The 57th 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 ...

. Formed in mid-1919, the division fought against the

Armed Forces of South Russia The Armed Forces of South Russia (AFSR or SRAF) () were the unified military forces of the White movement in southern Russia between 1919 and 1920. On 8 January 1919, the Armed Forces of South Russia were formed, incorporating the Volunteer Ar ...

on the Southern Front. After the defeat of the former it was transferred west and fought in northwest Ukraine and southern Belarus in 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 57th served in the westward advance of the Red Army in mid-1920 that ended with the Soviet defeat in the Battle of Warsaw, after which it retreated east into Belarus, where it was disbanded in November of that year.

History

The 57th Rifle Division was formed on 25 July 1919 by an order of the Southern Front of 19 July from the units of the Group of Forces on the

Poltava Poltava (, ; , ) is a city located on the Vorskla, Vorskla River in Central Ukraine, Central Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Poltava Oblast as well as Poltava Raion within the oblast. It also hosts the administration of Po ...

direction, part of the 14th Army. Nikolay Khudyakov became the first division commander on 4 August. From August to October it fought in defensive battles against the

(AFSR) along the

Seym River The Seym or Seim (; ) is a river that flows westward in Russia and Ukraine. It is long (250 km within Ukraine) and its basin area about . It is the largest tributary of the Desna (river), Desna. Places on the river include Kursk, Kurchatov, Rus ...

and in the direction of Poltava. The 57th fought in the Orel–Kursk operation between 11 October and 18 November in the area of Sevsk and Dmitriyev, driving back the AFSR. For the operation, Fyodor Kuznetsov replaced Khudyakov in command of the division. From November to February 1920 the division was part of the reserve of the Southern Front and later the Southwestern Front. The 57th transferred to the 12th Army in February and to the 16th Army in March, fighting in the

. It fought near

Ovruch Ovruch (, ) is a city in Korosten Raion, Zhytomyr Oblast, northern Ukraine, first mentioned as Vruchiy in 977. It was the capital city of the Drevlians in the 900s, later conquered by the Mongols in the 13th century, then later part of the Grand D ...

and Rechitsa from March, before becoming part of the newly created Mozyr Group of Forces in May. On 24 April Vladimir Kilomovskikh became acting division commander; he was replaced by Vasily Timofeev-Naumov three days later. As part of the group it attacked along the right bank of the

Berezina River The Berezina or Byarezina (, ; ) is a river in Belarus and a right tributary of the Dnieper. The river starts in the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve. The length of the Berezina is . The width of the river is 15–20 m, the maximum is 60 m. The ba ...

and helped recapture Mozyr in May and June. Leonty Ugryumov became division commander on 1 June. On 28 June division commissar Nikifor Kolyada took command of the division. Battle_of_Warsaw_-_Phase_2

Between 4 and 23 July, the division fought in the July Offensive, the renewed Soviet offensive in the war. During the offensive, it advanced westwards, capturing Glusk,

Slutsk Slutsk is a town in Minsk Region, in central Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Slutsk District, and is located on the Sluch (Belarus), Sluch River south of the capital Minsk. As of 2025, it has a population of 59,450. Geography ...

, and

Pinsk Pinsk (; , ; ; ; ) is a city in Brest Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Pinsk District, though it is administratively separated from the district. It is located in the historical region of Polesia, at the confluence of t ...

. On July 25, the Soviet attack on Warsaw began, culminating in the Battle of Warsaw. With the group, the division advanced from Pinsk to

Kobryn Kobryn or Kobrin is a town in Brest Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Kobryn District. It is located in the southwestern corner of Belarus, where the Mukhavets river and Dnieper–Bug Canal meet. The town lies about east ...

and Brest–Litovsk, crossing the

Western Bug The Bug or Western Bug is a major river in Central Europe that flows through Belarus (border), Poland, and Ukraine, with a total length of .Vistula The Vistula (; ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest in Europe, at in length. Its drainage basin, extending into three other countries apart from Poland, covers , of which is in Poland. The Vistula rises at Barania Góra i ...

. Division chief of staff Mikhail Olshansky became its commander on 2 August. On 16 August the Polish counterattack in the Battle of Warsaw began by moving through the thinly held, overstretched lines of the Mozyr Group. At Kock a detachment of the 57th was defeated by the Polish 21st Mountain Infantry Division, one of the few Polish encounters with the Mozyr Group on that day. Following the defeat of the Soviet forces in the counterattack, the division retreated with rearguard actions into Belarus. From September to November it fought in the suppression of Stanisław Bułak-Bałachowicz's Belarusian national uprising in the

Bobruisk Babruysk (, ) or Bobruysk (, ; , ) is a city in Mogilev Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Babruysk District, though it is administratively separated from the district. It is situated on the Berezina River. Babruysk o ...

area. In October the 57th was briefly transferred to the 4th Army of the Western Front, and then to the 16th Army. On 11 November the 57th was ordered disbanded by the Western Front and its troops used to reinforce the 4th Rifle Division; the division was disbanded on 19 November. V.V. Shashkin commanded the division between 12 November and its disbandment.

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