Military ranks of the Soviet Union (1955–1991)

The ranks and rank insignia of the Soviet Armed Forces between 1955 and 1991 were distinguished by the reorganisation of the Soviet armed forces after the death of Stalin, resulting in changes to ranks, insignia, and uniforms.

Shoulder straps to field utilization
In December 1956 the coloured border piping on officers' shoulder straps was changed. A cinnamon-brown color was used instead of the burgundy red previously worn by commanders and commanding officers. All other officers and other ranks wore corps colours as follows:
 * Motorised & mechanised rifles – raspberry
 * Artillery & armored troops – black, red
 * Air Force & aviation – blue
 * Technical troops of any kind and the navy – black

The regimental numberings of the 1943 system were removed altogether.

Army, Air Force
Colors by type of troops:
 * motorized infantry troops – red (scarlet);
 * artillery, rocket, tank, engineering, construction, automobile, railway troops, signal-corps, troops of radiation, chemical and biological protection – black;
 * air force and airborne troops – sky blue;
 * state security troops (KGB troops) – dark blue, instead of the letters "СА" (Советская Армия) the letters "ГБ" (Государственная Безопасность – State Security);
 * internal troops (Interior Ministry troops) – crimson (dark red), instead of the letters "СА" (Советская Армия) the letters "ВВ" (Внутренние Войска);
 * border troops – green, instead of the letters "СА" (Советская Армия) the letters "ПВ" (Пограничные Войска).

Letter codes from 1972 onward

 * The letter imprint "СА" on army shoulder boards stood for Советская Аpмия (Sovetskaya Armiya) and was the symbol of adherence to the Soviet Army.
 * The letter imprint on Soviet navy shoulder boards symbolised the adherence to the appropriate fleet or naval major command.
 * Ф – Fleet (Флот), general personnel of the Navy
 * БФ – Baltic Fleet (Балтийский Флот)
 * ЧМ – Black Sea Fleet (Черноморский Флот)
 * СФ – Northern Fleet (Северный Флот)
 * ТФ – Pacific Fleet (Тихоокеанский Флот)
 * Other letter symbols
 * ВВ – (Внутренние Войска) – Internal Troops
 * ВМУ – (Военно-музыкальное Училище) – students of military musician schools or cadets of military bands
 * ВС – (Вооружённые Силы) – armed forces (Soviet Army, later USSR armed forces, also Armed forces of the USSR)
 * ГБ – (Госуда́рственной Безопа́сности) – Committee for State Security (KGB)
 * К – (Курсант) – higher military college student
 * Н – (Нахимовец) – cadet in the Nakhimov Naval School
 * ПВ – (Пограничные войска) – border troops
 * СШ – (Cпециальная школа) – special school
 * СВУ – (Суворовец) – cadet at a Suvorov Military School

Marshals of the branch
The rank of Army general was only awarded to officers of the army from the infantry branch directly, all other branches and services were promoted to the ranks of marshal and chief marshal of the branch.