The holiday calendar of the Russian Federation tells all of us that the Day of Knowledge (September 1) is replaced by the Day of the Russian Guard. How is it, - the uninitiated reader might think, - on the basis of a presidential decree, Rosgvardia appeared as an independent combat-ready formation only this year, and it already has its own professional holiday?
In fact, we are talking about the Russian guard in the broadest sense of the word. We are talking about all representatives of the military elite, a holiday that was established by presidential decree in 2000 in order to revive and develop domestic military traditions, and to increase the prestige of military service. Then, in 2000, the holiday appeared in honor of the 300th anniversary of the Guards, the first formation of units of which took place during the reign of Peter I.
From archival documents it was established that the first mention of the guards units in Russia was used precisely in 1700 - September 2 (August 22, old style). The source of the first mention is the historical chronicle of the Russian army. It reports on the participation of guards units in military campaigns to Azov and Narva.
From archival materials:
To call the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments the Life Guard from September 2 (August 22, old style), 1700.
For more than two centuries, the guards units of the Russian Imperial Army brought glory to Russian weapons, winning victories in various wars. From battles with the Swedes during the Northern War to the battles of the First World War. However, after the Bolsheviks came to power, it was decided to abolish the very concept of "guard", since it, in the understanding of the new government, did not fit into the interpretation, as they would say now, of the image of the Red Army. Elite guards units ceased to exist.
The timelessness for the domestic guard lasted for about 23 years. In the fall of 1941, the supreme leadership had the idea to highlight the most distinguished military formations in the battles against the Nazis. The idea found its early embodiment: the 100th, 127th, 153rd and 161st rifle divisions received the honorary title of the Guards for courage and heroism shown during the battle of Yelnya. The divisions were named 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Guards and were presented with guards banners.
At the time of the liberation of Yelnya, the 100th division, along with three others that received the rank of guards, was commanded by Major General Ivan Russiyanov. In November 1942, the 1st Division was transformed into the 1st Mechanized Guards Corps. The corps under the command of the same General Russiyanov took part in the Battle of Stalingrad, the battles for Donbass, Zaporozhye, Kirovograd. The servicemen of the 1st Guards Corps ended the Great Patriotic War in Hungary and Austria.
For the guardsmen, a special day is not only September 2, but also May 21. The fact is that it was on this day in 1942 that the "Guard" badge was instituted.
On the same day, a system of guards ranks was introduced. At the end of World War II, the army had 11 combined arms and 6 tank guards armies, 40 rifle, 14 aviation, 12 tank, 9 mechanized and 7 cavalry guards corps. Divisions, brigades, ships received the guards status.
The soldiers of the guards formations also showed heroism after the Great Patriotic War - in the so-called local armed conflicts through which our country was forced to go: Afghanistan, the Chechen Republic.
Today, more than one and a half hundred units and formations of the army and navy of Russia are guards. The very concept of "guardsman" means a focus on self-improvement, courage, an example of discipline and self-organization. The Guard has long become synonymous with heroism, loyalty and military labor for the good of the Fatherland.
The early guard traditions are also being revived. So, on August 19, on the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Preobrazhensky Regiment, restored in April 2013 on the basis of a presidential decree, was presented with guards symbols - an order of the Guards banner of the 1838 model and a checker of an officer of the Life Guards regiment.
Voennoye Obozreniye congratulates the servicemen and veterans of the guards units and formations on the holiday!
