https://tass.ru/politika/23200049

Colonel President: Why Putin Refused the Rank of General

“Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief!” — is how Russian servicemen greet the President, even though Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin holds the military rank of colonel. TASS, together with Igor Korotchenko — the editor-in-chief of the magazine National Defense and a military analyst — looked into why the president does not wear epaulettes and does not receive a general’s, let alone a marshal’s, rank.

The Romance of Intelligence

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin received his first officer epaulettes when he joined the state security services. The Russian leader admitted to being fascinated by “romantic tales about the work of spies” — a passion that led him to the KGB school. In 1985, Major Putin was sent on a foreign intelligence assignment to Dresden (GDR), and five years later he returned from there already holding the rank of lieutenant colonel. Back in the motherland, the future president twice submitted resignation reports; in 1991, he succeeded in completing the procedure to retire. In retirement, another promotion awaited him — this time to colonel. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin remains at this rank to this day.

How to Become a General

According to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, only the President of Russia may confer the rank of general. But this is both immodest and not in keeping with Russian tradition — such a practice was not followed not only during Soviet times but also in the tsarist era. Russian emperors retained for life the rank they held upon ascending to the throne. In Soviet times, the country’s leaders received high military ranks, but they did not confer them upon themselves.

But Is It Necessary?

Even if given the opportunity, Putin would not have opted for the rank of general. He explained his decision during the 2011 Direct Line. “I remember the scene when [the first President of the Russian Federation] Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin offered me the position of the Federal Security Service (FSB) director, and when I went to see him, he announced the decision to confer upon me the rank of general — and I am, as you know, a colonel. I told Boris Nikolayevich that I had left the military organization in due time and consider it unwise to return. I come from that organization, so let me be the first non-military director of the Federal Security Service. I remember he was surprised and said, ‘Well, alright.’”

This decision reflects that of both a principled individual and a professional. Putin chose to serve Russia without the general’s epaulettes — a conscious choice driven by his desire to focus fully on real operational work rather than on ceremonial aspects. He worked for results, and he achieved them. It is important to note that the standard rank for the position of FSB director is that of an army general, and Putin could have attained that high rank in just a few years. However, he believed that, as a civilian director of the FSB, he could concentrate entirely on what truly matters. Since then, Putin has not abandoned his choice. He has assured that there is no prospect of him ever being awarded an even higher rank — namely, marshal. “And, I assure you, there never will be,” the head of state emphasized.