Army general () is the second highest

military rank Military ranks is a system of hierarchy, hierarchical relationships within armed forces, police, Intelligence agency, intelligence agencies, paramilitary groups, and other institutions organized along military organisation , military lines, such ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, subordinate only to a

marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...

and superior to a

colonel general Colonel general is a military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically General officer#Old European system, general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, ...

. It is a direct counterpart of the

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

Army General Army general or General of the army is the highest ranked general officer in many countries that use the French Revolutionary System. Army general is normally the highest rank used in peacetime. In countries that adopt the general officer fou ...

rank. At present it is also the highest rank in the

air force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

, artillery, aerospace defense forces, armored troops, engineer troops and signal troops, unlike the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

where similarly ranked officers were called marshals and chief marshals of a branch. The corresponding naval rank is

admiral of the fleet An admiral of the fleet or shortened to fleet admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to field marshal and marshal of the air force. An admiral of the fleet is typically senior to an admiral. It is also a generic ter ...

. On appointment as

Defence Minister A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

on 7 May 1992, Pavel Grachev was the first officer to be promoted to this rank. Vladimir Yakovlev was promoted to this grade while serving as commander of the Strategic Missile Forces (1997–2001).

Rank insignia

Since 2013, the rank insignia has been one big star and the army emblem on straps which was also used until 1997, as in the

Soviet Army The Soviet Ground Forces () was the land warfare service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1946 to 1992. It was preceded by the Red Army. After the Soviet Union ceased to exist in December 1991, the Ground Forces remained under th ...

since 1974. Between 1997 and 2013, the rank insignia was four stars in a row, as in the Soviet Union from 1943 to 1974. Until 1997 generals wore a "small"

marshal's star The Marshal's Star () is an additional badge of rank worn by marshals of the armed forces of the Soviet Union, and subsequently the Russian Federation. Overview The armed forces of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation have two such insigni ...

. But when, in 1993, the ranks of chief marshal and marshal of the branch in

Russian Federation Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

were abolished, there was no more reason for a special rank insignia for generals. By the President's decree of January 27, 1997, generals regained 1943-like straps with four stars in a row. Russia-Army-OF-9-1994-parade.svg, Russia-Army-OF-9-1994-field.svg, Russia-AirForce-OF-9-1994-field.svg, alt=, Russia-Army-OF-9-2010.svg, Russia-Airforce-OF-9-2010.svg, alt=, Russia-Army-OF-9-1994-parade.svg, RAF A F9GenArmy 1974-1991.png, OF09 Army general fu-2013.png,

List of Russian army generals

References

{{Army Generals (Russia) Military ranks of Russia Lists of Russian and Soviet military personnel

Rank insignia

List of Russian army generals

See also

References