The rank of lieutenant in Eastern Europe, also called ''poruchnick'' in

Slavic languages The Slavic languages, also known as the Slavonic languages, are Indo-European languages spoken primarily by the Slavs, Slavic peoples and their descendants. They are thought to descend from a proto-language called Proto-Slavic language, Proto- ...

, is one used in

Slavophone The Slavic languages, also known as the Slavonic languages, are Indo-European languages spoken primarily by the Slavic peoples and their descendants. They are thought to descend from a proto-language called Proto-Slavic, spoken during the Earl ...

armed forces. Depending on the country, it is either the lowest or second lowest officer rank.

Etymology

The rank designation might be derived from (a person tasked by a special mission); (assignment, commission) or (task to look after, charge with something). Normally the received military orders in written form and was responsible to meet the particular goals and objectives anticipated.

Russian imperial armed forces

The

Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army () was the army of the Russian Empire, active from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was organized into a standing army and a state militia. The standing army consisted of Regular army, regular troops and ...

introduced this rank first in middle of the 17th century, by the

Strelets The streltsy (, ; , ) were the units of Russian firearm infantry from the 16th century to the early 18th century and also a social stratum, from which personnel for streltsy troops were traditionally recruited. They are also collectively kno ...

so-called

New Order Regiments The New Order Regiments (; also known in literature as ''foreign formation regiments'') were professional military units formed in Tsardom of Russia, Russia in the 17th century, armed and trained in line with Western European armies. Background T ...

, reflected in the

Table of Ranks The Table of Ranks () was a formal list of positions and ranks in the military, government, and court of Imperial Russia. Peter I of Russia, Peter the Great introduced the system in 1722 while engaged in a struggle with the existing hereditary ...

. A ''poruchik'' was normally assigned to assistant

commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...

of a

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

, later

platoon A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...

. In 1798 this particular rank designation was replaced by

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

beginning with the

Russian Guards Guards () or Guards units (, ''gvardeyskiye chasti'') were elite military units of Imperial Russia prior to 1917–18. The designation of Guards was subsequently adopted as a distinction for various units and formations of the Soviet Union and th ...

, followed by other military units, and legalised by the

Lieutenant (Eastern Europe)'s insignia

File:Bosnia&Herzegovina-Army-OF-1b.svg,
(

Bosnian Ground Forces The Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Oružane snage Bosne i Hercegovine, Оружане снаге Босне и Херцеговине or OSBiH) is the official military force of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Th ...

) Army-HRV-OF-01b.svg,
(

Croatian Army The Croatian Army ( or HKoV) is the land force branch of the Croatian Armed Forces. It is numerically the largest of the three branches of the Croatian Armed Forces. The HKoV is the main force for the defense of the country against external threa ...

) CzArmy 2011 OF1b-Poruchik shoulder.svg,
(

Czech Land Forces The Czech Land Forces () are the land warfare forces of the Czech Republic. The Land Forces consisting of various types of arms and services complemented by air and special operations forces constitute the core of the Army of the Czech Republic ...

) File:North-Macedonia-Army-OF-1b.svg,

( North Macedonia Ground Forces) 11-Montenegro Army-1LT.svg,
(

Montenegrin Ground Army Montenegrin Ground Army () is the ground force of the Armed Forces of Montenegro. Montenegrin Army The fundamental role and purpose of the Montenegrin Army is to protect vital national interests of Montenegro and defend the sovereignty and terri ...

) Army-POL-OF-01a.svg,
(

Polish Land Forces The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 110,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history str ...

) 10-Serbian Army-LT.svg,

(

Serbian Army The Serbian Army () is the land-based and the largest component of the Serbian Armed Forces. Its organization, composition, weapons and equipment are adapted to the assigned missions and tasks of the Serbian Armed Forces, primarily for operatio ...

) Army-SVK-OF-01b.svg,
( Slovak Ground Forces) 12-Slovenian Army-2LT.svg,
(

Slovenian Ground Force The Slovenian Ground Force is the primary component of Slovenian Armed Forces. History The current Slovenian Armed Forces are descended from the Territorial Defense of the Republic of Slovenia (''Teritorialna Obramba Republike Slovenije''; ''TO ...

)

Notes

References

{{reflist Military ranks of Poland Military ranks of Russia Military ranks of the Soviet Union hr:Poručnik

Etymology

Russian imperial armed forces

Lieutenant (Eastern Europe)'s insignia

See also

Notes

References