К (Курсант, Kursant) – Higher military college student taking military courses (hence kursant), equivalent to cadet ГБ (Государственная безопастность, Gosudarstven'naya bezopastnost' ) – State Security ПВ (Пограничные войска, Pogranichnye voiska) – Border Troops СА (Советская Армия, Sovietskaya Armiya) – Soviet Army ВС (Вооружённые Силы, Vooruzhennie Sily) – Armed Forces (Soviet Army, late USSR to modern Russia) СШ (специальная школа, spetsialnaya shkola) – Special school Ф (Флот, Flot) – Navy СФ (Северный флот, Severnyi flot) – Northern Fleet ЧФ (Черноморский флот, Chernomorskiy flot) – Black Sea Fleet КФ (Каспийский флот, Kaspiyskiy flot) – Caspian Sea fleet БФ (Балтийский флот, Baltiyskiy flot) – Baltic fleet ТФ (Тихоокеанский флот, Tikhookeanskiy flot) – Pacific Fleet СВУ (Суворовец, Suvorovets) – Suvorov School student, an Army cadet ВМУ (Военно-музыкальное Училище Voyenno-muzikalnoye Uchilishche) – Military Music School student, a Marching Band cadet H (Нахимовец, Nakhimovets) – Nakhimov School student, a Navy cadet Unofficial grade system and military culture in the Soviet Army Besides the official rank system in the armed forces, another system was developed and established within the military culture. The military culture of the Soviet Union was driven by a "seniors" (, Dyedovshchina). The concept of "Dyedovshchina" usually pertains to soldiers in their first two-year obligatory tour in the armed forces, particularly in the Army. Ghost, Warrior (first year), other names are a goose, rabbit, small elephant, etc. Elephant, Warrior (6 months to a year), other names are a grand goose, senior rabbit, etc. Scull, Candidate (first year), other names are ladle, first year, pheasant, etc. Grandfather (a year and a half) Dembel, Grandfather on orders (at demobilization) Influence on rank systems in other countries The Soviet ranks and insignia (post-1943) are based on the ranks of Imperial Russia, which influenced the rank systems in imperial Japan, Thailand, Greece, Serbia, and Bulgaria. While the first three later took their course of development, the Bulgarians remain under the influence of the Russian and the (post-)Soviet tradition until recently. The rank systems in the pro-Soviet states of Mongolia and Tuva developed under the Soviet influence, following the pattern change in 1943. The Soviet influence on the rank and insignia of other countries reached the apex after WW2 when most countries of East Europe changed their traditional insignia to the Soviet design. Yugoslavia abandoned the Soviet-style insignia in 1951, following the breakaway from Stalin's block; other countries quickly reverted to previous designs shortly after Stalin's death (1956–1958). Only