General Arapov

Nikolai Andreyevich Arapov is a General of the Imperial Russian Army. The son of a miner from Yekaterimburg, Nikolai enlisted when he turned 18 and ended up being sent to Afghanistan, where he fought against the Mujahideen. He was wounded in the leg by shrapnel from a Stinger missile fired by the enemy, but didn't suffer an amputation. Instead, he received a leave on health grounds. This would be used in the future by hus  detractors, who claimed that the leave had been deliberately sought out of cowardice.

With the return of the Romanovs to power after the collapse of the Putin government, the then Colonel Arapov quickly swore allegiance to Tsar Nicholas III, which secured his position in the Army. He gleefully denounced some of his colleagues as "reactionary elements" (communists). The Tsar rewarded Arapov for his loyalty by appointing him to a command in the Chechen Offensive. Promoted to Major-General, Arapov participated in the Siege of Grozny and received the Cross of St. George for his conduct.

The imperial monogram in the shoulder boards is used to identify an aide-de-camp to the Tsar, Imperial Guard regiments and other individuals who fill the criteria stablished by the Rules of Usage and Display of Imperial Symbols of Russia.

Since 2005, Russian military men of all ranks are allowed to grow beards and moustaches as long as they keep them "clean, well-cut and in line with the best look expected from a soldier, avoiding ridicule". Most generals, however, still prefer the "clean face" look.