Ranks and rank insignia of the Red Army 1935–1940



Individual rank insignia to the (Army) ground forces and (Navy) naval forces (1935–1940) were disposed by orders 2590 and 2591, from September 22, 1935.

This was mainly aimed to supreme commanders, commanding officers, and personnel in charge to exert command and control in the “Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, published by order of the number 176 of the “USSR People's Commissar of Defence, dated from December 03, 1935.

Situation in 1935
In line to orders, mentioned above, the new distinction insignia of commanding personnel should provide indication as follow:
 * Adherence to the particular branch of service (e.g. Army, Air Force, or NAVY), or special troops
 * Qualification, professional responsibility, specific knowledge
 * rank insignia, operational/ tactical responsibility, e.g. level of military command, formation, unit, or subunit.

The top military ran Marshall of the Soviet Union was disposed by order of the “USSR Central Executive Committee” and the “Council of People's Commissars” from September 22, 1935

Military ranks
The military ranks as to the decision of the “USSR Central Executive Committee” and the “Council of People's Commissars” from November 21, 1935 are contained in the table below.

Addition regulations
Additional regulations to Political commissars and military specialists are contained in the table below.

1937
More regulations were established in 1937, in line to general instructions of the Red Army. In line to paragraph 10 of this instruction, the subdivision of personnel in uniform to rank groups and assignments (in the following rank groups) was granted.
 * Leading staff: this group contained military politicians, military administration and commissariat, medical service, veterinarian service, military legal service
 * Commanding staff: to this group counted personnel with the ranks commander in chief and commander
 * Junior commanding staff
 * Enlisted men

Paragraph 14 of this instruction contained the so-called individual ranks and rank designations in line to the order from September 22, 1935, and with the (as to August 5, 1937) additional established OF-1c ranks Mladshij lejtenant and Mladshij military technical) as to August 5, 1937.

1939
By decision of the extraordinary session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (end of August until early September 1939) the low on universal compulsory service was adopted, and the new OF4-ranks Podpolkovnik and Battalion commissar were disposed. A commensurate OF4-rank to the Soviet navy was not established.

Rank designations


In line to the individual ranks the establishment of defined ran insignia were determined in December 1935 as well. From this time military staff, including political commissars, military administration/ commissariat, medical service, veterinarian service, military legal service of the Red Army wore rank insignia as follows.
 * Rank insignia chevron: on both sleeves (short above the cuff)
 * Rank insignia big: on both collar-edges of the uniform coat
 * Rank insignia small: on both collar-edges of the battle jacket, the so-called Gymnastjorka

However, naval military staff wore sleeve insignia (stripes and stars) on both sleeves of the uniform. The rank insignia were in line to rank group differently designed.


 * Commander in chief, higher commanding officers and top appointments OF10 to OF6:
 * Rank insignia big (over coat): on a rhombic padding, gold coloured border, one to four rhombic red enameled badges, gold colourer Soviet star small/ big
 * Rank insignia small (Gymnastjorka): on rectangle padding, gold coloured border, one to four rhombic red enameled badges
 * Sleeve insignia (over coat): one to four gold colored chevrons, Soviet star small/ big, one red coloured extra chevron OF10


 * Commanding officers and unit leaders OF5, OF3 und OF2:
 * Rank insignia big (over coat): on rhombic padding, gold coloured border, one to three red enameled rectangle badges
 * Rank insignia small (Gymnastjorka): on rectangle padding, gold coloured border, one to four red enameled rectangle badges


 * Subunit leader OF1:
 * Rank insignia big (over coat): on rhombic padding, gold coloured border, one to four red enameled square badges
 * Rank insignia small (Gymnastjorka): on rectangle padding, gold coloured border, one to four red enameled square badges


 * Sub-subunit leader and enlisted men OR8 to OR1:
 * Sub-subunit leader
 * Rank insignia big (over coat): on rhombic padding, gold coloured border, one to three red enameled trigonal badges
 * Rank insignia small (Gymnastjorka): on rectangle padding, gold coloured border, one to four red enameled trigonal badges
 * Enlisted men: simple rank insignia big (over coat)/ simple rank insignia small (Gymnastjorka)