Starshina (Russian: старшина, IPA: [stərʂɨˈna] or Starshyna in Russian transliteration) is a senior military rank or designation in the military forces of some Slavic states, and a historical military designation. Depending on a country, it had different meanings. In the 19th century with the expansion of the Imperial Russia into Turkestan and the Central Asia, the word was even used to identify some Turkic leaders as a basic Russian word for aqsaqal (white-beard).

In Cossack armies the term initially identified a commissioned officer.[1] During the times of Cossack Hetmanate, starshyna was a collective noun, and people described with this word were divided into starshyna (officers) and general starshyna (general officers) the latter being part of the Hetman's General Officers Council. In Russia the term was later adopted to describe a non-commissioned officer rank. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, most of post-Soviet countries have adopted the Russian interpretation of the word.

Since the 1930s in the Soviet and later Russian army terminology, a starshina has been equivalent to "Sergeant Major"[2] (Most senior member at the company level) or a rank equal to a NATO OR-8. In naval terminology, starshina is a general term for junior and middle-ranking non-commissioned officers, similar in usage to "Chief Petty Officer".

The word originates from Old East Slavic language «*старъ»(star)

Russia

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Imperial Russia

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Later, in the Tsardom of Russia and Imperial Russia, a volostnoy starshina was the chief of a volost (a rural administrative unit), in charge of the distribution of taxes, resolving conflicts within obshchina (communes), distributing community lands and military conscription. The rank of Voiskovoi starshina (Войсковой старшина – Starshina of the Army (Host)) was introduced into the ranks of the Imperial military in 1826, as the equivalent of a "Lieutenant Colonel" in the Cossack cavalry.

Soviet Union and Russian Federation

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Starshina
Старшина
   
Army and air force insignia
Country  Russia
Service branch  Russian Ground Forces
  Russian Air Force
Rank groupNon-commissioned officer
Formation1935
Next higher rankPraporshchik
Next lower rankStárshy serzhánt
Equivalent ranksGlavny starshina of the ship

The word starshina gained its modern meaning in the Red Army, and is a hangover from the functional titles (like "Brigade Commander" or "Assistant Platoon Leader") that were initially used by that force – the word literally means "senior". Most functional titles in the Red Army were abolished in 1942, but starshina remained. Starshina was the highest non-commissioned rank in the Soviet Army until the reintroduction of the imperial rank of Praporshchik in 1972.

In the Soviet Navy, the term starshina was introduced between 1940 and 1943 as term equivalent to "Petty Officer" for every enlisted seaman above "Matros, 1st class." There was also created a rank equal to starshina in the Army, but termed Glavnyy korabel'nyy starshina (transl. Chief Petty Officer of the Ship) – this is the naval rank depicted in the tables below.

Insignia in the Red Army (1919–1946) and Soviet Armed Forces (1946–1991)

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(1919–1924) collar
insignia
(1924–1935)
collar insignia
(1935–1940)
collar insignia
(1941–1943)
Technical
troops
(1943–1946)
Ground combat troops
(1943–1955)
Ground forces
(1955–1963)
Air force,
airborne forces,
air defence forces
(1955–1963)
Navy
(1924–1940)
Navy
(1955–1963)
Air force, airborne forces
(1963–1994)

Insignia in the Russian Federation

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Russian Federation
                 
Strategic Missile Troops,

Airborne Forces (service dress)
(1994–2010)

Ground Forces
(service dress)
(1994–2010)
Navy

(dress uniform)
(1994–2010)

Air Force and Airborne Forces

kursant ("cadet") with rank of Starshina
(dress uniform)
(1994–2011)

Field dress
(1994–2010)
Air force, airborne forces
(2011–2015)
Internal troops
(1995–2016)
Ministry of Emergency Situations (firefighters)
(1995–2001)
Militsiya, police,

some internal troops

Navy
(dress uniform)
(after 2010)

Insignia

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Language variants

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In some former communist state, the rank of "older" is used with the local language variants.

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References

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  1. ^ Cossack starshyna. Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies (www.encyclopediaofukraine.com)
  2. ^ "Military Rank / Russian Federation".
  3. ^ "Указ Президента Республики Беларусь от 21.07.2009 N 388 "О военной форме одежды, знаках различия по воинским званиям и внесении дополнений в Указ Президента Республики Беларусь от 9 июня 2006 г. N 383"". pravo.levonevsky.org/ (in Russian). Government of Belarus. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  4. ^ "ЗАКОН ЗА ОТБРАНАТА И ВЪОРЪЖЕНИТЕ СИЛИ НА РЕПУБЛИКА БЪЛГАРИЯ". lex.bg (in Bulgarian). Глава седма. ВОЕННА СЛУЖБА. 12 May 2009. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Кыргыз Республикасынын жарандарынын жалпыга бирдей аскердик милдети жөнүндө, аскердик жана альтернативдик кызматтар жөнүндө". cbd.minjust.gov.kg/ (in Kyrgyz). Ministry of Justice (Kyrgyzstan). 9 February 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  6. ^ "Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 11 марта 2010 года № 293 "О военной форме одежды, знаках различия военнослужащих и ведомственных знаках отличия"". rg.ru (in Russian). Российской газеты. 12 March 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  7. ^ "ҚОНУНИ ҶУМҲУРИИ ТОҶИКИСТОН ДАР БОРАИ ЎҲДАДОРИИ УМУМИИ ҲАРБӢ ВА ХИЗМАТИ ҲАРБӢ". majmilli.tj (in Tajik). The National Assembly of the Republic of Tajikistan. 13 April 2017. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  8. ^ "TÜRKMENISTANYŇ KANUNY Harby borçlulyk we harby gulluk hakynda (Türkmenistanyň Mejlisiniň Maglumatlary 2010 ý., № 3, 58-nji madda) (Türkmenistanyň 01.10.2011 ý. № 234-IV Kanuny esasynda girizilen üýtgetmeler we goşmaçalar bilen)" [LAW OF TURKMENISTAN On military service and military service (Information of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, 2010, No. 3, Article 58) (as amended by the Law of Turkmenistan of October 1, 2011 No. 234-IV)] (PDF). milligosun.gov.tm (in Turkmen). Ministry of Defense (Turkmenistan). pp. 28–29. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  9. ^ "ԶԻՆՎՈՐԱԿԱՆ ԾԱՌԱՅՈՒԹՅԱՆ ԵՎ ԶԻՆԾԱՌԱՅՈՂԻ ԿԱՐԳԱՎԻՃԱԿԻ ՄԱՍԻՆ". arlis.am (in Armenian). Legal information system of Armenia. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  10. ^ Chief of General Staff (25 November 2019). "Order of the Chief of the General Staff: Number A / 595". gsmaf.gov.mn (in Mongolian). pp. 20–26. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
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