Birthday of the Soviet Guard

Elite military units, which were awarded high ranks, appeared in Rus' under Peter I Under the Tsar, in 1700, the Imperial Guard was formed from the Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments Peter I personally selected the best soldiers and officers With the advent of the “Table of Ranks” in 1722, the salaries of military personnel and the status of the guard became higher than the army regiments Over the years of the existence of elite units, the name "Guards" was given to regiments of Cossacks, hussars, artillerymen, dragoons, cuirassiers and sappers The royal power relied on their devotion and loyalty Guards troops participated in all wars waged by the Russian Empire After the October Revolution, the tsarist army, despite the support of the Bolsheviks by the Life Guards, was disbanded Its place was taken by the Red Army For more than 20 years, the word “guard” was perceived exclusively in conjunction with “imperial,” which gave it a negative meaning However, everything changed after the attack on the USSR by Nazi Germany in June 1941 In the first months of the Great Patriotic War, the Red Army soldiers showed massive heroism and unprecedented courage This served as the basis for the command to turn to the history of past centuries and military traditions forgotten for a while Thanks to the first successful counter-offensive of the Red Army near Yelnya, Soviet settlements were liberated from the Nazis Therefore, on September 18, 1941, by order of the People's Commissar of Defense IV Stalin's four divisions of the Red Army "for military exploits, for organization, discipline" were given the name "Guards" Their soldiers and officers received increased rations and double salaries, and after the end of the war, increased pensions By May 1945, more than 100 corps and armies of the Red Army and the Navy held the honorary title Units, other formations and ships were awarded guards flags and banners In 1942, a special badge and ranks were established for military personnel September 18, the date of issue of the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, is considered the Birthday of the Soviet Guard The holiday appeared in the calendar of special dates in 2000 after the decree of the President of the Russian Federation was issued After the end of the Great Patriotic War, the elite combat units were disbanded, but their banners and honorary titles were transferred to the best military units of the USSR and the Russian Federation Today, the name "Guards" is worn by more than 100 units of the Russian army One of the latest was the awarding of an honorary title in February 2018 to the Ryazan Higher Airborne School The Russian army honors the legendary past and military traditions of its ancestors, and therefore annually celebrates the Birthday of the Soviet Guard The feat of the fighters of these units is sung in poems and songs, films have been made and performances have been staged about their heroism and courage In honor of the holiday of September 18, classes and other educational events are held in educational institutions, and memorial awards are presented to combat veterans who served in guards units