( or in Ukrainian transliteration) is a senior non-commissioned rank or designation in the military forces of some Slavic states, and a historical military designation. In army terminology, a starshina is equivalent to "Sergeant Major" (Most senior member at the company level) or a rank equal to a NATO OR-8. In naval terminology, starshina is a general term for junior and middle-ranking non-commissioned officers, similar in usage to "Chief Petty Officer". The word originates from the , from . Cossack Hetmanate Among Cossacks in Ukraine, starshyna was a collective noun for categories of military officers and state officials. It derived from the offices in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Sharshyna was subdivided into: General Starshyna (), headed by Hetman (or Quartermaster General as acting Hetman) Quartermaster General (Генеральний обозний) Judge General (Генеральний суддя) Secretary General (Генеральний писар) Adjutant General (Генеральний осавул) Treasurer General (Генеральний підскарбій) Ensign General (Генеральний хорунжий) Bunchuk General (Генеральний бунчужний) Regimental (Polkova) Starshyna, headed by Polkovnyk (Colonel) Regimental Obozni (Quartermaster) () – first Deputy Colonel. He was in charge of artillery and fortress fortifications. In the absence of a colonel he replaced him, but he was not authorized to issue universal orders (as opposed to the commanding colonel). Regimental Judge () – was in charge of a civil court in the ratusha Regimental Osavul () – assistant Colonel in Military Affairs Regimental Khorunzhy () – commander of the "Khorunzhy Cossacks", guarding the colonel and the starshina. He was in charge of regimental music and was responsible for keeping the khorugv (regiment flag). Regimental Chancellor () – secretaries at the ratusha. One was in charge of military affairs, and the other of civilian affairs. Starshyna of Hundred (Sotenna) – headed by Sotnyk Sotenny otaman () – the deputy sotnik, implemented the duties of an obozni and a judge on a sotnia level Sotenny Osavul () – assistant sotnik in military affairs Sotenny Khorunzhy () – headed the sotnias flags Sotenny Chancellor () – a secretary Junior Starshyna () – headed by Otaman Later, sometime after the Khmelnytsky's Uprising, it was also associated with the Ukrainian nobility which derived out of the officership and the Hetman. Russia Imperial Russia Later, in the Tsardom of Russia and Imperial Russia, a was the chief of a (a rural administrative unit), in charge of the distribution of taxes, resolving conflicts within (communes), distributing community lands and military conscription. The rank of ( – Starshina