Location of stars on epaulets. Major, captain, general

Purses are an indispensable attribute of any military or employee of law enforcement agencies in most countries of the world. How long have they appeared in Russia? How to distinguish them depending on the specific military rank? Do military-style shoulder straps differ from those worn by law enforcement officials? Are there any national standards that regulate the appearance of insignia in the army and law enforcement agencies? In this article, we will try to answer all these questions, along the way we will understand how the mentioned attributes of the form of the junior and senior command staff look, including the shoulder straps of the major. Photos will also be presented.

History of military insignia

A number of historians agree that before the emergence of an army functioning on a regular basis in Russia, the external distinction of military ranks had very few criteria. The senior and junior ranks differed except that we cover clothes and the type of weapons. Some modernization occurred during the time of Peter the Great. Officers began wearing gorgets (badges in the form of a scarf, which was attended by elements of state heraldry). At the beginning of the XIX century in the Russian army were introduced uniforms, in design, close to modern ("frachnye"). There were headdresses underlining the difference in military ranks. Gradually epaulettes entered into fashion. The officers had the same color as the uniform, and the generals had golden shades. Some samples of epaulets made it possible to distinguish between, say, the head and staff officers. True, this sign of distinction did not say anything about military ranks.

In the 20-ies of the XIX century on the military uniform of Russian soldiers appeared asterisks. One meant that the military man had the rank of ensign, two - the major, three - the lieutenant-colonel, four - the captain-captain. Colonels, however, wore epaulettes, on which there were no stars at all. In the 1840s, the non-commissioned officers acquired insignia in the form of cross strips, something similar to the crocheting in the Soviet Army from sergeants.

Pogones and stars in a more or less modern form appeared in Russia in the middle of the XIX century. Some historians associate their appearance with the introduction of a new type of clothing - a camp overcoat. Purses, which were sewn with galloons and asterisks (it is noteworthy that all officers, including higher ranks, had the same size), were fixed on the shoulders of uniforms.

After the revolution of 1917, the stars and shoulder straps, as one of the symbols of the tsarist regime, were abolished. But over time, the military leadership of the USSR began to return to historical signs of difference. First appeared stripes on the sleeves, and in 1943 - epaulettes. Photo and video materials of those years allow to study in detail their features.

Pogony in the army of the USSR

In January 1943 the decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was adopted on the introduction of epaulettes for the Red Army. From that moment on, this sign of distinction was invariably present on the clothes of Soviet soldiers, and then Russian ones. Many historians agree that the appearance of epaulettes in the USSR could be considered a sensation: in a relatively recent - in that historical retrospective - this element of military clothing was openly despised by the Bolsheviks, since it was strongly associated with tsarism. In the Red Army appeared two types of epaulettes (just like in the imperial, by the way): for wearing in the field and everyday. The first differed in camouflage color ("khaki"), covered with colored edging.

On the epaulettes intended for everyday wearing, there was an emblem corresponding to the troop type, as well as brass buttons. Signs of rank differences sometimes contained the number of the military unit. One of the principal differences, according to a number of military historians, between tsarist and Soviet epaulets is in the magnitude of asterisks. In the USSR, they were larger.

Some historians note the following fact: since the introduction of epaulettes in the USSR, the forgotten word "officer", which is actively used under the tsarist regime, has gradually returned to the speech of the military. Under Soviet rule, this category of military was called the command and command structure. Sometimes the expression "commander of the Red Army" was used.

Legally, the term "officer" was not fixed in the Soviet Union. At first, he was used unofficially, in oral conversations. But over time, he entered into the army document circulation on a completely formal basis. True, as historians note, in some orders as early as 1942 the word "officer" was still present.

Stars on epaulets

In the army of the Russian Empire, in the Soviet troops (after 1943) and the modern armed forces of the Russian Federation, one of the main elements on shoulder straps is the stars. In different periods of time, their shape and color could be different. There were pure gold stars for epaulets, silver, metal. At the time of approval in 1943, they were flat, and only in the course of years they acquired a three-dimensional shape - they became ribbed, with elements of corrugation. The diameter of large elements is 20 mm, small - 13 mm. At first the Soviet army was supplied with brass stars, later with aluminum ones. Until the early 80's they had a silvery color, then - golden (except for the stars for field shoulder straps - they were dark green and were made of steel).

These features of army stars, formed in the Soviet years, remain relevant for modern Russian troops. Changes, if any, are small. Sometimes in the army of the Russian Federation there are stars of protective color or ordinary green. Still at the details made of metal, now in most cases the smoothed edges. Among other notable innovations are "false shoes", on which various elements, including stars, are painted with paint. Their application is almost always limited to the field form. According to some military experts, "falshgony" fell on soldiers because of convenience - ordinary metal stars could cling to rucksacks, vests, shine in the sun and give out a soldier to the enemy.

The main formats of military epaulettes in Russia

The appearance of epaulettes of modern Russian officers was first approved by the President's Decree in 1994 and a similar legal act in 2010 (and subsequent editions). The symbolism typical of the Soviet era (hammer and sickle, the coat of arms of the USSR) was replaced by the Russian one. According to the standards adopted at the highest state level, the epaulettes must have a rectangular shape (the upper edge in the form of a trapezoid), have a color - golden or coincident with the tones of the uniform. On the shoulder straps of various departments there is a kant of a certain color. Also on these form attributes is a button.

In Airborne Forces, the Air Force of Russia, space troops shoulder straps are equipped with a blue edging. In the FSB, the Service of Special Objects and the Federal Guard Service of this element on shoulder straps is not at all, or it is cornflower blue.

A distinctive feature is the shoulder straps of the Marshal of the Russian Federation - on their longitudinal axis line there is a star, and a kant - red color.

The stars on the insignia of the soldiers of the modern Russian army are also located in accordance with the standards. General army lines are distinguished by one star, the size of which is larger than that of officers of lower rank, whose title contains the word "general". The color of the edge depends on the kind of troops. A similar format is the shoulder straps of fleet admirals. On them - one star, larger in size than those that are located on the insignia of the vice and rear admirals.

Stitches approved in the Russian Federation have such an element as lumens. Their number depends on the rank of serviceman. The shots of the colonel of the Russian army and the major contain two lumens. Captain, Lieutenant - one.

Private army of the Russian Federation

The lowest military rank, approved in the Russian army, is an ordinary rank. Officially, it was fixed in 1946, before that the soldiers were called soldiers or Red Army men. Sometimes other words are added when addressing a soldier. For example, a rank-and-file justice (if it is a question of a military reserve). In the Navy, the analog of the rank of Private is a sailor. Soldiers who have achieved certain successes in carrying out military service may receive the title of corporal (in the fleet - the senior sailor). In the absence of superior commanders, they can manage a platoon of privates (sailors). How to determine both military rank on shoulder straps? It's very simple: the rank and file on the insignia has the abbreviation BC and there are no additional elements. The corporal has a lie.

The next rank in rank for the rank and file is the junior sergeant. As a rule, it is received by corporals for any merit or good discipline, sometimes - at the dismissal from the army to the reserve. In the Navy, the rank of junior sergeant corresponds to the rank of foreman of the second article. A soldier can be promoted to a sergeant. This same rank can be obtained by a cadet of a military school. Rank higher in the ground forces - foreman. An interesting fact is that this title and exactly the same sounding in the Navy are not the same. In the ground forces, the sergeant is two steps higher than the sergeant. On ships - otherwise. There the foreman is called the military, corresponding to the rank of the land sergeant. Higher in the army - the senior sergeant. In the Navy, he is also the chief ship's sergeant-major. Further, a soldier of the Russian army can rise to the rank of ensign (in the fleet - midshipman), and then - to obtain the title of "senior".

On the epaulettes of the junior sergeant there is an abbreviation of the Sun and two skins. The sergeant has three, the older one has one wide wedge. The foreman wears epaulettes with one wide and one narrow skirt. Ensigns and midshipmen wear two stars on shoulder straps, in the rank of seniors - three. The location of the stars on epaulets is in one row.

Junior officers

Under the junior officers is understood the totality of army ranks, starting from the junior lieutenant (who is considered higher in rank than the ensign) to the captain (lower in rank than the major). Often, servicemen present in battalion units, platoons and companies are also referred to as junior officers. Graduates of higher educational institutions of military profile (or students of the last courses of these institutions) can receive the rank of junior lieutenant. In a number of cases (for example, if there are not enough officers to perform a certain group of tasks), this rank can be assigned to a graduate of an ordinary civil institution. However, the rank of lieutenant can be obtained only by the soldier who served in the army. Similarly, military personnel are given the rank of a senior lieutenant. The younger officers include soldiers in the rank of captains.

An interesting fact is that it is the location of stars on shoulder straps, and not their number that distinguishes junior officers from members of the rank and file army. Here are a few examples. The lieutenant's ranks contain only two stars, while the soldier has a rank lower than the senior warrant officer-three. However, the officer's asterisks are located in the neighborhood and across the shoulder strap. At that time, as in the ensign - in a line along. The senior lieutenant has three stars, they are arranged in the form of a triangle, the distance of the stars on shoulder straps is the same. The captain, in turn, has four stars. Three of them - in the form of a triangle, and another of the same size captain's cap in the area that is closer to the collar uniforms. The junior lieutenant wears shoulder straps with one star in the middle part of the shoulder strap (slightly closer to the edge relative to the middle).

Senior officers

A serviceman, who received the rank of major, may consider himself a senior officer. An interesting fact is that the words pronounced in addition to addressing a military officer of this rank in the reserve may coincide with those that are used when referring to the rank and file. The captain of the ground forces in the Russian fleet corresponds to a title with a similar sound, but the phrase "third rank" is added. Above the major - lieutenant colonel (in the fleet - captain second rank), then - Colonel (in the Navy - captain first rank).

If, in comparing the signs of differences for junior officers and the rank-and-file composition of the army, the location of the stars on the epaulettes played a decisive role, then for the senior officer category, the size of these elements is of decisive importance. Here are a few examples. The junior lieutenant has one star on his shoulder straps. Overwhelming him by several grades in rank, the major also has one star. But they differ in size. The major's shoulder straps are decorated with a larger star. Similarly, the insignia of the lieutenant and lieutenant-colonel correspond. Both have two stars. But they have much more from a senior officer.

Precisely for the same reason, we can distinguish the shoulder straps of the colonel of the Russian army and a similar insignia from the senior lieutenant. Both have three stars. The junior officer wears those that are much smaller in size. The distance of the stars on the shoulder straps is the same. By the way, captain's epaulettes are unique in their kind. Only they are four stars. More or as many do not have any of the officers. As for comparing the shoulder straps of servicemen of various ranks in the navy, then the same rules apply exactly.

Senior officers

At the top of the hierarchy of titles in the Russian army - the highest officer corps. The first step is taken by the major-general (the rear admiral corresponds to him in the fleet). These are officers, commanding divisions, the number of which exceeds 150 thousand soldiers. Then follows the lieutenant-general (and this despite the fact that in the lower-ranking officers there is a major superior to the lieutenant). Historically, the lieutenant-general assumed the functions of a higher level (for example, part of those that are under the authority of the army general). In some cases, a representative of the higher military staff of the Russian armed forces may be appointed to the General Staff or the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. As a rule, servicemen of this category carry the rank of colonel-general. In the Navy, they have their ranks. The officer at the highest rank in the Russian armed forces is the army general, in the Navy - the navy admiral.

To correctly distinguish the ranks of higher officers from junior and senior, you need to take into account a number of nuances: the location of stars on epaulets, their size and even color. There are options where it is difficult to make a mistake, for example, if the shoulder straps are worn by the colonel. How many stars on his shoulder straps, we have already noted above - three. The same number as the senior lieutenant, but their size is smaller. They have a triangle for both soldiers - no one else has such an arrangement. A greater chance of mistaking is in the recognition of major-general's shoulder straps. They have one star. Major's stitches also contain a single asterisk. The same situation with the attributes of the uniform of the junior lieutenant. It is unmistakable to recognize a higher officer by the absence of other elements (strips) on his shoulder straps. Another example is Lieutenant-General. Military rifles in this rank contain two stars, located along. In the same way as in the ensign. But the higher officer has more stars. A similar example is the colonel-general. His runways hold three stars - as much as the senior ensign. The difference is the same size.

Running in the police of the Russian Federation

Ranking by ranks and use of epaulettes as insignia is used not only in the Russian army, but also in law enforcement structures, including the police. Due to some similarity of types of activities - military and law enforcement, the principles of the location of stars and other elements on shoulder straps in the police in general are similar to those typical for the Russian army.

The ordinary composition of the police does not have any elements on epaulettes. The exception is the insignia of the cadets, on which the letter "K" is present. Above the rank and file in the police table of ranks - the junior command staff, represented by sergeants, sergeants and warrant officers. The key element in the marks of distinction characteristic of these ranks is the discs and asterisks. The sergeants, no matter the level, there are no stars. The younger ones have two thin skins, the sergeants have three, the elders have one wide.

The police sergeant owns shoulder straps with one wide longitudinal strip. Insignia of the ensign are characterized by the presence of stars: the usual two, the elder - three. They are located in a row. The average commanding staff is represented by ranks from the junior lieutenant to the captain. Their shoulder straps are characterized by the presence of a "gleam" - a red strip running in the middle. There are asterisks: the junior lieutenant has one, the usual one has two, the older one has three. The captain's shoulder straps contain four asterisks. Next in rank is the senior commander. Rags of this category of police officers contain two "gaps". Ranks differ in the number of stars. On the shoulder straps of the major - one. The lieutenant-colonel has two. Colonel's runs contain three stars. The highest command of the police is the generals. They wear epaulettes without "gaps", with stars of a larger size than those of medium-sized officers. The Major General has one star. Police officers have higher rank: the lieutenant-general wears shoulder straps with two stars, the colonel-general with three.

Higher military rank in the Russian Federation

The highest military rank in our country is the Marshal of the Russian Federation. It was legislatively established in 1993 and replaced the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union. In the modern history of Russia it was assigned only once. He was awarded the Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev in 1997. The Marshal of the Russian Federation wears shoulder straps on which one big star is located, as well as a double-headed eagle - one of the symbols of Russia and the main elements of the state arms of the country.

Igor Sergeyev was born in the Ukrainian SSR, in 1938. He served in the Armed Forces of the USSR since 1955. In 1960, he joined the Rocket Forces, where he moved from the chief of the department to the post of Commander-in-Chief. In 1973 he graduated with honors from the Military Academy. Dzerzhinsky, in 1980 - the Military Academy of the General Staff of the USSR. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, he continued his service in the army of the Russian Federation. Between 1992 and 1997, he commanded the country's Missile Forces. He improved the level of combat training of troops, provided technical equipment. Controlled the introduction of new missile systems into the army. In May 1997, he was appointed Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. He was a member of the Security Council, the Presidium of the Government of Russia. In November, Igor Sergeyev was awarded the title of Marshal of the Russian Federation. So far, more than any of the servicemen of Russia has not been awarded it. In 2001, Igor Sergeyev resigned and became an assistant to the President on issues related to strategic stability. Worked in the field of negotiation processes on missile defense systems, strategic weapons, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. He held the post until March 2004. After a long illness, he passed away on November 10, 2006. In the Donetsk region (Ukraine) was installed a memorial plaque dedicated to Igor Sergeyev.