Military ranks of the Soviet Union (1955–1991)

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.

Army and air forces

Shoulder straps to field utilization

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:

• Motorised & mechanised rifles – raspberry
• Artillery & armored troops – black, red
• Air Force & aviation – blue
• Technical troops of any kind and the navy – black

The regimental numberings of the 1943 system were removed altogether.

Non-commissioned officers and enlisted men

Colors by type of troops:

• motorized infantry troops – red (scarlet);
• artillery, rocket, tank, engineering, construction, automobile, railway troops, signal-corps, troops of radiation, chemical and biological protection – black;
• air force and airborne troops – sky blue;
• state security troops (KGB troops) – dark blue, instead of the letters "СА" (Советская Армия) the letters "ГБ" (Государственная Безопасность – State Security);
• internal troops (Interior Ministry troops) – crimson (dark red), instead of the letters "СА" (Советская Армия) the letters "ВВ" (Внутренние Войска);
• border troops – green, instead of the letters "СА" (Советская Армия) the letters "ПВ" (Пограничные Войска).

Officers

Marshals of the branch

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.

Army officers and generals (all services)

Student officers

Navy

Ratings of the Navy, coastal services and other shore commands

Letter codes from 1972 onward

• The letter imprint "СА" on army shoulder boards stood for Советская Аpмия (Sovetskaya Armiya) and was the symbol of adherence to the Soviet Army.
• The letter imprint on Soviet navy shoulder boards symbolised the adherence to the appropriate fleet or naval major command.^[3]
  • Ф – Fleet (Russian: Флот, romanized: Flot), general personnel of the Navy
  • БФ – Baltic Fleet (Russian: Балтийский Флот, romanized: Baltiski flot)
  • ЧМ – Black Sea Fleet (Russian: Черноморский Флот, romanized: Chernomorski flot)
  • СФ – Northern Fleet (Russian: Северный Флот, romanized: Severny flot)
  • ТФ – Pacific Fleet (Russian: Тихоокеанский Флот, romanized: Tikhookeanski flot)
• Other letter symbols
  • ВВ – (Russian: Внутренние Войска, romanized: Vnutrennie voiska) – Internal Troops
  • ВМУ – (Russian: Военно-музыкальное Училище, romanized: Voyenno-musykalnoye Utchilishche) – students of military musician schools or cadets of military bands
• ВС – (Russian: Вооружённые Силы, romanized: Voorushonnye Sily) – armed forces (Soviet Army, later USSR armed forces, also Armed forces of the USSR)
• ГБ – (Russian: Госуда́рственной Безопа́сности, romanized: Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti) – Committee for State Security (KGB)
• К – (Russian: Курсант, romanized: Kursant) – higher military college student
• Н – (Russian: Нахимовец, romanized: Nakhimovez) – cadet in the Nakhimov Naval School
• ПВ – (Russian: Пограничные войска, romanized: Pogranitshnye voiska) – border troops
• СШ – (Russian: Cпециальная школа, romanized: Spezialnaya shkola) – special school
• СВУ – (Russian: Суворовец, romanized: Suvorovez) – cadet at a Suvorov Military School

Naval officers and flag officers (all services)

See also

• History of Russian military ranks
• Ranks and insignia of the Imperial Russian Armed Forces
• Military ranks of the Soviet Union (1918–1935)
• Military ranks of the Soviet Union (1935–1940)
• Military ranks of the Soviet Union (1940–1943)
• Military ranks of the Soviet Union (1943–1955)
• Ranks and rank insignia of the Russian Federation´s armed forces 1994–2010

References

1. Soper 1991, p. 740.
2. Soper 1991, p. 744.
3. Meyers Konversations-Lexikon, 3th^{[clarification needed]} edition 1982, order number: 576 973 7, licence number: 433 130/182/82, volume IV, page 128-129 "Rank insignia of the Soviet Navy"

Bibliography

• Barker, A. J. (1976). Soviet Army Uniforms & Insignia 1945-1975. London: Arms & Armour. ISBN 0-85368-390-5.
• Soper, Karl Wheeler (1991). "Armed Forces and Defence Organization". In Zickel, Raymond E. (ed.). Soviet Union: a country study. Area Handbook (2nd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. pp. 695–753. LCCN 90025756. Retrieved 28 October 2021.