The 2nd Guards M. I. Kalinin Taman Motor Rifle Division (russian: 2-я гвардейская мотострелковая Таманская ордена Октябрьской Революции Краснознаменная ордена Суворова дивизия имени М. И. Калинина, translit=2-ya gvardeyskaya motostrelkovaya Tamanskaya ordena Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii Krasnoznamennaya ordena Suvorova diviziya imeni M. I. Kalinina), commonly known as the Tamanians or Taman Division, is a

Guards Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

mechanised infantry Mechanized infantry are infantry units equipped with armored personnel carriers (APCs) or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport and combat (see also mechanized force). As defined by the United States Army, mechanized infantry is di ...

division of the

Russian Ground Forces The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска �ВSukhoputnyye voyska V}), also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Force ...

. Its Military Unit Number (V/Ch) is 23626. The 2nd Guards Motor Rifle Division was formed in 1941, seeing extensive combat during

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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

for which it became one of the most famous and decorated formations in the

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

military. It was named in honor of

Mikhail Kalinin Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin (russian: link=no, Михаи́л Ива́нович Кали́нин ; 3 June 1946), known familiarly by Soviet citizens as "Kalinych", was a Soviet politician and Old Bolshevik revolutionary. He served as head of st ...

and the town of Taman, remaining intact until it was disbanded in 2009, before being reformed in 2013. Since 2016, it is part of the 1st Guards Tank Army of the

Western Military District The Western Military District (russian: Западный военный округ, Zapadnyy voyennyy okrug) is a military district of Russia. It is one of the five military districts of the Russian Armed Forces, with its jurisdiction primari ...

, and most of its units are based in the town of Kalininets,

Moscow Oblast Moscow Oblast ( rus, Моско́вская о́бласть, r=Moskovskaya oblast', p=mɐˈskofskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ), or Podmoskovye ( rus, Подмоско́вье, p=pədmɐˈskovʲjə, literally " under Moscow"), is a federal subject of R ...

, south-west of

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

. The division took part in the

Northeastern Ukraine offensive The northeastern Ukraine campaign was a theatre of operation from 24 February to 8 April 2022 in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine for control of two provinces (oblasts) in Ukraine — Chernihiv Oblast and Sumy Oblast. On 4 April 2022, Ukr ...

of the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. A ...

, notably in the failed Siege of Chernihiv.

History

The 127th Rifle Division was formed 8 June 1940 in

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine.

, on the base of the 23rd Rifle Division which was just transferred to participate in the imminent

Soviet occupation of the Baltic states (1940) The Soviet occupation of the Baltic states covers the period from the Soviet–Baltic mutual assistance pacts in 1939, to their invasion and annexation in 1940, to the mass deportations of 1941. In September and October 1939 the Soviet governme ...

. The division was initially garrisoning

Kharkiv Kharkiv ( uk, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine.

, Chuhuiv and Bohodukhiv. It was transferred to

Rzhyshchiv Rzhyshchiv (, ; russian: Ржищев; yi, אירזיסטשוב, Irzistshub, also known by several #Names, alternative names; pl, Rzyszczów) is a city in Obukhiv Raion, Kyiv Oblast (oblast, province) of Ukraine. It hosts the administration of ...

in May 1941. The 127th Rifle Division was with 19th Army's 25th Rifle Corps, along with 134th and 162nd Rifle Divisions on June 22, 1941. It formed part of the High Command reserve. By August, it was with the Front troops of the

Soviet Reserve Front The Reserve Front was a major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War. First Formation The Reserve Front describes either of two distinct organizations during the war. The first version was created on July 30, 1941 in a reorganizati ...

. After the other division of the 25th Rifle Corps (134th and 162nd) were shattered on arrival to south-east outskirts of

Vitebsk Vitebsk or Viciebsk (russian: Витебск, ; be, Ві́цебск, ; , ''Vitebsk'', lt, Vitebskas, pl, Witebsk), is a city in Belarus. The capital of the Vitebsk Region, it has 366,299 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-largest c ...

during 11–16 July 1941, the 127th was re-routed to south-east of

Smolensk Smolensk ( rus, Смоленск, p=smɐˈlʲensk, a=smolensk_ru.ogg) is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest ...

and reassigned to the 34th Rifle Corps. At that time, the 535th Rifle Regiment has lost its way and ended up being incorporated into the

Leningrad Front The Leningrad Front (russian: Ленинградский фронт) was formed during the 1941 German approach on Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) by dividing the Northern Front into the Leningrad Front and Karelian Front on August 27, 1941. ...

. On 4 August 1941, the 127th Division traversed the

Dnieper River } The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine an ...

13 km south of Yartsevo as part of the general Soviet retreat. Afterwards, it was relieved of front line duty and sent to

Dorogobuzh Dorogobuzh (russian: Дорогобуж) is a historic town and the administrative center of Dorogobuzhsky District in Smolensk Oblast, Russia, straddling the Dnieper River and located east of Smolensk, the administrative center of the oblast. ...

for replenishment, where it received the 875th Rifle Regiment from the 158th Rifle Division.

As the 2nd Guards Rifle Division

For distinguished combat service, the division was renamed as the 2nd Guards Rifle Division on 18 September 1941, attaining "Guards" status. At the end of September 1941, it fought in

Hlukhiv Hlukhiv ( uk, Глу́хів, ) or Glukhov (russian: Глухов, translit=Glukhov) is a small historic town on the Esman River. It is a city of regional significance in the Sumy region of Ukraine. Hlukhiv is administratively incorporated as ...

area, retreating toward Kleven river as part of General Arkady Yermakov's operational group of the

Bryansk Front The Bryansk Front (russian: Брянский фронт) was a major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War. First Formation (August - November 1941) General Andrei Yeremenko was designated commander of the Front when it first f ...

. Transferred to the

Kursk Kursk ( rus, Курск, p=ˈkursk) is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym rivers. The area around Kursk was the site of a turning point in the Soviet–German stru ...

area on 3 October 1941, it fought a defensive battle around the town of Tim. On 22 December 1941, the division started to advance during the Winter Campaign of 1941–42. Acting together with the

1st Guards Rifle Division First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and

87th Rifle Division The 87th Rifle Division was an infantry division of the Red Army, active before, during the Second World War and afterwards. First formation It formed in the first half of 1936 in the Kiev Military District as the personnel division for the defe ...

, it advanced through Cheremisinovo and Sovetsky districts of the

Kursk Oblast Kursk Oblast ( rus, Курская область, r=Kurskaya oblast, p=ˈkurskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Kursk. As of the 2010 Census, Kursk Oblast has a populati ...

. By 28 January 1942, the division was located in

Stary Oskol Stary Oskol ( rus, Старый Оскол, p=ˈstarɨj ɐˈskol) is a city in Belgorod Oblast, Russia, located south of Moscow. Population: It is called Stary Oskol (Old Oskol) to distinguish it from Novy Oskol (New Oskol) 60 km south. B ...

As the 2nd Guards Tamanskaya (Motor) Rifle Division

After participating in the Novorossiysk-Taman offensive in September–October 1943, the division was renamed to 2nd Guards (Tamanskaya) Motor Rifle Division after the city of Taman, Russia. Starting from 3 November 1943, the division acted in the spearhead of Kerch-Eltigen Operation in northern Yenikale (Ganikale) beachhead, under the command of the 56th Army. During the Crimean Offensive the division captured the city of

Alushta Alushta ( uk, Алушта; crh, Aluşta; ) is a city of regional significance on the southern coast of the Crimean peninsula which is within the Republic of Crimea, an internationally recognized ''de jure'' part of Ukraine, but since 2014 a ''de ...

on 15 April 1944, acting under the command of the Separate Coastal Army. 19 May 1944 it was relieved from the front line duty, reassigned to the Soviet Strategic Reserve, 2nd Guards Army and transferred to

for replenishment. It restarted combat operations 8 July 1944 after the 2nd Guards Army was given to the

1st Baltic Front The First Baltic Front ( Russian: Пéрвый Прибалтийский фронт) was a major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War. It was commanded by Army General Andrey Yeryomenko, succeeded by Army General Bagramyan. I ...

. The division participated in

Šiauliai Offensive The Šiauliai offensive (russian: Шяуляйская наступательная) was an operation of the Soviet forces of the 1st Baltic Front, commanded by General Hovhannes Bagramyan, conducted from July 5 to August 29, 1944, during the Se ...

and later in October 1944 – in

Battle of Memel The Battle of Memel or the siege of Memel (german: Erste Kurlandschlacht) was a battle which took place on the Eastern Front during World War II. The battle began when the Red Army launched its ''Memel offensive operation'' (russian: Меме� ...

. In December 1944, the entire army including the 2nd Guards Motor Rifle Division was transferred to 3rd Belorussian Front and participated in the East Prussian Offensive, ending the war in middle April 1945 on the Baltic Sea coast north of Primorsk. In September 1945, while it was serving with the 11th Guards Rifle Corps, the division was moved back into the

Moscow Military District The Order of Lenin Moscow Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The district was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1968. In 2010 it was merged with the Leningrad Military D ...

Postwar

On 2 July 1946, the division received the honorific "named after M. I. Kalinin." The division was called to

for security duties following the death of

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet Union, Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as Ge ...

on 5 March 1953. In December 1953, the division was renamed to 23rd Guards Tamanskaya Mechanised Division, and it joined the 1st Guards Rifle Corps. In March 1957, the division was renamed to 23rd Guards Tamanskaya Motor Rifle Division. In November 1964, the division was renamed to 2nd Guards Tamanskaya Motor Rifle Division. On 4 May 1990 the 406th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment reverted to its

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 ...

number as the 15th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment. The same year the 73rd Guards MRR returned to its Second World War numbering, becoming the 1st Guards Motor Rifle Regiment.

From 1991

The division has played a prominent role in two of the major political crises of recent Soviet and Russian history. In 1991, it was one of the divisions deployed in Moscow as part of the hardline coup attempt against the

President

Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet politician who served as the 8th and final leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to the country's dissolution in 1991. He served as General Secretary of the Com ...

; however, it was a

tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful ...

unit attached to the division that switched sides at the decisive point in the coup's course.

Boris Yeltsin Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin ( rus, Борис Николаевич Ельцин, p=bɐˈrʲis nʲɪkɐˈla(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ ˈjelʲtsɨn, a=Ru-Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin.ogg; 1 February 1931 – 23 April 2007) was a Soviet and Russian politician wh ...

delivered a speech standing on top of tank no. 110, strengthening his own position significantly, both domestically and abroad. Soviet soldier DN-SC-92-04942

Two years later, the division once again came to Yeltsin's rescue, during the

1993 Russian constitutional crisis The 1993 Russian constitutional crisis, also known as the 1993 October Coup, Black October, the Shooting of the White House or Ukaz 1400, was a political stand-off and a constitutional crisis between the Russian president Boris Yeltsin and ...

. The stand-off between the Russian Parliament and Yeltsin, against the backdrop of massive public demonstrations in

against Yeltsin's government, had by 2 October brought Russia to the brink of

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

. Between 2 and 4 October, the army considered its position. By sunrise of the 4th, they had given their support to Yeltsin. That day, tanks from the Tamanskaya Division opened fire on the Parliament building, where the Parliament's supporters were barricaded. This episode consolidated Yeltsin's power; it was the deadliest street fighting in Moscow since 1917. Around 1998-2000, the division numbered around 12,000 soldiers. Since then, the division has seen service in

Chechnya Chechnya ( rus, Чечня́, Chechnyá, p=tɕɪtɕˈnʲa; ce, Нохчийчоь, Noxçiyçö), officially the Chechen Republic,; ce, Нохчийн Республика, Noxçiyn Respublika is a republic of Russia. It is situated in the ...

: it is known to have contributed to the force that brought the republic back under Russian control in 1999 and 2000, during the

Second Chechen War The Second Chechen War (russian: Втора́я чече́нская война́, ) took place in Chechnya and the border regions of the North Caucasus between the Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, from August 1999 ...

. A 'tactical group' from the 15th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment deployed to Chechnya in early 2000, serving in the south of the republic and the

Argun Argun may refer to: * Argun (surname) * Argun, Iran, a village in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran *Argun Urban Okrug, a municipal formation which the town of republic significance of Argun in the Chechen Republic, Russia is incorporated as * Argun, ...

Gorge after the end of major combat operations to maintain security. In 2004, it was visited by a delegation of foreign military attaches. The Kalininets base has also recently provided the venue for the Miss Russian Army contest. The division was located near Aprelevka, in the

suburbs A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separa ...

: its various subunits occupied a vast complex of buildings and sites to the north and

northwest The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each s ...

of the town. The two most important 'sub-bases' in the area are Kalininets and Kobyakovo. It was one of the Russian Army's 'constant readiness' divisions, meaning that it was required to have at least 80% manpower and 100% equipment strength at all times; it was thus intended to be readily deployable.

Rearmament in 2007

On 22 January 2007, the Russian

news agency A news agency is an organization that gathers news reports and sells them to subscribing news organizations, such as newspapers, magazines and radio and television broadcasters. A news agency may also be referred to as a wire service, newswir ...

Interfax Interfax (russian: Интерфакс) is a Russian news agency. The agency is owned by Interfax News Agency joint-stock company and is headquartered in Moscow. History As the first non-governmental channel of political and economic informat ...

reported comments from the

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

of the

, Col. General Vladimir Bakin. He stated that the Tamanskaya Division's 1st

Motor Rifle

Regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

had been re-equipped with a

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions ...

T-90 The T-90 is a third-generation Russian main battle tank. It uses a 125mm 2A46 smoothbore main gun, the 1A45T fire-control system, an upgraded engine, and gunner's thermal sight. Standard protective measures include a blend of steel and comp ...

main battle tank A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension sys ...

s, replacing its old

T-80 The T-80 is a main battle tank (MBT) that was designed and manufactured in the former Soviet Union and manufactured in Russia. The T-80 is based on the T-64, while incorporating features from the later T-72. The chief designer of the T-80 was S ...

s, a battalion of

BTR-80 The BTR-80 (russian: бронетранспортёр, bronyetransportyor, literally "armoured transporter") is an 8×8 wheeled amphibious armoured personnel carrier (APC) designed in the USSR. It was adopted in 1985 and replaced the previous ...

armoured personnel carriers An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...

(this presumably refers to the modernised BTR-80A variant, which has improved firepower and armour, among other things), as well as a battalion of new

self-propelled howitzers Self-propelled may refer to * Human-powered transport, humans moving themselves (and their cargo) via their own muscle energy * Machines that power their own movement: ** Automobile (from ''auto-'' + ''mobile'', "self-moving") ** Locomotive (from ...

and 'C2'

command and control Command and control (abbr. C2) is a "set of organizational and technical attributes and processes ...

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

employs human, physical, and information resources to solve problems and accomplish missions" to achieve the goals of an organization o ...

systems. Bakin also said that the regiment's 3rd Battalion had begun re-equipping with the

BMP-3 The BMP-3 is a Soviet and Russian infantry fighting vehicle, successor to the BMP-1 and BMP-2. The abbreviation BMP stands for ''boevaya mashina pehoty'' (, literally "infantry combat vehicle"). Production history The design of the BMP-3 ('' ...

infantry fighting vehicle An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle (MICV), is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide direct-fire support. The 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed F ...

, of which the regiment as a whole was due to receive 129 by the end of the year. Furthermore, according to Interfax: ''"Bakin stated that the First Guards Regiment had already undergone training for operating new materiel. "The regiment was the first in the Russian army to successfully master new arms and materiel. Last year, the regimental personnel were graded highly on their performance, he said."'' This rearmament may represent the first publicly known deployment of the T-90 in the

Russian Army The Russian Ground Forces (russian: Сухопутные войска �ВSukhoputnyye voyska V}), also known as the Russian Army (, ), are the land forces of the Russian Armed Forces. The primary responsibilities of the Russian Ground Force ...

outside of the 5th Guards 'Don' Tank Division, based at Kyakhta in the

Siberian Military District The Siberian Military District was a Military district of the Russian Ground Forces. The district was originally formed as a military district of the Russian Empire in 1864. In 1924 it was reformed in the Red Army. After the end of World War II th ...

, which has been entirely equipped with such tanks in recent years. There have been rumours in circulation for some time now that all the T-90s currently in service were to be accumulated in the Tamanskaya Division, but these rumours lack reliable sources. If any such move is to occur, it may take place in 2007, but January's partial rearmament of the division does not seem to signal the beginning of such a move, since the T-90s and other modern armoured vehicles now with the division are newly purchased ones. The division has been slated for disbandment in 2009, with two brigades being created from its existing subunits. Each brigade will include about 7,500 personnel with one mounted on

tracked vehicles while the other using

and

BTR-90 BTR-90 (GAZ-5923) (russian: бронетранспортёр, translit= Bronetransportyor, lit=Armoured Transporter) is an 8×8 wheeled armored personnel carrier developed in Russia, designed in 1993 and first shown publicly in 1994. It is a large ...

wheeled vehicles. The two brigades, according to Warfare.ru, were the 5th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade in the Moscow Military District, and the 8th Separate Guards Mountain Motor Rifle Brigade in

. The 8th Separate Guards Mountain Motor Rifle Brigade was formed from the 1st Guards Tank Regiment of the division, relocated without its tanks to

Borzoy Borzoy (russian: Борзо́й; ce, Борзе, ''Borze'') is a rural locality (a '' selo'') in Shatoysky District of the Chechen Republic, Russia,Decree #500 located on the left bank of the Argun River. As of the 2010 Census, its population ...

in Chechnya from Alabino.

As the 5th Guards Tamanskaya Motor Rifle Brigade

The division was disbanded in mid-2009, being split into two new motor rifle brigades. After 2009, the main successor of the division was the 5th Guards Separate, Order of the October Revolution, Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Brigade named after Kalinin, which inherited the traditions of the 2nd Guards Motor Rifle Division.

2nd formation (2013)

The division was re-formed in 2013 by order of Russian defence minister

Sergei Shoigu Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu, ; tyv, Сергей Күжүгет оглу Шойгу, translit=Sergey Kyzhyget oglu Shoygu, . (russian: Сергей Кужугетович Шойгу; born 21 May 1955) is a Russian politician who has served as ...

,"В России воссозданы Таманская и Кантемировская танковые дивизии"
( Russian), Gazeta.ru (04 May 2013) from the 5th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade and other unnamed units."Воссозданы гвардейская Таманская ордена Октябрьской Революции Краснознаменная ордена Суворова мотострелковая и Кантемировская ордена Ленина Краснознаменная танковая дивизии"
( Russian), Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation (04 May 2013) This order is pursuant to Russian President

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 ...

's intention 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"
( Russian),

Komsomolskaya Pravda ''Komsomolskaya Pravda'' (russian: link=no, Комсомольская правда; lit. " Komsomol Truth") is a daily Russian tabloid newspaper, founded on 13 March 1925. History and profile During the Soviet era, ''Komsomolskaya Pravda'' w ...

(16 April 2013) Another division, the 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division was also reinstated under the same order. As of June 2015, the Russian Armed Forces planned to rebuild the famous Soviet era 1st Guards Red Banner Tank Army by including the 2nd Guards Motor Rifle Division, 4th Guards Tank Division, as well as one tank and rifle brigade. The decree providing for the reformation of the force was enacted in the winter of 2014, and it became a part of the

. Unlike the original 1st GTA, the 2nd Guards Motor Rifle Division forms a part of the revived army, based in

. By December 2016, a new 1st Guards Tank Regiment was formed as part of the division, inheriting the traditions of the old 1st Guards Tank Regiment. * Division HQ ** 47th Guards Signal Battalion ** 136th Guards Reconnaissance Battalion ** 211th Guards

Engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considerin ...

Sapper Battalion ** 370th Medical Battalion ** 1063rd Supply Battalion ** 1174th

Anti-Tank Artillery Anti-tank warfare originated from the need to develop technology and tactics to destroy tanks during World War I. Since the Triple Entente deployed the first tanks in 1916, the German Empire developed the first anti-tank weapons. The first deve ...

Battalion **

UAV An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controller ...

company ** NBC protection company ** EW company ** Evacuation company * 1st Guards Tank Regiment * 1st Guards Motor Rifle Regiment (returned to its Second World War numbering from previous number '73' in 1990) * 15th Guards Motor Rifle Shavlinsky Regiment (Military Unit Number 31134) * 147th Guards

Self-Propelled Artillery Self-propelled artillery (also called locomotive artillery) is artillery equipped with its own propulsion system to move toward its firing position. Within the terminology are the self-propelled gun, self-propelled howitzer, self-propelled ...

Regiment * 1117th Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment Military Unit Numbers for several of the division's regiments are known. Military Unit Numbers 23626, 21626, 31135, 61896, 51387, 61896, 73881 are all regiments of the division. Although some ethnic Russians are in the unit, the unit has many

persons A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...

from the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historica ...

. Selyatino has the hospital for the units at Kalininets. The Taman Division will deploy in May 2018. The division formed part of 1st Guards Tank Army when it took part in the

during the

. It took part in the failed Siege of Chernihiv.

Subordinated units and fighting strength

Its principal vehicles were the

and

armoured personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...

and the BMP-2 and

1st Guards Tank 'Chertkovsky' Regiment

From January 1992 until 2009, the 1st Guards Tank Chertkovsky Regiment was part of the 2nd Tamanskaya Guards Motor Rifle Division. During the reforms of

Defence Minister A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in s ...

Anatoly Serdyukov Anatoly Eduardovich Serdyukov (russian: Анатолий Эдуардович Сердюков; born 8 January 1962) is a Russian politician and businessman. He was Russia's Minister of Defense from 15 February 2007 to 6 November 2012, and made ...

, the 1st Guards Tank Regiment along with the Taman Division was disbanded. In 2020, the 1st Guards Tank Chertkovsky Regiment (formed late 2016) was planned to be one of the first units to be equipped with the new T-14 Armata main battle tank from

Uralvagonzavod UralVagonZavod (russian: ОАО «Научно-производственная корпорация «УралВагонЗавод», , Open Joint Stock Company "Research and Production Corporation Uralvagonzavod") is a Russian machine-buildin ...

. , the unit is equipped with the T-72B3. The 1st Guards Tank Chertkovsky Regiment has always been at the point of the spear taking on the most difficult situations. Many officers from the Chertkovsky Regiment subsequently take top positions in the Ministry of Defence.

In popular culture

Tom Clancy Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. (April 12, 1947 – October 1, 2013) was an American novelist. He is best known for his technically detailed espionage and military-science storylines set during and after the Cold War. Seventeen of his novels have b ...

's 1986 novel ''

Red Storm Rising ''Red Storm Rising'' is a war novel, written by Tom Clancy and co-written with Larry Bond, and released on August 7, 1986. Set in the mid-1980s, it features a Third World War between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Warsaw Pact for ...

'', the division offers token resistance to a coup d'état by 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 ...

and the KGB against the

Politburo A politburo () or political bureau is the executive committee for communist parties. It is present in most former and existing communist states. Names The term "politburo" in English comes from the Russian ''Politbyuro'' (), itself a contracti ...

. In Frederick Forsyth's 1996 novel '' Icon (novel)'', the tank division prevents success of a coup d'état by the main antagonist.

References

* This page incorporates material from the Russian Wikipedia pages 127-я стрелковая_дивизия (1-го формирования) and 2-я гвардейская стрелковая дивизия, accessed 2 October 2016.