The shoulder straps of the generals of the Russian army, as well as the Soviet one, preserved the continuity of the pre-revolutionary Russian insignia. The main element that distinguishes them are zigzags. During the Civil War, there were times when the colonels recognized the high rank directly at the front line, and before the attack they drew broken lines directly on the old epaulettes with chalk.
In the tsarist army there were four top command ranks. These were the Field Marshal General (shoulder straps with zigzags and crossed wands), the general from infantry, cavalry and other military branches, also called the “full general” (shoulder straps with zigzags without asterisks), the lieutenant general (three stars over zigzags) and the general major (two stars).
In February 1917, revolutionary soldiers and sailors, instigated by agitators, tore the characters of the "old power" they hated from the shoulders of their former commanders.
After a long break in 1943, the traditional Russian insignia were reintroduced into the Soviet Army. The rank of major general, as before 1917, was the first and youngest among the generals. Then, according to the increasing number of stars, came the lieutenant general and colonel general.
The insignia of the highest command remained almost unchanged. The only exception is the shoulder straps of the army general, whose appearance has changed several times already. The title is indeed intermediate, and official duties are so close to marshall's that the line between these two military ranks sometimes becomes indistinguishable.
The shoulder straps of an army general with four stars were a rank, after which he was not far from a marshal. During World War II, commanders in this rank, as a rule, held the position of deputy front commander.
In 1974, the insignia of the highest command of the Soviet Army underwent some changes. There were reasons for this - the status and responsibilities of the marshal and the army general were almost identical. In addition, unlike the war years, in those years, which were later called “stagnant,” the next rank was awarded not for the special abilities and personal qualities shown in the course of command and control, but for the length of service, or even just for the anniversary. As if hinting at the prospect of career growth, one star “fell” on the new shoulder straps of the army general, but what a star! Marshall! Next to her is a motorized rifle emblem. Such insignia lasted in the armed forces of the USSR, and then the Russian Federation for twenty years.
In 1993, the rank of marshal in the Russian armed forces was abolished, and in 1997 the shoulder straps of the army general again became four-star, as in 1943.
In 2013, the pendulum swung again towards the Marshall stars. It is possible that one large star is more beautiful than four smaller ones. It is possible that in this way they are trying to mislead the intelligence of countries that are likely opponents. It can also be assumed that aesthetic representations play a significant role in choosing the style of insignia. The fact remains that today the shoulder straps of the army general again look like marshals. Whether they will change in the future is not very clear yet.