GIVE ANSWERS - Русский язык

Товарищ = Comrade
Это не клише. Также это уставное обращение в армии. Например:" Товарищ капитан, разрешите обратиться к товарищу лейтенанту".
It's not cliché. It is also a statutory appeal to the army. For example: "Comrade captain, allow me to address comrade Lieutenant."

I agree with Igor105 and exRanger, that usually it is used in military when speaking to someone who has a higher position than you (your boss and the bosses of your boss) or mention former colleague/friend from military past.

 

Sometimes, this word can be used in cases when trying to address/mention many people and especially if they are from the same group or workplace like gamers who play the same game or colleagues from work. I guess it can be a synonym of ”friend” to mention those who are not your friends but somehow bond to you in general or you a part of a group at exact time and place like meeting - a polite/neutral form of ”people” as ”hey guys! / people!”, but, I think, it must be extremely weird to a younger person's like less than 30 years old.

 

Also, it is very common to hear ”Товарищи по несчастью”. This phrase means that the exact person or a group has bad luck as you do in a specific situation. For example, two or more families lost their homes because of fire - they are ”Товарищи по несчастью”.

Товарищ = Tovarishch

Сейчас слово ”товарищ” в повседневной жизни обывателей, используется чаще, как сленговое слово. Имеющее под собой чаще негативную или шуточную коннотацию.

Товарищ / Tovarishch

Igor's analysis is spot-on: This word still has currrency, especially among military and former military, among whom which its use is no mere cliche but the foundation of formal and/or friendly address between our members of our community. Think of it as the English equivalent of "brother" (or, if you will, "bro'). I still use the term in conversation w/ several former Soviet and US military colleagues who, like me, were engaged in "things Soviet" during the times of our formal military assignments and re: the activities which -- for many of us -- followed formal military service.