His Majesty Lifeguard Jaeger Regiment (russian: «Лейб-гвардии Егерский Его Величества полк»), short also Lifeguard Jaeger Regiment (or: ''LG Jaeger Regiment''), was a Jäger

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 ...

of the Russian Imperial Guard from 1796 to 1917.

History

The history of the LG Jaeger Regiment began in the year 1792 with the introduction of a new

branch of service Military branch (also service branch or armed service) is according to common standard a subdivision of the national armed forces of a sovereign nation or state. Types of branches Unified armed forces The Canadian Armed Forces is the unifi ...

– the

light infantry Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often foug ...

– under the leadership of

Paul I of Russia Paul I (russian: Па́вел I Петро́вич ; – ) was Emperor of Russia from 1796 until his assassination. Officially, he was the only son of Peter III and Catherine the Great, although Catherine hinted that he was fathered by her l ...

. This new service branch was named ''Jaeger…'' (ru: ''Егер…'' in reference to the German noun '' Jäger''). The role of the new corps matched those of the rifle regiments of the contemporary British Army and the

Chasseurs ''Chasseur'' ( , ), a French term for "hunter", is the designation given to certain regiments of French and Belgian light infantry () or light cavalry () to denote troops trained for rapid action. History This branch of the French Army ...

of the French Army. The first step taken was to identify suitable recruits from among the so-called ''Gattchino troops'' (ru: ''Гатчинские войска / Gatchinskie voyska'') in

Gatchina The town of Gatchina ( rus, Га́тчина, , ˈɡatːɕɪnə, links=y) serves as the administrative center of the Gatchinsky District in Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It lies south-south-west of St. Petersburg, along the E95 highway which ...

and Pavlovsk, and to concentrate these men in separate ''Jaeger companies'' under the command of

Major Major ( commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicato ...

Anton Rachinski. At the end of 1793 there was further restructuring, followed by the formal establishment of the new regiment in 1794. The adoption of light to medium green facings for the ''jaeger'', using green ''camisol'', was an innovation in the Russian Army. By All Highest Order (i.e. from the tsar) dated November 20, 1796; all units of the Gattchino troops received the status of "Old Guard" (ru: старая гвардия). The hitherto separate ''Jaeger companies'' were further concentrated into a ''jaeger battalion'', strengthened by a third ''Jaeger company''. The already existing guard regiments: the '' Semjonov LG Regiment'' and the '' Ismailov LG Regiment'', as well as the new ''LG Jaeger Battalion'' were all put under a common command. November 20, 1796 was henceforth to be celebrated each year as being the official date of the regiment's foundation. Anton Rachinski, now promoted to podpolkovnik, became the first commanding officer of the ''LG Jaeger Battalion''. In 1800, Prince Bagration, Pyotr Ivanovich, replaced him. In order to strengthen the battalion, a third ''Jaeger company'' was added. During the

Battle of Austerlitz The Battle of Austerlitz (2 December 1805/11 Frimaire An XIV FRC), also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of the most important and decisive engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle occurred near the town of Austerlitz ...

, the new ''Jaeger Corps'' received their baptism of fire and performed with distinction. On May 22, 1806 the personnel strength of the battalion was doubled. This expansion led to the unit being renamed as ''LG Jaeger Regiment''. A third battalion was recruited, in order to provide a further strengthening of the new regiment. In 1809

Polkovnik ''Polkovnik'' (russian: полковник, lit=regimentary; pl, pułkownik) is a military rank used mostly in Slavic-speaking countries which corresponds to a colonel in English-speaking states and oberst in several German-speaking and Scandin ...

Karl von Bistram became the new commander. After sffering heavy losses during the

Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 ( tr, 93 Harbi, lit=War of ’93, named for the year 1293 in the Islamic calendar; russian: Русско-турецкая война, Russko-turetskaya voyna, "Russian–Turkish war") was a conflict between th ...

in fighting close to Varna on September 10, 1828, the second battalion had to be re-established. To provide the numbers needed detachments of the 13th and 14th Jager Regiments were transferred to the ''LG Jaeger Regiment''. During a holy memorial service on the battle area to Kulm in the year 1835,

Nicholas I of Russia , house = Romanov-Holstein-Gottorp , father = Paul I of Russia , mother = Maria Feodorovna (Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg) , birth_date = , birth_place = Gatchina Palace, Gatchina, Russian Empire , death_date ...

in person was evaluating the extraordinary merits of the ''LG Jager Regiment''. In this connection the day of the Saint and martyr Miron,

August 17 Events Pre-1600 *309/310 – Pope Eusebius is banished by the Emperor Maxentius to Sicily, where he dies, possibly from a hunger strike. * 682 – Pope Leo II begins his pontificate. * 986 – Byzantine–Bulgarian wars: Battle ...

, was selected to holyday or "great day of the regiment". From this point in time Miron became the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

of the regiment, and in 1854 the regiment's church received his name. In 1855 the regiment was renamed to ''Lifeguard Gatchinski Regiement''. However, this decision was cancelled on the occasion of the great day of the regiment in 1870.

Regiment barracks

At the time of its creation the ''LG Jaeger Regiment'' was based in the ''Semyeonov'' barracks in the street ''Svenigorodskaya ulitsa'' (later: Old Jaeger-street; ''Starojaegerskaya ulitsa''). Afterwards the regiment was relocated to the especially newly built New Jaeger Barracks in the street ''Rusovskaya ulitsa'', No. 14, No. 16 und No. 18. The winter barracks of the regiment: the so-called "Petersburg quarters", was located close to the Semyenov place.

Regimental church

The Lifeguard Jaeger church was consecrated to "Saint and martyr Myron". Emperor Nicholas I financed the building from the

Privy Purse The Privy Purse is the British Sovereign's private income, mostly from the Duchy of Lancaster. This amounted to £20.1 million in net income for the year to 31 March 2018. Overview The Duchy is a landed estate of approximately 46,000 acres (200 ...

. The church itself was located close to the riverside of the ''Obvodnyi'' canal, near the estuary to the ''Vvedenskiy'' canal. It was constructed during the period from 1849 to 1854 in memory to the victory of the coalition forces of Russia and Prussia in the

Battle of Kulm :''See Battle of Chlumec for the 1126 battle at Kulm The Battle of Kulm was fought near the town Kulm () and the village Přestanov in northern Bohemia. It was fought on 29–30 August 1813, during the War of the Sixth Coalition. A French ...

against Napoleon, August 17, 1813, and the day of

Saint Miron In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Ortho ...

. Building was according to the plans of the architect

Konstantin Thon Konstantin Andreyevich Thon, also spelled Ton (russian: Константи́н Андре́евич Тон; October 26, 1794 – January 25, 1881) was an official architect of Imperial Russia during the reign of Nicholas I. His major works includ ...

. Distinguished officers of the regiment were laid to rest there. The church also served as a war memorial to the fallen in World War I. However, following the suppression of the

Russian Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = ru , image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg , imagewidth = , alt = , caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia , abbreviation = ROC , type ...

the church of was used as a storehouse up to 1930. In 1934 the already-damaged building was demolished. Today the former location of the church contains only a carwash. In line with city and church plans, the historic regimental church is to be reconstructed in accordance with the original plans and documents.

Colours Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associa ...

Znamya Leyb-gvardii Ieguerski polka 1813.jpg, Ordinance ''Flag'', issue 1813 История Лейб-Гвардии Егерского полка за сто лет 1796-1896 Атлас 1896.djvu, ''Colour'' (to the 100 anniversary 1796-1896)

Uniforms and physical appearance

Throughout its history under the Russian Empire, the regiment wore the standard uniform of the Infantry of the Imperial Guard, which from 1683 to 1914 was predominantly of a dark green (eventually verging on black) colour. The main distinctions of the Lifeguard Jaeger Regiment were the light green

facings A facing colour is a common tailoring technique for European military uniforms where the visible inside lining of a standard military jacket, coat or tunic is of a different colour to that of the garment itself.René Chartrand, William Younghusb ...

( plastron, cuffs and shoulder straps) edged in white

piping Within industry, piping is a system of pipes used to convey fluids (liquids and gases) from one location to another. The engineering discipline of piping design studies the efficient transport of fluid. Industrial process piping (and accompa ...

. Collars were of the same dark green as the tunic; piped in red and worn with distinctive regimental patterns of braid (''litzen''). In addition, the tsar's

monogram A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series ...

appeared on the soldiers' crimson shoulder straps and officers'

epaulettes Epaulette (; also spelled epaulet) is a type of ornamental shoulder piece or decoration used as insignia of rank by armed forces and other organizations. Flexible metal epaulettes (usually made from brass) are referred to as ''shoulder scales'' ...

(see charts below). In 1896, in recognition of service during the Russo-Turkish War, the entire regiment received the right to wear small bronze scrolls enscribed "For Telich 12 October 1877" on its full-dress shakos. This distinction continued until World War I A peculiarity of the Russian Imperial Guard was that recruits for most regiments were required to meet certain criteria of physical appearance, in order to provide a standardised appearance on parade. This tradition was taken so seriously that during the 19th century the tsar himself might make the selection from a line of new recruits, chalking the regimental initial on the coat of each recruit. For the Lifeguard Jaeger Regiment conscripts were selected for being relatively short and slim in build. Anton Rachinskiy.jpg, А.М. Rachinski c1800 — first regimental commanding officer Au service des Tsars - uniforme ЭPT-11184 08.jpg, Tailcoat uniform worn by Nicholas I c1840 — as honoury commander EgerskyLGregiment-1910-Rus.jpg,

Full dress Western dress codes are a set of dress codes detailing what clothes are worn for what occasion. Conversely, since most cultures have intuitively applied some level equivalent to the more formal Western dress code traditions, these dress codes a ...

for officers and men 1907-17 Офицерский китель Лейб-Гвардейского Егерского полка.jpg, Officer's "French" (service tunic) about 1910

Bugle-horns

The regiment had the distinction of carrying silver trumpets with the engraving "For distinction in the Battle of Kulm 17 August 1813". Nicholas II extended this privilege to include the issue of 63 bugle-horns to the Lifeguard Jaegers in place of the drums and fifes of other infantry regiments.

Chiefs of the regiment

The table below contains the regiment's chiefs or honour commanders from 1796 to 1917.

Battles

The ''LG Jaeger Regiment'' participated in the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fre ...

, Russo-Turkish War of 1828–1829, the campaign to put down the

November Uprising The November Uprising (1830–31), also known as the Polish–Russian War 1830–31 or the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire. The uprising began on 29 November 1830 in W ...

in Poland in 1830-31, Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 and

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

. The table below contains extracts from the ''combat calendar'' of the regiment. 1805 — 1878 *1805-07 —

: **20.11.1805

battle of Austerlitz The Battle of Austerlitz (2 December 1805/11 Frimaire An XIV FRC), also known as the Battle of the Three Emperors, was one of the most important and decisive engagements of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle occurred near the town of Austerlitz ...

**24.5.1807 — battle of ''Lomitten'' **2.6.1807 — battle of ''Friedland'' *1808-09 —

Finnish War The Finnish War ( sv, Finska kriget, russian: Финляндская война, fi, Suomen sota) was fought between the Kingdom of Sweden and the Russian Empire from 21 February 1808 to 17 September 1809 as part of the Napoleonic Wars. As a re ...

: **10,15, 18.6.1808 — in fights of the town Kuopio **15.10.1808 — fight of lake ''Porovesy'' (close to vil. ''Idensalmi'') **29-30.10.1808 — fight of vil. ''Idensalmi'' **20.11.1808 — occupation of ''Uleaborg'' **26.2.-7.3.1809 — expedition of ''Alandskie'' (one battalion) in the corps of

Pyotr Bagration Prince Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration (10 July 1765 – 24 September 1812) was a Georgian general and prince serving in the Russian Empire, prominent during the Napoleonic Wars. Bagration, a member of the Bagrationi dynasty, was born in Tbilisi. Hi ...

*1812 —

French invasion of Russia The French invasion of Russia, also known as the Russian campaign, the Second Polish War, the Army of Twenty nations, and the Patriotic War of 1812 was launched by Napoleon Bonaparte to force the Russian Empire back into the continental block ...

**5.8.1812 — Battle of Smolensk **24-26 August 1812 —

Battle of Borodino The Battle of Borodino (). took place near the village of Borodino on during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. The ' won the battle against the Imperial Russian Army but failed to gain a decisive victory and suffered tremendous losses. Napole ...

**5.11.1812 — battle in the area of ''Krasny-Dobroe'' *1813-14 — battles abroad: **8-9 May 1813 — battle of Bautzen **17.8.1813 —

battle of Kulm :''See Battle of Chlumec for the 1126 battle at Kulm The Battle of Kulm was fought near the town Kulm () and the village Přestanov in northern Bohemia. It was fought on 29–30 August 1813, during the War of the Sixth Coalition. A French ...

**4, 6.10.1813 —

Battle of Leipzig The Battle of Leipzig (french: Bataille de Leipsick; german: Völkerschlacht bei Leipzig, ); sv, Slaget vid Leipzig), also known as the Battle of the Nations (french: Bataille des Nations; russian: Битва народов, translit=Bitva ...

**19.3.1814 — occupation of Paris *1828—1829 —

Russo-Turkish War The Russo-Turkish wars (or Ottoman–Russian wars) were a series of twelve wars fought between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire between the 16th and 20th centuries. It was one of the longest series of military conflicts in European histo ...

**28.8.-29.9.1828 — conquest and occupation of the '' Varna region'' **10.9.1828 — fight of ''Hadshi-Hassan-Lap'' **14.9.1828 — assault and occupation of the ''strong point'' close to

redoubt A redoubt (historically redout) is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, although some are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldi ...

No. 12 in the ''Varana region'' **16.9.1828 — fight of the ''Varana region'' (close to ''liman Devno'') **18.9.1828 — fight of ''Kurtepe'' 1914 — 1917

: *20.8.1914 — encounter battle of ''Vladislavo'' *24.8.1914 — fight of the vils. ''Kshchonov, Gelchv'' *25-26 August 1914 — fight of the vils. ''Zarshov, Urshulin'' *2.9.1914 — fight of the ''Krcheshov BP'' *10-13 October 1914 — fights in the region ''Ivanogorod'' (in reserv) *19-21 October 1914 — struggles in the region of the vil. ''Lagov'' *22.10.1914 — fight of the vils. ''Khmelnik, Lagevniki '' *23.10.1914 — occupation town ''Pinchov'', reg. ''Nida'' *3-7 November 1914 — fights in the region: position ''Skala'' - sel. ''Sulashov'' *11.11.1914 — fight of the vils. ''Poremba, Dzerzhna'' *12.1914-01.1915 — regiment in reserv *5.2.1915 — fight of the vils. ''Gorki, Kobylin'' *6, 19.2.1915 — fight of the vil. ''Vysoke-Malo'', hill «85,0» *16-18 July 1915 — fight of the vil. ''Krupe'' *19-20 July 1915 — fight of the vil. ''Stavok'' *30.7.1915 — fight of the vil. ''Pertilov'' *1.8.1915 — fight of the vil. ''Goleshov'' *29.8.1915 — fight of the vils. ''Ulichely, Antoneytsy'' *30.8.-3.9.1915 — fights in the region: lake ''Korve'' — vil. ''Kramnishki'' *6.9.1915 — fights in the region: m. ''Soly — vil. Kzenzuvskie Zaezertsy'' *8.9.1915 — fights on lake ''Rishoe'', vils. ''Antonishki, Andresheevtsy'' *9, 13.9.1915 — fight of the vil. ''Menki'' *16, 17, 22.9.1915 — defence battles in the area of ''Smorgon'' *10.1915-6.1916 — regiment in reserve *15-16 July 1916 — assault in the region: vil. ''Raymesto'' on the river Stokhod *24.7.-24.8.1916 — BP in the region ''Kukharsky forest'' *30.8.-15.9.1916 — BP in the region ''Svinyukhinsky forest'' *9.1916-5.1917 — position fights in the region: ''Svinyukhinsky forest'', ''Kvadrat forest'', and forest ''Sapog'' on the ''Stokhod'' road *23.6.1917 — assault of vil. ''Tavotloki'' *6-15 July 1917 — defence towns ''Tarinopol'', Zbarazh

Famous people

The table below contains a selection famous people, who served in the ''LG Jaeger Regiment''. * Aleksei Antonov — General of the Army, member of the supreme command, Chief of General Staff 1945-46, 1st CS of the coalition armed forces of the

Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact (WP) or Treaty of Warsaw, formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist republi ...

member states. *Aleksey Arbuzov —

General of the Infantry General of the Infantry is a military rank of a General officer in the infantry and refers to: * General of the Infantry (Austria) * General of the Infantry (Bulgaria) * General of the Infantry (Germany) ('), a rank of a general in the German Imp ...

, participant in the Napoleonic Wars *Ivan Armsgeymer — bandmaster, composer *Aleksey Baiov — lieutenant general, Russian military historian *

Yevgeny Baratynsky Yevgeny Abramovich Baratynsky (russian: Евге́ний Абра́мович Бараты́нский, p=jɪvˈɡʲenʲɪj ɐˈbraməvʲɪtɕ bərɐˈtɨnskʲɪj, a=Yevgyeniy Abramovich Baratynskiy.ru.vorb.oga; 11 July 1844) was lauded by Alexan ...

— poet *Nikolay Baumgarten —

general A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...

, participant Russo-Turkish War (1828–29), military educationalist *Yakov Bologovsky *Karl Vrangel — general of the infantry *Yevgeny Graf — lieutenant general *Boris Regua — major general *Aleksandr Gueldenschtubbe — general of the infantry *Michael Grabbe — general *Onufry Kvitsinsky — general *Aleksey Kologrivov — major general *Kibrian Kondratovich — general of the infantry *Nikolay Krivtsov — captain of the ''LG Jaerger Regiment'' *Fyodor Lindfors — major general *Michail Matsnev — major general *Pyotp Nesterov — lieutenant general *Vladimir Notbek — general of the infantry *Vasily Ovander — lieutenant general, participant in the Napoleonic Wars *Gavriil Okunev — major general *Ivan Pavlov — general of the infantry *Stepan Polyeshov — lieutenant general *Aleksandr Ridiger — major general *Boris Richter — lieutenant general *Fyodor Sazonov — major general *Pyetr Stepanov — general of the infantry *Ilya Tutaev — *Ivan Cherkmaryov — lieutenant general *Alfons Shanyavsky — goldmine owner *Ivan Shachovskoy — general of the infantry *Vyacheslav Shteyngel — general of the infantry *

Dmitry Shcherbachev Dmitry Grigoryevich Shcherbachev (russian: Дми́трий Григо́рьевич Щербачёв; tr. ; 18 January 1932) was a general in the Russian Army during World War I and one of the leaders of the White Movement during the Russian ...

— general of the infantry

Commanders

The table below contains the commanding officers of the regiment. * 7 March 1805 — 19 November 1809 — polkovnik

Guillaume Emmanuel Guignard, vicomte de Saint-Priest Guillaume Emmanuel Guignard, vicomte de Saint-Priest (4 March 1776, in Constantinople29 March 1814) was a French émigré general who fought in the Russian army during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was the eldest son ...

* 19 December 1809 — 29 May 1821 — polkovnik (from Nov. 21, 1812 major general) Karl von Bistram * 10 August 1821 — 14 March 1825 — major general

Yevgeny Golovin Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Golovin (russian: Евге́ний Алекса́ндрович Голови́н; 1 May 1782 – 27 June 1858) was a general in the Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импер ...

* 14 March 1825 — 10 September 1828 — polkovnik (later on major general) Pavel Gartong * 13 September 1831 — 3 May 1833 — major general Pavel Shtegelman * 02.04.1833 — 22.09.1841 — major general Aleksandr von Moller * 22.09.1841 — 20.03.1850 — major general Vcevolod Solovyov * 20.03.1850 — 02.04.1855 — major general Osip Musnitsky * 02.04.1855 — 29.02.1856 — major general Yakov Voropay * 29.02.1856 — 23.04.1861 — major general Wilhelm Hansen * 23.04.1861 — 25.05.1863 — major general Baron Erst von Willebrand * 25.05.1863 — 06.12.1864 — major general * 06.12.1864 — 08.02.1868 — major general Michael Koropotkin * 13.02.1868 — 17.04.1876 — polkovnik Aleksandr Ellis * 17.04.1876 — 17.04.1880 — polkovnik (from Oct. 12, 1877 major general) Aleksey Chelishchev * 17.08.1880 — 04.05.1887 — major general Aleksandr Frezer * 18.05.1887 — 17.02.1891 — major general Khozrev Dolukhanov * 17.02.1891 — 24.11.1894 — major general Ivan Maltsov * 24.11.1894 — 20.11.1895 — major general Pavel Shubalov * 28.11.1895 — 25.04.1900 — major general Andrey Cherkmaryov * 11.07.1900 — 03.06.1903 — major general Konstantin Rozen * 03.06.1903 — 18.02.1906 — major general Leonid-Otto Sirelius * 18.02.1906 — 10.07.1908 — major general

Andrei Zayonchkovski Andrei Medardovich Zayonchkovsky (russian: Андре́й Меда́рдович Зайончко́вский) ( – 22 March 1926) commanded the defence of the Romanian-Bulgarian border in Dobruja upon Romania's entry into World War I in Augus ...

* 10.07.1908 — 14.12.1913 — major general Vladimir Yablochin * 14.12.1913 — 02.02.1916 — major general Aleksandr Bukovsky * 02.02.1916 — 10.04.1917 — polkovnik (from Apr. 5, 1816 major general) Boris Grekov * 05.04.1917 — 08.09.1917 — polkovnik Oleksander Hrekov * 08.09.1917 — 12.1917 — polkovnik Fyodor Shtakelberg

References

External links

Saint Petersburg encyclopedia

Staff-officers and Junior-officers of the ''LG Jaegerregiment''

* ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhBQ3B6KCU4 Military march of the ''LG Jaeger Regiment'' {{Infantry regiments of the Russian Empire Infantry regiments of the Russian Empire Russian military units and formations of the Napoleonic Wars Russian Imperial Guard Former guards regiments Saint Petersburg Governorate Military units and formations established in 1796 Military units and formations disestablished in 1917 Guards regiments of the Russian Empire