Polkovnik

File:Use of the Polkóvnik rank.svg

Countries which use the Eastern European variant

(Template:Langx; Template:Langx) is a military rank used mostly in Slavic-speaking countries which corresponds to a colonel in English-speaking states, coronel in Spanish and Portuguese-speaking states and oberst in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries. It was originally a rank in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Russian Empire. However, in Cossack Hetmanate and Sloboda Ukraine, polkovnyk was an administrative rank similar to a governor. Usually this word is translated as colonel, however the transliteration is also in common usage, for the sake of the historical and social context. began as a commander of a distinct group of troops (polk), arranged for battle.

The exact name of this rank maintains a variety of spellings in different languages, but all descend from the Old Slavonic word polk (literally: regiment sized unit), and include the following in alphabetical order:

1. Belarus —
2. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia — ()
3. Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Russia and Ukraine — (, )
4. Czech Republic and Slovakia —
5. Poland —
6. Slovenia —

It is also used in some non-Slavic languages:

1. Azerbaijan —
2. Georgia —
3. Latvia —
4. Lithuania —

Lithuania (and likely Latvia) inherited the term from the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The rank of was also used in the Estonian army until 1924. Azerbaijan and Georgia inherited it from the Russian Empire.

Countries

Russia

In the 17th century, became the position of a regimental commander of the streltsy; this position also made it into New Regiments of the streltsy and later into the new army of Peter the Great. The rank was legalized by Table of Ranks that placed it in the 6th grade as the second-top field officer, right under the brigadier. A promotion to the rank of gave a privilege of hereditary nobility.

The Red Army reintroduced the rank in 1935, together with a number of other former Russian ranks, and it continued to be in used in many ex-USSR countries, including Russia.

File:06 Representation of the Uniforms of the Russian Imperial Army.jpg of the Russian Empire (1793)

Rank insignia

The Rank insignia to Polkovnik (OF-5) is as follows:

• Shoulder board Pokovnik IRA until 1917 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  Shoulder board Pokovnik IRA until 1917
• Nevsky 1st Infantry Regiment Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  Nevsky 1st Infantry Regiment
• Siberian 1st of His Highness Infantry Regiment Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  Siberian 1st of His Highness Infantry Regiment
• 25th Infantry division Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  25th Infantry division
• Ivanogorodsky 99th infantry regiment Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  Ivanogorodsky 99th infantry regiment
• Gorget patch RA, Land forces (1935-1940) Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  Gorget patch RA, Land forces (1935-1940)
• ... Air Force (1935-1940) Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  ... Air Force (1935-1940)
• land forces RA (1940-1943) Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  land forces RA (1940-1943)
• Air Force (1940-1943) Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  Air Force (1940-1943)
• Shoulder board RA infantry/ motorized infantry (1943-1946)/ CA (1946-55) Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  Shoulder board RA infantry/ motorized infantry (1943-1946)/ CA (1946-55)
• parade uniform, Land forces (1955-1994), and since 2010 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  parade uniform, Land forces (1955-1994), and since 2010
• ... ABF, AF, Aviation of the ADF (1955-1994), and since 2010 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  ... ABF, AF, Aviation of the ADF (1955-1994), and since 2010
• everyday uniform, Ground forces until 2010 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  everyday uniform, Ground forces until 2010
• ..., ABF until 2010 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  ..., ABF until 2010
• ..., AF until 2010 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  ..., AF until 2010
• field uniform until 2010 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  field uniform until 2010
• parade uniform shirt, Ground forces until 2010 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  parade uniform shirt, Ground forces until 2010
• everyday uniform Naval forces on land until 2010 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  everyday uniform Naval forces on land until 2010
• everyday uniform jacket Internal Troops Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  everyday uniform jacket Internal Troops
• everyday uniform jacket, Ground forces since 2010 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  everyday uniform jacket, Ground forces since 2010
• field uniform since 2010 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  field uniform since 2010
• everyday uniform jacket (Naval Aviation) since 2010 Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  everyday uniform jacket (Naval Aviation) since 2010
• Polkovnik of the Police (until 2011 — Militsiya), also National Guard Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
  Polkovnik of the Police (until 2011 — Militsiya), also National Guard

See also

• Ranks and insignia of the Russian armed forces until 1917
• Ranks and insignia of the Red Army 1935–1940, and ... 1940–1943
• Ranks and insignia of the Soviet Army 1943–1955, and ... 1955–1991
• Ranks and insignia of the Russian Federation's armed forces 1994–2010

Poland

As part of the Commonwealth

The rank was first introduced in the armies of the Commonwealth in the 17th century to denote a captain (rotmistrz) of the core banner of a regiment. By the end of the 17th century, the title of the assignment became a de facto rank as such and started to denote the commanding officer of the entire regiment. In mercenary troops fighting in the ranks of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth's army, the direct equivalent of the rank of pułkownik was oberszter, but in the 18th century the rank was abolished and renamed as pułkownik as well.

Interwar

During the Sanation in the period between World War I and World War II, a large number of officers were promoted to the rank, often for political reasons (the rule of the Sanation was even dubbed the government of the colonels because of that).

World War II

During the Invasion of Poland in 1939, the Polish divisions were commanded by officers of many grades, from colonels to three-star generals. In fact 22 divisions out of 42 were commanded by colonels in 1939. The pułkownicy (plural of pułkownik) also commanded units of all sizes, from divisions down to mere battalions.

Ukraine

In the Zaporozhian Host, the political, social, and military organization of Ukrainian cossacks, the title polkovnyk indicated a high military rank among the Ukrainian Cossack starshyna (officers); a polkovnyk commanded one or more military detachments during land and naval military actions in the 16th to 18th centuries. In the 18th century, a polkovnyk was a leader of a palanka, a territorial unit of the Zaporozhian Host. The military council elected a palanka polkovnyk to serve for a term of one year. He represented the Kosh Otaman in the palanka and had significant powers, including the right to condemn Cossacks to the death penalty. At the time of liquidation of the Zaporozhian Host by the Russian government in 1775, there were eight palanka polkovnyks. As symbol of office a polkovnyk wore a pernach (a mace with a hexagonal head; see also bulava) in his belt.

In the Registered Cossack Army of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 16th and 17th centuries, a polkovnyk commanded a regiment (, polk), a Cossack military unit. After the reform of the Cossack army by hetman Mykhailo Doroshenko in the 1620s there were six Cossack regiments, each comprising one thousand Cossacks. Polkovnyks were elected by the Cossack Council (, rada) subject to the approval of the Polish government. A polkovnyk obtained a salary for his service, and enjoyed considerable privileges. After the Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth adopted the "Ordination" of 1638, only noblemen (szlachta) were allowed to become polkovnyks.

During Khmelnytsky Uprising (1648–1657) and in the Cossack Hetmanate (1649–1764; also in the Slobozhanshchyna in 1652–1765), a polkovnyk headed a territorial administrative unit, the regiment (). In terms of Nobility, Khmelnytsky's Polkovnyks were recognized as equal to Lithuania's Barons.

Colonel (Eastern Europe)'s insignia

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  (Azerbaijani Land Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang".[4] (Belarusian Ground Forces)
  
  
  (Belarusian Ground Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang".[5] (Bosnian Ground Forces)
  
  (Bosnian Ground Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang".[6] (Bulgarian Land Forces)
  
  
  (Bulgarian Land Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang".[7] (Croatian Army)
  
  (Croatian Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang".[8] (Czech Land Forces)
  
  (Czech Land Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang".[9] (Georgian Land Forces)
  
  
  (Georgian Land Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang".[10] (Kazakh Ground Forces)
  
  
  (Kazakh Ground Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang".[11] (Kyrgyz Army)
  
  
  (Kyrgyz Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang".[12] (Latvian Land Forces)
  
  (Latvian Land Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang".'[13] (Lithuanian Land Forces)
  '
  (Lithuanian Land Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang".[14] (North Macedonian Ground Forces)
  
  
  (North Macedonian Ground Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". (Montenegrin Ground Army)[15]
  
  (Montenegrin Ground Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang".[16] (Polish Land Forces)
  
  (Polish Land Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang".[17] (Russian Ground Forces)
  
  
  (Russian Ground Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang".[18] (Serbian Army)
  
  
  (Serbian Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang".[19] (Slovak Ground Forces)
  
  (Slovak Ground Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang".[20] (Slovenian Ground Force)
  
  (Slovenian Ground Force)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang".[21] (Tajik National Army)
  
  
  (Tajik National Army)
• Script error: No such module "Lang".[22] (Turkmen Ground Forces)
  
  (Turkmen Ground Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang". Script error: No such module "Lang".[23] (Ukrainian Ground Forces)
  
  
  (Ukrainian Ground Forces)
• Script error: No such module "Lang".[24] (Uzbek Ground Forces)
  
  (Uzbek Ground Forces)

See also

• Lieutenant (Eastern Europe)
• Lieutenant colonel (Eastern Europe)
• Lieutenant colonel general
• Comparative army officer ranks of Europe

Notes and references

• Гайдай Л. Історія України в особах, термінах, назвах і поняттях.-Луцьк: Вежа, 2000. Template:In lang
• Довідник з історії України.За ред. І.Підкови та Р.Шуста.- К.: Генеза, 1993 Template:Webarchive. Template:In lang
• ЗАКОН УКРАЇНИ Про військовий обов'язок і військову службу Template:In lang
• Про положення про проходження військової служби відповідними категоріями військовослужбовців Template:In lang
• История Советского флота Template:In lang
• Воинские звания военнослужащих России и СССР Template:In lang
• Воинские звания Template:In lang
• Звания воинские Template:In lang
• The International Encyclopedia of Uniform and Rank Insignia around the World Template:Webarchive Template:In lang