What a beautiful and important word - “admiral”! So noble and warlike. Speaking it, one immediately recalls Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov, the admiral of her Majesty, famous for her exploits and merits to the country.
But what does the word admiral mean? And how correctly do you understand and use it? If you strive to be literate and do not want to be considered an ignoramus, you need to read this fascinating article. And everything will become clear to you!
The word "admiral": meaning
The word "admiral" is of Dutch origin. But, according to the dictionary of fabulist Ivan Andreevich Krylov, this word comes from the Arabic “emir al bah”. Which translates as "master / lord / master of the seas."
The Dutch modified it a bit to facilitate pronunciation. And in the end, the Arabic word turned into Dutch (admiraal).
In Russian, the word “admiral” (the meaning of which is quite diverse) appeared thanks to the great Russian emperor Peter I, known for “cutting a window to Europe” and creating the Russian fleet.
The word has three meanings:
Firstly, it denotes the rank, rank (with several steps of growth) of the highest officers of the navy. Both in Russia and in many other countries.
Secondly, this is the name of the person who wears this title.
Thirdly, the type of diurnal butterflies (having a black-red-white color), which belong to the nymphalids family and live in European and Asian countries, is also called the admiral.
Who is the admiral?
So admiral. The meaning of this word has Arabic roots. And translated as "lord of the sea." In the subordination of the person who possesses this rank, there is a whole flotilla, therefore this title is both prestigious, and very binding, responsible at the same time.
The rank of admiral has a certain hierarchy:
Rear Admiral. He commands one division, at the death of the vice admiral takes his place at the head of the squadron, consisting of three divisions.
Vice Admiral. The command of the squadron.
Admiral. On his shoulders lies the leadership of the flotilla, which includes several squadrons.
Fleet Admiral. Chief in command, so his word determines the further outcome of events. Basically, the Fleet Admiral sits at the General Staff.
Title History
Admiral is one of the oldest ranks, it appeared in the early Middle Ages in the territory of the Arab countries. Already in the XII century, this title came to Europe and became the marine equivalent (equal in status) to the rank of general on land. But very soon it rose to Field Marshal.
In France, “lords of the seas” were even appointed kings, possessing a special admiral's baton and their own flag, and their authority included command of all the forces of the fleet.
How did the rank appear in Russia?
Admiral is a naval rank that was introduced into the Russian fleet by decree of Peter I back in 1706. The first Russian emperor built his fleet similar to the Dutch army. That is why the title in its value was equated to a land general.
Also in the XIX century a hierarchy of the admiral's rank appeared. The following titles were introduced:
In 1935, the Russian Navy also acquired this title. Then the following titles were added:
Rear Admiral
But first things first. The meaning of the word “rear admiral” is as follows: rear admiral is the first step in this hierarchy. The rank or rank in terms of the height of its status is equivalent to the land major general.
Russian rear admirals:
Nikolai Osipovich Abramov;
Alexander Petrovich Alexandrov;
Vasily Emelyanovich Ananich;
Neon Vasilievich Antonov;
Mikhail Ivanovich Arapov;
Vladimir Alexandrovich Belli;
Victor Platonovich Bogolepov;
Nikolai Alexandrovich Bologov;
Pavel Ivanovich Boltunov;
Sergey Borisovich Verkhovsky.
Rank Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral - the second step of the admiral's hierarchy. Corresponds to the rank of lieutenant general in the general forces.
Russian vice admirals:
Valentin Petrovich Drozd;
Ivan Dmitrievich Eliseev;
Zhukov Gavriil Vasilievich;
Ilya Danilovich Kulishov;
Lev Andreevich Kournikov;
Mikhail Zakharovich Moskolenko;
Alexander Andreevich Nikolaev;
Anatoly Nikolaevich Petrov;
Yuri Fedorovich Rahl;
Alexander Mikhailovich Rumyantsev.
Admiral rank
Admiral is the third step of this hierarchy. The second oldest after the Fleet Admiral. Corresponds to the land rank of Colonel General.
Russian admirals:
Pavel Sergeevich Abankin;
Nikolai Efremovich Bassisty;
Nikolay Ignatievich Vinogradov;
Leo Anatolyevich Vladimirsky;
Arseniy G. Golovko;
Fedor Vladimirovich Zozulya;
Ivan Stepanovich Yumashevich;
Stepan G. Kucherov;
Gordey Ivanovich Levchenko;
Philip Sergeyevich October.
The most famous Russian admirals, known for playing an important role both in the fate of the fleet and in the fate of the whole country, are:
Fedor Matveevich Apraksin (repelled the Swedish attack on St. Petersburg, forced the Vyborg fortress to capitulate, took part in the defeat of the squadron of the Swedish king Charles XII).
Fedor Fedorovich Ushakov (did not lose a single ship and won all forty-three battles).
Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern (headed the first Russian round-the-world expedition).
Pavel Stepanovich Nakhimov (command of the fleet and ground forces during the Crimean War and the battle of Sevastopol).
Nikolai Ottovich Essen (participation in the Russo-Japanese War and command of the Baltic Fleet in the First World War).
The title of "Admiral of the Fleet"
The highest step of the admiral's hierarchy. Corresponds to the military rank of "Army General." A person with this rank is considered the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy (Navy).
This title was achieved only by the best. In the USSR, such a rank was possessed by:
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, they managed to reach the rank of:
Felix Nikolayevich Gromov;
Vladimir Ivanovich Kuroedov;
Vladimir Vasilievich Masorin.
Butterfly admiral
In the dictionaries there is not only a direct interpretation of the word "admiral". Because in addition to designating the naval rank, as well as the person who wears this rank, there is also a butterfly, which is called that way.
Of course, this butterfly has nothing to do with the sea. She lives on land, and you can see her during the day. But why was she given such an unusual “marine” name?
It's all about its colors, it is very reminiscent of an admiral's uniform. The butterfly has black wings, with a wide red strip at the edges, very similar to the stripes of admiral's trousers. In addition, white spots also flaunt on the wings of a butterfly, like orders and stars on admiral's uniform.
Admiral Butterfly is a flocking creature that loves warmth very much. That is why, before the onset of cold weather, it flies to warmer climes, mainly to African countries. Its wings are quite large and hardy, thanks to this, butterflies can easily cover considerable distances.
Butterfly caterpillars are also very beautiful. They are white with yellow dots and stripes. Caterpillars love to feast on nettles and thistles. And butterflies prefer fruit juice, flower nectar and plant juice.
Admiral butterflies are very unusual, and their extermination is a violation. Since these charming creatures are quite rare, they are even listed in the Red Book.
Now you know how the word “admiral” is interpreted, and you can use it wisely. Thank you for attention!