Ranks of the Russian Navy. Military ranks of the Russian army in ascending order and categories

Ranks in the Russian army: a comparative table + samples of shoulder straps + 12 interesting facts on the topic + 7 army customs.

Even if at the lessons of military training a mustachioed military instructor forced you to cram ranks in the Russian army, we are sure that nothing has been deposited in your head, except for the unrestrained "rzhach" in the classroom, pigtails of classmates and the first cigarettes smoked around the corner of the school.

It's time to fill this gap in order to distinguish the "real colonel" from the "ensign Shmatko" at a glance.

Ranks in the Russian army? Where are they "distributed"?

In the Russian army, all military ranks are divided into 2 large categories:

• ship (those that brave sailors receive);
• military (assigned to "land rats").

Category number 1. "Ship": "You are a sailor, I am a sailor ..."

Ship ranks can boast in the Russian army by those who serve in:

• Navy(his submarine and surface forces). Oh, these brave officers in naval uniform - how many girls' hearts they broke!;
• military naval units MIA. Yes, yes, there are also marine policemen!

protection (coastal) of the Border Service of the Russian FSB.

No, they do not catch poachers with two buckets of crucian carp, but protect water lines from illegal immigrants and other violators.

Category number 2. "Military": "And I love the military, beautiful, hefty ...".

Meeting a sea captain in a white tunic is a rather difficult task if you do not live somewhere near the gentle sea. But do not despair!

In the Russian army, ranks are also received in:

• armed forces;
• Ministry of Internal Affairs (district and other police "people");

Ministry of Emergency Situations (brave "Malibu rescuers");

“If you think that the work of the Ministry of Emergency Situations is sheer heroism and a thriller, then I have to disappoint you: sometimes you just have to carry out explanatory work with priests so that the church is not burned with candles, and with them the old parishioners and cats from the trees shoot, and tell grandmothers how to heat the stove in winter and not suffocate from carbon monoxide. But rank, uniform, and social benefits make the job much more bearable.”, - Vadim from Khmelnitsky shares his impressions of the service.

• Intelligence Service (foreign) (yeah-ah, those very followers of Stirlitz!);
• Federal Security Service;
• other military units.

All ranks of the Russian army in one table: dispelling the "darkness of ignorance"

So that you don’t fall asleep on the third line of a simple listing of ranks in the Russian army, we offer you a simple cheat sheet (military and ship ranks placed on the same line correspond to each other):

	Ranks in the Russian army:
Type	Military	ship
Non-officer	private, corporal, Lance Sergeant, sergeant, staff Sergeant, foreman, ensign, Senior Warrant Officer	sailor, senior sailor, foreman of the second article, foreman of the first article, chief sergeant, chief ship sergeant, midshipman, senior midshipman
junior officers	junior lieutenant, lieutenant, senior lieutenant, captain	junior lieutenant, lieutenant, senior lieutenant, lieutenant commander
Senior officers	major, lieutenant colonel, colonel	captain of the 1st rank, captain of the 2nd rank, captain of the 3rd rank
Senior officer corps	major general, lieutenant general, colonel general, army General, Marshal of the Russian Federation	rear admiral, vice admiral, admiral, fleet admiral

As can be seen from the table, there are one more military ranks! But what!

Find 10 differences: shoulder straps for different ranks in the Russian army

To make it clear at a glance “who is who?” in the Russian troops, insignia were introduced - sleeve insignia (for sailors) shoulder straps and shoulder straps (for all soldiers).

1) Shoulder straps of non-officer ranks

2) Shoulder straps of officer ranks

Top 12 interesting facts about ranks in the Russian army

1. The only one who can command the Marshal of the Russian Federation (even give him the command “Take a prone emphasis!”) Is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, who is also the President of the Russian Federation. Moreover, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief is a position, not a rank in the Russian troops.
2. The current President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin left the FSB with the rank of colonel, but now the position allows him to "build" the holders of the highest military ranks.
3. The Minister of Defense commands both the sailors and the ground forces. Therefore, there is no rank higher than the Admiral of the Fleet in the Naval Forces.
4. Do not try to express your respect for the brave warriors by diligently writing out their ranks in the Russian armed forces with a capital letter. The fact is that all these words (from a sailor to a marshal) are written with a small letter;
5. If you were lucky enough to serve in the guards, then the word “guards” is added to the rank, for example, “guards colonel”. Agree, it sounds!

6. Even if you retired or reserve and quietly grow cucumbers in the country, your title is assigned to you with the prefix “in reserve” or “retired”.

   “The colonel, even if he is retired or in reserve, will still embarrass the traffic sergeant who stopped him for violating traffic rules. The poor guy scolds, scolds and lets go without a fine. So the title works for you!”- with a laugh says the military pensioner Alexander from Kharkov.

7. To the ranks of military doctors and lawyers, they add "justice" (for example, "captain of justice") or "medical service" (for example, "colonel of the medical service").

   This, of course, is not George Clooney from ER, but it also sounds great!

8. Those who entered a military university, but so far only in sweet dreams see their high ranks in the Russian troops, are called cadets, but those who have already managed to “sniff gunpowder” (has a military rank) are called listeners.
9. For a whole year of service (urgent), the maximum that “shines” for you in the Russian army is the rank of sergeant.
10. Since 2012, the ranks of chief ship foreman and foreman have not been assigned (they are simply “jumped”), but they remained on pieces of paper. Such is the "wonderland"!
11. Although the rank of major is higher than that of a lieutenant, by some strange, inexplicable logic, a lieutenant general in the Russian Federation is higher in rank than a major general.

In the Russian army, the next rank is awarded for personal merit and length of service. If your commanders judge your bright moral character, high level of "combat and political training", then how much you need to "chip" from rank to rank, we will guide you:

No. p / p	Rank in the Russian army	length of service
1	Private, sailor	5 months
2	Junior sergeant, foreman of the second article	1 year
3	Sergeant, foreman of the first article	2 years
4	Senior sergeant, chief foreman	3 years
5	Ensign, midshipman	3 years
6	Ensign	2 years
7	Lieutenant	3 years
8	Senior Lieutenant	3 years
9	Captain, Lieutenant Commander	4 years
10	Major, captain 3rd rank	4 years
11	Lieutenant Colonel, Captain 2nd Rank	5 years

12. Then, in order to get another "asterisk" on shoulder straps, you will have to serve 5 years. A prerequisite is also the presence of a position suitable for your new rank:

    Rank	Job title
    Private	All newly drafted into the army, all lower positions (gunner, driver, gun crew number, driver, sapper, scout, radio operator, etc.)
    corporal	There are no full-time corporal posts. The title is awarded to high-skilled soldiers in lower positions.
    junior sergeant, sergeant	Squad, tank, gun commander
    Staff Sergeant	Deputy Platoon Leader
    foreman	Company foreman
    Ensign, Art. ensign	The commander of a platoon of material support, the foreman of the company, the head of the warehouse, the head of the radio station and other non-commissioned officer positions that require high qualifications. Can occupy lower officer positions with a lack of officers
    Ensign	Platoon commander. Usually this rank is awarded in conditions of an acute shortage of officers after passing an accelerated officer course.
    Lieutenant, Art. lieutenant	Platoon commander, deputy company commander.
    Captain	Company commander, training platoon commander
    Major	Deputy battalion commander. Training company commander
    Lieutenant colonel	Battalion commander, deputy regiment commander
    Colonel	Regiment commander, deputy brigade commander, brigade commander, deputy division commander
    Major General	Division Commander, Deputy Corps Commander
    Lieutenant General	Corps Commander, Deputy Army Commander
    Colonel General	Army Commander, Deputy District (Front) Commander
    Army General	Commander of the district (front), deputy minister of defense, minister of defense, chief of the general staff, other senior positions
    Marshal of the Russian Federation	Honorary title given for special merits

They do not live by the same ranks in the Russian army! 7 interesting military signs and customs

Ranks in the Russian army are, of course, a burning topic, but we also want to talk about interesting traditions, signs and customs in the army:

• about the "washing" of the new rank with the ritual dipping of the "stars" in a glass of vodka and sabanting with colleagues, only the lazy one has not heard.

  There is a whole instruction for conducting this important, almost magical ritual - https://www.antik-war.lv/viewtopic.php?p=2140415

  the paratrooper is unlikely to take someone else's parachute.

  We suspect that this sign arose due to the fact that no matter how much you love brother Seryoga, who sleeps with you in the barracks on the next bed, you can’t be sure that he will prepare the parachute as carefully as you;

  “Let me still feel with my bones every unsuccessful jump and grunt in bad weather, but the landing is what made me a real man. And it’s not about shoulder straps, benefits and a normal pension, but that it was there that I learned to do something through “I can’t”, learned what real male friendship is and traveled all over the world thanks to the service. I had a chic, rich youth without a mobile phone, the Internet and pretentious coffee shops., - Vladimir from Penza shares his memories.

• one match cannot light three or more fighters.

  Experienced say that during this time the sniper will have plenty of time to open aimed fire;

  submariners do not shave during combat missions.

  Well, what, you won’t find young ladies on a submarine during the day with fire, so there’s no one to show off in front of;

• submariners do not favor the number 9, since many accidents happened with boats, in the number of which this very “nine” was (K-9, K-129, K-159, etc.);
• bathing paratroopers on the day of the Airborne Forces in the fountains- this is from the series "Understand and forgive";

paratroopers make their first "jumps" from a stool, holding a box of matches between their knees.

Of course, you need to land softly, and the matches should not fall to the floor;

graduates of military universities after the official part of the prom hide several banknotes under each shoulder strap.

The junior cadet who is the first to salute the newly minted junior lieutenant and congratulate him on his promotion to the rank receives money.

All shoulder straps and titles of the Russian

Federations in one video:

We hope that the article helped you “discover America” of ranks in the Russian army and deal with this interesting issue once and for all.

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(in order from sailor to high command) for the most part date back to those that appeared during the USSR period.

A bit of history - naval ranks and a table of ranks

As you know, in the last years of the reign of Peter I, the table of ranks was put into effect. It was a table where civil and military service positions were divided into fourteen ranks. However, naval ranks were not included in every row of the table.

XIV rank among naval ranks was received by a midshipman, corresponding to a collegiate registrar, ensign, cornet and artillery bayonet junker. At the beginning of the reign of Paul I, the rank of midshipman began to refer to the XII rank. This rank also included the rank of non-commissioned lieutenant that existed until 1732.

The naval lieutenant belonged to the X rank until 1884, after which the midshipman was promoted to this rank. The rank of lieutenant, in turn, began to refer to the IX rank.

People who managed to reach the VIII rank in the fleet of the Russian Empire acquired the right to personal nobility. These positions included captains of the first three ranks and a senior lieutenant who appeared in the fleet shortly before the First World War. The fifth rank included the rank of captain-commander, which was finally abolished in 1827. Among the famous bearers of this title was the pioneer Vitus Bering.

Achievement in the service of the IV rank opened the door to hereditary nobles in front of a person. In the navy, people who reached the fourth and higher ranks commanded naval formations: rear admiral, vice admiral, admiral and admiral general.

This also included the rank of Shoutbenakht, which did not take root on Russian soil, and was replaced by Rear Admiral. It is noteworthy that this naval rank was used as a pseudonym by the first Russian emperor himself - “Shoutbenacht Pyotr Mikhailov”. To the III rank belonged the general-krieg commissar of the fleet, whose duties included the financial support of the naval forces. The title was abolished in 1817. The highest rank of Admiral General in the history of the Russian Empire was received by six people. Three of them were representatives of the imperial family.

Although the table of ranks ceased to operate after the creation of the USSR, many ranks reappeared in the fleet of the Soviet Union and later the Russian Federation.

Main categories of naval ranks

According to their composition, the employees of the navy can be divided into the following groups:

• Call and contract composition.
• junior officers.
• senior officers.
• senior officers.

Citizens of Russia serving in the navy for military service receive the rank of sailor. It roughly corresponds to a private in the ground forces. Sailors appeared in the fleet of the Soviet Union in 1946. Prior to this, the lowest military rank of the naval forces was called "Red Navy".

Next comes the title of "senior sailor", which corresponds to the "corporal" of the ground forces. The senior sailor commands the group or serves as assistant to the foreman. The rank of senior sailor can be obtained by employees who observe discipline and their duties well.

The four following ranks correspond to the sergeant ranks of the ground forces:

• Foreman of the first article.
• Sergeant major of the second article.
• Chief foreman.
• Chief ship sergeant major.

Following the foremen are "midshipman" and "senior midshipman". These naval ranks correspond to the ranks of warrant officer and senior warrant officer.

The modern division of naval ranks dates back to the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, issued in 1943. He approved the division of officers into junior, senior and higher. The decree included the ranks for each group that have survived to the present day.

The junior officers of the fleet of our country are called: junior lieutenant, lieutenant, senior lieutenant and lieutenant commander. A junior lieutenant can lead a combat post. More senior representatives of this category of officers may be assistant commanders of a ship of the fourth rank or even command such a ship.

Senior officers include captains of the first, second and third ranks. They can also be called captri, kavtorang and kaperang. These officers may be in command of military vessels of the appropriate rank.

In the modern Russian fleet, the rank of a warship is determined on the basis of the complexity of management, the size of the composition and combat power. The first rank includes cruisers, nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers. The second rank includes large landing ships, destroyers, large missile ships.

The third rank includes small missile and anti-submarine ships, medium landing ships, and minesweepers. The fourth rank includes small landing craft, torpedo boats.

The highest officer ranks of the fleet of our country were first established in 1940 by a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council. This is our familiar system:

In the ground forces, these ranks correspond (in ascending order) to major general, lieutenant general, colonel general and army general. A rear admiral may lead a squadron or serve as an assistant flotilla commander. A vice admiral may command a flotilla or an operational squadron, and also serves as a deputy fleet commander. An admiral is at the head of a separate fleet. In modern Russia, there is one admiral of the fleet, who is the commander-in-chief of the naval forces of our country.

The title "Admiral of the Fleet" was introduced in the Soviet Union in 1940. It corresponded to "general of the army." None of the naval commanders of the country of the Soviets received it at that moment. In fact, the highest rank was admiral.

In 1944, two naval commanders received it. The first was Nikolai Kuznetsov, who at that moment held the post of People's Commissar of the Fleet. He was a member of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander, and Nikolai Kuznetsov's actions to command the country's fleet were successful. In 1945, the title of "Admiral of the Fleet" was given to Ivan Isakov, who led the main naval headquarters during the war years until he was wounded.

In 1955, an additional decree was issued that corrected the highest naval ranks of the country of the Soviets. To the title of "Admiral of the Fleet" was added "Soviet Union". The holders of this rank were entitled to wear the "Marshal Star" - a distinction introduced in 1940.

This highest naval rank was abolished in 1993, because the country that was mentioned in its name no longer existed. The highest rank of naval officers became again "Admiral of the Fleet".

Introduced in 1955, the rank was personal. In the history of the Soviet state, only three people received the title of "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union." Immediately after the introduction of a new military rank, it was received by N.G. Kuznetsov and I.S. Isakov. A year later, Kuznetsov fell into disgrace and lost his highest rank. He was returned to the naval commander posthumously during the years of Perestroika. In 1967, Sergey Gorshkov, who went through the war with the rank of rear admiral and led the construction and rearmament of the fleet in the post-war years, was awarded the highest naval rank.

The rank of Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union corresponded in the 1960s-1990s to the rank of Marshal of the USSR. In turn, the "Admiral of the Fleet" who was below the rank corresponded to the general of the army and the marshal of the armed forces.

The commander-in-chief of the naval forces of our country can carry the rank of admiral or admiral of the fleet. Thus, the first naval officer to hold this position in post-Soviet Russia, Felix Gromov, became commander-in-chief in 1992, being an admiral. He received the rank of Admiral of the Fleet four years later, shortly before his retirement.

The next commanders-in-chief (Vladimir Kuroyedov and Vladimir Masorin) took this post as admirals, and after that they received a higher rank. Vladimir Vysotsky and Vladimir Chirkov were commanders-in-chief, remaining in the rank of admiral. Also, the current commander-in-chief Vladimir Korolev retains the rank of admiral, received in 2013.

The chiefs of the Main Staff of the Fleet, who were the first deputies of the commander in chief, as a rule, bore the rank of vice admiral or admiral. Andrei Volozhinsky, who began serving in this post in 2016, retains the rank of vice admiral.

The navy of modern Russia became the successor to the navy. Most of the senior naval officers began their service in the Soviet fleet. For this reason, the ranks in the navy in modern Russia (in order from sailor to admiral) have not undergone fundamental changes compared to the Soviet period.

In order to know exactly how, according to the charter, it is necessary to address a soldier, it is necessary to understand the ranks. Ranks in the Russian army and shoulder straps provide clarity in relationships and allow you to understand the chain of command. The Russian Federation has both a horizontal structure - military and ship ranks, and a vertical hierarchy - from privates to senior officers.

Enlisted personnel

Private- This is the lowest military rank of the Russian army. Moreover, the soldiers received this title in 1946, before that they were treated exclusively as fighters, or as Red Army soldiers.

If the service is carried out in the guards military unit or on the guards ship, then when referring to the private, it is worth adding the same word "guards". If you want to contact a serviceman who is in the reserve and has a diploma of higher legal or medical education, then you should contact - "ordinary justice", or "ordinary medical service". Accordingly, to those who are in the reserve or retired, it is worth adding the appropriate words.

In the ship's composition, the rank of private corresponds to sailor.

Only senior soldiers who perform best in military service are promoted to the rank corporal. Such soldiers can act as commanders during their absence.

All additional words that were applicable for the private remain relevant for the corporal. Only in the Navy, this rank corresponds to Senior sailor.

The one who commands a squad, or a combat vehicle, receives the title Lance Sergeant. In some cases, this title is awarded to the most disciplined corporals upon transfer to the reserve, if such a staff unit was not provided during the service. In the ship's composition is "foreman of the second article"

Since November 1940, a rank for junior officers appeared in the Soviet army - sergeant. It is awarded to cadets who have successfully completed the sergeant training program and graduated with honors.
Also, an ordinary can receive a title - Lance Sergeant, who proved himself worthy to be awarded the next rank, or when he was transferred to the reserve.

In the Navy, a sergeant of the ground forces corresponds to the rank foreman.

The next is Senior Sergeant, and in the Navy - chief foreman.

After this rank, there are some crossings of land and sea forces. Because after the senior sergeant, in the ranks of the Russian army appears foreman. This title came into use in 1935. It is deserved only by the best servicemen who have served excellently in sergeant positions for six months, or when they are transferred to the reserve, the rank of foreman is awarded to senior sergeants certified with excellent marks. On the ship it is chief ship sergeant major.

Next come ensigns And midshipmen. This is a special category of military personnel, close to junior officers. Complete the ranks senior warrant officer and midshipman.

junior officers

A number of ranks of junior officers of the Russian army begin with the rank Ensign. This title is awarded to students of the last courses and graduates of higher military educational institutions. However, in case of a shortage of officers, the rank of junior lieutenant can also be obtained by a graduate of a civilian university.

lieutenant only a junior lieutenant who has served a certain amount of time and received a positive education document can become. Further - senior lieutenant.

And closes the group of junior officers - Captain. This title sounds the same for both land and naval forces.

By the way, the new field uniform from Yudashkin obliged our servicemen to duplicate the insignia on their chests. There is an opinion that the "undersized" from the leadership do not see the ranks of our officers on their shoulders and this is done for their convenience.

Senior officers

Senior officers begin with rank Major. In the Navy, this rank corresponds to Captain 3rd rank. The following ranks of the Navy will only increase the rank of captain, that is, the rank of land lieutenant colonel will match Captain 2nd rank, but the title Colonel – Captain 1st rank.

Senior officer corps

And the highest officer corps completes the hierarchy of military ranks in the Russian army.

Major General or rear admiral(in the navy) - such a proud title is worn by military personnel who command a division - up to 10 thousand people.

Above the Major General is Lieutenant General. (The lieutenant general is higher than the major general because the lieutenant general has two stars on shoulder straps and the major general has one).

Initially, in the Soviet army, it was rather not a rank, but a position, because the Lieutenant General was an assistant to the general and took on some of his functions, unlike Colonel General, who can personally fill senior positions, both in the General Staff and in the Ministry of Defense. In addition, in the armed forces of Russia, a colonel-general may be the deputy commander of a military district.

And, finally, the most important soldier who has the highest military rank in the Russian army is Army General. All previous links are obliged to obey him.

About military ranks in video format:

Well, salaga, now you understand?)

Since the boats of our distant ancestors began to accommodate not one, but several people, among them the one who controlled the boat with a steering oar began to stand out, while the rest, following his instructions, rowed or set sail. This man, who enjoyed the unlimited confidence of the crew, because he was able to navigate the ship, relying on his own experience and intuition, and was the first helmsman, navigator and captain in one person.

In the future, with the growth in the size of ships, the number of people needed to set the ship in motion and control it also grew. A natural division of labor began, when everyone became responsible for their specific business and all together - for the successful outcome of the voyage. Thus, gradation and specialization began among seafarers - positions, titles, specialties appeared.

History has not preserved the first names of those whose lot was navigation, but it can be assumed that already thousands of years before our era, the coastal peoples had terms that determined whether people belonged to the maritime profession.

One of the seven estate castes in ancient Egypt was the helmsman caste. These were brave people, according to Egyptian concepts - almost suicide bombers. The fact is that, leaving the borders of the country, they lost the patronage of domestic gods ...

The first reliable information about the system of naval ranks dates back to the times of Ancient Greece; later it was borrowed by the Romans. Arab navigators developed their own system of maritime knowledge. So, the word "admiral", derived from the Arabic "amir al bahr", which means "lord of the seas", has firmly entered into all European languages. Europeans learned about many of these Arabic terms from the oriental tales of the Thousand and One Nights, in particular, from the Journey of Sinbad the Sailor. And the very name of Sinbad - a collective image of Arab merchants - is a distorted Indian word "Sindhaputi" - "ruler of the sea": this is how the Indians called the shipowners.

After the 13th century, an original system of maritime ranks arose among the southern Slavs: shipowner - "wanderer" (from "ford" - ship), sailor - "brodar" or "ladyar", rower - "oar", captain - "leader", team - "Posada", the head of the naval forces - "Pomeranian governor".

In pre-Petrine Russia, there were no maritime ranks and could not be, since the country had no access to the sea. However, river navigation was very developed, and in some historical documents of those times there are Russian names of ship positions: captain - "head", pilot - "vodic", senior over the team - "ataman", signalman - "mahonya" (from "waving" ). Our ancestors called sailors "sar" or "sara", so that in the formidable cry of the Volga robbers "Saryn on a kitchka!" (on the bow of the ship!) "Saryn" should be understood as "ship's team".

In Rus', the shipowner, captain and merchant in one person were called "shipman", or guest. The original meaning of the word "guest" (from Latin hostis) is "alien". In the Romance languages, it went through such a path of semantic changes: a stranger - a foreigner - an enemy. In the Russian language, the development of the semantics of the word "guest" went in the opposite direction: a stranger - a foreigner - a merchant - a guest. (A. Pushkin in "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" uses the words "guest-gentlemen" and "shipmen" as synonyms.)

Although under Peter I the word "shipman" was replaced by new, foreign ones, it existed as a legal term in the Code of Laws of the Russian Empire until 1917.

The first document in which, along with the old Russian words "shipman" and "feeder", there are foreign ones, were "Article Articles" by David Butler, who led the crew of the first Orel warship. This document was a prototype of the Naval Charter. On its translation from the Dutch by the hand of Peter I, it is written: "The articles are correct, against which it is worthy of any ship captains or initial ship people to apply."

In the reign of Peter I himself, a stream of new, hitherto unknown job titles and titles poured into Russia. "For the sake of" he considered it necessary to "create" the Naval Charter, so that on every large and small ship "everyone knew his position, and no one would excuse himself with ignorance."

Let's try to cast at least a cursory glance at the history of the origin of the main terms related to the composition of the ship's crew - the crew of a yacht or a boat.

BATALER- the one who manages clothing and food supply. The word has nothing to do with "battle", as it comes from the Dutch bottelen, which means "to bottle", hence bottelier - cupbearer.

BOATSWAIN- the one who keeps order on the deck, the serviceability of spars and rigging, supervises general ship work, trains sailors in maritime affairs. It is formed from the Dutch boot or English boat - "boat" and man - "man". In English, along with boatsman, or "boat (ship) man", there is the word boatswain - this is the name of the "senior boatswain", who has several "junior boatswain'mates" (boatswain'mate, where our old "boatswain" comes from).

In Russian, the word "boatswain" is first encountered in D. Butler's "Article Articles" in the forms "botsman" and "butman". In the same place, for the first time, the scope of his duties was defined. In the merchant marine, this title was officially introduced only in 1768.

WATCH GUARD- at first this "land" word came into the Russian language from German (through Poland), in which Wacht means "guard, guard". If we talk about maritime terminology, then the Maritime Charter of Peter I contains the word "watchers" borrowed from the Dutch.

DRIVER- boat helmsman In this sense, this Russian word appeared recently as a direct translation of the English draiver. However, in the Russian maritime language it is not so new: in the pre-Petrine era, the words of the same root - "vodic", "ship's leader" - were called pilots.

"Boatmaster" is a currently existing and purely official term (for example, in maritime law), as well as "amateur boatmaster" - in the meaning of "captain", "skipper" of a small pleasure-tourist fleet.

DOCTOR- a completely Russian word, is the same root as the word "liar". They come from the Old Russian verb "lie" with the primary meaning "talk nonsense, idle talk, talk" and the secondary - "talk", "treat".

CAPTAIN- one-man on board. This word came to us in a complicated way, having entered the language from medieval Latin: capitaneus, which is formed from caput - "head". In the written monuments, it is found for the first time in 1419.

The military rank of "captain" first appeared in France - the so-called commanders of detachments numbering several hundred people. The rank of "captain" entered the navy, probably from the Italian capitano. On the galleys, the captain was the first assistant to the "sapro-comite" in military matters; he was responsible for the training of soldiers and officers, led boarding battles, and personally defended the flag. Subsequently, this practice was adopted on sailing military and even merchant ships that hired armed detachments for protection. Even in the 16th century, those who could better protect the interests of the crown or the shipowner were often appointed to the position of the first person on the ship, since military qualities were valued above maritime knowledge and experience. So the title of "captain" from the 17th century became mandatory on warships of almost all nations. Subsequently, captains began to be divided into ranks in strict accordance with the rank of the ship.

In Russian, the title of "captain" has been known since 1615. The first "ship captains" were David Butler, who led the crew of the Orel ship in 1699, and Lambert Jacobson Gelt, who led the crew of the yacht built together with the Orel. Then the title of "captain" received an official status in the Amusing Troops of Peter I (Peter himself was the captain of the bombardment company of the Preobrazhensky Regiment). In 1853, the rank of captain in the navy was changed to "commander of the ship." On the ships of the ROPiT since 1859 and the Volunteer Fleet since 1878, skippers from officers of the navy began to be informally called "captains", and officially this rank in the civil fleet was introduced in 1902 instead of "skipper".

COOK- a cook on a ship, has been called that since 1698. The word came into Russian from Dutch. Derived from lat. cocus - "cook".

COMMANDER- head of the yacht club, head of a joint trip of several yachts. Initially, it was one of the highest degrees in knightly orders, then, during the time of the Crusades, it was the title of commander of an army of knights. The word is derived from Latin: the preposition cum - "with" and the verb mandare - "to order."

In the Russian navy at the beginning of the 18th century, the officer rank "commander" was introduced (between a captain of the 1st rank and a rear admiral; it still exists in foreign fleets). The commanders wore the admiral's uniform, but the epaulettes did not have an eagle. Since 1707, instead of it, the title of "captain-commander" was assigned, which was finally abolished in 1827. This title was worn by outstanding navigators V. Bering, A.I. Chirikov, and one of the last - I.F. Krusenstern.

KUPOR(English cooper, Dutch Kuiper - "cooper", "cooper", from kuip - "tub", "vat") - a very important position on wooden ships. He not only maintained the barrels and tubs in good condition, but also monitored the watertightness of the ship's hull. The foreign word "cork" quickly entered into everyday Russian speech, forming derivatives "cork" and "uncork".

PILOT- a person who knows the local conditions of navigation and takes on the safe wiring and mooring of the vessel. Usually this is a middle-aged navigator, about whom sailors jokingly, remembering the lights installed for the pilot ship, say: "White hair - red nose." Initially, the pilots were members of the crew, but in the XIII-XV centuries, those who work only each in their own specific area appear. Such a "pilot" among the Dutch was called "pilot" (loodsman, from lood - "lead", "sinker", "lot"). The first document regulating the activities of pilots appeared in Denmark (the “Naval Code” of 1242), and the first state pilot service was organized in England in 1514.

In Rus', the pilot was called the "ship's leader", and his assistant, who measured the depth on the bow with a lot, was often called the "carrier". In 1701, by decree of Peter I, the term "pilot" was introduced, but until the middle of the 18th century, the term "pilot" could also be found. The first state pilotage service in Russia was established in 1613 in Arkhangelsk, and the first manual for them was the instruction for pilots of the St. Petersburg port published in 1711 by Admiral K. Kruys.

SAILOR- perhaps the most "dark" word in origin. It is only known for certain that it came to us in the 17th century from the Dutch maritime language in the form of "matroz". And although the form "sailor" is already found in the Naval Charter of 1724, until the middle of the 19th century, "sailor" was still more common. It can be assumed that this word comes from the Dutch mattengenoot - "comrade in bed": matta - "mat", "mat", and genoot - "comrade".

In the middle of the century, the word mattengenoot in a truncated form matten came to France and was transformed into the French matelot - a sailor. And after some time, this same "matlo" returned to Holland again and, not recognized by the Dutch, turned first into matrso, and then into a more easily pronounceable matroos.

There is another interpretation. Some etymologists in the first part of the word see the Dutch matt - "comrade", others - mats - "mast". Some scholars see the Viking heritage in this word: in Icelandic, for example, mati - "comrade" and rosta - "fight", "fight". And together "matirosta" means "combat friend", "comrade in arms".

DRIVER- the word is relatively young. It appeared in those days when the sails in the fleet began to be replaced by a steam engine, and borrowed from it. Mashinist (from other Greek machina), but for the first time in Russian it was noted in 1721! Naturally, then this specialty was not yet marine.

MECHANIC- the origin is similar to the word "driver", but in Russian in the form "mechanicus" it was noted even earlier - in 1715.

SAILOR- a person who has chosen the maritime profession as his lot. It is believed that this profession is about 9000 years old. Our ancestors called its representatives "morenin", "moryanin" or "sailor". The root "move" is very ancient. The expression "to walk on the sea" is already found in the annals when describing the campaign of Prince Oleg against Constantinople in 907. We can also recall Athanasius Nikitin's "Journey Beyond the Three Seas".

In the modern language, the root "move" has been fixed in the terms "seaworthiness", "navigation", "propulsion", etc. Peter I tried to instill a foreign Italian-French name for a military sailor - "mariner" (from Latin mare - sea). It has been found since 1697 in the forms "mari-nir", "marinal", but by the end of the 18th century it was out of use, leaving only a trace in the word "midshipman". The same fate befell another Dutch term - "zeeman" or "zeiman". It lasted only until the end of the first quarter of the 19th century.

PILOT- the driver (less often - the navigator) of the racing boat; an obvious borrowing from aviation "as a sign of respect" for high speeds. During the early Middle Ages, this was the personal title of a pilot who accompanied the ship throughout the passage from the port of departure to the port of destination. This word came to us through the Italian pilota, and its roots are ancient Greek: pedotes - "pilot", formed from pedon - "oar".

STEERING- the one who directly controls the course of the vessel, standing at the helm. The word goes back to the Dutch pyp ("rudder") and in this form is mentioned in the Naval Charter of 1720 ("To inspect the Ruhr before the campaign"). By the middle of the 18th century, the word "ruhr" had finally supplanted the ancient Russian "helm", but the title of "helmsman" was officially retained in the Russian galley fleet until the last decade of the same century.

SALAG- an inexperienced sailor. Contrary to the original "interpretations", for example, on the topic of a historical anecdote about the mythical island of Alag ("Where are you from?" "From Alag"), the prosaic version is closer to the truth, connecting this word with "herring" - a small fish. "Salaga" in some Russian dialects, mainly in the northern provinces, for a long time was called small fish. In the Urals, the use of the word "herring" as a nickname is recorded, that is, in the meaning of "salaga".

SIGNALER- a sailor who transmits messages from ship to ship or to shore by means of a hand-held semaphore or by hoisting signal flags. The word "signal" came to us under Peter I through the German Signal from Latin (signum - "sign").

STARPOM- both parts of this word come from Old Slavonic foundations. The senior (from the stem "hundred") here has the meaning "chief" because it must be the most experienced of the captain's assistants. And "assistant" originates from the now lost noun "mog" - "strength, power" (its traces have been preserved in the words "help", "nobleman", "sickness").

SKIPPER- captain of a civilian ship. The word is the "namesake" of the "shipman" - "shchipor", and then the goll. schipper (from schip - "ship"). Some etymologists see the formation from a word from Norman (Old Scandinavian Skipar) or Danish (skipper) with the same meaning. Others point to the proximity of the word to the German Schiffer (from schiff (s) herr - "master, head of the ship").

In Russian, the word first occurs at the beginning of the 18th century as a junior officer rank. According to the Naval Charter, the skipper had to "see that the ropes were well folded and that they lay neatly in the tank"; "in throwing and taking out the anchor, it is guilty to be at the biting [biting] and look over the tying of the anchor rope."

In the merchant fleet, the nautical rank of skipper was introduced only in 1768 with the obligatory passing of exams at the Admiralty. In 1867, the rank was divided into long-distance and coastal skippers, and in 1902 it was abolished, although the position of "sub-skipper" - the owner of the ship's supply for the deck part - still exists on large ships, like the word "skipper pantry".

SHOT- a sailor working on sheets (from Dutch schoot - floor). The word "sheet" (tackle for controlling the clew angle of the sail) is first found in the Naval Charter of 1720 in the form "shkhot".

NAVIGATOR- Maritime Specialist. This word in Russian was first noted in the form "sturman" in D. Butler's Article Articles, then in K. Kruys's "Painting for supplies on the barcolumn ..." (1698) in the forms "sturman" and "navigator" and Finally, in the Naval Charter of 1720, the modern form of the word is found. And it comes from the Dutch stuur - "steering wheel", "rule". In the heyday of navigation, when the ships of the Dutch East India Company were already plying the waters of the Indian Ocean and the role of navigators increased enormously, the Dutch word "navigator" became international. So in Russian, it replaced the ancient "helmsman" or "helmsman" (from "stern", where the ship's control post was located from ancient times). According to the "Article Articles", the navigator had to inform the captain "the acquired height of the semi-pole (pole) and show his notebook about ship navigation and the book of sea traffic in order to best advise on the preservation of the ship and people ...".

CABIN BOY- a boy on a ship, studying maritime affairs. In the domestic vocabulary, this word appeared under Peter I (from the Dutch jongen - a boy). At that time, there were "cabin cabin boys" recruited as servants, and "deck cabin boys" for deck work. Many well-known admirals, including the "Admiral of Admirals" - Horatio Nelson, began their naval service as cabin boys.