Table of Ranks (Rossyiah)

The Table of Ranks was established by Peter I the Great in 1721. It re-organised the foundations of feudal Russian nobility (mestnichestvo) by recognising service in the military, in the civil service, and at the imperial court as the basis of an aristocrat's standing in society. Nowadays, the Table of Ranks is still in force, albeit refomed several times.

While all grades are open by merit, promotion require qualification for the next rank, and grades 1 through 5 require the personal approval of the Tsar himself.

Achieving a certain level in the table automatically granta a certain level of nobility. A civil servant admitted to the 14th rank (Referent of State Civil Service of the Tsar, 3rd class) is granted personal nobility (dvoryanstvo), and holding an office in the 9th rank (Councillor of State Civil Service of the Tsar, 1st class and equivalent) endows the office holder with hereditary nobility.

Usage

All designations have a proper usage according the branch of service.

Military ranks

Military ranks are used by the Imperial Russian Armed Forces, by security services, by the Leib Guard and by the Russian Guard.

• Deck Ranks:
  • Imperial Russian Navy: Sailing;
  • Internal Security Service: Coast Guard of the Border Service;
  • Russian Guard: Naval Service Corps.
• Troop ranks:
  • Imperial Russian Air Force;
  • Imperial Russian Army;
  • Imperial Russian Navy: Naval Infantry, Naval Aviation, Coastal Defense troops, Medical Service, and other shore services;
  • Strategic Missile Forces;
  • Other services and service support forces directly under the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence;
  • Russian Guard;
  • Internal Security Service;
  • Leib Guard;
  • Foreign Intelligence Service;
  • Military Prosecution;
  • Military Judges of Military Courts;
  • Military Personnel of the State Firefighting Service.

Special Ranks

• Special ranks of Police:
  • Russian Police (under Ministry of Internal Affairs)
• Special ranks of justice:
  • Investigative Committee of Russia.
• Special ranks of internal service:
  • Ministry of Internal Affairs: State Firefighting Service (apart from military personnel of the service which use military ranks), Civil Defense Troops, other uniformed personnel of MVD not belonging to the Police of Russia;
  • Ministry of Justice: Imperial Service of Punishment Execution;
  • State Courier Service.
• Special rank of customs service:
  • Russian Customs Service.

Class Rates

Class Rate are used by different ministries and agencies of Russia. Some of them use common State Civil Service class rates while others (like Ministry of Justice and State Prosecution Service) use specialized class rates.

Table or Ranks

Rank	Military ranks		Special ranks				Class rates			Clergy ranks
	Troop ranks	Deck ranks	of Police	of Justice	of Internal Service	of Customs Service	State Civil Service	Ministry of Justice	Prosecution Service
1	Field Marshal		—	—	—	—	Active Privy Councillor			Metropolit
2	General of the Army	Admiral of the Fleet	General of Police	—	—	Actual State Councillor of Customs Service of the Tsar	—	Actual State Councillor of Justice of the Tsar	Actual State Councillor of Justice	Archbishop
3							Actual State Councillor of the Tsar, 1st class	Actual State Councillor of Justice of the Tsar, 1st class
4							Actual State Councillor of the Tsar, 2nd class	Actual State Councillor of Justice of the Tsar, 2nd class
5							Actual State Councillor of the Tsar, 3rd class	Actual State Councillor of Justice of the Tsar, 3rd class
6	Colonel General	Admiral	Colonel General of Police	Colonel General of Justice	Colonel General of Internal Service	Colonel General of Customs Service	State Councillor of the Tsar, 1st class	State Councillor of Justice of the Tsar, 1st class	State Councillor of Justice, 1st class	Bishop
7	Lieutenant General	Vice Admiral	Lieutenant General of Police	Lieutenant General of Justice	Lieutenant General of Internal Service	Lieutenant General of Customs Service	State Councillor of the Tsar, 2nd class	State Councillor of Justice of the Tsar, 2nd class	State Councillor of Justice, 2nd class	Archimandrite
8	Major General	Rear Admiral	Major General of Police	Major General of Justice	Major General of Internal Service	Major General of Customs Service	State Councillor of the Tsar, 3rd class	State Councillor of Justice of the Tsar, 3rd class	State Councillor of Justice, 3rd class	Hegumen Protopresbyter
9	Colonel	Captain, 1st rank	Colonel of Police	Colonel of Justice	Colonel of Internal Service	Colonel of Customs Service	Councillor of State Civil Service of the Tsar, 1st class	Councillor of Justice of the Tsar, 1st class	Senior Councillor of Justice	Presbyter Protoiereus
10	Lieutenant Colonel	Captain, 2nd rank	Lieutenant Colonel of Police	Lieutenant Colonel of Justice	Lieutenant Colonel of Internal Service	Lieutenant Colonel of Customs Service	Councillor of State Civil Service of the Tsar, 2nd class	Councillor of Justice of the Tsar, 2nd class	Councillor of Justice	Iereus
11	Major	Captain, 3rd rank	Major of Police	Major of Justice	Major of Internal Service	Major of Customs Service	Councillor of State Civil Service of the Tsar, 3rd class	Councillor of Justice of the Tsar, 3rd class	Junior Councillor of Justice	Protodeacon
12	Captain	Captain Lieutenant	Captain of Police	Captain of Justice	Captain of Internal Service	Captain of Customs Service	Referent of State Civil Service of the Tsar, 1st class	Jurist of the Tsar, 1st class	Jurist of the Tsar, 1st class	Deacon
13	Senior Lieutenant	Senior Lieutenant	Senior Lieutenant of Police	Senior Lieutenant of Justice	Senior Lieutenant of Internal Service	Senior Lieutenant of Costumes Service	Referent of State Civil Service of the Tsar, 2nd class	Jurist of the Tsar, 2nd class	Jurist of the Tsar, 2nd class	—
14	Lieutenant	Lieutenant	Lieutenant of Police	Lieutenant of Justice	Lieutenant of Internal Service	Lieutenant of Customs Service	Referent of State Civil Service of the Tsar, 3rd class	Jurist of the Tsar, 3rd class	Jurist of the Tsar, 3rd class	—
15	Junior Lieutenant	Junior Lieutenant	Junior Lieutenant of Police	Junior Lieutenant of Justice	Junior Lieutenant of Internal Service	Junior Lieutenant of Customs Service	Secretary of State Civil Service of the Tsar, 1st class	—	Junior Jurist of the Tsar	-
16	Senior Praporshchik	Senior Michman	Senior Praporshchik of Police	Senior Praporshchik of Justice	Senior Praporshchik of Internal Service	Senior Praporshchik of Customs Service	Secretary of State Civil Service of the Tsar, 2nd class	—	—	—
17	Praporshchik	Michman	Praporshchik of Police	Praporshchik of Justice	Praporshchik of Internal Service	Praporshchik of Customs Service	Secretary of State Civil Service of the Tsar, 3rd class	—	—	—
18	Starshina	Chief Ship Starshina	Starshina of Police	Starshina of Justice	Starshina of Internal Service	—	—	—	—	—
19	Senior Sergeant	Chief Starshina	Senior Sergeant of Police	Senior Sergeant of Justice	Senior Sergeant of Internal Service	—	—	—	—	—
20	Sergeant	Starshina 1st Class	Sergeant of Police	Sergeant of Justice	Sergeant of Internal Service	—	—	—	—	—
21	Junior Sergeant	Starshina 2nd class	Junior Sergeant of Police	Junior Sergeant of Justice	Junior Sergeant of Internal Service	—	—	—	—	—
22	Yefreitor	Senior Seaman	Yefreitor of Police	Yefreitor of Justice	Yefreitor of Internal Service	—	—	—	—	—
23	Private	Seaman	Private of Police	Private of Justice	Private of Internal Service	—	—	—	—	—
Notes	The title of Patriarch theoretically equals the eminence of the Russian Tsar. The ranks of Minister, First Deputy Minister and Deputy Minister are considered senior than Rank 1st; however, they do not grant any noble title per se. For matters of precedence, Archbishop, General of the Army and Admiral of the Fleet count as 2nd Rank; General of Police and Actual State Councillor of Customs Service of the Tsar rank as 3rd Rank; Actual State Councillor of Justice ranks as 4th Rank.

See also

• Nobility of the Russian Empire (Rossyiah)