Editing Cossacks (section)

===Ranks===
{{main|Registered Cossacks of the Russian Federation#Cossack ranks and insignia}}
[[File:Kuban patch.jpg|thumb|Modern Kuban Cossack armed forces patch of the Russian military]]
The Russian Empire organized its Cossacks into several ''voiskos'' (hosts), which lived along the Russian border and internal borders between Russian and non-Russian peoples. Each host originally had its own leadership, ranks, regalia, and uniforms. By the late 19th century, ranks were standardized following the example of the [[Imperial Russian Army]]. The ranks and insignia were kept after the 1988 law allowing the hosts to reform, and the 2005 law legally recognizing the hosts as a combat service. They are given below as per all military tickets that are standard for the Russian Army.

{| class="wikitable" style="width:50%;"
|-
!Modern Cossack rank
!Equivalent modern Russian Army
!Equivalent foreign rank
|-
| Kazak
| [[Ryadovoy]]
| [[Private (rank)|Private]]
|-
| Prikazny
| [[Gefreiter#Yefreytor in Russia and the post-Soviet states|Yefreitor]]
| [[Lance Corporal]]
|-
| Mladshy Uryadnik
| [[Junior sergeant#Russia|Mladshy Serzhant]]
| [[Corporal]]
|-
| Uryadnik
| Serzhant
| [[Sergeant]]
|-
| Starshy Uryadnik
| [[Sergeant#Russia|Starshy Serzhant]]
| [[Senior Sergeant]]
|-
| Mladshy Vakhmistr
| 
|[[Warrant officer|Junior Warrant Officer]]
|-
| Vakhmistr
| [[Praporshchik]]
| [[Warrant Officer]]
|-
| Starshy Vakhmistr
| [[Starshy praporshchik|Starshy Praporshchik]]
| [[Senior Warrant Officer]]
|-
| Podkhorunzhy
| Mládshiy Leytenánt
| [[Junior Lieutenant]]
|-
| [[Khorunzhy]]
| [[Lieutenant#Russia|Leytenant]]
| [[Lieutenant]]
|-
| [[Sotnik]]
| [[Senior lieutenant#Russian Federation|Starshy Leytenant]]
| [[Senior Lieutenant]]
|-
| Podyesaul
| Kapitan
| [[Captain]]
|-
| [[Yesaul]]
| [[Major (rank)|Mayor]]
| [[Major (rank)|Major]]
|-
| Voiskovy Starshyna
| [[Podpolkovnik]]
| [[Lieutenant-Colonel]]
|-
| Kazachy Polkovnik
| [[Polkovnik]]
| [[Colonel]]
|-
| Kazachy General*
| General
| [[General]]
|-
| [[Ataman]]
|
| [[Commander]]
|}
<small><nowiki>*</nowiki>Rank presently absent in the Russian Army<br/>
<nowiki>*</nowiki>The application of the ranks Polkovnik and General is only stable for small hosts. Large hosts are divided into divisions, and consequently the Russian Army sub-ranks [[Major general#Russia|General-mayor]], [[Lieutenant General#Lieutenant general ranks by country|General-leytenant]] and General-polkovnik are used to distinguish the atamans' hierarchy of command, the supreme ataman having the highest rank available. In this case, the shoulder insignia has a dedicated one-, two- and three-star alignment, as is normal in the Russian Army. Otherwise, it will be blank.</small>

As with the ranks Polkovnik and General, the Colonel ranks are only stable for small hosts, being given to atamans of regional and district status. The smallest unit, the ''[[stanitsa]]'', is commanded by a Yesaul. If the region or district lacks any other ''stanitsa''s, the rank Polkovnik is applied automatically, but with no stars on the shoulder. As the hosts continue to grow, starless shoulder patches are becoming increasingly rare.

In addition, the supreme ataman of the largest [[Don Cossack Host]] is officially titled [[Marshal#Military|Marshal]], and so wears insignia derived from the [[Marshal#Marshal ranks by country|Russian/Soviet Marshal ranks]], including the diamond Marshal Star. This is because the Don Cossack [[Ataman|Supreme Ataman]] is recognized as the official head of all Cossack armies, including those outside the present Russian borders. He also has the authority to recognize and dissolve new hosts.