The name originates from Slavonic prapor (прапор), meaning flag; the praporshchik was a flag-bearer in Kievan Rus troops.

In spite of this, podpraporshchik ("sub-ensign") was one of the non-commissioned officer (NCO) grades, originally below sergeant and Feldwebel.

From 1884 podpraporshchik ranked below the newly introduced NCO grade zauryad praporshchik ("deputy ensign").

In the Soviet Army, the reintroduction of the praporshchik rank in 1972, along with the michman rank in the Soviet Navy, marked the attempt to recreate a corps of contract non-commissioned officers similar to master sergeants and chief petty officers, the role that was previously reserved for senior drafted personnel.

See further commentary on the rank at Carey Schofield, Inside the Soviet Army, Headline Book Publishing, 1991, where long-service praporshchiks' scrounging and repair skills were celebrated.

Since the beginning of 2009, a phased liquidation of the institution of praporshchiks and michmans started in the Russian Armed Forces.

It was assumed that the praporshchiks will be replaced by professional contract sergeants, the federal target program for the training of which has already been approved.

[2] The Ministry of Defense introduced a new staffing table on July 1, in which, for the first time in five years, special positions for praporshchiks and michmans appeared.