Shoulder Boards for Greatcoat and Tunic (Four sided)

In this section you will find the 1958 officer pattern shoulder rank boards worn on greatcoats, jackets, and tunics.  The rank boards came in three different types based on when they were to be worn.  The first was the basic officer parade rank board which can be found in the first column.  Parade boards for the support services (medical, justice, administrative, intendant, and veterinary) were issued in reversed colors and were narrower than the standard issue boards <1>.  Additionally, the rank stars used on the boards were of opposite color as the boards themselves.  For everyday use an officer would commonly wear the service/field pattern boards, and when the greatcoat was worn it would be fitted with special boards of its own.

All of the four-sided boards were designed to be sewn directly onto the shoulders of the uniforms.  Branch of service color still varied on the service/field boards, but to a lesser degree than in the previous regulations.  Additional rank boards ranging from soldier to Marshal to be placed in this section as they are obtained.

 Generals and Marshals

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(except Administrative)

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 Senior Officer

Shoulder Boards for Shirt (Six-sided)

The six-sided officer shoulder boards were designed to be worn with a variety of tunics and the newly introduced shirt sleeve uniform.  These rank boards were designed to be slipped through loops on the shoulders and secured by a 14mm button that was sewn through to the tunic.

The parade boards were worn on special occasions, while the service boards were worn for everyday affairs and in the field.  All stars and insignia would be gold/silver when worn as an everyday uniform, but were changed to camouflage stars for field duty.

 Generals and Marshals

 Senior Officer

 Coming Soon!

 Junior Officer

The enlisted shoulder boards established in 1958 continued the earlier 1955 pattern of three colors to denote the branch of service of enlisted personnel.  The three colors remained identical to the 1955 regulations.  Examples of these boards are shown below.

 1958 Pattern Enlisted Shoulder
Boards for Greatcoat and Jacket (4-sided)

Here you will find the shoulder rank boards worn by enlisted conscripts and extended servicemen on greatcoats and jackets following Order #170 of the USSR Ministry of Defense in 1958 <1>.  As these types of uniforms were becoming more popular in the Soviet inventory, the four sided boards became more widely used.

The cloth boards were very simple in design, being the branch of service color on one side and olive green on the underside.  The only markings found on the colored side would be strips denoting rank.  The stripes were yellow on the service pattern and green on the field pattern <1>.  The boards were designed to be sewn directly onto the shoulders of the uniform.

 1958 Pattern Enlisted Shoulder
Boards for Shirt (5-sided)

The five sided shoulder rank boards were worn with uniforms such as the field gymnastiorka and the parade-walking out mundir.  In appearance they were identical to the 1955 enlisted pattern rank boards <1>.  The service boards were the branch of service color on the top and olive green on the bottom.  Maker markings would often, but not always, be stamped on this underside portion.  Some of the boards were designed with a strap that could be pulled through the loops on a tunic then fastened with a button, others were simply sewn onto the shoulder area after removing any straps that may have already been present on the uniform.

In either case all enlisted boards were retained to the uniform by an 18mm brass button sewn through the uniform.  These buttons were identical to their wartime counterparts and featured a hammer and sickle within a star.  The buttons on the service boards were brass, while those on the field boards were painted green.

 Officer Cadets

Officer Cadets of the Soviet army wore their own shoulder boards to indicate their status.

1 - Voennaya Odezhda Voorukennik Sil CCCP i Rossii (1917-1999- godi), Redkaya Kniga, 1999. Print
2 - Soviet Army Uniforms 1961, United Kingdom War Office, 1961. Print