While the rank michman is etymologically borrowed from the English rank midshipman, michman is a very senior and experienced enlisted rank, equivalent to a master chief petty officer or warrant officer, while midshipman is a cadet in training or a very junior officer rank, which, being an officer, is technically higher in rank than any enlisted rank, despite a midshipman's very junior status.
The ranks of Starshy michman (and in the army and air force, Starshy praporshchik) were added in 1981. The Russian Federation retained the rank structure of the Soviet Union in 1991.