Praporshchik is a rank in the Russian military.

Imperial Russia

Praporshchik was originally a name of a junior commissioned officer rank in the military of the Russian Empire

Russian Empire

The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...

 equivalent to ensign

Ensign (rank)

Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....

. The rank was abolished 1917 by Bolsheviks (but still existed in 1917 - 1921 in the White Army) and restored in 1970s in the former USSR for non-commissioned officers and was equivalent to Warrant Officer

Warrant Officer

A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...

 rank.

It was first introduced in Strelets New Regiments. The name originates from Slavonic

Slavic languages

The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...

 prapor (прапор), meaning flag; the praporshchik was a flag-bearer in Kievan Rus troops. In the New Regiments of the Streltsy

Streltsy

Streltsy were the units of Russian guardsmen in the 16th - early 18th centuries, armed with firearms. They are also collectively known as Marksman Troops .- Origins and organization :...

 and the new army of Peter the Great

Peter I of Russia

Peter the Great, Peter I or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov Dates indicated by the letters "O.S." are Old Style. All other dates in this article are New Style. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother, Ivan V...

, praporshchik was ranked as commissioned officer of the lowest grade; this was legalised by the Table of Ranks of 1722. By the 19th century, the rank was given to senior non-commissioned officers of the Russian army upon their retirement and also reserve/volunteer officers with no previous service; commissioned officers started service with Sub-Poruchik

Poruchik

Poruchik was a military rank in several Slavic countries, such as the Russian Empire and the Republic of Poland, equivalent to Lieutenant. "Poruchik" means "messenger", "officer for orders". This is a Slavic copy of the term "Lieutenant" .In Russia this rank was first introduced in Strelets New...

.

Confusingly, podpraporshchik

Podpraporshchik

Podpraporshchik was one of the non-commissioned ranks, originally below the Sergeant and Feldwebel but since 1826 it became the highest non-commissioned rank of the infantry, cavalry and Leib Guard. In 1884, the podpraporshchik rank was renamed Zauryad-praporshchik ....

 (Sub-Praporshchik) was one of the non-commissioned ranks, originally below the Sergeant

Sergeant

Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....

 and Feldwebel

Feldwebel

Feldwebel is a German military rank which has existed since at least the 18th century with usage as a title dating to the Middle Ages. The word Feldwebel is usually translated as sergeant being rated OR-6 in the NATO rank comparison scale, equivalent to the British Army Sergeant and the US Army...

 but since 1826 it became the highest non-commissioned rank of the infantry, cavalry and the Leib Guard. In 1884, the podpraporshchik rank was renamed зауряд-прапорщик (Ordinary Praporshchik).

Soviet Army

In the Soviet Army

Soviet Army

The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...

, the reintroduction of Praporshchik rank in 1972, along with Midshipman rank in the Soviet Navy, marked the attempt to recreate a corps of contract

Contract

A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...

 non-commissioned officers similar to Master Sergeant

Master Sergeant

A master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in some armed forces.-Israel Defense Forces:Rav samal rishoninsignia IDF...

s and Chief Petty Officer

Chief Petty Officer

A chief petty officer is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards.-Canada:"Chief Petty Officer" refers to two ranks in the Canadian Navy...

s, the role that was previously reserved to senior drafted personnel. Contrary to Western practice of assigning the senior Sergeant ranks to veteran

Veteran

A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...

 soldiers, the Soviet ranks of Starshina

Starshina

Starshina, or Starshyna , initially was a Cossacks officership, but in Soviet times was used as the top non-commissioned officer.Among Cossacks and in Ukraine, starshina was a collective noun for categories of officership or a military elite: junior starshina , general starshina , military...

 and Sergeant

Sergeant

Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....

 were routinely assigned to 20 year old soldiers at the end of their 2-year draft. The Praporshchiks were aged volunteers and were expected to have more authority over draftsmen than similarly aged Sergeants; they are placed in a separate category of Master non-commissioned officers (Praporshchiks and Midshipmen).

Military of the Russian Federation

The Praporshchik rank continues to be used in the Russian Army and armies of ex-USSR states. However in the Russian army the number of Praporshchiks has been reduced from 90,000 to zero, as a result of the 2008-2011 defence reform

2008 Russian military reform

Significant reforms of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation were announced in October 2008 under Defence Minister Anatoliy Serdyukov, and major structural reorganisation began in 2009...

. Also, all 50,000 Michman posts have been eliminated.