The military rank of junior command staff in the army "non-commissioned officer" came to us from German - Unteroffizier - sub-officer. This institute existed in the Russian army from 1716 to 1917.

The military regulations of 1716 referred to non-commissioned officers in the infantry - a sergeant, in the cavalry - a sergeant-major, a captain, a lieutenant, a corporal, a company clerk, a batman and a corporal. The position of a non-commissioned officer in the military hierarchy was defined as follows: “Those who are below the warrant officer have their place, are called “non-commissioned officers”, i.e. lower initial people".

The non-commissioned officer corps was recruited from soldiers who wished to remain in the army for hire after graduation military service. They were called overtimers. Before the appearance of the institution of long-term servicemen, from which another institution was later formed - non-commissioned officers, the duties of assistant officers were performed by the lower ranks of military service. But the "urgent non-commissioned officer" in most cases differed little from the ordinary.

According to the plan of the military command, the institution of long-term servicemen was supposed to solve two problems: to reduce the understaffing of the rank and file, to serve as a reserve for the formation of non-commissioned officer corps.

There is a curious fact in the history of our army that testifies to the role of the lower commanding ranks. During the Russian-Turkish war of 1877 - 1878. Infantry General Mikhail Skobelev carried out an unprecedented social experiment during the fighting in the units entrusted to him - he created military councils of sergeant majors and non-commissioned officers in the fighting units.

“Particular attention should be paid to the formation of a professional sergeant corps, as well as a link of junior commanders. At present, the staffing of such positions in the Armed Forces is a little over 20 percent.

Currently, the Ministry of Defense pays increased attention to the problems of educational work and professional junior commanders. But the first graduates of such junior commanders will enter the troops only in 2006,” said Secretary of State - Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation General of the Army Nikolai Pankov.

The leadership of the military ministry sought to leave as many soldiers (corporals) as possible in the army for extra-long service, as well as combat non-commissioned officers who had served urgent service. But on one condition: each of them had to have the appropriate official and moral qualities.

The central figure of the non-commissioned officers of the old Russian army is the sergeant major. He obeyed the company commander, was his first assistant and support. The sergeant major was entrusted with fairly broad and responsible duties. This is evidenced by the instruction issued in 1883, which read: "The sergeant major is the head of all the lower ranks of the company."

The second most important non-commissioned officer was the senior non-commissioned officer - the head of all the lower ranks of his platoon. He was responsible for order in the platoon, morality and behavior of privates, the results of training subordinates, produced outfits for lower ranks for service and work, dismissed soldiers from the yard (no later than before evening roll call), conducted evening roll call and reported to the sergeant major about everything that happened during day in the platoon.

According to the charter, non-commissioned officers were entrusted with the initial training of soldiers, constant and vigilant supervision of the lower ranks, monitoring internal order in the mouth. Later (1764), the legislation assigned to the non-commissioned officer the obligation not only to train the lower ranks, but also to educate them.

Despite all the efforts to select candidates for the service of lower commanding ranks, this area had its own difficulties. The number of conscripts did not correspond to the calculations of the General Staff, their number in the army of our country was inferior to the staffing of Western armies with conscripts. For example, in 1898 there were 65,000 non-commissioned officers in Germany, 24,000 in France, and 8,500 in Russia.

The formation of the institution of long-term employees was slow. The mentality of the Russian people affected. The soldiers, for the most part, understood their duty - to serve the Fatherland honestly and disinterestedly during the years of military service, but they consciously opposed remaining, moreover, to serve for money.

The government sought to interest those who served on conscription in long-term service. To do this, they expanded the rights of long-term employees, increased salaries, established a number of awards for service, improved uniforms, and after service they provided a good pension.

The regulation on the lower ranks of combat long service in 1911 divided non-commissioned officers into two categories. The first is ensigns promoted to this rank from combat non-commissioned officers. They had significant rights and benefits. The second - non-commissioned officers and corporals. They enjoyed somewhat fewer rights. Ensigns in combat units held the positions of sergeant majors and platoon officers - senior non-commissioned officers. The corporals were promoted to junior non-commissioned officers and appointed squad commanders.

Super-enlisted non-commissioned officers were promoted to lieutenants by order of the head of the division under two conditions. It was necessary to serve as a platoon (senior non-commissioned officer) for two years and successfully complete the course of a military school for non-commissioned officers.

Senior non-commissioned officers usually held the positions of assistant platoon commanders. The rank of junior non-commissioned officer was, as a rule, worn by squad commanders.

Military servicemen of the lower ranks for impeccable service were awarded a medal with the inscription "For diligence" and the sign of St. Anna. They were also allowed to marry and have families. Extra-conscripts lived in the barracks at the location of their companies. The sergeant major was provided with a separate room, two senior non-commissioned officers also lived in a separate room.

In order to interest in the service and emphasize the commanding position of non-commissioned officers among the lower ranks, they were given uniforms and insignia, in some cases inherent in the chief officer. This is a cockade on a headdress with a visor, a checker on a leather belt, a revolver with a holster and a cord.

Combat servicemen of the lower ranks of both categories, who served fifteen years, received a pension of 96 rubles a year. The salary of a warrant officer ranged from 340 to 402 rubles a year, a corporal - 120 rubles a year.

The head of a division or a person of equal authority had the right to deprive a non-commissioned officer of the rank.

It was difficult for commanders of all grades to train excellent non-commissioned officers from semi-literate extra-enlisted soldiers. Therefore, in our army, they carefully studied foreign experience in the formation of the institute of junior commanders, first of all, the experience of the German army.

Unfortunately, not all non-commissioned officers had knowledge of leading subordinates. Some of them naively believed that the way to ensure universal obedience was to use a deliberately harsh and rude tone. And the moral qualities of the non-commissioned officer were not always at the proper height. Some of them were drawn to alcohol, and this had a bad effect on the behavior of subordinates. Non-commissioned officers were also illegible in the ethics of relations with subordinates. Others allowed something similar to bribes. Such facts were sharply condemned by the officers.

As a result, in society and the army, demands were heard more and more insistently about the inadmissibility of an intrusion of an illiterate non-commissioned officer into the spiritual education of a soldier. There was even a categorical demand: "Non-commissioned officers should be prohibited from invading the soul of a recruit - such a tender sphere."

In order to comprehensively prepare a long-term serviceman for responsible work as a non-commissioned officer in the army, a network of courses and schools was deployed, which were created mainly at the regiments. To make it easier for a non-commissioned officer to enter his role, the military department published a lot of different literature in the form of methods, instructions, and advice. Here are some of the most typical requirements and recommendations of that time:

Show subordinates not only strictness, but also a caring attitude;

With soldiers, keep yourself at a "known distance";

In dealing with subordinates, avoid irritation, irascibility, anger;

Remember that the Russian soldier, in his treatment of him, loves the commander whom he considers his father;

Teach soldiers in battle to save cartridges, at rest - crackers;

To have a worthy appearance: “Unter is taut, like a bow is stretched.”

Training in courses and in regimental schools brought unconditional benefits. Among the non-commissioned officers there were many gifted people who skillfully explained to the soldiers the basics military service, its values, duties and responsibilities. Mastering knowledge and gaining experience, non-commissioned officers became reliable assistants to officers in solving the tasks facing companies and squadrons.

Non-commissioned officers played a prominent role in solving such an important task as teaching soldiers to read and write, and recruits from the national outskirts - the Russian language. Gradually, this problem acquired strategic importance. The Russian army was turning into an "all-Russian school of education." Non-commissioned officers willingly engaged in writing and arithmetic with the soldiers, although there was very little time for this. Their efforts bore fruit - the number and proportion of illiterate soldiers in military collectives decreased. If in 1881 they were 75.9 percent, then in 1901 - 40.3.

In a combat situation, the vast majority of non-commissioned officers were distinguished by excellent courage, examples of military skill, courage and heroism carried the soldiers along. For example, during the Russo-Japanese War (1904 - 1905), non-commissioned officers often acted as officers called up from the reserve.

No wonder they say that the new is the well-forgotten old. In the third millennium, our army again has to solve the problems of strengthening the institution of junior commanders. In their solution, the use of the historical experience of the Russian Armed Forces can help.

It was for half a century the main source of replenishment of the officer corps. Peter I considered it necessary that every officer should certainly begin military service from its very first steps - as an ordinary soldier. This was especially true for the nobles, for whom lifelong service to the state was mandatory, and traditionally it was military service. Decree of February 26, 1714

Peter I forbade the promotion to officers of those nobles "who do not know the fundamentals of soldiering" and did not serve as soldiers in the guard. This ban did not apply to soldiers "from ordinary people" who, having "served for a long time", received the right to an officer's rank - they could serve in any units (76). Since Peter believed that the nobles should start serving precisely in the guards, the entire private and non-commissioned officers of the guards regiments in the first decades of the 18th century. consisted exclusively of nobles. If during the Northern War the nobles served as privates in all regiments, then the decree to the President of the Military Collegium dated June 4, 1723 stated that, under pain of a court, “except for the guards, do not write anywhere for noble children and foreign officers.” However, after Peter this rule was not respected, and the nobles began to serve as privates and in army regiments. However, the guard for a long time became the forge of officer cadres for the entire Russian army.

Service of the nobility until the mid-30s. 18th century was indefinite, every nobleman who reached the age of 16 was enlisted in the troops as a private for subsequent promotion to officers. In 1736, a manifesto was issued allowing one of the landowner's sons to stay at home "to look after the villages and save money", while the service life of the rest was limited. Now it was prescribed “all gentry from 7 to 20 years of age to be in the sciences, and from 20 years old to use in military service and everyone should serve in military service from 20 years of age of his 25 years, and after 25 years of all ... dismiss with an increase in one rank and let them go to their homes, and who among them voluntarily wishes to serve more, give them to their will.

In 1737, registration was introduced for all minors (this was the official name for young nobles who had not reached military age) over 7 years old. At the age of 12, they were assigned a test to find out what they were studying and to determine who wanted to go to school. At the age of 16, they were called to St. Petersburg and, after checking their knowledge, they determined their fate. Those who had sufficient knowledge could immediately enter the civil service, and the rest were allowed to go home with the obligation to continue their education, but at the age of 20 they were obliged to appear in the Heraldry (in charge of the personnel of nobles and officials) to be assigned to military service (except for those) who remained for housekeeping on the estate; this was determined at a review in St. Petersburg). Those who remained untrained by the age of 16 were recorded as sailors without the right to serve as officers. And whoever received a thorough education acquired the right to an accelerated promotion to officers (77).

The head of the division promoted to officers for vacancies after an examination in the service by balloting, that is, elections by all officers of the regiment. At the same time, it was required that the officer candidate had a certificate with a recommendation signed by the regiment's society. Both nobles and soldiers and non-commissioned officers from other classes, including peasants recruited into the army by recruitment, could be made officers - the law did not establish any restrictions here. Naturally, the nobles, who received an education before entering the army (even if it was at home - it could be of very high quality in some cases), were produced first of all.

In the middle of the XVIII century. among the upper part of the nobility, the practice of enrolling their children in the regiments as soldiers in very early age and even from birth, which allowed them to rise in ranks without going through active service and by the time they entered the actual service in the troops, they would not be ordinary, but already had a non-commissioned officer and even an officer rank. These attempts were observed even under Peter I, but he resolutely suppressed them, making exceptions only for those closest to him as a sign of special mercy and in the rarest cases (in subsequent years this was also limited to isolated facts). For example, in 1715, Peter ordered that the five-year-old son of his favorite G.P. Chernyshev, Peter, be appointed as a soldier in the Preobrazhensky Regiment, and seven years later he was appointed chamber-page in the rank of lieutenant-captain at the court of the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein. In 1724, the son of Field Marshal Prince M. M. Golitsyn, Alexander, was enrolled as a soldier in the guard at birth, and by the age of 18 he was already the captain of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. In 1726, A. A. Naryshkin was promoted to midshipman of the fleet at the age of 1 year, in 1731, Prince D. M. Golitsyn became an ensign of the Izmailovsky regiment at 11 years old (78). However, in the middle of the XVIII century. such cases have become more widespread.

The publication of the manifesto "On the Liberty of the Nobility" on February 18, 1762 could not but have a very significant effect on the order of promotion to officers. If earlier the nobles were obliged to serve as long as the recruit soldiers - 25 years, and, naturally, they sought to get the rank of officer as quickly as possible (otherwise they would have had to remain privates or non-commissioned officers for 25 years), now they could not to serve at all, and the army was theoretically in danger of being left without an educated officer cadre. Therefore, in order to attract the nobles to military service, the rules for the production of the first officer rank were changed in such a way as to legally establish the advantage of the nobles upon reaching the officer rank.

In 1766, the so-called "colonel's instruction" was issued - rules for regiment commanders on the order of rank production, according to which the term for the production of non-commissioned officers was determined by origin. The minimum period of service in the non-commissioned officer rank was set for the nobles for 3 years, the maximum for persons accepted by recruitment sets was 12 years. The guards remained the supplier of officer cadres, where most of the soldiers (although, unlike in the first half of the century, not all) were still noblemen (79).

In the Navy, since 1720, production was also established for the first officer rank by balloting from a non-commissioned officer. However, there already from the middle of the XVIII century. combatant naval officers began to be produced only from the cadets of the Naval Corps, which, unlike land military schools, was able to cover the fleet's need for officers. So the fleet very early began to be completed exclusively by graduates of educational institutions.

At the end of the XVIII century. production from non-commissioned officers continued to be the main channel for replenishing the officer corps. At the same time, there were, as it were, two lines for achieving the officer rank in this way: for the nobles and for everyone else. The nobles entered the service of the troops immediately as non-commissioned officers (for the first 3 months they had to serve as privates, but in a non-commissioned officer's uniform), then they were promoted to ensigns (junkers) and then to ensigns (junkers, and in cavalry - Estandart-Junker and Fanen-Junker), of which vacancies were already made in the first officer rank. Non-nobles before being promoted to non-commissioned officers had to serve as privates for 4 years. Then they were promoted to senior non-commissioned officers, and then to sergeant majors (in the cavalry - sergeants), who could already become officers for merit.

Since the nobles were recruited as non-commissioned officers outside of vacancies, a huge superset of these ranks formed, especially in the guard, where only nobles could be non-commissioned officers. For example, in 1792, in the state guards, it was supposed to have no more than 400 non-commissioned officers, and there were 11,537 of them. In the Preobrazhensky regiment, there were 6,134 non-commissioned officers for 3,502 privates. Guards non-commissioned officers were promoted to officers of the army (over which the guard had an advantage of two ranks) often immediately through one or two ranks - not only ensigns, but also second lieutenants and even lieutenants. The guardsmen of the highest non-commissioned officer rank - sergeants (later sergeants) and sergeants were usually made lieutenants of the army, but sometimes even immediately captains. At times, mass releases of guards non-commissioned officers into the army were carried out: for example, in 1792, by decree of December 26, 250 people were released, in 1796 - 400 (80).

For an officer vacancy, the regimental commander usually represented the senior non-commissioned nobleman, who had served for at least 3 years. If there were no nobles with this length of service in the regiment, then non-commissioned officers from other classes were promoted to officers. At the same time, they had to have length of service in the non-commissioned officer rank: chief officer children (The class of chief officer children consisted of children of civil officials of non-noble origin who had the ranks of "chief officer" classes - from XIV to XI, who gave not hereditary, but only personal nobility, and children of non-noble origin who were born before their fathers received the first officer rank, which brought, as already indicated, hereditary nobility) and volunteers (persons who entered the service voluntarily) - 4 years, children of the clergy, clerks and soldiers - 8 years, received by recruitment - 12 years. The latter could be promoted immediately to second lieutenants, but only "according to their excellent abilities and merits." For the same reasons, nobles and chief officer children could be promoted to officers earlier than the prescribed terms of service. Paul I in 1798 forbade the promotion of officers of non-noble origin, but the following year this provision was repealed; non-nobles had only to rise to the rank of sergeant-major and serve out the prescribed term.

Since the time of Catherine II, the production of officers "zauryad" has been practiced, caused by a large shortage during the war with Turkey and an insufficient number of non-commissioned noblemen in the army regiments. Therefore, non-commissioned officers of other classes, who had not even served the established 12-year term, began to be promoted to officers, however, with the condition that seniority for further production was considered only from the day of service of the legalized 12-year term.

The production of officers of various classes was greatly influenced by the terms of service established for them in the lower ranks. Soldiers' children, in particular, were considered accepted for military service from the moment of their birth, and from the age of 12 they were placed in one of the military orphanages (later known as "cantonist battalions"). Active service was considered to them from the age of 15, and they were obliged to serve another 15 years, that is, up to 30 years. For the same period, volunteers were accepted - volunteers. Recruits were required to serve for 25 years (in the guard after the Napoleonic wars - 22 years); under Nicholas I, this period was reduced to 20 years (including 15 years in active service).

When during the Napoleonic wars a large shortage was formed, then those of non-noble origin were allowed to be promoted to officers even in the guards, and chief officer children even without vacancies. Then, in the Guards, the period of service in the non-commissioned officer rank for promotion to officers was reduced for non-nobles from 12 to 10 years, and for single-palaces seeking nobility (The descendants of single-palaces included the descendants of petty service people of the 17th century, many of whom at one time were nobles, but subsequently recorded in a taxable state), determined at 6 years. (Since the nobles, who were produced for 3 years of service for vacancies, were in a worse situation than the chief officer children who were produced after 4 years, but without vacancies, then at the beginning of the 20s a 4-year term was also established for the nobles without vacancies.)

After the war of 1805, special benefits were introduced for educational qualifications: university students who entered the military service (even not from the nobility) served only 3 months as privates and 3 months as ensigns, and then were promoted to officers out of vacancy. A year before, in the artillery and engineering troops, before being promoted to officers, a rather serious examination for that time was set.

At the end of the 20s. 19th century the term of service in the non-commissioned officer rank for the nobles was reduced to 2 years. However, during the then wars with Turkey and Persia, unit commanders, interested in experienced front-line soldiers, preferred to promote non-commissioned officers with long experience, that is, non-nobles, and there were almost no vacancies for nobles with 2 years of experience in their units. Therefore, they were allowed to be produced for vacancies in other parts, but in this case - after 3 years of service as non-commissioned officers. Lists of all non-commissioned officers who were not produced due to the lack of vacancies in their units were sent to the Ministry of War (Inspection Department), where a general list was compiled (first nobles, then volunteers and then others), in accordance with which they were produced for opening vacancies in the entire army .

The code of military regulations (without fundamentally changing the provision that has existed since 1766 on different terms of service in the non-commissioned officer rank for persons of different social categories) more accurately determined who, on what rights, enters the service and is promoted to officer. So, there were two main groups of such persons: those who entered the service voluntarily as volunteers (from classes that were not obligated to recruit duty) and those who entered the service through recruitment kits. Consider first the first group, divided into several categories.

Those who entered "as students" (of any origin) were promoted to officers: those with a candidate's degree - after 3 months of service as non-commissioned officers, and the degree of a real student - 6 months - without exams and in their regiments in excess of vacancies.

Those who entered “with the rights of nobles” (nobles and who had an indisputable right to nobility: children, officials of the VIII class and above, holders of orders that give rights to hereditary nobility) were made after 2 years for vacancies in their units and after 3 years - in other parts.

All the rest, who entered “as volunteers”, were divided by origin into 3 categories: 1) children of personal nobles who have the right to hereditary honorary citizenship; priests; merchants of 1-2 guilds who have a guild certificate for 12 years; doctors; pharmacists; artists, etc. persons; pupils of orphanages; Foreigners; 2) children of the same palaces, who have the right to seek the nobility; honorary citizens and merchants of 1-2 guilds who do not have a 12-year "experience"; 3) children of merchants of the 3rd guild, philistines, one-palaces who have lost the right to find nobility, clerical servants, as well as illegitimate children, freedmen and cantonists. Persons of the 1st category were made after 4 years (in the absence of vacancies - after 6 years in other parts), the 2nd - after 6 years and the 3rd - after 12 years. Retired officers who entered the service of the lower ranks were promoted to officers according to special rules, depending on the reason for dismissal from the army.

Before production, an exam was held for knowledge of the service. Those who graduated from military educational institutions, but who were not promoted to officers due to poor progress, but released as ensigns and cadets, had to serve as non-commissioned officers for several years, but then they were made without an exam. Ensigns and estandard junkers of the guards regiments took an exam according to the program of the School of Guards Ensigns and Cavalry Junkers, and those who did not pass it, but were well certified in service, were transferred to the army as ensigns and cornets. Produced and artillery and sappers of the guard took the exam at the relevant military schools, and in the army artillery and engineering troops - at the relevant departments of the Military Scientific Committee. In the absence of vacancies, they were sent as second lieutenants to the infantry. (First, graduates of the Mikhailovsky and Nikolaevsky schools were enlisted for vacancies, then cadets and fireworks, and then students of non-core military schools.)

Those graduating from the training troops enjoyed the rights of origin (see above) and were promoted to officers after the exam, but at the same time, nobles and chief officer children who entered the training troops from the cantonist squadrons and batteries (in the cantonist battalions, along with the soldiers' children, children poor nobles), were made only in the part of the internal guard with the obligation to serve there for at least 6 years.

As for the second group (who entered by recruitment), they had to serve in the non-commissioned officer rank: in the guard - 10 years, in the army and non-combatant in the guard - 1.2 years (including at least 6 years in the ranks), in the Orenburg and Siberian separate buildings - 15 years and in the internal guard - 1.8 years. At the same time, persons who were subjected to corporal punishment during service could not be made officers. Feldwebels and senior watchmen were immediately promoted to second lieutenants, and the rest of the non-commissioned officers were promoted to ensigns (cornets). For promotion to officers, they had to pass an exam at the divisional Headquarters. If a non-commissioned officer who passed the exam refused to be promoted to officer (he was asked about this before the exam), then he forever lost the right to production, but instead received a salary of ⅔ of the salary of an ensign, which he, having served for at least 5 more years, received in retirement. He also relied on a gold or silver sleeve chevron and a silver lanyard. In case of failure to pass the exam, the objector received only ⅓ of this salary. Since in material terms such conditions were extremely advantageous, the majority of non-commissioned officers of this group refused to be promoted to officers.

In 1854, due to the need to strengthen the officer corps during the war, the terms of service in non-commissioned officer ranks for promotion to officers were halved for all categories of volunteers (respectively 1, 2, 3 and 6 years); in 1855, it was allowed to accept persons with higher education immediately as officers, to promote graduates of gymnasiums from noblemen to officers after 6 months, and others - after half their term of service. Non-commissioned officers from recruits were made after 10 years (instead of 12), but after the war these benefits were canceled.

During the reign of Alexander II, the order of production for officers was changed more than once. At the end of the war, in 1856, the reduced terms for production were canceled, but non-commissioned officers from the nobility and volunteers could now be produced in excess of vacancies. Since 1856, masters and candidates of theological academies have been equated in rights with university graduates (3 months of service), and students of theological seminaries, pupils of noble institutes and gymnasiums (i.e., those who, in case of entering the civil service, had the right to rank XIV class) granted the right to serve in the rank of non-commissioned officer before being promoted to officer for only 1 year. Non-commissioned officers from the nobility and volunteers were given the right to listen to lectures externally in all cadet corps.

In 1858, those of the nobility and volunteers who did not pass the exam when entering the service were given the opportunity to hold it throughout the service, and not 1-2 years (as before); they were accepted as privates with an obligation to serve: nobles - 2 years, volunteers of the 1st category - 4 years, 2nd - 6 years and 3rd - 12 years. They were promoted to non-commissioned officers: nobles - no earlier than 6 months, volunteers of the 1st category - 1 year, 2nd - 1.5 years and 3rd - 3 years. For the nobles who entered the guard, the age was set from 16 years old and without restrictions (and not 17-20 years old, as before), so that those who wish could graduate from the university. University graduates took the exam only before production, and not when they entered the service.

Graduates of all higher and secondary educational institutions were exempted from exams when entering the service in the artillery and engineering troops. In 1859, the ranks of lieutenant, sword-ensign, standard - and fanen-junker were abolished, and a single rank of cadet was introduced for officers of nobles and volunteers who were waiting for production (for seniors - junker-belt). All non-commissioned officers from recruits - both combatant and non-combatant - were given a single term of service of 12 years (in the guard - 10), and those with special knowledge - shorter terms, but only for vacancies.

In 1860, non-commissioned production was again established for all categories only for vacancies, except for graduates of civilian higher and secondary educational institutions and those who were promoted to officers of the engineering troops and the corps of topographers. Non-commissioned officers from the nobility and volunteers who entered the service before this decree could, after their years of service, retire with the rank of collegiate registrar. Nobles and volunteers who served in the artillery, engineering troops and the corps of topographers, in the event of an unsuccessful exam for an officer of these troops, were no longer promoted to infantry officers (and those who were released from the institutions of military cantonists - internal guards), but were transferred there as non-commissioned officers and were made to vacancies already on the proposal of the new bosses.

In 1861, the number of junkers from the nobility and volunteers in the regiments was strictly limited by the states, and they were accepted into the guards and cavalry only for their own maintenance, but now a volunteer could retire at any time. All these measures were aimed at raising the educational level of the junkers.

In 1863, on the occasion of the Polish rebellion, all graduates of higher educational institutions were accepted as non-commissioned officers without an exam and promoted to officers 3 months later without vacancies after an exam in the charters and awarding superiors (and graduates of secondary educational introductions - after 6 months for vacancies). Other volunteers passed the exam according to the program of 1844 (those who did not pass were accepted as privates) and became non-commissioned officers, and after 1 year, regardless of origin, by honoring the authorities, they were admitted to the competitive officer exam and were promoted to vacancies (but it was possible to apply for production even in the absence of vacancies ). If, however, there was still a shortage in the unit, then after the exam, non-commissioned officers and) recruits were made for a reduced period of service - in the guard 7, in the army - 8 years. In May 1864, production was again established only for vacancies (except for those with higher education). As the cadet schools were opened educational requirements intensified: in those military districts where cadet schools existed, it was required to take an exam in all subjects taught at the school (graduates of civilian educational institutions - only in military ones), so by the beginning of 1868 non-commissioned officers and junkers either graduated from the cadet school , or passed the exam in his program.

In 1866, new rules for the production of officers were established. To become an officer of the guard or army on special rights(equal to a graduate of a military school), a graduate of a civilian higher educational institution had to pass an exam at a military school in the military subjects taught in it and serve in the ranks during the camp collection (at least 2 months), a graduate of a secondary educational institution had to pass the full final exam of a military school and serve for 1 year. Both those and others were produced out of vacancies. To be promoted to army officers without special rights, all such persons had to pass an exam at the cadet school according to its program and serve in the ranks: with higher education - 3 months, with secondary education - 1 year; they were produced in this case also without vacancies. All other volunteers either graduated from cadet schools, or passed an exam according to their program and served in the ranks: nobles - 2 years, people from estates not obliged to recruit duty - 4 years, from "recruit" estates - 6 years. Examination dates were set for them in such a way that they had time to serve their deadlines. Those who passed the 1st category were made out of vacancies. Those who did not pass the exam could retire (having passed the exam for clerical servants or under the program of 1844) with the rank of collegiate registrar after seniority: nobles - 12 years, others - 15. To help prepare for the exam at the Konstantinovsky Military School in 1867 a one-year course was opened. What was the ratio of various groups of volunteers, can be seen from table 5 (81).

In 1869 (March 8) a new provision was adopted, according to which the right to voluntarily enter the service was granted to persons of all classes with the general name of volunteers on the basis of "education" and "descent". “By education” only graduates of higher and secondary educational institutions entered. Without exams, they were promoted to non-commissioned officers and served: with higher education - 2 months, with secondary education - 1 year.

Those who entered "by origin" became non-commissioned officers after the exam and were divided into three categories: 1st - hereditary nobles; 2nd - personal nobles, hereditary and personal honorary citizens, children of merchants of 1-2 guilds, priests, scientists and artists; 3rd - all the rest. Persons of the 1st category served 2 years, the 2nd - 4 and the 3rd - 6 years (instead of the previous 12).

Only those who entered "according to education" could be promoted to officers as graduates of a military school, the rest as graduates of cadet schools, under which they took exams. The lower ranks, who entered the recruiting set, were now required to serve 10 years (instead of 12), of which 6 years as a non-commissioned officer and 1 year as a senior non-commissioned officer; they could also enter the cadet school, if by the end of it they served their term. All those who passed the examinations for the officer rank before being promoted to officers were called sword-junkers with the right to retire after a year with the first officer rank.

In the artillery and engineering troops, the conditions and terms of service were common, but the exam was special. However, since 1868, persons with a higher education had to serve in the artillery for 3 months, others for 1 year, and everyone was required to pass an exam according to the military school program; since 1869, this rule has also been extended to engineering troops, with the difference that for those promoted to second lieutenants, an examination was required according to the program of a military school, and for those promoted to warrant officers, an exam according to a reduced program. In the corps of military topographers (where earlier promotion to officers was carried out according to length of service: nobles and volunteers - 4 years, others - 12 years) since 1866, non-commissioned officers from the nobility were required to serve 2 years, from "non-recruiting" classes - 4 and " recruits" - 6 years and take a course at the topographic school.

With the establishment of universal military service in 1874, the rules for the production of officers also changed. Based on them, the weight of the volunteers were divided into categories according to education (now this was the only division, the origin was not taken into account): 1st - with a higher education (served for 3 months before being promoted to officer), 2nd - with a secondary education (served 6 months) and 3rd - with incomplete secondary education (tested on special program and served 2 years). All volunteers were accepted for military service only by privates and could enter cadet schools. Those who entered the service by conscription for 6 and 7 years were required to serve at least 2 years, for a 4-year term - 1 year, and the rest (called for a shortened term) were required only to be promoted to non-commissioned officers, after which they all, as and volunteers could enter military and cadet schools (since 1875, Poles were supposed to accept no more than 20%, Jews - no more than 3%).

In artillery, chief fireworks and masters from 1878 could be produced after 3 years of graduation from special schools; they took the exam for a second lieutenant according to the program of the Mikhailovsky School, and for an ensign - a light one. In 1879, for the production and officers of local artillery and ensigns of local search, an exam was introduced according to the program of the cadet school. Since 1880, in the engineering troops, the officer examination was held only according to the program of the Nikolaev School. Both in the artillery and in the engineering troops it was allowed to take the exam no more than 2 times, those who did not pass it both times could take the exam at the cadet schools for the ensign of the infantry and local artillery.

During the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. there were benefits (cancelled after its completion): officers made military distinctions without an exam and for shortened terms of service, these terms were also applied for ordinary distinctions. However, these could be promoted to the next rank only after the officer's exam. For 1871-1879 21,041 volunteers were recruited (82).

Most of the Cossack troops were recruited from the senior officers. In the Don army, the nobles were promoted to officers after 2 years, in general, the children of the chiefs in all Cossack troops (except for the Don and Transbaikal) served 4 years, the children of conscripts and ordinary Cossacks - 12 years (moreover, disorganization - 20 years). All of them were made only for vacancies, for honoring the authorities, but without an exam (of course, the illiterate could not be produced). In the Trans-Baikal army, only nobles were made officers, and the children of the Cossacks were “zauryad”, that is, temporarily. By the beginning of 1871, the recruitment of officers was left on the same basis only in the Amur and Transbaikal troops, and in the rest it was equalized in everything with regular troops. From October 1, 1876, the admission of volunteers was stopped, and the Cossacks who had an education were given the right to a reduced service life and to be promoted to officers: 1st category - after 3 months, 2nd - 6 months, 3rd - 3 years , 4th - 3 years (of which 2 years in the ranks and at least 1 year - a constable). After serving this period, they could enter the cadet schools. Since 1877, the production of officers "zauryad" was discontinued.

With the introduction of the institute of warrant officers in the reserve, the terms of active service in the army for volunteers with higher and secondary education have been increased from 3 and 6 months to 1 year, and for ordinary recruits - from 6 months and 1.5 years to 2 years. At the same time, they could be promoted to second lieutenants not earlier than this period. 1) In 1884, new rules were adopted for the production of officers of volunteers. On special rights (equal to graduates of military schools) persons with higher education were produced who passed the exam in military sciences according to the program of the military school, and with the average - in the full course of the military school, but after graduation from the officers of the junkers of this school.

In special schools, since 1885, all volunteers took an exam in the full course (except for those with a higher education in physics and mathematics). Volunteers of the engineering troops could, if they wished, take an exam for an infantry officer.

The right of volunteers who passed the exam at the cadet school in the 1st category to work without vacancies was abolished as early as 1883, since 1885 they were produced only for vacancies, at least in other parts. The same rule applied to all other graduates, and the right to work outside vacancies in their units was left only to persons with higher education who passed the exam at a military school. In 1885, it was decided that persons who passed the exam in special schools for the full course in the 1st category are promoted to second lieutenants, as before, with 2 years of seniority (Seniority meant the date from which the production period for the next rank was counted), in the 2nd category - with 1 year of seniority, and those who passed the exam in a lightweight program (at the artillery school) - without seniority. Those who passed the exams at the engineering school in the 2nd category were made at the same time in the army infantry (as were the pupils of the school who graduated from it in the 2nd category). In 1891, the light program exam at the artillery school was abolished, and from now on only those who passed the exam in the 1st category were made into the artillery, and the rest were sent to the infantry and cavalry.

In 1868, with the development of a network of military and cadet schools, the production of officers of volunteers (and from 1876, those who entered by lot) who had not been trained in them or who had not passed the exam for their full course was discontinued. By the beginning of the 20th century, when the cadet schools were transformed into military ones, the production of officers actually ceased, except for graduation from the school (with the exception of a very small group of people with higher education, produced by examination; their number did not exceed 100 people a year).

However, it should also be said about such a form of obtaining an officer's rank as promotion to reserve officers. In 1884, when the rank of ensign in active service in peacetime was abolished, he remained only for the reserve. Initially, reserve warrant officers were enrolled, who received this first rank on preferential terms in the war of 1877-1878. and never passed the officer's exam (and therefore not promoted to second lieutenant). But in 1886, a provision was issued on reserve warrant officers, which constituted this special officer rank. Persons with higher and secondary education who passed the preferential exam were entitled to it. For 12 years, they were required to stay in reserve and during this time to serve twice the fees lasting up to 6 months. By the end of 1894, there were 2960 reserve warrant officers.

In 1891, the regulation on ensigns was adopted. This was the name in active service of capable lower ranks from non-commissioned and volunteers with higher and secondary education, as well as sergeants and senior non-commissioned officers who filled vacant officer positions.

Only those persons with higher education who during their compulsory service were promoted to non-commissioned officers were allowed to take the exam for the rank of warrant officer of the reserve, while volunteers - not earlier than they served the winter and summer periods, and the rest of the recruits - not earlier than the end of 2- year of service. Persons who successfully passed the exam could retire immediately (but not earlier than 4 months before the end of the compulsory service).

Since graduates of cadet schools who graduated from them in the 1st category (150-200 people per year), and graduates of the 2nd category who graduated from a gymnasium or an equal educational institution before entering the school (about 200 per year), were promoted to officers in during the first year after graduation, then the rest had to wait for production (due to lack of vacancies) for several years. During these years, they (although they were equated by law with respect to the performance of service to junior officers), without having material resources, involuntarily lived together with the lower ranks, assimilating habits and a way of life that did not correspond well to the rank and position of the future officer. Therefore, the question was raised of reducing the number of cadet schools, which was subsequently carried out by converting some of them into military schools, and from 1901, graduates of all cadet schools began to graduate, as well as from military schools, as officers.

The army is a special world with its own laws and customs, a strict hierarchy and a clear division of duties. And always, starting from the ancient Roman legions, he was the main link between ordinary soldiers and the highest commanding staff. Today we will talk about non-commissioned officers. Who are they and what functions did they perform in the army?

The history of the term

Let's figure out who the non-commissioned officer is. The system of military ranks began to take shape in Russia at the beginning of the 18th century with the advent of the first regular army. Over time, only minor changes occurred in it - and for more than two hundred years it remained virtually unchanged. After a year, great changes took place in the Russian system of military ranks, but even now most of the old ranks are still used in the army.

Initially, there was no strict division into ranks among the lower ranks. The role of junior commanders was played by sergeants. Then, with the advent of the regular army, a new category of lower army ranks appeared - non-commissioned officers. The word is of German origin. And this is no coincidence, since much at that time was borrowed from foreign countries especially during the reign of Peter the Great. It was he who created the first Russian army on a regular basis. Translated from German, unter means "lower".

Since the 18th century, in the Russian army, the first degree of military ranks was divided into two groups: privates and non-commissioned officers. It should be remembered that in the artillery and the Cossack troops, the lower military ranks were called fireworkers and constables, respectively.

Ways to get a title

So, a non-commissioned officer is the lowest level of military ranks. There were two ways to get this rank. The nobles entered the military service in the lowest rank immediately, without vacancies. Then they were promoted and received their first officer rank. In the 18th century, this circumstance led to a huge surplus of non-commissioned officers, especially in the guard, where the majority preferred to serve.

All others had to serve four years before being promoted to lieutenant or sergeant major. In addition, non-nobles could receive an officer rank for special military merits.

What ranks belonged to non-commissioned officers

Over the past 200 years, changes have taken place in this lower rung of the military ranks. At various times, the following ranks belonged to non-commissioned officers:

1. Sub-ensign and warrant officer are the highest non-commissioned officer ranks.
2. Feldwebel (in the cavalry he held the rank of Wahmister) - a non-commissioned officer who occupied a middle position in the ranks between a corporal and a lieutenant. He performed the duties of assistant company commander for economic affairs and internal order.
3. The senior non-commissioned officer is the assistant to the platoon commander, the direct head of the soldiers. He had relative freedom and independence in the education and training of privates. He kept order in the unit, assigned soldiers to the outfit and to work.
4. The junior non-commissioned officer is the immediate superior of the privates. It was with him that the upbringing and training of soldiers began, he helped his wards in military training and led them into battle. In the 17th century, in the Russian army, instead of a junior non-commissioned officer, there was the rank of corporal. He belonged to the lowest military rank. A corporal in the modern Russian army is a junior sergeant. The rank of lance corporal still exists in the US Army.

Non-commissioned officer of the tsarist army

In the period after the Russian-Japanese war and during the First World War, the formation of non-commissioned officers of the tsarist army was given special importance. For the instantly increased number in the army, there were not enough officers, and military schools could not cope with this task. The short period of compulsory service did not allow training a professional military man. The Ministry of War tried with all its might to keep non-commissioned officers in the army, on whom great hopes were placed for the education and training of privates. They gradually began to be singled out as a special layer of professionals. It was decided to leave up to a third of the number of lower military ranks on extended service.

Overtimers began to increase their salaries, they received non-commissioned officers who served over the term of 15 years, upon dismissal they received the right to a pension.

In the tsarist army, non-commissioned officers played a huge role in the training and education of privates. They were responsible for order in the units, appointed soldiers to outfits, had the right to dismiss the private from the unit, were engaged in

Abolition of lower military ranks

After the revolution of 1917, all military ranks were abolished. They were introduced again in 1935. The ranks of sergeant major, senior and junior non-commissioned officers were replaced by junior ones and the ensign began to correspond to the foreman, and the ordinary ensign to the modern ensign. Many famous personalities of the 20th century began their service in the army with the rank of non-commissioned officer: G.K. Zhukov, K.K. Rokossovsky, V.K. Blucher, G. Kulik, the poet Nikolai Gumilyov.

Not only historical documents, but also works of art that take us back to the pre-revolutionary past are filled with examples of the relationship between servicemen of different ranks. The lack of understanding of a single gradation does not prevent the reader from isolating the main theme of the work, however, sooner or later, one has to think about the difference between the appeals “Your Honor” and “Your Excellency”.

Few people notice that in the army of the USSR the appeal was not abolished, it was only replaced by a uniform form for all ranks. Even in the modern Russian army, “Comrade” is added to any rank, although in civilian life this term has long lost its relevance, the appeal “Mr.” is increasingly heard.

Military ranks in the tsarist army determined the hierarchy of relations, but the system of their distribution can only be slightly compared with the model that was adopted after the well-known events of 1917. Only the White Guards remained true to the established traditions. Until the end of the civil war, the White Guard used the Table of Ranks, maintained by Peter the Great. The rank, determined by the Report Card, indicated the position not only in the army service, but also in civilian life. For your information, there were several Tables of Ranks, they were military, civil and courtiers.

The history of military ranks

For some reason, the most interesting issue is the distribution of officer powers in Russia at the very turn of the turning point in 1917. At that time, the ranks in the White Army were a complete analogue of the aforementioned Report Card with the latest changes that were relevant at the end of the era of the Russian Empire. But we will have to delve into the times of Peter the Great, since all the terminology originates there.

The Table of Ranks introduced by Emperor Peter I contained 262 job titles, this is the total figure for civil and military ranks. However, not all titles reached the beginning of the 20th century. Many of them were abolished in the XVIII century. An example would be the titles of State Councilor or Collegiate Assessor. The law introduced by the Table into force assigned a stimulating function to it. So, according to the king himself, promotion is possible only for people who are standing, and the road to higher ranks was closed to parasites and impudent people.

Find out: Until what age is the rank of lieutenant awarded, are there any age restrictions

The division of ranks involved the assignment of chief officer ranks, staff officers or generals. In accordance with the class, the appeal was also established. It was necessary to address the chief officers: "Your Honor." To the staff officers - "Your Excellency", and to the generals - "Your Excellency".

Distribution by type of troops

The understanding that the entire contingent of the army must be divided into branches of service came long before the reign of Peter. A similar approach can be traced in the modern Russian army. On the threshold of the First World War, the Russian Empire, according to many historians, was at the peak of its economic recovery. Therefore, some indicators are compared with this period. On the issue of military branches, a static picture has developed. You can single out the infantry, consider separately the artillery, the now abolished cavalry, the Cossack army, which was in the ranks of the regular army, guards units and the fleet.

It is noteworthy that in the tsarist army of pre-revolutionary Russia, military ranks could differ, depending on the military unit or clan. Despite this, the ranks in the tsarist army of Russia were listed in ascending order in a strictly defined order to maintain unity of control.

Military ranks in infantry divisions

For all branches of the military, the lower ranks had a distinctive feature; they wore smooth epaulettes with the depicted regiment number. The color of the shoulder strap depended on the type of troops. Infantry troops used red epaulettes of a hexagonal shape. There was also a division by color depending on the regiment or division, but such a gradation complicated the recognition process. In addition, on the threshold of World War I, a decision was made to unify the color, establishing a protective shade as the norm.

The lowest ranks include the most popular ranks that are well known to the modern soldier. We are talking about private and corporal. Everyone who tries to study the hierarchy in the army of the Russian Empire involuntarily compares the structure with modernity. These titles have survived to this day.

Find out: How to sew and attach shoulder straps to a shirt

The line of ranks, which indicates belonging to a group of sergeant status, is positioned by the tsarist army of Russia as non-commissioned officer ranks. Here the matching pattern looks like this:

• a junior non-commissioned officer is, in our opinion, a junior sergeant;
• senior non-commissioned officer - corresponds to a sergeant;
• sergeant major - placed on the same level as the senior sergeant;
• ensign - foreman;
• ensign - ensign.

Junior officers begin with the rank of senior lieutenant. The holder of the chief officer rank has the right to apply for a command position. In the infantry, in ascending order, this group is represented by ensigns, second lieutenants, lieutenants, as well as staff captains and captains.

One feature is noticeable, it lies in the fact that the rank of major, which in our time is assigned to the group of senior officers, in the imperial army corresponds to the chief officer rank. This discrepancy is further compensated, and the general order of the hierarchy steps is not violated.

Staff officers with the rank of colonel or lieutenant colonel today have consonant regalia. It is believed that this group belongs to the senior officers. The highest composition is represented by general ranks. In ascending order, the officers of the Imperial Russian Army are divided into major generals, lieutenant generals, generals from infantry. As you know, the existing scheme assumes the presence of the rank of colonel-general. Marshal corresponds to the rank of Field Marshal, but this is a theoretical rank, which was awarded only to D.A. Milyutin, being Minister of War until 1881.

In artillery

Following the example of the structure of the infantry, the difference in ranks for artillery can be represented schematically, highlighting five groups of ranks.

• The lower ones include gunners and bombardiers, these ranks ceased to exist after the defeat of the white units. Even in 1943, the titles were not restored.
• Artillery non-commissioned officers receive the status of junior and senior fireworks, and then ensign or ensign.
• The composition of officers (in our case, chief officers), as well as senior officers (here, headquarters officers) is no different from infantry troops. The vertical begins with the rank of warrant officer and ends with a colonel.
• The senior officers, who have the ranks of the highest group, are designated by three ranks. Major General, Lieutenant General, and Felzekhmeister General.

With all this, there is a preservation of a single structure, so without difficulty everyone will be able to draw up a visual table of correspondence by type of troops or correspondence with the modern military classification.

Find out: What military ranks were in the USSR army until 1943

The army Cossacks

The main distinguishing feature of the imperial army at the beginning of the 20th century is the fact that the legendary Cossack army served in regular units. Acting as a separate branch of the armed forces, the Russian Cossacks fit into the table of ranks with their ranks. Now it is possible to bring all the ranks into line by presenting them in a cross section of the same five groups of ranks. But there are no general ranks in the Cossack army, so the number of groups was reduced to four.

1. The Cossack and the clerk are considered representatives of the lower ranks.
2. The next step consists of officers and a sergeant major.
3. The officers are represented by a cornet, a centurion, a podaul and a captain.
4. Senior officers or Headquarters officers include a military foreman and a colonel.

Insignia of the ranks of the Russian Army. XVIII-XX centuries.

Shoulder straps XIX-XX centuries
(1855-1917)
non-commissioned officers

So, by 1855, non-commissioned officers, like soldiers, had soft cloth shoulder straps of a pentagonal shape 1 1/4 inches wide (5.6 cm) and shoulder-length (from the shoulder seam to the collar). The average length of the shoulder strap. ranged from 12 to 16 cm.
The lower end of the shoulder strap was sewn into the shoulder seam of the uniform or overcoat, and the upper end was fastened to a button sewn to the shoulder at the collar. Recall that since 1829 the color of the buttons is according to the color of the instrumental metal of the regiment. A number is stamped on the buttons of the infantry regiments. The state emblem was squeezed out on the buttons of the guards regiments. Describing all the changes in images, numbers and buttons within the framework of this article is simply inappropriate.

The colors of shoulder straps of all the lower ranks as a whole were determined as follows:
* Guards units - red shoulder straps without encryption,
* all grenadier regiments - yellow shoulder straps with red encryption,
* rifle units - raspberry shoulder straps with yellow encryption,
* artillery and engineering troops - red shoulder straps with yellow encryption,
* cavalry - a special color of shoulder straps is set for each regiment. There is no system here.

For infantry regiments, the color of shoulder straps was determined by the place of the division in the corps:
* The first division of the corps - red shoulder straps with yellow encryption,
* The second division in the corps - blue shoulder straps with yellow encryption,
* The third division in the corps - shoulder straps are white with red encryption.

The encryption was painted with oil paint and indicated the number of the regiment. Or it could represent the monogram of the Highest Chief of the regiment (if this monogram is in the nature of encryption, i.e. it is used instead of the regiment number). By this time, the infantry regiments received a single continuous numbering.

On February 19, 1855, it was prescribed in companies and squadrons that to this day bore the name of companies and squadrons of His Imperial Majesty, all ranks should have the monogram of Emperor Nicholas I on epaulettes and shoulder straps. However, this monogram is worn only by those ranks who served in these companies and squadrons for as of February 18, 1855 and continue to serve in them. The lower ranks newly enrolled in these companies and squadrons do not have the right to this monogram.

On February 21, 1855, the monogram of Emperor Nicholas I was forever assigned to the junkers for the shoulder straps of the Nikolaev Engineering School. They will wear this monogram until the abolition of royal monograms in March 1917.

Since March 3, 1862, the buttons in the guard with the state emblem embossed, with the grenada embossed on one fire in the grenadier regiments and smooth in all other parts.

Encryption on shoulder straps with oil paint on a yellow or red stencil, depending on the color of the shoulder strap field.

It makes no sense to describe all the changes with buttons. We only note that by 1909, in the entire Army and Guards, the buttons were with the state emblem, excluding the grenadier units and engineering units, which had their own images on the buttons.

In the grenadier regiments, the slotted cipher was replaced with oil paint only in 1874.

The height of the monograms of the Highest Chefs since 1891 has been determined in the range from 1 5/8 inches (72mm) to 1 11/16 inches (75mm).
The height of the numbered or digital encryption in 1911 was set to 3/4 inch (33 mm.). The lower edge of the encryption is 1/2 an inch (22m) from the lower edge of the shoulder strap.

Non-commissioned officer ranks were indicated by transverse stripes on shoulder straps. The patches were 1/4 wide an inch (11 mm.). In the army stripes fringe white color, in the grenadier units and in the Electrotechnical Company, a red prosnovka passed through the center of the bar. In the guards, the stripes were orange (almost yellow) in color with two red stripes along the edges.

In the picture on the right:

1. Junior non-commissioned officer of the 6th sapper His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich Senior Battalion.

2. Senior non-commissioned officer of the 5th engineer battalion.

3. Sergeant Major of the 1st Life Grenadier Ekaterinoslav Emperor Alexander II Regiment.

Please pay attention to the epaulette of the sergeant major. Braided stripe of the pattern "army galloon" gold in color of the instrumental metal of the regiment. The monogram of Alexander II here, which is ciphered, is red, as it should be on yellow shoulder straps. Yellow metal button with "Grenada on one fire", which were put on the grenadier regiments.

In the picture on the left:

1. Junior non-commissioned officer of the 13th Life Grenadier Erivan Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich Regiment.

2. Senior non-commissioned officer of the 5th Grenadier Kyiv Heir to the Tsesarevich Regiment.

3. Feldwebel of the Electrical Company.

The sergeant-major's patch was not a fringe, but a galloon color on the instrumental metal of the regiment (silver or gold).
In the army and grenadier units, this patch had an "army" galloon pattern and had a width of 1/2 inch (22mm).
In the 1st Guards Division, the Guards Artillery Brigade, in the Life Guards Sapper Battalion, the sergeant-major's patch had a lace pattern with a "bit" width of 5/8 inches (27.75 mm.).
In the rest of the guards, in the army cavalry, in the horse artillery, the sergeant major's patch had a "half-staff" galloon pattern 5/8 inches wide (27.75 mm.).

In the picture on the right:

1. Junior non-commissioned officer of the Life Guards of the Sapper Battalion.

2. Senior non-commissioned officer of His Majesty's Company of the Life Guards of the Sapper Battalion.

3. Sergeant-major of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment of the galloon of the battle).

4. Feldwebel of the Life Guards of the 1st Infantry Regiment (haloon galloon).

Actually, non-commissioned officer stripes, strictly speaking, in themselves did not mean a rank (rank) like stars for officers, but indicated the position held:

* two stripes, in addition to junior non-commissioned officers (otherwise called separated non-commissioned officers), were worn by company captains, battalion drummers (timpani) and signalists (trumpeters), junior musicians of non-commissioned officer rank, junior salary clerk, junior medical and company paramedics and all non-combatants the lower ranks of the non-commissioned officer rank (i.e., non-combatants could not have three stripes or a wide sergeant major stripe on shoulder straps).

* three stripes, in addition to senior non-commissioned officers (otherwise called platoon non-commissioned officers), were also worn by senior salary clerks, senior medical assistants, regimental signalmen (trumpeters), regimental drummers.

* a wide sergeant-major patch was worn except for company (battery) sergeants (foremen of the company - speaking modern language), regimental drum majors, senior clerks, regimental storekeepers.

Non-commissioned officers serving in training units (officer schools), like the soldiers of such units, wore "training tape".

Like soldiers, non-commissioned officers on long or indefinite leave wore one or two black stripes wide at the bottom of the shoulder strap. 11mm.

In the picture on the left:

1. Junior non-commissioned officer of the Automobile Training Company.

2. Senior non-commissioned officer of the 208th Lori Infantry Regiment on a long vacation.

3. Sergeant Major of the 1st Life Grenadier Ekaterinoslav Emperor Alexander II Regiment on indefinite leave.

The non-commissioned officers of the army dragoon and lancer regiments in the period under review, excluding the period from 1882 to 1909, did not have shoulder straps, but epaulettes on their uniforms. Guards dragoons and lancers in the period under review had epaulettes on their uniforms all the time. Shoulder straps of dragoons and lancers were worn only on overcoats.

In the picture on the left:

1. Non-commissioned officer of the guards cavalry regiment.

2. Junior sergeant-major of an army cavalry regiment.

3. Senior Wahmister of the Guards Cavalry Regiment.

Note. In the cavalry, non-commissioned officers were called a little differently than in other branches of the military.

End of note.

Persons who entered the military service as hunters (in other words, voluntarily) or volunteers receiving non-commissioned officer ranks, they kept the epaulette trim with a tricolor garus cord.

In the picture on the right:

1. Hunter sergeant major of the 10th Novoingermanland infantry regiment.

2. Voluntary rank junior non-commissioned officer of the 48th Infantry Odessa Emperor Alexander I Regiment.

From the author. It was hardly possible to meet a volunteer with the rank of sergeant major, since after a year of service he already had the right to pass an exam for an officer's rank. And in a year to rise to the rank of sergeant major was simply unrealistic. And it is unlikely that the company commander will appoint a "freelancer" to this difficult position, which requires extensive service experience. But it was possible to meet a volunteer who found his place in the army, that is, a hunter and rose to the rank of sergeant major, although rarely. Most often, sergeant majors were re-enlisted.

In a previous article about soldier's epaulettes, it was said about stripes indicating special qualifications. Having become non-commissioned officers, these specialists kept these stripes.

In the picture on the left:

1. Junior sergeant major of the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment, qualified as a scout.

Note. In the cavalry, such longitudinal stripes were also worn by non-commissioned officers who were qualified fencing teachers and riding teachers. According to some reports, they also had a "training tape" around the shoulder strap, as shown in the shoulder strap 4.

2. Junior fireworker of His Majesty's battery of the 1st Guards Artillery Brigade, qualified as a gunner.

3. Junior fireworker of the 16th artillery brigade, qualified as an observer.

4. Qualified non-commissioned officer rank rider.

The lower ranks who remained for long-term service (usually in ranks from corporal to senior non-commissioned officer) were called extra-long-term servicemen of the 2nd category and wore along the edges of the shoulder strap (except for the bottom edge) galunny sheathing from a harness galloon 3/8 inch wide (16.7mm. ). The color of the galloon is according to the color of the instrumental metal of the regiment. All other stripes are the same as those of the lower ranks of military service.

Unfortunately, it is not completely clear what the stripes of the 2nd category extra-enlisted servicemen were according to their ranks. There are two opinions.
The first is that the stripes by rank are completely similar to the stripes of military service ranks.
The second is gold or silver galloon stripes of a special pattern according to ranks.

The author is inclined to the first opinion, relying on Sytin's Military Encyclopedia of the 1912 edition, which describes all types of galloons used in the Russian Army with indications of where this or that type of galloon is used. There I did not find either this type of galloon, or indications of what galloons are used for the stripes of re-enlisted men. However, even the well-known uniformist of that time, Colonel Schenk, more than once indicates in his works that it is simply impossible to put together all the Highest Commands regarding the uniform, and the orders of the Military Department issued on their basis, there are so many of them.

Naturally, the above stripes for special qualifications, black vacation stripes, encryption and monograms were also fully used by re-enlisted.

In the picture on the right:

1. Extra-conscript of the 2nd category, junior non-commissioned officer of the Life Guards of the Sapper Battalion.

2. Extra-conscript 2nd category senior non-commissioned officer of the 7th Kinburn Dragoon Regiment.

3. Senior fireworker of the 20th artillery brigade, super-conscript of the 2nd category, qualified as an observer.

4. Senior fireworker of the 1st battery of the 2nd Guards Artillery Brigade with the qualification of a gunner.

One rank belonged to the extra-conscripts of the 1st category - ensign. Their shoulder straps were not in the form of a pentagonal shoulder strap, but a hexagonal one. Like the officers. They wore a 5/8 inch wide (27.75mm) longitudinal stripe of harness galloon in the color of the instrumental metal of the regiment. In addition to this patch, they wore transverse patches for their position. Two stripes - for the positions of a separated non-commissioned officer, three stripes - for the positions of a platoon non-commissioned officer, one wide - for the positions of a sergeant major. In other positions, ensigns did not have transverse stripes.

Note. The term "commander" currently used in our army refers to all military personnel who command military formations from squad to corps, including educatively. Above, this position is called "commander" (army commander, district commander, front commander, ...).
In the Russian Army until 1917, the term "commander" was used (in any case officially) only in relation to persons who command a company, battalion, regiment and brigade and their equal formations in artillery and cavalry. The division was commanded by a "division chief". Above - "commander".
But the persons who commanded the squad and platoon were called, if it was about the position they held, a separated non-commissioned officer and a platoon non-commissioned officer, respectively. Or junior and senior non-commissioned officer, if it was in the understanding of the rank. In the cavalry, if it was a rank, non-commissioned officer, junior sergeant major and senior sergeant major.
I note that the officers did not command platoons. They all had the same position - junior officer of the company.

End of note.

Encryption and special signs (who are supposed to) ensigns wore metal overhead officers in the color of the instrumental metal of the regiment.

In the picture on the left:

1. Lieutenant of the company of His Majesty the Life Guards Sapper Battalion as a detached non-commissioned officer.

2. Ensign as a platoon non-commissioned officer of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment.

3. Ensign at the position of sergeant major of the 5th aviation company.

4. Subensign at the position of senior sergeant major of the 3rd Novorossiysk Dragoon Regiment.

Until 1903, graduates of the cadet schools, released as ensigns and serving in units in anticipation of being assigned an officer rank, wore cadet epaulets, but with the encryption of their unit.

Completely falling out general view the shoulder strap of ensigns was the shoulder strap of a lieutenant of the Engineering Corps. It looked like a volunteer's epaulette and had a sheathing of silver army galloon 11 mm wide.

Explanation. The engineering corps is not a military formation, but a generalizing name for officers and non-commissioned officers who are specialists in the field of fortification, underground mines, and who serve not in engineering units, but in fortresses and units of other military branches. This is a kind of advisers to combined arms commanders in engineering.

End of explanation.

In the picture on the right:

1. Lieutenant of the Life Guards Sapper Battalion.

2. Ensign of the Engineering Corps.

3. Feldeger.

There was a so-called. The courier corps, the main task of the ranks of which was the delivery of especially important and urgent mail (orders, directives, reports, etc.) from headquarters to headquarters. Couriers wore shoulder straps similar to those of ensigns, but the longitudinal galloon stripe of the harness galloon had a width not of 5/8 inch (27.75 mm), but only 1/2 inch (22 mm).

T Since 1907, the same stripes have been worn by candidates for a class position. Until that time (from 1899 to 1907), the candidate on the chase had a stripe in the form of a corner made of galloon "page gimlet".

Explanation. A candidate for a class position is a lower rank who undergoes appropriate training so that, at the end of active military service, he becomes a military officer and continues to serve in this capacity.

End of explanation.

In the picture on the left:

1. Ensign of the 5th East Siberian Artillery Brigade, graduate of the cadet school (until 1903).

2. Senior non-commissioned officer of the 5th engineer battalion, who is a candidate for a class position (1899-1907).

In 1909 (Order V.V. No. 100), bilateral shoulder straps were introduced for the lower ranks. Those. one side of instrumental cloth of the color assigned to this part, the other of khaki cloth (overcoat on overcoat), with two rows of glued lining canvas between them. The buttons in the guard are the same color as the instrumental metal of the regiment, in the army they are leather.
When wearing a uniform in everyday life, shoulder straps are worn with the colored side out. When speaking on a campaign, shoulder straps are turned over with the protective side out.

However, ensigns, like officers, did not receive marching epaulettes in 1909. Marching shoulder straps for officers and ensigns will be introduced only in the autumn of 1914. (R.V.V. No. 698 dated 10/31/1914)

Shoulder strap length. The width of the shoulder strap of the lower ranks is 1 1/4 inches (55-56mm.). The upper edge of the shoulder strap is cut off with an obtuse equilateral angle and put on with a loop (stitched) on a leather button (in the guard - metal), sewn tightly to the shoulder at the collar. The edges of the shoulder strap do not bend, they are sewn with a thread. A cloth tongue is sewn into the lower edge of the shoulder strap (between the upper cloth and the hemming) throughout the entire width of the shoulder strap, for threading through a cloth jumper (1/4 inch wide) sewn onto the shoulders of the uniform.

In the figure on the left (drawing of letters and numbers according to the order of V.v No. 228 of 1912)

1. Junior non-commissioned officer of the Life Guards of the Izmailovsky Regiment.

2. Senior non-commissioned officer of the 195th Orovai Infantry Regiment.

3. Sergeant major of the 5th separate scooter company.

4. Freely determined non-commissioned officer rank of the 13th Dragoon Regiment.

5. Ensign as sergeant major of the 25th artillery brigade.

6. Ensign in the officer position of the 25th artillery brigade.

What can be said about this. Here is a quote from the Order of the Military Department No. 698 of 10/31/1914:

"2) For ensigns - also install protective shoulder straps with a sewn longitudinal wide dark orange braid, with transverse stripes of dark orange braid according to the positions (non-commissioned officer or sergeant major) or with one oxidized star (for those appointed to officer positions)."

Why so, I do not know. In principle, the ensign could be either in non-commissioned officer positions and wear transverse stripes for the position other than his longitudinal one, or in officer positions. Others simply do not exist.

On both sides of the epaulettes of non-commissioned officers of army units, an encryption is painted with oil paint 1/3 of an inch (15 mm) above the bottom edge. Numbers and letters have dimensions: in one line 7/8 inch (39mm.), And in two lines (with an interval of 1/8 inch (5.6mm.)) - the bottom line is 3/8 inch (17mm.), Top 7 / 8 inches (39mm.). Special signs (who are supposed to) are made up above the encryption.
At the same time, on the marching shoulder straps of ensigns, encryption and special signs are overhead metal oxidized (dark gray) like those of officers.
In the guards, ciphers and special signs are not allowed on shoulder straps, with the exception of the imperial monograms in the companies of His Majesty.

The colors of the ciphers on the protective side of the shoulder straps of non-commissioned officers (except for ensigns) are set according to the branches of the military:
* infantry - yellow,
rifle units - raspberry,
* cavalry and horse artillery - blue,
* on foot artillery - red,
* engineering troops - brown,
* Cossack units - blue,
* railway troops and scooters - light green,
* fortress parts of all types of weapons - orange,
* convoy parts - white,
* quartermaster parts - black.

The number code in the infantry and cavalry indicated the regiment number, in foot artillery to the brigade number, in horse artillery to the battery number, in the engineering troops to the battalion or company number (if the company exists as a separate unit), the letter cipher indicated the name of the regiment, which in general, it was characteristic of the grenadier regiments. Or on shoulder straps there could be the monogram of the Highest Chief, which was assigned instead of a numbered encryption.

Because each type of cavalry had a separate numbering, then after the regiment number there was an italic letter indicating the type of regiment (D-Dragoon, U-Ulansky, G-hussar, Zh-Gendarme squadron). But these letters are only on the protective shoulder strap!

According to the order of V.V. No. 228 of May 12, 1912 on the protective side of the shoulder straps of army units there could be colored piping of the same color as the piping on the colored side of the shoulder straps. If the colored shoulder strap does not have edgings, then the marching shoulder strap does not have them either.

It remains unclear whether the lower ones had marching epaulets in training parts Yves Electrotechnical company. And if there were, what kind of stripes did they have. I believe that since, by the nature of their activities, such units were not supposed to go on a campaign and include them in the Active Army, they did not have marching epaulettes either.
It was also not supposed to wear black stripes on the protective side of shoulder straps, indicating being on a long or indefinite leave.

But the lining of shoulder straps with a cord of volunteers and hunters was also available on the protective side of the shoulder straps.

In artillery and cavalry, the stripes of scouts, observers and gunners are only transverse.

And:
* in the artillery, non-commissioned officers with the qualifications of observers have a stripe according to the color of the encryption below the non-commissioned officer stripes. Those. in the artillery the patch is red, in the horse artillery it is light blue, in the fortress artillery it is orange.

* in artillery, non-commissioned officers with a gunner's qualification have a patch not under non-commissioned officer patches stripe, and in the lower part of the epaulette in foot artillery dark orange, in horse artillery light blue.

* in the cavalry non-commissioned officers scouts have a stripe not longitudinal, but transverse in the lower part of the epaulette light blue.

* In the infantry, non-commissioned officers of scouts have a longitudinal dark orange stripe.

In the picture on the left:

1. Junior fireworker of the 25th artillery brigade, qualified as a gunner.

2. Junior sergeant major of the 2nd horse artillery battery, qualified as a gunner.

3. Senior Wahmister of the 11th Lancers, qualified as a scout.

4. Senior fireworker of the 25th artillery brigade, qualified as an observer. .

5. Non-commissioned officer of the 2nd horse artillery battery, qualified as an observer.

6. Hunter senior non-commissioned officer of the 89th Infantry Regiment, qualified as a scout.

7. Sergeant Major of the 114th Infantry Regiment, 2nd category.

In military schools that trained officers, junkers were considered lower ranks with the rights of volunteers. There were also junkers who wore non-commissioned officer stripes. However, they were called differently - junior junker belt, senior junker belt and sergeant major. These stripes were similar to the stripes of non-commissioned officers of the grenadier units (bad white with a red stripe in the middle). The edges of the shoulder straps of the junkers were sheathed with a galloon, like those of the second-class conscripts. However, the galloon drawings were completely different and depended on a particular school.

Junker shoulder straps, due to their diversity, require a separate article. Therefore, here I show them very briefly and only on the example of engineering schools.

Note that these shoulder straps were also worn by those who studied at ensign schools during the First World War (4-9 months). We also note that the junkers did not have marching shoulder straps at all.

Nikolaev and Alekseevsky engineering schools. Braid pattern "army" silver. In the picture on the left:
1. Juncker of the Nikolaev Engineering School.

2.Junker of the Alekseevsky Engineering School.

3. Junker of the Nikolaev Engineering School, who was a volunteer before entering the school.

4.Junior harness-junker of the Nikolaev Engineering School.

5. Senior harness-cadet of the Alekseevsky Engineering School.

6. Junker sergeant major of the Nikolaev Engineering School.

It remains unclear whether the non-commissioned officers who entered the schools retained their non-commissioned officer stripes on cadet shoulder straps.

Reference. The Nikolaev Engineering School is considered the oldest officer school in the country, whose history began at the beginning of the 18th century and which exists today. But Alekseevskoye was opened only in 1915 in Kyiv and managed to make only eight issues of wartime engineering ensigns. The events of the revolution and the Civil War destroyed this school, leaving no trace of it.

End of help.

By the decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of December 16, 1917 (already by the new Bolshevik authorities), all the above-described insignia of the lower ranks, like all others, were abolished due to the abolition of all ranks and titles. The military personnel of the military units, organizations, headquarters and institutions that still survived at that time had to remove shoulder straps from their shoulders. It is difficult to say to what extent this decree was implemented. Here everything depended on the mood of the soldier masses, their attitude towards the new government. And the attitude of local commanders and authorities also influenced the execution of the decree.
Partially, shoulder straps were preserved during the Civil War in the formations of the White Movement, however, local military leaders, taking advantage of the fact that the higher command did not have enough power over them, introduced their own versions of shoulder straps and insignia on them.
In the Red Army, which began to be created in February-March 1918, they completely and categorically abandoned shoulder straps, seeing in shoulder straps "signs of autocracy." The running system will be restored in the Red Army only in January 1943, i.e. after 25 years.

From the author. The author is aware that in all articles on the shoulder straps of the lower ranks there are both minor inaccuracies and serious errors. There are also missed moments. But the system of insignia on the shoulder straps of the lower ranks of the Russian Army was so diverse, confusing and changed so often that it was impossible to trace all this thoroughly. In addition, a number of documents of those times available to the author contain only the text part without figures. And this gives rise to different interpretations. Some primary sources contain references to previous documents of the type: ".... like the lower ranks ..... regiment", which could not be found. Or it turns out that they were canceled before they are referenced. There is also such a thing - something was introduced by order of the Military Department, but then comes the Order of the Main Quartermaster Directorate, on the basis of the Highest Command, canceling the innovation and introducing another.

In addition, I highly recommend not to take my information as absolute truth in its ultimate instance, but to get acquainted with other sites on uniformitarianism. In particular, with the site of Alexei Khudyakov (semiryak.my1.ru/) and the site "Mundir" (vedomstva-uniforma.ru/mundir).

Sources and literature

1.A.Kersnovsky. History of the Russian Army 1700-1881. Rusich. Smolensk. 2004
2.A.Kersnovsky. History of the Russian Army 1881-1916. Rusich. Smolensk. 2004
3. M.M. Khrenov et al. military clothing Russian Army Military publishing house. Moscow. 1994
4.O.Leonov, I.Ulyanov. Regular infantry 1855-1918. AST.Moscow. 1998
5.I.Golyzhenkov, B.Stepanov. European soldier for 300 years. Isographus. Eksmo-Press. Moscow. 2001
6. Military encyclopedia. Company of I.D. Sytin. St. Petersburg. 1912
7.O.Leonov, I.Ulyanov. Regular infantry 1855-1918. AST.Moscow. 1998
8. V.K. Shenk. Rules for wearing uniforms by officers of all types of weapons. St. Petersburg. 1910
9. V.K. Shenk. Tables of uniforms of the Russian Army. St. Petersburg. 1910
10. V.K. Shenk. Tables of uniforms of the Russian Army. St. Petersburg. 1911
11. V.V. Zvegintsov. Forms of the Russian Army. Paris. 1959
12.V.M. Glinka. Russian military costume of the 18th-early 20th century. Artist of the RSFSR. Leningrad. 1988
13. Poster "External distinctions of officials and ranks of the military and naval departments". 1914
14. Website "Insignia of the Russian Imperial Army in 1913" (semiryak.my1.ru/).
15. Historical description of clothing and weapons of the Russian troops. T.28. Artillery Museum. Novosibirsk, 1944
16.Historical description of clothing and weapons of the Russian troops. T.30. Artillery Museum. Novosibirsk, 1946
17. Magazine "Tseikhgauz" No. 3-2000 (12).
18. Website "Mundir" (vedomstva-uniforma.ru/mundir)
19. Warehouse website (www.bergenschild.narod.ru/Reconstruction/depot/1912-18/mundir_pohod.htm).
20. Magazine "Tseikhgauz" No. 1-2003 (21).
21. Magazine "Tseikhgauz" No. 4 (1/1995).