Army Shoulder Boards
of the Late Cold War
(1979-1991)

Following the broad changes of the 1969 regulations and the subsequent modifications of the early seventies, it would have seemed that the Soviet high command would have been satisfied for a time.  This was not to be as another major change military uniform insignia was ordered in 1980.  These regulations dealt with far more than just the army shoulder rank boards, the navy boards were more dramatically affected, and even the wearing of military decorations was changed by these regulations.

Order of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR No. 85 was the most sweeping of the new regulations to affect the army rank board structure<2>.  It abolished the separate silver parade rank boards for the special services (administration, intendant, justice, veterinary, and medical).  They would wear motor rifle crimson colors for their rank boards, but would still retain their service insignia.

Still other changes came about on 18 January 1986 when the Minister of Defense issued Order No. 10.  This order changed the way that rank was displayed on the field uniform.  No longer would the service boards be used with green painted stars or red striping.  Now the green painted stars were attached directly to the faux shoulder boards built into the uniform.  Enlisted personnel would use green cloth stripes on those same 'shoulder boards' to denote their ranks as well.  Despite these regulations, the old habits would continue to be followed: gold stars as well as green would be worn on service boards in the field, enlisted personnel would continue to use both yellow and red strips with their uniforms (and even use each day service boards) when the green stripes were not available.

The order further decreed that all enlisted army rank boards (except for those of sergeant major) would be marked with the letters "CA", the border guards would be marked with "BB", and the KGB units would be marked with "GB".

Another change that the regulation introduced were the white parade rank boards for officers to wear on the white shirt sleeve uniform.  Green rank boards were also authorized for enlisted personnel to wear on the newly authorized enlisted green shirt sleeve uniform.  These changes would be made permanent in the later 1989 uniform regulations. <3>

Below you will find shoulder boards worn by army personnel. These will eventually cover every rank from Marshal to Private soldier, but for now we have an incomplete, but diverse selection of shoulder boards worn by officers and enlisted men. 

Back to Insignia Index

 

Earlier Period Army
Shoulder Boards

1969 Pattern
(With modifications of 1980 and 1986)

1989 Pattern

Later Period Army
Shoulder Boards
 
Boards for Great Coat & Tunic (4-sided)

Boards for Shirt (6-sided)

Warrant Officer Boards

Enlisted Boards


Boards for Great Coat & Tunic (4-sided)
  • General Officers

  • Senior Officers

  • Junior Officers

Boards for Shirt (6-sided)

  • General Officers (for Shirt)

  • Senior Officers (for Shirt)

  • Junior Officers (for Shirt)

Warrant Officer Boards
  • For Coat and Tunic (4-sided)

  • For Shirt (6-sided)

Enlisted Boards

  • Branch of Service Colors

  • Enlisted Men

  • Officer Cadet

 

 

 

 

Post-1969 Officer Pattern Shoulder Boards
for Greatcoat and Jacket (Four sided)

This section displays the typical four-sided rank boards worn by officers of the Soviet ground forces between 1979 and 1991.  These rank boards were worn with all suit jackets and greatcoats in accordance with military regulations.  These long four-sided boards were typically sewn directly onto the shoulders of each jacket or coat.

The rank shoulder boards of this time were issued in four distinct variations: Parade, Service, Greatcoat, and Field.  Parade rank boards were worn with the formal wave green uniforms.  Until 1980, those boards worn by army branch members differed from those of support service members by being gold rather than silver.  The secondary color of the support service members included magenta, where the army used only black and red.  These were abolished in 1980.  The members of the medical and veterinary services transitioned to red boards identical to those used by motor rifle troops.  All others used rank boards according to the other branches such as armor or artillery.

Service rank boards were used for everyday functions and occasionally in the field.  The grey boards worn with the greatcoat were used in cold weather environments.  Field boards before 1986 were identical to service boards but used green painted stars in place of the shiny gold colored ones.  After 1986 only green painted stars were worn by officers.  These were attached directly to the uniform's faux shoulder board loops or to the uniform itself when it lacked them.

With respect to the rank table below it should be mentioned that Marshals and Chief Marshals were only appointed to Artillery, Armor, Signals, Engineering, and Aviation.  The technical troops (road building, railroad, chemical, motor, and topographic) did not have designated marshal or chief marshal over their services. <4>

The highest ranks were unavailable to members of the support services.  The highest rank within the administrative service was colonel, the veterinary service could only attain the rank of lieutenant general, while the others could reach the rank of colonel-general.  Officers who desired to promote above these ranks would have to change their billet within the unit and progress from that point. <4>

 
Parade Service Greatcoat
Army Branches Medical, Justice, Administrative, Intendant Service, and Veterinary
(abolished 1980) <2>

 Generals and Marshals

Chief Marshal of Armor (or Artillery, etc) Coming Soon! N/A Coming Soon! Coming Soon!
Marshal of Armor (or Artillery, etc) Coming Soon! N/A Coming Soon! Coming Soon!
General of Army
(abolished in 1973)
Coming Soon! N/A Coming Soon! Coming Soon!
Colonel General Coming Soon! Coming Soon!
(except Veterinary and Administrative)

Coming Soon!

Coming Soon!
 Lieutenant General  Coming Soon! Coming Soon!
(except Administrative)

Coming Soon!

Coming Soon!
Major General  Coming Soon!

 Coming Soon!
(except Administrative)

Coming Soon!

Coming Soon!

 Senior Officer

Colonel Coming Soon! Coming Soon!  Coming Soon!
Lieutenant Colonel Coming Soon! Coming Soon! Coming Soon!
Major
 Junior Officers
Commander Coming Soon! Coming Soon! Coming Soon!
Senior Lieutenant Coming Soon!  Coming Soon! Coming Soon!
Lieutenant Coming Soon! Coming Soon!
Junior Lieutenant Coming Soon! 

  

 

Post-1969 Officer Shoulder
Boards for Shirt (Six-sided)

In this section you will find the shoulder rank boards that were worn by officers, generals, and marshals on the shirt sleeve uniforms established in 1966.  Prior to 1986 the only shirt sleeve uniform was the green M-66 service shirt.  This uniform used the service (everyday) shoulder boards shown below.  It was the only shirt sleeve uniform authorized by the army.  This changed in early 1986 when the parade version of the M-66 shirt was authorized.  A new series of white parade rank boards were also established to be worn with the new white shirt.

As with all shoulder boards of this type, they were designed to be slipped through loops on the shoulders of a uniforms and secured by a 14mm button pushed through the board and sewn directly to the shirt.  The gold colored button featured a star with hammer and sickle design on it.  Furthermore, the officer's branch of service was indicated by a branch of service pin placed on the board just below the button.  This can be seen in our examples below.

 
Service (Everyday) Parade

 Generals and Marshals

Chief Marshal Coming Soon! Coming Soon!
Marshal Coming Soon! Coming Soon!
Colonel General Coming Soon! Coming Soon!
 Lieutenant General Coming Soon! Coming Soon!
Major General Coming Soon! Coming Soon!

 Senior Officer

Colonel Coming Soon! Coming Soon!
Lieutenant Colonel  Coming Soon! Coming Soon!
Major  Coming Soon! Coming Soon!

 Junior Officer

Captain
(Artillery)
Coming Soon!
Senior Lieutenant
(Motor Transport)
Coming Soon!
Lieutenant
(Motor Rifle)
Coming Soon!
Junior Lieutenant
(Artillery)
Coming Soon!

  

 

Post-1971 Warrant Officer Shoulder
Boards for Greatcoat and Jacket (Four sided)
<3>

Warrant officer (praporchik) shoulder boards for the greatcoat and jacket remained identical to those established in 1971.  These boards came in four distinct versions, but all were designed to be sewn directly onto the shoulders of the uniform in a manner identical to that of the officer rank boards.

Color of the rank boards varied depending on whether they were everyday dress, for the greatcoat, or for field use.  Furthermore, the everyday rank boards differed in color depending on what branch of the army the soldier belonged to.  Those in motor rifle, medical, or band units wore red boards with their everyday uniform, while all others wore black boards.  The rank boards worn with the great coat were grey.  The stars of all the boards were gold in color.

Prior to 1986, shoulder boards worn by praporchiks in the field were green with green painted stars (although it was common to see boards with gold stars as well).  After 1986 praporchiks wore two or three green painted stars on the faux shoulder boards built into their uniforms.  Even so, it was common to see praporchiks wearing parade/everyday boards with green or gold stars in the field.

 
Parade/Everyday Greatcoat Field
Motor Rifle, Medical, and Band Other Army Branches

 Warrant Officer

Starshii Praporchik
(Senior Warrant Officer)

Coming Soon!
Praporchik
(Warrant Officer)
Coming Soon!

Coming Soon!

   

 

Post-1971 Warrant Officer
Shoulder Boards for Shirt (Six-sided)
<3>

Here we have the shoulder boards worn by praporchiks on the green each day shirt sleeve uniform after their establishment in 1971.  Initially, these rank boards came only in green everyday versions, but in 1986 white parade boards were authorized.  These were worn with the white shirt sleeve uniform.

These boards were designed to be slipped through loops on the shoulders of a uniforms and secured by a 14mm button pushed through the board and sewn directly to the shirt.  The gold colored button featured a star with hammer and sickle design on it.  In contrast to the officer boards of this type, a the branch of service pin was not worn by warrant officers on these shoulder boards.

 
Everyday Parade
(Adopted in 1986)

 Warrant Officer

Starshii Praporchik
(Senior Warrant Officer)
Coming Soon! Coming Soon!
Praporchik
(Warrant Officer)
Coming Soon! Coming Soon!

 

 

Post-1969 Branch of Service Colors <1><2><3>

The shoulder rank boards of enlisted ranks (both conscripts and extended servicemen) varied in color depending on the branch of service that they belonged to.  Those serving in the infantry, band, and medical branches wore red shoulder boards marked with the Cyrillic letters 'CA' in yellow.  Other army personnel wore similarly marked black boards.  These colors would continue to be used until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Infantry, Medical, Band
(Red)
Armor, Artillery, Technical, Chemical, Motor Transport, Railway (Black)
 
Coming Soon!
 
Coming Soon!

 

 

Post-1969 Enlisted Shoulder Boards <2>

In this section you will find the shoulder rank boards for enlisted personnel, both conscripts and extended servicemen.  The parade/everyday boards were identical to those authorized in the 1969 regulations, but an additional style to be worn with the green shirt was authorized in 1986.

The parade/everyday boards were issued in two colors, red for motor riflemen, band and medical personnel and black for all other troops.  Regardless of color, all rank boards below the rank of sergeant major were marked with the letters "CA" which was an abbreviation for Soviet Army.  Yellow stripes were used to denote rank on these boards, which were designed to be sewn directly to the shoulders of the uniform. 

Field uniforms did not officially use the colored parade/everyday service boards.  Prior to 1986 enlisted personnel would use 12mm red rank stripes to denote rank.  After 1986 the stripe color was changed to green.  In practice soldiers would wear both service and field boards in the field.

Also in 1986 a new regulation introduced a dress shirt uniform for enlisted personnel similar to those used by officers.  These uniforms used smaller green shoulder boards, with yellow rank stripes and a branch of service insignia on them.  They were attached to the uniform by a plastic strap and fastened with a gold colored button.

  Parade/Everyday Shirt
(Adopted in 1986)
Motor Rifles, Medical, and Band Other Army Branches
Sergeant Major (Starshina)

Coming Soon!

Coming Soon!

Coming Soon!

Senior Sergeant

Sergeant

Coming Soon!
Junior Sergeant Coming Soon!

Corporal

Private

 

Officer Cadets <2><3>

The shoulder rank boards of officer cadets (Kursants) remained unchanged by the post-1969 regulations.  They still wore modified shoulder boards based on their enlisted rank.  The color of the board itself was based on the army branch that the cadet was currently serving in.

Regardless of color, all basic versions featured two long yellow stripes running along each side and the letter "K" (for kursant) on them.  If the cadet was of a rank higher than a private, then he was allowed to wear his rank stripes above the "K" on the basic board.

Rank boards of this type were made in the parade/everyday and shirt sleeve forms only, no field boards were ever made for officer cadets.

  Parade/Everyday Shirt Sleeve Uniforms
Motor Rifles,
Band, and Medical
Other Army Branches

Cadet Sergeant Major

Coming Soon!

Coming Soon! Coming Soon!
Cadet Senior Sergeant Coming Soon!  Coming Soon! Coming Soon!
Cadet Sergeant Coming Soon! Coming Soon! Coming Soon!
Cadet Junior Sergeant Coming Soon! Coming Soon! Coming Soon!

Cadet Corporal

Coming Soon!  Coming Soon! Coming Soon!
Cadet Private Coming Soon! Coming Soon!

 

References

1 - Zaloga, Steven J., Inside the Soviet Army Today, Osprey Publishing: London. 1987. Print.
2 - Voennaya Odezhda Voorukennik Sil CCCP i Rossii (1917-1999- godi), Redkaya Kniga, 1999. Print
3 - Pravila Nosheniya Voennoi Forma Odezhda, Ministry of Defense of the USSR, 1989. Print.
4 - FM 100-2-3 The Soviet Army: Troops, Organization & Equipment, HQ Department of the Army: Washington D.C., 1984. Print.