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The ranks and rank insignia of the Soviet Armed Forces between 1955 and 1991 were distinguished by the reorganisation of the Soviet armed forces after the death of Stalin, resulting in changes to ranks, insignia, and uniforms.
In December 1956 the coloured border piping on officers' shoulder straps was changed. A cinnamon-brown color was used instead of the burgundy red previously worn by commanders and commanding officers. All other officers and other ranks wore corps colours as follows:
The regimental numberings of the 1943 system were removed altogether.
| Rank group | Warrant officers | Non-commissioned officers | Enlisted men | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoulder boards (motorized infantry troops) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Shoulder boards (artillery, rocket, tank, engineering, construction, automobile, railway troops, signal-corps, troops of radiation, chemical and biological protection) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Shoulder boards (air force & aviation) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |
| (introduced 1981) | (introduced 1971) | (from 1964) | (until 1963) | |||||||
| Ста́рший пра́порщик Stárshiy práporshchik | Пра́порщик Práporshchyk | Старшина́ Starshyná | Ста́рший сержа́нт Stárshiy serzhánt | Сержа́нт Serzhánt | Мла́дший сержа́нт Mládshiy serzhánt | Ефре́йтор Efréĭtor | Рядово́й Ryadovóy | |||
| US equivalent [1] | Chief warrant officer | Warrant officer | Command sergeant major | Sergeant major | Master sergeant | Sergeant | Private first class | Private | ||
Colors by type of troops:
| Rank group | Warrant officers | Boatswain/petty officers | Enlisted men | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoulder boards | | | | |  |  |  |  |  | |
| (introduced 1981) | (from 1971) | (from 1964) | (until 1963) | |||||||
| Старший мичман Starshy michman | Мичман Michman | Главный корабельный старшина Glavny korabelny starshina | Главный старшина Glavny starshina | Старшина 1 статьи Starshina 1 statie | Старшина 2 статьи Starshina 2 statie | Старший матрос Starshina matros | Матрос Matros | |||
| ( Michman until 1971) | ||||||||||
| Coastal services & shore commands | Ста́рший пра́порщик Stárshiy práporshchik | Пра́порщик Práporshchyk | Старшина́ Starshyná | Ста́рший сержа́нт Stárshiy serzhánt | Сержа́нт Serzhánt | Мла́дший сержа́нт Mládshiy serzhánt | Старший матрос Starshina matros | Матрос Matros | ||
| US equivalent [2] | Chief warrant officer | Warrant officer | Fleet/force master chief petty officer | Senior chief petty officer | Chief petty officer | Petty officer second class | Seaman | Seaman recruit | ||
| Rank group | General officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | Officer cadet | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoulder boards (Ground forces) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Shoulder boards (Air force) | See below |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||
| (from 1974) | (until 1974) | |||||||||||||
| Маршал советского союза Márshal sovetskogo soyuza | Генера́л а́рмии Generál ármii | Генера́л-полко́вник Generál-polkóvnik | Генера́л-лейтена́нт Generál-leytenánt | Генера́л-майо́р Generál-mayór | Полко́вник Polkóvnik | Подполко́вник Podpolkóvnik | Майо́р Majór | Kапита́н Kapitán | Старший лейтена́нт Stárshiy leytenánt | Лейтенант Leytenant | Mла́дший лейтена́нт Mládshiy leytenánt | Курсант Kursant | ||
| US equivalent [1] | General of the Army | General | Lieutenant general | Major general | Brigadier general | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major | Captain | First lieutenant | Second lieutenant | Cadet / Officer candidate | ||
The rank of Army general was only awarded to officers of the army from the infantry branch directly, all other branches and services were promoted to the ranks of marshal and chief marshal of the branch.
| Rank | Chief marshal of the branch | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insignia |  |  |  |  |  |
| Rank designation | Главный маршал артиллерии Glavnyy marshal artillerii | Главный маршал авиации Glavnyy marshal aviatsii | Главный маршал бронетанковых войск Glavnyy marshal bronetankovykh voysk | Главный маршал войск связи Glavnyy marshal voysk svyazi | Главный маршал инженерных войск Glavnyy marshal inzhenernykh voysk |
| Translation | Chief marshal of artillery | Chief marshal of aviation | Chief marshal of the armoured troops | Chief marshal of the signal troops | Chief marshal of the engineer troops |
| Rank | Marshal of the branch | ||||
| Insignia |  |  |  |  |  |
| Rank designation | Маршал артиллерии Marshal artillerii | Маршал авиации Marshal aviatsii | Маршал бронетанковых войск Marshal bronetankovykh voysk | Маршал войск связи Marshal voysk svyazi | Маршал инженерных войск Marshal inzhenernykh voysk |
| Translation | Marshal of artillery | Marshal of aviation | Marshal of the armoured troops | Marshal of the signal troops | Marshal of the engineer troops |
| Rank group | Flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | Officer cadet | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoulder board |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |
| (from 1974) | (until 1974) | |||||||||||||
| Sleeve insignia |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||
| Адмирал флота советского союза Admiral flota sovietskogo soyuza | Адмирал флота Admiral flota | Адмирал Admiral | Вице-адмирал Vitse-admiral | Контр-адмирал Contre-admiral | Капитан 1-го ранга Kapitan 1-go ranga | Капитан 2-го ранга Kapitan 2-go ranga | Капитан 3-го ранга Kapitan 3-go ranga | Капитан-лейтенант Kapitan-leytenant | Старший лейтенант Starshey leytenant | Лейтенант Leytenant | Младший лейтенант Mladshiy leytenant | Курсант Kursant | ||
| (from 1962) | ||||||||||||||
| Coastal services & shore commands | Генера́л-полко́вник Generál-polkóvnik | Генера́л-лейтена́нт Generál-leytenánt | Генера́л-майо́р Generál-mayór | Полко́вник Polkóvnik | Подполко́вник Podpolkóvnik | Майо́р Majór | Kапита́н Kapitán | Старший лейтена́нт Stárshiy leytenánt | Лейтенант Leytenant | Mла́дший лейтена́нт Mládshiy leytenánt | Курсант Kursant | |||
| US equivalent [2] | Fleet admiral | Admiral | Vice admiral | Rear admiral | Rear admiral (lower half) | Captain | Commander | Lieutenant commander | Lieutenant | Lieutenant (junior grade) | Ensign | Midshipman | Officer Candidate | |
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