russian imperial guard

The Leib Guard () was a collective name of distinguished military units serving as personal guards of the Emperor of Russia. The first such units were Semyonovsky (Семёновский) and Preobrazhensky (Преображе́нский) infantry regiments, created by Peter the Great; they became the most distinguished Guards units and their officers took active part in several Palace Revolutions of Empresses Elisabeth and Katherine II. Over time, some Dragoon, Hussar and Cossack regiments were included in Leib Guard, as well as Guards Equippage, a naval squadron. Every soldier and officer of the Guard was styled of the Leib Guard (Лейб-гвардии ...), i.e. Colonel of the Leib Guard (Лейб-гвардии полковник). Note that the monarch himself was the commander of the Leib Guard regiments, so only he and some members of royal family could hold a title of Colonel (Polkovnik) of the Guards. Comissioned officers enjoyed a two-grade handicap in the Table of Ranks over Regular army officers; this was changed to one-grade handicap, first for the new guards then for the rest of the Leib Guard. Since the abolition of Major rank in 1884, most grades below VII were shifted one position up, effectively returning to those of the old guards.

rade, new guards	Category	Infantry	Cavalry, Cossacks until 1891	Cossacks (since 1891)
V	V	rowspan=3\|Staff Officers	colspan=3\|Colonel (Полковник)
\|VI \|colspan=2\|Sub-Colonel (Подполковник) (until 1798);
I	VII	colspan=2\| Premier Major, Second Major (Премьер-майор, секунд-майор) (until 1798)
II	VIII	rowspan=5\|Ober-Officers	Captain (Капитан)	Rittmeister (Ротмистр)	Yesaul (Есаул)
III	IX	Stabs-Captain (Штабс-капитан)	Stabs-Rittmeister (Штабс-ротмистр)	Sub-Yesaul (Подъесаул)
X	X	colspan=2\| Poruchik (Поручик)	Sotnik (Сотник)
\|XI \|colspan=2\|Sub-Poruchik (Подпоручик) \|Khorunzhiy (Хорунжий)
I	XII	Praporshchik (Прапорщик)	Cornet (Корнет)
II	XIII	rowspan=6\|Under-Officers	Feldwebel (Фельдфебель)	\|
III	XIV	Sergeant (Сержант) Feldwebel (1800-1884)	Wachtmeister (Вахмистр)	Sub-Khorunzhiy (Подхорунжий)
IV
owspan=5 colspan=2\|	colspan=2\| Sub-Praporshchik (Подпрапорщик); Senior Unteroffizier (Старший унтер-офицер) since 1800	Wachtmeister (Вахмистр)
olspan=2\|Unteroffizier (Унтер-офицер)	Uryadnik (Урядник)
a href="/encyclopedia/Gefreiter" title="Gefreiter">Gefreiter (Ефрейтор)	\|Prikazny (Приказный)
owspan=2\|Privates	Musketeer, Fusilier, Grenadier etc. (Мушкетёр, фузилёр, гренадёр и т.д.)	Dragoon, Hussar, Cuirassier, Cossack etc. (Драгун, гусар, кирасир, казак и т.д.)	Cossack (Казак)

Russian Imperial Guard

See also