(, ) is a rank used by the Russian Armed Forces and a number of former communist states. The rank is a non-commissioned officer's and is equivalent to in the corresponding navies. It is usually equivalent to Warrant officer class 1 or Sergeant major in English speaking armies. Within NATO forces, the rank is rated as OR-7 or OR-8. Russia is a rank in the Russian military, also used in other uniformed services of the Russian government such as the police. It was a junior officer rank in Imperial Russia, but was abolished following the Russian Revolution. In 1940, the rank was restored as a separate career group between non-commissioned officers and officers. Imperial Russia was originally an Oberoffizer rank, as first introduced in Streltsy New Regiments. The name originates from Slavonic prapor (прапор), meaning flag; the praporshchik was a flag-bearer in Kievan Rus troops. In the New Regiments of the Streltsy and the "new army" of Peter the Great, praporshchik was ranked as a commissioned officer of the lowest grade; this was legalised by the Table of Ranks of 1722, as class XII/XIII in the Imperial Russian Army, and equivalent to of the Imperial Russian Navy and classified as junior officer rank. By the 19th century, the rank was given to senior non-commissioned officers of the Russian army upon their retirement, and also to reserve or volunteer officers with no previous service. From then on, commissioned officers started service as . In spite of this, podpraporshchik ("sub-ensign") was one of the non-commissioned officer (NCO) grades, originally below sergeant and Feldwebel. From 1826 to 1884 it became the highest non-commissioned rank of the infantry, cavalry and the Leib Guard. From 1884 podpraporshchik ranked below the newly introduced NCO grade zauryad praporshchik ("deputy ensign"). The rank was abolished in 1917 by the Bolsheviks. In the White Army, the rank was redundant, although newly enrolled bearers of this rank could have it for a few month before being promoted to podporuchik; by 1919, the rank was no longer in use. Soviet Army and Militia In the Soviet Army, the reintroduction of the praporshchik rank in 1972, along with the michman rank in the Soviet Navy, marked the attempt to recreate a corps of contract non-commissioned officers similar to master sergeants and chief petty officers, the role that was previously reserved for senior drafted personnel. Contrary to Western practice of assigning the senior