September 2 - Russian Guard Day
In fact, we are talking about the Russian Guard in the broad sense of the word. We are talking about all the representatives of the military elite, the holiday which was established by presidential decree in 2000 year in order to revive and develop the national military traditions and enhance the prestige of military service. At the same time in 2000, the holiday appeared in honor of the 300 anniversary of the Guard, the first formation of which took place during the reign of Peter I.

From archival documents it was found that the first mention of the guards in Russia was used precisely in 1700 - September 2 (August 22 according to the old style). The source of the first mention is historical annals of the Russian army. It reports on the participation of the guard units in military campaigns in Azov and Narva.
From archival materials:
For more than two centuries, guards units of the Russian Imperial Army brought glory to the Russian arms, winning victories in various wars. From the 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, in the understanding of the new government, it did not fit the interpretation of the image of the Red Army. Elite Guards parts ceased to exist.
The timelessness for the domestic guard lasted about 23 years. In the fall of 1941, the supreme leadership had the idea of highlighting the most distinguished military units in battles against the Nazis. The idea found its speedy realization: the 100, 127, 153 and 161 rifle divisions received the honorary title of the Guard for their courage and heroism shown during the battle of Yelnia. The divisions assigned the names 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the Guards and handed the guards banners.
At the time of the liberation of Yelnya, the 100 Division, along with three other guards, was commanded by Major General Ivan Russiyanov. In November 1942, the 1 Division was transformed into the 1 Division of the Mechanized Guards. Corps under the command of the same General Russiyanov participated in the Battle of Stalingrad, the battles for the Donbass, Zaporozhye, Kirovograd. The Great Patriotic War, the military personnel of the 1 Guards Corps was completed in Hungary and Austria.
For the Guards, a special day is not only 2 of September, but also 21 of May. The fact is that on this day in 1942, the Guard badge was established.

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.
Fighters of the Guards formations showed heroism after the Great Patriotic War - in the so-called local armed conflicts through which our country was forced to pass: Afghanistan, the Chechen Republic.
Today, more than one and a half hundred units and formations of the army and fleet Russia are guards. The very notion of “guardsman” means a focus on self-improvement, courage, an example of discipline and self-organization. The Guard has long been synonymous with heroism, loyalty and military labor for the good of the Fatherland.
Early Guards traditions are also being revived. Thus, on August 19, on the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Preobrazhensky Regiment, restored in April 2013 by presidential decree, was presented with guards symbols — the order ribbon of the Guards banner of 1838 and the officer’s regiment of Life Guards.

"Military Review" congratulates the servicemen and veterans of the Guard units and formations on the holiday!
- mil.ru
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