Guard guardsmen. Birthday of the Soviet Guard

The history of the first guards units in the Russian army dates back to the existence of the imperial system. It is reliably known that the first such units were two and Preobrazhensky, which were founded during the reign of Peter I. Even then, these regiments showed considerable endurance and heroism in battle. Such units existed until Bolshevism came to power in Russia. Then there was an active struggle against the remnants of the tsarist regime, and the guards units were disbanded, and the concept itself was forgotten. However, during the Great Patriotic War, the issue of encouraging distinguished soldiers became acute, since many soldiers or entire units fought bravely even against superior enemy forces. It was during this difficult time that the “USSR Guard” badge was established.

Establishment of the Guards rank

In 1941, the Red Army suffered a series of defeats from the Wehrmacht and retreated. The decision to revive the former tradition of the Soviet government arose during one of the most difficult defense battles - the Battle of Smolensk. In this battle, four divisions especially distinguished themselves: the 100th, 127th, 153rd and 161st. And already in September 1941, by order of the Supreme High Command, they were renamed into the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Guards Divisions and assigned the corresponding rank. At the same time, all personnel were awarded the “Guard” badge, and also received special salaries: for privates - double, for officers - one and a half. Later, this sign also began to decorate the banners of distinguished units (since 1943).

During the war years, many units that showed courage and heroism in battles with the invaders were awarded the guards rank. But the story of elite formations in the Red Army does not end there. Awards of the Guards rank were also carried out during other armed conflicts. They continued until the collapse of the USSR. The "Guard" badge was awarded to any recruit who joined the unit, but only after he had undergone baptism of fire, and in such areas as the aviation or navy, these requirements were even more stringent. Moreover, in this regard, there was no difference between officers and ordinary soldiers.

Badge "Guard": description

There are several varieties of this award: WWII, post-war, and modern badges. Each of them has its own differences, since the design and Yes, and they were produced at different factories, changed over time. A sample from 1942 will be described below.

So, this honorary award is a sign made in the form of a laurel wreath, covered with gold enamel. The upper part is covered with a fluttering color on which "Guard" is written in gold letters. The entire space inside the wreath is covered with white enamel. In the center stands the Soviet army in red with gold trim. The left rays of the star are crossed by the flagpole, which is intertwined with a ribbon. Two cords extend from it, which hang onto the left branch of the wreath. At the bottom there is a cartouche on which the inscription “USSR” is engraved.

When assigning any part of the Guards rank, the emblem depicting the award was also applied to military equipment - tanks or aircraft.

The dimensions of the sign are 46 x 34 mm. It was made of tombak - an alloy of brass, copper and zinc. Its properties prevented the award from rusting. A special pin and nut were included for fastening to clothing. The award was worn on the right side of the clothing at chest level.

The project was developed by S.I. Dmitriev. One of the design options was an almost similar sign, but Lenin’s profile was placed on the banner. However, Stalin did not like the idea, and he ordered to replace the profile with the inscription “Guard”. This is how the award received its final form.

Privileges and features

Those who had the sign “USSR Guard” were entitled to special privileges. The award remained with the person who received it even if he left the guards service. The same applied to the transfer of a soldier to another unit. The award was also worn in the post-war period. In 1951, the government of the USSR issued a law that decided to temporarily stop awarding the “Guard” badge, doing this only in exceptional cases. This order was observed until 1961, when the Minister of Defense R. Ya. Malinovsky approved an order according to which the right to wear the badge came into force when serving in a guards unit. It did not apply to WWII participants.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the presentation. It was carried out solemnly, with the entire unit in general formation, with banners unfurled. In addition to the award itself, the fighter was also given a document containing relevant information about the award and confirming it. But over time, the presentation itself turned into a routine and lost its “ritual” meaning.

Modernity

Now, when the glory of past events is fading, it can be purchased from various private dealers. Since one of the most popular awards is the “Guard” badge, its price is usually low. This depends on several factors: the time and method of manufacture, the history of the award, and who is selling it. The cost starts at an average of 2000 rubles.

Bottom line

The “Guard” badge testified to the heroism, military training and valor of the person wearing it. During the existence of the USSR, units awarded the title of guards were considered elite, and soldiers who served in such units were treated with great respect.

Alexey Zakvasin, Svyatoslav Petrov

On September 2, Russia celebrates Guard Day. 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 given to elite military formations that distinguished themselves on the battlefield. The Guard of Imperial Russia was 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 historical continuity and the connection of generations.

• Military personnel of the Presidential Regiment during the mounting of the mounted guard
• RIA News
• Kirill Kallinikov

Guard Day was established by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2000. Since then, on September 2, the professional holiday has been celebrated by military personnel of the guards units of the Russian army. The presidential decree on celebrating Guard Day was signed with the aim of increasing the prestige of military service.

Particularly close

Guardia is a word of Italian origin that translates as “guard” or “defense.” Historians believe that the guard consisted of warriors close to the royal person. In ancient times, the duties of the guards included protecting the top officials of the state and performing special combat missions.

For example, in Ancient Persia the guard was the “immortals,” whose number was about 10 thousand people. In ancient Rome, the guard was considered a cohort 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 privileged strata of society. As a rule, this was cavalry - a mobile strike force that was used to carry out unexpected attacks and breakthroughs behind enemy lines.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the Life Guards - the military group closest to the monarch. The Life Guards guarded the ruler and participated in ceremonies, parades, ceremonial appearances and processions. In modern Russia, part of the functions of the Life Guards is assigned to the Presidential Regiment.

Military caste

The Russian Guard originates from the amusing troops of Peter I - the Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments, united in 1693 into the 3rd Moscow elective regiment. On September 2, 1700, both regiments began to be called Life Guards - this date became the day the Russian Guard appeared.

The first Russian guardsman is considered to be Sergei Leontyevich Bukhvostov, who, faster than other soldiers, enlisted in the ranks of the amusing regiments in 1683.

The Russian Guard experienced its baptism of fire in the battle against the Swedes near Narva in November 1700, literally two months after its founding. Despite the fact that the battle was lost by the Russian army, two guards regiments showed extraordinary courage in holding back the enemy onslaught, covering the retreat of the rest of the army.

• "Poltava Victory"
• RIA News

For this feat, Peter I granted the chief officers of both regiments who fought “knee-deep in blood” 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 increased pay for the guards.

According to the Table of Ranks, established in 1722, officers of the guards regiments received seniority of two ranks compared to the army.

The guards were mainly recruited from nobles. Only after heavy losses in battles was it possible to recruit regular recruits or transfer from other parts of the armed forces.

Under Peter I, selection for the guard was made personally by the sovereign, guided by the criteria of education and military professionalism of those wishing to enter the guard service. Nobles entering the service had to begin their careers with the rank of private.

Guardsmen were de facto a caste in Russian society. For example, the marriages of guardsmen were strictly controlled: marriage to the daughters of merchants, bankers or stockbrokers 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 high birth of the candidates came first. Children of nobles 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 guard of the mid-18th century there were a huge number of 20-22 year old colonels, while officers who started even as privates did not receive promotion. By the 19th century, guards regiments could have up to 75% of the officers listed on paper.

Commander School

Another feature of recruitment into the guard was a kind of “exterior” tradition. So, they tried to recruit tall young men of strong build into the guard.

• Ordinary regiments of the Life Guards Preobrazhensky and Moscow, 1862
• Pirate K.K.

Fair-haired people were enrolled in the Preobrazhensky Regiment, blondes in the Semenovsky Regiment, brunettes in the Izmailovsky and Grenadier Regiments, red-haired people in the Moscow Regiment, and red-haired and snub-nosed people in the Pavlovsky Regiment. Young men of thin build with any hair color served in the Jaeger units of the Life Guards.

Proximity to the throne, privileged position and aristocratic composition led to the fact that in the history of palace coups of the 18th century, the Russian Imperial Guard played one of the key roles. The noble guards became the subject of political relations.

With the direct participation of guards officers, Catherine I, Anna Ioannovna, Anna Leopoldovna, Elizaveta Petrovna and Catherine II came to power. Almost all the Decembrists served in the Life Guards. In essence, 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 generally lead a fairly active social life. The guards even had a saying: “His Majesty’s cuirassiers are not afraid of wines in quantity.”

However, the guards were strong not only in matters of drinking and courting ladies. Despite the problems of recruitment, the guard fulfilled its military duty during periods of war. In addition, the guards formations were a forge for the leadership 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 their sovereign, and especially distinguished themselves in the War of 1812. The regiments of the Petrovsky brigade (Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky) were awarded the St. George banners for courage and steadfastness in the battle of Kulm (August 1813).

For heroism in the same battle, the Izmailovsky and Jaeger Guards regiments were awarded the Trumpets of St. George. The Lithuanian Life Guards Regiment received the same award for the Battle of Leipzig (October 1813). For saving Emperor Alexander I from captivity during the Battle of Leipzig, silver trumpets were awarded to the Life Guards Cossack Regiment and His Majesty's Own Convoy.

Guards units took part in the Russian-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 assigning guards ranks.

Reborn in battle

The guard received its rebirth during the Great Patriotic War. The title of Guards was given to units of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA) that distinguished themselves in battles with the Nazi occupiers. The return of 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, the Red Army 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 surface combat ships, 16 submarines, and a number of other units and units of various branches of the military became guards.

After the Great Patriotic War, the guard banner and breastplate were approved, which were evidence of the courage and valor of the unit, which was awarded the honorary title of guards. The presentation of the banner and badge 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 conversion of units into guards did not occur, in order to continue military traditions, when a unit was reorganized or a new one was created, the rank of guards was retained. 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.

Keeping traditions

The modern guard, like the Soviet one after 1945, exists in peacetime. The Guards rank symbolizes loyalty to the traditions of military glory.

In 2009, the 20th Guards Motorized Rifle Sub-Carpathian-Berlin Red Banner Order of Suvorov Division and the 5th Separate Guards Tank Tatsin Red Banner Order of Suvorov Brigade were formed.

In 2013, the 2nd Guards Motorized Rifle Taman Order of the October Revolution Red Banner Order of Suvorov Division 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, the Guards include four tank and seven motorized rifle divisions, all airborne formations, one division of missile boats, a number of units of the Ground Forces, air force units, ships and naval units, as well as missile divisions of the Strategic Missile Forces.

• Military personnel at the solemn ceremony of taking the military oath of the Guards Air Assault Brigade of the Airborne Forces in Ussuriysk
• RIA News

But historical continuity does not mean that the guards units stopped performing feats. The most striking 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 Guard Lieutenant Colonel Mark Evtyukhin was surrounded by militants. Pskov paratroopers held the defense against many times superior enemy forces.

After the death of Evtyukhin, Captain Viktor Romanov took command of the unit. Seeing the inevitable breakthrough of the militants from the Argun Gorge, the officer decided to call fire on himself. Of the 99 soldiers, 84 died. 22 paratroopers of the 6th company were awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation.

In a conversation with RT, a member of the scientific-historical council of the Russian Military Historical Society (RVIO), Oleg Rzheshevsky, 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 by awarding guards ranks to units and ships. This inspires the younger generation of military personnel to serve in honor of their heroic predecessors. However, I do not rule out that army units will become guards for their feats in battles that are still going on today,” Rzheshevsky said.

Russian Guard. History of the formation and traditions of the Russian Guard

The Russian Guard is the color and pride of the Russian Armed Forces, the personification of indestructible military power, mass heroism and military valor. Its military traditions serve soldiers as an example of loyalty to military duty and the Fatherland.

History and traditions of the Imperial Guard

“Guard” translated from Italian means security, guards, selected privileged part of the troops. It arose with the emergence of slave states, when special guards (bodyguards) appeared under monarchs and military leaders. For example, in Ancient Greece it was called a “sacred detachment”, in Ancient Persia it was a 10,000-strong corps of “immortals”, in the army of Alexander the Great it was a 6,000-strong corps, which included heavy infantry (gyraspists) and heavy cavalry (hetaerae). In ancient Rome, Gaius Marius had a cohort of praetorians.

In the Middle Ages, special detachments of selected warriors existed in many armies. The commanders of Byzantium, Charlemagne, Genghis Khan and others had them.

The term "guard" first appeared in the 12th century in Lombardy (Italy). Initially, it designated a selected military detachment guarding the state banner. With the creation of standing armies, the guard was divided into palace (to protect the monarch) and military (elite units of the army). It existed in almost all European countries - France, Italy, Prussia, England and others.

The Russian Guard (Russian Imperial Life Guard) existed from 1721 to March 1917. It was created by Peter I in 1696-1700 on the basis of the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky “amusing” regiments. The Russian Guard received its baptism of fire in the Battle of Narva in 1700, where it saved the Russian army from complete destruction. For this feat, the officers of the regiments were awarded a badge with the inscription “1700 November 19.” Peter I ordered the guards to wear red stockings instead of green ones as a sign that they fought knee-deep in blood.

In the 18th century, the Russian Guard participated in all wars of the Russian Empire. The Guards regiments trained officers for the entire army and were staffed almost exclusively by nobles, for whom military service was mandatory. From the mid-30s of the 18th century, the rank and file of the guard began to be replenished with recruits from the tax-paying classes, and after the release of the manifesto on freedom for the nobility in 1762, this method became the main one. The social composition of the guard provided it with great political influence. The support of the guard predetermined the success of all palace coups of that time. As an elite part of the Russian army, the guard enjoyed great privileges. For example, according to the Table of Ranks of 1722, guard officers had seniority over army officers of two ranks. With the formation of the Young Guard in 1813, its officers received seniority of one rank. This order existed until the end of the 19th century, when Alexander III curtailed the privileges of the guard.

In the 19th century, the guard participated in full force in all the wars that Russia waged with Napoleon. She especially distinguished herself in the battles of Austerlitz (1805) and Borodino (1812), in the battles of Kulm (1813) and Gorny Dubnyak (1877).

At the beginning of the 20th century, individual units of the guard took part in the Chinese Campaign (1900) and the Russian-Japanese War (1904 -1905). During the First World War (1914 - 1918), the Guard troops successfully operated in the Battle of Galicia, Warsaw-Ivangorod, and certain operations in Lodz. In the summer of 1916, as part of the Special Army, the guard took part in the Brusilov breakthrough.

During the First World War, significant changes occurred in the organization of the Guard. Due to serious losses in personnel, representatives of the peasantry and working class began to be called upon to replenish it. The soldier masses of the guard bore the hardships of war along with the entire Russian army and ceased to be a stronghold of tsarism. This seriously affected the political mood among the guards. As a result, after the victory of the February Revolution of 1917 and the abdication of the tsar, the guard did not even make an attempt to intervene in the course of events. The Provisional Government retained it, abolishing the prefix “lab” and the name “Imperial”. After the conclusion of the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty in 1918 and the demobilization of the old tsarist army, the guard was disbanded.

During the revolution of 1917, the Red Guard appeared in many large cities of Russia. It was staffed by voluntary workers on a territorial basis (by factories) and was the main force of the Land of Soviets. On the basis of the Red Guard detachments, at the beginning of 1918, the first units and formations of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army were formed, many of whose fighters and commanders later became; prominent Soviet military leaders. After the introduction of compulsory military service on July 10, 1918, the Red Guard was gradually abolished as a form of organization of the armed forces.

The military uniform of the guards has always been a symbol of honor, dignity, discipline, and the expression “uniform honor” was identical to the concept of “honor earned on the battlefield.” After all, they, the guardsmen, were the only ones in the Russian army who were granted not only red stockings, but also white piping. It was considered the property of sailors and reminded the guards infantry of their valiant participation in the naval battles of Peter I. In memory of the Narva Victoria of 1704, officers of the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments wore special plaques.

It should be noted that when new types of weapons were introduced into the army, they first entered the guard. So, during the Russian-Turkish war of 1877 -1878. The guards regiments were already armed with the improved Berdan rifle No. 2, while the army units were armed with older rifles.

The guards sacredly cherished the honor of their regiment and its ancient traditions. The name of the regiment appeared on the battle banner and was a source of special pride for all personnel. The assignment of a name to a regiment in memory of military merits was considered an outstanding event. The first duty of every guardsman was to protect the military banner of the regiment. These and other glorious traditions of the Russian Guard were continued by the Soviet Guard.

History and traditions of the Soviet and Russian Guards

The Soviet Guard was not born in a thunder of fireworks and honors. The first guards formations arose during the Battle of Smolensk in 1941 - at a time of mortal danger for the Fatherland, at the most difficult, most difficult stage of the Great Patriotic War, when our army, in unfavorable conditions for itself, stubbornly, at the cost of incredible efforts and great sacrifices, held back a sudden, treacherous, a gradually prepared enemy invasion. There, near Yelnya, as a result of a counterattack by the Western and Reserve Fronts, a large enemy group was defeated for the first time, and the city was liberated.

On September 18, 1941, the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR issued order No. 308, which noted the special military valor of the 100th, 127th, 153rd and 161st rifle divisions, which showed mass heroism, examples of courage, bravery in the battles for the Motherland, discipline, organization, high military skill of the personnel. By this order, the formations that distinguished themselves, commanded respectively by Major General I.N. Russiyanov, Colonels A.Z. Akimenko, N.A. Gagen, P.F. Moskvitin, were renamed the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Guards Rifle Divisions. At the same time, by decision of the Supreme Command Headquarters, the formation of guards mortar units began.

One of the first in the Red Army on November 18, 1941, the legendary 316th Rifle Division under the command of Major General Ivan Vasilyevich Panfilov received the title of 8th Guards, which courageously fought against the Nazi invaders on the outskirts of Moscow in the Volokolamsk direction. 28 Panfilov heroes accomplished an unprecedented feat at the Dubosekovo crossing, stopping the advance of 50 enemy tanks. And the words of political instructor V.G. Klochkova: “Russia is great, but there is nowhere to retreat - Moscow is behind us!” have become synonymous with courage, heroism and resilience.

The Soviet Guard irresistibly grew stronger and matured in all branches of the Armed Forces and branches of the military. The name “Guards” was given to units, ships, formations and associations that distinguished themselves in the battles of the Great Patriotic War, as well as those newly formed in special states. During the four years of the Great Patriotic War, 11 combined arms and 6 tank armies, dozens of rifle, cavalry, tank, mechanized, aviation corps, divisions and individual units, and 18 warships were awarded the honorary title of “Guards”.

The Guard of the Great Patriotic War is a galaxy of heroes whose names will never fade. Among them is Yuri Vasilyevich Smirnov, a junior commander of the Red Army, who performed a heroic feat as part of the 77th Guards Rifle Regiment of the 26th Guards Rifle Division, and is forever included in his lists. On the night of June 24, 1944, while part of a tank landing force breaking through enemy defenses in the Orsha direction in the battle for the village of Shalashino, he was captured by the enemy, seriously wounded. During interrogation, despite cruel torture, the courageous warrior did not reveal military secrets to the enemy. The embittered Nazis crucified him on the wall of the dugout, and stabbed his body with bayonets. For his courage, loyalty to soldier's duty, military oath and heroism, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

The guardsmen were full holders of the Order of Glory, Heroes of the Soviet Union, Guard Senior Lieutenant Ivan Grigoryevich Drachenko and Guard Sergeant Major Pavel Khristoforovich Dubinda. I.G. Drachenko, a talented air attack fighter, named Air Admiral Nelson after the loss of one eye, fought as part of the 140th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment of the 8th Guards Assault Aviation Division. P.H. Dubinda fought after escaping from captivity, first as a squad commander, then as a platoon commander of the 293rd Guards Rifle Regiment of the 96th Guards Rifle Division on the 1st and 3rd Belorussian Fronts.

All of them revived and increased the best military traditions of the Russian Guard. In the military exploits of their ancestors, our guards set high examples of perseverance and fearlessness, loyalty to their people. For successful actions, many guards units (ships), formations, associations were repeatedly noted in the orders of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, were awarded state awards, and were given honorary titles for the capture of cities and crossing of rivers.

In May 1942, the “Guard” badge was established for military personnel of the Guards units. In the Navy, until 1943, it was a rectangular plate (gold-plated for commanding officers and silver-plated for privates) with an orange moire ribbon with black longitudinal stripes. Sailors and foremen of guard ships wore a moire ribbon on their caps. For all military personnel of guards units, ships and formations, distinctive military ranks were established, which were formed by adding the word “guard” before the corresponding military rank; they were given an increased salary.

On June 11, 1943, a model of the Guards Red Banner was established, which became the unit’s combat insignia. The Regulations on the Guards Red Banners stated: “The Guards Red Banner obliges all personnel of the Guards armies and corps to be a model for all other units and formations of the Red Army.” The ceremony for presenting the Guards Banners included a new tradition - the oath of personnel to the Guards Banner. Without knowing fear, the guards fought heroically under their banners.

The creation of the Soviet Guard became one of the important events in the field of military development. It played a huge role in strengthening the combat capability of the army and navy. Guards regiments, ships, divisions, corps and armies inflicted crushing blows on the enemy, serving as an example of selfless devotion to the Motherland, unshakable will to win, perseverance and perseverance. The Soviet Guard was sent to the most difficult sectors of the front and carried out combat missions with honor everywhere. No wonder they said during the war: “Where the guard advances, the enemy cannot resist. Where the guard is defending, the enemy cannot penetrate.”

People of high duty - such were the front-line guards. Those who are entrusted to serve in the guard today strive to be like this. With their military labor, they continue the glorious traditions of previous generations of guardsmen and make a worthy contribution to strengthening the power of the Russian Armed Forces.

In peacetime, military units and formations are not converted into guards units. In order to preserve military traditions, the guards ranks of units, ships, formations and formations during reorganization are transferred to new military units with direct succession in personnel.

Thus, in October 1986, the Order-Bearing Guards Motorized Rifle Regiment, in which Hero of the Soviet Union Senior Lieutenant N.M. served as a company commander, returned to his homeland, having exemplarily fulfilled his international duty in Afghanistan. Akramov. During the Great Patriotic War, soldiers of the regiment as part of the famous 13th Guards Rifle Division, commanded by General A.I. Rodimtsev fought to the death in Stalingrad, participated in the Battle of Kursk, the crossing of the Dnieper, distinguished themselves during the liberation of the Polish city of Czestochowa and celebrated Victory Day in Prague.

The children and grandchildren of front-line soldiers had the opportunity to provide international assistance to the Afghan people. The military work of the young guards was not easy. During their stay in the Republic of Afghanistan, soldiers of the regiment, guarding columns transporting fuel and food to cities and villages, removed and destroyed more than two thousand Dushman mines and landmines. Many soldiers, sergeants and officers of the unit were awarded Soviet and Afghan orders and medals.

The guardsmen showed examples of courage and heroism while performing their international duty in Afghanistan. At a critical moment, they consciously sacrificed themselves to save the subordinates entrusted to them. So, saving the lives of the company soldiers, guard senior sergeant Alexander Grigorievich Mironenko and two of his subordinates entered into battle with the dushmans. The moment came when the cartridges ran out. Twice wounded, Alexander lay with a grenade in his hand behind a stone. He waited for the dushmans to come closer. With the last grenade he blew himself up and his enemies. For this feat, accomplished on February 29, 1980, the deputy platoon commander of the reconnaissance company of the Guards Parachute Regiment A.G. Mironenko was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. He is forever included in the lists of the guards military unit.

Will we ever forget about the feat of our contemporaries - the 6th company of the 104th Guards Parachute Regiment near Ulus-Kert? It is inscribed with a golden line in the modern history of the Russian Armed Forces, in the centuries-old chronicle of its guards.

In the battles for the freedom and independence of the Motherland, guards combat traditions have developed, which for decades have been helping commanders raise courageous and skillful fighters, and the Guard of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is the successor and continuer of the combat traditions of their predecessors.

Guards units and ships are genuine laboratories of combat experience: creative daring, a tireless search for new combat techniques, and the effective use of weapons - this is what always distinguishes the guardsmen. Serving under the banners of the Russian Guard is both a high honor and a great responsibility.

The traditions of the Russian Guard, its unfading glory are the inheritance and heritage of every soldier, all our units and ships. To serve in the Guards today means to have the highest combat qualifications and to masterfully use equipment and weapons. The covenant of the front-line guardsmen - to keep their gunpowder dry, to be ready to go into battle at any moment and heroically fight for the freedom and independence of the Fatherland - should be the main one for the current defenders of the Fatherland.

When preparing for the lesson, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the materials on this topic that were published on the pages of the “Landmark” in past years, and prepare a selection of literature. The lesson will be much more interesting if it is held in a museum or military glory room of the unit, and veteran guardsmen are invited to speak.

In the opening speech, it is necessary to emphasize the important role of the guard throughout the military history of Russia, the significance of its contribution to the country’s defense capability.

When considering issues, it is necessary to dwell in detail on the main stages of the development and formation of the Russian Guard, its military traditions from the times of Peter the Great to the present day.

The presentation of the material will be richer and more complete by displaying the distinctive “Guard” badges for military personnel of the Ground Forces and
Navy, photographs with samples of military uniforms of guards units, showing fragments of feature films and documentaries telling about the courage and heroism of the guardsmen who multiplied the military traditions of the Russian Guard.

1. Military encyclopedia. In 8 volumes. T. 2. M., 1994. - P. 366 - 368.

2. Vasiliev N. Born in battle. M., 1966.

3. Kuzmichev A. Soviet Guard. M., 1969.

4. Sinkelev A., Samosvat D. History of the formation of the Russian Guard // Landmark. - 2008 - No. 5.

Lieutenant colonel
Dmitry SAMOSVAT
Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences Lieutenant Colonel
Alexey KURSHEV

Guard

The Guard was the name given to selected, privileged military units formed by Peter I from the “amusing troops,” initially from the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments. Officially, these regiments received the title of Guards (more precisely, Life Guards) in 1700. The Guards soldiers were distinguished by their strength and height. Sobakevich, praising his deceased serf Stepan Probka to Chichikov, says: “If he had served in the guard, God knows what they would have given him.” Cork’s height, if, of course, you believe Sobakevich, was 3 arshins, 1 vershok, that is, 217 centimeters.
LIFE - GUARDS, that is, literally “personal security”, initially consisted of the person of the emperor, then this function disappeared and the particle “Life” lost its meaning, although until 1917 the vast majority of guards units were officially called LIFE - GUARDS - a tribute to tradition . Thus, there was no special life guard, different from the guard, in Russia.
Serving as an officer in the guard was considered especially honorable, but required considerable additional expenses of a prestigious nature - for the purchase of expensive ammunition, horses, etc. Therefore, only people from wealthy noble families served as officers in the guard. Since the beginning of the 19th century, the guards officer rank (excluding colonels and generals) was two classes higher in importance than the army: for example, a guards lieutenant was equal to an army captain. Since 1884, the difference has been one rank.
Considering themselves the military elite, Guard officers treated their army colleagues with arrogance. It is not for nothing that Grushnitsky in “Princess Mary” speaks of them with offense: “This proud woman looks at us, army men, as if we were wild.”
Special chic was required from guards officers both on duty and off duty. In the first part of Anna Karenina, Tolstoy describes the wild life of the guard officer Count Vronsky, typical of a young aristocrat.
At all military and court ceremonies, the guard took first place, and the emperor himself was formally considered the CHEF OF THE REGIMENT, that is, the honorary commander of the oldest guards regiment - Preobrazhensky.
Raisky’s grandmother in Goncharov’s “The Precipice” dreams of seeing her grandson in a guards uniform. In “War and Peace,” Princess Drubetskaya obtained an appointment to the guard for her only son Boris: then it turns out that there is nothing to outfit him with, and she has to beg for money.
Being transferred from the guard to the army was considered a punishment. Petrusha Grinev from Pushkin’s “The Captain’s Daughter,” who was registered as a guard sergeant, is sent by his cool father to the army: “Let him serve in the army, let him pull the strap, and smell gunpowder.” Thus, Grinev finds himself in the lost Belogorsk fortress, where the one-eyed lieutenant asks him whether he has been transferred to the army “for offenses indecent to a guard officer.” The precedent is clear: Shvabrin was transferred from the Guards to a distant army garrison for murder in a duel.
In “Woe from Wit,” Chatsky ridicules the passion of Moscow noble families for the uniform, especially the Guards uniform:
When from the guard, others from the court
We came here for a while -
The women shouted: hurray!
And they threw caps into the air!
Skalozub, not noticing Chatsky’s irony, praises him for touching on “the prejudice (in this case, this word means the same as preference. - Yu.F.) of Moscow / Toward the favorites, to the guard, to the guards, to the guards; / Their gold and embroidery are astonishing as if they were the sun! “Indeed, the guards uniform, embroidered with gold, was much more beautiful than the army one. “GUARDS” began to be called the servicemen of the Life Grenadier, Life Cuirassier and Pavlovsk Regiments, who distinguished themselves in the campaign of 1812 and were assigned to the Guard in 1813, that is, the so-called YOUNG GUARDS. Unlike the old guard, the rank of the “young guard” until 1884 was one class higher than the army.
The Guard was mainly based in St. Petersburg and its environs, coming to Moscow only on special occasions. Vera (“Princess Ligovskaya” by Lermontov) says to Pechorin: “... to us, poor Muscovite women, the guards uniform is a true curiosity!..” Guards officers were desirable suitors for Moscow girls.
The young merchant Vasilkov, who arrived in Moscow, asks Telyatev (“Mad Money” by Ostrovsky) what it takes to please Lydia. “A beautiful guards uniform, and at least the rank of colonel,” he replies.
The army officers to whom Skalozub belonged had their own special habits and habits. One of them is to speak arrogantly, with an arrogant hoarseness reminiscent of the timbre of a bassoon. This feature in Skalozub’s speech is caustically ridiculed by Chatsky: “wheezer, strangled, bassoon.”

What is unclear from the classics, or Encyclopedia of Russian life of the 19th century. Yu. A. Fedosyuk. 1989.

Synonyms:

See what “Guard” is in other dictionaries:

- (Italian guardia, Middle Ages, Latin guardia, from Celtic gward, patron, guardian). 1) a selected army that enjoys certain advantages over other units of the army. 2) at Chernomorsk. fishermen have a tower from which they watch the progress of the fish.... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

GUARDS, guards, many. no, female (Italian guardia) (pre-Rev. and zagr.). Formerly a special army to protect the sovereigns. || Selected privileged troops. ❖ Red Guard (political) revolutionary workers' detachments, squads. Established in 1917, the Red... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

- (Italian guardia), 1) selected privileged part of the troops. Appeared in Italy (12th century), then in other countries. In Russia it was created by Peter I in the 90s. 17th century (life guard). 2) Units, ships, formations and associations of the Soviet Armed Forces... Modern encyclopedia

- (Italian guardia) selected privileged part of the troops. Appeared in Italy (12th century), in France (early 15th century), then in England, Sweden, Russia, Prussia (17th century) and others. In Russia, the Guard (Life Guard) was created by Peter I in the 90s. 17th century In the beginning. 20th century... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Security Dictionary of Russian synonyms. guard noun, number of synonyms: 3 agema (2) life guard... Synonym dictionary

GUARDS, and, women. 1. Selected, best troops. National Guard Colonel. 2. transfer The best, tested part of what n. team, group. Old, proven city. Young city (about the most active part of youth in public life). White... ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

- (from the ancient or Scandinavian word warda or garda to guard, protect) a detachment of bodyguards or selected army. Since ancient times, kings and generals had special guards with them, and in all armies there were selected troops who served... ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

Female, French a selected army in the vicinity of the sovereign, more smartly dressed and boasting advantages against the army. Our Life Guards constitutes an entire corps and is divided into old and young: in the first, senior officer ranks of two degrees, and in the latter... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

Guard- in the Battle of Leningrad 194144. During the Great Patriotic War, the Guards rank first appeared in July 1941, when, by decision of the Military Council in the northwestern direction and the bureau of the Leningrad City Party Committee, a number of militia divisions... ... Encyclopedic reference book "St. Petersburg"

guard- , ii, w. 1. Selected military units. * White Guard. The general name for counter-revolutionary troops during the civil war in Soviet Russia in 1918-1920. IAS, vol. 1, 302. ◘ The origin of the term is associated with the traditional symbolism of white ... Explanatory dictionary of the language of the Council of Deputies

This term has other meanings, see Guard (meanings). Guard (Italian guardia security, protection) selected privileged part of the troops, selected military units ... Wikipedia

Guard(Italian guardia guard, security) - a selected privileged part of the troops.

The guard was traditionally called a selected, privileged, better trained and equipped part of the troops. This was the core of the army, armed detachments that were directly attached to the monarch, often serving as his personal guard.

The first mention of Russian guards units is given in the historical chronicle 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 Semenovsky regiment there is information that already in 1698 it was called the Semenov Life Guards. 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 an 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.

Every nobleman who entered military service, before becoming an army officer, had to enroll as a private in one of the guards regiments and serve in this rank until the sovereign approved his candidacy for officer, on which promotion to 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 guard regiments received seniority of two ranks over the army.

To train officers for army cavalry regiments, the Kronshlot Dragoon Regiment was formed in 1721, which was ordered to consist only of nobles and be called a life regiment. This regiment, although it served as the basis for the Life Guards Cavalry, 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 Guards battalion, located in Moscow and made up of ranks of the guards regiments unfit for service, was added to the guard.

Under Anna Ioannovna

Under Anna Ioannovna, the life regiment was renamed the Life Guards Horse Regiment, and a guards infantry regiment was formed, called 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 expelled the Preobrazhensky grenadier company, which contributed to her accession to the throne, from the regiment and named it a 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, in its place a disabled team was established 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 parts of the troops that were with him in Gatchina (Gatchina troops) before his accession to the throne; A Life Guards artillery battalion, a Life Guards Jaeger battalion and regiments were also formed: the Life Guards Hussars (1796) and the Life Guards Cossacks (1798), and a Life Guards garrison battalion was formed from the lower ranks of the Guards who were incapable of field service.

Under Alexander I

Under Emperor Alexander I, the Life Guards 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 guard rights for distinguished service in the war of 1808; in 1811, the Finnish Life Guards Regiment was formed from it. In the same year, 1 battalion was separated from the Preobrazhensky Regiment to form the Lithuanian Life Guards Regiment, renamed in 1817 to 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 subordinate 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, and 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. There were commissions at the Corps Headquarters: “Guards Barracks” in 1820-1836 and “Cavalry Repair” (1843-1860). The corps was abolished in August 1864 with the introduction of the provision for military district administration (Milyutin's reform). The corps headquarters was transformed into the Headquarters of the Guard Troops and the St. Petersburg Military District.

In 1813, the Life Grenadier and Pavlovsky regiments were attached to the guard 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 previous regiments were called old guard.

In 1809, the Life Guards Dragoon Regiment and the Life Guards Uhlan 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 Ulan Regiment of His Highness the Tsarevich were formed in 1817, and in 1824 (as a young guard) - the Life Guards Grodno Hussars. In addition, the Guards Gendarmerie Half-Squadron (1815), the Guards Horse Pioneer Squadron (1819) and the Life Guards Invalid Brigade (1824) were formed.

For the distinction rendered in the war with the French, His Majesty's Life Guards Cuirassier Regiment was added to the Young Guard (1813). In 1805, the Life Guards Horse Artillery was formed, in 1811 - the Life Guards Artillery Brigade in 1816, divided into the 1st and 2nd brigades.

In 1817, a guards battery company was formed in Warsaw, which in 1821 became part of the combined guards and grenadier artillery brigade.

The Guard took part in all wars fought during the reign of Alexander I, except 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 is Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich, the chief of staff of the detachment is Major General A.K. Gerua. Disbanded in November 1826.

Under Emperor Nicholas I, in 1829, the Finnish Training Rifle Battalion was added to the Young Guard and renamed the Life Guards Finnish Rifle Battalion. He, as well as the Grenadier and Pavlovsky regiments of the Life Guards, were granted the rights of the Old Guard in 1831 for distinction in the Polish campaign. At the same time, the grenadier regiments of St. Petersburg King Frederick William III and the Kexholm regiments of the Austrian Emperor were ordered to be attached to the Guards Corps.

In 1827, the Life Guards Crimean Tatar Squadron and the Life Guards Caucasus-Mountain Squadron were formed.

In 1831, His Majesty's Life Guards Cuirassier Regiment was united with the Podolsk Cuirassier Life Guards under the general name of His Majesty's Life Guards Cuirassiers and with the rights of the Old Guard. At the same time, rights were granted: to the old guard - to the Life Guard regiments of the Horse-Jager and Grodno Hussars, and to the young guard - to the Ataman Cossack regiment. The Life Guards Dragoon Regiment was renamed the Life Guards Horse Grenadier Regiment, and the Life Guards Horse Jaeger Regiment was renamed the Life Guards Dragoon.

In 1830, the Life Guards Don Horse 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 Corps (infantry and foot artillery) and the Guards Reserve Cavalry Corps (cavalry and horse artillery).

During the reign of Nicholas I, the guard took part in the Turkish and Polish wars.

Under Alexander II

Under Emperor Alexander II in 1856, rifle companies were formed in all guards infantry regiments, one per battalion, and at the same time the Life Guards First and Second Rifle Battalions were formed again. The first of them in 1858 was named the 1st His Majesty's Life Guards Rifle Battalion.

In 1856, the Life Guards Rifle Battalion of the Imperial Family, formed during the Eastern War of 1853-1856 from appanage peasants, was added to the Guard (as the Young Guard). In 1870, these battalions were united together with the Life Guards Finnish Rifle Battalion into one Guards Rifle Brigade.

The Guards Invalid Brigade was disbanded in 1859. In 1873, from the Life Guards Garrison Battalion, a personnel battalion of the Life Guards 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 Life Guards Cossack squadrons were formed (1 - in service, 2 - on benefits), and the Life Guards Crimean Tatar squadron was disbanded.

Under Emperor Alexander II, the guard took part in the campaign to suppress the Polish revolt of 1863 and in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. At the end of this war, on April 17, 1878, the Life Guards Ataman Heir Tsarevich Regiment 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 Battalion of the Imperial Family.

From 1864 to 1874 the guard did not form corps or corps; in 1874 the guard corps was restored.

Guards detachment of His Majesty's honorary convoy (1877-1878) Formed on May 11, 1877 to guard the Main Apartment 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 Active Army. The detachment included two companies of infantry, half a squadron of cavalry, half a company of sappers and foot artillerymen from the guards and army units sponsored by the emperor. The detachment was commanded by adjutants 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 Semenovsky Regiment

• 2nd Guards Infantry Brigade, dislocation - St. Petersburg. (02.1913)
• Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment
• Life Guards Jaeger Regiment

2nd Guards Infantry Division

• 3rd Guards Infantry Brigade, dislocation - St. Petersburg. (02.1913)
• Life Guards Moscow Regiment
• Life Guards Grenadier Regiment

• 4th Guards Infantry Brigade, dislocation - St. Petersburg. (02.1913)
• His Majesty's Pavlovsky Life Guards Regiment
• Life Guards Finnish Regiment

3rd Guards Infantry Division

• 5th Guards Infantry Brigade,
• Life Guards Lithuanian Regiment
• Life Guards Kexholm Emperor of Austria Regiment

• 6th Guards Infantry Brigade, dislocation - Warsaw (02.1913)
• Life Guards St. Petersburg King Frederick William III Regiment
• His Majesty's Volyn Life Guards Regiment

• Guards Rifle Brigade, 02/17/1915 - the brigade was deployed into a division
• Life Guards 1st His Majesty's Infantry Regiment
• Life Guards 2nd Tsarskoye Selo Rifle Regiment
• Life Guards 3rd Infantry Regiment of His Majesty
• Life Guards 4th Infantry Regiment of the Imperial Family

1st Guards Cavalry Division

• 1st Guards Cavalry Brigade,
• Cavalry Regiment of Her Majesty the Empress Maria Feodorovna
• Life Guards Horse Regiment

• 2nd Guards Cavalry Brigade, brigade headquarters - St. Petersburg. (02.1913)
• His Majesty's Life Guards Cuirassier Regiment
• Life Guards Cuirassier Regiment of Her Majesty the Empress Maria Feodorovna

• 3rd Guards Cavalry Brigade, brigade headquarters - St. Petersburg. (02.1913)
• His Majesty's Life Guards Cossack Regiment
• Life Guards Ataman Regiment of His Imperial Highness the Heir-Tsarevich
• His Majesty's Life Guards Consolidated Cossack Regiment

• 1st Division of the Life Guards Horse Artillery
• His Majesty's 1st Battery
• 4th His Imperial Highness the Heir-Tsarevich Battery
• His Majesty's 6th Don Battery

2nd Guards Cavalry Division

• 4th Guards Cavalry Brigade
• Life Guards Horse Grenadier Regiment of Tsarevich Alexei
• Life Guards Ulansky Regiment of Her Majesty the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna

• 5th Guards Cavalry Brigade
• Life Guards Dragoon Regiment of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna
• His Majesty's Life Guards Hussar Regiment

• 2nd Division of the Life Guards Horse Artillery
• 2nd General Feldzeichmeister of Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolaevich Battery
• 5th His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich Battery

Separate Guards Cavalry Brigade

• His Majesty's Life Guards Uhlan Regiment
• Life Guards Grodno Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich Hussar Regiment
• 3rd His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Georgiy Mikhailovich Battery of the Life Guards Horse Artillery

Guards Mortar Artillery Battalion

Life Guards Sapper Battalion

Guards naval crew

Guards Corps Aviation Detachment Russian Imperial Air Force.

1st Military Road Detachment of Guard Troops

Guards Railway Regiment

Recruit soldiers for the guard were selected based on their appearance: in the Preobrazhensky regiment - the tallest and fair-haired, in the Semenovsky regiment - blondes, in the Izmailovsky regiment - brunettes, in the Life Rangers - light build with any hair color. The Moscow Life Guards Regiment are red-haired, the Grenadier Regiment is brunette, the Pavlovsky Regiment is red-haired and snub-nosed, the Finnish Regiment is like huntsmen.

The Cavalry Regiment - the tallest blondes, bay horses, the Life Guards Cavalry - brunettes and black horses, His Majesty's Cuirassier - red on red horses, Her Majesty's Cuirassier - blondes on karak (dark bay) 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 fight against the Bolsheviks as part of the White armies. At the end of the Civil War, the Guards Association and associations of regiments of the Russian Imperial Guard were created in exile, 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
• VDV linear connections
• guards units and ships of the Navy
• Guards units of the Ground Forces and Air Force (in particular, the 159th Guards Novorossiysk Red Banner Order of Suvorov, III degree fighter aviation regiment)