The first military training of the Preobrazhensky regiment 01

154th Preobrazhensky Independent Commandant's Regiment serves as the official

honor guard A guard of honour ( GB), also honor guard ( US), also ceremonial guard, is a group of people, usually military in nature, appointed to receive or guard a head of state or other dignitaries, the fallen in war, or to attend at state ceremonials, ...

regiment of the Russian Armed Forces and serves as the main honor guard unit of the armed forces, stationed in Moscow. Aside from being the honor guard unit, it is also charged with duties assisting the Commander, Moscow Garrison, and to serve garrison and protection duties in the protection of the capital city and its military infrastructure. Its barracks is at

Lefortovo District Lefortovo District ( rus, райо́н Лефо́ртово, a=Ru-Lefortovo.ogg, p=lʲɪˈfortəvə) is a district of South-Eastern Administrative Okrug of the federal city of Moscow, Russia. Its area is . Population: History The Lefortovo Dis ...

, Moscow, part of the

South-Eastern Administrative Okrug South-Eastern Administrative Okrug (russian: Ю́го-Восто́чный администрати́вный о́круг, ), or Yugo-Vostochny Administrative Okrug, is one of the twelve high-level territorial divisions (administrative okrugs) of ...

History

As the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

was ending in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

in 1944 the Soviet NKVD in Moscow was charged with raising a full-time honor guard company as part of the 1st Regiment,

OMSDON The Separate Operational Purpose Division or ODON, formerly called OMSDON (a.k.a. '' Dzerzhinsky Division''), is a rapid deployment internal security division of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR and then the ...

(then the NKVD 1st Special Duties Division), in the style and manner of the British Household Division's Foot Guards, the 3rd US Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) and the

French Republican Guard The Republican Guard (french: Garde républicaine) is part of the French National Gendarmerie. It is responsible for special security duties in the Paris area and for providing guards of honour at official ceremonies of the French Republic. Its ...

's First Infantry Regiment. Its first duties included the state visit of British Prime Minister

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...

that year. It later joined the 73rd Special Duties Battalion (later the 465th Special Duties Company, later itself renamed the 465th Special Commandant's Company) in 1948, now part of the regular armed forces. This was the precursor of the Honor Guard Company that would later form the 154th ICR of today, the very company in which the Victory Banner was welcomed with full honors in June 1945 into Moscow. On 10 April 1949, the 465th SCC, by order of the

Soviet Armed Forces The Soviet Armed Forces, the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union and as the Red Army (, Вооружённые Силы Советского Союза), were the armed forces of the Russian SFSR (1917–1922), the Soviet Union (1922–1991), and th ...

General Staff, became the 99th Independent Commandant's Battalion. On 29 November 1956, by order of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union, the 1st Independent Honor Guard Company and the Military Band of the Honor Guard were raised, both under the supervision of the Office of the Moscow Military Garrison Commandant. The company adopted full parade dress in 1960 in the uniforms of the 3 service arms of the Soviet Armed Forces: the

Soviet Army uk, Радянська армія , image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg , alt = , caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army , start_date ...

Soviet Air Forces The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...

and the Soviet Navy in its three platoons. The regulations for such use were amended via a 1971 General Orders of the Ministry of Defense of the Soviet Union, to be used only in state occasions, ceremonies and national holidays when permitted. In December 1979, on the recommendation of the Soviet Army General Staff the 99th ICB became the 154th Independent Commandant's Regiment, therefore merging the 99th ICB and the 1st IHGC and raising new component units. Its duty was for the protection of the Moscow Garrison Commandant's headquarters and providing ceremonial guards in state events. In 1980 several servicemen from the regiment took part in the 1980 Olympic opening ceremony wearing civilian formal dress escorting the

Olympic Flag The International Olympic Committee (IOC) uses icons, flags and symbols to elevate the Olympic Games. These symbols include those commonly used during Olympic competition—such as the flame, fanfare and theme—as well as those used throughout ...

. The regiment's Special Duties Company took part in Exercise Zapad-81 the following year as part of the Soviet Armed Forces contingent, and received the

Medal "For Courage in a Fire" The Medal "For Courage in a Fire" (russian: Медаль «За отвагу на пожаре») was a civilian and military state bravery award of the Soviet Union established on October 31, 1957 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Sovie ...

for its fire fighting efforts that year when a fire broke out in the Moscow Oblast. The regiment took part in the 1985 World Festival of Youth and Students and in the 1987 commemorations of the 175th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino. In May 1991, the 1st Independent Honor Guard Company became the Honor Guard Battalion of the 154th ICR as another honor guard company was raised. In 2006, an amateur theater was created within the regiment. The 154th Independent Commandant's Regiment formally became the 154th 'Preobrazhensky' Independent Commandant's Regiment (the "Preobrazhensky" honorific title was in tribute to the

Preobrazhensky Regiment The Preobrazhensky Life-Guards Regiment (russian: Преображенский лейб-гвардии полк, ''Preobrazhensky leyb-gvardii polk'') was a regiment of the Imperial Guard of the Imperial Russian Army from 1683 to 1917. The P ...

) on 9 April 2013 by

presidential decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used for ...

no. 326 signed by

Russian president The president of the Russian Federation ( rus, Президент Российской Федерации, Prezident Rossiyskoy Federatsii) is the head of state of the Russian Federation. The president leads the executive branch of the federal ...

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...

."Отдельному комендантскому полку присвоено почётное наименование"
(

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

), Official site of the President of Russia (9 April 2013) Putin had previously outlined a plan to reinstate the regiment's honorific title in an address to the Russian Federal Assembly in 2012,"Address to the Federal Assembly"
Official site of the President of Russia (12 December 2012) with the stated aim being to "strengthen the historical continuity" of the Russian Armed Forces by resurrecting the names of "famous, legendary units and formations of the Russian and Soviet armies"."Президент возродил Семёновский полк"
(

), Komsomolskaya Pravda (16 April 2013) On 10 September 2018, the Moscow House of the

Young Army Cadets National Movement Established in October 2015, the All-Russia "Young Army" National Military Patriotic Social Movement Association (''Всероссийское военно-патриотическое общественное движение «Юнармия»' ...

was inaugurated on part of the regimental barracks and depot complex.

The 154th ICR today

The regiment today is made of more than a thousand servicemen from all units of the Russian Armed Forces, composed of 3 battalions (the Honor Guard Battalion. and the 1st and 2nd Commandant's Battalions) and other independent units comprising it, including its Special Duties Company. The 154th Independent Commandant's Regiment, and its predecessors, have been involved in various state and international events through the years. Aside from its duties at sporting events, other activities where they were involved include their attendance in various Soviet state funerals (including the Death and state funeral of Leonid Brezhnev) and in the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow from 1965 onward, where they always provide the honor guard unit and troop the Victory Banner on

Red Square Red Square ( rus, Красная площадь, Krasnaya ploshchad', ˈkrasnəjə ˈploɕːətʲ) is one of the oldest and largest squares in Moscow, the capital of Russia. Owing to its historical significance and the adjacent historical build ...

for the annual parade among other commemorative activities. Recent regimental enlistment and passing-out parades have been held on the historic Poklonnaya Hill - at the

Museum of the Great Patriotic War, Moscow The Museum of the Great Patriotic War, also known as the Victory Museum ( Russian: ''Музей Победы'') is a history museum located in Moscow at Poklonnaya Gora. The building was designed by architect Anatoly Polyansky. Work on the museum ...

Foreign appearances

2015 China Victory Day parade-Foreign Squads

Being a representative part of the Russian military, it is often asked to represent the nation at foreign

military parades A military parade is a formation of soldiers whose movement is restricted by close-order manoeuvering known as drilling or marching. The military parade is now almost entirely ceremonial, though soldiers from time immemorial up until the lat ...

and ceremonies. One of its biggest foreign appearances was at the

2015 China Victory Day Parade The 2015 China Victory Day parade was a military parade held along Chang'an Avenue, Beijing, on 3 September 2015 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day of World War II. The commemoration was the first high-profile milita ...

, which celebrated the 70th anniversary of

Victory over Japan Day Victory over Japan Day (also known as V-J Day, Victory in the Pacific Day, or V-P Day) is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect bringing the war to an end. The term has been applied to both of the days on ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Within the

Commonwealth of Independent States The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional intergovernmental organization in Eurasia. It was formed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It covers an area of and has an estimated population of 239,796,010. ...

, it has represented the nation at small scale events, usually during presentations of war flags or the Victory Banner to these countries. Outside of the CIS sphere however, the regiment has been seen representing the nation on the national days of multiple countries, including

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...

and

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

Awards

*1982 –

*1 November 1994 – The Certificate of Honor of the President of the Russian Federation for its great contribution to the state visit of Queen Elizabeth II. *17 August 1995 – Certificate of Honor for its participation in the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. *12 July 2011 – Diploma of the

Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces The president of the Russian Federation ( rus, Президент Российской Федерации, Prezident Rossiyskoy Federatsii) is the head of state of the Russian Federation. The president leads the executive branch of the federal ...

Regimental Structure

* Regiment HQ * Engineers Service * 1st Commandant's Battalion * 2nd Commandant's Battalion *

Military Band A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the ti ...

* 3rd Honor Guard Battalion ** Battalion HQ ** 1st Honor Guard Company ** 2nd Honor Guard Company ** Special Military Band of the Guard of Honor Battalion * Special Duties Company * Automotive Company * MP Company

Gallery

File:154th separate commandant Preobrazhensky regiment. Formation on the parade ground.jpg, The formation of the regiment in the form of the number of the military unit File:Russian honor guard at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Alexander Garden welcomes Michael G. Mullen 2009-06-26 2.jpg, The Russian military honor guard from the 154th Commandant's Regiment welcomes U.S. Navy Adm. Mike Mullen at the

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Moscow) The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier ( rus, Могила Неизвестного Солдата, , mɐˈɡʲilə nʲɪɪˈzvʲɛsnəvə sɐlˈdatə) is a war memorial dedicated to the Soviet soldiers killed during World War II. It was designed by ...

. File:General Pace at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Moscow.JPG, 2006 wreath-laying with the 154th ICR File:Oath-taking ceremony for the 154th Independent Commandant's Regiment.jpg, Military enlistment oath-taking ceremony File:154-й отдельный комендантский полк.jpg, Different service and

dress uniform Full dress uniform, also known as a ceremonial dress uniform or parade dress uniform, is the most formal type of uniforms used by military, police, fire and other public uniformed services for official parades, ceremonies, and receptions, ...

s used by the 154th ICR's personnel File:Russian soldiers on the Champs Elysees DSC03310.JPG, Soldiers of the 154th ICR on the Champs-Élysées following ceremonies celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Victory against Nazism. File:154th Preobrazhensky Independent Commandant's Regiment 04.jpg, During the

2010 Moscow Victory Day Parade The Moscow Victory Day Parade of 2010 was held on 9 May 2010 to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the capitulation of Nazi Germany in 1945. The parade marks the Soviet Union's victory in the Great Patriotic War. It was the largest para ...

. File:4thTankDivisionOpenDay17p1-82.jpg, The drill team of regiment. File:154th Preobrazhensky Independent Commandant's Regiment (29-06-1980) 01.jpg, Vladimir Govorov presenting the banner of the regiment to the commander of 154th ICR on 29 June 1980. File:Взвод почетного караула отдельного комендантского полка принял участие в параде, посвященном 200-летию независимости Венесуэлы.jpg, An honor guard from the 154th ICR during the Caracas Independence Day parade in 2011. File:Repatriation of Oleg Peshkov's body at Chkalovsky Airport (1).jpg, Members of the 154th ICR during the repatriation of Oleg Peshkov's body at

Chkalovsky Airport Chkalovsky is a military air base near Shchyolkovo, Moscow Oblast, Russia. It is located 31 km northeast of Moscow. In 1932-35, the state flight testing institute was relocated here from Khodynka, the Central Airfield. A reorganisation ...

References

{{Reflist

External links

Presidential decree no. 326 conferring the "Preobrazhensky" title upon the 154th Regiment
(

)
Soviet Army Honor Guard Service Documentary (1980)
(

)
Soviet Army Honor Guard 1971 Documentary Почетный Караул СССР
(

) Guards regiments Military units and formations established in 1979 Regiments of the Russian Federation Russian ceremonial units Regiments of the Soviet Union