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Sotnik orsotnyk (Russian:сотник;Ukrainian:сотник;Bulgarian:стотник) was amilitary rank among theCossack starshyna (military officers), the Russianstreltsy andCossack host, theUkrainian Insurgent Army, theUkrainian Galician Army, and theUkrainian People's Army.
Holders of the rank also served as leaders of territorial units. In the Cossacks' paramilitary society of theZaporozhian Host,Cossack Hetmanate, andSloboda Ukraine, territories were organized along the lines of military organization and commanded by officers. During theKhmelnytsky Uprising and in theCossack Hetmanate (17th-18th centuries),sotnyks were leaders of territorial administrative subdivisions calledsotnyas. Such sotnyks were subordinated topolkovnyks (colonel) who were in control of a polk (primary administrative division) and a regiment (military unit).
The wordsotnik literally meanscommander of a hundred men in mostSlavonic languages, much like how theLatin termCenturion reflected a commander of a similar number of troops in theRoman Empire. In theRussian rank-structure the military role of a sotnik developed into that of aporuchik (Russian:поручик), eventually known as "lieutenant" (Russian:лейтенант,romanized: leytenant). Ukrainian military formations retained the rank ofsotnyk (Ukrainian:сотник) well into the 20th century as the equivalent of an armycaptain.[1]The rank did not officially change, but rather fell out of use after the Soviet Army and intelligence services suppressed theUkrainian Insurgent Army in the late 1940s and 1950s.
Some translations render the wordsotnik as "Captain", however the "Lieutenant" interpretation also appears in common usage, and for the sake of historical and social clarity the original rank-name is used.
The rank is still used by theSlovenian Armed Forces,[2] and is equal to the rank ofcaptain in other armed forces.[3]
The name of "Sotnik" has been adopted as a surname.
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