The 33rd Kuban Rifle Division was an infantry division of the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

during the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

and the

Polish–Soviet War The Polish–Soviet War (14 February 1919 – 18 March 1921) was fought primarily between the Second Polish Republic and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, following World War I and the Russian Revolution. After the collapse ...

. The division was first formed as the 33rd Rifle Division in March 1919 on the Southern Front and became the 33rd Kuban Rifle Division in December 1919. From June 1920 the division fought in the

. In September 1920, the units from the 33rd and other divisions became part of the new Kuban Cavalry Division, which soon became the 5th Kuban Cavalry Division.

History

Astrakhan, Donbas battles, and attack on Moscow

The division was formed by an order of the 11th Army dated 20 March 1919 from units of the 1st Rifle Division of the 12th Army, which had been formed in October 1918 as the Astrakhan Rifle Division. The division participated in the defense of

Astrakhan Astrakhan (, ) is the largest city and administrative centre of Astrakhan Oblast in southern Russia. The city lies on two banks of the Volga, in the upper part of the Volga Delta, on eleven islands of the Caspian Depression, from the Caspian Se ...

until May 1919. The 33rd became part of the 11th Army upon its formation and was commanded by Pavel Kuzmich Marmuzov. In May,

Mikhail Lewandowski Mikhail Karlovich Levandovsky (; 15 May 1890 – 29 July 1938) was a Soviet Komandarm 2nd rank. He fought in World War I in the Imperial Russian Army and in the Russian Civil War in the Soviet Red Army. He participated in the Soviet invasions o ...

took command of the division. Between May and June, the division fought in defensive battles for control of the

Donbas The Donbas (, ; ) or Donbass ( ) is a historical, cultural, and economic region in eastern Ukraine. The majority of the Donbas is occupied by Russia as a result of the Russo-Ukrainian War. The word ''Donbas'' is a portmanteau formed fr ...

. In June, the division became part of the 8th Army. After the Donbas fighting,

White Army The White Army, also known as the White Guard, the White Guardsmen, or simply the Whites, was a common collective name for the armed formations of the White movement and Anti-Sovietism, anti-Bolshevik governments during the Russian Civil War. T ...

commander

Anton Denikin Anton Ivanovich Denikin (, ; – 7 August 1947) was a Russian military leader who served as the Supreme Ruler of Russia, acting supreme ruler of the Russian State and the commander-in-chief of the White movement–aligned armed forces of Sout ...

ordered an attack on Moscow in the

Moscow Directive Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. Initially successful, the White offensive forced the 8th Army, including the 33rd, and other Red units to retreat, but was stopped by Bolshevik resistance by the beginning of August.

August Offensive and Voronezh-Kastornensk Offensive

The 33rd Division fought in the subsequent Red August Offensive between 14 August and 12 September. During the offensive, the 33rd participated in battles in the area of Chertkovo,

Kantemirovka Kantemirovka (; earlier Konstantinovka, ) is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) in Kantemirovsky District of Voronezh Oblast, Russia. Population: It was founded in the 18th century, and is named after its landowners Constantin Cante ...

, and Pavlovsk. The August Offensive failed to halt the

Volunteer Army The Volunteer Army (; ), abbreviated to (), also known as the Southern White Army was a White Army active in South Russia during the Russian Civil War from 1917 to 1920. The Volunteer Army fought against Bolsheviks and the Makhnovists on the ...

's advance, and the

Don Army The Don Army (, ) was the military of the short lived Don Republic and a part of the White movement in the Russian Civil War. It operated from 1918 to 1920, in the Don region and centered in the town of Novocherkassk. History On 23 April, K. ...

captured

Voronezh Voronezh ( ; , ) is a city and the administrative centre of Voronezh Oblast in southwestern Russia straddling the Voronezh River, located from where it flows into the Don River. The city sits on the Southeastern Railway, which connects wes ...

. To halt the Don Army, the 8th Army and other units launched the Voronezh-Kastornensk Offensive. During the offensive, which resulted in the defeat of the Don Army, the 33rd captured the key rail station of Liski and fought in the advance of the 8th Army to the Don.

Operations in the Donbas

Between 20 November and 8 December, the 33rd fought in the Khopyor-Don Operation, during which it participated in the attack on

Rossosh Rossosh () is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. ;Urban localities * Rossosh, Rossoshansky District, Voronezh Oblast, a town in Rossoshansky District of Voronezh Oblast ;Rural localities * Rossosh, Belgorod Oblast, a ''khutor'' i ...

. From 24 November to 12 December, the division as part of 8th Army fought in the Kharkov Operation, during which the 33rd advanced on

Starobilsk Starobilsk (; ) is a city in Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Starobilsk Raion. The modern settlement was founded in 1686, and it was granted city status in 1938. The city has a population of As a result of the ...

and captured

Ostrogozhsk Ostrogozhsk () is a town and the administrative center of Ostrogozhsky District in Voronezh Oblast, Russia, located on the Tikhaya Sosna River (a tributary of the Don), south of Voronezh, the administrative center of the oblast. As of the 20 ...

and

Shebekino Shebekino () is a town in Belgorod Oblast, Russia, located on the Nezhegol River, southeast of Belgorod. Population: It is the administrative center, though not part of, Shebekinsky District. In June 2023, during the Russian invasion of Ukrai ...

. On 2 December, the division was redesignated as the 33rd Kuban Rifle Division. On 18 December, the Donbas Offensive, began, with the objective of retaking the Donbas. During the offensive, the 33rd Division fought in the attack from the Bilolutsk area along the

Aidar River The Aidar (, ) is a river in Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine and Belgorod Oblast, Russia. A left tributary of the Seversky Donets, it is long (with located within Ukraine) and has a basin area of .Lugansk Luhansk (, ; , ), also known as Lugansk (, ; , ), is a city in the Donbas in eastern Ukraine. As of 2022, the population was estimated to be making Luhansk the 12th-largest city in Ukraine. Luhansk served as the administrative center of Luh ...

, the advance on the Petropavlovka-Ivanovka area, and the capture of Kartushino.

North Caucasus Advance

The Donbas Offensive succeeded, and the advance of the 8th Army continued in the Rostov-Novocherkassk Operation from 3 to 10 January 1920. The 33rd attacked from the Diakovo area towards

Rostov Rostov-on-Don is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East European Plain on the Don River, from the Sea of Azov, directly north of t ...

and conducted a meeting engagement with elements of the White Consolidated Cavalry Corps in the area of Generalsky Most, then participated in the capture of Rostov on 7 January. Between 17 January and 6 February, the division fought in the Don–Manych Operation, fighting in the area of

Starocherkasskaya Starocherkasskaya (), formerly Cherkassk (), is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, rural locality (a ''stanitsa'') in Aksaysky District of Rostov Oblast, Russia, with origins dating from the late 16th century. It is located on the right ...

, Aksayskaya, Manychskaya, and Zlodeiskaya. The division then fought in the

Tikhoretsk Operation Tikhoretsk () is a town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is the administrative center of the Tikhoretsky urban settlement and the Tikhoretsky District of the Krasnodar Territory. Population: Administrative and municipal status Within the framew ...

from 14 February to 2 March, during which a White counterattack briefly recaptured Rostov, which was retaken by the 8th Army on 23 February. In March, the division became part of the 9th Army. Lewandowski was promoted to command the 9th Army, and division commissar Oscar Stigga took command. From 3 to 27 March, the division fought in the

Kuban-Novorossiysk Offensive The Evacuation of Novorossiysk (''Новороссийская эвакуация'') or the Novorossiysk Catastrophe (''Новороссийская катастрофа'') was the evacuation of the White Armed Forces of South Russia and refuge ...

, during which it advanced towards Timagievskaya,

Medvedovskaya Medvedovskaya () is a rural locality (a ''stanitsa'') in Timashyovsky District of Krasnodar Krai, Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies ...

, and

Abinsk Abinsk () is a town and the administrative center of Abinsky District of Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located southwest of Krasnodar, the administrative center of the krai. Population: 39,058 (2020), 23,000 (1968). It was previously known as '' ...

. The 33rd fought in the capture of

Novorossiysk Novorossiysk (, ; ) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea. It is one of the few cities designated by the Soviet Union as a Hero City. The population was History In antiquity, the shores of the ...

, which resulted in the evacuation of the remnants of the Don Army and the Volunteer Army. During March and April, the division participated in mopping-up operations against remaining scattered White troops in the

Maykop Maykop is the capital city of Adygea, Russia, located on the right bank of the Belaya River. It borders Maykopsky District, from which it is administratively and municipally independent, to the east and south; Giaginsky District to the north, ...

area, and the

Stanitsa A stanitsa or stanitza ( ; ), also spelled stanycia ( ) or stanica ( ), was a historical administrative unit of a Cossack host, a type of Cossack polity that existed in the Russian Empire. Etymology The Russian word is the diminutive of the word ...

s of Kamennomostnaya and Andryukovskaya, among others. During April and May, the division was part of the 10th Army. The division then became part of the 9th Kuban Army for the remainder of May.

Polish-Soviet War

In June 1920, the division was transferred to become part of

August Kork August Ivanovich Kork (, also Аугуст Яанович Корк; 12 June 1937) was an Estonian Red Army commander ( Komandarm 2nd rank) who was tried and executed during the Great Purge in 1937. Kork became an officer of the Imperial Rus ...

's 15th Army, fighting in the Polish-Soviet War. Between 4 and 23 July, the division fought in the July Offensive, during which it fought in the offensive on

Grodno Grodno, or Hrodna, is a city in western Belarus. It is one of the oldest cities in Belarus. The city is located on the Neman, Neman River, from Minsk, about from the Belarus–Poland border, border with Poland, and from the Belarus–Lithua ...

, fighting near Glubokoye and

Molodechno Maladzyechna, or Molodechno, is a town in Minsk Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative centre of Maladzyechna District (and formerly of Molodechno Region from 1944 to 1960). Maladzyechna is located northwest of Minsk. In 2006, it had an ...

, and the crossing of the

Neman Neman, Nemunas or Niemen is a river in Europe that rises in central Belarus and flows through Lithuania then forms Lithuania–Russia border, the northern border of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia's western exclave, which specifically follows its s ...

. From 23 July to 25 August, the division fought in the Battle of Warsaw, during which it participated in battles on the

Narew The Narew (; ; or ) is a 499-kilometre (310 mi) river primarily in north-eastern Poland. It is a tributary of the river Vistula. The Narew is one of Europe's few braided rivers, the term relating to the twisted channels resembling braided h ...

, and the advance on Wyszków and

Płońsk Płońsk (; ) is a town in central Poland with 21,591 inhabitants (2022). Situated at the Płonka river in the historic region of Mazovia, it is the seat of Płońsk County in the Masovian Voivodeship. History According to archaeological researc ...

. On 15 August, a Polish cavalry raid led by

Aleksander Karnicki Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are A ...

cut the communications between the 15th Army and the neighboring 4th Army, and captured the town of

Ciechanów Ciechanów is a city in north-central Poland, seat of the Ciechanów County in the Masovian Voivodeship. As of December 2021, it has a population of 43,495. A city with almost a thousand years of history, recorded in 1065, Ciechanów is one of ...

, the 4th Army's headquarters. Kork sent in the 33rd, in reserve at the time, and it reoccupied Ciechanów after the Polish withdrew. On the next day, the Polish troops launched an unsuccessful counterattack, and the 33rd, reinforced by two

Cossack The Cossacks are a predominantly East Slavic Eastern Christian people originating in the Pontic–Caspian steppe of eastern Ukraine and southern Russia. Cossacks played an important role in defending the southern borders of Ukraine and Rus ...

regiments, attacked and destroyed a battalion of the Polish 18th Infantry Division. The Polish counterattack that began on 16 August finally broke through the Soviet lines and forced the division, along with the rest of the 15th Army, into a disorganized retreat. Around seven eighths of the Kuban Division retreated into

East Prussia East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871); following World War I it formed part of the Weimar Republic's ...

, where it was interned alongside much of the 15th Army. Division commander Stigga spent two months in internment, and was replaced in command by N.A. Shabanov. The 33rd was withdrawn back to

Lida Lida is a city in Grodno Region, western Belarus, located west of Minsk. It serves as the administrative center of Lida District. As of 2025, it has a population of 103,262. Etymology The name ''Lida'' arises from its Lithuanian name ''Ly ...

for reorganization in early September. By an order of the 15th Army dated 4 September 1920, the cavalry brigades of the 33rd and other divisions were used to form the new Kuban Cavalry Division, which soon became the 5th Kuban Cavalry Division. On 26 September remnants of the division still at Lida were overrun by the Polish advance, during the

Battle of the Niemen River The Battle of the Niemen River was the second-largest battle of the Polish–Soviet War. It took place near the middle Neman River between the cities of Suwałki, Grodno and Białystok. After suffering almost complete defeat in the Battle of ...

Commanders

The following officers commanded the 33rd Division. * Pavel Kuzmich Marmuzov (MarchMay 1919) *

(May 1919 March 1920) *

Oscar Stigga Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer J ...

(MarchSeptember 1920)

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * * {{Soviet divisions of the Russian Civil War Soviet infantry divisions in the Russian Civil War Military units and formations established in 1919 Military units and formations disestablished in 1920