and dignity of the rank of a person is often diminished when the dress and other act do not match, as, on the contrary, many are discharged when they act in a dress above their rank and estate. For this reason, we graciously remind you that each such outfit, crew and livery should have, as the rank and character require it. According to this, everyone has to act and beware of the announced fines and greater punishment, ”read the Report Card.
Official. From the book “Uniforms most graciously granted ... by CatherineIIto all provinces and governorships of the Russian Empire, published in St. Petersburg in 1784
| TO ACQUIRE A CLASSIC RANK AND ENTER THE SOCIAL HIERARCHY, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NOBILITY, EVEN GENEROUS, HAVE TO ENTER THE SERVICE |
Another manifestation of servility was the formation of a system of common title formulas. She developed gradually. At first, after the introduction of the "Table", the titles "your excellency" (for representatives of the generals, ranks of several first classes), "your excellency" (for senators) and "your honor" (for other ranks) were used. But then, in the 18th century, five main title formulations were defined: “Your Excellency” (for ranks of I and II classes), “Your Excellency” (for ranks of III and IV classes), “your highness” (for ranks of V class), “your nobility" (for ranks VI-VIII classes) and "your honor" (for ranks IX-XIV classes). They became common and were used both in official documents, where the general formula of title in accordance with the rank preceded the title of the position, and in personal correspondence.
In the XVIII century, the position of a person in the service environment was clearly marked by his rank. Moreover, this criterion not only determined the place in the official hierarchy, but also had a direct bearing on the purely domestic aspects of life. "According to the ranks" they gave horses at postal stations, served dishes at dinner parties. Researchers of social psychology argue that in the minds of many representatives of the nobility, “the bureaucratic hierarchy coincided with the scale of moral and ethical assessments of the individual,” determining a lot in the sphere of interpersonal relations.
So, in one of the letters, the great Russian commander Alexander Vasilievich Suvorov stated: “God grant us subordination, the mother of discipline, she is the mother of victory! 1st. The ranks must be respected." The pathos of the famous military leader can be justified by the traditional desire for the army to fulfill any orders of the authorities.
And here is the empress Catherine II quite consciously put the principle of official subordination at the forefront of all relationships within the state apparatus. Here is a very revealing story that happened to the famous poet Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin, quite successfully making a bureaucratic career. In the 1780s he was governor first in Petrozavodsk and then in Tambov. However, his relationship with his immediate superiors - the governor-general - did not develop. It came to an open conflict, sorted out in the Senate. The poet was acquitted of the charges. But on August 1, 1789, he had a long conversation with Catherine. We know about its content from the notes of the State Secretary of the Empress Alexander Vasilyevich Khrapovitsky: “I told him that the rank honors the rank ... In the third place I could not get along; one must look for the cause within oneself. He got excited and with me. Let him write poetry. Later, Catherine made the poet her secretary of state, already under Alexandra I he became a minister. And at the same time, using the example of the “Derzhavin case”, the empress briefly and succinctly formulated the basic principle of the functioning of the Russian bureaucracy: subordination “by rank” is more important than the essence of the issue.
It is not surprising that one European traveler who visited Russia during Paul I, argued: “It all depends on the rank ... They don’t ask what such and such knows, what he did or can do, and what his rank is.”
Thick and thin
In order to understand that the “power of the rank” remained relevant even at the end of the 19th century, it is enough to recall the story Anton Pavlovich Chekhov"Thick and thin". It was first published in the journal Shards in 1883, and received its final revision in 1886 when it was included in the collection Motley Stories.
The plot is based on a simple case at the station: a meeting of two classmates who have not seen each other for many years. They joyfully get to know each other and lively exchange memories of the gymnasium years and news about current life circumstances. And suddenly it turns out that the fat one "has already reached the secret level." In the blink of an eye, a striking metamorphosis takes place with his friend: “Subtle suddenly turned pale, turned to stone, but soon his face twisted in all directions with the widest smile; it seemed as if sparks were falling from his face and eyes. He himself shrank, hunched over, narrowed ... ”A childhood friend could no longer squeeze out anything but official phrases. Tolstoy asked his friend to leave the inappropriate servility, but where is it! ..
“Excuse me… What are you…” the thin one giggled, cringing even more. “Your Excellency’s gracious attention… it seems to be life-giving moisture…”
Illustration for the story by A.P. Chekhov "Thick and Thin" Hood. S.A. Alimov
It must be said that the established system of ranks and veneration of rank, ridiculed by Chekhov, also raised questions among the highest bureaucracy. During the second half of the 19th century, several attempts were made to abolish or radically reform the system of chinoproizvodstva. So, in the same 1883, a Special Meeting was created, headed by the manager of the 1st Department of His Imperial Majesty's Own Chancellery Sergei Alexandrovich Taneev. The main idea was to eliminate ranks and introduce a hierarchy of real positions. During the meeting, among other things, an anonymous note appeared, written by one of the high-ranking officials. It reads: “Our service can be characterized by the continuous pursuit of promotions, awards and pay increases. No one is satisfied with his official position, no matter how good it may be; no one wants to be left without the continuous receipt of new promotions and awards, demanding them for themselves as if something was due. There are many employees who receive every three years both the rank for long service and the order for distinction. Chinomania and crucifixion constitute a common chronic disease of all employees. They serve us for the most part cause, and in please to the nearest superiors, on whom the service career of their subordinates depends. The general and main goal of all employees, even the most incapable, is the rank of general, a sash over the shoulder and a large salary.
However, significant changes in the system of rank production, based on the "Table of Ranks", did not occur until the revolutionary events of 1917. One of the reasons for the preservation of the system was its traditional character, deeply embedded in the public consciousness. Very indicative here is another story by Chekhov - "Abolished!", Written in 1885 and for some time not allowed to print by censors. The plot arose as a result of a partial reform of military ranks in 1884, when the ranks of major were excluded (all majors who served were promoted to lieutenant colonels) and ensign (serving officers could pass the exam for the rank of second lieutenant or retire). The hero of the story, retired ensign Vyvertov, is having a hard time with what happened, as his idea of his own place in the social hierarchy is crumbling. At the end of the story, he says to his wife: “I, Arina, will not leave this like that. Now I have decided on everything ... I deserve my rank, and no one has the full right to encroach on him. Here's what I thought: I'll write a petition to some high-ranking person and sign: ensign such and such ... ensign ... Do you understand? Out of spite! Ensign... Let it go! Out of spite!
"All civil ranks are abolished"
The dismantling of the system of chinoproizvodstvo and civil service, based on the "Table", began only after the February Revolution. This process took quite a long time. Order No. 1, adopted on March 1, 1917 by the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies, reformed the system of relations in the army, declaring: “In the ranks and in the performance of official duties, soldiers must observe the strictest military discipline, but outside the service and in formation in their political, civil and private life soldiers can in no way be diminished in those rights which all citizens enjoy. In particular, standing up to the front and obligatory saluting outside the service is canceled. “Equally, the title of officers is canceled: Your Excellency, Nobleness, etc., and is replaced by the appeal: Mr. General, Mr. Colonel, etc.,” the same order prescribed.
Then, on March 21, 1917, all court ranks and titles were abolished. But the liquidation of military and civilian officials was delayed. Only by August, the Ministry of Justice of the Provisional Government prepared a draft "On the abolition of civil ranks, orders and other insignia." Titles, if approved, would be canceled for all employees. It was assumed that the ranks and orders will remain only for the military. The division into classes, which would be determined by positions, should have remained in the civil service. However, this project was not accepted. Thus, the system laid down by the "Table of Ranks" continued to function in a somewhat truncated version under the Provisional Government.
After the October Revolution, the process went faster. On November 11, 1917, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars adopted a decree "On the destruction of estates and civil ranks." In his first article it was said: "All estates and class divisions of citizens that have existed in Russia until now, class privileges and restrictions, class organizations and institutions, as well as all civil ranks, are abolished." And the next article prescribed: “All ranks (nobleman, merchant, tradesman, peasant, etc.), titles (princely, county, etc.) and names of civil ranks (secret, state, etc. advisers) are destroyed and one common for everything is established of the population of Russia - the name of the citizens of the Russian Republic".
Meanwhile, the liquidation of officer ranks was again somewhat delayed. It was repeatedly declared in the documents of the Soviet government, however, it was finally approved only by the decree of the Council of People's Commissars "On the equalization of the rights of all military personnel" of December 16, 1917. It contained the following provisions:
1) All ranks and ranks in the army, from the corporal to the general, are abolished. The army of the Russian Republic now consists of free and equal citizens bearing the honorary title of soldier of the revolutionary army.
2) All advantages associated with previous ranks and ranks, as well as all external distinctions, are canceled.
3) All titles are cancelled.
4) All orders and other insignia are cancelled.
Thus ended the almost two hundred year history of the “Table of Ranks”, although for some time official documents still contained such signatures as “former colonel”, “former state councilor”, etc. It is unlikely that all of the persons who called themselves in this way , acted out of spite, like the hero of Chekhov's story "Abolished!". It was just a force of habit.
And the Soviet government, which eliminated the “Table of Ranks” system, soon created its own hierarchy of ranks, titles, awards, uniforms ... But this is a completely different story.
Alexander SAMARIN,
Doctor of Historical Sciences
Shepelev L.E. Official world of Russia. XVIII - early XX century. SPb., 1999
EROSHKIN N.P. History of state institutions of pre-revolutionary Russia. M., 2008
Generality:
General chase and:
-Field Marshal General* - crossed wands.
-general of infantry, cavalry, etc.(the so-called "full general") - without asterisks,
- lieutenant general- 3 stars
- major general- 2 stars
Headquarters officers:
Two gaps and: 
-colonel- without asterisks.
- lieutenant colonel(since 1884, the Cossacks have a military foreman) - 3 stars
-major** (until 1884 the Cossacks had a military foreman) - 2 stars
Ober-officers:
One light and: 
-captain(captain, captain) - without stars.
- staff captain(headquarters captain, podesaul) - 4 stars
-lieutenant(sotnik) - 3 stars
- second lieutenant(cornet, cornet) - 2 stars
- Ensign*** - 1 star
Lower ranks
-zauryad-ensign- 1 galloon stripe along the length of the shoulder strap with the 1st star on the stripe
- Ensign- 1 galloon stripe in the length of the epaulette
- sergeant major(wahmistr) - 1 wide transverse stripe
-st. non-commissioned officer(st. fireworks, st. constable) - 3 narrow cross stripes
- ml. non-commissioned officer(ml. fireworks, ml. sergeant) - 2 narrow cross stripes
- corporal(bombardier, orderly) - 1 narrow transverse stripe
-private(gunner, cossack) - without stripes
*In 1912, the last Field Marshal Dmitry Aleksevich Milyutin, who held the post of Minister of War from 1861 to 1881, dies. This rank was not awarded to anyone else, but nominally this rank was preserved.
** The rank of major was abolished in 1884 and was no longer restored.
*** Since 1884, the rank of warrant officer has been left only for wartime (assigned only during the war, and with its end, all warrant officers are subject to either dismissal or they should be assigned the rank of second lieutenant).
P.S. Ciphers and monograms on shoulder straps are not conditionally placed.
Very often one hears the question "why does the junior rank in the category of staff officers and generals begin with two stars, and not with one like the chief officers?" When, in 1827, stars on epaulettes appeared in the Russian army as insignia, the major general received two stars on the epaulette at once.
There is a version that one star was supposed to be a foreman - this rank has not been assigned since the time of Paul I, but by 1827 they still existed
retired brigadiers who had the right to wear uniforms. True, epaulettes were not supposed to be retired military men. And it is unlikely that many of them survived until 1827 (passed
for about 30 years since the abolition of the brigadier rank). Most likely, the two general's stars were simply copied from the epaulette of a French brigadier general. There is nothing strange in this, because the epaulettes themselves came to Russia from France. Most likely, there was never a single general's star in the Russian imperial army. This version seems more plausible.
As for the major, he received two stars by analogy with the two stars of the Russian major general of that time.
The only exception was the insignia in the hussar regiments in the front and ordinary (everyday) form, in which shoulder cords were worn instead of shoulder straps.
Shoulder cords.
Instead of an epaulette of a cavalry type, the hussars on dolmans and mentics have
hussar shoulder cords. For all officers, the same from a gold or silver double soutache cord of the same color as the cords on the dolman for the lower ranks, shoulder cords from a double soutache cord in color -
orange for regiments having the color of the instrument metal - gold or white for regiments having the color of the instrument metal - silver.
These shoulder cords form a ring at the sleeve, and a loop at the collar, fastened with a uniform button sewn half an inch from the collar seam.
To distinguish the ranks, gombochki are put on the cords (a ring from the same cold cord covering the shoulder cord):
-y corporal- one, of the same color with a cord;
-y non-commissioned officers tricolor gombochkas (white with a St. George thread), in number, like stripes on shoulder straps;
-y sergeant major- gold or silver (as for officers) on an orange or white cord (as for lower ranks);
-y ensign- a shoulder cord of a smooth officer with a gombochka of a sergeant-major;
officers on officer cords have gombos with stars (metal, as on shoulder straps) - in accordance with the rank.
Volunteers wear twisted cords of Romanov colors (white-black-yellow) around the cords.
The shoulder cords of the ober and headquarters officers do not differ in any way.
Headquarters officers and generals have the following differences in uniform: on the collar of a dolman, generals have a wide or gold galloon up to 1 1/8 inches wide, and staff officers have a gold or silver galloon 5/8 inches wide, having the full length "
hussar zigzags", and for chief officers, the collar is sheathed with only one cord or filigree.
In the 2nd and 5th regiments of the chief officers along the upper edge of the collar, there is also galloon, but 5/16 inches wide.
In addition, on the cuffs of the generals there is galloon, the same as the one on the collar. The galloon stripe comes from the cut of the sleeve with two ends, converges in front over the toe.
For staff officers, the galloon is also the same as the one on the collar. The length of the entire patch is up to 5 inches.
And the chief officers are not supposed to galloon.
Below are pictures of the shoulder cords
1. Officers and generals
2. Lower officials
The shoulder cords of the chief, staff officers and generals did not differ in any way from each other. For example, it was possible to distinguish a cornet from a major general only by the appearance and width of the braid on the cuffs and, in some regiments, on the collar.
Twisted cords relied only on adjutants and aide-de-camp!
Shoulder cords of the adjutant wing (left) and adjutant (right)
Officer's epaulettes: lieutenant colonel of the air squadron of the 19th army corps and staff captain of the 3rd field air squadron. In the center - epaulettes of the cadets of the Nikolaev Engineering School. On the right is the epaulette of a captain (most likely a dragoon or lancer regiment)
The Russian army in its modern sense began to be created by Emperor Peter I at the end of the 18th century. The system of military ranks of the Russian army took shape partly under the influence of European systems, partly under the influence of the historically established purely Russian system of ranks. However, at that time there were no military ranks in the sense in which we are accustomed to understand. There were specific military units, there were also quite specific positions and, accordingly, their names. company commander. By the way, in the civil fleet even now, the person in charge of the ship's crew is called the "captain", the person in charge of the seaport is called the "port captain". In the 18th century, many words existed in a slightly different sense than they do now.
So "General" meant - "chief", and not just "highest military leader";
"Major"- "senior" (senior among regimental officers);
"Lieutenant"- "assistant"
"Outbuilding"- "Jr".
"Table of ranks of all ranks of military, civil and courtiers, in which class the ranks are obtained" was put into effect by the Decree of Emperor Peter I on January 24, 1722 and lasted until December 16, 1917. The word "officer" came into Russian from German. But in German, as in English, the word has a much broader meaning. In relation to the army, this term means all military leaders in general. In a narrower translation, it means - "employee", "clerk", "employee". Therefore, it is quite natural - "non-commissioned officers" - junior commanders, "chief officers" - senior commanders, "headquarters officers" - staff members, "generals" - the main ones. Non-commissioned officer ranks also in those days were not ranks, but were positions. Ordinary soldiers were then named according to their military specialties - musketeer, pikeman, dragoon, etc. There was no name "private", and "soldier", as Peter I wrote, means all military personnel ".. from the highest general to the last musketeer, cavalry or on foot ..." Therefore, soldier and non-commissioned officer ranks were not included in the Table. The well-known names "second lieutenant", "lieutenant" existed in the list of ranks of the Russian army long before the formation of the regular army by Peter I to designate military personnel who are assistants to the captain, that is, the company commander; and continued to be used within the framework of the Table as Russian-language synonyms for the positions "non-commissioned lieutenant" and "lieutenant", that is, "assistant" and "assistant". Well, or if you want - "assistant officer for assignments" and "officer for assignments." The name "ensign" as a more understandable one (wearing a banner, ensign), quickly replaced the obscure "fendrik", which meant "candidate for an officer position. Over time, there was a process of separation of the concepts of "position" and "rank". After the beginning of the 19th century, these concepts were already separated quite clearly. With the development of means of warfare, the advent of technology, when the army became large enough and when it was necessary to compare the official position of a fairly large set of job titles. It was here that the concept of "rank" often began to obscure, divert the concept " job title".
However, in the modern army, the position, so to speak, is more important than the rank. According to the charter, seniority is determined by position, and only with equal positions is the one with a higher rank considered older.
According to the "Table of Ranks", the following ranks were introduced: civil, military infantry and cavalry, military artillery and engineering troops, military guards, military fleets.
In the period from 1722-1731, in relation to the army, the system of military ranks looked like this (the corresponding position in brackets)
Lower ranks (ordinary)
By specialty (grenadier. Fuseler ...)
non-commissioned officers
Corporal(part-commander)
Fourier(deputy platoon commander)
Captainarmus
Ensign(foreman of a company, battalion)
Sergeant
Feldwebel
Ensign(Fendrik), junker bayonet (art) (platoon commander)
Second Lieutenant
lieutenant(deputy company commander)
lieutenant captain(company commander)
Captain
Major(deputy battalion commander)
Lieutenant colonel(battalion commander)
Colonel(commander of the regiment)
Brigadier(brigade leader)
generals
Major General(division commander)
lieutenant general(corps commander)
General-anshef (General Feldzekhmeister)- (commander of the army)
Field Marshal General(commander-in-chief, honorary title)
In the Life Guards, the ranks were two classes higher than in the army. In the army artillery and engineering troops, the ranks are one class higher than in the infantry and cavalry. During the period 1731-1765 the concepts of "rank" and "position" are beginning to separate. So in the state of the field infantry regiment of 1732, when indicating the staff ranks, it is already written not just the rank of "quartermaster", but the position indicating the rank: "quartermaster (of the lieutenant rank)". With regard to officers of the company level, the separation of the concepts of "position" and "rank" is not yet observed. In the army "fendrick" is replaced by " ensign", in the cavalry - "cornet". Ranks are being introduced "Second Major" And "Prime Major" During the reign of Empress Catherine II (1765-1798) ranks are introduced in the army infantry and cavalry junior and senior sergeant, sergeant major disappears. Since 1796 in the Cossack units, the names of the ranks are the same as the ranks of the army cavalry and are equated to them, although the Cossack units continue to be listed as irregular cavalry (not part of the army). There is no rank of second lieutenant in the cavalry, and captain corresponds to the captain. During the reign of Emperor Paul I (1796-1801) the concepts of "rank" and "position" in this period are already separated quite clearly. The ranks in the infantry and artillery are compared. Paul I did a lot of useful things to strengthen the army and discipline in it. He forbade the registration of minor noble children in the regiments. All recorded in the regiments were required to serve really. He introduced disciplinary and criminal liability of officers for soldiers (preservation of life and health, training, clothing, living conditions) forbade the use of soldiers as labor force on the estates of officers and generals; introduced the awarding of soldiers with insignia of the orders of St. Anne and the Maltese Cross; introduced an advantage in promotion in the ranks of officers who graduated from military educational institutions; ordered to be promoted in ranks only on business qualities and ability to command; introduced holidays for soldiers; limited the duration of officers' vacations to one month a year; dismissed from the army a large number of generals who did not meet the requirements of military service (old age, illiteracy, disability, absence from service for a long time, etc.). Ranks are introduced in the lower ranks ordinary junior and senior salary. In the cavalry sergeant major(company foreman) For Emperor Alexander I (1801-1825) since 1802, all non-commissioned officers of the nobility are called "junker". Since 1811, the rank of "major" was abolished in the artillery and engineering troops and the rank of "ensign" was returned. During the reign of Emperors Nicholas I (1825-1855) , who did a lot to streamline the army, Alexander II (1855-1881) and the beginning of the reign of Emperor Alexander III (1881-1894) Since 1828, army Cossacks have been given ranks other than army cavalry (In the Life Guards Cossack and Life Guards Ataman regiments, the ranks are like those of the entire guards cavalry). The Cossack units themselves are transferred from the category of irregular cavalry to the army. The concepts of "rank" and "position" in this period are already completely separated. Under Nicholas I, the discrepancy in the naming of non-commissioned officers disappears. Since 1884, the rank of warrant officer has been left only for wartime (assigned only during the war, and with its end, all warrant officers are subject to either dismissal or they should be assigned the rank of second lieutenant). The rank of cornet in the cavalry is retained as the first officer rank. He is a class below the infantry lieutenant, but in the cavalry there is no rank of second lieutenant. This equalizes the ranks of infantry and cavalry. In the Cossack units, the classes of officers are equated with the cavalry, but have their own names. In this regard, the rank of military foreman, previously equal to major, now becomes equal to lieutenant colonel
"In 1912, the last General Field Marshal Milyutin Dmitry Alekseevich, who served as Minister of War from 1861 to 1881, dies. This rank was not assigned to anyone else, but nominally this rank was preserved"
In 1910, the rank of Russian Field Marshal was awarded to the King of Montenegro, Nicholas I, and in 1912, to the King of Romania, Carol I.
P.S. After the October Revolution of 1917, by the Decree of the Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars (Bolshevik government) of December 16, 1917, all military ranks were abolished ...
The officer epaulettes of the tsarist army were arranged completely differently than modern ones. First of all, the gaps were not part of the galloon, as we have been doing since 1943. In the engineering troops, two harness galloons or one harness and two headquarters officer galloons were simply sewn onto the shoulder strap. For each type of troops, the type of galloon was determined specifically. For example, in the hussar regiments on officer shoulder straps, a galloon of the "hussar zig-zag" type was used. On the shoulder straps of military officials, a "civilian" galloon was used. Thus, the gaps of officer epaulettes were always the same color as the field of soldier epaulettes. If shoulder straps in this part did not have a colored edging (edging), as, say, it was in the engineering troops, then the edgings had the same color as the gaps. But if in part the epaulettes had a colored edging, then it was visible around the officer's epaulette. A silver-colored epaulette button without sides with an extruded double-headed eagle sitting on crossed axes. and letters, or silver monograms (to whom it is necessary). At the same time, it was widespread to wear gilded forged metal stars, which were supposed to be worn only on epaulettes.
The placement of the stars was not rigidly set and was determined by the size of the encryption. Two stars were supposed to be placed around the encryption, and if it filled the entire width of the shoulder strap, then above it. The third asterisk had to be placed so as to form an equilateral triangle with the two lower ones, and the fourth asterisk was slightly higher. If there is one asterisk on the chase (for the ensign), then it was placed where the third asterisk is usually attached. Special signs were also gilded metal patches, although it was not uncommon to find them embroidered with gold thread. The exception was the special signs of aviation, which were oxidized and had the color of silver with a patina.
1. Epaulette staff captain 20 engineer battalion
2. Epaulette for lower ranks Lancers 2nd Leib Ulansky Courland Regiment 1910
3. Epaulette full general from the cavalry suite His Imperial Majesty Nicholas II. The silver device of the epaulette testifies to the high military rank of the owner (only the marshal was higher)
About the stars on uniform
Forged five-pointed stars first appeared on the epaulettes of Russian officers and generals in January 1827 (during the time of Pushkin). Ensigns and cornets began to wear one golden star, two - lieutenants and major generals, three - lieutenants and lieutenant generals. four - staff captains and staff captains.
A with April 1854 Russian officers began to wear embroidered stars on the newly established shoulder straps. For the same purpose, diamonds were used in the German army, knots in the British, and six-pointed stars in the Austrian.
Although the designation of a military rank on shoulder straps is a characteristic feature of the Russian army and the German one.
Among the Austrians and the British, shoulder straps had a purely functional role: they were sewn from the same material as the tunic so that the shoulder straps would not slip. And the rank was indicated on the sleeve. The five-pointed star, the pentagram is a universal symbol of protection, security, one of the oldest. In ancient Greece, it could be found on coins, on the doors of houses, stables and even on cradles. Among the Druids of Gaul, Britain, Ireland, the five-pointed star (druidic cross) was a symbol of protection from external evil forces. And until now it can be seen on the window panes of medieval Gothic buildings. The French Revolution revived the five-pointed stars as a symbol of the ancient god of war Mars. They denoted the rank of the commanders of the French army - on hats, epaulettes, scarves, on the tails of the uniform.
The military reforms of Nicholas I copied the appearance of the French army - this is how the stars "rolled down" from the French sky to the Russian one.
As for the British army, even during the Anglo-Boer War, stars began to migrate to shoulder straps. This is about officers. For the lower ranks and warrant officers, the insignia remained on the sleeves.
In the Russian, German, Danish, Greek, Romanian, Bulgarian, American, Swedish and Turkish armies, shoulder straps were insignia. In the Russian army, shoulder straps were for both lower ranks and officers. Also in the Bulgarian and Romanian armies, as well as in the Swedish. In the French, Spanish and Italian armies, insignia were placed on the sleeves. In the Greek army, officers on shoulder straps, on the sleeves of the lower ranks. In the Austro-Hungarian army, the insignia of officers and lower ranks were on the collar, those were lapel. In the German army, only officers had insignia on shoulder straps, while the lower ranks differed from each other by the galloon on the cuffs and collar, as well as the uniform button on the collar. The exception was the so-called Kolonial truppe, where as additional (and in a number of colonies the main) insignia of the lower ranks were chevrons made of silver galloon sewn on the left sleeve of a-la gefreiters of 30-45 years.
It is interesting to note that with service and field uniforms in peacetime, that is, with a tunic of the 1907 model, the officers of the hussar regiments wore shoulder straps, which were also somewhat different from the shoulder straps of the rest of the Russian army. For hussar shoulder straps, galloon with the so-called "hussar zigzag" was used
The only unit where epaulets with the same zigzag were worn, except for the hussar regiments, was the 4th battalion (from 1910 a regiment) of the riflemen of the Imperial family. Here is a sample: the epaulette of the captain of the 9th Kyiv Hussars.
Unlike the German hussars, who wore uniforms of the same tailoring, differing only in the color of the fabric. With the introduction of khaki shoulder straps, the zigzags also disappeared, the encryption on the shoulder straps indicated belonging to the hussars. For example, "6 G", that is, the 6th Hussar.
In general, the field uniform of the hussars was of the dragoon type, those combined arms. The only difference indicating belonging to the hussars was indicated by boots with a rosette in front. However, the hussar regiments were allowed to wear chakchirs with field uniforms, but not all regiments, but only the 5th and 11th. The wearing of chakchira by the rest of the regiments was a kind of "non-statutory". But during the war, this happened, as well as the wearing by some officers of a saber, instead of the standard Dracoon saber, which was supposed to be with field equipment.
The photograph shows the captain of the 11th Izyum Hussar Regiment K.K. von Rosenshild-Paulin (sitting) and Junker of the Nikolaev Cavalry School K.N. von Rosenshild-Paulin (also later an officer of the Izyum regiment). Captain in summer full dress or dress uniform, i.e. in a tunic of the 1907 model, with galloon epaulettes and the number 11 (note that on the officer epaulettes of the peacetime cavalry regiments, there are only numbers, without the letters "G", "D" or "U"), and blue chakchirs worn by officers of this regiment in all forms of clothing.
Regarding "non-statutory", during the years of the World War, apparently, the wearing of galloon epaulettes of peacetime by hussar officers was also encountered.
on the galloon officer shoulder straps of the cavalry regiments, only numbers were affixed, and there were no letters. which is confirmed by photographs.
Zauryad Ensign- from 1907 to 1917 in the Russian army, the highest military rank for non-commissioned officers. The insignia for ordinary ensigns were ensign shoulder straps with a large (larger than officer's) asterisk in the upper third of the shoulder strap on the line of symmetry. The rank was assigned to the most experienced non-commissioned officers, with the outbreak of the First World War, it began to be assigned to ensigns as an encouragement, often immediately before the first senior officer rank (ensign or cornet) was awarded.
From Brockhaus and Efron:
Zauryad Ensign, military During mobilization, with a lack of persons who meet the conditions for promotion to an officer's rank, some. non-commissioned officers are awarded the rank of Z. Ensign; correcting the duties of a junior. officers, Z. great. limited in the rights of movement in the service.
Interesting history of ensign. In the period 1880-1903. this rank was assigned to graduates of cadet schools (not to be confused with military schools). In the cavalry, he corresponded to the rank of standard junker, in the Cossack troops - to the cadet. Those. it turned out that it was a kind of intermediate rank between the lower ranks and officers. Ensigns who graduated from the Junkers School in the 1st category were promoted to officers not earlier than September of the graduation year, but outside the vacancies. Those who graduated from the 2nd category were promoted to officers not earlier than the beginning of the next year, but only for vacancies, and it turned out that some were waiting for production for several years. According to the order of the BB No. 197 for 1901, with the production in 1903 of the last ensigns, standard junkers and cadets, these ranks were canceled. This was due to the beginning of the transformation of cadet schools into military ones.
Since 1906, the rank of lieutenant in the infantry and cavalry and cadet in the Cossack troops began to be assigned to overtime non-commissioned officers who graduated from a special school. Thus, this title became the maximum for the lower ranks.
Ensign, standard junker and cadet, 1886:
The epaulette of the staff captain of the Cavalry Guards Regiment and the epaulettes of the staff captain of the Life Guards of the Moscow Regiment.
The first shoulder strap is declared as the shoulder strap of an officer (captain) of the 17th Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment. But Nizhny Novgorod residents should have a dark green piping along the edge of the shoulder strap, and the monogram should be of an applied color. And the second shoulder strap is presented as the shoulder strap of a second lieutenant of the guards artillery (with such a monogram in the guards artillery there were shoulder straps of officers of only two batteries: the 1st battery of the Life Guards of the 2nd Artillery Brigade and the 2nd battery of the Guards Horse Artillery), but the shoulder strap button should not whether to have in this case an eagle with cannons.
Major(Spanish mayor - more, stronger, more significant) - the first rank of senior officers.
The title originated in the 16th century. The major was responsible for guarding and feeding the regiment. When the regiments were divided into battalions, the battalion commander, as a rule, became a major.
In the Russian army, the rank of major was introduced by Peter I in 1698, and abolished in 1884.
Prime Major - a staff officer rank in the Russian imperial army of the 18th century. He belonged to the VIII class of the "Table of Ranks".
According to the charter of 1716, the majors were divided into prime majors and second majors.
The Prime Major was in charge of the combat and inspector units in the regiment. He commanded the 1st battalion, and in the absence of the regimental commander - the regiment.
The division into prime and second majors was abolished in 1797."
"It appeared in Russia as a rank and position (deputy regiment commander) in the streltsy army at the end of the 15th - early 16th centuries. In the streltsy regiments, as a rule, lieutenant colonels (often of "mean" origin) performed all administrative functions for the head of the streltsy, appointed from among the nobles or boyars In the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th century, the rank (rank) and position were referred to as lieutenant colonel due to the fact that the lieutenant colonel usually, in addition to his other duties, commanded the second “half” of the regiment - the back rows in formation and the reserve (before the introduction of the battalion formation of regular soldier regiments) From the moment the Table of Ranks was introduced until its abolition in 1917, the rank (rank) of lieutenant colonel belonged to the VII class of the Table of Ranks and gave the right to hereditary nobility until 1856. In 1884, after the abolition of the rank of major in the Russian army, all majors (with the exception of the dismissed or those who have stained themselves with unseemly misconduct) are promoted to lieutenant colonels.
INSIGNIA OF CIVIL OFFICERS OF THE MILITARY MINISTRY (here are military topographers)
Ranks of the Imperial Military Medical Academy
Chevrons of combatant lower ranks of extra-long service according to "Regulations on the lower ranks of the non-commissioned officer rank, remaining voluntarily in extra-long active service" dated 1890.
From left to right: Up to 2 years, Over 2 to 4 years, Over 4 to 6 years, Over 6 years
To be precise, the article, from where these drawings are borrowed, says the following: "... the awarding of chevrons to super-enlisted lower ranks holding the positions of sergeant majors (wahmisters) and platoon non-commissioned officers (fireworks) of combatant companies, squadrons, batteries was carried out:
- Upon admission to long-term service - a silver narrow chevron
- At the end of the second year of long-term service - a silver wide chevron
- At the end of the fourth year of long-term service - a gold narrow chevron
- At the end of the sixth year of long-term service - a gold wide chevron"
In army infantry regiments to designate the ranks of corporal, ml. and senior non-commissioned officers, an army white braid was used.
1. The rank of WRITTEN, since 1991, exists in the army only in wartime.
With the beginning of the Great War, ensigns graduate from military schools and ensign schools.
2. The rank of WARNING OFFICER of the reserve, in peacetime, on the shoulder straps of an ensign, wears a galloon patch against the device at the lower rib.
3. The rank of WRITTEN OFFICER, in this rank in wartime, when military units are mobilized with a shortage of junior officers, the lower ranks are renamed from non-commissioned officers with an educational qualification, or from sergeants without
educational qualification. From 1891 to 1907, warrant officers on the shoulder straps of an ensign also wear rank stripes, from which they were renamed.
4. Title ZAURYAD-WRITTEN OFFICER (since 1907). Shoulder straps of a lieutenant with an officer's star and a transverse stripe according to the position. Chevron sleeve 5/8 inches, angle up. Shoulder straps of an officer's standard were retained only by those who were renamed Z-Pr. during the Russo-Japanese War and remained in the army, for example, as a sergeant major.
5. The title of WRITTEN OFFICER-ZURYAD of the State Militia Squad. Non-commissioned officers of the reserve were renamed into this rank, or, in the presence of an educational qualification, who served for at least 2 months as a non-commissioned officer of the State Militia Squad and was appointed junior officer of the squad. Ensigns-zauryad wore epaulettes of an active duty ensign with a galloon stripe of instrument color sewn into the lower part of the epaulettes.
Cossack ranks and titles
On the lowest rung of the service ladder stood an ordinary Cossack, corresponding to an ordinary infantry. This was followed by an orderly, who had one badge and corresponded to a corporal in the infantry. The next rung of the career ladder is the junior officer and the senior officer, corresponding to the junior non-commissioned officer, non-commissioned officer and senior non-commissioned officer and with the number of badges characteristic of modern sergeants. This was followed by the rank of sergeant major, who was not only in the Cossacks, but also in the non-commissioned officers of the cavalry and horse artillery.
In the Russian army and gendarmerie, the sergeant-major was the closest assistant to the commander of a hundred, squadron, battery for drill, internal order and economic affairs. The rank of sergeant major corresponded to the rank of sergeant major in the infantry. According to the regulation of 1884, introduced by Alexander III, the next rank in the Cossack troops, but only for wartime, was the cadet, an intermediate rank between a lieutenant and ensign in the infantry, also introduced in wartime. In peacetime, in addition to the Cossack troops, these ranks existed only for reserve officers. The next degree in the chief officer ranks is cornet, corresponding to a second lieutenant in the infantry and a cornet in the regular cavalry.
According to his official position, he corresponded to a junior lieutenant in the modern army, but wore shoulder straps with a blue gap on a silver field (the applied color of the Don Cossacks) with two stars. In the old army, compared to the Soviet one, the number of stars was one more. Next came the centurion - the chief officer rank in the Cossack troops, corresponding to a lieutenant in the regular army. The centurion wore epaulettes of the same design, but with three stars, corresponding in position to a modern lieutenant. A higher step - podesaul.
This rank was introduced in 1884. In the regular troops, it corresponded to the rank of staff captain and staff captain.
The podesaul was an assistant or deputy to the Yesaul and in his absence he commanded a Cossack hundred.
Shoulder straps of the same design, but with four stars.
According to his official position, he corresponds to a modern senior lieutenant. And the highest rank of chief officer rank is Yesaul. It is worth talking about this rank especially, since in a purely historical sense, the people who wore it held positions in both civil and military departments. In various Cossack troops, this position included various official prerogatives.
The word comes from the Turkic "yasaul" - chief.
In the Cossack troops it was first mentioned in 1576 and was used in the Ukrainian Cossack army.
Yesauls were general, military, regimental, hundreds, stanitsa, marching and artillery. General Yesaul (two per Army) - the highest rank after the hetman. In peacetime, general captains performed inspection functions, in war they commanded several regiments, and in the absence of a hetman, the entire Army. But this is typical only for Ukrainian Cossacks. Troop captains were chosen on the Military Circle (in the Don and most others, two per Army, in the Volga and Orenburg - one each). Dealt with administrative matters. Since 1835, they were appointed as adjutants to the military ataman. Regimental captains (originally two per regiment) performed the duties of staff officers, were the closest assistants to the regiment commander.
Hundreds of Yesauls (one per hundred) commanded hundreds. This link did not take root in the Don Cossacks after the first centuries of the existence of the Cossacks.
The stanitsa Yesauls were typical only for the Don Cossacks. They were selected at stanitsa gatherings and were assistants to stanitsa atamans. They performed the functions of assistants to the marching ataman, in the 16th-17th centuries, in his absence, they commanded the army, later they were executors of the orders of the marching ataman.
Only the military captain was preserved under the military ataman of the Don Cossack army. In 1798 - 1800. the rank of captain was equated to the rank of captain in the cavalry. Yesaul, as a rule, commanded a Cossack hundred. Corresponded to the official position of the modern captain. He wore epaulettes with a blue gap on a silver field without stars. Next come the headquarters officer ranks. In fact, after the reform of Alexander III in 1884, the rank of Yesaul entered this rank, in connection with which the major link was removed from the headquarters officer ranks, as a result of which the soldier from the captains immediately became a lieutenant colonel. The name of this rank comes from the ancient name of the executive authority of the Cossacks. In the second half of the 18th century, this name, in a modified form, spread to persons who commanded certain branches of the Cossack army. Since 1754, the military foreman was equated with a major, and with the abolition of this rank in 1884, with a lieutenant colonel. He wore shoulder straps with two blue gaps on a silver field and three large stars.
Well, then comes the colonel, shoulder straps are the same as those of the military foreman, but without stars. Starting from this rank, the service ladder is unified with the general army, since the purely Cossack names of the ranks disappear. The official position of a Cossack general fully corresponds to the general ranks of the Russian Army.
