In total, 49 BMO ships took part in the hostilities. More than 80% of the personnel were awarded orders and medals for military merit. A total of ten BMOs were killed. Considering that they always went in the first echelon of the landing forces, and the fact that a significant part of these ships died on mines, this figure confirms that the "ironing", as the sailors lovingly called the BMO, were made conscientiously and had high combat survivability ...
The creation of armored "sea hunters" in the conditions of the most severe blockade is another of the many unparalleled feats of Leningraders during the 900-day blockade of the city.
A. L. Nikiforov
Russian Imperial Guard during the First World War
For two centuries, the fate of the Imperial Guard of Russia was closely linked to the Russian monarchy. Created by the iron will of Peter I the Great at the very beginning of the 18th century, the guard became one of the symbols of the mighty Russian Empire, being a reliable support of statehood. Therefore, it is quite natural that in the tragic period of the collapse of the empire, the glorious imperial guard of Russia also went into the past.
The Russian Imperial Guard had a glorious history and significant privileges in comparison with the army units of the Russian army. Her drill training, brilliance of ceremonial uniforms made an indelible impression on all the guests of the royal dynasty.
Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich recalled: “... In July 1914, shortly before the start of the Great War, in honor of the visit of French President Raymond Poincaré to Russia, a large parade of the capital's guard was given on the Champ de Mars. The parade ended with a cavalry attack. This attack was the highlight of the entire parade. At the end of the Field of Mars, all the cavalry that was at the parade, that is, two divisions, lined up. Then, at the command of Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, the entire mass of cavalry rushed into the quarry in the direction of the guest tent, where Emperor Nicholas II and the French president watched the parade. The picture was truly magnificent, and even eerie. By order of Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, the entire galloping mass of cavalry stopped in an instant
in front of the royal retinue and guests. The officers lowered their weapons, saluting, and the trumpeters began to play the Guards campaign ... "1.
Indeed, the training of the Guards cavalry was fascinating. For the wars of the early 19th century. that would be great preparation. But what to do if this mass of cavalry is met not by the parade ground of the Field of Mars, but by ravines with barbed wire, behind which cold-blooded machine-gunners will wait for them, the tsarist generals did not really think about it.
Unfortunately, within the framework of the current military training of the capital's guards units, most commanders paid insufficient attention to increasing the level of knowledge of the guards officers, conducting tactical exercises, improving the skills of using weapons, establishing interaction between the branches of the armed forces in the field, organizing marches and military maneuvers.
Instead, for many tsarist generals, the main criterion for the training of guards units was the impeccable harmony of marching columns at parades, the gallant appearance of officers and soldiers, and the issues of modern military tactics were a "dark forest" for most of the guards commanders.
It is natural that the field exercises of the capital's guard near Krasnoe Selo at the beginning of the 20th century. turned into a formality, where much was done the old-fashioned way: the cavalry rushed, not embarrassed by the indicated fire, at the infantry lines and firing batteries. To repel these attacks, in the spirit of the battles at Preussisch-Eylau and Borodino, the infantry reserves went out, holding their feet, in a close formation on the line of chains to fired volleys, the friendly crack of which resembled biting a nut. Horse orderlies dashed along the front as if enchanted against imaginary bullets and shrapnel. Needless to say, the batteries drove picturesquely onto the ridges of the hills, dashingly removed from the limbs in full view of the enemy and stood in open positions.
At such summer maneuvers in 1913, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, summing up the results of the maneuvers, expressed a profound phrase characterizing the level of military-strategic thinking of the highest tsarist generals: “I can add that the maneuver played out excellently: the infantry advanced, cavalry galloped, artillery fired. Thank you, gentlemen! ... "3.
The tsarist army was somehow unlucky at the beginning of the twentieth century. for talented military leaders. With a universal formula for assessing the level of its
1 Cit. Quoted from: Dreyer V.N. At the end of the empire. SPb., 2011.S. 289.
2 See: V.M. Bezobrazov The lost guard. Commander's notes. SPb., 2008.S. 199.
3 Cit. by: Kersnovsky A.A. History of the Russian army. T. 4. Kersnovsky. M., 1994.S. 212.
combat effectiveness - "... the infantry was advancing, the cavalry galloped, the artillery fired ...", the Russian army entered the First World War, having its opponents well-trained German and Austro-Hungarian armies.
The declaration of war by Germany and its allies found the capital's guard in Krasnoe Selo, where, under the command of General Vladimir Mikhailovich Bezobrazov, was preparing for summer maneuvers. Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Imperial Army, ordered the Guards Corps to concentrate on the western border.
On August 7, 1914, the Guards Corps, attached to the 2nd Army of General Samsonov, concentrated in the Kingdom of Poland, in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Novo-Georgievsk fortress. The 1st and 2nd Guards Cavalry Divisions, along with the troops of General Rennenkampf's 1st Army, were already in East Prussia. The 3rd Guards Infantry Division, stationed in Warsaw, also fought in East Prussia, and returned to Warsaw in October 1914.
During the First World War, the Russian Guard was often used in parts. Separate brigades or divisions supported the units of the army they were part of. Thus, the commander of the Imperial Guard, General Bezobrazov, did not command all of his troops.
For example, on 16 August 1914, the 1st Guards Infantry Division was hastily dispatched by rail to Lublin to reinforce General Evert's 4th Army. Two days later, the entire Guards Corps moved in the same direction as the enemy threatened the city. In the course of heavy battles, in which the 1st Brigade of the 2nd Guards Division suffered especially heavy losses, the tsarist troops won a victory, and General Mannerheim's separate Guards Cavalry Brigade pursued the retreating enemy. The Guards Rifle Brigade also suffered heavy losses at Opatov, being attached to the 9th Army. Finally, on October 1, 1914, the Guards Corps was withdrawn to the army reserve, subordinate directly to the Commander-in-Chief1.
On October 10, the Guards Corps again took part in battles on the Southwestern Front in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Ivangorod fortress, located in the Kingdom of Poland. While Warsaw and Ivangorod continued
The 1st German and 1st Austro-Hungarian armies, the Russians counterattacked with the forces of their 9th Army. On October 12, the Russian Guards Corps broke through the Austrian front, forcing the enemy to retreat. By the end of October 1914, the Austro-German troops were driven back to our western border, and
1 See: A.A. Kersnovsky. Decree. Op. P. 221.
part of the territory of Poland that was part of the Russian Empire was completely liberated.
Our losses in the first months of the war turned out to be very large, especially in the guards units. For example, after a violent attack on November 11, the Life Guards Grenadier Regiment was reduced to the size of a battalion. The officers of the less affected Guards Cavalry Regiments voluntarily transferred to serve in the infantry. In addition, supply difficulties began, especially in artillery1.
On December 6, 1914, the Guards Corps was again withdrawn to the reserve, and on December 17-18, Emperor Nicholas II visited the 1st and 2nd Guards Divisions, and also reviewed the Ataman and Consolidated Cossack Regiments. The officers and soldiers who distinguished themselves in battle were awarded the St. George's crosses, and the commander of the guard, General Bezobrazov, was ranked among the imperial retinue and was awarded the golden St. George's weapon.
On December 30, 1914, the entire Guards Corps, consisting of two cavalry divisions and the 3rd Infantry Division, united at Radom, and only His Majesty's Cossack regiment served at the Headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief. At the end of January 1915, the guard was assembled near Warsaw, and then, as part of the 12th army of General Plehve, took up positions near the Narew River in the Kingdom of Poland. The offensive began on February 7, but due to poor leadership it did not achieve success, and General Plehve stubbornly continued to throw his regiments into battle, including the guard. With little progress, this offensive cost the Russian Guard 10 thousand people killed, wounded and missing, and the losses in the advancing army units amounted to 35 thousand people. Then the front temporarily stabilized, and in mid-June 1915, the guard was withdrawn to the rear2.
Meanwhile, on June 12, 1915, the second stage of the powerful German-Austrian offensive on the Eastern Front began, the main goal of which was to encircle and destroy the Russian army in Poland. The stubborn defense of the tsarist troops at Krasnostav slowed down the German offensive at the cost of huge losses in the Russian army. On July 7, under the scorching sun, the imperial guard again entered the battle with the 9th German army near Warsaw and completed a combat mission, but due to the mistakes of the headquarters of the southwestern front, this success was reduced to zero, and soon Warsaw was surrendered.
The "great retreat" of the Russian army in the summer of 1915 continued along the entire front, but the enemy did not achieve its main goal - the bloodless tsarist army was not destroyed, and in the fall
1 See: S.V. Volkov Russian officer corps. M., 2003.S. 280.
2 See: V.M. Bezobrazov The lost guard. Commander's notes. SPb., 2008.S. 201.
1915 the front line stabilized. On August 9, 1915, by the decree of the emperor, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich was removed from the post of Commander-in-Chief and was appointed governor of the Caucasus, as well as the commander of the Caucasian Front. Emperor Nicholas II took over the leadership of the Headquarters and the Army in the field.
Throughout 1915, the shortage of weapons and ammunition in the Russian army became catastrophic and there was practically no artillery support for the troops during the battles. Guards artilleryman Lieutenant Colonel Alfater recalled: “... before my eyes, as in a kaleidoscope, sad battle scenes pass. Night retreat, artillery quickly engages, but fires only a few shells. And all the same irritated questions addressed to the battery: "How many shells are left?" And always the same answers: 100, 80, and sometimes less. In the evening, smoke envelops our rear: the commanders set fire to villages, haystacks, grain, burn out the fields. The army is dominated by a feeling of helplessness, inability to stop the enemy, and inevitable death. At night again retreat, reflections of fire, and along the road refugees crowd - children in strollers, old people with poor belongings ... "1.
In July 1915, General Bezobrazov was removed from command of the Guards Corps for disobeying the orders of General Lesh and replaced by General Olokhov. By November 1915, the eastern front had stabilized, the retreat of the Russian army was over, the army held out, but Poland, part of Belarus, almost all of Lithuania and Courland were surrendered to the enemy. The guards regiments were drained of blood by intense battles, and the guards cavalrymen increasingly served on foot, in the trenches.
The commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Emperor Nicholas II, came to the conclusion that it was necessary to reorganize the guard, and in early October 1915 he dedicated General Bezobrazov to his plans. The guard was to consist of two infantry and one cavalry corps. The plan approved by the emperor on October 8, 1915 was implemented by General Bezobrazov, the newly appointed commander of the guard forces. However, the reorganization proceeded slowly in the direst manning situation, especially in the 3rd Guards Division, which suffered heavy losses in the 1914 campaign.2
In mid-February 1916, the Guard was moved to the North-Western Front, to Rezitsa, to strengthen the defense of Petrograd in case of a German offensive on the capital, but remained in
1 Cit. Quoted from: Portuguese R.M., Alekseev P.D., Runov V.A. The First World War in the Biographies of Russian Military Leaders. M., 1994.S. 238.
2 See: A.A. Kersnovsky. Decree. op. P. 225.
reserve. In May, the Guards Corps were transferred to the Western Front. The tragic days of 1915 were over.
On the neighboring South-Western Front, on May 19, 1916, the offensive of the Russian army began - the famous "Brusilov Breakthrough". To support the advancing troops, the Western Front also went over to active operations. On May 27, the guards entered into a stubborn battle near Kovel. On July 15, 1916, at 13 o'clock, after a strong artillery preparation, the guards units, breaking through the swamps, attacked the enemy fortifications near the Belarusian town of Stokhod.
The 1st Guards Infantry Corps met strong resistance from the Germans near the village of Raimetso. The 2nd Guards Corps advanced more successfully, and the guards riflemen were even able to capture the enemy headquarters. The guards crew, left in reserve, on their own initiative tried to provide assistance to both corps, who were trying to unite, engulfing the enemy in a ring of encirclement. In the following days, attacks by the Russian guard were aimed at capturing Vitonezh. German troops stubbornly counterattacked. As a result of the five-day fighting, the guards captured more than 8 thousand German soldiers, about 300 officers, two generals, as well as 50 cannons and 70 machine guns. After regrouping, the tsarist guard continued the offensive at 17 hours on July 26, 1916. Two days passed in unsuccessful attacks. Guards generals, especially Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich, made tactical mistakes, and the guards units were forced to dig in. During the period from 15 to 28 July, the guard lost about 30 thousand people in killed, wounded and missing.
On August 15, 1916, the guards corps were transformed into the "Special Army". At its head, General Romeiko-Gurko replaced General Bezobrazov. The guards command made several attempts to renew the offensive in the direction of Kovel, but they failed. Due to the abundance of victims, these battles were called "Kovel's meat grinder", during which the guard attacked at least 17 times. By mid-November 1916, the fighting had died down, the Guards remained in positions at Stokhod, preparing to go on the offensive in the spring of 1917.
In June 1917, the guards corps took part in the so-called "Kerensky offensive", but this was no longer the imperial guard. The death sentence of the Russian army and the imperial guard was passed on March 1, 1917, when, after the abdication of Emperor Nicholas II, the famous Order No. 1 was issued by the decision of the Petrograd Soviet of Workers 'and Soldiers' Deputies, which abolished military discipline and ranks.
1 See: S.V. Volkov Decree. op. P. 291.
The collapse of the army followed immediately, engulfing even the guards units at the front. The mood in the guards units was different: the commander of the regiment was killed in the 1st Guards Rifle Regiment, officers and soldiers fraternized in the Semyonovsky Regiment, there were no serious incidents in the Preobrazhensky, officers of Ostsee origin were expelled in the 4th Guards Rifle Regiment. In the guards cavalry, where losses were lower and the composition of the regiments remained more homogeneous, revolutionary propaganda was not successful. Cossack guards units are in good order and with standards returned home to the Don.
The July battles of 1917 in the Carpathian region, near Mshany and Tarno-Pole, where the oldest guards regiments, Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky, distinguished themselves, became the "swan song" of the remnants of the former imperial guard.
On May 20, 1918, in the midst of the growing Civil War, these glorious regiments were officially disbanded by the decision of the few surviving officers, and most of the Guards officers joined the newly formed White Army. The history of the Imperial Guard of Russia is over.
A. V. Pokhilyuk
During the Great Patriotic War, Soviet patriots repeated the feat of Ivan Susanin
A worthy contribution to the defeat of the Nazi invaders was made by the Soviet people who were on the other side of the front line.
The establishment of a bloody "new order" in the occupied regions of the USSR was accompanied by unbridled preaching of chauvinism, nationalism and racism. The Nazis tried to shake the resilience of our people, undermine their faith in the victorious Red Army, divide them by national barriers, quarrel among themselves and turn them into obedient slaves. But the actions of the fascist invaders aroused the just wrath of the Soviet people and even greater love for their socialist homeland.
The Soviet government educated the people as ardent patriots of the Motherland and true internationalists. Therefore, the conscious struggle of the peoples of the USSR against foreign invaders proceeded from the very nature of Soviet society. In the rear of the enemy armies, the partisan movement became an integral part of this struggle. In the temporarily occupied Soviet territory, partisan
Day of the Russian Guard was established on December 22, 2000 by the decree of President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin No. 2032 "On the establishment of the Day of the Russian Guard" in connection with the 300th anniversary of the Russian Guard in order to revive and develop Russian military traditions and increase the authority of military service.
Guards regiments, brigades, divisions, crews and battalions are the pride of the Russian Armed Forces, a model for the entire army and navy. The Guardsman is a brave warrior with an indomitable fighting spirit and an unbreakable will to win.
The emergence and development of the guard
The Russian Guard was created by Peter I in 1700, and she received her baptism of fire at the beginning of the Northern War, in the Battle of Narva on November 19, 1700. Then Peter's guard distinguished itself in 1702 and 1704, as well as near Poltava in 1709.
Before the appearance of military educational institutions, the guard was the only school for officers. But not only those who passed this combat training were called guardsmen: for special merits, distinguished generals received the honorary title of lieutenant colonel of the Preobrazhensky regiment. Thanks to the special trust of the most influential persons of the state, the guardsmen were a significant political force. According to the Table of Ranks, its officers had an advantage over the army of two ranks.
During the reign of Paul I, the number of the guards increased significantly: five new battalions were formed. Then, in 1813, along with the Old Guard, the Young Guard was formed - a cuirassier and two grenadier regiments, which distinguished themselves in the war of 1812. In the future, the number of the Guards continued to grow. At the beginning of the 20th century, it consisted of 12 infantry, 13 cavalry and 4 rifle regiments, 3 artillery brigades, a naval crew and a sapper battalion.
Guardsmen were involved in almost all the wars in which Russia took part. Since the formation of the Guard, its military uniform has been considered a symbol of honor and discipline. Every detail of this uniform reminded of the victories won, and the regiments received their names in memory of military merits and were proudly worn on military banners, the protection of which was the primary duty of every guardsman.
The Soviet and current Russian Guard became a worthy successor to the traditions of the Russian Guard.
Russian and Soviet Guard
The Soviet Guard was created during the Great Patriotic War. Four motorized rifle divisions, which distinguished themselves during the Battle of Smolensk near Yelnya, on September 18, 1941, were called guards divisions for military exploits. At the same time, the Supreme Command Headquarters decided to organize guards mortar units.
Guards of the Great Patriotic War are heroes whose names will never be forgotten: V.S. Petrov, A.I. Pokryshkin, I.N. Kozhedub, A.P. Maresyev, A.M. Sailors. Finding examples of fearlessness, perseverance and loyalty to the Motherland in the glorified feats of their ancestors, they multiplied the military merits of previous generations of guardsmen.
During the years of the Great Patriotic War, more than 4.5 thousand units, formations, formations and ships received the name of the Guards and special guards banners. In May 1942, a badge was introduced for the military personnel of the guards units.
Classes with young replenishment in the 4th Guards Mechanized Corps on the eve of the Belgrade operation. In the background is a T-34-85 tank. Romanian-Yugoslav border
Soldiers of the 13th Guards Rifle Division in Stalingrad at rest
Command and technical personnel of the 20th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment at the Yak-9 fighter. Summer 1945. Third from the left in the third row - regiment commander, Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant Colonel P.S. Kutakhov
After the end of the war, the Soviet Guard maintained the historical traditions of the Russian Guard. In peacetime, the formations were not transformed into guards, but with continuity in personnel, this title was transferred to new military formations to preserve traditions. Guards formations and units, as a rule, were located on the front lines in border districts and groups of troops, and ships and divisions that performed especially recognized feats were in the capitals of the union republics or in large cities. Each new recruit who started serving in the Guards unit received the "Guard" badge and took an oath that he would not disgrace the memory of fathers and grandfathers.
At the end of XX - beginning of XXI century, the guard is still true to its laws, developed and enshrined by past generations of guards. The modern guard has retained its previous awards and honorary titles. Its further development is professionalization, new principles of manning, improvement of the organizational structure, equipping with the most modern types of military equipment and weapons. Much attention is paid to combat training, the life of servicemen is being improved. Patriotism, ideological conviction and loyalty to the oath are traits that are inherent in every guard.
The great glory of the Guard is the legacy and heritage of all Russia. To be a Guardsman today means to have the highest combat qualifications, masterfully own
Alexey Zakvasin, Svyatoslav Petrov
On September 2, Russia celebrates the Day of the Guards. This is a holiday for all soldiers and officers who serve in more than 100 guards formations of the Russian Armed Forces. Guards status, as a rule, was received by elite military formations that distinguished themselves on the battlefield. The Guards of Imperial Russia were the forge of the command staff of the Russian army. The guards units were abolished in 1918, following the disbandment of the Russian Imperial Army. During the Great Patriotic War, the guards units were revived. In modern Russia, the honorary title of Guards symbolizes the historical continuity and connection between generations.
- Servicemen of the Presidential Regiment during the divorce of the horse guard
- RIA News
- Kirill Kallinikov
Day of the Guards was established by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2000. Since then, September 2, the professional holiday has been celebrated by servicemen of the guards units of the Russian army. The presidential decree on the celebration of the Day of the Guards was signed in order to enhance the prestige of military service.
Especially close
Guard is a word of Italian origin that translates as "guard" or "protection". Historians believe that the guard was made up of warriors close to the royal person. In ancient times, the duties of the guards included the protection of the first persons of the state and the implementation of special combat missions.
For example, in Ancient Persia, the "immortals" were the guard, the number of which was about 10 thousand people. In ancient Rome, the guard was considered to be the cohorts of praetorians - the emperor's bodyguards. In the early Middle Ages, the functions of the guard were performed by vigilantes - the army and the personal guard of the prince.
With the advent of the regular army, the guards units turned into elite formations, which were recruited at the expense of the privileged strata of society. As a rule, it was cavalry - a mobile strike force, which was used to carry out unexpected attacks and breakthroughs into the rear of the enemy.
Separately, it is worth mentioning the Life Guards - the military group closest to the monarch. The Life Guards guarded the ruler and took part in ceremonies, parades, ceremonies and processions. In modern Russia, some of the functions of the Life Guards are entrusted to the Presidential Regiment.
Military caste
The Russian Guard originates from the amusing troops of Peter I - the Semyonovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments, united in 1693 into the 3rd Moscow elective regiment. On September 2, 1700, both regiments became known as Life Guards - this date became the day of the appearance of the Russian Guard.
The first Russian guardsman is considered to be Sergei Leontievich Bukhvostov, who joined the ranks of the amusing regiments in 1683 faster than the rest of the soldiers.
Baptism of fire The Russian Guard took place in the battle against the Swedes near Narva in November 1700, literally two months after its foundation. Despite the fact that the battle was lost by the Russian army, the two Guards regiments showed extraordinary courage in holding back the enemy's onslaught, covering the retreat of the rest of the army.
- "Poltava Victory"
- RIA News
For this feat, Peter I bestowed the chief officers of both regiments who were fighting "knee-deep in blood" with a badge with the inscription "1700, November 19" and palm branches, and the color of the stockings worn by the guardsmen was changed from green to red. At the same time, Peter I established an increased salary for the guards.
According to the Table of Ranks, established in 1722, officers of the Guards regiments received a seniority of two ranks against the army.
Mostly nobles were recruited into the guard. Only after heavy losses in battles was it allowed to recruit ordinary recruits or transfer from other parts of the armed forces.
Under Peter I, the selection for the guard was made personally by the sovereign, guided by the criteria of education and military professionalism among those wishing to enter the guard service. Nobles who entered the service had to begin their careers with the rank of private.
The guardsmen were de facto a caste in Russian society. For example, the marriages of the guardsmen were strictly controlled: marrying the daughters of merchants, bankers or stock traders was not allowed. Otherwise, the nobleman was forced to leave the service.
The successors of Peter I changed the approach to the guard service: the political interests of the monarch, the personal loyalty of the officers and the nobility of candidates came to the fore. Children of the nobility began to be enrolled in the guards regiments from infancy, so that they would not serve as privates and junior officers.
As a result, teenagers received officer ranks. In the middle of the 18th century, there were a huge number of 20-22-year-old colonels in the Guards, while officers who started out as privates did not receive a promotion. By the 19th century, guards regiments could have up to 75% of officers on paper.
School of commanders
Another feature of the recruitment of the guard was a kind of "exterior" tradition. So, in the guard they tried to recruit tall young men of strong constitution.
- Privates of the Preobrazhensky and Moscow Life Guards regiments, 1862
- Pirate K.K.
In the Preobrazhensky regiment, fair-haired were recorded, in Semyonovsky - blondes, in Izmailovsky and Grenadier - brunettes, in Moscow - red, in Pavlovsky - red and snub-nosed. In the jaeger units of the Life Guards, young people of thin constitution with any hair color served.
The proximity to the throne, the privileged position and the aristocratic composition led to the fact that the Russian Imperial Guard played one of the key roles in the history of palace coups of the 18th century. The noblemen-guards turned into a subject of political relations.
With the direct participation of the guards officers, Catherine I, Anna Ioannovna, Anna Leopoldovna, Elizaveta Petrovna and Catherine II came to power. Almost all the Decembrists were in the service of the Life Guards. In fact, the Guard became the political school of the nobility, being the largest aristocratic association.
Despite the increased salary, it was impossible to serve in the guard without additional income. The guardsman had to have several sets of very expensive uniforms, a carriage, horses, participate in feasts and, in general, lead a rather active social life. The guards even had a saying: "His Majesty's cuirassiers are not afraid of quantity of wines."
However, the guards were strong not only in matters of drinking and courting ladies. Despite the problems of manning, the guard performed their military duty during periods of war. In addition, the guards formations were the forge for the leading cadres of the Russian army. The secondment (transfer) of trained soldiers and officers from the guard continued until the First World War.
- Battle of Leipzig
- A. N. Sauerweid
Under Alexander I, the Russian Imperial Guard participated in all military campaigns and campaigns of its sovereign, especially distinguished itself in the war of 1812. The regiments of the Petrovskaya brigade (Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky) were awarded the St. George banners for their courage and perseverance in the battle at Kulm (August 1813).
For heroism in the same battle, the Izmailovsky and Jaeger Guards regiments were awarded with St. George's trumpets. The same award for the Battle of Leipzig (October 1813) was given to the Lithuanian Life Guards Regiment. For saving Emperor Alexander I from captivity during the Battle of Leipzig, the Life Guards Cossack Regiment and His Majesty's Own convoy were awarded silver trumpets.
Guards units took part in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905 and the First World War of 1914-1018.
The Russian Imperial Guard formally ceased to exist in 1918. On February 23, 1918, the Bolsheviks created the Red Army, which opposed the White movement. The command of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Republic denied the military traditions of the tsarist regime and abandoned the practice of conferring guards ranks.
Reborn in battles
The guard received its second birth during the Great Patriotic War. The rank of guards was received by the formations of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA), which distinguished themselves in battles with the Nazi invaders. The return to imperial traditions was intended to inspire the retreating Soviet troops.
On September 18, 1941, by order No. 308 of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR Joseph Stalin, four rifle divisions were transformed into guards divisions for courage and heroism in the battles near Yelnya. This was the beginning of the Soviet guard.
The Soviet Guard made a significant contribution to the victory in the Great Patriotic War. In the spring of 1945, as part of the Red Army, the Guards consisted of 11 combined arms and six tank armies, 40 rifle, seven cavalry, 12 tank corps, nine mechanized and 14 aviation corps, about 200 divisions and brigades.
In addition, one fortified area, 18 combat surface ships, 16 submarines, a number of other units and subunits of various branches of the armed forces became guards.
After the Great Patriotic War, the banner of the guard and the badge were approved, which were evidence of the courage and valor of the unit that was awarded the honorary title of the guard. The presentation of the banner and breastplate was usually carried out in a solemn atmosphere. All this contributed to the growth of the authority of the Soviet guard.
Despite the fact that in peacetime, the transformation of units into guards did not take place, in order to continue military traditions when reorganizing a unit or creating a new rank of guards, it was preserved. For example, many formations of the Strategic Missile Forces (Strategic Missile Forces) became guards, having received this title from artillery units that distinguished themselves during the war years.
Keeping traditions
The modern guard, like the Soviet after 1945, exists in peacetime. The rank of guards symbolizes loyalty to the traditions of military glory.
In 2009, the 20th Guards Motorized Rifle Carpathian-Berlin Red Banner Order of the Suvorov Division, the 5th Separate Guards Tank Tatsinskaya Red Banner Order of Suvorov Brigade were formed.
In 2013, the 2nd Guards Motorized Rifle Taman Order of the October Revolution, the Red Banner Order of Suvorov, appeared in the Russian Armed Forces. In November 2014, the 1st Guards Tank Red Banner Army was recreated on the western borders of Russia.
In our time, there are four tank and seven motorized rifle divisions, all airborne formations, one division of missile boats, a number of units of the Ground Forces, units of the Air Force, ships and units of the Navy, as well as missile divisions of the Strategic Missile Forces.
- Servicemen at the solemn ceremony of taking the military oath of the Guards Airborne Assault Brigade of the Airborne Forces in Ussuriysk
- RIA News
But historical continuity does not mean that the guards units have ceased to perform feats. The most vivid example of heroism was demonstrated by the Pskov paratroopers during the Second Chechen campaign (1999-2000).
On February 29, 2000, the 6th company of the 76th Guards Airborne Division under the command of Guards Lieutenant Colonel Mark Yevtyukhin was surrounded by militants. The Pskov paratroopers held the defense against the many times superior enemy forces.
After the death of Yevtyukhin, Captain Viktor Romanov took command of the unit. Seeing the inevitable breakthrough of militants from the Argun Gorge, the officer decided to call fire on himself. 84 out of 99 fighters were killed. 22 paratroopers of the 6th company were awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.
In an interview with RT, Oleg Rzheshevsky, a member of the Scientific and Historical Council of the Russian Military Historical Society (RVIO), noted that the guards rank of modern units of the Russian army reminds descendants of grandiose feats on the fields of the Great Patriotic War.
“I believe that in our time it makes sense to continue the good military tradition, awarding guards ranks to units and ships. This inspires a younger generation of military personnel to serve in the glory of their heroic predecessors. However, I do not exclude the possibility that army formations will become guards for heroic deeds in battles that are going on in our days, ”said Rzheshevsky.
Guard (ital. guardia guards, guards) - the elite privileged part of the troops.
The Guard was traditionally called the elite, privileged, better trained and equipped part of the troops. It was the core of the army, armed detachments that were directly under the monarch, often performing the functions of his personal guard.
The first mention of Russian guards units is given in the historical annals of the Russian army in connection with the military campaigns of Peter's troops near Azov and Narva.
Base
The Guard was established at the beginning of the reign of Peter the Great from the Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky regiments.
In the archives of the Semyonovsky regiment there is information that it was already in 1698 called the Semyonovsky Life Guard. In 1700, during the Narva confusion, two guards regiments held back the onslaught of the Swedes for three hours, for which the chief officers of these regiments were awarded the insignia (the oldest in Russia, still preserved) with the inscription: "1700, November 19".
Under Peter I
During the reign of Peter I, the guard was replenished mainly by nobles; only after significant losses in battles did they begin to allow transfers from the army and the reception of recruits in it.
Every nobleman who entered the military service, before becoming an army officer, had to enter a private in one of the guards regiments and serve in this rank until the sovereign approves his election as an officer, on which the production in the ranks was based at that time.
Until 1722, the guard did not have any advantages in ranks, but on January 22 of this year a table of ranks was approved, according to which officers of the guards regiments received the seniority of two ranks against the army.
To train officers for army cavalry regiments, the Kronshlots dragoon regiment was formed in 1721, which was commanded to consist of noblemen alone and be called a life regiment. This regiment, although it served as the basis for the Life Guards cavalry, but under Peter the Great did not have the rights and advantages that the guard regiments enjoyed.
Under Catherine I
Under Catherine I, a cavalry guard was established, and, in addition, the life guard battalion, located in Moscow and made up of officers of the guard regiments incapable of service, was added to the guard.
Under Anna Ioannovna
Under Anna Ioannovna, the life regiment was renamed into the Life Guards Horse Regiment, and a Guards Infantry Regiment was formed, named Izmailovsky.
A special guards detachment took part in the campaign against the Turks in 1737-39.
Under Elizabeth
Empress Elizaveta Petrovna herself accepted the rank of colonel of all guards regiments, and the grenadier company of the Transfiguration, which contributed to her accession to the throne, was expelled from the regiment and named the Life Campaign.
Under Peter III
Under Peter III, the Life Campaign was abolished.
Under Catherine II
Under Catherine II, the Moscow Life Guards Battalion was disbanded, replaced by an invalid team in Murom, called the Murom Life Guards (1764).
The Guard took an active part in the Swedish war.
Under Paul I
Emperor Paul I strengthened the Guards regiments, including in their composition the units of the troops that were with him in Gatchina (Gatchina troops) before his accession to the throne; The Life Guards Artillery Battalion, the Life Guards Jaeger Battalion and regiments were also formed: the Life Guards Hussars (1796) and the Cossack Life Guards (1798), and the Garrison Battalion was made up of the Guards lower ranks incapable of field service.
Under Alexander I
Under Emperor Alexander I, the Life Guard Jaeger Regiment was formed from the Life Guards Jaeger Battalion; in 1806, a battalion of the imperial militia was formed from the appanage peasants of the estates closest to St. Petersburg, which received the rights of the guard for the difference in the 1808 war; in 1811, the Finnish Life Guards regiment was formed from it. In the same year, the 1st battalion was separated from the Preobrazhensky regiment to form the Life Guards Lithuanian Regiment, renamed in 1817 into the Moscow Life Guards, in the same 1817 the Lithuanian Life Guards and Volyn Life Guards regiments were formed in Warsaw.
In 1810, the Guards crew was established, and in 1812 - the Sapper Life Guards Battalion.
Separate Guards Corps (1812-1864) - On April 3, 1812, the Guards Corps was formed, in December 1829 it was renamed the Separate Guards Corps. From February 3, 1844 to 1856, the Grenadier Corps was also subordinated to the commander of the Separate Guards Corps, the Corps Headquarters was reorganized into the Headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief of the Guards and Grenadier Corps, from 1849 - the Headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief of the Guards and Grenadier Corps. In 1856, the Headquarters of the Separate Guards Corps was restored. At the headquarters of the corps, there were commissions: "Guards barracks" in 1820-1836 and "For the repair of cavalry" (1843-1860). The corps was abolished in August 1864 with the introduction of the provision on the military district administration (Milyutin's reform). The headquarters of the corps was transformed into the Headquarters of the Guard Forces and the St. Petersburg Military District.
In 1813, the Life Grenadier and Pavlovsky regiments were attached to the Guards for their distinction, and their officers were given the advantage of one rank over the army; these shelves formed a new one, or young guard, in contrast to which the former regiments were called the old guard.
In 1809, the Life Guards Dragoon Regiment and the Life Guards Ulan Regiment were formed, and in 1814 the Life Guards Horse Regiment was formed.
In Warsaw, the Life Guards Podolsk Cuirassier Regiment and the Life Guards Ulansky Regiment of His Highness the Tsarevich were formed in 1817, and in 1824 (as a young guard) - the Life Guards of the Grodno Hussars. In addition, the Guards Gendarme half-squadron (1815), the Guards Horse Pioneer Squadron (1819) and the Life Guards Invalid Brigade (1824) were formed.
For the differences rendered in the war with the French, (1813) His Majesty's Life Guards Cuirassier Regiment was ranked among the Young Guard. In 1805, the Life Guards Horse Artillery was formed, in 1811 - the Life Guards Artillery Brigade in 1816 was divided into the 1st and 2nd brigades.
In 1817, a guards battery company was formed in Warsaw, which became part of the combined guards and grenadier artillery brigade in 1821.
The guard took part in all the wars waged during the reign of Alexander I, except for the Turkish and Persian.
Under Nicholas I
Moscow Detachment of the Guards Corps (March-November 1826) Formed in March 1826 to participate in the coronation of Nicholas I. It consisted of two infantry brigades formed from battalions of guards regiments, a special cavalry detachment, three battery companies and a platoon of gendarmes. The commander of the detachment, Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich, chief of staff of the detachment, Major General A.K. Gerua. Disbanded in November 1826.
Under Emperor Nicholas I, in 1829, the Finnish training rifle battalion was added to the composition of the young guard, and the Finnish rifle battalion was renamed the Life Guards. He, as well as the regiments of the Life Guards Grenadier and Pavlovsky, were granted in 1831 for honors in the Polish campaign of the rights of the Old Guard. At the same time, the grenadier regiments of St. Petersburg of King Friedrich Wilhelm III and the Austrian Emperor of Kexholm were ordered to be attached to the Guards Corps.
In 1827, the Crimean Tatar Life Guards squadron and the Caucasian Gorsky Life Guards squadron were formed.
In 1831 His Majesty's Life Guards Cuirassier Regiment was united with the Podolsk Cuirassier's Life Guards under the general name His Majesty's Life Guards Cuirassiers and with the rights of the Old Guard. At the same time, rights were granted: the old guard - the Life Guards regiments of the Horse-Jaeger and Grodno Hussars, and the young guard - the Ataman Cossack. The Life Guards Dragoon Regiment was renamed into the Life Guards Horse Grenadier Regiment, and the Life Guards Horse Ranger Regiment was renamed into the Life Guards Dragoon Regiment.
In 1830, the Life Guards Don Cavalry Artillery Company was formed, and in 1833 all artillery companies were renamed batteries. In the same 1833, the guard was divided into two corps: the guards infantry (from infantry and foot artillery) and the guards reserve cavalry (from cavalry and horse artillery).
During the reign of Nicholas I, the Guards participated in the Turkish and Polish wars.
Under Alexander II
Under Emperor Alexander II in 1856, rifle companies were formed in all the guards infantry regiments, one per battalion, and at the same time, the first and second rifle battalions were formed again. The first of them in 1858 was named the Life Guards 1st Infantry Battalion of His Majesty.
In 1856, the Imperial Family Life Guards Rifle Battalion, formed during the Eastern War of 1853-1856 from appanage peasants, was added to the Guard (as the Young Guard). These battalions in 1870 were combined with the Life Guards Finnish Rifle Battalion into one Guards Rifle Brigade.
The Guards Invalid Brigade was disbanded in 1859. From the Life Guards of the Garrison Battalion in 1873, a personnel battalion of the Life Guards of the Reserve Infantry Regiment was formed.
In 1856, Her Majesty's Life Guards Cuirassier Regiment was granted the rights of the Young Guard; for His Majesty's Own Convoy, 3 Cossack Life Guards squadrons were formed (1 - in service, 2 - on privilege), and the Crimean Tatar Life Guards squadron was disbanded.
Under Emperor Alexander II, the Guards took part in the campaign to suppress the Polish rebellion in 1863 and in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. At the end of this war on April 17, 1878, the Life Guards Ataman Regiment of the Heir to the Tsarevich was granted the rights of the Old Guard, and in 1884 the same rights were given to Her Majesty's Life Guards Cuirassier Regiment and the Life Guards 4th Infantry Imperial Family Battalion.
From 1864 to 1874, the guards did not constitute corps or corps, in 1874 the guards corps was restored.
Guards detachment of His Majesty's honorary convoy (1877-1878) Formed on May 11, 1877 to guard the Headquarters during the stay of Alexander II in the army during the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. After his departure from the army in December 1877, the detachment was attached to the commander-in-chief of the Army in the field. The detachment consisted of two companies of infantry, a half-squadron of cavalry, half a company of sappers and foot artillerymen from the guards and the army units sponsored by the emperor. The detachment was commanded by the aide-de-camp P. S. Ozerov, K. A. Runov, P. P. von Enden. The detachment was disbanded on November 29, 1878.
Russian Imperial Guard by 1917
1st Guards Infantry Division
- 1st Guards Infantry Brigade,
- life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment
- life Guards Semyonovsky Regiment
- 2nd Guards Infantry Brigade, location - St. Petersburg. (02.1913 g.)
- life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment
- life Guards Jaeger Regiment
2nd Guards Infantry Division
- 3rd Guards Infantry Brigade, location - St. Petersburg. (02.1913 g.)
- life Guards Moscow Regiment
- life Guards Grenadier Regiment
- 4th Guards Infantry Brigade, location - St. Petersburg. (02.1913 g.)
- life Guards His Majesty's Pavlovsk Regiment
- life Guards Finland Regiment
3rd Guards Infantry Division
- 5th Guards Infantry Brigade,
- life Guards Lithuanian Regiment
- life Guards Kexholm Emperor's Austrian Regiment
- 6th Guards Infantry Brigade, deployment - Warsaw (02.1913)
- life Guards St. Petersburg King Friedrich Wilhelm III Regiment
- his Majesty's Life Guards Volynsky Regiment
- Guards Rifle Brigade, 02/17/1915 - the brigade is deployed into a division
- his Majesty's Life Guards 1st Infantry Regiment
- life Guards 2nd Infantry Tsarskoye Selo Regiment
- his Majesty's Life Guards 3rd Infantry Regiment
- life Guards 4th Rifle Imperial Family Regiment
1st Guards Cavalry Division
- 1st Guards Cavalry Brigade,
- Her Majesty's Cavalry Regiment of the Empress-Empress Maria Feodorovna
- life Guards Horse Regiment
- 2nd Guards Cavalry Brigade, brigade headquarters - SPB. (02.1913 g.)
- his Majesty's Life Guards Cuirassier Regiment
- life Guards Cuirassier Her Majesty Sovereign Empress Maria Feodorovna regiment
- 3rd Guards Cavalry Brigade, brigade headquarters - SPB. (02.1913 g.)
- life Guards Cossack Regiment of His Majesty
- life Guards Ataman His Imperial Highness Heir-Tsarevich Regiment
- life Guards Consolidated Cossack Regiment of His Majesty
- 1st Division of the Life Guards Horse Artillery
- 1st His Majesty Battery
- 4th His Imperial Highness the Heir-Crown Prince Battery
- 6th Don battery of His Majesty
2nd Guards Cavalry Division
- 4th Guards Cavalry Brigade
- life Guards Horse Grenadier Tsarevich Alexei Regiment
- life Guards Ulansky Her Majesty Sovereign Empress Alexandra Feodorovna regiment
- 5th Guards Cavalry Brigade
- life Guards Dragoon Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna Regiment
- his Majesty's Life Guards Hussar Regiment
- 2nd Division of the Life Guards Horse Artillery
- 2nd General Feldzheichmeister of the Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich Battery
- 5th His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich Battery
Separate Guards Cavalry Brigade
- life Guards Ulansky His Majesty Regiment
- life Guards Grodno Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich Hussar Regiment
- 3rd His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Georgy Mikhailovich Battery Life Guards Horse Artillery
guards Mortar Artillery Division
life Guards Sapper Battalion
Guards naval crew
Guards Corps Aviation Detachment Russian Imperial Air Force.
1st military road detachment of the guard troops
Guards railway regiment
In the guard, recruits-soldiers were selected in appearance: in the Preobrazhensky regiment - the tallest and fair-haired, in the Semenovsky - blondes, in the Izmailovsky - brunettes, in the life-huntsman - light addition with any hair color. Life Guards Moscow regiment - red, Grenadier - brunettes, Pavlovsky - red and snub-nosed, Finnish - as huntsmen.
The Cavalry Regiment - the tallest blondes, chestnut horses, the Life Guards equestrian - brunettes and black horses, His Majesty's Cuirassier - red on red horses, Her Majesty's Cuirassier - blondes on Karak (dark chestnut) horses.
Russian guard in the White movement
In 1918, along with the disbandment of the Russian Imperial Army, the guards units were also abolished. However, almost all of them were restored during the Civil War and took part in the struggle against the Bolsheviks as part of the White armies. At the end of the Civil War in exile, the Guards Association and the associations of the regiments of the Russian Imperial Guard were created, which became part of the Russian General Military Union ..
Guard of modern Russia
Today, the Russian Armed Forces include:
- guards tank Kantemirovskaya division
- guards motorized rifle Taman division
- guards Motorized Rifle Carpathian-Berlin Division
- guards Separate Motorized Rifle Sevastopol Brigade
- line connections of airborne forces
- guards units and ships of the Navy
- guards units of the SV and Air Force (in particular, the 159th Guards Novorossiysk Red Banner Order of Suvorov III degree Fighter Aviation Regiment)
The word "guard" comes from the old Germanic or Scandinavian word Warda or Garda - to guard, to protect.
From the most ancient times, kings and generals had with them detachments of bodyguards, whose duties included exclusively the protection of the sovereign.
The bodyguards gradually began to unite into special units, formations, and later into elite troops. 
On September 18, 1941, the headquarters of the Supreme High Command of the Red Army introduced the concept of a "guards unit".
This decision was made a few days after the successful liquidation of the so-called Elninsky ledge by Soviet troops during the Second World War.
The Elninsky operation is an army offensive operation of the Red Army, which was the first actual defeat of the Wehrmacht during the war. It began on August 30, 1941 with the offensive of two armies (24th and 43rd) of the Soviet Reserve Front (commanded by General of the Army G.K. Zhukov), and ended on September 6 with the liberation of the city of Yelnya and the elimination of the Yelninsky ledge. According to Soviet historiography, it is part of the Smolensk battle. 
On September 18, 1941, by decision of the Supreme Command Headquarters, by order of the USSR People's Commissar of Defense of September 18, 1941, No. 308, four Soviet rifle divisions - the 100th, 127th, 153rd and 161st - “for military deeds, for organization, discipline and approximate order "were given the honorary names" guards ", and they were renamed and transformed into 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th guards, respectively. 
On June 19, 1942, the Guards Naval Flag was established, and on July 31, 1942, the Regulations on the USSR Fleet Guard were put into effect.
Later, in the course of the war, many battle-hardened units and formations of the Red Army were transformed into guards. There were guards regiments, divisions, corps and armies. 
The military ranks of servicemen serving in guards units and formations have the prefix "guard" - for example, "guard cadet", "guard major-engineer", "guard colonel-general". During the war years in the Navy, the words "guard" (for aviation and coastal defense) were added to the military ranks of servicemen serving in the guards units - for example, "guard captain", as well as "guards crew" (for sailing personnel) - for example, " captain of the first rank of the guards crew. 
By the end of the war, the Soviet guard included 11 armies and 6 tank armies; 40 rifle, 7 cavalry, 12 tank, 9 mechanized and 14 air corps; 215 divisions; 18 warships and a large number of units of various branches of the Armed Forces and combat arms. 
In peacetime, the transformation of formations, formations, units and ships into guards was not carried out. However, in order to preserve military traditions, the guards names belonging to units, ships, formations and formations, during their disbandment, could be transferred to other formations, formations, units and ships.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the guards units, formations and formations were preserved in such post-Soviet countries as Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. 