Table of Ranks

Glossary:

Feierverker - fireworker, i.e. an artillery specialist, from German Feuerwerker.
Fel'dtseikhmeister - ordnance officer, from German Feldzeugmeister.
Fendrikh - cornet, from German Fähnrich.
Fiskal - government inspector.
Geval'diger - military police officer, from German Gewaltiger.
Inzhener - engineer.
Korabel'nyi - (adjective) ship's.
Krigs (as a prefix) - war, from German Krieg.
Kvartirmeistr - quartermaster.
Lekar' - doctor.
Michman - midshipman.
Nadvornyi - (adjective) court.
Pochtmeister - postmaster.
Pod- (as a prefix) - sub-, under-, or lieutenant (as in podpolkovnik).
Polevoi - (adjective) field.
Polkovnik - colonel, from the word polk ("regiment").
Poruchik, or Porutchik - lieutenant.
Praporshchik - ensign.
Profos - provost.
Rang - rank.
Rotmistr - captain of cavalry, from German Rittmeister.
Shautbenakht - naval commander's rank, from Dutch schout bij nacht ("watch by night").
Shtyk - bayonet.
Tsalmeister - paymaster, from German Zahlmeister.
Tseikhvarter - armorer, from German Zeugwarter.
Vagenmeister - wagonmaster.
Yunker - junker, i.e. cadet or officer candidate.
Zapas - reserve (zapasa - of the reserve)/

Table of Ranks [Tabel' o Rangakh]

Class
Army - Early 18th century
(Note 1)

Navy- Early 18th century (Note 1)

Army - Late 18th century
(Note 3)

Navy - Late 18th century (Note 3)

Army - c. 1800
(Notes 4 and 5)

Navy - c. 1800
(Notes 4 and 5)

Army - 1884-1917
(Note 13)

Navy - c. 1860-1917
(Note 14)

Mining ranks -
c. 1760 to 1867
(Notes 7 and 8)

Court ranks
(Note 9)

Civil Ranks - c. 1800
(Note 11)

      Generalissimus (Note 2).    Generalissimus.    Generalissimus.


1 Fieldmarshal General-Fel'dmarshal (Note 1-1). General-Admiral (Note 1-3). General-Fel'dmarshal. General-Admiral. General-Fel'dmarshal. General-Admiral. General-Fel'dmarshal. General-Admiral (abolished in 1909).
---

---
Kantsler [Chancellor].

2 Full Generals General ot Infanterii,
General ot Kavalerii,
General-Fel'dtseikhmeister. Admiral (of the blue and the red flag). General-Anshef,
General-Fel'dtseikhmeister (artillery),
General-Inzhener. Admiral. General ot Infanterii,
General ot Kavalerii,
General ot Artillerii,
General-Inzhener. Admiral. General ot Infanterii,
General ot Kavalerii,
General ot Artillerii,
General-Inzhener. Admiral.
---
Ober-marshal. Deistvitel'nyi Tainyi Sovetnik [Actual Privy Counsellor].

3 Lieutenant General General-Leitenant,
General-Krigs-Komissar. Vitse-Admiral,
General-Krigs-Komissar. General-Poruchik,
General-Inzhener,
General-Krigs-Komissar,
General-Proviantmeister. Vitse-Admiral,
General-Tseikhmeister (artillery),
General-Krigs-Kommissar. General-Leitenant,
General-Krigs-Kommissar. Vitse-Admiral,
General-Tseikhmeister (artillery),
General-Krigs-Kommissar. General-Leitenant. Vitse-Admiral.
---
Ober-shtalmeister. Tainyi Sovetnik.

4 Major General General-maior,
General-Maior ot fortifikatsii (artillery). Kontr-Admiral,
Shautbeinakht, later Kontr-Admiral,
Ober-Tseikhmeister (of marine artillery). General-maior,
General-Kvartirmeister. Kontr-Admiral,
Ober-Tseikhmeister (artillery). General-Maior,
General-Kvartirmeister,
General-Proviantmeister. Kontr-Admiral,
Ober-Tseikhmeister (artillery). General-Maior. Kontr-Admiral. Ober-berg-gauptman
(IV klassa). Ober-gofmeister,
Ober-kammerger. Deistvitel'nyi Statskii Sovetnik [Actual State Counsellor].

5 Brigadier Brigadir,
Ober-Krigs-Komissar, General-Proviantmeister. Kapitan-Komandor,
Tseikhmeister (of marine artillery),
Ober-Krigs-Komissar. Brigadir. Kapitan-Komandor,
Tseikhmeister (artillery).
---
Kapitan-Komandor,
Tseikhmeister (artillery).
---

---

Ober-berg-gauptman
(V klassa).
Gofmeister,
Ober-gofshtalmeister,
Tainyi kabinet-sekretar',
Ober-shenk.
Statskii Sovetnik.

6 Colonel Polkovnik,
Ober-Proviantmeister,
Ober-Komissar,
Genearl-Ad"yutant,
General-Kvartirmeister-Leitenant. Kapitan 1-go ranga,
Ober-Proviantmeister,
Ober-Komissar. Polkovnik,
General-Kvartirmeister-Leitenant. Kapitan 1-go ranga. Polkovnik,
General-Kvartirmeister-Leitenant,
General-Proviantmeister-Leitenant. Kapitan 1-go ranga. Polkovnik. Kapitan 1-go ranga. Berg-gauptman. Shtalmeister,
Deistvitel'nyi kamerger,
Gofmarshal,
Ober-yegermeister,
Pervyi leib-medikus. Kollezhskii Sovetnik [Collegiate Counsellor],
Voennyi Sovetnik.

7 Lieutenant Colonel Podpolkovnik,
General-Auditor,
General-Proviantmeister-Leitenant, General-Vagenmeister,
General-Geval'diger,
General-Fiskal,
General-Ad"yutant (to a General-Fel'dmarshal) Kapitan 2-go ranga. Podpolkovnik,
Ober-Kvartirmeister,
General-Vagenmeister,
General-Geval'diger. Kapitan 2-go ranga. Podpolkovnik,
Ober-Kvartirmeister,
General-Vagenmeister,
General-Geval'diger,
Ober-Proviantmeister. Kapitan 2-go ranga. Kapitan (guards infantry, artillery, engineers),
Rotmistr (guards cavalry),
Podpolkovnik (infantry, artillery, cavalry, engineers),
Voiskovoi Starshina (cossacks). Kapitan 2-go ranga. Ober-berg-meister.
---
Nadvornyi Sovetnik [Court Counsellor].

8 Major Maior,
General-Auditor-Leitenant,
Ober-Kvartirmeister,
Ober-Fiskal,
Tsalmeister,
Ober-Tseikhvarter,
Shtalmeister,
General-Ad"yutant (to a full General) Kapitan 3-go ranga (of marine artillery),
Kapitan-Leitenant (of the fleet). Prem'er-Maior,
Ober-Kvartirmeister,
General-Auditor. Kapitan 3-go ranga,
Kapitan-Leitenant (of the fleet). Maior (Note 12),
Krigs-tsalmeister,
Ober-Kvartirmeister,
General-Auditor.
Kapitan 3-go ranga,
Kapitan-Leitenant (of the fleet). Shtabs-Kapitan (guards infantry),
Shtabs-Rotmistr (guards cavalry),
Kapitan (infantry, artillery, engineers),
Rotmistr (cavalry),
Yesaul (cossacks). Kapitan-Leitenant (abolished 1884, reinstated 1907, abolished 1911),
Starshii-Leitenant (from 1911). Ober-gittenfervalter. Titulyarnyi kamerger,
Gof-shtalmeister,
Nadvornyi intendant. Kollezhskii Assessor [Collegiate Assessor].

9 Captain Kapitan,
Ober-Proviantmeister,
General-Shtab-Kvartirmeister,
Ober-Auditor,
Polevoi Pochtmeister, General-Profos,
Fligel-Ad"yutant (to a General-Fel'dmarshal or a full General). Kapitan-Leitenant (of marine artillery),
Leitenant (of the fleet). Sekund-Maior.
---
Kapitan/Rotmistr,
Divizionnyi Kvartirmeister,
Ober-Auditor,
Polevoi Pochtmeister,
General-Profos,
Tsalmeister. Kapitan-Leitenant (of artillery),
Leitenant (of the fleet). Poruchik (guards),
Shtabs-Kapitan (infantry, artillery, engineers),
Stabs-Rotmistr (cavalry),
Pod"yesaul (cossacks).
Leitenant (to 1909),
Starshii-Leitenant (1907-1911).
Marksheider. Nadvornyi yegermeister,
Nadvornyi tseremoneimeister,
Ober-kukhmeister,
Kamer-yunker. Titulyarnyi Sovetnik [Titular Counsellor].

10    Kapitan-Leitenant, later Kapitan-Poruchik Leitenant (of marine artillery). Kapitan/Rotmistr,
Divizionnyi Kvartirmeister,
Ober-Auditor,
Polevoi Pochtmeister,
General-Profos,
Tsalmeister. Kapitan-Leitenant (of artillery),
Leitenant (of the fleet). Shtabs-Kapitan/Shtabs-Rotmistr.
---
Podporuchik (guards infantry, artillery, engineers),
Kornet (guards cornet),
Poruchik (infantry, artillery, cavalry, engineers),
Sotnik (cossacks).
Michman (after 1884). Gittenfervalter.
---
Kollezhskii sekretar'.

11
---
Korabel'nyi Sekeretar'. Shtabs-Kapitan/Shtabs-Rotmistr. Leitenant (of artillery),
Korabel'nyi Sekeretar'.
---
Leitenant (of artillery),
Korabel'nyi Sekeretar'.
---

Berg-geshvoren.

---
Korabel'nyi Sekretar'.

12 Lieutenant Leitenant, later Poruchik;
Fendrikh, later Praporshchik (artillery). Unter-Leitenant, later Michman;
Shkiper 1-go ranga.
Poruchik.
Michman,
Shkiper 1-go ranga. Poruchik. Michman,
Shkiper 1-go ranga. (Not used in the guards.)
Podporuchik (infantry, artillery, engineers),
Kornet (cavalry),
Khorunzhii (cossacks). Michman (to 1884). Berg-meister. Gof-yunker,
Nadvornyi lekar'. Gubernskii Sekretar' [Gubernal Secretary].

13 Sublieutenant Unter-Leitenant, later Podporuchik (Note 1-2);
Shtyk-Yunker (artillery),
Unter-Leitenant Inzhenernyi,
Fligel'-Ad"yutant (to a General-Leitenant).
---

Podporuchik,
Shtyk-yunker (artillery).

---
Podporuchik (Note 12).
---
(Not used in the guards, cavalry, or cossacks.)
Praporshchik zapasa. Gardemarin (XIII klassa) (1860-1882). Ober-berg-probirer,
Shikhtmeister (XIII klassa).
---

Provintsial'nyi Registrator [Provincial Registrar].

14 Ensign Fendrikh, later Praporshchik;
Fligel'-Ad"yutant (to a General-Maior or Brigadir). Korabel'nyi Komissar,
Shkiper 2-go ranga,
Konstapel' (of marine artillery). Praporshchik/Kornet. Korabel'nyi Komissar,
Shkiper 2-go ranga,
Konstapel' (of artillery). Praporshchik/Kornet. Korabel'nyi Komissar,
Shkiper 2-go ranga,
Konstapel' (of artillery) (Note 6).
---
Gardemarin (XIV klassa) (1860-1882). Berg-probirer,
Shikhtmeister (XIV klassa). Nadvornyi ustavnik,
Gofmeister pazhei,
Gof-sekretar',
Nadvornyi kamerger. Kollezhskii Registrator.

(Note 10)

Note 1: From V.V. Zvegintsov, Russkaya Armiya. Chast' 1-ya, 1700-1762. Paris, 1967. Pages 44 et seq.

Generals' and officers' ranks according to the Table of Ranks, under Peter I. Guards ranks were two levels higher than corresponding ranks of the Army. In the Artillery, the ranks from colonel to lieutenant were in classes 5-10 (i.e., one level higher than the Army), while in the Engineers, these ranks corresponded to classes 6-12.
Note 1-1. Under Peter I, the commanding general of troops was a General-Anshef or General-Fel'dmarshal. His most immediate deputy was a General-Fel'dmarshal-Leitenant, later a General ot Infanterii, General ot Kavalerii, or General-Fel'dtseikhmeister (i.e. a General of Artillery). After Peter I and right up to Paul I, a General-Anshef corresponded to a full general, one rank below a fieldmarshal. Under Paul I, the title of General-Anshef gradually and finally was replaced with those of General ot Infanterii, General ot Kavalerii, General ot Artillerii, and Inzhener-General.
Note 1-2. The rank of Podporuchik was not used in the Cavalry.
Note 1-3. The rank of General-Admiral was established in 1708.
22 Sept. 1730: The rank of Maior was divided into two: Prem'er-Maior and Sekund-Maior (the rank of Sekund-Maior was established in as early as 1714, but that duty was carried out by one of the captains).
1731: Cavalry - with the appearance of cuirassiers, the ranks of Rotmistr (captain) and Kornet (cornet).
1741: Cavalry - with the appearance of hussars, their ranks were directed to be the same as for Dragoons.
1756: Cavalry - with the appearance of Horse-Grenadiers, their ranks were directed to be the same as for Dragoons.
13 March 1762: Infantry - the rank of Shtabs-Kapitan was introduced in the headquarters companies of regiments. Cavalry - the rank of Shtabs-Rotmistr was introduced for Cuirassiers, and that of Shtabs-Kapitan for the rest of the Cavalry.
Cossack ranks: Polkovnik, Yesaul (captain), Sotnik (lieutenant), Khorunzhii (ensign).
Krigs-Komissariat [War Commissariat]: 31 July 1711 - there were introduced the ranks of General-Plenipotentsiar-Krigs-Komissar, Ober-Krigs-Komissar (or Obershter-Krigs-Komissar), and Krigs-Komissar. 1720 - there were introduced General-Krigs-Komissar (lieutenant general, Class 1), Obershter-Krigs-Komissar (brigadier, Class 2), and Ober-Krigs-Komissar (colonel, Class 6).

Note 2: Generalissimus was an exceptional distinction outside the Table of Ranks, and only awarded in three instances (Menshikov, Suvorov, and Prince Anton Ulrich von Braunschweig).

Note 3: From V.V. Zvegintsov, Russkaya Armiya. Chast' 2-ya, 1763-1796. Paris, 1969. Pages 147 et seq.

In the table's columns are all ranks encountered in Tables of Organization [Shtaty] or whose existence have every reason to be supposed. In the 18th century, ranks and titles were not yet completely defined and it is possible that some of those shown in Part 1 still were in use under Catherine II.
In the Navy, in 1764 in the Corps of Marine Artillery [Korpus Morskoi Artillerii] there was introduced the rank of General-Tseikhmeister. Captains were divided into three ranks. The rank of Feierverker was introduced.
In the Cossack hosts, there were as before only the ranks of Polkovnik, Yesaul (captain), Sotnik (lieutenant), and Khorunzhii (ensign). Other ranks peculiar to cossacks were still not encountered.

Note 4: From V.V. Zvegintsov, Russkaya Armiya. Chast' 3-ya, 1796-1800. Paris, 1970. Pages 231 et seq.

1796: The rank of Brigadir was abolished. On 19 December 1796, the rank of Shtyk-Yunker (artillery) was discontinued.
8 November 1796: Vakhmistry [sergeants] were not to be nobles. The rank of Estandart-yunker (Fanen-yunker in Dragoons) was established for nobles wishing to become officers (3 years as a private, 3 years as estandart-yunker, and then promotion to officer rank). All non-commissioned officers [unter-ofitsery] except fel'dfebelya [sergeant-majors ], vakhmistry, and podpraporshchiki, i.e. serzhant, kaptenarmus [armorer], and fur'er [train non-commissioned officer], were to be titled simply unter-ofitsery.
8 November 1796: Only the rank of maior was kept in place of prem'er-maior and sekund-maior. In the Guards, all prem'er-maiory and sekund-maiory were retitled colonels, but sekund-maiory were temporarily counted as lieutenant colonels even though that rank was no longer regulation in the Guards.
12 November 1796: Hussar regiments - the rank of podporuchik was abolished, and praporshchiki were renamed korneta. On 7 November 1797, the rank of kapitan-poruchik became shtabs-kapitan, and sekund-rotmistr became shtabs-rotmistr.
21 December 1796: The title of Polkovoi Kvartirmeister [regimental quartermaster] was changed to kapitan (rotmistr). In the Artillery, the titles of Ober-Kvartirmeister, Ober-Kontroler, and Ober-Krigs-Kommissar were abolished.
1797: The Auditor became a civilian official.
12 April 1800: In each regiment in the Infantry, 20 unter-ofitsery from the nobility were to be called podpraporshchiki.
In the Cossack hosts there were: Polkovnik [colonel], Voiskovoi Starshina [major], Yesaul [captain], Sotnik [lieutenant], and Khorunzhii [cornet].

Note 5: V.V. Zvegintsov, Russkaya Armiya. Chast' 4-ya, 1801-1825. Paris, 1973. Page 405 notes the following changes to the military ranks of c. 1800:.

On 25 August 1800 there was established the title of General-Intendant (it is not known of what rank), to whom were subordinated the General-Krigs-Kommissar and the whole Krigs-Kommisariat.
1812 - the title of General-Politsiimeister [Police General] was established.

Note 6: V.V. Zvegintsov, Russkaya Armiya. Chast' 5-ya, 1825-1855. Paris, 1979. Page 596. 1830 - In the Marine Artillery, the rank of Konstapel was replaced by that of Praporshchik.

Note 7: Dvoryanskie rody rossiiskoi imperii, edited by S.V. Dumani. St. Petersburg, 1993. Volume 1, pages 46-73. The original German words are Hauptman [chief, captain], Geschworen [sworn initiate], Hüttenverwalter [works manager], Markscheider [measurer], Probierer [assayer], and Schichtmeister [shift leader].

Note 8: Chinovnyi mir rossii XVIII-nachalo XX v., by L. Ye. Shepelëv. St. Petersburg, 1999. Page 156. The rank of ober-berg-meister appeared in the 1722 Table of Ranks, but in Class 8 instead of 7. This source says that mining ranks were discontinued and changed to military ranks in 1834, as opposed to 1867 as stated by Dumani (Note 7).

Note 9. Ibid, page 135-138. This is a simplified version of Dumani's list of court ranks in the 1722 Table of Ranks.

Note 10. Ibid, page 150.

In 1798, in order to promote in-service unter-ofitsery and podpraporshchiki from the nobility [i.e. officer candidates - M.C.], there were introduced special ranks (titles): estandart-yunker (in heavy cavalry regiments), fanen-yunker (in dragoon regiments), portupei-yunker (in the light cavalry and artillery), and portupei-praporshchik (in the infantry). These were counted as below Class 14 and were not company-grade officer ranks. From 1800 to the middle of the 19th century all infantry non-commissioned officers from the nobility were called podpraporshchiki, but from 1802 cavalry, artillery, and jäger non-commissioned officers from the nobility were called yunkera.

Note 11. Ibid, page 154. By this time this is a much simplified version of the civil ranks and titles in the original 1722 Table of Ranks.

Note 12. Ibid, page 157. In 1811, the rank of major was discontinued in the artillery and engineers, and praporshchik introduced for Class 13 for these branches of service. To make dragoons the same as other cavalry, at this time the rank of podporuchik was abolished and that of major (Class 8) introduced.

Note 13. Ibid, page 159.

Note 14. Ibid, pages 160-161.

-------------------------------------------------------

For discussions of rank and its significance in Russia, see:

Bennett, Helju Aulik. "Chiny, Ordena, and Officialdom." Chapter 7 in Russian Officialdom; The Bureaucratization of Russian Society from the Seventeenth to the Twentieth Century, edited by Walter McKenzie Pinter and Don Karl Rowney. The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1980.

Bennet, Helju Aulik. "Evolution of the Meaning of Chin: An Introduction to the Russian Institution of Rank Ordering and Niche Assignment from the Time of Peter the Great's Table of Ranks to the Bolshevik Revolution." California Slavic Studies, Vol. 10, 1977, pages 1-43.

Hassel, James. "Implementation of the Russian Table of Ranks During the Eighteenth Century." Slavic Review, Vol. 29, 1970, pages 283-95.

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